Systems have made the average player better, and the quality of teams better, but the top talent is worse because their individual brilliance is coached out of them as soon as they go to a top team
I literally wanted to say the same thing, but since you worded it nicely, i am just echoing your message. I also think that exactly because of that football needs drastic rule changes to allow more expression, and individuality. Something like removing the offside completely
@@LANMEE2 My rule suggestions: Passing the ball backwards in the opposing half is a foul, unless you’re in the penalty area. Every goal kick has to go long. Diving is a red card offence. Accidental handballs in the box aren’t penalties, but are given as indirect free kicks in the box (we need more of them, they’re quality), back to 3 subs per game, scrap VAR, make refs anonymous, and ban pundits from banging on about refereeing decisions.
@@MikeK01 Interesting, but I am of a firm belief that rules should be easy to apply, and not include any subjectivity. Refs should have 0 power over the course of the game. That is why I am up for the removing the offside rule, no need to draw any imaginatory lines. No backward balls also makes it hard to track, but I like the direction with that rule, so maybe I would change it to any ball that goes back to your half is a foul, just like in basketball. We would use natural lines of the court to determine it easily. I like the box rule suggestions.
@GhostofCora - this is probably why people watch CZcams more (i.e., fan channels and football podcasts 🎙️like this) for their football content rather than the generic Sky News and MOTD.
@@issyjas3309He isn't convincing anyone of anything. I see it as laziness and lack of innovation from the other football managers. Pep has his philosophy and is a master at it, plus constantly evolves every year this a lot of success, instead of managers looking for a way to counteract that and beat him they're tryna copy him. You'll never be better at him at what he does! Lok at the teams they struggle against Real Madrid, Liverpool, Conte's Chelsea and Spurs. They're all different from him
@user-nz6fu5un8v i agree pal. plus athleticism counts more. Players used to be footballers who had to be as fit and athletic as possible. Now you need to be an Olympic level athlete first, then be able to pass, run, tackle. too many sterile players, not enough magic.
Just go back to 2006, chek the AC Milan Team , check the Real Madrid team, look at Chelsea, look at ManU, look at Liverpool, look at the Team sheet of Bayern, then look at Barca, take a look at Juve, aaaaand now compre this teams :D Maldini, Rolaldo;Zidane;Nexta,Torres;Raul,Del Piero, Insagi,,Drogba,Lampard,Van Nistelroy,C.Ronaldo,Messi,Kaka,Schewchenko,Rivaldo,Ronaldinhio, and i can go on for HOURS, now we have System Players , same pass same style, it´s like clones.
The problem is the premier league itself but English fans won’t admit, there’s genuinely champions league talent in teams like crystal palace, wolves etc… those great players get priced out and the remain at that mid table level and they may not even get to that world class stage. Player like Eze Kudus could easily play at clubs like Juventus Milan etc but they’re just outside the top 6
Michael Owen said it best by saying now you have better athletes, but back then there were better footballers/ballers. Now it's about the kms you run, how often you sprint vs jog, your heat map, how many touches in the opposition half, how many touches in the opposition box, the number of passes, possession, etc etc. Winning the UCL back to back was an impossible task cause there were so many good teams
You are right, here in Barcelona the Coaches have to focus on Technique, physical conditioning and football IQ. When i arrived here 15 years ago, it was a different world.. Futsal and kids playibg 7-a-side leagues up to the age of 12 years is allowing players to develop the above..
two reasons: - lack of world class talent at the very very top - what you would consider the 'average player' right now is better than before, so the skill gap isn't as large. systems and athleticism means that players get less time on the ball and football is more tactical. BUT there's still hope - football always moves in cycles. Cream always rises to the top, and soon we will get these individuals back because coaches will realise that the only way to break through all of these low blocks is to have individuals that can beat a man 1 on 1 to take them out of the game and shift defences. We just need to be patient
I think the very top leagues play very very system based but when you watch league 1/2/championship - it’s much more free flowing, players actually beat a man 1 on 1 still. I also think a lot of people base football on the premier league, it’s not the same when you watch la liga or seria A
You cannot put Gazza alongside Platini, Dalglish or Gullit. He was a talented player, but you cannot compare him with any of them, you cannot compare Gazza with Stoichkov or Hagi either. STOICHKOV won ballon d'or and played World Cup semi final with a 3rd world country. Hagi played for Real Madrid and Barcelona and won by himself Uefa Cup with Galatasaray. Gazza was an entertainer, not a world class player.
Football has changed so much . No tackle from behind /no aggression / less dribblers with these changes it makes average modern players "look better" when reality is they are not facing same challenges. Football is also lot slower more possession then quick attack. Years ago it was lot more end to end attacking. It's like comparing apples & oranges. But, overall there is a lack of top class players, would guess it's down to coaching. Natural talent is maybe dumbed down more than it used to be , managers now a days prefer machines rather than player that turns hot / cold. But players that do go hot & cold are the ones that get us of our seats with excitement .
@@camdenbhoy6192there was a retro match on sky, Spurs vs United and the reds were getting the ball to the attackers in 4-5 touches. I forgot how fast paced the game used to be
Most exciting part of the pitch is up top, the strikers. Today you have a pool of like 5 elite level strikers when I was a kid in 2005,06,07 etc the level of striker at every club in Europe was outrageous. Today you have elite clubs struggling to identify a world class striker so instead they sign a young potential player far too early and stunt all the development potential they had because the pressure comes too early without them learning either at a smaller club banging in the goals or as a number 2 striker alongside the world class one already playing.
I think there's just less room for individual brilliance in the modern game. Everyone is expected to chip in, the "free role" doesn't exist anymore. There's plenty of talent but they have less opportunity to express themselves.
No, we micro-analyse players a lot these days. Great players of the past have also had bad days, but they won't get micro-analysed. In the modern day, a great player has one off day, and the whole world is behind his back making him look average. Radical perspective and we have great players now as well.
Barely a handful of world class strikers these days. 2010 WC you had Van Persie, Forlan, Villa, Muller, Higuain, Klose, Suarez, Tevez, Cavani, Drogba, Hernandez, Rooney, Henry, Anelka, Aguero, Eto’o, Torres, all in their prime.
Whilst they were a fantastic team and a brilliant collection of players I'd take the France 2000 or the Spanish 2008/2010 team over that Brazil team..Brazil 98.or 82...... Now you're talking and they didn't win the big one
@@TC8787-yq7og well yes but that's a club team. For my money in my lifetime the ac Milan team of the late 80s / early 90's would beat any club team from of the past 40 years. Amazing defence, strong skillful midfield and probably the greatest pure no.9 to have played the game. Imagine how good they would be on modern pitches and where you aren't allowed to even touch an opposition player versus some of the assaults that used to happen on the field
The great players of the past had off days. It's just that post-Messi/CR7, peoples perspectives are skewed. People judge way more with stats, until its a player they don't like (Haaland, Sterling, etc).
