It’s the lack of crowds. Games since COVID have had the same sense of excitement and urgency as a rerun. Once the fans are back in the stands it will return to being fun again.
Is Football boring now?
- Thread starter JSArsenal
- Start date
Number 5 is spot on. The many Xbox “experts” who have never coached tots yet seriously believe they can out manage Ole crack me up.
Political correctness and social media branding are the number one reason the average footballer comes across as being personality void. If they express an honest emotion or say anything genuine they are crucified by the social justice warriors and PC police. The passion has been distilled out of them for fear of marring their marketability.
Lack of crowd makes games look slower. Like exhibition/training matches or something. Game seems to have less geniuses (one of the reasons I fully appreciate Neymar).
Also, United being shit and giving me nothing but pain is taking its toll on me.
Also, United being shit and giving me nothing but pain is taking its toll on me.
Oh, I liked it alright still like a lot of matches but Leipzig I was proper giddy about
A lot of games I've watched have been shite recently, either too one sided or just nothing games like the Utd Chelsea match.
I think it's because too many games being crammed in this season. Plus the stress from this situation is weighing on everyone, including footballers. Can't even go out for dinner, there is no escape from work or home available like in normal circumstances.
It's showing in how teams play already, by January this season will turn in to an attritional battle with mountains of injuries too.
I think it's because too many games being crammed in this season. Plus the stress from this situation is weighing on everyone, including footballers. Can't even go out for dinner, there is no escape from work or home available like in normal circumstances.
It's showing in how teams play already, by January this season will turn in to an attritional battle with mountains of injuries too.
I agree, we don't see alot of flair players,and when players do show some flair, they are criticized when they fail at times and told to keep it simple.
I was thinking about this at the weekend you know, it’s just high press and foul these days, then take the lead and tile waste as much as possible.
VAR means whatever you witness might not actually count for anything. Dodgy VAR use makes it even worse.
And empty stands are a mood killer. I thought I was against football behind closed doors because it would kill off the stadium experience. But having watched it for half a year now I have real trouble getting invested in a match via television these days. I can turn off games in the 70th minute, 80th minute, no problem. I never used to be able to do that. (Granted not for United games but other games I used to be interested in).
The worst is the fake crowd noise though. I absolutely hate it. It's as bad as laugh tracks in Chuck Lorre trash 'entertainment'.
And empty stands are a mood killer. I thought I was against football behind closed doors because it would kill off the stadium experience. But having watched it for half a year now I have real trouble getting invested in a match via television these days. I can turn off games in the 70th minute, 80th minute, no problem. I never used to be able to do that. (Granted not for United games but other games I used to be interested in).
The worst is the fake crowd noise though. I absolutely hate it. It's as bad as laugh tracks in Chuck Lorre trash 'entertainment'.
Completely agree.
I barely muster the effort to watch ourselves play, I have absolutely no interest in any other teams games, match of the day "analysis" or otherwise, or football in other leagues.
Even the Champions League has been sterile lately. It all just feels like a procession. Every team feels like it plays the same formation, every player feels like identikit like for like, there's no variation. Nobody tries any tricks or does any crowdpleasing stuff, they are all coached to just sit in that final third "waiting for an opening" and there just seems to be generally less flair. Yes players with good close control do well but that's less because of their actual skill and more because if you as much as breathe on them they throw themselves to the floor.
No, its the same game.
If you are finding watching united boring, fair enough. Get yourself to your local non-league game and fall back in love with the game.
If that non-league side aren't allowing crowds due to covid, buy their stream and support a club that actually need the money, rather than a pathetic league that has just spent £1.2b on players and £200m on agents fees.
Its not that the game is boring. Its that clubs like united couldn't give 2 shits about the fans or the community and most of us are completely disillusioned with it.
If you are finding watching united boring, fair enough. Get yourself to your local non-league game and fall back in love with the game.
If that non-league side aren't allowing crowds due to covid, buy their stream and support a club that actually need the money, rather than a pathetic league that has just spent £1.2b on players and £200m on agents fees.
