Has Player Quality Declined?
- Thread starter Marshall D Teach
- Start date
JohnN
Senior Member
Just for the shake of further discussing the topic.
this is the WC final between France and Brazil in 98.
www.youtube.com
Some of the era's best players feature. For many some of the best players ever.
In order to combat nostalgia, please give it a try, don't watch the highlights, just watch a half if you can manage. And tell me with a straight face that ANY of the players is better at anything than an average modern player.
Game is chaotic, random, bad technique all over, bad passing, no attacking pattern in sight. Remember, these are top teams of the time. don't try watching the lower tiers if you want your eyes intact.
this is the WC final between France and Brazil in 98.
Brazil v France | 1998 FIFA World Cup Final | Full Match
Relive the full match of Brazil v France from the 1998 FIFA World Cup France Final.Subscribe for the latest original content: https://www.youtube.com/channel...
www.youtube.com
Some of the era's best players feature. For many some of the best players ever.
In order to combat nostalgia, please give it a try, don't watch the highlights, just watch a half if you can manage. And tell me with a straight face that ANY of the players is better at anything than an average modern player.
Game is chaotic, random, bad technique all over, bad passing, no attacking pattern in sight. Remember, these are top teams of the time. don't try watching the lower tiers if you want your eyes intact.
companyofcules
Well-known member
I think the issue is very simple. Africans are a race of runners either tall hearders or resilient hunters who exterminated the less fit due to famine, plagues and warfare up to having a very homogeneous populations with effective bodies for those activities.
Since many have great bodies and are tall they tend to do very well against flimsy European children where the ball is heavily contested. That makes the coaches from academies pick them over others. And since you need fast people to catch them you need to pich also from the European kids the tall fast players. Also since cups are the more watched competitions and are highly rated tall and fast players have an edge. You can play like shit, have a header, counter or lucky shot and the plastics will worship you.
Now add the more intensive tactics and you get tall, fast players with little ball control battling out in claustrophobic spaces.
So yes, football has dropped quality in terms of ball control and dribling except maybe in South America, Portugal and Spain. The rest of Europe is adapting to physical football.
But I don't think this football is worse, because afterall it wins games. France was abysmal with Argentina and was 10 cm of winning.
Since many have great bodies and are tall they tend to do very well against flimsy European children where the ball is heavily contested. That makes the coaches from academies pick them over others. And since you need fast people to catch them you need to pich also from the European kids the tall fast players. Also since cups are the more watched competitions and are highly rated tall and fast players have an edge. You can play like shit, have a header, counter or lucky shot and the plastics will worship you.
Now add the more intensive tactics and you get tall, fast players with little ball control battling out in claustrophobic spaces.
So yes, football has dropped quality in terms of ball control and dribling except maybe in South America, Portugal and Spain. The rest of Europe is adapting to physical football.
But I don't think this football is worse, because afterall it wins games. France was abysmal with Argentina and was 10 cm of winning.
Givenchy
Senior Member
Individuality is being coached out of the players, likes of Neymar were the last of a dying breed. On a lesser level of course but you can see it in Grealish under Pep when he joined City. We are watching 22 robots, waiting on a robot (VAR) to tell us if we can celebrate when one of the robots scores a goal.
Remember when Neymar did that rainbow flick vs Bilbao and everyone lost their shit? Even had our own players telling him not to do it, what the fuck is up with that?
Remember when Neymar did that rainbow flick vs Bilbao and everyone lost their shit? Even had our own players telling him not to do it, what the fuck is up with that?
te amo barca
Blaugrana al vent
This bitching against VAR doesn’t make sense. Would you rather if blatantly wrong goals as refs get it wrong all the time were counted? I remember those days and no please.
khaled_a_d
Senior Member
Honestly I will take it back tbh, rather than keep waiting after each goal and potential penalty.
One day they will get it right and be quick, but we aren't there yet
Messigician
Senior Member
Changed my mind
Big yes
Big yes
Maradona37
Well-known member
I think that players seem to have had the fear of God coached into them. They're terrified of making mistakes.
