How much has football changed in the last 20 years?

[MattJ166]

Edit - Didn't mean to post in this thread but don't know how to delete my comment haha!


In conclusion as to not waste a post, - Yes there has been some changes including but not limited to the names of the players.

 

[giorno]

Back in 2016 most full backs (at least in prem) were seen as steady eddies and defend well and just get forward and get in a hopeful cross types.

That can't be right

With Guardiola coming in look at how it's been revolutionized in that area considering he inherited some good ones in Zabaleta, Sagna and Clichy.

Uh, not really. They used to be good ones but by 2016 they were pretty much done, all 3 of them. Clichy was never particularly good either

Wan-Bissaka would've been fine in that era but now gets loads of stick on here for his ability once he crosses the halfway line.

He gets stick because Mamchester United have been a mess often in the last few years. Ferland Mendy is a very similar player and gets nothing but praise in Madrid. By people who would be more naturally inclined to dislike and criticize him for his lack of attacking quality...

 

[do.ob]

I think it's changed hugely in just 5 years.

Back in 2016 most full backs (at least in prem) were seen as steady eddies and defend well and just get forward and get in a hopeful cross types. With Guardiola coming in look at how it's been revolutionized in that area considering he inherited some good ones in Zabaleta, Sagna and Clichy.

Dani Alves, Lahm, Maicon, Alba, Srna, before them Cafu and Roberto Carlos. If anything that observation only rings true for the PL specifically.

It's simple, INITIATIVE no longer exists. I was having this convo with a mate we agreed initiative is gone from players, system players is a cover word for "one dimensional players".
Jose as much as I didn't like him when he said players and coaches hide behind terms like "philosophy" to avoid the awkward conversation of not winning. Jose is right, modern players no longer need to be coached just how to do it, they also need to know when to do it.

There's a video on YouTube called "beautiful passing by Brazil" its from 2006 VS Argentina. If you watch it they are doing a lot of the things instinctively that we now attribute to "systems" keeper playing with his feet, overloading and then switching play etc. None of those players there were "system players" they were just good players. That knew how and when to play football.

There's another video Brazil VS New Zealand where you quite literally see Roberto Carlos switch the ball in the final third on the break to Cafu who has a shot on goal. It was instinctive good players knowing how and what to do. It no longer exists. So systems cover for inadequate players.

I can put it like this as a man in my mid 30s when I was young and I watched professional football. I honestly felt the players doing what they were doing had magic in their boots. I honestly believe if I was a young boy again - watching these modern footballers, I would have a real real shot at serious pro ball.

Are you trying to say that modern players are one-dimensional?? Clearly it's the opposite? Defenders aren't allowed to hoof it, they have to win duels with the ball and play penetrating passes, strikers aren't just poachers anymore, they have to create space and link up with their team mates to unlock defenses, everyone has to do their bid defensively in terms of pressing, fullbacks often have to take on the attacking duties of wingers, because wingers cut inside and take on duties of forwards and playmakers.

Players could be more individualistic back in the day, because - compared to the present - teams were incredibly disorganized and slow to react. Leaving attackers with spaces and dribbling opportunities that - barring mistakes - simply don't exist in the modern game anymore. Your typical Klopp team would absolutely slaughter historic teams in transitions, unless they park the bus and refuse to play football.

 

[stefan92]

Dani Alves, Lahm, Maicon, Alba, Srna, before them Cafu and Roberto Carlos. If anything that observation only rings true for the PL specifically.

Manfred Kaltz was a legendary crosser, especially for the national team together with Horst Hrubesch converting them. He was an attacking RB in the 70s/80s. And I am sure we can go further back in history and find more examples, just he came to my mind now.

 

[MUFC OK]

Watching it really is like another era. The game feels unstructured and loose. Passing is looser and slower, the team shapes are less defined. Patterns of play don't go much beyond one-twos. Players fly into slide into tackles a lot. The amount of time the ball spends in the air is quite weird. While Arsenal dominate possession in the second half, its more akin to keeping the ball away from Chelsea rather than exerting pressure.

