Things you really hate about the football/modern game

[Chairman Steve]

I hate that emerging type of football broadcasting which is targeting the urban youth demographic (for lack of a better term at the moment when writing this), and it’s like a bunch of bloggers or YouTube/Twitch people who are famous for playing FIFA online or something and they have a token ex player or a token someone who could pass as somewhat of an actual journalist.

The programmes are neither insightful or interesting, it’s a bunch of 20 somethings doing stuff Soccer AM did better 20 years ago or talking a lot without much substance or insight. You could do a drinking game and drink every time the words ‘blud’, ‘bruv’, ‘bants’, ‘baller’, ‘sick skills’, ‘tekkers’ and any other terminology originating from NBA are spoken.

e.g. MOTDx, The Squad Football Podcast, Sky Sports Saturday Social

 

[BazzaBear]

Clear daylight between them? Give the attacker the advantage.

So, as I say, you want to take something which can be judged exactly and change it into something which you can never be sure of? You want to introduce a contrived point of complication which makes it more difficult to say whether a decision is correct or not?

 

[horsechoker]

I hate that emerging type of football broadcasting which is targeting the urban youth demographic (for lack of a better term at the moment when writing this), and it’s like a bunch of bloggers or YouTube/Twitch people who are famous for playing FIFA online or something and they have a token ex player or a token someone who could pass as somewhat of an actual journalist.

The programmes are neither insightful or interesting, it’s a bunch of 20 somethings doing stuff Soccer AM did better 20 years ago or talking a lot without much substance or insight. You could do a drinking game and drink every time the words ‘blud’, ‘bruv’, ‘bants’, ‘baller’, ‘sick skills’, ‘tekkers’ and any other terminology originating from NBA are spoken.

e.g. MOTDx, The Squad Football Podcast, Sky Sports Saturday Social

Ok Boomer

 

[Theafonis]

I hate that emerging type of football broadcasting which is targeting the urban youth demographic (for lack of a better term at the moment when writing this), and it’s like a bunch of bloggers or YouTube/Twitch people who are famous for playing FIFA online or something and they have a token ex player or a token someone who could pass as somewhat of an actual journalist.

The programmes are neither insightful or interesting, it’s a bunch of 20 somethings doing stuff Soccer AM did better 20 years ago or talking a lot without much substance or insight. You could do a drinking game and drink every time the words ‘blud’, ‘bruv’, ‘bants’, ‘baller’, ‘sick skills’, ‘tekkers’ and any other terminology originating from NBA are spoken.

e.g. MOTDx, The Squad Football Podcast, Sky Sports Saturday Social

You’re clearly not part of the the target audience. Targeting 12-19 year olds I’d imagine with this sort of content.

 

[Theafonis]

The lack of a 2nd referee inside the lines. Many other sports, aside from rugby or Aussie rules have, more than one primary referee (NBA, MLB, NHL) especially when you consider how big a football pitch is and how many people there are.

Good point. But the pitch is already too clogged with players. More refs would take over any remaining space.

 

[Gopher Brown]

Transfer fees. It literally looks like slave trade. The way forward should be like in US sports. You sign a contract, respect and fulfill it, extend it if you want to otherwise move on to next club.

You’re buying the player’s contract though, rather then the person themselves. The ‘slavery’ analogy (which doesn’t really work) applies equally to the contract itself surely - essentially telling a player you have to work here (in exchange for compensation) for 5 years, regardless of what happens to the club.

 

[Riz]

There's an element of all the moaning about VAR that winds me up a bit, and it's specific to offside.

It's the people who complain when someone is 'only just' offside that it shouldn't be counted. (It's ruining the game!)

But they never seem to recognise that there has to be a limit somewhere. If it isn't just the very straightforward being ahead of the defender, what do they want it to be? 2 cm ahead? But then what if they're exactly 2cm ahead? Haven't you got exactly the same issue? Maybe it should be 5cm. 10cm. A metre!

The idea that we've got this one element which could be considered perfectly objective and we should change it and make this one subjective and impossible to definitively judge too is silly.

Couldn’t agree more. I don’t understand the criticism of VAR in relation to offside at all, only thing is that it should be sped up. I imagine AI or some sort of tech should be able to perform the task of drawing the lines instantly rather than waiting while they sketch it out on screen.

But yes it’s ridiculous hearing people complain and say things like “you can’t disallow that just cause his big toe is offside”. It’s literally fecking offside then!

