Manchester United
What's bad/worse about football today?
- Thread starter duffer
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Not being able to properly celebrate a goal.
Stats obsession. Watch a game.
Zero parity anywhere.
No proper rivalries. Most players are friends. United and Arsenal was probably the last great rivalry. Evra/Suarez added spice. That kind of intensity is gone.
Stats obsession. Watch a game.
Zero parity anywhere.
No proper rivalries. Most players are friends. United and Arsenal was probably the last great rivalry. Evra/Suarez added spice. That kind of intensity is gone.
Jorginho at Arsenal lacks pace and been playing well
For me, Pep isn't the problem. Everyone copying him are. It's even worse at youth academies today, with coaches micro-managing young kids to fit systems and play positional play.
The individuality and flair is vanishing, I expect future generations to be even worse.
The individuality and flair is vanishing, I expect future generations to be even worse.
Off the field, YouTubers.
Also on the field YouTubers. Beanz, anyone?
Also on the field YouTubers. Beanz, anyone?
I doubt anyone outside the region cares much, and it's far, far down the list of serious issues caused by the war, but there's also the fact Putin has destroyed Ukrainian and Russian football. Two leagues that were fixtures in the top ten coefficients and which had good potential to improve.
Hang on, is football like chess now, or did it used to be?
Sportwashing
The game not being generally as entertaining as a spectacle.
And VA fecking R
The game not being generally as entertaining as a spectacle.
And VA fecking R
Every kit should have to be worn for 3 years, would be better for the environment.
I miss 4 4 2 games of football. Entertaining.
All this possession and “control” of the game has me reminiscing about games like the 4-3 v Newcastle on Boxing Day 2012. Chicharito late winner and United hadn’t been in front all game. So entertaining.
And VAR.
And too much money of dubious origin in the game.
All this possession and “control” of the game has me reminiscing about games like the 4-3 v Newcastle on Boxing Day 2012. Chicharito late winner and United hadn’t been in front all game. So entertaining.
And VAR.
And too much money of dubious origin in the game.
Everything I wanted to say has been covered so far. There are times I feel that we should just turn to amateur football and forget all those big clubs and their sterile approach. Can you remember the last time you jumped from your seat, jaw dropped and thinking "that should be impossible to pull off."? Me neither.
This above all else is the worst part of football.
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Less individual brilliance, everything is very team oriented and individual moments, such as one-on-one match ups between defenders and attackers, are more rare.
Also, adding more teams into European competition, and the addition of the Conference League. Just removes the achievement of qualifying into Europe when most of the top half will and diluting quality. What's more is that it consolidates power and money into the EPL and La Liga even more because they'll have an extra spot and more young players will move there, further reducing the balance between European Leagues.
Also, adding more teams into European competition, and the addition of the Conference League. Just removes the achievement of qualifying into Europe when most of the top half will and diluting quality. What's more is that it consolidates power and money into the EPL and La Liga even more because they'll have an extra spot and more young players will move there, further reducing the balance between European Leagues.
Me too. Sometimes I wish a team would have the balls to say let’s just go for it, be more entertaining than others. Try to win
As has been mentioned, wing play is terrible now with players favoured on the other side, unwilling to take on the full-back, coming back inside etc.
Nani, Ronaldo, Valencia & Giggs used to get the ball out wide, and all you'd hear inside OT is the seats banging up as everyone would get on their feet as it would be the start of an exciting attack.
Antony gets it now, and no matter where he is on the pitch, you can predict what he's going to do.
Nani, Ronaldo, Valencia & Giggs used to get the ball out wide, and all you'd hear inside OT is the seats banging up as everyone would get on their feet as it would be the start of an exciting attack.
Antony gets it now, and no matter where he is on the pitch, you can predict what he's going to do.
Russo’s back heeled goal versus Sweden in the last women’s Euros.
Garnacho’s overhead kick versus Everton.
There are still moments in the game to enjoy but it just feels as if there are fewer these days.
Or that could just be me falling out of love with the game overall these days.
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Garnacho's overhead kick. Maybe even rashfords goal this weekend.
But yeah loads of magic has gone out of football in general. I loved that Darwin Nunez lob the other day, a goal that has all but disappeared from football, hojlund rounding the keeper the same weekend was great as well. Football is certainly more boring in terms of individual flair these days and it is poorer for it.
Lack of the rivalry it once had with teams like Arsenal, Liverpool, etc. Players are too friendly towards each other in the tunnel before the game.
Putting more effort into players image and looks rather than performance on the pitch. Absolutley disgrace.
VAR not doing their job right.
Putting more effort into players image and looks rather than performance on the pitch. Absolutley disgrace.
