afrodoc2:


A good example is how many games in the earlier Women's World Cups ended 6-3, 7-1, 5-2 etc but now partly due to better tactically prepared teams we are getting lower scorelines. There are creative tactics but a lot of the tactics in football are set up to stop the opposition. Also, the focus on tactics means freelancing flair players are often overlooked for players that can follow the manager's tactics to the letter.

Instead of Maradona collecting the ball and dribbling through a maze of defenders or Michael Laudrupp throwing endless risky through passes from his own half you now have endless passing at the 1st phase until a clear opportunity opens up. Because of tactics you now rarely have fullbacks isolated against wicked wingers like before as their own winger will often drop back to give cover unlike before when your own winger will stay forward lazily leaving you to be tortured by Ryan Giggs or Marc Overmars all game.

A very good team will usually flog a mediocre or bad team but the inferior team can use tactics to reduce the difference in quality. It is far easier to devise tactics to neutralize a team than it is to devise tactics to open up a team.

intelligent write up but still doesn't stop creativity. Tactics are supposed to bring out the best in the team.

Hazard didn't stop being Hazard because he played for Mourinho neither did Ronaldo. I don't think tactics can completely change a player who has flair and creativity, it may hamper them like Ziyech but a good coach uses tactics to his team's strengths and not to hinder it. Pep didn't hinder Robben dribbling, nor KDB playing dead balls with how strict he is.

I would say the more prevalent press tactics has called for more players with work ethic than with flair, but player like Kvara, Leao still exist and thrive. It's just more difficult with opposing teams being more organised with zonal marking and new defensive structures than they used to be 20yrs ago.

Ibime:


The biggest change from the 80s is two more players in the defensive block (7 as opposed to 5) and each player covers 5km more than those days so space is at a premium. Players can still dribble and even better than before, but the space to dribble no dey again

that's why Hazard was one of the best ever players in EpL

Jamie Carragher’s ranking of the 4 £100m+ midfielders who moved in 2023 : 1) Jude Bellingham 2) Enzo Fernandez 3) Declan Rice 4) Moises Caicedo. No way Jude is better than Enzo, this english player tax to put rice before moises

I don't think players like Zidane and Okocha thrive due to space available, they were just too creative even in a tight space their football brains were not limited.

I admit I don't know how they train youth footballers these days but most would prefer going back, passing back than facing a defender and thinking of how to pass. I agree with the decline, you can't compare Brazil of 15years ago to Brazil of today

Some Chelsea fans on Twitter nor get sense. You signed two defensive midfielders that are astute with the ball you still want a left back that can defend in Chilwell when he should be bombarding forward in search of goals since he is good at it.

Ibime:


The biggest change from the 80s is two more players in the defensive block (7 as opposed to 5) and each player covers 5km more than those days so space is at a premium. Players can still dribble and even better than before, but the space to dribble no dey again

Players can't dribble like before. Some players of past decades will dribble shege out of your life in a small circle cos they didn't need that much space to dribble. Now what most players call dribble is simple push and run. The major reason is because all those shege dribbles are coached out of most players these days at a young age. The coaches will rather ask them to pass back and build up from the back again rather than try to find creative individual solutions. The player who dribbles rather than follow tactical instructions will soon find himself on the bench.

I agree about the defensive blocks being an issue these days though and alluded to that in my earlier post. The days of a winger twisting and turning his full back's blood into thick clot are long gone.

WhoDeyHause:

Black Lives Matter.

Bro,sent you a mail.
Reply

Enzo5:
intelligent write up but still doesn't stop creativity. Tactics are supposed to bring out the best in the team.

Hazard didn't stop being Hazard because he played for Mourinho neither did Ronaldo. I don't think tactics can completely change a player who has flair and creativity, it may hamper them like Ziyech but a good coach uses tactics to his team's strengths and not to hinder it. Pep didn't hinder Robben dribbling, nor KDB playing dead balls with how strict he is.

I would say the more prevalent press tactics has called for more players with work ethic than with flair, but player like Kvara, Leao still exist and thrive. It's just more difficult with opposing teams being more organised with zonal marking and new defensive structures than they used to be 20yrs ago.

LOL the zonal marking and new defensive structures are part of the tactical inputs i mentioned. More people on the defensive block is another. Counter-pressing is another. When there is more structure and less freestyling it helps inferior players in bridging the gap with superior players.

afrodoc2:


Players can't dribble like before. Some players of past decades will dribble shege out of your life in a small circle cos they didn't need that much space to dribble. Now what most players call dribble is simple push and run. The major reason is because all those shege dribbles are coached out of most players these days at a young age. The coaches will rather ask them to pass back and build up from the back again rather than try to find creative individual solutions. The player who dribbles rather than follow tactical instructions will soon find himself on the bench.

