Football season 24/25

[Blackmag 6,039]

7 minutes ago, WILF said:

I have this discussion regular and have had it plenty of times on here, but imho there just isn’t any proper forwards anymore mate.

This generation of players have all been brought up coached in the “multi role” system, my personal evaluation is that it’s basically wingers who can do a few jobs…..some may disagree but it’s what I’ve seen and read in the UEFA player pathway and with UEFA A & B academy coaching.

Its what Ajax have done for decades and that is basically the UEFA model.

Its all triangles and intricate little inter changes (which is nothing new) but it’s all, recycle wait, recycle wait…..there’s no directness to it.

Its what watching Brentford & Wolves slug it out yesterday is so nice to see.

I watched the Milan Derby the other day, f***ing hell like…..watching the likes of Tammy Abrahams miss sitter after sitter when you remember the players who have graced those two clubs…..it’s a completely different reality.

Shearer was obviously commenting on the Fulham game yesterday on MOTD, what must he be thinking watching Traore miss 3 absolute gifts for a forward ? 
 

Haaland is great to watch, but he is great because the likes of him don’t exist anymore…..in 1998 he’d have been 1 of 10 just like him, better ?! 
 

Yes I agree it's changed so much like most keepers now playing out from the back thinking there ederson then teams get caught out was palmer last week catch one out what a bargain buy is has been for chelsea theres some decent games lower down the leagues and some decent young players 

[Blackmag 6,039]

Cracking game Brighton spurs no holding Brighton back second half wouldn't of predicted that score at half time 

[gnasher16 30,046]

I think the game has always gone through tactical trends and changes,if you watched the 66 word cup final for example and compared it to an average 1st division game from the mid 80's its like chalk and cheese....likewise today compared to the 80's or 90's.... i remember what 10 or 15 years ago suddenly trying to get my head around little speed merchants tearing up the wing from a fullback position and having to call them wingbacks,then talking to olduns who watched football before i was born who refused to call them wingbacks as they was nothing like the wingbacks from their days.

This playing out from the back,i hate it.....my little non league mob i have an interest in try to play like it and it frustrates the life out of me but this is the modern way....to me it makes sense to do it if you have clever ball players all on the same page its almost like a double bluff counter puncher in boxing your just trying to bring the opponent forward in order to attack it all makes sense on paper but trying to do it with your average 250 quid a game non league or lower league players to me is pointless.....just do what your good at.

Anyway tricky little start for the Hammers i havent been paying attention like i normally would but good result over the weekend hopefully get them going in the right direction.

Edited October 7 by gnasher16

[WILF 46,641]

8 hours ago, gnasher16 said:

I think the game has always gone through tactical trends and changes,if you watched the 66 word cup final for example and compared it to an average 1st division game from the mid 80's its like chalk and cheese....likewise today compared to the 80's or 90's.... i remember what 10 or 15 years ago suddenly trying to get my head around little speed merchants tearing up the wing from a fullback position and having to call them wingbacks,then talking to olduns who watched football before i was born who refused to call them wingbacks as they was nothing like the wingbacks from their days.

This playing out from the back,i hate it.....my little non league mob i have an interest in try to play like it and it frustrates the life out of me but this is the modern way....to me it makes sense to do it if you have clever ball players all on the same page its almost like a double bluff counter puncher in boxing your just trying to bring the opponent forward in order to attack it all makes sense on paper but trying to do it with your average 250 quid a game non league or lower league players to me is pointless.....just do what your good at.

Anyway tricky little start for the Hammers i havent been paying attention like i normally would but good result over the weekend hopefully get them going in the right direction.

Spot on assessment about ordinary players playing out from the back that mate imho……I think most of them do it because they see it on telly but frankly below absolute elite level they ain’t good enough.

Just push high up the pitch and make sure you win the knock downs and play from there, much easier for your average player to do and it works. 
 

You have to be practicing your pass and touch every single day like elite players do to play 1-2-6-7-8-7 and do it as fast as you can say those numbers……it all looks alright on telly but you don’t realise the speed until you say those numbers in your head.

 

[Blackmag 6,039]

Me and my mate were chatting today about the game today from 20 + years ago here's a question that came up how good would be the likes of hoddle best daglish etc in today's game give the pitches are far better boots and ball lighter and diets etc installed in players 

Edited October 8 by Blackmag

[WILF 46,641]

10 hours ago, Blackmag said:

Me and my mate were chatting today about the game today from 20 + years ago here's a question that came up how good would be the likes of hoddle best daglish etc in today's game give the pitches are far better boots and ball lighter and diets etc installed in players 

I think things move on mate and looking after athletes is better than it’s ever been, example:

When the best Ronaldo came back from his terrible knee injury his coaches idea of recovery was making him run laps to see if it held up !!!!……I think that was at inter……can you imagine that today ? 
 

