How about a fallacy of the game?

I have previously written about Truths of the Game. If we accept that there are indeed truths of the game then by extension we must also admit there are fallacies of the game.  Today, I am going to take a look at one of the great fallacies of the game:  A possession based system of play cannot be utilized without technically sound players.

This is an argument I hear all the time and one I have proven to be false time and again.

Let's begin by asking the obvious question: How "technical" do players have to be before they can play a possession based style of play? Is there some magical standard for technical excellence to meet before possession play can be considered and if so, what is that standard?  How is it defined?

Perhaps we need to look at a second question even as we consider the first, What is possession play? How do we define  possession play?

You see, this fallacy of the game is accepted because of an assumed logic attached to it. And we all know that to assume makes an ass our of u and me, right?  

Space = time.

This is a generally accepted concept of playing soccer. So, when it comes to playing possession based soccer shouldn't the question be: How much space / time do your players require to be technically sound?

Now, if your vision as a coach is to play a possession based style, your challenge is to help your team manipulate space / time in such a manner that they can execute technique proficiently or at least sufficiently in.  It stands to reason players and teams with weaker technical abilities must provide themselves more space / time to execute in. In this manner, through the use of tactics, any team can play a possession based style of play provided they understand how to recognize, create and utilize (manipulate) space / time to their advantage.

If your definition of possession is the ability to play keep-away under match conditions you are not likely to experience a lot of success without technically gifted players. But possession based soccer is not about being able to string 10+ passes together.  Possession soccer is simply the ability to move the ball into position for a shot to be taken and this should be accomplished by the fewest amount of successful consecutive passes as possible.

Simply find the path of least resistance to goal.  That requires identification and utilization of space and time commensurate with the technical abilities the players possess.  This is the fundamental attribute of any system of play.