Its not that the game is boring. Its that clubs like united couldn't give 2 shits about the fans or the community and most of us are completely disillusioned with it.
I think people just have shorter attention spans these days.
Oh feck off with that
I've regularly gone to watch lower league football and to claim that somehow these clubs operate on a higher moral standing than any other is ridiculous. Every single chairman of these clubs would slaughter 10% of their fans in sacrifice of the style of the old Roman practice of decimation if it meant that they could have an away draw to Manchester United in a cup.
These chairmen are pretty much universally despised by the fans of such teams. You know your players are all mercenaries, the football is shit, and the fans are generally 40-50 year old blokes who should know better.
Manchester United do a LOT for the local community as they are in a privileged position to be able to do so, but the zeitgeist of football at an elite level has definitely changed.
Oh and also I know this has always been a thing but added time is always a freaking joke.
OK, you can feck off with that...
I actually work for one and in my experience I KNOW how the majority of these chairmen look after their fans and do a great deal for the community.
The lack of crowds has big impact on how we see football at the moment. It's not just the atmosphere, teams play different without the pressure from the crowd. That added to the general tendency in the game of pressing, tactical fouling and superior fitness doesn't really make for the most entertaining of spectacles for sure.
There's too many games on TV, too much media in football. It's over saturated. The lack of characters doesn't help either.
Nail on head as to why football has become for the most part such a boring slog the last 5-10 years, too many teams pressing every minute of every game. Trying to force their opponents into making mistakes instead focusing on creating chances on their own. Its obvious why this has become such a fad after Barcelona's success 10 years ago.
In many teams creative flair players are being overlooked in favour of hard working forwards who can press for 90 minutes, exciting wingers are a rare beast nowadays. Defenders are now rated and selected on their ability to play out from the back to counter a press rather than their actual defending ability. Which explains the dearth of top central defenders these days.
And of course in the last year no crowds and VAR haven't helped, football now seems such an emotionless, methodical and mechanical game.
This is also a good point. If your team plays a European competition, you get to watch it every 3 days. You don't even have time to feel starved and therefore get your excitment levels up.
I think mosty of this is spot on really.
Another problem for me is people debate weird stuff in football which really ruined it for me. My work is full of City fans and the odd occasion I'm in the office you can't have a laugh about football now everything is taken dead seriously and the chats are really boring. Talking about stuff like FFP or them banging on about their owners etc instead of just normal stuff people used to talk about. Equally Sky have decided the narrative of football now and if you don't buy into that plenty of people dismiss you...Arteta/Pep/Bielsa being some footballing geniuses is an example of that.
I don't particularly mind United being shite, I've had some of the best days out at football under Moyes/LVG when the game kind of came second to the day out in the end, just miss the days when people spoke about normal stuff in football and for me it just ruined part of the experience of it,.
Sadly I got nothing out of watching that match, spent most of it on my phone looking at random crap. I don't know if it's me or football that has changed the most.
I'm in my 40s and a lifelong fan, my dad (late 70s) comes round to watch almost every match with me as he doesn't have any sports channels or know how to stream games. He still has his passion for it all. I could never tell him not to come round when United are on.
Why am I even on this website might be a good question. I might have a bit of an internet addiction, I don't know. I spend a lot of my spare time online, don't really watch any tv these days and if I'm home I'm probably on the internet. I still like reading about football online, much moreso than actually watching it.
I think for me its the money in the game which has changed it, all games nearly used to be 3pm on a sat, now you get one and even before covid kicked in you very rarely got more then 2/3, Fa cup final changed to later on etc, the tradition's of the game are gone, i dont mind to a degree big wages and transfer fee's but really hate seeing agents get millions for doing very little in the grand scheme of things, or when a manager fails then gets a big pay off, for me money straight out of football, ultimately i think the standard of player has dropped as well. the fact Messi and Ronaldo are still the best players at 33/35ish don't look good on the next generation. empty stadiums don't help either.
I can understand the internet addiction my screen time is shocking, spend a lot of my time on the phone when I am watching TV. I think my last screen time was 9 hours that’s definitely a problem.
