Photo credit: www.bbc.com

Kyle Walker’s Words Ignite Discussion on Team Dynamics in Football

AC Milan’s defender, Kyle Walker, has recently sparked conversations in the football community after his candid remarks to Chelsea’s loanee, Joao Felix, during a match against Napoli three weeks ago. As halftime approached in their Serie A clash, the current situation saw Milan trailing 2-0, leading Walker to advise Felix in a less-than-subtle way: “pass the ball, nobody here is Messi.”

This comment came as Milan, currently positioned ninth in the league, struggled to find their footing against a formidable Napoli team sitting in second place. Following the match, which ended in a 2-1 defeat for Milan, Walker took the opportunity to clarify his remarks during an episode of the BBC’s The Kyle Walker Podcast.

Walker emphasized that his comments were not a direct critique of Felix’s abilities but rather an encouragement to adhere to a structured gameplay approach. He explained, “It wasn’t me saying to Joao ‘you’re not Messi, pass the ball’. It was saying ‘let’s make sure we have a process’. He agreed with me and said we need to have more passes and a bit more control.”

Reflecting on the nature of individual brilliance in football, Walker noted that only a select few players possess the capability to change the outcome of a match single-handedly. He specifically mentioned Lionel Messi, now with Inter Miami, as one of those rare talents. “The comment I said was nobody is Messi,” Walker stated. “That’s in every team in the world bar certain individuals who can turn a game on its head when they want to.”

In addition to Messi, Walker highlighted other players like Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., Mohamed Salah, and Ousmane Dembele, who he feels have the exceptional talent to alter the course of a game. “Apart from that, you say it’s a team game,” he added, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts on the pitch.

Walker also took a moment to praise Rafael Leao, Milan’s talented winger and fellow Portuguese national team player, noting, “What I was saying to Joao is Leao is fantastic. One of the players you can give him the ball and he can go past three, four, five players and put it in the top bin.” He underscored the importance of systematized playing style, drawing from his experiences at Manchester City, where the emphasis has been on a coherent process that allows players to understand their positional responsibilities.

“If you have a player like Messi, he can take on four players and put it in the back of the net. It makes the game so much easier,” Walker explained, illustrating how individual capabilities can synergize with tactical strategies. In matches against strong opponents like Napoli, he believes a systematic strategy of passing and wearing down defenses is essential to create opportunities. “That was the conversation with Joao,” he concluded, underscoring his focus on teamwork and coordination over individual heroics.

Source
www.bbc.com