I also don’t understand the argument that VAR don’t know the exact millisecond that the ball has left the foot when judging if the recipient is offside or not. Regardless, slowing it down frame by frame and pausing as close as possible is a far more accurate picture to base the decision on than a human’s eye from 20 metres away seeing it at full speed.

 

[Scholesgoals]

Not being able to celebrate a goal until the VAR check has been completed. It's the best bit of football taken away

 

[acnumber9]

The hero worship of individual players. And the resultant confirmation bias.

 

[acnumber9]

And VAR.

 

[Chickentown]

I hate that emerging type of football broadcasting which is targeting the urban youth demographic (for lack of a better term at the moment when writing this), and it’s like a bunch of bloggers or YouTube/Twitch people who are famous for playing FIFA online or something and they have a token ex player or a token someone who could pass as somewhat of an actual journalist.

The programmes are neither insightful or interesting, it’s a bunch of 20 somethings doing stuff Soccer AM did better 20 years ago or talking a lot without much substance or insight. You could do a drinking game and drink every time the words ‘blud’, ‘bruv’, ‘bants’, ‘baller’, ‘sick skills’, ‘tekkers’ and any other terminology originating from NBA are spoken.

e.g. MOTDx, The Squad Football Podcast, Sky Sports Saturday Social

The bruv/bro carry-on makes me feel like a stranger on my own planet.

 

[Champ]

In short, it's basically an attacking midfielder who also tracks back and does the defensive work. In terms of tactical implementation, it's way more nuanced and requires the midfield players to have a strong understanding with each other. If you want another good example alongside City's 2 more attacking midfielders, think of Paul Pogba at Juventus.

I thought it was a 'half winger', a player who drifts inside to start attacking plays but can often be found in the half space when attacking, so they have the ability to cross as well as build from the middle.
But I could be wrong, as I only play football manager mobile and they don't have that option on there!!

 

[Jim Beam]

ITK

 

[automaticflare]

Couldn’t agree more. I don’t understand the criticism of VAR in relation to offside at all, only thing is that it should be sped up. I imagine AI or some sort of tech should be able to perform the task of drawing the lines instantly rather than waiting while they sketch it out on screen.

But yes it’s ridiculous hearing people complain and say things like “you can’t disallow that just cause his big toe is offside”. It’s literally fecking offside then!

I also don’t understand the argument that VAR don’t know the exact millisecond that the ball has left the foot when judging if the recipient is offside or not. Regardless, slowing it down frame by frame and pausing as close as possible is a far more accurate picture to base the decision on than a human’s eye from 20 metres away seeing it at full speed.

Agree with you mate. People are getting annoyed at the correct decision. If they are annoyed at that, then the rule is wrong, not the enforcement

 

[automaticflare]

Not being able to celebrate a goal until the VAR check has been completed. It's the best bit of football taken away

Yep I agree with this too (even though I also agree that people complaining about VAR are annoying 2 seconds ago)

The loss of adrenaline is just a killer

 

[1966]

I hate that emerging type of football broadcasting which is targeting the urban youth demographic (for lack of a better term at the moment when writing this), and it’s like a bunch of bloggers or YouTube/Twitch people who are famous for playing FIFA online or something and they have a token ex player or a token someone who could pass as somewhat of an actual journalist.

The programmes are neither insightful or interesting, it’s a bunch of 20 somethings doing stuff Soccer AM did better 20 years ago or talking a lot without much substance or insight. You could do a drinking game and drink every time the words ‘blud’, ‘bruv’, ‘bants’, ‘baller’, ‘sick skills’, ‘tekkers’ and any other terminology originating from NBA are spoken.

e.g. MOTDx, The Squad Football Podcast, Sky Sports Saturday Social

For sure. Football culture feels more and more irrelevant and alien to me. Still, there are many great reasons to give up on the sport entirely so it doesn't seem right to emphasise this one, especially when it's easier to avoid than most of the others.

 

[1966]

Ok Boomer

That meme is so old it's practically a boomer itself.

It's also the last refuge of the man who has nothing of value to say, yet wants to defend (post)modernity anyway.

 

[1966]

The hero worship of individual players. And the resultant confirmation bias.

Strong agree and disagree at the same time.

Individual glory is and always has been a huge part of the sport and its compelling nature. There's nothing wrong with having favourite players and acknowledging the contribution of individuals, especially if following single players reduces the misdirection of innate tribal drive into supporting corporations that sell sports products.