Its like listening to people talk from the past, its hard to put your finger on what's different, but the overall change is quite pronounced.

Its just a far less possession centred approach to the game. Guardiola and the Barcelona teams of 2009 and 2011 were the biggest influence on modern coaches sing then everyone has wanted to play out from the back and look after the ball - that video is just chaos really

 

[do.ob]

Manfred Kaltz was a legendary crosser, especially for the national team together with Horst Hrubesch converting them. He was an attacking RB in the 70s/80s. And I am sure we can go further back in history and find more examples, just he came to my mind now.

Andy Brehme is another one. I was tempted to write that full back might be one of the positions where elite players were closest to modern standards, but then I thought you might be able to say the same about the greats from other positions as well and it's more about what your "average" top player could do.

 

[MUFC OK]

Dani Alves, Lahm, Maicon, Alba, Srna, before them Cafu and Roberto Carlos. If anything that observation only rings true for the PL specifically.



Are you trying to say that modern players are one-dimensional?? Clearly it's the opposite? Defenders aren't allowed to hoof it, they have to win duels with the ball and play penetrating passes, strikers aren't just poachers anymore, they have to create space and link up with their team mates to unlock defenses, everyone has to do their bid defensively in terms of pressing, fullbacks often have to take on the attacking duties of wingers, because wingers cut inside and take on duties of forwards and playmakers.

I can actually see a narrative developing on here that Pep and Klopp are entirely responsible for niche concepts like maintaining possession, pressing, overlapping fullbacks. Like they hadn't been in the game for decades before.

 

[stefan92]

Andy Brehme is another one. I was tempted to write that full back might be one of the positions where elite players were closest to modern standards, but then I thought you might be able to say the same about the greats from other positions as well and it's more about what your "average" top player could do.

I think overall there is a lot of truth to it. I don't believe that players individually were much better or worse in past decades, but that the game evolved tactically to play much more cohesive and work better as a team (which might look more robotic and less inspired).

Heck, you can even say that possession play as emphasized by Pep was present in the 30s, performed by Austria's "wonder team" around Sindelar or the "Schalker Kreisel".

More fitness, better analysis to be sure which ideas work, those things evolve, but the basic principles stayed the same for ages. Just some ideas go in and out of fashion, but I can't think of any unique new principle introduced in the last 20 years.

 

[FootballHQ]

That can't be right


Uh, not really. They used to be good ones but by 2016 they were pretty much done, all 3 of them. Clichy was never particularly good either


He gets stick because Mamchester United have been a mess often in the last few years. Ferland Mendy is a very similar player and gets nothing but praise in Madrid. By people who would be more naturally inclined to dislike and criticize him for his lack of attacking quality...

Back in 2016 Matteo Darmian was a regular for Man. United. Also had Milner playing pretty much a full season at left back for Liverpool. Ivanovic at Chelsea, very good of course at his peak but couldn't quite do what the modern day ones do. Probably extreme example given the ridiculous nature of the title win but Leicester had Danny Simpson and Fuchs. So these were some of the full backs around playing for top 6 clubs in 2015/16 season, Spurs under Poch with Kyle Walker and Rose were obvious exception.

Should've been kinder to myself and gone back to late 2000s perhaps when a champions league final was contested with Wes Brown and Essien as the right backs that night.

Yeah I was more on PL wising up and finally valuing FBs in offensive third as @do.ob points out.

 

[do.ob]

I can actually see a narrative developing on here that Pep and Klopp are entirely responsible for niche concepts like maintaining possession, pressing, overlapping fullbacks. Like they hadn't been in the game for decades before.

I think overall there is a lot of truth to it. I don't believe that players individually were much better or worse in past decades, but that the game evolved tactically to play much more cohesive and work better as a team (which might look more robotic and less inspired).

Heck, you can even say that possession play as emphasized by Pep was present in the 30s, performed by Austria's "wonder team" around Sindelar or the "Schalker Kreisel".