I agree about the defensive blocks being an issue these days though and alluded to that in my earlier post. The days of a winger twisting and turning his full back's blood into thick clot are long gone.

I'm a bit confused by your stance, are you of the opinion that football is better today than it was before or that football has regressed, attractiveness wise?

Sevilla go in front.

MorataFC:
You just stated the reason why this modern football has more quality compared to the oldie, now we have computerised training, we have keepers trainer, fitness trainer, nutritionist, physiotherapist etc, and a lot of training materials. I listened to Segun Odegbami many years ago and he said if I had the opportunity to have been trained with the training facility the current players are having now, he said 'I would have been a better player'.

I was mainly addressing his second point about boring games. These days teams sometimes use tactics to neutralize each other to death leading to boring games. In terms of quality it is likely that teams are now better in terms of physical ability and tactics but they might not be better in terms of technique.

andrewbaba44:


Lauren will not smell ballon d or ,the earlier you know the better for you

You go push agenda tire

Aitana Bonmati is the name

How many goals wey she Don score? Ever, in a world cup? 🤣

This Seville goalkeeper get pass for leg

Ibime:
Chelsea should buy Karl Darlow as backup goalie for £3m and forget those yahoo boys

You have come again. After all these years you won't let this name go

afrodoc2:


Players can't dribble like before. Some players of past decades will dribble shege out of your life in a small circle cos they didn't need that much space to dribble. Now what most players call dribble is simple push and run. The major reason is because all those shege dribbles are coached out of most players these days at a young age. The coaches will rather ask them to pass back and build up from the back again rather than try to find creative individual solutions. The player who dribbles rather than follow tactical instructions will soon find himself on the bench.

I agree about the defensive blocks being an issue these days though and alluded to that in my earlier post. The days of a winger twisting and turning his full back's blood into thick clot are long gone.

I strongly disagree. Defenders are no longer mumu. All of them have seen those skills a million times and many of them can do those skills. This is not the days when every team played in a silo and you'll be seeing some skills for the first time when you meet the opposition

There are much more dribble types than before and players are all exposed to them. Even on amateur level, there are far more dribbles and dribbling styles than when I was playing actively. The amateurs of these days can twist blood out of some of the pros of those days because those pros won't have seen those skills. Go to any power league or YouTube amateur channel and see what I'm saying

Unlimited22:

You have come again. After all these years you won't let this name go

Why would I let the reliable and still cheap option go. Someone who never let Newcastle down when he stepped in. Plus he's English, filling up HG spot.

Ibime:


I strongly disagree. Defenders are no longer mumu. All of them have seen those skills a million times and many of them can do those skills. This is not the days when every team played in a silo and you'll be seeing some skills for the first time when you meet the opposition

There are much more dribble types than before and players are all exposed to them. Even on amateur level, there are far more dribbles and dribbling styles than when I was playing actively. The amateurs of these days can twist blood out of some of the pros of those days because those pros won't have seen those skills. Go to any power league or YouTube amateur channel and see what I'm saying

I don't agree. There might be better teams defensively now but individually defenders are not as good as the 90s and 2000s for instance. Shey its all these Lindelof, TAA, and Dalot and co. Mitoma is using ordinary cutting without dropping shoulder to cause heart attack all over the place against these defenders. If you isolate a single defender against a good dribbler he must chop. What they are doing now is community defending not that the individual defenders are better. Okocha will take the souls of these modern defenders. Just that his coach will sub him off after 1st half for being unserious.

Ibime:


I strongly disagree. Defenders are no longer mumu. All of them have seen those skills a million times and many of them can do those skills. This is not the days when every team played in a silo and you'll be seeing some skills for the first time when you meet the opposition

There are much more dribble types than before and players are all exposed to them. Even on amateur level, there are far more dribbles and dribbling styles than when I was playing actively. The amateurs of these days can twist blood out of some of the pros of those days because those pros won't have seen those skills. Go to any power league or YouTube amateur channel and see what I'm saying

Players like vinicius junior and musiala are still disgracing players around Europe. I agree with afrodoc on football being more mechanical due to higher emphasis on measured tactics.

WhoDeyHause:

Time to push Lauren James ballon dor agenda after we destroy Spain on Sunday.

