Falling out of love with Football

[Daisuk]

So fitness is the difference not quality, we are over hyping the game because players are fitter not better.

Full backs that cant defend but can run all day full of mistakes but might get into areas and deliver loads of crosses where 2 might be bang on. Going back other way they give pens. Makes for great viewing but the quality is less.

There were a lot of skilled players back in the day, no doubt, and I guess you could argue that the entertainment value was higher, but look at any game from the 90's (or earlier) and compare it to any PL game from today, and you'll see a massive difference in intensity and quickness of play. The average elite player these days are just way better than the average player back in the 90's through sheer professionalism (note - the average player, not the top players). Players train more now, they are fitter, they eat better, the whole apparatus around them are much more professional, tailored to get the most out of every player (at least at the top). To think the Arse team that walked the PL back in the 90's used to have a "pub Tuesday", where they all got drunk - it's unimaginable today. There's no way a team that would get drunk collectively once a week would win the PL in 2020.

I think a team from today's PL would run a team from the 90's PL ragged, to be honest.

https://sciencenordic.com/denmark-f...sts-football-has-changed-dramatically/1440511

 

[Grays_1890]

There were a lot of skilled players back in the day, no doubt, and I guess you could argue that the entertainment value was higher, but look at any game from the 90's (or earlier) and compare it to any PL game from today, and you'll see a massive difference in intensity and quickness of play. The average elite player these days are just way better than the average player back in the 90's through sheer professionalism (note - the average player, not the top players). Players train more now, they are fitter, they eat better, the whole apparatus around them are much more professional, tailored to get the most out of every player (at least at the top). To think the Arse team that walked the PL back in the 90's used to have a "pub Tuesday", where they all got drunk - it's unimaginable today. There's no way a team that would get drunk collectively once a week would win the PL in 2020.

I think a team from today's PL would run a team from the 90's PL ragged, to be honest.

https://sciencenordic.com/denmark-f...sts-football-has-changed-dramatically/1440511

But the fact all players were doing the same negates any loss of entertainment thats being suggested. I dont believe that because average players are fitter that the games in some way a better quality. Alot of the time you see players because of their fitness running like headless chickens in top level games and down blind alleys. Just because they can do a million push ups and run a marathon I dont believe that its any better.

Add to the fact like I said, Var, cynicism, lying, cheating in the game, corruption on the basis there is no excuse for it in 2020 etc, its a cluster for me

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I'm sure I read somewhere that Spurs could easily have 20k in safely

They could
But they won’t let us

 

[markysimmo]

They could
But they won’t let us

4k tops I've just seen

 

[Bedfordspurs]

4k tops I've just seen

Yep

 

[Daisuk]

But the fact all players were doing the same negates any loss of entertainment thats being suggested. I dont believe that because average players are fitter that the games in some way a better quality. Alot of the time you see players because of their fitness running like headless chickens in top level games and down blind alleys. Just because they can do a million push ups and run a marathon I dont believe that its any better.

Add to the fact like I said, Var, cynicism, lying, cheating in the game, corruption on the basis there is no excuse for it in 2020 etc, its a cluster for me

I can see what you're saying, and we can't really test it out either way - but ... I just think there's a reason that increased professionalism has resulted in teams focusing on fitness and quickness, instead of say technique and skill on the ball (which is a bit of a lie, of course, as there are plenty of insanely skilled players these days as well) - it's because it's efficient, it wins you games. I fully understand you falling out of love with the game overall though (with all the other points you bring up), and I don't really mean to debate you on that. I actually agree with you on most of those points, but I guess I'm trying to defend my own interest in that the game itself is likely better now than it has ever been, in my opinion.

 

[Grays_1890]

I can see what you're saying, and we can't really test it out either way - but ... I just think there's a reason that increased professionalism has resulted in teams focusing on fitness and quickness, instead of say technique and skill on the ball (which is a bit of a lie, of course, as there are plenty of insanely skilled players these days as well) - it's because it's efficient, it wins you games. I fully understand you falling out of love with the game overall though (with all the other points you bring up), and I don't really mean to debate you on that. I actually agree with you on most of those points, but I guess I'm trying to defend my own interest in that the game itself is likely better now than it has ever been, in my opinion.

Yeh look its just a matter of opinion, I think conversely is Jimmy Greaves was fit as a fiddle not eating a Sunday roast he would be better than Aguero so the field would level but thats not why I dont love the game, its the hype train and TBH the idea you should watch games without the sound or avoid adverts that hype Super Sunday....Burnley v WBA is laughable TBH. Football could just tone down is rhetoric on stuff TBH. The hype it tempered off like I said with the agenda stuff, pushing for managers to get sacked or hounding players for a short period of poor form, thats football, it happens.

 

[Daisuk]

Yeh look its just a matter of opinion, I think conversely is Jimmy Greaves was fit as a fiddle not eating a Sunday roast he would be better than Aguero so the field would level but thats not why I dont love the game, its the hype train and TBH the idea you should watch games without the sound or avoid adverts that hype Super Sunday....Burnley v WBA is laughable TBH. Football could just tone down is rhetoric on stuff TBH. The hype it tempered off like I said with the agenda stuff, pushing for managers to get sacked or hounding players for a short period of poor form, thats football, it happens.

100% agree on that.

 

[elltrev]

I’ve definitely been falling out of love with the game. For me it’s a combination of VAR and stupid handball rule, diving and screaming at any contact, player petulance, financial inequality between teams, endless advertising (esp. betting), brick punditry, over-hype of Sky and co, fame and riches of players... I still love the sport in its purest sense, and I still love Spurs, but (to a previous poster’s point) some of the things above are so embedded in the sport now that they’re impossible to avoid, and they’re really getting to me.

I would switch my attention to rugby, if the sport itself wasn’t so mind numbingly brick.

 

[StephenH]

I think many of us are simply getting old.

 

[parklane1]

Been happening for a while for me, i will always love my club but for the rest i can not be bothered. Sad but the game i have watched, played in and coached for most of my life is no longer the most important thing in my life.

 

[scaramanga]

After City, this morning probably isn't the time for this but, despite not fully agreeing with the writer, I thought this piece was excellent. I wanted to disagree with his points but couldn't. That said, there are counter-arguments. Warning...it's a long read but worth it:

https://shaunjlawson.medium.com/falling-out-of-love-with-football-a-fans-lament-9405585ee211

Finally got around to reading this.

Author misses the point completely. Football is still a game for the people, it's that now it's a game for people better than him.