What level could an old great team play at ?

[Ajr]

Lets say you took the best 11 players from the premier league in the year 1980, what level would they compete at now if :
They are the same age now as they were back then with exactly the same ability etc
Literally transport that team to present day with the same old training methods etc.


I reckon they may be able to barely make it to national league level, bearing in mind the progress of the sport/fitness levels.

 

[Haddock]

Lets say you took the best 11 players from the premier league in the year 1980, what level would they compete at now if :
They are the same age now as they were back then with exactly the same ability etc
Literally transport that team to present day with the same old training methods etc.

I reckon they may be able to barely make it to national league level, bearing in mind the progress of the sport/fitness levels.

Too much is made of this. Veratti, Vidal, Sneijder, Naingollan and plenty of others are not exactly models of Olympian fitness. If Eric Dier can make a living in the 2010s despite his inability to trap a bag of cement, then I'm sure Ruud Gullit, Dalglish and Souness would do just fine.

 

[Acrobat7]

It’s already that time again?

 

[V.O.]

It’s already that time again?

I always forget about the mid-May international break as well.

 

[Oranges038]

They would easily be the best team in the world.

Transport a modern day best 11 to 1980 and they wouldn't stand a a chance.

 

[Acrobat7]

I always forget about the mid-May international break as well.

Nah, i meant the poster. He starts a pointless thread every week or so.

 

[Ekkie Thump]

Lets say you took the best 11 players from the premier league in the year 1980, what level would they compete at now if :
They are the same age now as they were back then with exactly the same ability etc
Literally transport that team to present day with the same old training methods etc.


I reckon they may be able to barely make it to national league level, bearing in mind the progress of the sport/fitness levels.

1979/80 team of the year was

Shilton

Viv Anderson
David Watson
David O'Leary
Kenny Sansom

Terry McDermott
Liam Brady
Glen Hoddle

Kenny Dalglish
David Johnson
Gary Birtles

Reckon they'd finish about 15th.

 

[Motorman]

Nah, i meant the poster. He starts a pointless thread every week or so.

Bit harsh no? I like these type of threads.

 

[RedTiger]

They would easily be the best team in the world.

Transport a modern day best 11 to 1980 and they wouldn't stand a a chance.

This very much.

 

[Ajr]

1979/80 team of the year was

Shilton

Viv Anderson
David Watson
David O'Leary
Kenny Sansom

Terry McDermott
Liam Brady
Glen Hoddle

Kenny Dalglish
David Johnson
Gary Birtles

Reckon they'd finish about 15th.

I think they wouldn't be able to keep possession against any current PL team and would get destroyed

 

[Red Pumpkin]

Everytime that I hear somebody claim that a team from the 80's couldn't make it in the 00's or a team from the 00 not being able to make in the 20's I always think of the Maldinis, Zanettis, Zlatans and so on. Great players (they don't need to be elite, they could play decently for mid-table teams as well) are able to play well in three separate decades, they simply adapt.

 

[Sandikan]

You can't compare teams across eras for the reasons mentioned on fitness, tactical improvements and science etc.

But the bit people always forget about the best players back then, is that they were doing it on sh!T heap pitches and in eras where the creative players could be kicked to bits.

Send some of the best players now back to that set-up and I'm not sure they'd be too special.

 

[bosnian_red]

They'd be fine. The biggest difference in modern training methods comes to footballer longevity. Humans aren't more advanced, so their physical peaks aren't anything different really. When you're younger and at your peak you're just able to tolerate more abuse then later, which is why with careers at the top level were shorter in the past.

 

[SER19]

I see that at least you're clarifying that you mean if they had exact same conditioning and training etc as back then, but even so i think its a touch disrespectful to many. Overall obviously the current crop is supremely fitter and stronger but plenty of guys from back then were fantastic athletes, professionals and fit as feck.

 

[giorno]

They'd be fine. The biggest difference in modern training methods comes to footballer longevity. Humans aren't more advanced, so their physical peaks aren't anything different really. When you're younger and at your peak you're just able to tolerate more abuse then later, which is why with careers at the top level were shorter in the past.