The holiday idea isn’t the worst thing, especially with the sides of squads now. Being able to take a break when you need it, obviously the club chooses whether it’s granted or not, but it’s a great idea to stop burnout and injuries and for some players abroad, could give them time to spend with their families that they otherwise don’t get until the end of the season.
I think players used to get more time on the ball which amplifies true talent. On the flipside players would need to be stronger and more robust to handle the old school tackles. Also Speed of the players is a big factor that amplifies more mistakes
I would agree completely. Also I would say football has become much more tactical and the lack of freedom even from the grassroots level for youngsters are affecting their growth in technique and imagination. Every club has more focus on the physical & tactical aspect rather than technique & skill.
I don’t actually think there is a lack of talent but it’s spread out so much more than they ever used to be. Almost every European club has at least one top star and very few have more than 3/4 top players apart from the very best.
Disagree. In fact I’d say the opposite is true. The best players in the world are concentrated in far fewer teams now than was the case 20 years ago. This is mostly because the money has become concentrated in fewer clubs, relative to each other. Nowadays, you have the huge financial clout of 20 Premier League teams, and only 3-4 continental teams (across the entire continent) that can compete with that money. Newly promoted Premier League teams outspend traditional giants in Germany, Italy, France, etc by an enormous amount. Just look at the money spend by Ipswich this season. I believe this is why a trans-national ‘Super League’ is inevitable. Essentially, because it already exists in the shape of the Premier League. It’s the blueprint. Although you’ll never hear Sky Sports/BBC pundits saying that.
Glad for Alan's nuance regarding possible breaks for players with busy schedules--his main tack of players hsould play has never been in question. Players will play if asked--but they play better with moderated schedules.
Every time England play a tournament all the players look knackered. A winter break helped - the size of our league is a joke plus 2 cup competitions and then European games. Its far too many games
Its football IQ, take Kane, struggling physically to run, so why run aroubd like a headless chicken for 80 minutes and not have the energy or sharpness to get into the 6 yard box.. its not football Fitness, its football IQ
But then I’m watching the players who played for England a few weeks ago, for there clubs this past weekend and they look like completely different players 😂rice for Arsenal like so sharp and fit, Bellingham looked unbelievably for Madrid. Southgate was too blame for the lack of quality
But then I’m watching the players who played for England a few weeks ago, for there clubs this past weekend and they look like completely different players 😂rice for Arsenal like so sharp and fit, Bellingham looked unbelievably for Madrid. Southgate was too blame for the lack of quality
We are training out the individualism of footballers nowadays. Its worrying we might not see the magicians of the past moving forward. Even players like Mbappe can't lay a glove on some of the world class attackers of yester year
@@rjh4440 I mean yes he would? I'm sorry someone who's scored a hat trick in a world cup final, one of the top scorers in ucl history with many being against the best in europe and was dunking on messi at 18 could talk to anyone. Also he's still only 25 he has so much longer to go
@GGM28 he doesn't come close to Messi or Ronaldo. Prior to them, you had Ronaldinho, R9, Henry, Zidane. They all leave him standing. Plus its taken him until 25 to leave France whilst playing for the most stacked team in their leagues history. I dont see a time period where he'd be considered one of the top 3-5 players of that era, never mind number 1
@@rjh4440 respectfully if Shevchenko, nevded, canavarro , Owen were ballon dor winners then mbappe could defo compete in that era. Mbappe is genuinely underrated lol, he wouldn't be the best itw in that era but he'd definitely be up there
Figo, zidane, Carlos, ronaldo, Rui Costa, nedved, gerrard, Henry, bergkamp, Ronaldinho, guti, cafu, pirlo, beckham, seedorf, maldini, shearer, trezeguet, zola, del piero the list goes on. This was all in 1 era. All these players at the same world cups. Never see a pool of ballers like that again.
Let's see Pep manage teams who don't have Messi or weren't already very rich or champions. Klopp and Jose were able to take teams who were mid table or in mid leagues and win big titles. Neither had huge budgets either and Porto, Dortmund, Liverpool had gone years without a CL and/or a league title. If Pep leaves MC and goes to Porto and wins a CL trophy, or goes to Spurs or Villa and wins every trophy fair enough, but Pellegrini and Mancini won titles at MC, neither are elite managers.
it’s literally just nostalgia, look at every premier club for example every team has a class player atleast, there’s 9 teams in the prem right now who should arguably push for top 4 this year. It’s like when u think about ur ex who dumped u, u only think about their good moments never the bad.
Such a fun podcast with these guys together - I’m glad they enjoy spending this extra time together as it’s good for them to let loose a bit off normal tele rule sets. Top class 🤘
Ronaldinho is the greatest footballer of all time. He created a generation, especially with the kids that grew up around the early days of CZcams. There are very few players around now where you genuinely get excitement from seeing them play.
agree, but there is no room for a Ronaldinhio anymore, Teams would have to "change" theri system to fit a no10. no Trainer is willing to do that, you ether fit or you dont.
80’s 90’s 00’s teams had so many individual talents amongst them, world class teams nearly had world class starting 11’s and the style of football was beautiful to watch each country had their own unique play style. Now all teams play football that looks so robotic now.
Theres not a lack of world class talent its just the things we previously associated with a world class player such as individual brilliance or flair is being coached out of players from a young age
Re injuries on the pitch, I was taught as a rugby playing schoolboy that if someone goes down injured the rest of the team walk away and congregate under the posts and definitely not look! It’s guaranteed to put you off and cause caution and hesitation which in itself can lead to more injuries. I absolutely hate when players all go and ‘have a look!!
Within the squad of 25, a club must name eight home-grown players.. HOWEVER It's important to remember that players do not have to be considered English or Welsh to count as home-grown; it only takes into account their length of stay at an academy whilst they were between the ages of 15 to 21. The home-grown Player rule was introduced ahead of the 2010/11 season. England's poor performances at national tournaments, mostly since 1966, played a part in the implementation of the rule. Since the introduction of the rule, England have improved on the international stage, so it can be argued it has worked as intended....KInda
Yes. Just compare the 2 best players in the word now to 12 years ago. Players like Wayne Rooney was totally overshadowed. Today he would be in contention for the best in the world. Messi in 2012 alone scored only 10 less goals than Mbappe and Haaland combines in the 22/23 season. The man was an equivalent to two world class strikers and so was Ronaldo.
