Modern football is rubbish, here is the proof.

[Cannylad]

Excellent article from the Mag here, all of it true ?

https://www.themag.co.uk/2024/10/mod...res-the-proof/

[ex_pat_magpie]

Excellent article from the Mag here, all of it true ?

https://www.themag.co.uk/2024/10/mod...res-the-proof/

All very good points Cannylad but the most important I think

"Yes, we are told by the gods of football that we should look at all that money and all the brilliant players that it buys, how much better the ‘product’ is."

Would the product be different without Sky's money??? All of the brilliant players would still be there. It's not money that makes them brilliant.

[Ragatino]

All very good points Cannylad but the most important I think

"Yes, we are told by the gods of football that we should look at all that money and all the brilliant players that it buys, how much better the ‘product’ is."

Would the product be different without Sky's money??? All of the brilliant players would still be there. It's not money that makes them brilliant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BWAL7ADsi0

Here is Johnny Giles chinning Kevin Keegan in the 1974 Charity Shield.

I'd say in general the technical game on the pitch is far superior to those days. The infrastructure, pitches, stadium and general experience is way way better.

As a kid going with my Grandad it was always moody at away grounds. It's a different vibe, you don't think you're gonna get punched in the face for no reason like the 1980s.

sat on the hand rails as my grandad stood behind me on the Gallowgate some drunk fella taking a pi$$ right beside me, often down some poor bassa's leg in front. A very different time.

So there is a lot of improvement on that side of things.

I agree that there are some steaming piles of shyt around the money grabs in the modern game.

Internationals
In terms of the whole scheduling I've made my opinion very clear. Mid Season internationals are HORSE SHYT!
They should be removed the domestic and European calendar should be truncated and the Internationals should get 4-6 weeks at the end of each season to make the whole thing a proper event. FIFA would make far more money if that were the case.
Every year there would be an international event. scheduled. I loath the international break it's garbage.

Tranfers
The 'window's have only served to jack the price of players up as clubs come to the end of the 'window' and prices go through the roof. Also it's yet another way for the big clubs to control the finances and the players.
I don't think clubs should be able to sign players at any time, also top clubs would forcefully sign a player from a club that is threatening just to nullify the affect of their challenge.

So I'm torn on the subject it's bullshyt but it's less bullshyt than an all year round system. On this I'd just like to see the window open the day the league season ends and close the day the new season kicks off.

Other than that I'm not sure how to improve this turd sandwich.

Substitutes
yeah the top teams with massive squads lobbied to extend to 5 from 3 during Covid. It's never gone back. Once again a major advantage to the big squads, a manager can keep his fringe players happier and also potentially keep legs fresher. Generally they play more games and looking at injuries it doesn't seem to have worked as expected with most clubs setting players out injured more regularly. Possibly due to 5 subs they're told to burn out in 45-60mins as they'll be subbed for impact in the final 30.

Funny thing is all the IFAB cronies whining about the 'ball in play' being only 55-60 mins of the 90 game clock don't seem to have realised that adding more subs slows the game down even more.

A simple change to the game clock. Stop the clock when ball is out of play resolves all this nonsense. However, that's far far too logical for the Morons at IFAB. FIFA, UEFA, The FA & THE EPL.

Those clowns will do anything but the simplest logical solution.

Europe
The crooks who call the shots, Juve, Real, Barcelona forced through the seeding to ensure they'd see more money and not knock each other out. No surprises in the early rounds. They got rid of any chance of 'Giant Killing'. However, this is the best way to 'distribute funds to the smaller leagues and clubs' yet in reality we all know that is not the case.

SJP
Before the takeover I could walk up and get a ticket on match day. Every time I was back home I got a ticket for the match within 24 hrs of kick off. This issue will be solved once the stadium has been redeveloped.

The Football
Game has developed. We don't just had midfield cripplers and CBs looking to take the flair players heeds arf. Yes we do miss the Ginolas and Ben Arfas, putting all our eggs in the ASM basket is a miserable lack of tactical awareness and high blood pressure inducing stress when they get clipped. Also, did you see Alex Isak v Everton... Poetry!

Atmosphere
Under the lights at SJP, the Geordie faithful with ample time to down 5 or 6 pints lubes the singing voices and the place is a caldron. When I see we're the lunchtime kick off I know the atmosphere is gonna be flat.

I've been to SJP when it's been shocking over the years. The sound of the roar when we maulled PSG that famous Wednesday evening on the banks of the River Tyne still echos across the hallowed turf to this day.

So on this one I'm not convinced. It's a combination of mood and blood alcohol levels. Throw in a shocking early Referring decision and it's a powder keg!

[Sclox]

Football peaked in the 90s in my opinion. You could get £1-2 pints, tabs were about £2.50 a pack, no mobiles or internet to ruin games, PL was new, exciting, everyone thought they had a shot, agent and player greed hadn't quite kicked in yet, exciting foreign players arriving, characters in the game, cheaper tickets, great football on show, proper European games with actual champions playing in the CL, UEFA cup, Cup winners cup the right number of games and format, more styles of foorball, 4-4-2, wingers making crosses, controversial managers and players, proper rivalries with venom, midfield enforcers, proper tackles, no VAR, limited subs and I actually used to enjoy international tournaments.