The only men's track and field competition that hasn't seen massive improvement from even the 90s is the long jump

improved training methods, diets, sports medicine, etc have very much improved physical peak for athletes

guys from the 80s would last 20 minutes in a modern game before they'd need an oxygen tank

 

[Acheron]

I don't know about the standard of play back them but the Premier League of today is very physical so I think they will struggle against most sides.

 

[bosnian_red]

The only men's track and field competition that hasn't seen massive improvement from even the 90s is the long jump

improved training methods, diets, sports medicine, etc have very much improved physical peak for athletes

guys from the 80s would last 20 minutes in a modern game before they'd need an oxygen tank

Yes but it's not all about the physical attributes. So many of the best players throughout have been relatively slow or weak. Stamina in a game, sure it'd have an impact but they'd be able to have a 1 one of game no problem. Football is a lot more skill based than physique based.

 

[Trequarista10]

Assuming you give the team from the 80s a month or two conditioning they'd be level with today's best.

 

[Bobski]

Everytime that I hear somebody claim that a team from the 80's couldn't make it in the 00's or a team from the 00 not being able to make in the 20's I always think of the Maldinis, Zanettis, Zlatans and so on. Great players (they don't need to be elite, they could play decently for mid-table teams as well) are able to play well in three separate decades, they simply adapt.

Yes. Giggs for example began his career playing with and against guys who started in the 70's and ended it against players who are still stars today(and at 38 was probably the best player on the pitch against a Madrid team with peak Ronaldo). There is massive competitive overlap across generations, players would adapt quickly.

 

[IRELANDUNITED]

Lets say you took the best 11 players from the premier league in the year 1980, what level would they compete at now if :
They are the same age now as they were back then with exactly the same ability etc
Literally transport that team to present day with the same old training methods etc.


I reckon they may be able to barely make it to national league level, bearing in mind the progress of the sport/fitness levels.

Before I read the question I thought you meant what level could ex pros play at now! Out of interest, get our strongest 11 from the treble winning season back together now, what level could they compete at in their current physical condition? Would present day Schmeichel, Neivlle, Stam, Johnson, Irwin, Beckham, Scholes, Keane, Giggs, Cole, Yorke put it up to say a Scottish league 2 side?

 

[Renfurm]

What if you gave 80's players a year of training with modern methods and coaches? Would they be able to adapt physically in such a time frame? Provided they stay of the booze and eat healthy.

Perhaps to even things out we should use 80's style refereeing and quality of pitches. Let's see modern players cope with that.

 

[Demyanenko_square_jaw]

It's hard to see track and field/athletics discipline improvements in records having much relevance to football. A record being 10 seconds/two feet or whatever better than it was 35 years ago is an athletic difference so slim (even if it's massive in the relevant sport) as to be largely meaningless in a skill sport with the amount of variables constantly going on in something like football or boxing.

Boxing is an interesting one actually. You can easily find bouts from the 50s/60s with both fighters going a fast 12\15 rounds with punch volume that easily matches anything recent.

That said, i do think football is a faster game now with fitter players on average, but differences are often overplayed especially when you're only talking about players that were still active throughout most of the 90s, it's barely over 20 years ago, a timeline we know many players have successfully navigated while only needing to step down in later years. Skillful players that were very fit, and reasonably knowledgeable about training and diet during the 80s/90s shouldn't have much trouble and their bodies would adapt quickly. people didn't suddenly only gain good efficient knowledge of health and fitness over the past 15 years after all. It's the ones that heavily relied on stamina..pace...strength that might end up looking more ordinary. A great technician is still a great technician.

Tactical trends, pitch quality, refereeing strictness can all make as big a difference in comparing different eras than pure fitness.

 

[Dan_F]

Before I read the question I thought you meant what level could ex pros play at now! Out of interest, get our strongest 11 from the treble winning season back together now, what level could they compete at in their current physical condition? Would present day Schmeichel, Neivlle, Stam, Johnson, Irwin, Beckham, Scholes, Keane, Giggs, Cole, Yorke put it up to say a Scottish league 2 side?

I skim read the first sentence and thought the same thing. Then got quite excited at the thought of a 70 year old Kenny Dalglish trying to play in the Premier League right now.

 

[Champ]

Depends on the ref....

