Footballers These Days Are Just Athletes

[Kopparberg]

Michael Owen said something recently like, would Matt Le Tissier get many games these days? 
 

As football is mainly about being fast and strong and running lots these days etc 

[Justbeanz]

Totally agree with this. Tend to see a lot of players these days that are fit and strong but with limited footballing technique or end product. 

[Essix Blue]

2 hours ago, Kopparberg said:

Michael Owen said something recently like, would Matt Le Tissier get many games these days? 
 

As football is mainly about being fast and strong and running lots these days etc 

Didn’t it begin with the influx of players from African nations? Fit guys who can run and run for 90 minutes - kind of pulled other players in that direction. 

[BIG D]

The Premier League is mostly full of athletic players with great technique. 

[Ellis Rimmer]

they are better athletes and have better techniques. There is no hiding from being a good athlete, Le Tissier would either be fit or he would be in the championship

[SiJ]

I understand what Owen was trying to say, but I think he was wrong. 

 

There's load of great footballers playing today, but a lot of the individualism is now coached out of them because the modern game is very much about tactics, set positions on the pitch etc. 

 

6 minutes ago, BIG D said:

The Premier League is mostly full of athletic players with great technique. 

Think he was talking more about the maverick types - Zola, Di Canio, Gazza, Ginola, even say Carbone. 

 

[SiJ]

Pep plays perhaps the best attacking football I've seen from a Premier League side. 

 

Thing is, everything is so finely tuned. It's not just a case of telling a bunch of great players to go out there and do their thing. 

 

When x player gets it, he knows that y and z player are going to be in a certain position. 

[The only way is S6]

2 hours ago, Justbeanz said:

Totally agree with this. Tend to see a lot of players these days that are fit and strong but with limited footballing technique or end product. 

They also fall down a lot easier, for any reason! It’s hilarious, they think the game should stop after every tackle.

[Arthur Bach]

Athleticism has helped L2 and non-league the most.

 

Even Sunday league footballers look after themselves, go to the gym, warm up etc.

 

Remember when old pros would fall down tne leagues but still turn in great performances? Thats because they were still far superior technically, it simply didn't matter how unfit they were.

 

Now, a below average L1 player would give an old pro the runaround because they are so much more fitter.

[SiJ]

Part of the reason we have struggled in the Championship this season has been the athleticism of the division. We all know that players like Bannan, Byers etc., are talented, technical footballers. 

 

A lot of teams just look more powerful, stronger, quicker than what we are. 

[Alb1owl]

It’s what makes Messi the greatest of all time in my opinion. In a game that is dominated by tactics, positioning, physicality and ball retention, to have a player who is capable of such wild individual moments sets him apart. 

[TheGaffer]

These days, these days right, you can't even say you're a footballer these days...

[markg]

8 hours ago, TheGaffer said:

These days, these days right, you can't even say you're a footballer these days...

You get thrown in jail just for saying you're a footballer

these days 

[markg]

I disagree with him. Though they are fitter and stronger, they also have damn good technical ability generally. I mean, even CBs these days are great technically in comparison to previous eras (though they were exceptions then and now). There were also some pretty crap players back then with what seemed to be little technical ability. 

 

Just another daft old bloke whinging about how things were better in the past.

[matthefish2002]

15 hours ago, SiJ said:

I understand what Owen was trying to say, but I think he was wrong. 

 

There's load of great footballers playing today, but a lot of the individualism is now coached out of them because the modern game is very much about tactics, set positions on the pitch etc. 

 

Think he was talking more about the maverick types - Zola, Di Canio, Gazza, Ginola, even say Carbone. 

 

 

I think you are right.
Plenty of good players about but who are over coached.
Was not unusual  team talks back in the day were more just go out and play.
Think Brian Clough just kept it simple for his players.
Now games are discussed like games of chess 

[CalmJimmers]

You do still get the maverick type though, they are just fitter or they'd be chucked.

 

C. Ronaldo, Messi, KDB, Neymar, Vini Jr, even players like Saint-Maximin from now. Zlatan, Suarez, Hazard, Robben, Ronaldinho from the not too distant past.

 

They're all just fitter and look after themselves more.

[SiJ]

1 hour ago, CalmJimmers said:

You do still get the maverick type though, they are just fitter or they'd be chucked.

 

C. Ronaldo, Messi, KDB, Neymar, Vini Jr, even players like Saint-Maximin from now. Zlatan, Suarez, Hazard, Robben, Ronaldinho from the not too distant past.

 

They're all just fitter and look after themselves more.

You see, I'm not sure all of those are what I'd call mavericks and many are retired or retired ages ago.

 

Not saying we don't get them, but I think back in the day those type of players were pretty much allowed to go and do what they wanted. Now it's much more about the team.

[SiJ]

Grealish and Madison are probably good examples of modern day mavericks.

 

With Grealish, I think a lot of that has been dialed down under Pep though. He's very much part of the system.

[Alb1owl]

2 hours ago, SiJ said:

Grealish and Madison are probably good examples of modern day mavericks.

 

With Grealish, I think a lot of that has been dialed down under Pep though. He's very much part of the system.

I mentioned Grealish in the other thread about England. 
 

Imagine a winger from the 90s playing like he does. I don’t recall ever seeing him skip past a man or two, he just saunters forward to allow his side of the pitch to be reinforced before passing the ball backwards and inside. So dull. 
 

Can only dream of a player with the freedom and dribbling skills of Waddle, or even a player like Steve McManaman!

[FreshOwl]

I’ve been saying this for years 

 

It’s systematic football these days. Players have 0 ability to express themselves on the football pitch anymore. It’s not about your ability, but how well you fit into that system and carrying out a job in that system 

 

People are just blind to it, or have just become too used to the new way of playing that they haven’t noticed 

 

But it sucks and we’ll never have old football back