So I'm looking 'back' at my childhood Back to the days of when I first watched football The days of the World Cup 98 in France The days of shiney football shirts and black boots The players I marvelled at were Bergkamp, Zidane, Del Piero, Totti, THE Ronaldo. As time moved on I grew to like players like Pires, Henry, Riquelme, Beckham, etc. I now look at the popular players of football today - Cronaldo, Robinho, Quaresma. Sure, these new players are good, but I don't get too excited about them - I'm now noticing a distinct difference to the players I've liked, and the ones that today are deemed great... Tricks...is it my imagination, or do players like Quaresma and Robinho do static stepovers and random little tricks whenever possible - and while they do so, the opposition just jockeys them? In this time, their team has lost space, and they haven't created space either. And then of course these guys rely on pace. But what happened to the days where it was important to have a good touch, and then throw in a trick where necessary. In fact, I wouldn't even call them tricks - they were more like fancy moves to get out of a tight space or around a man. This isn't a great video, or too exciting - but Zidane's first few skills just embody what I feel is slowly leaving the game. Gone are purposeful stepovers and turns or feints...we now seem to see an overload of fancy footwork at a standstill or distance, and a bit of push and run. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkA7IwUucnc&feature=related DISCUSS...
It's a lot harder to idolize your peers than it is to idolize players who are 10, 15, 20 years older than you.
Agree and disagree- yes certain players have clever showboat footwork that really gets them nowhere, but then having a defender jockey you in itself buys your teammates time to get open-it's a basketball pointguard thing, or can be used like a quarterback looking off his intended target. Stepovers, dragovers etc can be used simply as a stalling tactic as you await movements to develop, and true playmakers utilise this, however few have reached the levels that Zidane achieved. Admittedly many current players just throw a trick for the crowd, but I have no problems with that so long as they don't lose the ball or ignore a better option, but then I think your list of "old time heroes" has players who themselves at times were guilty of overplaying. Yes I'm a huge Cristi mark, BUT it is undeniable how effective the kid can be. His absence from big games aside, as an outlet winger he will reliably move the ball 10-50 yards downfield whilst keeping posession, and the guy has taken the tricks of the Zizou's and made them a science. Whilst Zidane played with beauty and soul, Cristi plays with calculated effectiveness. Robinho and Quaresma are less effective, due to the higher demands of athleticism in the modern game- Robs is small and can be bullied out of games whilst Quaresma is lazy and lacks the quickness at the highest level. "THE Ronaldo" covered his patchy touch with his powerful speed in his younger days, notable in how he has to play now since he lost that first yard. Of the current players, you omit the diamond in the gemstones that is Messi, who kind of counters the notion that players are just show ponys now. Seriously, the guy has absolutely no tricks, only one foot and is the size of a child, yet his supernatural balance and swift movement, combined with as composed touch as you get, makes this unlikely athlete as effective a footballer as there is on the planet. "Skill" ie tricks has become a more prominent part of the game over the past decade, and as such defenders are more savvy to it themselves. Now that everyone's mother can do the elastico it's much harder to pull it off in an penetrative way as opponents are less likely to be suckered into such a dummy. Defensive attributes have also changed accordingly, fullbacks are now the fittest fastest players on the team to counterforward running into the channels, which restructures an attackers perogative as a slowmo full preki will not gain you the same space and time as a quick push and run. I honestly believe skill is at it's all-time highest in world soccer, and is more important a component than it ever has been in the game. Zizou was a rare-freak who lifted the bar for the generation to follow him- that they are yet to meet his standards is hardly proof positive that this current crop are not upto par.
to prove your point R&W, what did this accomplish against arsenal or even hoyte? [youtube]0JQWhz90TUg[/youtube]
I think that Shrapnac's point is very valid - I find it hard to even muster up much man-love for Cesc these days. As for Case's vast contribution - much appreciated. There's some great points there, and I of course have left out many points in my argument. But Perhaps the point I really was trying to make is that there seem to be a lot more of these 'flash nonsence skill players' in football today - and many people seem to love it. I suppose the topic won't take us anywhere, or get to anything, but I do find it interesting how football has evolved in a few short years. As for cjump's video clip - that's the exact thing I'm trying to point out. It's entertaining, but at the end of the day gets you nowhere. The game does need it, but perhaps the thing that infuriates me most is how many 'fans' will go onto gloat and shout about how 'Ronaldo completely owned and outclassed Hoyte there!'
