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Jonathan Wilson is a British sports journalist and writer who writes for a number of publications including the Guardian and the Independent ^[1]. He is notable for his historical knowledge of world football as well as his insightful and comprehensive analysis of football tactics.

Books

Behind the Curtain: Travels in Eastern European Football

"Behind the Curtain" details Jonathan Wilson's travels through Eastern Europe, describing the history, styles and idiosyncrasies of football in each country, as the breakdown of the Soviet Union and the resulting political turmoil is reflected in the football and the culture that surrounds it.

Inverting the Pyramid: A History of Football Tactics

Shortlisted for the 2008 William Hill Sports Book of the Year award, ^[2] Wilson documents the evolution of football tactics and formations from the sports anarchic foundations, through to the attack minded 2-2-6 formations (2 defenders, 2 midfield players and 6 strikers) and onto the modern 4-5-1 formation and its variants. Along the way Wilson explains the evolution and rationale behind the Italian Catenaccio styles, Dutch Total football, the individual brilliance of South American football players, and the tactical innovations within the Soviet Union.

The book is also notable in its underlying reflection on the state of English football, particularly the static attitudes of the FA and an unwillingness to appreciate the theoretical, philosophical aspect of tactics. Wilson repeatedly suggests that this failure has played a role in the under-achievement of recent English international teams who have struggled internationally despite the presence of multiple exceptionally talented players ^[3], culminating in the failure to qualify for the 2008 Uefa European Championships.

Journalism

Jonathan Wilson has written for the Independent, FourFourTwo magazine and the Daily Telegraph. He is the football correspondent for the Financial Times and is the Eastern European football correspondent for the Guardian.

"The Question"

Wilson is the main contributor to a feature for the Guardian website called "The Question" in which he analyzes modern trends and evolutions in football. The feature can be seen as a pre-cursor to, and subsequently an extension to, the ideas put forward in "Inverting the Pyramid". The Question has included articles on the decline of the 'box to box midfielder', the importance of the modern full-back and the evolution of the 'defensive striker'^[4]. Bringing the tactical analysis present in Wilson's books into the context of the modern game, such features are generally inspired by recent events and invariably reference the former managers, and respected tactical innovators, Arrigo Sacchi and Valeri Lobanovsky.

External Links

http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/jonathanwilson - Jonathan Wilson's profile at Guardian.co.uk

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/series/the-question - The Question Column

http://www.wsc.co.uk/content/view/1075/28/ - Review of "Inverting the Pyramid"

References

^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/jonathanwilson
^ http://www.williamhillmedia.com/sportsbook_index.asp
^ "This, arguably, was the main reason for the farrago of the golden generation: England were blessed with a remarkably talented generation of players; the problem was that Michael Owen and David Beckham needed a 4-4-2, while Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard needed an additional holding player. Neither Sven-Göran Eriksson nor Steve McClaren ever had the clarity of thought to opt for one system over the other and cull players accordingly. It was almost as though football itself were taunting England for its lack of tactical sophistication and its concomitant obeisance to the cult of the celebrity player" Wilson, J "The Question" http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2009/apr/22/where-have-box-to-box-midfielders-gone.
^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/series/the-question

[1] ttp://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/jonathanwilson

[2] ttp://www.williamhillmedia.com/sportsbook_index.asp

[3] "This, arguably, was the main reason for the farrago of the golden generation: England were blessed with a remarkably talented generation of players; the problem was that Michael Owen and David Beckham needed a 4-4-2, while Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard needed an additional holding player. Neither Sven-Göran Eriksson nor Steve McClaren ever had the clarity of thought to opt for one system over the other and cull players accordingly. It was almost as though football itself were taunting England for its lack of tactical sophistication and its concomitant obeisance to the cult of the celebrity player" Wilson, J "The Question" http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2009/apr/22/where-have-box-to-box-midfielders-gone.

[4] ttp://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/series/the-question

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