The big comeback of the high press 15 years ago might account for a lot of it; one of the most difficult things to do in football is to keep the ball under pressure or when a man or two is right up your arse closing you down and giving you no space. It takes bravery to play out of the press and can lead to a numerical advantage in attack - when that happens it looks thrilling - not quite the same thing as it was in midfield rather than their own third and he didn't touch the ball, but look how Mainoo's turn today took out 2/3 players advancing on him and instantly led to England bearing down on the Swiss goal. That looks amazing. Dribblers or guys with great close control are good at beating a tight press and that is quite entertaining.
But, at the same time, plenty of players take the safer option often too and it leads to more cautious, backwards playing football. More of both teams feeling each other out.
I still enjoy modern football though from a tactical standpoint. It's fascinating in the sense it is more chess-like than in the past.
The big comeback of the high press 15 years ago might account for a lot of it; one of the most difficult things to do in football is to keep the ball under pressure or when a man or two is right up your arse closing you down and giving you no space. It takes bravery to play out of the press and can lead to a numerical advantage in attack - when that happens it looks thrilling - not quite the same thing as it was in midfield rather than their own third and he didn't touch the ball, but look how Mainoo's turn today took out 2/3 players advancing on him and instantly led to England bearing down on the Swiss goal. That looks amazing. Dribblers or guys with great close control are good at beating a tight press and that is quite entertaining.
But, at the same time, plenty of players take the safer option often too and it leads to more cautious, backwards playing football. More of both teams feeling each other out.
I still enjoy modern football though from a tactical standpoint. It's fascinating in the sense it is more chess-like than in the past.
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iniestaGOAT
Senior Member
This is why it's very important for Lamine Yamal to succeed.
He will bring back the entertainment aspect football is missing.
It's just yamal and vini, time to move on from those bums mbappe and haalans
khaled_a_d
Senior Member
Just for the shake of further discussing the topic.
this is the WC final between France and Brazil in 98.
Brazil v France | 1998 FIFA World Cup Final | Full Match
Relive the full match of Brazil v France from the 1998 FIFA World Cup France Final.Subscribe for the latest original content: https://www.youtube.com/channel...
Some of the era's best players feature. For many some of the best players ever.
In order to combat nostalgia, please give it a try, don't watch the highlights, just watch a half if you can manage. And tell me with a straight face that ANY of the players is better at anything than an average modern player.
Game is chaotic, random, bad technique all over, bad passing, no attacking pattern in sight. Remember, these are top teams of the time. don't try watching the lower tiers if you want your eyes intact.
I am not against the point of the game being lower quality, but using "watch this game" doesn't work for me.
A kid born around 2009 might now watch the WC finals between 2006-2014 now and talk how boring and sterile it is, one goal per 90 minutes with little entertainment to show for,Higuin missing sitters and celebrating like headless chicken after a clear offside, a supposed legend headbutting opponent, a persuamable dominant force like Spain who won all knockouts 1-0. He will probably laugh at it.
In 20 years, a kid born in 2020 might watch the 2022 WC final and laugh at it, what stupid football is it? Dembele making stupid unnecessary foul? A counter attack against a naive defence, a penalty for handball, GK dancing like a clown. And don't let me start talking about that 2018 final.
In a Hindsight you can always watch an old game and criticise it, as you are now taking all the nerves from it, an attacking game is chaotic, naive, random while a defensive game is sterile, lack talent, boring.
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Gnidrologist
Senior Member
I remember that France-Brazil game from watching live and it was even then one of the most disappointing ones in the otherwise very fun tournament. Brazil just hit the bad form, especially due to R9s health issues and everything surrounding it and France was pragmatic as ever. Really not the benchmark of that tournament. Would rather watch Brazil - Denmark/Netherlands or Netherlands - Argentina or Germany - Croatia etc.
iniestaGOAT
Senior Member
Everybody knows RIVALDO is better than that fatty
JohnN
Senior Member
It could be any game of that era if that's the issue.
About kids from the future watching back 2022 wc final and think is a fluke, we can't really know.
But we do know watching a 2012 El Classico will probably be better than anything "current".
There is an objective truth to how the game has evolved and mid 2000s with mid 2010s its a whole level above anything else no matter who or when he watches it.
Objectively, the game before the turn of the century is miles below what it is today. Players like Rivaldo, Karembe, Zidane and Ronaldo would be crucified for dropping dissasterclasses compared to today's norm.
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