ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg
Full Member
- Joined
- May 22, 2017
- Messages
- 13,122
i agree it’s difficult to compare generations. But the rest of your post is both completely dismissive of previous generations.I don't know why/how anyone compares modern players (2000 on) with ones from previous eras. Just completely different games.
You look at the clips of Pele, Eusebio and so on, and the balls are heavy and different, the pitches were rough and uneven, the sports science wasn't there, and the players weren't, on average, the same quality as professionals are now.
In those days you would stand out with some talent/skill, but that alone wouldn't get you a contract now - you need to be an elite athlete, a skilled player, and have an incredible mentality.
As contentious as it is, I can imagine CR still looking good back then, but I can't see the likes of Best/Gazza getting near top teams in this age, if that makes sense. The main issue, for me, is that the overall quality has increased and so the top players now don't stand out as much as they did back then, making them seem less incredible.
Imagine a Harry Kane playing against defenders who have a pint before kick off, for example, or having 40-odd game league seasons like Shearer did.
of course you can’t plonk a player from the 60’s into the modern game. But, it’s not just about being an athlete, talent, mentality and innate ability are also important.
you’ve used the example of Best and Gazza - but failed to recognise that if they were in a modern environment, then their lifestyles would be remarkably different - and they wouldn’t be the players that they were.
mentality is also era specific, some of these guys would have grown up during the war, worked other jobs, and earned bugger all as footballers - who has/ had the better mentality?