VAR not doing their job right.
Adding to this: the decline of Italian football is sad to see. Not even the drop in competition compared to EPL/La Liga... Just their legacy of excellent defensive teams and maestro attackers in the league and Europe vanishing.
Where are all the great players at?
Look at the top clubs from around 2015-17, look at the same clubs now, how many of them have got a team even remotely comparable?
Man City have a better team now.
Arsenal have a better team now.
Liverpool probably, but it’s not a patch on what they had 3-4 years ago.
Juventus are considerably worse.
Bayern are worse.
PSG are worse.
Dortmund are worse.
Chelsea are considerably worse.
Man Utd are just as useless.
Atletico are worse.
Barcelona are considerably worse.
Real Madrid are worse.
How has European football declined so much? Even when Real Madrid were dominating the Champions League it really felt like every tie (with the possible exception of 16/17 season) was close, and there were 4/5 teams that had the quality to win the tournament.
Now, it’s only Man City whose team I look at and think they have world class players in most positions. Their nearest challengers are either Arsenal, who have won nothing of note and would’ve been 6th or 7th best if this team had played in the previous decade, or Real Madrid who look way off and by all accounts were lucky not to be beaten by Leipzig.
Are there just less good players these days? Even in international football there has been a huge decline. Germany, Italy, Spain and Brazil all have teams that look very mediocre on paper, where 20 years ago all of those teams with the addition of England, France, Argentina, Netherlands and Portugal were littered with superstars.
Look at the top clubs from around 2015-17, look at the same clubs now, how many of them have got a team even remotely comparable?
Man City have a better team now.
Arsenal have a better team now.
Liverpool probably, but it’s not a patch on what they had 3-4 years ago.
Juventus are considerably worse.
Bayern are worse.
PSG are worse.
Dortmund are worse.
Chelsea are considerably worse.
Man Utd are just as useless.
Atletico are worse.
Barcelona are considerably worse.
Real Madrid are worse.
How has European football declined so much? Even when Real Madrid were dominating the Champions League it really felt like every tie (with the possible exception of 16/17 season) was close, and there were 4/5 teams that had the quality to win the tournament.
Now, it’s only Man City whose team I look at and think they have world class players in most positions. Their nearest challengers are either Arsenal, who have won nothing of note and would’ve been 6th or 7th best if this team had played in the previous decade, or Real Madrid who look way off and by all accounts were lucky not to be beaten by Leipzig.
Are there just less good players these days? Even in international football there has been a huge decline. Germany, Italy, Spain and Brazil all have teams that look very mediocre on paper, where 20 years ago all of those teams with the addition of England, France, Argentina, Netherlands and Portugal were littered with superstars.
How many wingers in the PL are that fast though? Saka?
I was watching a channel that replays classic games, and the Newcastle vs United game in the 2006-07 season. I don't know whether we played a strict 4-4-2 (with Park and Fletcher and Scholes on the pitch) but that's besides the point. If you have 17 minutes watch the highlight below or find and link the entire match here:
The match, compared to today's standards, is literally insane.
You have 4 goals, all from outside the box (how does Milner score the best fecking goal in the game?)
There is no patience from either side once the ball is retrieved. The only question on everyone's mind is: where is their goal and what is the shortest route to it?
You have our backline relatively exposed to Newcastle's attacks, but you trusted Rio and Vidic and Neville and Evra to win their duels, retain possession, and IMMEDIATELY launch it forward to a Ronaldo or Giggs running at their defense
Rooney everywhere on the fecking pitch, running at them, setting up teammates, tackling, shooting
There are moments of us building up play intricately in front of their box, but way more moments of one of our players just having a go from a difficult position, and it was fine back then! No recycling the ball to see if you could get a chance on goal with a higher xG
VDS and Shay Given didn't venture out of their 6 yard box much
And because of the lack of "care" from either side, there's much more energy in the match compared to the equivalent fixture today, and Newcastle had more of a chance than they would have today with a team of the same quality against an opponent with stars like Ronaldo and Rooney and Scholes and... it was a different game back then.
I enjoy the intricate matches of today, but they can be like watching a chess match, while watching matches in the PL back then were like watching two prime heavyweights going at it.
And I usually laugh at this phrase, but it absolutely is applicable here. We can lay ALL the blame for the transition of the game at Pep's feet.
Edit: had no idea he had passed away, but RIP to Glenn Roeder
Ok, this thread of miserable whining cnuts is winning. Back to the "what's better about football" thread
The huge financial imbalance that basically makes it almost impossible for a tier 2/3 league club to be minimally competitive in UEFA competitions, which means surprises rarely happen nowadays.