I just got an image of you refusing your Dad entry to your house on match day and sending him on his way. I think he’d disown you
No supporters makes it boring.
Empty stadiums and VAR are sucking the life out of football. I watch cause I'm invested but it isn't the same.
Lack of supporters definitely does make the game more boring. The commentators try their best to shout and scream when a goal goes in but it feels so hollow.
The football seems slower and that could be because of the lack of fans. I mentioned the RBL game was slow but another poster thought it was the opposite so maybe it’s my perception of the game now.
I do hate pressing tactics also. It’s just a clusterfeck of a game with loose touches, errors, and a real lack of imagination
The football seems slower and that could be because of the lack of fans. I mentioned the RBL game was slow but another poster thought it was the opposite so maybe it’s my perception of the game now.
I do hate pressing tactics also. It’s just a clusterfeck of a game with loose touches, errors, and a real lack of imagination
The lack of supporters in the stands make games less intense than they used to be. Part of the allure of the big leagues is the crowds and their enthusiam, rage and joy all blended into one brilliant cocophony that annoys the living bejeezus of my wife.
The other part that makes football less interesting, and thus a little more boring, is VAR. It was terrible last year, and egregious this year. I am not sure it is actually worse, but they had time to adjust and improve it for this season, but very little improvement is to be found. Decisions still take far too long, and it VAR seems just as arbitrary as decisions of old. I also still think that refs are more reluctant to giving red cards etc than before because VAR may intervene, and subsequently the refs may lose some of their authority, which is understandable.
The third part that makes football annoying, and also a little boring, is the fact that United are not much improved on a consistent basis, forcing me to pull my hair out from time to time. There are not that many matches that are enjoyable to watch. The CL is great, but the PL is terrible.
The other part that makes football less interesting, and thus a little more boring, is VAR. It was terrible last year, and egregious this year. I am not sure it is actually worse, but they had time to adjust and improve it for this season, but very little improvement is to be found. Decisions still take far too long, and it VAR seems just as arbitrary as decisions of old. I also still think that refs are more reluctant to giving red cards etc than before because VAR may intervene, and subsequently the refs may lose some of their authority, which is understandable.
The third part that makes football annoying, and also a little boring, is the fact that United are not much improved on a consistent basis, forcing me to pull my hair out from time to time. There are not that many matches that are enjoyable to watch. The CL is great, but the PL is terrible.
United sucks (Arsenal's sucked even more - so i can understand the OP), the stadiums have been empty for a good half season - so yeah not surprising that it's boring...and frustrating
I do get the feeling that proportionately there are more players these days who aren't passionate about the sport and being the best they can be. I'm not sure if this can entirely said to be about money as they've been paid crazy wages for over 20 years.
It feels more generational and linked to the rise of social media to be honest. I think a lot of the guys at the top level now see football as a means to being a social media star rather than an end in itself, whereas in the past they may have been paid obscene wages but still wanted to win all the trophies and accolades because that was their main route to worldwide recognition. Now a lot of them you get the sense they could take it or leave it, as long as they continue to rake it in and remain famous.
There are still exceptions - Fernandes springs to mind, and if you have the right manager eg. Klopp then you can keep squads entirely focused on being sporting professionals and serial winners.
In terms of right now, the lack of crowds are making it really difficult to get excited. It was exciting when football returned as it coincided with the summer and easing of restrictions globally, but as we return into lockdown and the nights draw in the lack of crowds just seems quite stark and depressing, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's rubbing off on the players too.
Oh and VAR - use it sensibly or it can get to feck. We're heading towards a stage where players won't even celebrate until VAR has confirmed a goal, which will be grim.
It feels more generational and linked to the rise of social media to be honest. I think a lot of the guys at the top level now see football as a means to being a social media star rather than an end in itself, whereas in the past they may have been paid obscene wages but still wanted to win all the trophies and accolades because that was their main route to worldwide recognition. Now a lot of them you get the sense they could take it or leave it, as long as they continue to rake it in and remain famous.
