Great piece, Rob. I wonder if we're also witnessing the "death" of the no. 10 - maverick or otherwise. No place for one of those in Eddie's system, and it's getting harder and harder to think of examples of those teams that do.
I guess there might be a counter-reaction in time. You'd think flair might be increasingly needed to break down all these systems. Let's see.
Excellent article. I refer to the situation as few teams now have “disrupters”, players who can actually run at and past players, pulling a teams’ formation out of shape.
Superb that Rob, I started watching football in the 80s. Local hero's were Beardsley & Gazza, but also Maradona, Baggio, Zico etc. Every team seems so regimented now and off the cuff play just doesn't seem to be out there
So pleased to read your piece Rob, although I fear it’s just the way things are now.
I despair when some guy in the pub poses questions like “but don’t you think we’re better with a back 5/4 and a false 9 playing off <insert player name> and isn’t <player> better as a 10?” “Against who bud?!”
Yes of course players are being moulded from age 6 on, in some clubs. No we don’t have back streets to hone their skills much anymore.
But…we want to win stuff. Don’t we just have to follow the leaders? We don’t have enough magic Geordie powder to make that happen, even with Isak and Tonali in our team.
Same in rugby, cricket, tennis…even golf (not many fat cigar-smoking heroes there either, except me) There’s a formula now, instead of pure inexplicable magic. Not much room for mavericks anymore.
(Someone will now point out the near-Genesis PGA victory by one rank outsider Maverick McNealy last Sunday)
Good article, even if I, eventually, could not abide the dead ends that ASM seemed to run into 99 times out of 100. Also: I do now implore the Smurf (JM23) to take a player on, for once, as opposed to a square ball along the edge of the box. Conflicted - yes!!
Excellent article but this discussion has gone on forever & a day. I grew up in the 80s watching Hoddle,Barnes,Waddle,Beardsley & Gascoigne. All you ever heard was that football was too rigid & there were no ball players like Best, Marsh, Bowles & Hudson anymore! I think each generation thinks the next generation is boring & not as skillful anymore. Just appreciate what you can see now!
Great piece, Rob. I wonder if we're also witnessing the "death" of the no. 10 - maverick or otherwise. No place for one of those in Eddie's system, and it's getting harder and harder to think of examples of those teams that do.
I guess there might be a counter-reaction in time. You'd think flair might be increasingly needed to break down all these systems. Let's see.
Excellent article. I refer to the situation as few teams now have “disrupters”, players who can actually run at and past players, pulling a teams’ formation out of shape.
Superb that Rob, I started watching football in the 80s. Local hero's were Beardsley & Gazza, but also Maradona, Baggio, Zico etc. Every team seems so regimented now and off the cuff play just doesn't seem to be out there
So pleased to read your piece Rob, although I fear it’s just the way things are now.
I despair when some guy in the pub poses questions like “but don’t you think we’re better with a back 5/4 and a false 9 playing off <insert player name> and isn’t <player> better as a 10?” “Against who bud?!”
Yes of course players are being moulded from age 6 on, in some clubs. No we don’t have back streets to hone their skills much anymore.
But…we want to win stuff. Don’t we just have to follow the leaders? We don’t have enough magic Geordie powder to make that happen, even with Isak and Tonali in our team.
Same in rugby, cricket, tennis…even golf (not many fat cigar-smoking heroes there either, except me) There’s a formula now, instead of pure inexplicable magic. Not much room for mavericks anymore.
(Someone will now point out the near-Genesis PGA victory by one rank outsider Maverick McNealy last Sunday)
Good article, even if I, eventually, could not abide the dead ends that ASM seemed to run into 99 times out of 100. Also: I do now implore the Smurf (JM23) to take a player on, for once, as opposed to a square ball along the edge of the box. Conflicted - yes!!
Excellent article, Rob. Players these days are faster and fitter than ever. But you’re right, individual flair is largely missing.
Excellent article but this discussion has gone on forever & a day. I grew up in the 80s watching Hoddle,Barnes,Waddle,Beardsley & Gascoigne. All you ever heard was that football was too rigid & there were no ball players like Best, Marsh, Bowles & Hudson anymore! I think each generation thinks the next generation is boring & not as skillful anymore. Just appreciate what you can see now!