Gavi’s ‘water-slide’ tackle was an extension of Cruyff’s principles

You might think there is no way we could ever legitimately compare Barcelona’s midfield wonderkid Gavi with John Terry or Phil Jones, but bear with us…

It’s June 2010. England are grimly clinging onto the 1-0 victory over Slovenia that will ensure their position as sacrificial lambs to Germany in the last 16 of the World Cup.

As Slovenia mounted an attack, millions of fingernails are chewed across Britain despite England’s opponents possessing all the threat of a toddler taking on Tyson Fury in the ring.

But John Terry was in his element. After blocking one attempt on David James’ goal, a turf-prone Terry watched with horror as the ball fell to Zlatko Dedic.

You’ll know what happened next; as Dedic prepared to shoot, Terry dived in front of the Slovenia striker with the grace of a dead seal being fired out of a canon.

It was Glen Johnson who eventually deflected the ball away, but it’s hard not to think that Terry’s moment of intense peculiarity had spooked Dedic and caused his brain to short-circuit.

Almost 13 years later, in the impressive setting of San Mames, Gavi attempted something similar during Barcelona’s 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.

With the game level and Barcelona in danger of drowning in the intimidating Basque atmosphere, the young midfielder put his neck on the line for his side. And, for once, we aren’t talking metaphorically.

As Dani Garcia prowled forward, the 18-year-old slid head-first like a man going down a water slide to dispossess the Bilbao midfielder and prove that bravery and stupidity aren’t mutually exclusive concepts.

Gavi putting his literal head on the line for Barça 😳 pic.twitter.com/nCnWOqk8tu

— LaLigaTV (@LaLigaTV) March 12, 2023

But, whereas wimps like Terry and Phil Jones only had the cojones to attempt such a tackle once, Gavi’s brain cells are scrambled to the extent he used his noggin instead of his foot in the second half too.

The fact Barcelona had a lead to protect offers a modicum of explanation. Witnessing Gavi, eyes fixed on the ball like somebody who’s genuinely gone mad while struggling to regain his balance, offers another.

Alas, he was beaten to the ball by Raul Garcia, who inadvertently kneed the Barcelona midfielder on the side of the head. Perhaps it knocked some sense into him, as Gavi didn’t try another head tackle for the remainder of the game.

While some stick-armed wags will say his failure to complete a dangerous hat trick shows the same amount of…