More fitness, better analysis to be sure which ideas work, those things evolve, but the basic principles stayed the same for ages. Just some ideas go in and out of fashion, but I can't think of any unique new principle introduced in the last 20 years.

Nothing is ever entirely new, especially if you boil concepts down to just "possession" and "pressing", but it seems quite clear to me that Pep and Klopp are responsible for the importance of and approach to positional football and pressing in the current game.

 

[KingCavani]

Back in 2016 Matteo Darmian was a regular for Man. United. Also had Milner playing pretty much a full season at left back for Liverpool. Ivanovic at Chelsea, very good of course at his peak but couldn't quite do what the modern day ones do. Probably extreme example given the ridiculous nature of the title win but Leicester had Danny Simpson and Fuchs. So these were some of the full backs around playing for top 6 clubs in 2015/16 season, Spurs under Poch with Kyle Walker and Rose were obvious exception.

Should've been kinder to myself and gone back to late 2000s perhaps when a champions league final was contested with Wes Brown and Essien as the right backs that night.

Yeah I was more on PL wising up and finally valuing FBs in offensive third as @do.ob points out.

Wes Brown was unbelievably good at RB in 2008.

 

[Gio]

Back in 2016 Matteo Darmian was a regular for Man. United. Also had Milner playing pretty much a full season at left back for Liverpool. Ivanovic at Chelsea, very good of course at his peak but couldn't quite do what the modern day ones do. Probably extreme example given the ridiculous nature of the title win but Leicester had Danny Simpson and Fuchs. So these were some of the full backs around playing for top 6 clubs in 2015/16 season, Spurs under Poch with Kyle Walker and Rose were obvious exception.

Should've been kinder to myself and gone back to late 2000s perhaps when a champions league final was contested with Wes Brown and Essien as the right backs that night.

Yeah I was more on PL wising up and finally valuing FBs in offensive third as @do.ob points out.

True. Beyond the Premier League, the shift from converted centre-halves to converted wingers largely took place during the 1990s and 2000s. I think the Premier League was slower to pick up on the trend because it had such success with a contain-and-counter strategy in Europe during the 2000s which lended itself towards the likes of Gallas and Brown at full-back. Would also add that the Premier League's competitiveness dipped a lot during the early-to-mid-2010s and there were quality issues at the top of the league which reflected being behind the curve on tactical trends like that one.

But in some countries it took place even earlier. Brazil, France and Germany really embraced flying wing-backs from the 1970s and 1980s on through the likes of Nelinho, Leandro, Kaltz, Dietz, Brehme, Amoros and Bossis, be it part from philosophy (attacking football) or systems (narrow 4-2-2-2s or 3-5-2s) forcing their selection.

 

[giorno]

Back in 2016 Matteo Darmian was a regular for Man. United. Also had Milner playing pretty much a full season at left back for Liverpool. Ivanovic at Chelsea, very good of course at his peak but couldn't quite do what the modern day ones do. Probably extreme example given the ridiculous nature of the title win but Leicester had Danny Simpson and Fuchs. So these were some of the full backs around playing for top 6 clubs in 2015/16 season, Spurs under Poch with Kyle Walker and Rose were obvious exception.

Should've been kinder to myself and gone back to late 2000s perhaps when a champions league final was contested with Wes Brown and Essien as the right backs that night.

Yeah I was more on PL wising up and finally valuing FBs in offensive third as @do.ob points out.

Uh, Ivanovich was great in attack until 2015, Milner was always a plus and played there because of it too. Darmian, eh, swing and a miss, but he did play as a fairly attacking wingback for Torino(and now for inter). The idea that english football thought of FBs as "steady eddies and defend well and just get forward and get in a hopeful cross types" is insane to me, although it would explain a lot

Most likely i'm thinking we might be arguing different things here

Anyways here's another: in 2016 english football was a punchline. 5 years later and it's at the cutting edge of football development

 

[Luke1995]

Not sure about the football itself, but the transfer market has changed alot.

Before, it was more possible to get good players from mid table teams for a reasonable price.