 

[Crustanoid]

Lets say you took the best 11 players from the premier league in the year 1980, what level would they compete at now if :
They are the same age now as they were back then with exactly the same ability etc
Literally transport that team to present day with the same old training methods etc.


I reckon they may be able to barely make it to national league level, bearing in mind the progress of the sport/fitness levels.

There wasn’t a premier league in 1980

 

[wattsy7]

Physically they may find it difficult, the speed of play has gradually been getting faster since the mid 90’s when diet, conditioning & lifestyle changes came into the game but skill/technique wise I wouldn’t say players are any better than back then.

Say the Liverpool team of the early 80’s got up to speed with the demands of the modern game in terms of conditioning, diet & lifestyle, I would imagine they’d be winning or at least competing for domestic and European titles. Without meeting those demands however, I can’t see them above Championship level.

 

[Hulksmash]

The big question is how easily would they get red carded? Just watch the tackles from the 1980s. I have huge respect for the dribblers in 1980 how they survived the tackles

If the physicality rules from 1980 would apply , then they would probably keep up with the game, otherwise no.

 

[ivaldo]

Nostalgia is a powerful thing.

 

[Gio]

The only men's track and field competition that hasn't seen massive improvement from even the 90s is the long jump

Sorry, but that’s nonsense. On the track the 100m record has improved almost solely because of Bolt. Michael Johnson’s 200m and 400m records from the 1990s have barely been touched in 25 years. Seb Coe’s 800m record has rarely been approached and even now, a full 40 years later, has had less than a second shaved off it. An improvement you could attribute fully to quicker tracks and spikes. El Gerrouj’s 1500m and mile records from the 1990s still stand, as does Komen’s 3000m record, which even comfortably survived an attempt on it tonight. The improvement in the 5k, 10k and marathon are solely down to the new shoes, and when you take out their influence the records of the likes of Gebreselassie are more impressive as anyone who has run in both shoe technologies will confirm.

On the field, records set in the 1990s in the javelin, discuss, shot, high jump, triple jump and, as you say, long jump still stand. In both track and field, the only aspect that has improved has been quicker tracks, benefitting the sprinters, and trampoline spikes, benefitting the long distance runners. The athletes themselves are no fitter or more physical, and in many cases, have dropped off.

 

[calodo2003]

They would easily be the best team in the world.

Transport a modern day best 11 to 1980 and they wouldn't stand a a chance.

Old team would be the best team in the world right now?

Why wouldn’t a modern team stand a chance in your opinion?

 

[Gio]

Everytime that I hear somebody claim that a team from the 80's couldn't make it in the 00's or a team from the 00 not being able to make in the 20's I always think of the Maldinis, Zanettis, Zlatans and so on. Great players (they don't need to be elite, they could play decently for mid-table teams as well) are able to play well in three separate decades, they simply adapt.

Aye very true. Even in the course of Messi and Cristiano’s careers there has been jumps in the physical intensity, particularly in the volume of high speed pressing, of the game. Yet despite becoming lesser physical specimens themselves they have continued to score goals at ridiculous rates. Players adapt very quickly and often it’s the tactics that dictate the physical outputs of the players. Probably the best examples would be the high pressing Lobanobskiy, Michels and Lippi teams where players adapted to gruelling training regimes to clock up some serious and high intensity mileage on the park.

 

[Lay]

Sorry, but that’s nonsense. On the track the 100m record has improved almost solely because of Bolt. Michael Johnson’s 200m and 400m records from the 1990s have barely been touched in 25 years. Seb Coe’s 800m record has rarely been approached and even now, a full 40 years later, has had less than a second shaved off it. An improvement you could attribute fully to quicker tracks and spikes. El Gerrouj’s 1500m and mile records from the 1990s still stand, as does Komen’s 3000m record, which even comfortably survived an attempt on it tonight. The improvement in the 5k, 10k and marathon are solely down to the new shoes, and when you take out their influence the records of the likes of Gebreselassie are more impressive as anyone who has run in both shoe technologies will confirm.

On the field, records set in the 1990s in the javelin, discuss, shot, high jump, triple jump and, as you say, long jump still stand. In both track and field, the only aspect that has improved has been quicker tracks, benefitting the sprinters, and trampoline spikes, benefitting the long distance runners. The athletes themselves are no fitter or more physical, and in many cases, have dropped off.

