Back then, Spanish football was dominated by winger tactics, or long balls like the ones used by Cooper's predecessor, Ranieri, during his time at Valencia.
But this wasn't well-suited to the strengths of Spanish players.
As the southernmost country on the European continent, Spain's players were at a great physical disadvantage.
Cooper brought a South American style of play. The biggest difference was that after winning the ball, they wouldn't quickly distribute it to the wings or pass it forward. Instead, they would give it to the defenders and the deep-lying midfielder to build up play through layers of short passes.
The 4-4-2 diamond midfield formation he adopted even sparked a revolution in the European Football Scene.
Why was it Mendieta who scored the most goals?
Because Valencia didn't have any good strikers!
Not only did they lack one when Cooper was in charge, but they didn't have one when Benitez took over either.
