Cruyff and Ferguson: Two clubs under the shadow of two geniuses

Neither Barcelona nor Manchester United would be the clubs that they are today were it not for the enormous impact of two men: Johan Cruyff and Sir Alex Ferguson.

Both coaches are fundamental in explaining and understanding not only the successes of both sides but also their philosophy on football, their structure and their projection looking towards the future.

To speak about Barcelona is to speak about Cruyff. The current playing style of the Blaugrana, particularly in the relatively recent successes of Pep Guardiola, is marked by how the Dutch genius understood this sport. He created an identity, a playing philosophy, and principles that would be used throughout the youth teams. Cruyff revolutionised football and, with it, Barcelona.

The Dutchman perfected the concept of 'total football' that started with his compatriot, Rinus Michels: it is possible to win playing well, being aesthetically pleasing and taking care of the ball. There was an importance placed on possession, the speed of the ball, and organisation, which was based on rondo drills and offensive play.

One of his maxims was: "If you have the ball, the opponent does not have it." This is a rather obvious statement, but it's no less important. Cruyff applied a 3-4-3 system, defending with four when they did not have the ball, and this has been taken on by the likes of Guardiola, Luis Enrique and Ernesto Valverde in recent years. Not only did the late genius bring Barcelona a Champions League trophy, but he created a philosophy that is the hallmark of the side that will play at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.

United, meanwhile, are marked by the work of Ferguson. The Scot was in charge of the Premier League giants from November 5, 1986, to May 8, 2013, at which point he retired from coaching at the age of 71, ending a period of 26 seasons and a haul of 38 trophies with the Red Devils. He is the most historic coach in terms of his time with one team and the trophies he won. Having had such a long time in charge of United, it is unsurprising that Ferguson's playing philosophy and the management of the team are still evident today.

One of the features that was evident during Ferguson's reign was his strict parental relationship with his players. United looked to play daring, impressive football under the Scot, which often prioritised the wingers and strikers. He had a lot of success in the transfer market, too, with players such as Roy Keane, Paul Ince, Eric Cantona, Teddy Sheringham, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Jaap Stam all arriving, whilst there was a lot of faith placed in the academy as Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville became vital members of the first team.

The influence of Ferguson and Cruyff at United and Barcelona respectively cannot be understated and, on Wednesday night, the two philosophies will come face-to-face at Old Trafford.