Technically good now but my god I dont get the same buzz or am I just looking through rose tinted specs?.

[ex_pat_magpie]

Football peaked in the 90s in my opinion. You could get £1-2 pints, tabs were about £2.50 a pack, no mobiles or internet to ruin games, PL was new, exciting, everyone thought they had a shot, agent and player greed hadn't quite kicked in yet, exciting foreign players arriving, characters in the game, cheaper tickets, great football on show, proper European games with actual champions playing in the CL, UEFA cup, Cup winners cup the right number of games and format, more styles of foorball, 4-4-2, wingers making crosses, controversial managers and players, proper rivalries with venom, midfield enforcers, proper tackles, no VAR, limited subs and I actually used to enjoy international tournaments.

Technically good now but my god I dont get the same buzz or am I just looking through rose tinted specs?.

Sclox, you only have to look back to KK's entertainers to convince yourself that you don't need rose tinted specs

[Ragatino]

Sclox, you only have to look back to KK's entertainers to convince yourself that you don't need rose tinted specs

Don't get me wrong I was young and life was exciting. I was made of rubber and magic in the 90s. The music was class, the girls were beautiful and the football was pure rock and roll!

We lived the highlife but the came so close to the glittering glory of titles and cups.

When Howe's team qualified for the champions league that was some of the best football I've EVER seen the Toon play.

Powerful, technical, tactical, arrogant, aggressive, dominant, terrifying! Equally on a par to anything from the KK days.

With more investment in a worldie Right winger we'll have a more exciting front 3 for more than a decade.

I ain't saying it's better it's different. It'll never be Ginola, Solano, Fox, Gillespie, Shearer, Sir Les, Beardo etc etc.

However, Ba, Cisse (couldn't miss - that brace against Chelsea), Ben Arfa, Cabaye was class!

Now, we have some genuine world class talent in the squad and a load of top top draw players.

It's just different, the way the game is played is different. Teams don't want to lose rather than teams that go out to win.

[ex_pat_magpie]

It's just different, the way the game is played is different. Teams don't want to lose rather than teams that go out to win.

Your last line Ragatino. Most important. What we want is a combination of both. Don't want to lose along with go out to win.

[Ragatino]

Your last line Ragatino. Most important. What we want is a combination of both. Don't want to lose along with go out to win.

The money involved in staying in the league has paralysed the bottom 8 clubs.

We usually see the league split into 3 or 4 mini leagues.

Title contenders
Liverpool, City, Arsenal

4th place / Europa challengers
Newcastle, Spuds, Chelsea, Brighton, Villa

Mid table
ManFilth, Fulham, Brentford, West Ham, Bournemouth

Relegation
The remaining 7

The relegation fodder the bottom 6-8 teams rarely give it a go away from home and when we turn up on our away days they park the bus and try and play counter attack.

We've had issues breaking down teams who sit in.

We, like the top 3 and you could argue, Chelsea, Brighton and Villa have a go home and away.

Spurs are a complete joke, high line, one trick ponies. Ange has been found out, as I said he would during his '2nd Season Syndrome.' He probably won't see the summer in the Spuds dugout.

Eddie is trying to give us various ways to play. We're seeing a more possession based football this season. Whilst we've been a little off the boil in terms of intensity in our approach, however, when it has worked we've seen the transition between styles and we've also seen us play the high press and counter against City.

So we're not gonna ever be concerned about being a boring team. Football has evolved and things are different as long as we're balancing aggressive attacking football with pragmatic winning tactics at times I'm a happy camper!

Saying that, I totally get why people think it's boring.

[toptoon]

The on field aspects of the game have improved in every way. The visuals, pitch quality, player quality, player condition and tactical know how are ever better.
The crowd atmosphere has got worse though; the stadium designs haven’t helped along with all seaters and far more day tripper supporters for the PL clubs.
Another aspect that’s not improved is the officiating with very few good referees.This can be fixed with better, instant decision technology going forward.

[Sclox]

Was reading a list of the toughest/hardest footballers in the PL era. Not one from the last 10 years and I think the quality of player in the PL today is equal to any previous era - they would have adapted with better diet and facilities while I would go so far to say players may quite possibly have been stronger and tougher back in the day - there were less subs, less protected and I mind reading that Liverpool back in the 70s went nearly an entire season including Europe with about 12 players or something ridiculous. Tactics I would agree are much better now as is the presentation of the game in general pitches/stadiums etc. Also worth mentioning the fact that players are probably better protected now, the balls are lighter, boots and equipment superior which maybe lends an advantage to the modern player. I am convinced that a player like Wor Jackie or Hughie would have adapted and been absolute monsters today. I also think the modern game today would have been perfect for the likes of Tino.