Mujtahida:

What you wrote as per the highlighted portions is why I hate modern football. In fact, I spend my leisure time watching YouTube videos of old football matches or footballers of a bye-gone era. Like today, I watched Zidane's clips.

The beautiful game has become machine game - stats, stats and God damn stats. It's painful to watch particularly for some of us who watched football at a time when expressiveness was allowed and fused into the framework of productive outcomes.

Today in the the sick name of END PRODUCT beauty has been sucked out of football with an uncompromising viciousness that saddens me, flair swallowed by the aridity of numbers. In the temple of jogo Bonito, an alien god who spits out only stats and money has been erected and is now worshipped by devotees like you. In fact it is like the god of soccer has left the temple for demons of soccer.

As if when football was beautiful, teams did not win.

Zidane was elegant to watch. His haul of laurels tells us that a player can be a sweet, delightful maestro and be highly effective. He won everything of note there is to win in football - league titles, champions league, world cup.


Ronaldinho was a volcanic splurge of beauty and mesmeric speed. He was a winner. He was a unplayable and single handedly decided games.

Denis Bergkamp was a god of the first touch. His goal against Argentina in France 98 as was his goal against Newcastle in the EPL are the works of unrivaled genius. He won many trophies with Arsenal. And so were Maradona, Baggio, Kluivert, Van Basten, Zola and many other great players who played great football and also stood on podiums to receive accolades, recognitions, trophies and titles. They delivered END PRODUCTS and consistently too.

So this artless, cold, soulless football we play today, all in the name of winning is a travesty of the beautiful game. Football is meant to entertain - flicks, spins, roulette, silky moves, mazy runs, golazos, leg overs all go into the mix of winning or END PRODUCT as you tastelessly put it. One should not be sacrificed for the other.

I detest modern football with a passion. For me just as Socrates of Brazil said beauty comes first- victory is secondary. And yes, victory and beauty can be coupled together.

The truth is that it is because we do not have high thinkers that is why football has become so drab. All art is about the triumph of that which is beautiful. And football is an art. Europeans have turned it into a debilitating scientific exercise. I sometimes wish Europe is not the dominating center of world football. Even the Brazilians have been sucked into this vortex of wack football. Thank God for YouTube. I use it to remind myself of an era that is gone. Perhaps one day a generation of coaches will arise who will say no to machine football. But I doubt it.

Subzero047:


Wow, I agree with you!

Mujtahida:

What you wrote as per the highlighted portions is why I hate modern football. In fact, I spend my leisure time watching YouTube videos of old football matches or footballers of a bye-gone era. Like today, I watched Zidane's clips.

The beautiful game has become machine game - stats, stats and God damn stats. It's painful to watch particularly for some of us who watched football at a time when expressiveness was allowed and fused into the framework of productive outcomes.

Today in the the sick name of END PRODUCT beauty has been sucked out of football with an uncompromising viciousness that saddens me, flair swallowed by the aridity of numbers. In the temple of jogo Bonito, an alien god who spits out only stats and money has been erected and is now worshipped by devotees like you. In fact it is like the god of soccer has left the temple for demons of soccer.

As if when football was beautiful, teams did not win.

Zidane was elegant to watch. His haul of laurels tells us that a player can be a sweet, delightful maestro and be highly effective. He won everything of note there is to win in football - league titles, champions league, world cup.


Ronaldinho was a volcanic splurge of beauty and mesmeric speed. He was a winner. He was a unplayable and single handedly decided games.

Denis Bergkamp was a god of the first touch. His goal against Argentina in France 98 as was his goal against Newcastle in the EPL are the works of unrivaled genius. He won many trophies with Arsenal. And so were Maradona, Baggio, Kluivert, Van Basten, Zola and many other great players who played great football and also stood on podiums to receive accolades, recognitions, trophies and titles. They delivered END PRODUCTS and consistently too.

So this artless, cold, soulless football we play today, all in the name of winning is a travesty of the beautiful game. Football is meant to entertain - flicks, spins, roulette, silky moves, mazy runs, golazos, leg overs all go into the mix of winning or END PRODUCT as you tastelessly put it. One should not be sacrificed for the other.

I detest modern football with a passion. For me just as Socrates of Brazil said beauty comes first- victory is secondary. And yes, victory and beauty can be coupled together.

The truth is that it is because we do not have high thinkers that is why football has become so drab. All art is about the triumph of that which is beautiful. And football is an art. Europeans have turned it into a debilitating scientific exercise. I sometimes wish Europe is not the dominating center of world football. Even the Brazilians have been sucked into this vortex of wack football. Thank God for YouTube. I use it to remind myself of an era that is gone. Perhaps one day a generation of coaches will arise who will say no to machine football. But I doubt it.

