13 Oct 2023 20:57:20
Do you think a lot of the beauty of the game has been lost in the last decade or so with the overthinking of tactics etc? When I was growing up there were a lot more players who would express themselves but these days everything seems too methodical, almost trying to walk the ball into the net.

1.) 13 Oct 2023
13 Oct 2023 21:30:18
I personally hate it JK. It’s boring as all hell and in my opinion is taken a lot of the passion and excitement out of the game.

2.) 13 Oct 2023
13 Oct 2023 21:30:33
The longer things go on the better people are going to get at doing it. The rules of the game don’t include making the game as entertaining as possible. Maybe they should?

Maybe take the managers and coaches out of the game? I know kids football would be much more entertaining and fun if you did, it’s the grown ups that make it too serious, and teach the kids to be cynical and overly aggressive.

3.) 13 Oct 2023
13 Oct 2023 21:38:38
Very tactical players nowadays. Does been such a revelation because he is almost a throw back to real football expression.

4.) 14 Oct 2023
13 Oct 2023 23:26:43
Been going to games since the late 60s. Football's never been as good as it is now. I remember a time when Liverpool were lambasted for playing boring football but because we were winning everything it was all good. No, football's never been so good. Just my opinion, of course.

5.) 14 Oct 2023
14 Oct 2023 04:37:08
I find top level football fairly boring now, every team tries playing out from the back, it’s all pass pass pass, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of risk taking. There’s nothing wrong with going long now and then or a skillful winger getting to the byline and putting the ball in the box.

6.) 14 Oct 2023
14 Oct 2023 06:00:10
May be have 1 point bonus for winning with 3 goal margin? .
Give 4 points and not 3 for such victories.

7.) 14 Oct 2023
14 Oct 2023 06:52:35
The beautiful game has now become a product, the game has gone at the highest level.

8.) 14 Oct 2023
14 Oct 2023 07:41:21
One of the big attractions of football for me, as a kid in the early 79s, was seeing the passion of the crowd at games.
The Kop, in its terraced heydays, was amazing to see and even better to be a part of.

The spectacle of the Kop in full celebration was a huge part of Anfield and it got to the point where the TV would pan over to film the crowd after a Liverpool goal.
People wouldn't have put up with VAR then, it'd probably caused a riot.
VAR has most certainly taken that joyous spontaneity away from the game unfortunately.

9.) 14 Oct 2023
14 Oct 2023 11:12:03
Agree with you about the Kop, Juicer. It was while watching games on TV, with my Mum in the 70s, and the noise and swaying of the Kop that got me hooked on Liverpool. Prior to that I had a season ticket, as a child, with my home town club. I just couldn't wait to have a piece of that atmosphere. Obviously all seater stadia has removed some of that, and rarely does it come close to those days, with the exception of the odd CL and Europa games.

However, repeating myself, the quality of actual football, and the quantity of goals is far higher than it used to be. The only thing that's doing its best to ruin things is the standard of officialdom and VAR, but that's another topic.

10.) 14 Oct 2023
14 Oct 2023 12:39:44
To me, the amount of money in the game now, has led to the "winning at all cost mentality" in clubs (also leads to severe allegations of cheating and bribery), coaches and players now that tactics are now geared towards winning now (hence boring to some) rather than providing entertainment to reach the objective of winning.

Just look at Brazil for ex. The old "Jogo Bonito" is dead now and only results matter hence, I cannot remember the last time I watched Brazil play their "beautiful game" and win. it is what it is.

11.) 14 Oct 2023
14 Oct 2023 13:01:41
How about if a goal is scored after 20 pass = 2 goals

Or a goal scored 25 yards away is worth 2 goals.

12.) 14 Oct 2023
14 Oct 2023 13:16:46
I think it is a combination of 2 things, evolution and money.

The game has evolved to a point were everything is about possession and control. Long gone are the days were teams just turned up and went for the win. Tactics wise, formations. Even back then teams played similar formations and applied the same tactics. Yes there was/ is managers and teams that do it differently but that is always to me been far from the normal.

There is far too much money in the game and that has been a steady, slippery slope since Sky got hold of the game and created the Premier League. That coupled with owners that have what seems limitless wealth and the fact teams see getting in the top 4 as major success. The game has become less attractive.

{Ed001's Note - Sky never created the Premier League.}

13.) 14 Oct 2023
14 Oct 2023 14:56:08
Football often mirrors the top team

And Man City are so boring. I know they’re a great team. One of the best the country has ever seen.

But they are a major Snooze Fest and dreadful to watch.

14.) 14 Oct 2023
14 Oct 2023 15:51:46
@JK, recently i read an article about new brazilian coach Fernando Diniz bringing back Jorgobonito style of Brazilian play, a deviation from the pragmatic approach of European style tactic which is focus on space exploitation or restriction. Apparently he said his style of play is closer to original Brazilian style which of course brought a lot of joy to football fans all over the world. So maybe watch that space.

15.) 14 Oct 2023
14 Oct 2023 17:01:37
What I’d give to see a team play 4-4-2 with wingers that get to the buy line and whip a ball in. A team that goes long to a target man with runners off him. That would put the cat amongst the pigeons!

16.) 14 Oct 2023
14 Oct 2023 19:39:18
Bhav I have also personally thought this, extra points for the margin of the win etc similar to Rubgy.
I. e still 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss as per usual. But if you score say 3 goals you get an extra point and win by a margin of more than 3 goals you also get an extra point. That would encourage some really good attacking football I think and Always something to play for, less of this possession based nonsense we see at lot of. Fans just just want to see their team go for it win, lose or draw, or at least I do.

17.) 15 Oct 2023
15 Oct 2023 08:23:21
JK, imo we still see some amazing football and at its best we all love it just as much as we always did. I think the better question here is would we rather watch football as it was in the 80s and 90s or as it is today?

For me there is no debate. Players today are looking for fouls and penalties constantly trying to con the refs and cheat their way to a result. Defenders can no longer touch players so we've lost the arts of both attacking and defending. The ability to challenge for the ball both in and out of the box is gone and that takes such a big part of the game away for me. The physical challenge by the defender and the attacker riding the challenge to stay on their feet and produce moments of magic is just about a dead art. The game is much poorer for it. The stop-start nature of the game and technical/ tactical discussions are akin to the approach used in American sports which result in unnecessary controversy and poor VAR decisions due to the referees jobs being nigh on impossible.

I long for the game to go back to what it was but it won't ever happen. We have to make the most of what we are left with which is at times an amazing spectacle but at others something I think that I can live without.