@@GGM28 But the fact that Messi alone in his prime scored as many goals as the 2 of the 3 best strikers on earth shows the vast chasms in quality. Look at the international teams Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Italy, Argentina and France had between the late 90s and the late 2010s and compare it to the last 10 years.
Let's just say Owen was right. The fact that so many teams prioritise systems and athletes means that it's a more effective way of getting results than having a bunch of star players. So essentially we have better football teams on average now, even if the individuals have less perceived talent.
The reason it seems like there were more superstars then is because they were the first generation to be widely televised, in terms of access to almost every game played, so they’re more associated with the collective image of the game
I listened to an interview with Jack wilshere the other day and I reckons it’s harder these days to make it as a footballer because there is a lot more talent. However the game has changed, so what was talent then is not what talent is now. Van Dijk at Liverpool can ping the ball 60-80 yards and find Salahs feet whilst under pressure being pressed. I’m not sure hardly any of the past timers can do this? You’ve got John stones who can basically play as a world class center back and come in the middle and boss the game. It’s just a different game now because they are developed that way
Talking of injuries i was at the game at old Trafford against Coventry in the Stretford end, and to this day i swear i heard the snap of bones, when you saw peter schmeical reaction and the fact all they did was throw sand over the blood and it was in teh box cant imagine what it must have been like ,but that whole game was surreal after that (for you young ones then David Busst - trust me dont google it, it was the worst injury ive seen a footballer get outside of the few harrowing deaths on pitches)
Looking forward to Gary & Shearers masterclass on how to play centre forward. Its the most important part of the game and the death or changes to the role of a traditional Number 9 in the last decade have been mind-boggling. Why, because Harland and No.9s are a rare breed.. Top goalscorers are worth their weight in gold. Question, is Mo Sala a winger or Centre forward????
The pressing game and the high speed of transition has made it harder for the flashy game style. But like with everything it comes in cycles. It will also encourage players to come up with new skills and we will have the 90's style players too. The stakes are too high to win and make money.
I understand why an offside is allowed to play on until the offside can be analysed. But why is the offence ignored when the game then comes to a natural stop (throw in, corner, foul etc.) especially when the offending team ends with an advantageous position?
Lineker's era had Diego Maradona, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten, Johan Cruyff, Zico, Lothar Matthäus, Paolo Maldini, Roberto Baggio, Ruud Gullit, Franz Beckenbauer, George Best, Ronaldo, Kenny Dalglish, Romario, Sócrates, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Eric Cantona, Hristo Stoichkov, Gheorghe Hagi, Peter Schmeichel, Frank Rijkaard, Jean-Pierre Papin, Kevin Keegan, Giuseppe Bergomi, Enzo Francescoli, Glenn Hoddle, Claudio Caniggia, Dino Zoff, Hugo Sánchez
It's wild Liverpool letting those three names go on a free all at the same time. It can't happen, the only thing I can think is they're confident of getting contract extensions
Also pep has made the game more about team and tactics. He has taken the individualism out of the game. For example Ronaldinho would get benched for Man City’s team because he’s not good in defensive transition. The game is GONE
??? Pep literally has Doku and Savio as his current wingers. Previously had Ribery, Robben, Villa, messi, iniesta, mahrez who are all known for individualism
Because Big Meeks" voice is so deep but so slow when you double speed this Gary and Alan sound like the chipmunks and Micah just sounds like a regular person 🤣
0:01 in the video. People always say players 20 years ago are better than players now. It's a nonsense. The average is so much better that the best don't stand out as much. They can't 'cheat' or be selfish in places to give themselves more opportunities to stand out because it's more of an 11v11 then it has ever been. I'm sorry but there's just no way any of the 3 players in this podcast could live and train how they did in their career and expect to reach the same heights they did in their career
I think there has been some incredible talents in the past ten years. However a large amount of them have 'failed'. For example pogba, martial, dybala, james rodriguez, coutinho, isco, felix, dembele, renato sanches, even neymar and many many others. Had these players hit the heights expected of them, then no one would be saying this era has had less superstars. In that age group of players who are currently late 20s to early 30s who are the players who are still standing out? Kane, de bruyne and salah are the only 3 and tbh none of those guys are as enjoyable to watch as the previous gen or the 'failed' players I mentioned
It’s not nostalgia players of the 90s era was when football reached its peak. Since those players grew up with far less option compared to players of today who had iPad,online gaming,social media,CZcams. They were not dedicating hours as a kid with a football. Being kicked over and over for kids growing up in the 90s and before them their iPad was a football.
Robin Van Persie would probably be considered the best striker in the world today. For the vast majority of his career, he would probably go no higher than top 15 strikers in the world. That’s the argument in a 🥜
You guys need to release these conversations at a different time to the overlap, you will get more views that way, love the show, it is a great listen.
On the question of how to beat a top team, I really don't know why smaller clubs don't try the old long ball tactic. If you have the players (tall, physical, combative forwards, fast wingers who cross the ball, box to box midfielders etc) then teams like Man City and Liverpool wouldn't know what hit them. The finishing touch would be including a top set piece taker and a real worky ticket to draw the fouls.
Alan on semi-automated offsides - “They wouldn’t bring it in if it wasn’t ready” - didn’t they tell us VAR was tested and ready a few years ago….a thousand tweaks later! 😂
The difference between average players and world class players is smaller now than in the past. So it seems like there are less standout world class players. Plus we are also past the era of the greatest world class players rivalry between Messi and CR7. No one before had sustained their level and consistency over 15 years period. There is also more focus on the team rather than individual brilliance.
We had those "affirmative action" rules in Australia for a very long time. Each team was only allowed 2-or-3 overseas players. Was our league a nursery of talent as a consequence? No. It didn't work. Our competition just consisted of crap football. The standard went backwards. To a point where people didn't come to watch. A "BIG" crowd was around 3000-to-4000. As a child in the '50s, I remember my Dad taking me to matches with tens of thousands of supporters. Our best footballers found themselves having to ply their trade overseas to experience proper development. They still do. As a consequence, many fans don't bother to watch our domestic football at all. I certainly don't watch. Instead, I went away in 2008 and purchased a season ticket to our local Women's Westfield -League. Best decision I ever made. Now the women's game has my wholehearted support. Our women's league continues to include top world-class players from overseas. They rock. Attempting to control the percentage of overseas players just doesn't offer the desired benefit. It is a simplistic fix. It will not work.
