Modern football is rubbish, here is the proof.

[Sclox]

.....I would also add my top 4 GOATs are from the 80s/90s/00s (with number 5 being from even further back in Pele).

Messi
Ronaldo
Zidane
Maradona

What does that say about the "modern" player?

[Ragatino]

.....I would also add my top 4 GOATs are from the 80s/90s/00s (with number 5 being from even further back in Pele).

Messi
Ronaldo
Zidane
Maradona

What does that say about the "modern" player?

The modern game as seen the improvement of 'professionalism'.

Smaller clubs (the Brentfords, Brightons, Fulhams) in the top leagues are no longer (for the most part - newly promoted clubs aside) are no longer pushover/whipping boys.

Teams defend better. The prem clubs down the league have the financial power to sign much higher quality players and make more of a game for the top teams.

That is one side.

The other side is academies no longer develop the mercurial talents like Gazza, Beardo, Ben Arfa, they develop athletes.
Gravenbach, Joelinton big powerful players who can be developed in their skill set.

This is the other side. The lads who have flair either have the wildcard attitude trained out of them or they are simply cut from the academy for not ticking the metric boxes.

In terms of the truly gifted individuals, the George Best types. They'd never make it in todays football landscape.

[Sclox]

There may be more money about but it doesn't go as far as it did in 1996. A world record 15m fee for a world class player in AS was seen as huge. That would get you a back up goalie now.

I reckon the gap between PL teams could be smaller not because they are all better but maybe because they are all equally as bad as each other from 8th down - barring the cartel who have had the finances sewn up for years. I mean we had the likes of Ashley spending the minimum for years basically giving up on challenging just happy to be 17th every year.

I agree that skill and talent alone is no longer sufficient, you need to be an athelete first and foremost - the real dynamite is a player who has both and a work ethic to boot. These are your world class talents.
George Best in his early days was a durable, physical specimen and like all these talents it was when he was exposed to the temptations later on that the work ethic element that got him there dropped and he physically disintegrated.

I believe all these players would have adapted to todays game- I mean we have the first 2 goats still doing it at 40 years old today.

[Ragatino]

There may be more money about but it doesn't go as far as it did in 1996. A world record 15m fee for a world class player in AS was seen as huge. That would get you a back up goalie now.

I reckon the gap between PL teams could be smaller not because they are all better but maybe because they are all equally as bad as each other from 8th down - barring the cartel who have had the finances sewn up for years. I mean we had the likes of Ashley spending the minimum for years basically giving up on challenging just happy to be 17th every year.

I agree that skill and talent alone is no longer sufficient, you need to be an athelete first and foremost - the real dynamite is a player who has both and a work ethic to boot. These are your world class talents.
George Best in his early days was a durable, physical specimen and like all these talents it was when he was exposed to the temptations later on that the work ethic element that got him there dropped and he physically disintegrated.

I believe all these players would have adapted to todays game- I mean we have the first 2 goats still doing it at 40 years old today.

Goats? Greats of all time (s)

I know what you mean, Two great players but it's a pet hate of mine how language, Americanization once again, is diluted. Dumbification.

Please don't take this the wrong way dude, I'm not saying in any way that you are dumb Sclox mate this is my own pet peeve.

Everyone's the goat apparently. Anyway.

Once again you make a valid point those mercurial talents like Best, Gazza etc would be better handled in the modern age potentially extending their careers and by extension success. However, would they be allowed to be so wild and free or would they have their wings clipped a little more during the youth days like Pardew kept dropping Ben Arfa because he wouldn't consistently track back.

Who knows!?! That the magic of football, the debate, the opinions, the counter points.

Again one of the truly great things about this board. It's really great to check in, have some banter with all you lads. Really takes my mind off the day-to-day grind of work.

For that I am grateful and I appreciate you all.

[Sclox]

Goats? Greats of all time (s)

I know what you mean, Two great players but it's a pet hate of mine how language, Americanization once again, is diluted. Dumbification.

Please don't take this the wrong way dude, I'm not saying in any way that you are dumb Sclox mate this is my own pet peeve.

Everyone's the goat apparently. Anyway.

Once again you make a valid point those mercurial talents like Best, Gazza etc would be better handled in the modern age potentially extending their careers and by extension success. However, would they be allowed to be so wild and free or would they have their wings clipped a little more during the youth days like Pardew kept dropping Ben Arfa because he wouldn't consistently track back.

Who knows!?! That the magic of football, the debate, the opinions, the counter points.

Again one of the truly great things about this board. It's really great to check in, have some banter with all you lads. Really takes my mind off the day-to-day grind of work.

For that I am grateful and I appreciate you all.

No offence taken. Your points are valid and these debates are a bit like how long a piece of string is. No real way to say who is right or wrong.

I use the term GOAT because I am too lazy to type out greatest of all time.

Its like the old saying that opinions are like asssholes, everyone has one. Lol.

[HughieG]

I disagree with certain element of the article, but the overall point stands. Change doesn't equal better. It can, but won't necessarily.

[toptoon]

I disagree with certain element of the article, but the overall point stands. Change doesn't equal better. It can, but won't necessarily.

True.

But, on the other hand, it’s impossible to improve anything without change.

[HughieG]

True.

But, on the other hand, it’s impossible to improve anything without change.

Absolutely. So why are you so conservative and afraid of change, TT?

[toptoon]

Absolutely. So why are you so conservative and afraid of change, TT?

Lol.
As you say, some change isn’t for the best and I believe in ‘if it ain’t broken then don’t try to fix it’!

Depends on what it is. I’m in favour of a spanking new stadium for us even if it means moving location!!!

[Magzer]

There's good and bad to everything when stuff like this is debated.

In the mind of the older football fan, the modern game is a massive step down to what was thought of as the real football and the real bite of yesteryears football.
For the fans born into the premier league and the general upgrading of grounds, pitches and pace of the game as well as all the rest of it, they would look back on what the older generation saw as good, as mindbogglingly scrappy and slow with a good old hint of pitch thuggery.

A pie and a pint after a game where a broken femur (kidding) was taped tight to knit it back together for the following Saturday or the stubbed toe that modern science cannot heal in time for the next season.

You get my drift.