Jinky's Giants

Most knowledgeable observers agree that football is now faster than ever with players being quicker and more athletic.When signing a player, most managers are looking for athleticism,strength and physical presence, but not the Barcelona coach boss Pep Guardiola. His main concern when looking at a player is "Can he play?"

He doesn't ask whether he is tall enough, but does he have good spring in his legs.He doesn't ask whether he is big enough, but does he read the game and take up good positions.Barcelona are not a team filled with 'giants' and do not have the tall, physical 'target man',that pundits in England are obsessed with.

It was not always the case in Britain. The finest side ever to grace the British Isles was perhaps the Lisbon Lions - the magnificent Celtic side that took on all comers. And the local Bhoys played with the power and grace that their community demanded. Lions who roared - but they didn't need to fill the boots of heavyweight boxers.

Standing smallest the smallest but with the biggest talent of them all was Jimmy 'Jinky' Johnstone a genius of the game and one whom the blueprint of the British game could and should have been copied. Perhaps it would be the Brits and not the Catalans who would lead the way in 2011.

Looking back over the years there have been lots of players who have been rejected purely because of their size and gone on to perform at the highest levels in the game.

Michael Essien told Match of the Day magazine: ‘I had two trials at Manchester United, but I was seen as too small. '

Alan Ball had trials with Wolves and Bolton but was rejected by both for being too small before eventually signing for Blackpool with the help of some persuasion by his father, Alan Ball senior.
Some of the best footballers the world has ever seen have not been the biggest.

Maradonna stands 5' 5" tall; Garrincha was 5' 6"; Messi is only just over 5' 6", whilst Ferenc Puskas was 5' 7".

Lionel Messi, has revealed that when he was eight years old he had attracted the attention of Buenos Aires club River Plate, but they pulled out of a deal to sign him because they could not pay his £500-a-month bill for growth hormones. And the future looked even bleaker when medics told Messi's stunned family he would grow no taller than 4ft 7inches.However he managed to get a trial with Barcelona who snapped him up and paid his medical bills and the rest is history.

Here we offer perhaps one of the smallest teams that could have played at the top level with an expectation of competing with the best. With of course the captain and leader Jimmy Johnstone.

Paul Cooper -      5' 9" ( Goalkeeper )
Paul Parker -       5' 7" ( Defender )
Des Walker -       5' 11" ( Central Defender )
Kevin Ratcliffe -    5' 11" ( Central Defender )
Leighton Baines - 5' 7" ( Defender )
Alan Ball -            5' 6" ( Midfielder )
Billy Bremner -     5' 5" ( Midfielder )
Bobby Collins -     5' 3" ( Midfielder )
Jimmy Johnstone - 5' 2" ( Midfielder )
Gianfranco Zola -  5' 6" ( Midfielder/Attacker )
Jemaine Defoe -   5' 6"  ( Attacker )

There are many others who would be eligible; Alan Wright, Kenny Burns, Gordon Strachan, Juninho, David Speedie to name but a few.

It is hoped that coaches will change their outlook when assessing young footballers because, as the Lionel Messi experience shows, they could starve the game of a lot of players who have the talent to reach the very top of their sport.