On the other hand, the idea that kids look up to footballers as rolemodels is troubling at best. No good can come of it. Frankly, I can't think of a single player in the modern game that I'd want a son of mine to look up to. Whether it's today's antics on the pitch or tabloid degeneracy, none of them are paragons of virtue. (Sadly, of course, that's similar for most public figures in areas that normal kids are interested in.)

 

[acnumber9]

Strong agree and disagree at the same time.

Individual glory is and always has been a huge part of the sport and its compelling nature. There's nothing wrong with having favourite players and acknowledging the contribution of individuals, especially if following single players reduces the misdirection of innate tribal drive into supporting corporations that sell sports products.

On the other hand, the idea that kids look up to footballers as rolemodels is troubling at best. No good can come of it. Frankly, I can't think of a single player in the modern game that I'd want a son of mine to look up to. Whether it's today's antics on the pitch or tabloid degeneracy, none of them are paragons of virtue. (Sadly, of course, that's similar for most public figures in areas that normal kids are interested in.)

I don’t have any issue with having a favourite player but more the way it manifests itself so often now. Look around this forum and you’ll see thread where two players are continually pitted against each other. You have fans of a particular player absolutely ripping into everything little thing the other does wrong to make them feel more secure about their little favourite. People have always had favourite players but it’s gone to a whole new level since our team as a whole has been shit.

 

[OL29]

I don’t have any issue with having a favourite player but more the way it manifests itself so often now. Look around this forum and you’ll see thread where two players are continually pitted against each other. You have fans of a particular player absolutely ripping into everything little thing the other does wrong to make them feel more secure about their little favourite. People have always had favourite players but it’s gone to a whole new level since our team as a whole has been shit.

Better to have a favourite player than to obsessively hate our own players.

 

[TrustInOle]

The amount of entitled United fans that love to moan about anything the club/ manager/ players do.

 

[acnumber9]

Better to have a favourite player than to obsessively hate our own players.

One often leads to the other unfortunately. Which is the problem I have.

 

[MattofManchester]

The idea that some teams or managers are lesser because of their play styles.

Their job is first and foremost to win football matches.
If they do it, they deserve credit.
Not being vilified with regard to how they did it.

Not talking about Mourinho per se. I thought about this mostly after the Atletico win over Liverpool.
Having the shine taken off their win because of how they play is ridiculous.

Liverpool could have played the most beautiful football you'd ever seen. Still lost.

 

[RooneyLegend]

Lack of 2 striker teams. It's sadly mean alot of great strikers are going down the drain because clubs need someone to play up top alone.

The death of the playmaker and I'm talking a proper playmakers. Not sure what they ever did to anyone but it seems most teams have done away with a position that was probably the most important in the 90's.

Park the bus merchants. It should be illigal for a team to play with no intent to score.

 

[1966]

Lack of 2 striker teams. It's sadly mean alot of great strikers are going down the drain because clubs need someone to play up top alone.

The death of the playmaker and I'm talking a proper playmakers. Not sure what they ever did to anyone but it seems most teams have done away with a position that was probably the most important in the 90's.

Park the bus merchants. It should be illigal for a team to play with no intent to score.

Since football is ultimately just an entertainment product, I'd be happy with the introduction of a rule banning not playing to score. I don't know how you'd operationalise a rule like that in practice though. It'd be too subjective.

 

[Sandikan]

The idea that some teams or managers are lesser because of their play styles.

Their job is first and foremost to win football matches.
If they do it, they deserve credit.
Not being vilified with regard to how they did it.

Not talking about Mourinho per se. I thought about this mostly after the Atletico win over Liverpool.
Having the shine taken off their win because of how they play is ridiculous.

Liverpool could have played the most beautiful football you'd ever seen. Still lost.

I see this both ways. My other boys Wycombe got a lot of grief about their style this season, upsetting the supposed "Big teams" that we were meant to roll over for, and getting promoted to the championship.

Look out for us next season, we'll upset a few.

But when some Burnley bunch of rag tag scufflers come to Old Trafford next season I'll be hating their approach.

 

[Irwin99]

The fact that this is a card and a pen nowadays. Beautiful last ditch tackle in my opinion.

 

[Vooon]

The fact that almost every aspect of football is about business these days, at least in the top divisions in the top leagues - barred Bundesliga where they still are in touch with their roots through the 50+1 rule. Because of all the money involved football is chipping away its soul bit by bit.

But nothing beats the fecking incompetent shitshow that is VAR. Sort it out or bin it.

