Maradona37
Well-known member
Yes. People who say it's just about winning have an ok point, ultimately that goes down in the history books. But we now live in an era where everything is recorded - unlike the first half of the 20th century, the 90s onwards have so much footage that can be watched. Hence, people can educate themselves on who the most entertaining, dominant teams are and were.
Surely if you win by squeaking by you aren't really displaying your dominance or superiority as a team? You're 'winning', but not really showcasing that you are much better than other teams. The reason Barcelona were so good is because other teams were forced to bend to their will and compromise their own game to stop Barca, as you say. Whereas recent Real Madrid teams have won because the opponent wasn't scared to go toe to toe with them, and that allowed Real to expose space they left. No denying their counter-attacking ability but dominant possession teams (in big games) will always marvel more as they can dominate throughout a game rather than in spells and moments.
That Gazzznigga guy (I am loath to use his name as he's clearly a troll looking for attention and I am daftly giving him it) produced a post that proves he doesn't really get the essence of football. He basically said Greece '04 are remembered as much as teams that play great football, because the achievement was the same. Winning while playing wank football is empty and hollow (not so much for Greece as they were underdogs, but definitely for bigger teams who play attritional football) - I am sure players love looking at their medals when they do that, but deep down they know they weren't actually superior. Like I say, the Netherlands sides of '74 and' 78 and the Hungary side of '54 are looked upon more fondly than the teams that beat them in the respective World Cup Finals of those years. Everyone still remembers Portugal '66. Brazil '82 are more beloved in their homeland than the '94 and '02 victors. This is when football becomes art and more about leaving a legacy in the history of the game (as Hungarian and Dutch Total Football did, despite winning fuck all).
Guys like Gazzznigga will never understand that though. Football is emotionless to people like that, it isn't about art or aesthetics for him as it is for you and I. For him it's all about winning even if you do it in the most desperate manner. He doesn't understand that some of the great teams he gets to watch now were built on the foundations and principles of those past teams I reference that won fuck all. They were pioneers, and didn't have to win to be remembered.
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