100 agree with Alan He is bang on get it in ASAP that semi auto was smooth we can rely on that it takes the obviously huge pressure of being able to correctly referee from their confused eyes, the quicker the decisions are away from Webb Criminal enterprises the better
There exists amazing world class talent but Micah is right. The tactical evolution has made more coaches be more pro-system rather than individual brilliance. Case in point is the English top players for Man City, take them out of a good system such as Foden from Pep's system and put them in Gareth's system, it doesn't work for them. Cucurella struggled in Chelsea the previous season but for Spain, he looked class. So expect to see less individual brilliance and more team tactical systems. So it will always feel as if we have less world class players.
The issue is that the majority of the best players in world football between 2010-2022 played for 3 clubs - Real Madrid (CR7, Kroos, Modric, Benzema, Ramos, Bale), Barcelona (Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, Busquets, Neymar, Suarez, Ronaldinho) or Bayern (Lewandoski, Robben, Ribery, Muller, Neuer, Lahm, Alaba). Talent was more spread out in the 90s.
there were just random great players around in like late 80s and early 2000s that would be considered the best players by todays standards. There are like no great strikers around at all, while you just had players like Mark Viduka and Batistuta not even at massive clubs because the top teams already had amazing players
I disagree it's nostalgia, nobody was saying this in the 90's. There are far less outstanding individuals now and players are far more interchangeable. Just for Brazil in the 90's you could name Carlos, Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Cafu and Ronaldinho as players that are superstars that would have a huge impact on games and leave a huge hole in their team if missing. I don't think I could name that many players worldwide that fall into that category now.
Brazil of the 90s are a classic example of how the game has changed. They were so fun to watch, had so much quality... you'll never see that type of football in today's game
coz nobody thought this is the Peak.Seirusly That Brasil team compared to Today , dude each of that player you mentioned is 200 mil + today, whole brasil team now is 400 mil max. Talent is gone we have systmeplayers
I think the level of non superstar players has risen , therefore it is harder to stand out. Coupled with managers not giving as many free roles out tactically.
Without a doubt there are less top strikers. There are less than a handful of elite strikers now, whereas every single top team had an elite striker in the late 90’s/early 2000’s. In 2001, Inter alone had R9, Vieri, Hakan Sukur, and Adriano on their roster. There’s not 4 better strikers than that in all of world football combined now.
Systems have made the average player better, and the quality of teams better, but the top talent is worse because their individual brilliance is coached out of them as soon as they go to a top team
💯 pal, there all drilled to do exactly the same thing aren't they.
Bingo.
I literally wanted to say the same thing, but since you worded it nicely, i am just echoing your message.
I also think that exactly because of that football needs drastic rule changes to allow more expression, and individuality. Something like removing the offside completely
@@LANMEE2 My rule suggestions: Passing the ball backwards in the opposing half is a foul, unless you’re in the penalty area. Every goal kick has to go long. Diving is a red card offence. Accidental handballs in the box aren’t penalties, but are given as indirect free kicks in the box (we need more of them, they’re quality), back to 3 subs per game, scrap VAR, make refs anonymous, and ban pundits from banging on about refereeing decisions.
@@MikeK01 Interesting, but I am of a firm belief that rules should be easy to apply, and not include any subjectivity. Refs should have 0 power over the course of the game. That is why I am up for the removing the offside rule, no need to draw any imaginatory lines.
No backward balls also makes it hard to track, but I like the direction with that rule, so maybe I would change it to any ball that goes back to your half is a foul, just like in basketball. We would use natural lines of the court to determine it easily.
I like the box rule suggestions.
This is my new favourite football podcast.
Its amazing seeing you guys being real and not constrained like you are on the telly.
Yep!
@GhostofCora - this is probably why people watch CZcams more (i.e., fan channels and football podcasts 🎙️like this) for their football content rather than the generic Sky News and MOTD.
This and the overlap are the best football podcasts out there! 💯
@@jasondebruno95 careful, if you go on the Overlap comments you cant watch both apparently
I watch both and enjoy both and no one is telling me I can't . All great lads 😂
Lack of individuality is what is the case right now in modern football. Down to the philosophy of current managers trying to replicate Pep
Guardiolas biggest trick is convincing the rest of football to play his way without the generational players he has.
@@issyjas3309He isn't convincing anyone of anything. I see it as laziness and lack of innovation from the other football managers. Pep has his philosophy and is a master at it, plus constantly evolves every year this a lot of success, instead of managers looking for a way to counteract that and beat him they're tryna copy him. You'll never be better at him at what he does! Lok at the teams they struggle against Real Madrid, Liverpool, Conte's Chelsea and Spurs. They're all different from him
@user-nz6fu5un8v i agree pal. plus athleticism counts more. Players used to be footballers who had to be as fit and athletic as possible. Now you need to be an Olympic level athlete first, then be able to pass, run, tackle. too many sterile players, not enough magic.
@@issyjas3309 no, his biggest trick si being smarter than the rest of you
100
Just go back to 2006, chek the AC Milan Team , check the Real Madrid team, look at Chelsea, look at ManU, look at Liverpool, look at the Team sheet of Bayern, then look at Barca, take a look at Juve, aaaaand now compre this teams :D Maldini, Rolaldo;Zidane;Nexta,Torres;Raul,Del Piero, Insagi,,Drogba,Lampard,Van Nistelroy,C.Ronaldo,Messi,Kaka,Schewchenko,Rivaldo,Ronaldinhio, and i can go on for HOURS, now we have System Players , same pass same style, it´s like clones.
This doesn’t make sense??
Makes total sense, well said.
Agreed, mate, and you make total sense
The problem is the premier league itself but English fans won’t admit, there’s genuinely champions league talent in teams like crystal palace, wolves etc… those great players get priced out and the remain at that mid table level and they may not even get to that world class stage. Player like Eze Kudus could easily play at clubs like Juventus Milan etc but they’re just outside the top 6
That take is subjective and therefore stupid.
Michael Owen said it best by saying now you have better athletes, but back then there were better footballers/ballers. Now it's about the kms you run, how often you sprint vs jog, your heat map, how many touches in the opposition half, how many touches in the opposition box, the number of passes, possession, etc etc. Winning the UCL back to back was an impossible task cause there were so many good teams
You are right, here in Barcelona the Coaches have to focus on Technique, physical conditioning and football IQ. When i arrived here 15 years ago, it was a different world.. Futsal and kids playibg 7-a-side leagues up to the age of 12 years is allowing players to develop the above..
Footballers/ballers 😂
Michael Owen France 98 against Argentina one of the greatest goals England have ever scored. Also shout out to Sol btw that was never a foul.