These days, you can't go to a ramdon game and be in awe of a certain unknown kid as there probably are several scouts reporting about him at the same time.

 

[Lecland07]

- Footballs have become lighter
- Pitches are flatter and slicker (leading to complaints about grass length from Xavi)
- Physicality in the game has lessened
- Footballers have become automations rather than actual people.
- Individuality of the players has reduced - There are very few players with a distinct playstyle nowadays. There used to be far more distinguishable players. Most just merge together, nowadays.

These have all either resulted in, or been as a result of, what football is like today.

 

[sergiosigurvinson]

Rangnick used to play in a 4 - 2 -2 -2 formation (to be able to put pressure on the opponent with the ball as quick as possible all over the field).
Do we have the players to play the game that way?

 

[roonster09]

I think it's changed hugely in just 5 years.

Back in 2016 most full backs (at least in prem) were seen as steady eddies and defend well and just get forward and get in a hopeful cross types.

We had Evra from 2005 who was very good attacker, we played with Rafael and Evra in 2012-13 when we won the league.

 

[MattJ166]

Agreed!

There were the likes of Sagna, Bellerin, Tottenhams' Walker & Rose, Dan Petrescu for Chelsea back in the 90's, Riise & even Leighton Baines . There were definitely attacking full-backs present throughout premier league history it's just now even greater emphasis is placed on them and they are getting the plaudits.

 

[Nordmore]

A lot I think. That's why Jose and many other reputable, renowned coaches couldn't win anymore.

Football has leaned toward the total football philosophy of Cruyff a lot in the last two decades. Vidic probably couldn't be considered a top CB nowaday because he doesn't really know how to pass. Or it could be basically impossible for Inzaghi to play for a top club now.

With the evolution of sportive science the players become much more fit and faster. The intensity of the game has become much more higher.

Tactical and positional awareness becomes much more crucial. Teams are now far more organized than before.

Then money and online social media. Much more money in football and the evolution of internet has give the players a lot more power. Especially the top ones. Probably too much imo.

Fans changed too. Imo the fans of the previous generations know more about football because they do watch the full 90' week in week out. Young fans nowaday, because of the generally busier life style and social media occupation often only watch highlights, a couple of tactic clips on Youtube and you're a "football expert". While they're considerably more toxic and all they care is about winning or a certain player. Probably because most of the football highlights clips on Youtube are about the players I think. Have a look and you'd see like 90% of the clips are about Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Mbappe, Haaland, Lewan, etc. They do not really support a team but largely follow a team only because their favourite player play there and not many enjoy how beautiful a game is anymore.

Tactically football has become much more a team game than previously. But money and online social media has made it much more individual and toxic I think.

 

[Theonas]

We had Evra from 2005 who was very good attacker, we played with Rafael and Evra in 2012-13 when we won the league.

There were plenty of defenders who were attackers, the difference now how is often they are asked to attack and participate in the build up. That's what has changed.

 

[nygaard]

The changes are overrated imo. Ancelotti won 3 CL in a row with a very 2000s style, not much high pressing robots but freedom of expression and great individuals

 

[roonster09]

There were plenty of defenders who were attackers, the difference now how is often they are asked to attack and participate in the build up. That's what has changed.

There were always teams who did
that in the past, we did with Evra. Dani Alves was the best example at Sevilla. Difference is, now more teams do that

 

[Schneckerl]

Massively. The best players from back then, like Ronaldo Fenomeno, would struggle to get a starting spot for Spezia or Elche.

 

[Bebestation]

It's much more of a team game than ever before.

The individualistic nature of someone like Ronaldinho or others are not seen as much anymore or possibly even rated that highly.

You even consider Beckham's world class crossing - you could argue that Beckham in Pep's team wouldn't work due to the loss of possesion.

It's almost like every team has a different unqiue style.

When you compare it to Serie A of the late 80s - 90s; everyone played the exact same way in the exact same league, defending to a certain way that it felt like it took individualistic brilliance to get over it. (I really enjoyed that football).

