Any Thoughts on Changes for Watford?

[Bombers right foot]

Half of them smoked and sank 20 pints a week. They wouldnt even get near to a modern football side. They would lump it forward and wouldnt see it again until they had to kick off from the centre circle.

Tactics were 4 on 4 going forward with a couple of midfield runners for about 80 years. It looked like a load of fun but it aint comparable to modern tactics.

May I draw your attention to one example, the 5-3 thrashing of Man Utd at Old Trafford, pace, passing, movement and finishing of the highest order, something sadly lacking in the current side

[baggieal]

May I draw your attention to one example, the 5-3 thrashing of Man Utd at Old Trafford, pace, passing, movement and finishing of the highest order, something sadly lacking in the current side

I was there and it was unbelievable and still in my memory now. Nothing in the later years even compares with it! Laurie was magical!

[Omegstrat6]

It's an interesting one isn't it? On one hand, Matt is right both in that the game today in terms of tactics and data analysis is vastly different to what it was in the 70s for example and also that developments in sports science have meant that today's players are overall far fitter than those of yesteryear. On the other hand, whilst I am conscious of trying not to look back with rose tinted glasses, whenever I watch clips on YouTube of some of these games I am reminded how good some of them really were-and they had to play on rock hard pitches and mud baths!

(Cunningham btw-who could appear to glide across a pitch covered in ice and snow-was actually a bit ahead of his time and aside from his love of dance, was into yoga so this likely helped with both his fitness and balance and gave him an edge over other players).

A (probably wildly wrong !&#128513 analogy I sometimes think of is that today's players, with their better diets, training methods and superior physio support may be fitter but they can be like finely tuned race cars that can fall foul more easily to knocks whereas those of yester -year with their pints and fags were more like robust rally cars. Then again, they had to be given the pitches they played on and the balls they used!

[Albionic68]

Changes for Watford? Most obvious one for me is New Street Station (Grand Central to much younger readers). We're going on the train and I wouldn't want to end up in Redditch 😀 .

[Albionic68]

Mason will go defensive Wallace , Heggebo - hang on to 0-0 and hope but not plan for a goal against the run of play. It's what he does and it is not going to work

Mason probably won't be doing anything involving Wallace against Watford as he's out injured apparently. Wouldn't surprise me if he starts with Heggebo given Maja has been out for so long and got just under seventy minutes under his belt against Preston.

[baggiematt]

Give me the 68 Cup winning side and the 78-79 side over these modern day players anytime, not one of the current side would get into either team, those sides were full of character and skill and played over 50 games in most seasons, the likes of Astle, Brown, Osborne, Wile, Robertson, Willliams,Clarke, Hope, Cunningham,Regis and many more I don?t think played like woman?s football, those
legends and more would wipe the floor with many teams playing this horrifying backwards, sideways rubbish

It was a fantastic side, but they would still get ran off the pitch in the modern game. They would hardly see the ball! Modern footballers are like fine tuned robots, pushed to their physical limits.

Dont get me wrong, if they had modern tactics, training and fitness regimes Im sure they would be fine, or at least it would separate the men from the boys….but then they would get injured more often and need to be rotated and subbed - and therein lies my point!

[baggieal]

It was a fantastic side, but they would still get ran off the pitch in the modern game. They would hardly see the ball! Modern footballers are like fine tuned robots, pushed to their physical limits.

Dont get me wrong, if they had modern tactics, training and fitness regimes Im sure they would be fine, or at least it would separate the men from the boys….but then they would get injured more often and need to be rotated and subbed - and therein lies my point!

Beg to differ Matt but there?s no doubting the modern games is about athleticism, pace and stats but you can?t generalise. Players like Cunningham and Johnson would wipe the floor with Wallace and Grant both for pace, trickery and end product. Players like Regis and Phillips hardly missed and make pub players of Maja and Dike. Take our present midfield even if you compare them to later years ie Yacob and Mulumbu there?s no comparison as these guys covered every blade of grass.

There of course are cases for and against ie Ronaldo who is unique because he?s a fitness machine and does not drink or smoke. But Wallace, Grant or even Mikey in comparison to Laurie or Willie - please! If you take the overall game set of Laurie and Willie the present players would not be fit to wipe their laces.

PS - not every player drank or smoked in past years and even now your be surprised - players like Grealish can be piss heads but train it off!

[Omegstrat6]

Changes for Watford? Most obvious one for me is New Street Station (Grand Central to much younger readers). We're going on the train and I wouldn't want to end up in Redditch 😀 .

Given the number of times the New Street-Redditch train is cancelled, I wouldn't worry too much about ending up in the Ditch 68-though you could possibly get as far as Longbridge 😁

[Omegstrat6]

It was a fantastic side, but they would still get ran off the pitch in the modern game. They would hardly see the ball! Modern footballers are like fine tuned robots, pushed to their physical limits.

Dont get me wrong, if they had modern tactics, training and fitness regimes Im sure they would be fine, or at least it would separate the men from the boys….but then they would get injured more often and need to be rotated and subbed - and therein lies my point!

Ah, F1 race car v old fashioned rally car. Just as I said!😙😀

[baggieal]

Ah, F1 race car v old fashioned rally car. Just as I said!😙😀

Laurie Cunningham was a top of the range sports car compared to a Ford fiesta like Wallace and Grant. Statham was a Porsche compared to Campbell being a Skoda. Regis was like a top spec Range Rover compared to Dike being a clapped out Fiat 😭😭😭

[Bombers right foot]

Ipswich rested players tonight v Charlton in preparation for the Albion game on sat and lost 3-0, play your best side available and worry about the next one when it comes, not rocket science

[baggieal]

Ipswich rested players tonight v Charlton in preparation for the Albion game on sat and lost 3-0, play your best side available and worry about the next one when it comes, not rocket science

Totally agree Bomber. Play the best team to win the game and then make subs later if we are comfortable. Phillips and Mepham don?t have rests so why keep swapping other key players?

Asante is now in his element in the right position and a new player with the attack minded Coventry approach. He was stifled with Corberon?s style of play and is not a lone striker. Good for him as clearly he?s now enjoying his football and numerous goals

[Bombers right foot]

Totally agree Bomber. Play the best team to win the game and then make subs later if we are comfortable. Phillips and Mepham don?t have rests so why keep swapping other key players?

Asante is now in his element in the right position and a new player with the attack minded Coventry approach. He was stifled with Corberon?s style of play and is not a lone striker. Good for him as clearly he?s now enjoying his football and numerous goals

Corberan bored us all to death, Pulis no2, pleased for Asante, he?s showing what he?s capable off, wish he was still here, far better than sick note Dike and that donkey Heggebo

[baggiematt]

Totally agree Bomber. Play the best team to win the game and then make subs later if we are comfortable. Phillips and Mepham don?t have rests so why keep swapping other key players?

Asante is now in his element in the right position and a new player with the attack minded Coventry approach. He was stifled with Corberon?s style of play and is not a lone striker. Good for him as clearly he?s now enjoying his football and numerous goals

A lot of irony here that Coventry rested Wright and Sakamoto yesterday. Their best two players.

Not daft, is he Fat Frank?

[baggiematt]

Ipswich rested players tonight v Charlton in preparation for the Albion game on sat and lost 3-0, play your best side available and worry about the next one when it comes, not rocket science

Charlton rested a couple of players too. The idiots?!