"now we can measure objective things, so it's worse"
Spot on… Michael was very astute
two reasons:
- lack of world class talent at the very very top
- what you would consider the 'average player' right now is better than before, so the skill gap isn't as large.
systems and athleticism means that players get less time on the ball and football is more tactical. BUT there's still hope - football always moves in cycles. Cream always rises to the top, and soon we will get these individuals back because coaches will realise that the only way to break through all of these low blocks is to have individuals that can beat a man 1 on 1 to take them out of the game and shift defences. We just need to be patient
I think the very top leagues play very very system based but when you watch league 1/2/championship - it’s much more free flowing, players actually beat a man 1 on 1 still. I also think a lot of people base football on the premier league, it’s not the same when you watch la liga or seria A
Yes. It’s being grinded out of them as now everything is about the team. No individual brilliance
Some other great players from Lineker's era. Platini, Laudrup, Mattheus, Gullit, Gazza, Stojkovic, Scifo, Dalglish.
Who is Mattheus ? You mean Lothar Matthaus?
You cannot put Gazza alongside Platini, Dalglish or Gullit. He was a talented player, but you cannot compare him with any of them, you cannot compare Gazza with Stoichkov or Hagi either. STOICHKOV won ballon d'or and played World Cup semi final with a 3rd world country. Hagi played for Real Madrid and Barcelona and won by himself Uefa Cup with Galatasaray. Gazza was an entertainer, not a world class player.
What wonderful players you named there pal. I remember watching Enzo Scifo play for Belgium 🇧🇪 incredible footballer
Brazil. Zico. Socrates. Their entire starting eleven? I mean, my word.
@@C_C_C1 yeah fair enough! had the talent but not the career.
Micah Mouse..brilliant, he makes me smile every time I see or hear him.
YEAH MATE EVERYTIME HE LAUGHS HE MAKES ME LAUGH😂😂😂
Micah Mouse 😂😂😂. Nearly fell off my trolley 😂😂😂
Todays generation has better average players. But lacks world class talent at the very top level
It looks that way as others are better.
Football has changed so much . No tackle from behind /no aggression / less dribblers with these changes it makes average modern players "look better" when reality is they are not facing same challenges. Football is also lot slower more possession then quick attack. Years ago it was lot more end to end attacking. It's like comparing apples & oranges. But, overall there is a lack of top class players, would guess it's down to coaching. Natural talent is maybe dumbed down more than it used to be , managers now a days prefer machines rather than player that turns hot / cold. But players that do go hot & cold are the ones that get us of our seats with excitement .
@@camdenbhoy6192there was a retro match on sky, Spurs vs United and the reds were getting the ball to the attackers in 4-5 touches. I forgot how fast paced the game used to be
Most exciting part of the pitch is up top, the strikers. Today you have a pool of like 5 elite level strikers when I was a kid in 2005,06,07 etc the level of striker at every club in Europe was outrageous. Today you have elite clubs struggling to identify a world class striker so instead they sign a young potential player far too early and stunt all the development potential they had because the pressure comes too early without them learning either at a smaller club banging in the goals or as a number 2 striker alongside the world class one already playing.
Back in the day there were world class 17 years olds: Ronaldo R9, Owen, Rooney etc.
I think there's just less room for individual brilliance in the modern game. Everyone is expected to chip in, the "free role" doesn't exist anymore. There's plenty of talent but they have less opportunity to express themselves.
No, we micro-analyse players a lot these days. Great players of the past have also had bad days, but they won't get micro-analysed. In the modern day, a great player has one off day, and the whole world is behind his back making him look average. Radical perspective and we have great players now as well.
Barely a handful of world class strikers these days.
2010 WC you had Van Persie, Forlan, Villa, Muller, Higuain, Klose, Suarez, Tevez, Cavani, Drogba, Hernandez, Rooney, Henry, Anelka, Aguero, Eto’o, Torres, all in their prime.
0:23 that sound tho
Barnes and Beardsley at Liverpool in Gary’s era were amazing tbf. And lets not forget Maradona and the 82 Brazil.
In depth football knowledge with genuine hilarity. Keep it up lads
I don't think we'll see a side as good as early 00's Brazil for a long long time, if ever again. They were the gold standard.
Whilst they were a fantastic team and a brilliant collection of players I'd take the France 2000 or the Spanish 2008/2010 team over that Brazil team..Brazil 98.or 82...... Now you're talking and they didn't win the big one
2011 Barcelona was a better team
@@TC8787-yq7og well yes but that's a club team. For my money in my lifetime the ac Milan team of the late 80s / early 90's would beat any club team from of the past 40 years. Amazing defence, strong skillful midfield and probably the greatest pure no.9 to have played the game. Imagine how good they would be on modern pitches and where you aren't allowed to even touch an opposition player versus some of the assaults that used to happen on the field
@@monrush brazil 98 team wasn't complete as Romario wasn't there ,neither was diljahminha, or Juninho paulista
now your talking a different team
08-12 Spain shits on it
Man I tell ya, this pod makes my mornings pure joy. Thanks for the laughs and the insight gents!! Love yall by way of the US!
Blessed to listen to this podcast along with the overlap.
The great players of the past had off days. It's just that post-Messi/CR7, peoples perspectives are skewed. People judge way more with stats, until its a player they don't like (Haaland, Sterling, etc).
The holiday idea isn’t the worst thing, especially with the sides of squads now. Being able to take a break when you need it, obviously the club chooses whether it’s granted or not, but it’s a great idea to stop burnout and injuries and for some players abroad, could give them time to spend with their families that they otherwise don’t get until the end of the season.
I think players used to get more time on the ball which amplifies true talent. On the flipside players would need to be stronger and more robust to handle the old school tackles. Also Speed of the players is a big factor that amplifies more mistakes
I would agree completely. Also I would say football has become much more tactical and the lack of freedom even from the grassroots level for youngsters are affecting their growth in technique and imagination. Every club has more focus on the physical & tactical aspect rather than technique & skill.
I don’t actually think there is a lack of talent but it’s spread out so much more than they ever used to be. Almost every European club has at least one top star and very few have more than 3/4 top players apart from the very best.
In terms of the game however, it is just pushed out in terms for playing a certain way and style instead of individuality.
Disagree. In fact I’d say the opposite is true. The best players in the world are concentrated in far fewer teams now than was the case 20 years ago. This is mostly because the money has become concentrated in fewer clubs, relative to each other. Nowadays, you have the huge financial clout of 20 Premier League teams, and only 3-4 continental teams (across the entire continent) that can compete with that money. Newly promoted Premier League teams outspend traditional giants in Germany, Italy, France, etc by an enormous amount.
Just look at the money spend by Ipswich this season.
I believe this is why a trans-national ‘Super League’ is inevitable. Essentially, because it already exists in the shape of the Premier League. It’s the blueprint. Although you’ll never hear Sky Sports/BBC pundits saying that.