 

[stefan92]

The changes are overrated imo. Ancelotti won 3 CL in a row with a very 2000s style, not much high pressing robots but freedom of expression and great individuals

You are talking about Zidane, not Ancelotti, right?

 

[abundance]

I also preferred the football of the past, i feel it had that something extra and a player like Ronaldinho could never exist now.
The closest one we have - Neymar, is routinely criticised for showboating and sometimes even booked for it so much so that he's cut a lot of it out of his game. The need for efficiency has killed the magic. Or I might just be looking back with nostalgic glasses as I was a teenager during the mid 00's and absolutely obsessed with football.

re. this specifically, to me it's just that Ronaldinho's trickery felt like an integral part of his visionary end product, while Neymar's feels more like an embellishment on top of a more "regular", less imaginative, forward play style.

It's a bit like Cristiano Ronaldo's stepovers-in-place standing still two yards away from his oppontent vs. Luis Nazario actual stepovers while running full steam straight into defenders

 

[abundance]

You even consider Beckham's world class crossing - you could argue that Beckham in Pep's team wouldn't work due to the loss of possesion.

TBF, Beckham in a Pep's team may have become a legendary icon of long-range switching to the weak side =)

Also, he was just a bit static and dribble-less for a top-class winger so I think he would've end up benefit from a more intricate positional passing style

 

[nygaard]

You are talking about Zidane, not Ancelotti, right?

Yes, both of them . Sorry about that

 

[Bebestation]

TBF, Beckham in a Pep's team may have become a legendary icon of long-range switching to the weak side =)

Also, he was a just a bit static and dribble-less for a top-class winger so I think he would've end up benefit from a more intricate positional passing style

Yeah I know being like Pirlo in a CM position - but again it just showed how basic football tactics were to have such good passers crossing the ball from outside to a single predatory striker - it was arguably one of our top tactics.

Football is much more tactically complex now especially the way the whole team can be involved in one style and tactic, even the goalkeeper's involved.

 

[MattJ166]

re. this specifically, to me it's just that Ronaldinho's trickery felt like an integral part of his visionary end product, while Neymar's feels more like an embellishment on top of a more "regular", less imaginative, forward play style.

It's a bit like Cristiano Ronaldo's stepovers-in-place standing still two yards away from his oppontent vs. Luis Nazario actual stepovers while running full steam straight into defenders

Oh absolutely Ronaldinho's skills were integral to his game and was, on a whole, a different level to Neymar overall but it's the most apt comparison that I can see in world football at the moment which within itself is telling.

Hopefully we see the rise of players who have adapted to these team systems but can still interweave that little bit extra that makes younger generations sit back and fall in love with them.

 

[GifLord]

There's barely any long shot attempts.

 

[Vaultech]

I can actually see a narrative developing on here that Pep and Klopp are entirely responsible for niche concepts like maintaining possession, pressing, overlapping fullbacks. Like they hadn't been in the game for decades before.

It's more like your average EPL fans don't bother following much football outside of the country.

The two of them had made a huge change in mindset about tactics. Before Pep won the PL with a 100 points, a lot of English fans were very snobby about his tactics and how it could not work in the PL.

A lot of people were eating humble pies after that 100 point season.

 

[MileStolar]

Just compare CBs in PL now and ten years ago. They all play ball nowadays. Also less Tony Pulis style football.

Continental football approach took over when Guardiola came and showed that wet night in Stoke can be beaten by technically superior players.

Perhaps championship has bit more old school football to offer still.

Even though people moan that modern football is souless, dull and sterile every each one of our fans is currently drooling over a prospect of us having a more modern approach to football with Ralf Rangnick.

 

[Dancfc]

It's all bollox. Every generation thinks they do it better than the last, in every walk of life.

I'd say the opposite, usually you get people harping back to the "good old days". For example if you opened a thread tomorow comparing the likes of Silva, VVD and even Ramos to the best defenders of the mid 00s I bet almost everyone favours the mid 00s defenders.