There are still exceptions - Fernandes springs to mind, and if you have the right manager eg. Klopp then you can keep squads entirely focused on being sporting professionals and serial winners.
In terms of right now, the lack of crowds are making it really difficult to get excited. It was exciting when football returned as it coincided with the summer and easing of restrictions globally, but as we return into lockdown and the nights draw in the lack of crowds just seems quite stark and depressing, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's rubbing off on the players too.
Oh and VAR - use it sensibly or it can get to feck. We're heading towards a stage where players won't even celebrate until VAR has confirmed a goal, which will be grim.
Yeah I was going to make the same point about the pressing tactic
I think a lot of it is lack of rivalries and characters. Long gone are the days of Keane vs Viera, Fergie v Wenger, Fergie v v Jose, Wenger v Jose, Rafa v Fergie.
Its just soulless now. Basically, the Mitchell and Webb sketch now where the football is on forever.
Also think the highly automated style of football modern coaches have brought in, while very effective, adds to this. Nothing is off the cuff, it's all been planned to death.
Its just soulless now. Basically, the Mitchell and Webb sketch now where the football is on forever.
Also think the highly automated style of football modern coaches have brought in, while very effective, adds to this. Nothing is off the cuff, it's all been planned to death.
It's not just football. The new lockdown in my country and the overall situation has just sucked the joy out of everything, it's like a wave of depression rolled over everyone, drowning all enthusiasm for anything. I can feel it watching football, I can feel it at work, even when playing videogames.
Joyless fecking times right now.
Joyless fecking times right now.
Very well put! I share this exact feeling. No point in celebrating/getting mad anymore. VAR is like a wet blanket for all emotions.
It's shite to be honest, it's turning more and more into American Football in many aspects, both on and off the field.
A lot of people mentioning lack of supporters on here, but I think the problem is deeper than that. The main issue, as people have already alluded to, is the culture of pressing and fouling that has developed in the game. Nearly every team does the same and its so frustrating to watch. This has nothing to do with Utd or any team you support, the fact that most games are so stop start nowadays is what takes the fun out of it.
Totally agree. The game has been chemically castrated by VAR and Covid
Feck me what a vile pairing those two have been.
Football has got boring for me mate, I think I simply grew out of it when I stopped playing with my mates (around 18 when we all started work).
I was always a massive united/football fan as a kid but as I got older (now 38) I found I couldn't sit there and watch a full 90 minute match anymore, I need to be entertained to watch something for 90 minutes and when I see a player passing sideways it makes me want to rip my hair out!
Its been like this for many years now (well into the Fergie era when we were decent), I find myself just "checking in" every week for the results, half the time I don't know they are playing.
Its funny as all my old united mates bar the odd die hard feel the same.
I was always a massive united/football fan as a kid but as I got older (now 38) I found I couldn't sit there and watch a full 90 minute match anymore, I need to be entertained to watch something for 90 minutes and when I see a player passing sideways it makes me want to rip my hair out!
Its been like this for many years now (well into the Fergie era when we were decent), I find myself just "checking in" every week for the results, half the time I don't know they are playing.
Its funny as all my old united mates bar the odd die hard feel the same.
I think I agree, fast losing interest in club football. How boring was the Champions League final?
We need a World Cup to bring the excitement back.
We need a World Cup to bring the excitement back.
Have to agree with you. I never thought I would say that but watching football has, for me become something I hop in and out of. Even United games.
I actually prefer the coverage without the artificial crowd noise.
A combination of too sterile atmosphere and too little passion and too many games being very similar.
Great post, spot on. Agree with all.
Back in the day it was all about the passion for the game and nothing else mattered. Players always always pushed each other and played for the legacy. These days though kids are overpaid very early in their careers and they have everything in their life and so they do not have the passion to win everything. I see Pogba as an example. He was so good at Juve but since his high salary purchase from Juve, we've had someone who has hardly turned up. Many players in many clubs are in similar such positions and so, the game has become lethargic.
P.S. VAR is doing us any favors either.