Glad for Alan's nuance regarding possible breaks for players with busy schedules--his main tack of players hsould play has never been in question. Players will play if asked--but they play better with moderated schedules.
Every time England play a tournament all the players look knackered. A winter break helped - the size of our league is a joke plus 2 cup competitions and then European games. Its far too many games
Its football IQ, take Kane, struggling physically to run, so why run aroubd like a headless chicken for 80 minutes and not have the energy or sharpness to get into the 6 yard box.. its not football Fitness, its football IQ
But then I’m watching the players who played for England a few weeks ago, for there clubs this past weekend and they look like completely different players 😂rice for Arsenal like so sharp and fit, Bellingham looked unbelievably for Madrid. Southgate was too blame for the lack of quality
But then I’m watching the players who played for England a few weeks ago, for there clubs this past weekend and they look like completely different players 😂rice for Arsenal like so sharp and fit, Bellingham looked unbelievably for Madrid. Southgate was too blame for the lack of quality
@@lukebrown8580Looking knackered is a myth because the English lads play Premier league football, did Rodri look knackered at the Euros ?
@@Youafool500 that’s exactly my point!
You cant overlook the talent along with Lineker in the 80s.....
Maradona, Platini, Zico, Gullit, Socrates, Matthaus, Laudrup, Butragueno, Futre, Van Basten, Rossi, Dasayev, Francescoli, Stojkovic, Maldini
Scifo, Baresi, Rijkaard, Dalglish, Rummenigge, Koeman, Robson, Eder, Tigana, Boniek, Scirea, Caulemans, Hoddle, Elkjaer, Schuster, Gascoigne, Baggio..
We are training out the individualism of footballers nowadays. Its worrying we might not see the magicians of the past moving forward. Even players like Mbappe can't lay a glove on some of the world class attackers of yester year
Mbappe can talk to any attacker mate. Wrong example to use
@@GGM28 considering he's labelled as the best in the world at the moment, in no previous era would he be close to the top spot
@@rjh4440 I mean yes he would? I'm sorry someone who's scored a hat trick in a world cup final, one of the top scorers in ucl history with many being against the best in europe and was dunking on messi at 18 could talk to anyone. Also he's still only 25 he has so much longer to go
@GGM28 he doesn't come close to Messi or Ronaldo. Prior to them, you had Ronaldinho, R9, Henry, Zidane. They all leave him standing. Plus its taken him until 25 to leave France whilst playing for the most stacked team in their leagues history. I dont see a time period where he'd be considered one of the top 3-5 players of that era, never mind number 1
@@rjh4440 respectfully if Shevchenko, nevded, canavarro , Owen were ballon dor winners then mbappe could defo compete in that era. Mbappe is genuinely underrated lol, he wouldn't be the best itw in that era but he'd definitely be up there
Obviously some overlap, but off the top of my head, going by their peak:
Gary's era: Van Basten, Rossi, Maradona, Platini, Gullit, Matthäeus, Baresi, Zoff, Ardiles, Keegan, Hoddle, Zico, Socrates, Sanchez, Ruggeri, Papin, Zubizaretti, Rummenigge, Koeman, Brehme, Valderrama, Haji, Dunga, Scifo, crying Gascoigne...
Alan's era: original Ronaldo, Zidane, Batistuta, Vieri, Figo, Romario, Bergkamp, Stoichkov, Maldini, Raul, Beckham, Hierro, Carlos, Thuram, Nedved, R.Baggio, Kahn, Giggs, Zamorano, Cantona, Owen, Suker, Henry, Weah, Rivaldo, blonde Gascoigne...
Micah's era: R7, Messi, Ronaldinho, Pirlo, Rooney, Lampard, Gerrard, Crespo, Ribery, Robben, Totti, Lahm, Kaka, Drogba, Terry, Buffon, Xavi, Iniesta, Neuer, Neymar, Ballack, Van Persie, Modric, Puyol, Schevchenko, Cannavaro, Villa...
Nice recollection. Zubizaretti? 🤣
I can be forgiven a typo!
@@lotuseater7247 Nothing to forgive here. I had a good laugh (I had to look it up in case I had missed him)
Figo, zidane, Carlos, ronaldo, Rui Costa, nedved, gerrard, Henry, bergkamp, Ronaldinho, guti, cafu, pirlo, beckham, seedorf, maldini, shearer, trezeguet, zola, del piero the list goes on. This was all in 1 era. All these players at the same world cups. Never see a pool of ballers like that again.
The facts that Bellingham is in the convo for the Ballon d’or, just show it all. 10 years ago he would have been on the bench at Real.
@@bondinho6114 totally agree
@@bondinho6114there’s no proof of that. The amount of goals he scored proves he’d probably be a starter.
14:47 Ten Hag foolishly asked C.Ronaldo to Press when at United😂
@@miamitten1123 im not talking football with a girl sorry. If you know football, you know that even Guti was way better than Bellingham
Let's see Pep manage teams who don't have Messi or weren't already very rich or champions. Klopp and Jose were able to take teams who were mid table or in mid leagues and win big titles. Neither had huge budgets either and Porto, Dortmund, Liverpool had gone years without a CL and/or a league title. If Pep leaves MC and goes to Porto and wins a CL trophy, or goes to Spurs or Villa and wins every trophy fair enough, but Pellegrini and Mancini won titles at MC, neither are elite managers.
Ancelotti too then right?
@@GGM28 Carlo went to Everton, at least he had the guts to try it. Even Napoli weren't at the levels of the really top teams.
it’s literally just nostalgia, look at every premier club for example every team has a class player atleast, there’s 9 teams in the prem right now who should arguably push for top 4 this year. It’s like when u think about ur ex who dumped u, u only think about their good moments never the bad.
Really isn't nostalgia
It’s easy to say “they should rest players” but then when teams do that and don’t get the 3 points they get criticised for not playing their best XI
Such a fun podcast with these guys together - I’m glad they enjoy spending this extra time together as it’s good for them to let loose a bit off normal tele rule sets. Top class 🤘
Last English world class player was Gordon Banks.
Ronaldinho is the greatest footballer of all time. He created a generation, especially with the kids that grew up around the early days of CZcams. There are very few players around now where you genuinely get excitement from seeing them play.
agree, but there is no room for a Ronaldinhio anymore, Teams would have to "change" theri system to fit a no10. no Trainer is willing to do that, you ether fit or you dont.
Not the greatest footballer ever but def one of the greats
80’s 90’s 00’s teams had so many individual talents amongst them, world class teams nearly had world class starting 11’s and the style of football was beautiful to watch each country had their own unique play style. Now all teams play football that looks so robotic now.
