Modern soccer is not funny to watch

[Phil McKraken]

Atleast since 2010 soccer have lost gigantic step in entertainment.

Todays game is all about running and passing. You hardly see any dribbling anymore, not much scoring chances and physical play is not allowed. It was not like this in the 90s and 2000-2010.

How do people enjoy the current game?

Fun = Entertaining. Funny = Comical.

 

[sdf]

What mean funny to watch? You were laughing at it before?

 

[sdf]

Team russia still are great comedians

 

[spintheblackcircle]

will this be a comedy?

 

[Eisen]

Players today are so much better......just like every other sport.

I know that doesn't mean it's more entertaining, but they are better. I much prefer the NBA of the 80's to the game today, but athletically it's not even a contest.

Not for the German team. If I make a German all time squad, Neuer might be there and nobody else.

 

[Eisen]

I actually see less differences with soccer. Club soccer is faster and plays harder and I personally see more skill and more pace. Also can't imagine a team like Greece being able to shithouse their way to the final by defending now like they did in Euro 2004.

Hockey on the other hand, basically dead puck era 2.0 as soon as the playoffs kick off. Bettman/Campbell/Daly are an embarrassment.

I'd like to see today's players play against a sweeper. They might just shit the bed as they did in 2004. None of them have played against one ever.

 

[PacificOceanPotion]

When you see guys get bumped, completely flail their distorted bodies and fall to the earth writhing in tormented pain, yeah, id file that under comical in my sick opinion.

 

[Grub]

Ronaldinho, now that was a man with flair. 2002 world cup IMO was the best in the 21st century.

 

[cgf]

When you see guys get bumped, completely flail their distorted bodies and fall to the earth writhing in tormented pain, yeah, id file that under comical in my sick opinion.

Yeah it's a shame refs still make mistakes.

 

[cgf]

Not for the German team. If I make a German all time squad, Neuer might be there and nobody else.

Feels like that just tells us that you're placing too much weight on nostalgia


Not to mention that you quoted a post that was comparing modern football to 2004, when we had very few players that would get into the current team.

 

[Eisen]

Feels like that just tells us that you're placing too much weight on nostalgia


Not to mention that you quoted a post that was comparing modern football to 2004, when we had very few players that would get into the current team.

Ok, I took to quote out of context but which player from today's squad would you place on an alltime roster?
Agreed on the 2004 making today's team. Although I think they have a spot for Ballack, Klose, Schneider and Lahm. These were just dark times in German footy. A scoreless tie against Latvia.....
Edit: forgot Schweini.

 

[Czechboy]

I don't debate it's the greatest sport in the world mostly due to the fact that it's played all over the world and a LOT of nations are really good at it (unlike hockey which has 5 countries). It's also much more diverse and multicultural (unlike hockey). However, I find it a lot less exciting than hockey personally. Apples to Oranges, I know.

 

[cgf]

Ok, I took to quote out of context but which player from today's squad would you place on an alltime roster?
Agreed on the 2004 making today's team. Although I think they have a spot for Ballack, Klose, Schneider and Lahm. These were just dark times in German footy. A scoreless tie against Latvia.....

Klose was poor in 2004, IIRC that was before his evolution as a playmaker, back when he was a pretty run-of-the-mill targetman. While Schneider had already lost a few steps by then. Ballack & Lahm I'd include as starters, but not the other two...and that only so Kimmich could play in the midfield behind Ballack & Goretzka; as current Kimmich > a 20yo Lahm.


I have a tough time making an all-time team because I really struggle with nostalgia too. I was raised on tapes of Netzer, Beckenbauer & Gerd, but I also have to acknowledge that if you took a time machine to put Netzer in the modern game, he'd be a poor man's Kroos unless you also had him growing up with modern training & nutrition...at which point he's a completely different player.

So it's really hard for me to do an all-time team; guys like Gerd, Beckenbauer & Rummenigge have to make the team...but in an objective sense, what they could do on the pitch today would not equate to what they did then. That's why it's hard for me to argue against guys like Neuer, Hummels, Kimmich, Müller, Gundogan, & Kroos. making an all-time 23...ditto the recently retired Lahm, Klose, Özil & Schweinsteiger.

With more recent all-timers like Sammer, it's easier; pre-kneesplosion-Sammer is in no matter what. But when we get back to the Breitnenigge generation and before them, I don't know what to do...do I pick based on how they did against their peers or how they would do if collected at their peaks with a time machine to be put on a pitch together?


TL;DR: depends on the methodology we're using to pick this all-time team & whether we're doing an all-time 11 or 23, but Neuer, Hummels, Kimmich, Müller, Kroos & Gundogan all have their arguments...while we don't yet know how high Havertz & Musiala will rise by the time they are passing on the torch.

 

[Eisen]

Klose was poor in 2004, IIRC that was before his evolution as a playmaker, back when he was a pretty run-of-the-mill targetman. While Schneider had already lost a few steps by then. Ballack & Lahm I'd include as starters, but not the other two...and that only so Kimmich could play in the midfield behind Ballack & Goretzka; as current Kimmich > a 20yo Lahm.


I have a tough time making an all-time team because I really struggle with nostalgia too. I was raised on tapes of Netzer, Beckenbauer & Gerd, but I also have to acknowledge that if you took a time machine to put Netzer in the modern game, he'd be a poor man's Kroos unless you also had him growing up with modern training & nutrition...at which point he's a completely different player.

So it's really hard for me to do an all-time team; guys like Gerd, Beckenbauer & Rummenigge have to make the team...but in an objective sense, what they could do on the pitch today would not equate to what they did then. That's why it's hard for me to argue against guys like Neuer, Hummels, Kimmich, Müller, Gundogan, & Kroos. making an all-time 23...ditto the recently retired Lahm, Klose, Özil & Schweinsteiger.

