English football is besotted with second balls – but how important are they?
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“It is a staple of English football. Despite the progression in modern football tactics, it is remarkable how many managers point to a specific part of the game in their pre- and post-match interviews. The second ball. With the influx of overseas coaches over recent decades, it feels like a rite of passage to note the importance of second balls when striving to win a game of Premier League football. Most notably, early in Pep Guardiola’s first season with Manchester City, he recalled how former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso had flagged their significance when the pair worked together at Bayern Munich. …”
NY Times/The Athletic