Theres not a lack of world class talent its just the things we previously associated with a world class player such as individual brilliance or flair is being coached out of players from a young age
Re injuries on the pitch, I was taught as a rugby playing schoolboy that if someone goes down injured the rest of the team walk away and congregate under the posts and definitely not look! It’s guaranteed to put you off and cause caution and hesitation which in itself can lead to more injuries. I absolutely hate when players all go and ‘have a look!!
Within the squad of 25, a club must name eight home-grown players.. HOWEVER It's important to remember that players do not have to be considered English or Welsh to count as home-grown; it only takes into account their length of stay at an academy whilst they were between the ages of 15 to 21. The home-grown Player rule was introduced ahead of the 2010/11 season. England's poor performances at national tournaments, mostly since 1966, played a part in the implementation of the rule. Since the introduction of the rule, England have improved on the international stage, so it can be argued it has worked as intended....KInda
26:11 I think it's quite telling they go player for player for Gary's vs Alan's era because you hit a wall when you compare today's players
Yes. Just compare the 2 best players in the word now to 12 years ago. Players like Wayne Rooney was totally overshadowed. Today he would be in contention for the best in the world.
Messi in 2012 alone scored only 10 less goals than Mbappe and Haaland combines in the 22/23 season. The man was an equivalent to two world class strikers and so was Ronaldo.
Messi and Ronaldo are better than any player from any era though so this doesn't make sense
@@GGM28 But the fact that Messi alone in his prime scored as many goals as the 2 of the 3 best strikers on earth shows the vast chasms in quality. Look at the international teams Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Italy, Argentina and France had between the late 90s and the late 2010s and compare it to the last 10 years.
How could they not mention, Zidane, Baggio, Maldini, Rivaldo etc.
Michael Owen got it spot on, there used to be footballers but now you just need to be an athlete, fit with average footballing ability
Well this isn't true
Let's just say Owen was right. The fact that so many teams prioritise systems and athletes means that it's a more effective way of getting results than having a bunch of star players. So essentially we have better football teams on average now, even if the individuals have less perceived talent.
Getting rid of the player mandate is what made the PL great.
The reason it seems like there were more superstars then is because they were the first generation to be widely televised, in terms of access to almost every game played, so they’re more associated with the collective image of the game
When Gary started listing the players from his era, I was like oh snap! Those were some real footballers
I listened to an interview with Jack wilshere the other day and I reckons it’s harder these days to make it as a footballer because there is a lot more talent. However the game has changed, so what was talent then is not what talent is now.
Van Dijk at Liverpool can ping the ball 60-80 yards and find Salahs feet whilst under pressure being pressed. I’m not sure hardly any of the past timers can do this? You’ve got John stones who can basically play as a world class center back and come in the middle and boss the game. It’s just a different game now because they are developed that way
Talking of injuries i was at the game at old Trafford against Coventry in the Stretford end, and to this day i swear i heard the snap of bones, when you saw peter schmeical reaction and the fact all they did was throw sand over the blood and it was in teh box cant imagine what it must have been like ,but that whole game was surreal after that (for you young ones then David Busst - trust me dont google it, it was the worst injury ive seen a footballer get outside of the few harrowing deaths on pitches)
No, don't watch it, you'll hate yrself if you do. 😮
The talent isn't allowed to express itself. It's all about efficiency now.
Looking forward to Gary & Shearers masterclass on how to play centre forward. Its the most important part of the game and the death or changes to the role of a traditional Number 9 in the last decade have been mind-boggling. Why, because Harland and No.9s are a rare breed.. Top goalscorers are worth their weight in gold. Question, is Mo Sala a winger or Centre forward????
He must be a midfielder because FF says so!
The pressing game and the high speed of transition has made it harder for the flashy game style. But like with everything it comes in cycles. It will also encourage players to come up with new skills and we will have the 90's style players too. The stakes are too high to win and make money.
Big Al "Fuck off Micah Mouse"...lol...😂😂😂 Love Big Al fairplay 😂😂😂
I understand why an offside is allowed to play on until the offside can be analysed. But why is the offence ignored when the game then comes to a natural stop (throw in, corner, foul etc.) especially when the offending team ends with an advantageous position?
“Mica Mouse” and “Don’t give a Donald Duck”. Classic dad jokes.
Lineker's era had Diego Maradona, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten, Johan Cruyff, Zico, Lothar Matthäus, Paolo Maldini, Roberto Baggio, Ruud Gullit, Franz Beckenbauer, George Best, Ronaldo, Kenny Dalglish, Romario, Sócrates, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Eric Cantona, Hristo Stoichkov, Gheorghe Hagi, Peter Schmeichel, Frank Rijkaard, Jean-Pierre Papin, Kevin Keegan, Giuseppe Bergomi, Enzo Francescoli, Glenn Hoddle, Claudio Caniggia, Dino Zoff, Hugo Sánchez
Toon fan here....Love Vardy, wat a player, wat a fella!!!
23:45 Have to agree with Micah here, also steals away from the game a bit, but football as a whole is evolving, and teams will do anything to win.
It's wild Liverpool letting those three names go on a free all at the same time. It can't happen, the only thing I can think is they're confident of getting contract extensions
Also pep has made the game more about team and tactics. He has taken the individualism out of the game. For example Ronaldinho would get benched for Man City’s team because he’s not good in defensive transition.
The game is GONE
??? Pep literally has Doku and Savio as his current wingers. Previously had Ribery, Robben, Villa, messi, iniesta, mahrez who are all known for individualism
The biggest change I’ve noticed is the lack of world class strikers compared to 10-20 years ago
Because Big Meeks" voice is so deep but so slow when you double speed this Gary and Alan sound like the chipmunks and Micah just sounds like a regular person 🤣
Gary L looking like he hasn’t been sleeping! Rest up Legend you’ve done enough ❤️
Legend?
@@magic1968 First English player to ever play for Barcelona . Yes Legend 💀🐐
@3meeds275 Oh well then. I didn't realise ANYONE who's played for Barcelona instantly becomes a "legend" I stand corrected.....
0:01 in the video. People always say players 20 years ago are better than players now. It's a nonsense. The average is so much better that the best don't stand out as much. They can't 'cheat' or be selfish in places to give themselves more opportunities to stand out because it's more of an 11v11 then it has ever been.
I'm sorry but there's just no way any of the 3 players in this podcast could live and train how they did in their career and expect to reach the same heights they did in their career
The thing about players holidays during the season….chelseas signing strategy is all making sense now.