With more recent all-timers like Sammer, it's easier; pre-kneesplosion-Sammer is in no matter what. But when we get back to the Breitnenigge generation and before them, I don't know what to do...do I pick based on how they did against their peers or how they would do if collected at their peaks with a time machine to be put on a pitch together?


TL;DR: depends on the methodology we're using to pick this all-time team & whether we're doing an all-time 11 or 23, but Neuer, Hummels, Kimmich, Müller, Kroos & Gundogan all have their arguments.

Yeah, time machine wise it doesn't work, unless you bring old systems with you. I have a hard time as well, but if you play with two strikers one of them is Gerd, that's a given, but I'd take Seeler over Rummenigge. And the midfield is so packed that I'd struggle to find a spot for Gündogan. Same with centre backs and Hummels.

By the way, great upbringing that you had.

 

[cgf]

Yeah, time machine wise it doesn't work, unless you bring old systems with you. I have a hard time as well, but if you play with two strikers one of them is Gerd, that's a given but I'd take Seeler over Rummenigge. And the midfield is so packed that I'd struggle to find a spot for Gündogan. Same with centre backs and Hummels.

By the way, great upbringing that you had.

I can't take Seeler over Rummenigge, just goes against how I was raised

I get having a hard time picking Hummels, but I also have a hard time arguing that he wouldn't be at the top of my lists if aliens showed up with a bunch of time machines and told each footballing nation to assemble their greatest team for a tournament to decide the fate of the planet. Which is why I struggle not to include him.


Yeah, it's just a shame that that uncle who kept those has now gone all QAnon & has even voted for the AfD *sigh*

 

[Eisen]

I can't take Seeler over Rummenigge, just goes against how I was raised

I get having a hard time picking Hummels, but I also have a hard time arguing that he wouldn't be at the top of my lists if aliens showed up with a bunch of time machines and told each footballing nation to assemble their greatest team for a tournament to decide the fate of the planet. Which is why I struggle not to include him.


Yeah, it's just a shame that that uncle who kept those has now gone all QAnon & has even voted for the AfD *sigh*

I feel for you.

 

[Suiteness]

So it's really hard for me to do an all-time team; guys like Gerd, Beckenbauer & Rummenigge have to make the team...but in an objective sense, what they could do on the pitch today would not equate to what they did then. That's why it's hard for me to argue against guys like Neuer, Hummels, Kimmich, Müller, Gundogan, & Kroos. making an all-time 23...ditto the recently retired Lahm, Klose, Özil & Schweinsteiger.

This is why it's dumb to compare players from different era's. If Ronaldinho arrived in Europe today, they'd break the flair from his game and turn him into a more "complete" player who tracks back and "plays the right way". He'd basically be a retread of Roberto Firmino.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

I'd actually like to totally disagree with the OP on this now. That Spain own goal actually had me laughing out loud. Football can be funny even in 2021.

 

[cgf]

This is why it's dumb to compare players from different era's. If Ronaldinho arrived in Europe today, they'd break the flair from his game and turn him into a more "complete" player who tracks back and "plays the right way". He'd basically be a retread of Roberto Firmino.

I don't really buy that either. Flair =/= laziness. There's no reason a player can't display flair & press energetically, as we've seen repeatedly.

The biggest difference is that modern defenses are smarter as ideas can circulate so much faster now and the talent gaps have narrowed. So there isn't as much time & space to take advantage of players who aren't as inferior.

 

[S E P H]

Your average first-division player is a lot more skilled than ever before, not just more athletic.

This times a million, that closure of the gap to the highly skilled players prevents from truly breathtaking moments compared to past football where a player like Robben can dribble around half of the team and go down easy in the box for a penalty. Even HFBoards precious Brasilian Ronaldo would have never looked as good in 2021 as you lot say he did in 2001.

 

[PCSPounder]

I guarantee you that I don’t offer the same agreement when watching Copa America that I would watching these Euros.

Dribbling is one thing. Sometimes the player with the ball just needs to stop when looking for teammates. Athleticism often leads to rushed play when the brain isn’t as fast as the legs.

Oh, the title? I guarantee you that this Swede’s English is better than my Swedish.

 

[cgf]

I guarantee you that I don’t offer the same agreement when watching Copa America that I would watching these Euros.

Dribbling is one thing. Sometimes the player with the ball just needs to stop when looking for teammates. Athleticism often leads to rushed play when the brain isn’t as fast as the legs.

Oh, the title? I guarantee you that this Swede’s English is better than my Swedish.

As a native german/russian speaker, I have no qualms with riffing on someone else's english...especially when they're using that english to repeat nostalgia-fueled "____ used to be better" tripe without bringing any new arguments or evidence to the conversation.

 

[robertmac43]

I have personally loved watching the past 5-10 years. I think the entertainment value has been awesome. There are some things I miss that have impacted my viewing experience, however, none of them are due to the product on the pitch or the playstyle. The main thing for me is there are less intimate stadiums, old school stadiums. I love when the fans are close to the pitch, makes the game feel more lively even from across the ocean.

 

[Bagge]

Just watching Spain vs Croatia, this thread didnt age well

On a more serious note, I think its way more entertaining now than it was just ten years ago. Ten years ago ws also the time the Mourinho-type football was winning CL and championships. Luckily that time is over.

 

[Suiteness]

On a more serious note, I think its way more entertaining now than it was just ten years ago. Ten years ago ws also the time the Mourinho-type football was winning CL and championships. Luckily that time is over.

Did you miss the last World Cup?