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Is international footy crap or am I getting old?

herra soul mob said:
think its wall to wall telly, in 70s and 80s looked forward to seeing the star players eg Maradona, Cruyff, Pele, Rossi etc as was only chance to see them . Now can see them every weekend and when Cl on during the week too.
There's not really any surprises anymore.
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I think that the general standard of your run of the mill player has gone up. You have a whole host of good/very good players with few truly outstanding ones. Add in how tactical the modern game is and it makes it harder for outstanding players to shine. Then to top it all off they make the international tournaments bigger and it promotes more defensive approach as shite teams know they can qualify without winning a game.
 

Scotty 1978 said:
There’s basically football on everyday these days, back in the day international tournaments were they only time you’d get loads of football on Tv at once
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This. I remember how exciting it was seeing multiple games in one day and then how sad I was when the tournament finished and it was back to just Match of the day and Sports night. :lol:
 
Cristiano Ronaldo and especially Messi are better than all of them but I agree about the apparent lack of ‘stars’.
I just put it down to us being older and maybe young’uns feel the same about the current crop as we did when we were young.

On other hand, maybe systems-driven football has created better teams but not better individuals?
 
Yes, you're getting old.

Seems like the thread is full of 50+ miserable bassas.

There have been some great World Cup moments in the past 20 years. I can't stand what FIFA have become and and the way they've handed the tournament to minging regimes, but I still enjoy watching the elite and obscure players. I also have no problem with the tournament being broadened.

Maybe I'll feel the same in a few years but I still love the World Cup.
 
WestEndLad1975 said:
Comes from listening to kids chatting at weekend and arguing who's better? Messi or Ronaldo?

I'm early 50s so first WC I remember to enjoy was 82.

I bought World Soccer mag with all the squads in and honestly...meh. Just thinking from the late 90s/2000s world cups lads of my age saw...

Crespo, Veron, batistuta.
Del piero, vieri, maldini, Nesta, Buffon, cannavaro, pirlo, inzahghi, totti.
Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, kaka, ronaldinho, Ronaldo.
Xavi, iniesta, busquets, puyol, David villa.
Rooney, Beckham, Gerrard, lampard, Terry, cole, Shearer, Owen.
Zidane, trezeguet, thuram, Deschamps, pires, desailly, blanc.
Davids, seedorf, Bergamo, de Boers, stam.

Then variously Figo, Keane, stoichkov, shevchenko, sammer, ballack, taribo west, litmanen, Larsson.

Looking at the talent or maybe "star names" now there's undoubtedly good players but I'd say a million miles from them above.
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Footballs more about stamina and athleticism than actual ability.

Hence a player like Anthony Gordon playing for Barca.
 
Yes it's is often crap for a number of factors, mainly:

- Club football is of a much higher standard generally, especially the champions league.

- Less goals are scored at international level, and is less attacking generally, as coaches have limited time with their squads and it is much quicker to coach a well organised defence than attacking scenarios. Much as SAFC did this season.
 
WestEndLad1975 said:
Comes from listening to kids chatting at weekend and arguing who's better? Messi or Ronaldo?

I'm early 50s so first WC I remember to enjoy was 82.

I bought World Soccer mag with all the squads in and honestly...meh. Just thinking from the late 90s/2000s world cups lads of my age saw...

Crespo, Veron, batistuta.
Del piero, vieri, maldini, Nesta, Buffon, cannavaro, pirlo, inzahghi, totti.
Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, kaka, ronaldinho, Ronaldo.
Xavi, iniesta, busquets, puyol, David villa.
Rooney, Beckham, Gerrard, lampard, Terry, cole, Shearer, Owen.
Zidane, trezeguet, thuram, Deschamps, pires, desailly, blanc.
Davids, seedorf, Bergamo, de Boers, stam.

Then variously Figo, Keane, stoichkov, shevchenko, sammer, ballack, taribo west, litmanen, Larsson.

Looking at the talent or maybe "star names" now there's undoubtedly good players but I'd say a million miles from them above.
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No doubt you also think modern music is crap, people don't know what it's like to work hard any more and should stop complaining all the time and get on with it like we did in the old days?
 
WestEndLad1975 said:
Comes from listening to kids chatting at weekend and arguing who's better? Messi or Ronaldo?

I'm early 50s so first WC I remember to enjoy was 82.

I bought World Soccer mag with all the squads in and honestly...meh. Just thinking from the late 90s/2000s world cups lads of my age saw...

Crespo, Veron, batistuta.
Del piero, vieri, maldini, Nesta, Buffon, cannavaro, pirlo, inzahghi, totti.
Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, kaka, ronaldinho, Ronaldo.
Xavi, iniesta, busquets, puyol, David villa.
Rooney, Beckham, Gerrard, lampard, Terry, cole, Shearer, Owen.
Zidane, trezeguet, thuram, Deschamps, pires, desailly, blanc.
Davids, seedorf, Bergamo, de Boers, stam.

Then variously Figo, Keane, stoichkov, shevchenko, sammer, ballack, taribo west, litmanen, Larsson.

Looking at the talent or maybe "star names" now there's undoubtedly good players but I'd say a million miles from them above.
Click to expand...

I think this is th3 first Brazilian attack ive seen in ages that im actually excited about seeing. Its not ronaldo/Ronaldinho but since they were the best in the world at the time it doesnt have to be to be good.
 
I cannot stand non fans getting all hyped over world cups. Chucking lager about, buying the Engerlund shirts etc. Makes me teeth itch.
 
10 Trenches Deep said:
USA vs SENGAL last night was a tremendous game
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My point is more games I'd have previously thought tremendous I'm just not arsed about. Struggle to watch a full game these days, such is my (lack of) interest. And that's across domestic and international football.

Unless it's the lads.
 
WestEndLad1975 said:
Comes from listening to kids chatting at weekend and arguing who's better? Messi or Ronaldo?

I'm early 50s so first WC I remember to enjoy was 82.

I bought World Soccer mag with all the squads in and honestly...meh. Just thinking from the late 90s/2000s world cups lads of my age saw...

Crespo, Veron, batistuta.
Del piero, vieri, maldini, Nesta, Buffon, cannavaro, pirlo, inzahghi, totti.
Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, kaka, ronaldinho, Ronaldo.
Xavi, iniesta, busquets, puyol, David villa.
Rooney, Beckham, Gerrard, lampard, Terry, cole, Shearer, Owen.
Zidane, trezeguet, thuram, Deschamps, pires, desailly, blanc.
Davids, seedorf, Bergamo, de Boers, stam.

Then variously Figo, Keane, stoichkov, shevchenko, sammer, ballack, taribo west, litmanen, Larsson.

Looking at the talent or maybe "star names" now there's undoubtedly good players but I'd say a million miles from them above.
Click to expand...
I'm late fifties, first i remember was the 1974 World Cup, it was great.

Enjoyed the ones after that, '78. '82. '86. '90.

Not so much from then on, America hosting 1994 was a change among a sea of changes around that time re. football.

Enjoyed watching Spain when they were at their peak though in more recent times.
 
When I first started watching world cups (1990 onwards) it was the only time you’d get to see the stars of world football such as maradona and baggio

But now there’s so much football on television and so many of the top players are in the premier league anyway, there’s less mystique in seeing them playing for their national teams

And the champions league is so expanded nowadays that these players are up against each other every other week so there’s less of a wondering of how, say, Gazza would get on playing against the other world class players
 
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