I think there has been some incredible talents in the past ten years. However a large amount of them have 'failed'. For example pogba, martial, dybala, james rodriguez, coutinho, isco, felix, dembele, renato sanches, even neymar and many many others. Had these players hit the heights expected of them, then no one would be saying this era has had less superstars. In that age group of players who are currently late 20s to early 30s who are the players who are still standing out? Kane, de bruyne and salah are the only 3 and tbh none of those guys are as enjoyable to watch as the previous gen or the 'failed' players I mentioned
It’s not nostalgia players of the 90s era was when football reached its peak. Since those players grew up with far less option compared to players of today who had iPad,online gaming,social media,CZcams.
They were not dedicating hours as a kid with a football. Being kicked over and over for kids growing up in the 90s and before them their iPad was a football.
30mins Shearers comments!! 🤣🤣🤣
Brilliant episode guys you brightened up my day.
Love watching these types of videos. Keep up the good work!!!
When you've got the Maradona card, you've automatically won.
Super podcast helps me get my one up
Robin Van Persie would probably be considered the best striker in the world today. For the vast majority of his career, he would probably go no higher than top 15 strikers in the world. That’s the argument in a 🥜
I love how this show is in competition with sky's the overlap, in the U.S we get to see Micah and Carragher together,, you've gotta get Jamie on!
No thanks I don't want to see the spitter on here
nah
Nah I prefer just these 3 together and I love the overlap cast as it is
As a Liverpool fan I don't like Jamie's personality. Seems incredibly fake imo
@@GoGetYourShinebox wtf 😂 your definitely not from Liverpool. I reckon Jamie is loyal
Love this! It's like 18+ MOTD 😂
I have started watching football again because of this podcast.
The lack of world class strikers nowadays compared to even 10/15 years ago shows how much it’s fallen off
You guys need to release these conversations at a different time to the overlap, you will get more views that way, love the show, it is a great listen.
On the question of how to beat a top team, I really don't know why smaller clubs don't try the old long ball tactic. If you have the players (tall, physical, combative forwards, fast wingers who cross the ball, box to box midfielders etc) then teams like Man City and Liverpool wouldn't know what hit them. The finishing touch would be including a top set piece taker and a real worky ticket to draw the fouls.
LOVE THE GLASSES GARY.
Alan on semi-automated offsides - “They wouldn’t bring it in if it wasn’t ready” - didn’t they tell us VAR was tested and ready a few years ago….a thousand tweaks later! 😂
The difference between average players and world class players is smaller now than in the past. So it seems like there are less standout world class players. Plus we are also past the era of the greatest world class players rivalry between Messi and CR7. No one before had sustained their level and consistency over 15 years period. There is also more focus on the team rather than individual brilliance.
We had those "affirmative action" rules in Australia for a very long time. Each team was only allowed 2-or-3 overseas players. Was our league a nursery of talent as a consequence? No. It didn't work. Our competition just consisted of crap football. The standard went backwards. To a point where people didn't come to watch. A "BIG" crowd was around 3000-to-4000. As a child in the '50s, I remember my Dad taking me to matches with tens of thousands of supporters.
Our best footballers found themselves having to ply their trade overseas to experience proper development. They still do.
As a consequence, many fans don't bother to watch our domestic football at all. I certainly don't watch. Instead, I went away in 2008 and purchased a season ticket to our local Women's Westfield -League. Best decision I ever made. Now the women's game has my wholehearted support. Our women's league continues to include top world-class players from overseas. They rock.
Attempting to control the percentage of overseas players just doesn't offer the desired benefit. It is a simplistic fix. It will not work.
100 agree with Alan He is bang on get it in ASAP that semi auto was smooth we can rely on that it takes the obviously huge pressure of being able to correctly referee from their confused eyes, the quicker the decisions are away from Webb Criminal enterprises the better
I agree 100% level of players have dropped off so massively. Just look at the squads for the 2006 World Cup.
There exists amazing world class talent but Micah is right. The tactical evolution has made more coaches be more pro-system rather than individual brilliance. Case in point is the English top players for Man City, take them out of a good system such as Foden from Pep's system and put them in Gareth's system, it doesn't work for them. Cucurella struggled in Chelsea the previous season but for Spain, he looked class. So expect to see less individual brilliance and more team tactical systems. So it will always feel as if we have less world class players.
David Busst was the worst injury ive ever seen, Peter Schmeichel was physically sick after seeing it… horrific injury!!
Savinho🔥
Klopp said this 4 years ago and EVERYONE moaned at him!
Is Danilo’s injury another reason for the asst refs NOT to delay raising their flags for offside?
The issue is that the majority of the best players in world football between 2010-2022 played for 3 clubs - Real Madrid (CR7, Kroos, Modric, Benzema, Ramos, Bale), Barcelona (Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, Busquets, Neymar, Suarez, Ronaldinho) or Bayern (Lewandoski, Robben, Ribery, Muller, Neuer, Lahm, Alaba). Talent was more spread out in the 90s.
I was thinking about this and i am sure there are alot less good players in fifa. Would be interesting to do a comparison of the past 2 decades
Speaking of in season breaks. With their squad, half of Chelsea's squad can be on holiday at any given moment. 🤣
Average player is so good these days that it makes it way harder to stand out than in the 90's.
there were just random great players around in like late 80s and early 2000s that would be considered the best players by todays standards. There are like no great strikers around at all, while you just had players like Mark Viduka and Batistuta not even at massive clubs because the top teams already had amazing players
I disagree it's nostalgia, nobody was saying this in the 90's. There are far less outstanding individuals now and players are far more interchangeable. Just for Brazil in the 90's you could name Carlos, Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Cafu and Ronaldinho as players that are superstars that would have a huge impact on games and leave a huge hole in their team if missing. I don't think I could name that many players worldwide that fall into that category now.
Brazil of the 90s are a classic example of how the game has changed. They were so fun to watch, had so much quality... you'll never see that type of football in today's game
coz nobody thought this is the Peak.Seirusly That Brasil team compared to Today , dude each of that player you mentioned is 200 mil + today, whole brasil team now is 400 mil max. Talent is gone we have systmeplayers
I think the level of non superstar players has risen , therefore it is harder to stand out. Coupled with managers not giving as many free roles out tactically.
Without a doubt there are less top strikers. There are less than a handful of elite strikers now, whereas every single top team had an elite striker in the late 90’s/early 2000’s. In 2001, Inter alone had R9, Vieri, Hakan Sukur, and Adriano on their roster. There’s not 4 better strikers than that in all of world football combined now.
There is worldclass and there it out of this world class. Those are only 2 currently and I do not see anyone even get close to them
Michael was so right