 

[UDontMessWith24]

Glazer family, Avram Glazer, First Allied Corporation.

 

[rollingstoned1]

The fact that almost every aspect of football is about business these days, at least in the top divisions in the top leagues - barred Bundesliga where they still are in touch with their roots through the 50+1 rule. Because of all the money involved football is chipping away its soul bit by bit.

But nothing beats the fecking incompetent shitshow that is VAR. Sort it out or bin it.

i can agree with this and i started following the club in the mid 00s so i'm not even old enough for the 'good o' days' chestnut according to me! It all feels 'fake' and corporatized, for lack of better words. I guess our general fickleness, fortunes on the pitch and the culture of instant gratification which has been dialed up massively makes me question the time i spend following the club/sport which i previously took for granted when younger.

 

[carvajal]

The effect of social networks on players, press and fans.

-The public image of footballers on these networks, or turned into pure advertising robots , with standard messages in both defeat and victory or saying bullshit, like the Neymar family. Imagine Neymar without social networks, if we only knew small pieces of his private life.
I have to admit that I love knowing where Vinicius is on vacation, or what Morata's girlfriend is doing, but I don't think that much exposure is beneficial at the end.

-Globalization in opinion.
For example, someone from Honduras and a person from Morocco agree that Iker Casillas is the mole in the dressing room, and a cancer for the team.
Or Isco, he just turn on himself and is fat. The fact of having played finals does not matter.
They don't even know if he's a mole, and maybe they like Isco but they get swallowed up by an opinion from an influential.
One day you like tiki taka, but it turns out that intensity is what is in fashion "and you've already been saying it"

 

[Bullhitter]

Point-scoring among fans. Sometimes genuinely think some fans get more joy seeing other teams lose so they can "banter them" than they get from seeing their own team win. Likewise think a lot view the fear of being "bantered" as a worse outcome than the losing of the actual match is.

 

[hmchan]

The effect of social networks on players, press and fans.

-The public image of footballers on these networks, or turned into pure advertising robots , with standard messages in both defeat and victory or saying bullshit, like the Neymar family. Imagine Neymar without social networks, if we only knew small pieces of his private life.
I have to admit that I love knowing where Vinicius is on vacation, or what Morata's girlfriend is doing, but I don't think that much exposure is beneficial at the end.

-Globalization in opinion.
For example, someone from Honduras and a person from Morocco agree that Iker Casillas is the mole in the dressing room, and a cancer for the team.
Or Isco, he just turn on himself and is fat. The fact of having played finals does not matter.
They don't even know if he's a mole, and maybe they like Isco but they get swallowed up by an opinion from an influential.
One day you like tiki taka, but it turns out that intensity is what is in fashion "and you've already been saying it"

Same here. Players tend to get more and more overrated/underrated nowadays, thanks to the polarization by the media. The media love to write positive stories on widely loved players and vice versa, so that people read their articles and they get higher click rates. Consequently readers are influenced by these articles, especially those who don't actually watch the game.

 

[OleTheGreat]

Feigning injury
VAR
Players taking their own time to settle during free kicks
Yellow cards for taking off shirt and misconduct (it's part of the game)
the game itself has slowed down a lot
Keeper trying too much with their legs and making a mockery of themselves
too many bearded players

 

[Al-T]

Ludicrous kick off times that prioritise tv over the match-going supporter.

The rise of super agents.

 

[Van Piorsing]

Time wasting with a VAR check. Give the ref VR headset and be done with it.

 

[SilentWitness]

Time wasting with a VAR check. Give the ref VR headset and be done with it.

I wonder if a tool like Google Glass could be used.

 

[Van Piorsing]

I wonder if a tool like Google Glass could be used.

Sounds great. For me it's only a question if it'll provide 40-50 year old ref enough quality image and if it's gonna withstand accidents like ball hitting him in the face.

 

[duffer]

Time wasting with a VAR check. Give the ref VR headset and be done with it.

Just have the ref in the stands make the decision.

The rules and laws of the game should be implemented fairly and objectively, not as an interpretation of the particular matchday ref.

 

[Superunknown]

Sideways passing between defenders, who then give it back to the goalkeeper who inevitably punts it long and loses possession.

Attacking corners where within 10 seconds of the corner being taken, one of your defenders plays it safely all the way back to your goalkeeper.

The same 5 or 6 pundits who are on tv every week and are there purely to fill up the time. Or worse, commentary during a game that doesn't actually talk about anything happening on the field.