retired_marleysghost

Was recently asked to do this for business, and I reckon you can apply it to any industry.

So, rather than just being an innovator, which can be hard to do, some people choose to look at the norm and go against the grain. They were "exceptions to the rule" and for better or worse it seemed to work.

1) Not sure who pioneered this but Sam Allardyce's teams where the defence would all leg it out of the penalty area when defending a set piece, leaving the attacking side laughably offside. It was an exception to the rule of generally sitting on your 18 yard line.

2) Franz Beckenbauer plays sweeper. I'm sure someone will argue with this (there's an Italian coach who claims he invented it) but he contradicted the norm by playing behind the defence but also carrying the ball out. It was an exception that become common parlance.

3) Of course, total football has to be mentioned. The rule was, and is, each player has a set position and speciality, and woe betide anyone who gets "out of position". Total football, effectively employed or not, was an attempt to be an exception to the rule.

retired_prettygirl9156

Alf Ramsey's Wingless Wonders

The WM Formation

Catenaccio

retired_v_meenucancer

not using tactics - newcastle under keegan

retired_smilin916

Warnock not keeping a keeper on the bench and having Jags as a backup?

retired_civilian888

Joe Royle moving all the advertising boards close to the touchlines to counter act Dave Challinor's long throw

thetaoofshawn

Les Reed's concede 3 tactics.

retired_putpo

Leeds having Big Jack Charlton essentially blocking the keepers on corners. I remember reading that a while back and that it only added to their reputation that they were 'dirty cheats.'

retired_kelsey.joyce

What about having towels all around the pitch so he could dry the ball, or was that someone else?

retired_MikeMcC

Cloughies sensational team talks during his brief reign at leeds:

"As far as I'm concerned you can throw all those medals you've won in the bin, because you won them all by cheating"

harsh but fair imo!

retired_deljo

John Beck at Cambridge. Legend.