In regards to the thread I actually watched back the Arsenal/Chelsea UCL quarter final last week and I was actually took aback at the difference in the famous patterns of play, even with two great teams of that time it was deeply simplistic compared to what we see now. That said I don't think that's on the players, if they were hypothetically in their prime now then I'm sure they'll benefit from the advanced level of coaching (assuming they embraced the further demands in terms of diet etc to compete) but calling a spade a spade, footballer are a hell of a lot better coached now than they were 20 years ago.

 

[BrilliantOrange]

I think its mostly the game in the top that has changed massively. In the top you have maniacal coaches who have eye for every detail in training/tactics and you have players getting the most out of their physique with all the knowledge on diets/fitness going around. Those two combined make that teams are so well organized and structured and the players have the physical capabilities to execute these instructions for 90 minutes. The organization is drilled down to the letter, so there is less and less room for individual freedom and initiative.

On the one hand this asks more of players. Defenders and Midfielders are being pressed in more coherent ways by a whole team, attackers having less and less space against well organized teams. On the other and the game was less structured back in the day asking more of the mind/autonomy/initiative of the players. They way to win was less thought out for them upfront. I think the balance between preperation vs match day has shifted a bit towards preperation becoming more important than 20 years ago to win a match, as most teams in the top are so well organized and often have a solid game plan. (writing this makes me furious as I realize United has been nothing like this recently).

 

[General_Elegancia]

The last 20 years.....So,it would belong to 2001-present

Athletics abilities
This part becomes so important in a modern football. Stamina, strengths and pace are very important in these days. A lot of players must be run for a team due to pressing tactics for track the ball back as fast as you can do. In this era, they have a lot of physical specimen like Haaland,Mbappe,Salah,Mane and a lot.

4-3-3/3-4-3
In the past during early 2000s you can see many teams usually played 4-4-2,4-4-1-1 or 4-2-3-1.Right now,It's different.Many teams usually play at 4-3-3 and then wing forward in front three can be viewed as many differentative figuers.Some can be viewed as half10/half playmaker like Neymar,Messi or Grealish in Everton or some can be viewed as inverted scoring wingers like Ronaldo,Son or Salah.The wide forwards have become the most important roles of attacking in this era.Pure number 10 must be adapt in this era for survival,so they change to hybrid 8/10 in 4-3-3 formations or number 10 with great workrates.

Social media
I would say,it's very important of changing this sport too.Players have more freedom to comments or complains about anything that they want in this platforms.Since the late 2010s,you can update the transfers deals second to second due to social medias like twitter or instagram not likein the 2001-2014.Players have become more egotistical due to the overhype fromthis platforms.In 2004 for example you can punch opposition players and then it would be a quiet story but in 2021 it's not everyone knows in 3 seconds what are you doing.

Transfers
World records in 2001:Zinedine Zidane 46millions euro
World records in 2021:Neymar Junior 222 millions euro

The transfers have became growth rapidly during over 20 years.20 most expensive football transfers have been in during 2001-present.Inflation has become a main factors of football career.I would say Neymar dealt in 2017 was a deal that would change football forever in term of transfers.

Some intersting information

Annual revenue per team

	2010	2018	CHANGE
England	€134m	€272m	103%
Germany	€91m	€175m	92%
Spain	€82m	€157m	91%
Italy	€79m	€115m	46%
France	€54m	€85m	57%
Big 5 average	€88m	€161m	83%
6-10 average*	€25m	€32m	28%
11-15 average**	€15m	€17m	18%

Pressing in football
Pressing has become very important thing during the last 10 years.Many top teams have usually use this streategy for positive results and right now pressign have become a trending that have never been before in the history of football.

On average, more teams are keeping more players around the ball than they were a decade ago, with possessions won in the attacking third (per team, per match) up from 2.82 in 2010-11 to 4.05 in 2019-20: a 44% increase. Ball recoveries are also up 13%, from 46.9 in 2010-11 to 53.1 in 2019-20.