Gazza and his lifestyle ?…..would never have been allowed to happen 

Best and his ?

They would have been taken care of or they wouldn’t have made it, period……
 

I think it’s a hard comparison in some respects because today you have athletes built to a strict programme who all have good knowledge instilled from early……top fight football back then was still connected to the park, it’s not anymore.

I think you only get that in lower divisions now. 

[Blackmag 6,039]

5 minutes ago, WILF said:

I think things move on mate and looking after athletes is better than it’s ever been, example:

When the best Ronaldo came back from his terrible knee injury his coaches idea of recovery was making him run laps to see if it held up !!!!……I think that was at inter……can you imagine that today ? 
 

Gazza and his lifestyle ?…..would never have been allowed to happen 

Best and his ?

They would have been taken care of or they wouldn’t have made it, period……
 

I think it’s a hard comparison in some respects because today you have athletes built to a strict programme who all have good knowledge instilled from early……top fight football back then was still connected to the park, it’s not anymore.

I think you only get that in lower divisions now. 

Yes that's wh

[Blackmag 6,039]

Yes that's I was getting at with him could a lot of the old players have the self discipline that is required today to make it .even in the lower leagues and  the kids game as moved on so much as well. even refs now have so much more training and fitness tests even more tech like var walky talkies to hand when human error use to be normally one of the talking points on leaving ground now it's a decision taken miles away from the game. the game as moved on so much but as it improved any for fans 

[WILF 46,641]

41 minutes ago, Blackmag said:

Yes that's I was getting at with him could a lot of the old players have the self discipline that is required today to make it .even in the lower leagues and  the kids game as moved on so much as well. even refs now have so much more training and fitness tests even more tech like var walky talkies to hand when human error use to be normally one of the talking points on leaving ground now it's a decision taken miles away from the game. the game as moved on so much but as it improved any for fans 

I think the honest answer is that if you are an old boy like me and have followed a top fight team all your life, then no, your experience and everything you loved about football probably hasn’t improved……but unfortunately that’s the way it is, for the club it’s keep up or die.

I think if you are a football fan, as in, you just genuinely like going to a match, the smell of the grass, a cup of bovril and a bit of real old school stuff then there is still plenty of that out there…..in fact I know there is, blokes you can relate to, you know, market trader in the week, mid field power house on a Saturday…..people who know your name.

Thats still out there in abundance mate, little clubs all up and down the country fighting very hard to stay alive and keep that going…..the standard has improved as well what with those who didn’t make it in the academy system making their way into non league.

I watched a lad on the box yesterday playing who had been with Chelsea, been on tour with the first team etc but just never quiet made it…..an absolute class above at step 7 or whatever it was……depends what you like I suppose.

Im off to watch Celtic tomorrow night with the boy, can’t stand Celtic if I’m honest or at least have no real feeling for them one way or the other except for the dopey “green brigade” c**ts who follow them, loath those screamers…..but I digress, I’ll watch them tomorrow at a little ground, stand 2 ft away from the pitch, I’ll know a bunch of the young lads facing them because I have watched them grow out of the academy system here, know their coaches, my lads played alongside them before, I’ll have a mug of tea and a bag of chips and I’ll smell the grass and everyone in there will feel connected….not a fan of either club but being at the football will feel cracking.

Thats how I like football, some prefer it in other ways and that’s fine too….

[gnasher16 30,046]

12 hours ago, Blackmag said:

Me and my mate were chatting today about the game today from 20 + years ago here's a question that came up how good would be the likes of hoddle best daglish etc in today's game give the pitches are far better boots and ball lighter and diets etc installed in players 

Comparing era's in sport is always a difficult thing to do theres just so many if's and but's to consider....i always like to think that the great sportsmen of any era could still do their thing talent wise in the modern era but attitude wise i doubt someone like George Best would even have made it as a pro in todays times.....even the likes of Tony Adams,Merson etc just wouldnt get away with carrying an addiction i remember Matt Etherington at the Hammers years back the club loaned him a substantial sum of money to cover a gambling debt well that just wouldnt happen in elite sport today.

Would Hoddle have been quick enough,maybe not....you dont seem to see those type of player anymore Bobby Moore,Hoddle,Sheringham types who lacked pace but just made up for it with a quick brain .....but still id like to think talent and ability can win over physicality in any era or what are you left with beyond who's the fastest/strongest etc.

[gnasher16 30,046]

1 hour ago, WILF said:

I think the honest answer is that if you are an old boy like me and have followed a top fight team all your life, then no, your experience and everything you loved about football probably hasn’t improved……but unfortunately that’s the way it is, for the club it’s keep up or die.