Good post.

 

[Gio]

I think they wouldn't be able to keep possession against any current PL team and would get destroyed

The likes of Brady, Hoddle, O’Leary and Dalglish would look absolutely at home in any possession based team today. I mean Hoddle was schooling all his players, including the likes of Beckham and Scholes, as England manager, such was his technical ability (and arrogance).

To be fair most full backs of that era were pretty crap on the ball compared to their modern equivalents, but Samson and Anderson in particular would be the best in the league today - good all-rounders and proper defenders.

 

[Pexbo]

The AC Milan side of the early 90s is about as far back as I’d go and still be confident they could go toe to toe with the best teams of today.

Galli
Tassotti - Baresi - Costacuta- Maldini
Colombo - Rijkaard - Ancelotti - Evani
Van Basten - Gullit​

 

[welshwingwizard]

I don't think it's been mentioned but surely the biggest challenge would be learning to play with a different ball. It's a lot lighter now and even fairly recent keepers have said how tricky this change has made it for keepers. But if you are an outfield player from the 80s you would need to adjust everything you know about weighting passes, crosses and shots etc as well.

I know it wouldn't be as heavy as maybe balls from the 50s and 60s but imagine carving out a career playing football with a normal ball only to need to play competitively with one of those plastic beach ones.

Maybe I'm wrong but I reckon it changes the game completely. Certainly I think that has increased pace as much as physicality.

 

[KeanoMagicHat]

Lets say you took the best 11 players from the premier league in the year 1980, what level would they compete at now if :
They are the same age now as they were back then with exactly the same ability etc
Literally transport that team to present day with the same old training methods etc.


I reckon they may be able to barely make it to national league level, bearing in mind the progress of the sport/fitness levels.

Nonsense, the fittest and best players were as fit and as skilful as the best players today. We aren’t talking about 1890, it’s 40 years. You’ve seen Messi and Ronaldo, these guys aren’t going to be National League level players in 2060.

Going back further the Brazil 1970 team or the Dutch and German 1974 teams would compete well, never mind a World XI of the best players.

I will accept an argument that the average level is better now. But this flawed ‘everything always gets better’ argument would have you believe Danny Ings was better than Pele, even though Pele was a supreme athlete. The elite would be elite in any era. It’s football intelligence, confidence and mental strength and dedication to the craft.

 

[Lennon7]

Nonsense, the fittest and best players were as fit and as skilful as the best players today. We aren’t talking about 1890, it’s 40 years. You’ve seen Messi and Ronaldo, these guys aren’t going to be National League level players in 2060.

Going back further the Brazil 1970 team or the Dutch and German 1974 teams would compete well, never mind a World XI of the best players.

I will accept an argument that the average level is better now. But this flawed ‘everything always gets better’ argument would have you believe Danny Ings was better than Pele, even though Pele was a supreme athlete. The elite would be elite in any era. It’s football intelligence, confidence and mental strength and dedication to the craft.

No, but the bold isn’t the the logic behind it. In fact the bold makes absolutely zero sense.

The players of today compared to 40 years ago are much, much more dedicated to the fitness side of things. The World Cup 40 years ago was part piss up, there’s been many documentaries about that side of the game for England. You had one of the best players in the world, Georgie Best, turning up for training pissed. Imagine Messi doing that now.

Now a days it’s plastered on the front page if a player has a cig, it was common place 40 years ago. The game has changed significantly even in the last 20 years.

 

[hmchan]

They wouldn't stand a chance. They'd be confused by the modern-day referees and VAR.

 

[BalanceUnAutreJoint]

They would easily be the best team in the world.

Transport a modern day best 11 to 1980 and they wouldn't stand a a chance.

Laughable take. This is peak delusion.

 

[UweBein]

The only men's track and field competition that hasn't seen massive improvement from even the 90s is the long jump

improved training methods, diets, sports medicine, etc have very much improved physical peak for athletes

guys from the 80s would last 20 minutes in a modern game before they'd need an oxygen tank

it actually hasn't. a lot of the improvement is down to better surfaces, shoes and also starting blocks, if we are talking about track & field. if you take prime athletes from the 30ies they would be competitive in today's world.