If we look solely at possessions won in the attacking third, teams in the Big Five leagues ranged from a minimum of 0.9 per match (Bari) to a maximum of 8.8 (Bremen) in 2010-11. In 2019-20, that range was smaller: from 2.5 (Rennes) to 7.3 (Bayern). Twelve teams averaged at least six such possessions won nine years ago, and only two did this past season.

Bundesliga has been known for this aggresive pressing for over the years,they have made a lot of famous coaches,who master at this art like Klopp,Tuchel,Rangnick and Flick.So don't be excited, if teams in the Bundesliga led the way in the aggressiveness department.

In 2010-11, six German clubs were among the Big Five's top 10 in ball recoveries, while the 18 Bundesliga teams ranked No. 1-18 in possessions won in the attacking third. Granted, this might be a reason to call early data collection techniques into question. Even so, it's safe to say that the Bundesliga was the most prolific league in this regard.

In 2019-20, the top five teams in terms of ball recoveries, and eight of the top 15, were Bundesliga teams. And while winning possessions in the attacking third has become more of a rich club's pastime -- the top five (Bayern, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Manchester City and PSG).

Statistics

Statistics have become one of the most important figures during the last 5years.Right now, we have all of informations about playing like passing percentages,shooting,dribbling,ball recoveries,heading.....etc. Statistics can't decide all of them about your level of playing but it can tells a lot of things about your playing,it can tell you that that departments you have to improve to be a better player.So,a lot of teams have used this for the development of their players.Statistics can be even impacted in term of salarires too,De Bryune have upgraded salaries during the few years because he showed his statistics/informations to the impact of his team.Ratings of players have become very important for decision in something too.

Example websites about statistis-opta
-whoscored
-sofascore

Players become less inviduals due to the complicated of tactics

-Fewer less long ranger shots, more good shots.
-less physical
-more tactical oriented
-more passing
-faster pace
-the death of pure number 10
-midfield possesions have become trends

Some informations

METRIC	2010-11	2019-20
Shots outside box	46.1%	38.4%
Throughballs	3.4	1.1
Tackle attempts	20.7	16.3
Tackle success	56.4%	36.7%
Fouls committed	14.9	12.7
Crosses blocked/caught	4.2	2.2

METRIC	2010-11	2019-20
Possessions	107.9	96.2
Pass attempts	410.4	444.5
Pass completion	76.5%	80.1%
Forward passes	41.2%	35.2%
Pass interceptions	18.6	10.6
Move of 0-5 passes	81.1	66.3
Move of 9+ passes	12.5	17.0

METRIC	2010-11	2019-20
Take-ons	17.5	18.8
Take-on success rate	42.4%	54.3%
Aerials	23.2	35.7

 

[GueRed]

It's like basketball now.

Slightest of touches these days and it's a foul.

at this rate in 20 - 30 years it'll probably be a total non-contact sport..

 

[TrustInJanuzaj]

It’s certainly a far less interesting sport overall. No more greater entertainers, no more over the top skill or showboating prowess. That’s all been replaced by high percentage moves, it’s all a little robotic. It’s still a great sport but it will never get close to how it was before all these tactical innovations unless there’s a dramatic rule change which I think is needed.

 

[Hoof the ball]

This is a really good watch.

 

[Hoof the ball]

It’s certainly a far less interesting sport overall. No more greater entertainers, no more over the top skill or showboating prowess. That’s all been replaced by high percentage moves, it’s all a little robotic. It’s still a great sport but it will never get close to how it was before all these tactical innovations unless there’s a dramatic rule change which I think is needed.

Rui Costa, Michael Laudrup, Riquelme, Zidane, Robert Prosinecki, etc. The list goes on for classic no.10's.

Here's the thing, almost everyone rags on Messi, but he's the closest thing in modern football to the above archetypes. People forget, but all the classic no.10's were the hub of creative responsibilty and were given freedom to just do magic. They were all also spared the responsibility of defensive work. That's the trade-off. That's how it worked. Players around them worked for them in order that they could save their energy to perform creatively.