I think if you are a football fan, as in, you just genuinely like going to a match, the smell of the grass, a cup of bovril and a bit of real old school stuff then there is still plenty of that out there…..in fact I know there is, blokes you can relate to, you know, market trader in the week, mid field power house on a Saturday…..people who know your name.

Thats still out there in abundance mate, little clubs all up and down the country fighting very hard to stay alive and keep that going…..the standard has improved as well what with those who didn’t make it in the academy system making their way into non league.

I watched a lad on the box yesterday playing who had been with Chelsea, been on tour with the first team etc but just never quiet made it…..an absolute class above at step 7 or whatever it was……depends what you like I suppose.

Im off to watch Celtic tomorrow night with the boy, can’t stand Celtic if I’m honest or at least have no real feeling for them one way or the other except for the dopey “green brigade” c**ts who follow them, loath those screamers…..but I digress, I’ll watch them tomorrow at a little ground, stand 2 ft away from the pitch, I’ll know a bunch of the young lads facing them because I have watched them grow out of the academy system here, know their coaches, my lads played alongside them before, I’ll have a mug of tea and a bag of chips and I’ll smell the grass and everyone in there will feel connected….not a fan of either club but being at the football will feel cracking.

Thats how I like football, some prefer it in other ways and that’s fine too….

Cracking post that .....i think the level of non league footie probably across the country is higher than its ever been and part of that is simply that theres more money floating around than before even at that level.....yes theres still clubs struggling to survive but well run non league clubs these days are flourishing and naturally the players see the benefits of that....lads who were maybe on the fringes of pro football are happy to drop down a level as many of them are still making a living from the game,where in days gone by they would of most likely fallen away and gone to work in a warehouse just turning out for the pub side on a weekend !

I think the standard throughout all 11 levels of football has moved up but the FA can still do a lot more at lower league level if they concentrated on competitiveness and not politics.....but i definitely think both fans and players are now starting to find a level of the game they like and that suits them and are happy to support it.

[WILF 46,641]

50 minutes ago, gnasher16 said:

Cracking post that .....i think the level of non league footie probably across the country is higher than its ever been and part of that is simply that theres more money floating around than before even at that level.....yes theres still clubs struggling to survive but well run non league clubs these days are flourishing and naturally the players see the benefits of that....lads who were maybe on the fringes of pro football are happy to drop down a level as many of them are still making a living from the game,where in days gone by they would of most likely fallen away and gone to work in a warehouse just turning out for the pub side on a weekend !

I think the standard throughout all 11 levels of football has moved up but the FA can still do a lot more at lower league level if they concentrated on competitiveness and not politics.....but i definitely think both fans and players are now starting to find a level of the game they like and that suits them and are happy to support it.

Completely agree mate, spot on 

[scotty12 1,888]

2 hours ago, WILF said:

I think the honest answer is that if you are an old boy like me and have followed a top fight team all your life, then no, your experience and everything you loved about football probably hasn’t improved……but unfortunately that’s the way it is, for the club it’s keep up or die.

I think if you are a football fan, as in, you just genuinely like going to a match, the smell of the grass, a cup of bovril and a bit of real old school stuff then there is still plenty of that out there…..in fact I know there is, blokes you can relate to, you know, market trader in the week, mid field power house on a Saturday…..people who know your name.

Thats still out there in abundance mate, little clubs all up and down the country fighting very hard to stay alive and keep that going…..the standard has improved as well what with those who didn’t make it in the academy system making their way into non league.

I watched a lad on the box yesterday playing who had been with Chelsea, been on tour with the first team etc but just never quiet made it…..an absolute class above at step 7 or whatever it was……depends what you like I suppose.

Im off to watch Celtic tomorrow night with the boy, can’t stand Celtic if I’m honest or at least have no real feeling for them one way or the other except for the dopey “green brigade” c**ts who follow them, loath those screamers…..but I digress, I’ll watch them tomorrow at a little ground, stand 2 ft away from the pitch, I’ll know a bunch of the young lads facing them because I have watched them grow out of the academy system here, know their coaches, my lads played alongside them before, I’ll have a mug of tea and a bag of chips and I’ll smell the grass and everyone in there will feel connected….not a fan of either club but being at the football will feel cracking.

Thats how I like football, some prefer it in other ways and that’s fine too….

Good catholic like yourself will just be grand mate you'll feel right at home bovril in hand toe tapping away. Enjoy the atmosphere 

[WILF 46,641]

3 minutes ago, scotty12 said:

Good catholic like yourself will just be grand mate you'll feel right at home bovril in hand toe tapping away. Enjoy the atmosphere 

Me and the boy will be in Rangers shirts, true story ! Lol 

[scotty12 1,888]

On 08/10/2024 at 12:40, WILF said:

Me and the boy will be in Rangers shirts, true story ! Lol 

How was the game mate ? Good to be back in and around  like minded people ?