TheGoodJoe:


I will like to clear something. The players today are equally as gifted or maybe even more than the guys in the past. In recent years we have seen masters of footworks in the likes of Thiago Alcantara and Isco. We have seen def speed and skills in the likes of Mbappe, and Salah.

We have seen some of the craziest technique of touch in likes of Foden and Mahrez. I doubt Bergkamp is better on the ball than Mahrez.

The thing was that defending in the past was lazy. The work rate was poor. So the likes of Okocha, Laudrup, Ronaldinho, Denilson, Bergkamp and co could play with the ball and everybody watches.

Today, if those guys like Zidane were playing, they will not have such luxury. Teams press with full force. They give little time to think. You have to work with a formula to guide your thinking. Playing out of pattern means losing the ball. Every trick should have a purpose, any mistake, you put your team under pressure.

You might praise the guys of the past for their artistry but the truth is that, they will choke in the current system.

TheGoodJoe:


I will like to clear something. The players today are equally as gifted or maybe even more than the guys in the past. In recent years we have seen masters of footworks in the likes of Thiago Alcantara and Isco. We have seen def speed and skills in the likes of Mbappe, and Salah.

We have seen some of the craziest technique of touch in likes of Foden and Mahrez. I doubt Bergkamp is better on the ball than Mahrez.

The thing was that defending in the past was lazy. The work rate was poor. So the likes of Okocha, Laudrup, Ronaldinho, Denilson, Bergkamp and co could play with the ball and everybody watches.

Today, if those guys like Zidane were playing, they will not have such luxury. Teams press with full force. They give little time to think. You have to work with a formula to guide your thinking. Playing out of pattern means losing the ball. Every trick should have a purpose, any mistake, you put your team under pressure.

You might praise the guys of the past for their artistry but the truth is that, they will choke in the current system.

Mujtahida:

If you notice I did not diss the players of this era. What I find atrocious is the mentality as espoused by komekn that all that colorful stuff is not necessary in today's football. Yet some of the most colorful players the game has ever known are the ones we fondly remember because they were highly effective. Me, I just hate drab football.

Mujtahida:

Better doubt ooo because Mahrez doesn't come close. Between Zidane and Bergkamp the jury is not yet out as to who has the best first touch although opinions tilt more in favor of Bergkamp.

TheGoodJoe:


The question is, which defensive set up will allow you flick ball and run to the ball today. Almost all players are running with oxygen tanks on their back. Someone like Jack Grealish would have been adored in the past. Today, if he even manages to skin a player, he is fouled.

No one will allow Maradona carry ball repeatedly to run from defence to attack. The defence is too rigid for them. The likes of Sterling and Zaha would have been legends in the past.

Today, they need to perform in insane manner to pull off tricks. They still do which shows that they are equally as good as the players of the past.

Kog45:
I have said it without number that what eagles need is Ebuehi and Aina as fullbacks...I read some analysis on Zaidu and Collins and I was just laughing....apart from playing for Porto,nothing really special about Zaidu and Collins was damn below average.

Aina I watched in Torino as LB/LWB is better than Zaidu and Collins.

Ebuehi just need more games in Seria A to be back into shape....the guy can do it as RB/RWB.

For God sake having versatile players like Ebuehi and Aina should be a plus.

Oasis001:




Dem say Wingers can play AM comfortably..... LMAO. Perhaps United should have kept Dan James as a No. 10.

Mujtahida:

But you know football has been sanitized. The kind of tackles Maradona endured are not tolerated today.

It is not that Maradona will find defences rigid or that players will stop him(go watch Maradona in Italia 90, Brazil against Argentina. I'm also sure you know what the butcher of Bilbao did to him). What I'm saying is that in today's game It is his own coach who will tell him to cut the crap and get it going. That's my point. I critique the idea that effective football should be effective and nothing more. For me, that 'more' is what makes football the beautiful game.

Oasis001:




Dem say Wingers can play AM comfortably..... LMAO. Perhaps United should have kept Dan James as a No. 10.

Oasis001:




Dem say Wingers can play AM comfortably..... LMAO. Perhaps United should have kept Dan James as a No. 10.

Subzero047:


Technique is not step over and dribbles bro, currently Aribo has the best first touch in the world (go and check football manager) and it is an insult to compare him to Ejuke on technique

Oasis001:




Dem say Wingers can play AM comfortably..... LMAO. Perhaps United should have kept Dan James as a No. 10.

andrewbaba44:


Zero goals and Zero assists .

Nwakali is making the team as a former naija junior team player who is popular .

TheGoodJoe:


Foden can play 10 and wing comfortably. Bernardo Silva can play on the wings and creative midfield comfortably. Jack Grealish does it comfortably. Neymar does it comfortably. It is not a big deal. It has to do with training and a run of games. Isco plays ten and on the wings. It is not a new thing.

