Is the long-haired dribbler a dying race?
An innumerable number of kids born in the 1970s to the 1990s took to their passions not by reading books or following posts on YouTube, but rushing home to get their homework done in time to appease their parents enough and be able to sneak in an hour of prized 'TV time' before bedtime.
The Cathode Ray Tube, looked upon by many parents as a bane to their children, cussed at by many a teacher, was actually a great gift to the small and even some big-time achievers of that era. The greatest feeling was to watch people brave the centre stage and own the environment they were in – be it solo guitarists, or solo footballers; solo artists, so to say.
It was captivating to watch the magic unfold in World Cups, Brazillians taking the world by storm; football was about style, illusions, dreams. I, myself, am a big Zizou fan, but there were others, there were beautiful dribblers all over the world.
Evolution of the ‘mane-feint’
In the late 1960s and early ‘70s, Johan Cruyff and George Best showed off their mesmerizing skills on the ball, inventing dribbles and having them named after them in some instances. Their long locks were more a stamp of the generation they played in, the generation of idolizing rock stars.
Later down the years, in the '90s, when the entire world was beginning to afford television sets, and football reached out over the globe, new players caught the eye of the disciplined schoolboy. Roberto Baggio, Edgar Davids, Pavel Nedved; and into the new millenium, Ronaldinho, Zlatan, Lionel Messi.
I have left out the 'real' Ronaldo and the other 'real' Ronaldo and other greats like Zizou, Henry, Bergkamp and Figo just to shed light on the topic of the body feint.
These players, with their long manes, found it simpler to wrong foot the defender while running at him with blazing pace. Ronaldinho's solo style encapsulates the perfect dribble; the perfect dribble where the player's entire body is committed to fooling the other guy. The trick was to let the defender believe that the fishtailing of your hair was actually a clue, a clue to unlock the next move.
There lay the magic in it, the illusion. Players like Ronaldinho and Zlatan threw their bodies to one side and then the other, their manes trailed them, for a split second, in the wrong direction.
The long mane in modern football
It would not be a surprise if we were to find out that Messi built his game on Ronaldinho's, and maybe Ronaldinho taught him this trick. This is a possible reason as to why we have been treated to the Messi of old for quite a long time – Messi the dribbler, who could change pace and direction in a split second, just like his predecessor.
But, as these players grew older and new tactics entered the world of football, they paid lesser attention to body feints and started moving on to quicker passing, having to conserve their energy for up to three games a week, in some cases.
The players who chose to stick with the style, like Ronaldinho, found it hard to keep up. Whether this was the influence of the party lifestyle or really a change in how football was being played, is something only Ronaldinho has an answer to. Nowadays, there is an increasing stress on the usage of the words 'Pass' and 'Release'. Not many coaches want to see shows of individual brilliance anymore.
Dribbling renaissance in South America
Yet, recently, in a game between Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund, where Arsenal found it hard to keep up with pacy runners of BVB, cameras caught many glimpses of Jurgen Klopp applauding his players making mazy, hopeful runs at the Arsenal defense, while the viewers found it hard not to grimace, "He should have just passed!"
Is this style coming back now? Will it overtake Total Football and tiki-taka? Does the world want more unpredictability?
Neymar, Alexis Sanchez, Aguero, Suarez – these are a few names of South Americans who are back to try and haunt defenses, trying to take them on single-handedly. The body feint might have taken some dents and repairs over the ages, and now emphasis is going back to how neatly one can get his feet around the ball without touching it, but the essence remains the same.
The hairstyles may or may not return, that is up to the rockstars to decide; but one thing is certain, the players are giving it a go again, they are willing to risk it for the love of the game. For the gasping silence in the stands, they are willing to try their hand at magic again. The dribbler is surely on his way back.