James has mostly spoilt her chances of winning even the young player of the tournament talkless of the Ballon d'or after her moment of madness, Even if she does something huge like scoring a hat trick in the final which looks less likely cause of the occasion it still won't be enough, Kerr dropping out in the semis has given bonmati a free run

afrodoc2:


They have used tactics to neutralize team creativity and individual creativity. Players now have more stamina and are more tactically responsible but technical ability and natural flair is being ironed out of the game. Even the robotic Germans of the 80s and 90s had Littbarksi, Hassler, Moller and co. If you combine all the dribbling talent in Germany right now it is not up to the talent in only Littbarksi's body.

True @bolded.

And this In turn reduces the flair of the game and in essence also reduces the excitement the game is suppose to have.

And like you said, even flair players are often ditched for hardworking, system players

You see that dribblers, I can count on one hand good frequent effective flair dribblers on one hand in Europe and e no reach 5

Unlimited22:

How many goals wey she Don score? Ever, in a world cup? 🤣

You wan bet say bonmati no go win am or not

Kilishihunter:

James has mostly spoilt her chances of winning even the young player of the tournament talkless of the Ballon d'or after her moment of madness, Even if she does something huge like scoring a hat trick in the final which looks less likely cause of the occasion it still won't be enough, Kerr dropping out in the semis has given bonmati a free run

Even without that moment of madness she no go smell ballon d or

Enzo5:
I don't think players like Zidane and Okocha thrive due to space available, they were just too creative even in a tight space their football brains were not limited.

I admit I don't know how they train youth footballers these days but most would prefer going back, passing back than facing a defender and thinking of how to pass. I agree with the decline, you can't compare Brazil of 15years ago to Brazil of today

...then what now happens, are there no star players in Brazil again? The situation is other teams have measured up to the standard through the modern training facility that is available now, not that they lack star players. Gone are the days when Super Falcon will defeat African opponents 11-0, 8-0, 7-0, why we can't have such a scoreline again, it's just because all other teams have measured up through exposure to modern facilities, not that Super Falcon lack stars players.

andrewbaba44:


Even without that moment of madness she no go smell ballon d or

She started very well in the group stage before disappearing against Nigeria and stamping alozie, As bonmati don turn enter final like this it's sealed especially when she still has a chance to be the POTT if she does well, Even young player of the tournament isn't sure for Lauren again unless she pulls a madness in the final

MorataFC:

...then what now happens, are there no star players in Brazil again? The situation is other teams have measured up to the standard through the modern training facility that is available now, not that they lack star players. Gone are the days when Super Falcon will defeat African opponents 11-0, 8-0, 7-0, why we can't have such a scoreline again, it's just because all other teams have measured up through exposure to modern facilities, not that Super Falcon lack stars players.

I don't know about the super falcons but you see them Brazil set of R9, Dinho and co, in terms of quality, this present Brazilians no reach them

Sometimes, I wonder if some of these Brazilians are truly Brazilians sef. Vini, as good as he is, will turn average in that set.

Sevilla should try and finish this abeg

Jodera:
I don't know about the super falcons but you see them Brazil set of R9, Dinho and co, in terms of quality, this present Brazilians no reach them

Sometimes, I wonder if some of these Brazilians are truly Brazilians sef. Vini, as good as he is, will turn average in that set.

The only current person who would also have been a star in that set is Neymar. Na why him career trajectory Dey itch me anytime I remember am.


This dude made Ballon d'or top 10 as a teenager playing in Brazil. Then 2013-16 Neymar was just different gravy. There was one time Messi got injured or so and he just kept on coming clutch.


Now he's is Saudi at 31, hasn't won the UCL in 8 years and probably never will again, never won a ballon d'or, and has had his knees kicked to death in France. Mtchew.

andrewbaba44:
Sevilla should try and finish this abeg

ghengen

MorataFC:
ghengen

Chai

El nesri don fuckup ,they should have been 3-0 up ,now city will win this

Unlimited22:

The only current person who would also have been a star in that set is Neymar. Na why him career trajectory Dey itch me anytime I remember am.


This dude made Ballon d'or top 10 as a teenager playing in Brazil. Then 2013-16 Neymar was just different gravy. There was one time Messi got injured or so and he just kept on coming clutch.


Now he's is Saudi at 31, hasn't won the UCL in 8 years and probably never will again, never won a ballon d'or, and has had his knees kicked to death in France. Mtchew.

Exactly, only Neymar. The guy was too good!
It's just so unfortunate that one ill-advised decision cost him his career. I think the time you talked about was the 2014/15 season where him and Suarez just deh pieces la Liga with reckless abandon in the absence of Messi
Omorr, those two where different gravy sha

Some of these Brazilians wey I dey see, even to dribble person one on one dey hard dem. Give correct precise pass too na waec.

Omorr, Brazil is no longer Brazil

Cole palmer is a baller

This Sevilla team are defensively good.