Even Okocha played on the wings and is one of the best creative midfielders of the game. Same with Ronaldinho.

TheGoodJoe:


Have you forgotten Ryan Giggs? He was a pure left winger. Taking on players with pace, skills and dazzling runs. Later in his career, Giggs moved to a creative midfield role and excelled in it. Played in the central role with so much intelligence.

komekn:


These guys are complete player's in every department.

When l look at Trent in Liverpool ,his delivery technique outstanding,his vision immense,his first touch exquisite, his positional drnsey almost telepathic, his positional sense msjic.

One minute he is a RB then a RW then a RM and can finish excellently with both feet.

This is what I call a complete. player.

It was not be easy for him , when he was in the academy he was the only black kid from age 5 in his year. I don't need to say anymore.

komekn:


Ryan was just amazing

TheGoodJoe:


If you want to understand how complex today's defending is, watch when Sterling plays. He is gifted with making runs with the ball but if you watch him today, you will feel frustrated when he tries it.

Today's defenders are so mean when it comes to marking. Back then was about harsh tackles. Today it is about intelligent marking. When you combine it with a press, dribbling is difficult.

With that, like what Guardiola did with Sterling, the coach will cut the dribbling and advice off-the-ball movement.

Watch that Ekong video of some young guys trying to take on him. They could hardly dribble him. I doubt they dribbled him twice in the whole clip. They resorted to shooting from far.

Look at Van Dijk going a season without being dribbled once. Let alone taking on players.

Odunayaw:
Bin this your noise abeg. Some of us still see and want football as an art.

If you can't deal with that then go and sit down in a comfortable bush

TheGoodJoe:


Foden can play 10 and wing comfortably. Bernardo Silva can play on the wings and creative midfield comfortably. Jack Grealish does it comfortably. Neymar does it comfortably. It is not a big deal. It has to do with training and a run of games. Isco plays ten and on the wings. It is not a new thing.

Even Okocha played on the wings and is one of the best creative midfielders of the game. Same with Ronaldinho.

TheGoodJoe:


Have you forgotten Ryan Giggs? He was a pure left winger. Taking on players with pace, skills and dazzling runs. Later in his career, Giggs moved to a creative midfield role and excelled in it. Played in the central role with so much intelligence.

TheGoodJoe:


Interchanging of positions is a big part of the modern game. De Bruyne has played false nine, RW, LW, AM, CM for manchester city.

Yes, if trained, Dan James can pull it off.

Mujtahida:

Abi the artistic and the need to win cannot go together ni?
Football should be played with high energy, passion, beauty and the drive to win.

charlesemeka85:
hmmmm

Subzero047:


Technique is not step over and dribbles bro, currently Aribo has the best first touch in the world (go and check football manager) and it is an insult to compare him to Ejuke on technique

Mujtahida:

You are making my point. The bolded is possible because that is what coaches want. As in the emphasis is for the forwards to concentrate on end products and put away flair. With that philosophy, defenders can go through a whole season without getting dribbled. It's simple. If for example komekn becomes a coach of a player who has skills like maradona or just about any good dribbler. He will tell him to cut out dribbling, that it is not necessary. When such a player comes against your Van Dijk, he will pass the ball. Then Van Dijk will go the entire season without getting dribbled which comes down to the point I've been making along that the overweening philosophy of contemporary football encourages soulless football.

It is not that the birds today fly better than birds of the past, it is because the hunters of today don't aim well.

Odunayaw:
He won't say he doesn't know what you're talking about. Just vain "agidi" attempt to stifle your opinion

komekn:


Dan James has poor technical ability and vision, everything is speed. He cannot learn those things now it's too late maybe possible but very hard.

I once watched the new set of players who were U12 doing certain technical drills that they had been taught under a new regime of technical proficiency and skills.

The U23 who had not had that schooling were invited to that training session. You know what the U12 were better.

This is why you don't see kick and rush footballer s in the top football be academies in England. Football had moved on and so has English football.

One question long term and short term. Has Nigerian football moved on in terms of investment training facilities, coaching etc to create s new set of complete footballers for the future ❓❓❓

komekn:


Dan James has poor technical ability and vision, everything is speed. He cannot learn those things now it's too late maybe possible but very hard.

I once watched the new set of players who were U12 doing certain technical drills that they had been taught under a new regime of technical proficiency and skills.

The U23 who had not had that schooling were invited to that training session. You know what the U12 were better.

This is why you don't see kick and rush footballer s in the top football be academies in England. Football had moved on and so has English football.

One question long term and short term. Has Nigerian football moved on in terms of investment training facilities, coaching etc to create s new set of complete footballers for the future ❓❓❓