it's just showboating, it happens in all sport ronaldo is effective with it, but his main asset is speed, without speed his tricks would be useless..... whereas zidane used tricks to create space for himself as he wasnt the quickest but when he picked up speed he made driving runs, zidane used the space to deliver ridiculous passes as he was central u can see in walcott, if u have the speed tricks arent necessary as unless the fullback is ridiculously quick or laterally fast then u can just cut inside and then change angle and either speed past them or draw contact
I do think it's a good topic of debate sanch, the change in the game has certainly been noticeable and the pop-media has jumped on it - the major manufacturers are all over it since those early Nike 3 on 3 ads, then onto Joga TV, Adidas's campaigns that see the world united by trick-articulate superstars, Pepsi's trick teaching ads and onto Puma's cyborg's as the future. Look at Fifa street, and SoccerAMs showboat and skill school, these all eulogise (very possibly spelt/used incorrectly- but I'm in a rush) tricks and skill and idolise those famous players with them. It could be argued that the improvements in playing surfaces over the past 15 years has created an environment when ball-playing is more achievable due to the predictability of roll and bounce, and in turn puts more emphasis on it as defenders are more savvy themselves. This enabled those naturally gifted players of the 90s to flourish, and the mass-media sent images of this around the world. Then we all went online and spoke about it, went outside and copied the skills ourselves, filmed it and put it on blogs and youtube. Then kids see this and themselves go out and learn these tricks as closed skill, in the garden, so when they grow up they can do them so long as no-one trys tackling them- and this is where I believe the "flash nonsense" comes in. Combine this with the popularity of "Urban Sports Culture" during the time and we have a generation raised by Wesley Snipes teaching Woody Harrelson the importance of dunking on a fool to make em look bad. Hey presto we've got the And1 mixtape tour. I personally see a huge shift in the UK, I swear after learning stepovers in coaching schools as a kid I never used one, or saw them used, until my career aspirations were over and I started playing amateur adult footy whereby the emphasise is less on winning on the scoreboard and more about proving yourself better than the opposition in the less tangible ways. Now every kid you see has mad ball skill but can't deal with the big lad who knocks em off the ball and thumps it at goal! Sure, showboating is part of the modern game, but when you give young men the carrot of millions of pounds and celebrity status, there ego's will be so wrapped up in their image that why wouldn't your championship winger wanna make a highlight reel for himself hoping to get that endorsement. Might not impress his manager, but if it impresses the sponsors.... On a personal level, to me sport is in many ways a tool to assert our dominance over our peers, and proving to oneself that we can skin a defender is a very empowering affirmation in an era whereby our phylogenetically developed aggressive competitiveness is squashed by social norm - we can't fight to prove our 'fitness', so we use our fitness and skill to do it. The conflict between naturally selected instinct, and socialised mating patterns mean that men especially are innately insecure i.e. we feel the need to enhance our ego by nutmeggind a fullback then wrapping the wrong leg behind the other to chip a cross in! It's not completely new, but historically people with maaad ball-juggling skills were very rarely able to apply themselves to the game of football. Take Stevie G as an antithesis of this, I dunno if the guy could do more than 10 keepy-ups but he's simply put amazingly proficcient at the game of football.... (more later, ain't u lucky!)
Dude did some awesome ish and got a gooner to show his true vicious colors, how can you call that "wasting time"!
i think that it was close to the end of the match and that's the reason he was doing it there. his team has the lead, why would he not waste time like that?
For some reason I lost the love at times that I used to have as a boy.. I'm not sure why, but I seem to not really like any of the modern players they all had their flaws. Somehow whenever I saw a match in the 90's it was just different..The game is now more focused on that player not the team. I've stopped watching the Prem and honestly professional football a lot I watch it here and there, but the game is just the same..
its cus weve got older as it's been said imo id rather watch arsenals 1 touch passing than man uniteds one player running with the ball and doing tricks i prefer to see team flair than a one man team
I actually agree, but I've had a rough year with how football has gone for me so I guess it could be that..
Killed time in the oppositions end, protecting a lead and drawing a foul. I'd say he did a lot more then just showboat even if his intentions were to show off first kill time/draw the player second.
you are probably one of the first to scream that purseboy needs protection too. someone does that against my team, we find a way to let them know their error. it serves no purpose and disrespects the game more than showcase his own talent. he has amazing talent but he wonders why people are out for him. i would have no problems kicking him a little bit. also, this game has become who pays more. why do young kids have a ball at their feet 23 hour a day? it's the love of the game. i do not believe that many players have that passion anymore. thats the shame about pro sports. rivalries bring out those passions again but the next week it's gone. i genuinely believe that zizou had the passion. raul, giggs, and beckham have it too. adebayor? purseboy? bentley? none of them do. they all would walk from the game if the paycheck is larger.
Dude Raul went 3 seasons without breaking into a jog, whilst HIS hometown boyhood club won NOTHING...... If showboating is a disrespect to the game, how is deliberately kicking someone standing up for it? May as well go back to the '66 "mark Pele out the game" mentality. I got a huge chip on my shoulder against thugs taking cheapshots at the ball-carrier, soccer puts the guy in posession at a distinct disadvantage as maintaining a dribble puts the leg in extremely prone positions - clattering a guy with the ball to "learn him a lesson" is akin to rabbit-punching a granny for walking slowly in the street. If you got that much aggression, by all means go toe to toe with someone when they prepared and able to defend themselves, play Football, Rugby or get in some MMA. You talk about "the love of the game" but then undermine it by insinuating your team would deliberately hurt someone for showing skill, sorry man but you usually come over as better than that c
You sir are so off base it's rediculous. A player attacking another player out of skill jealousy is what is disrespectful to the game. As for your uninformed rambling about the players of yesteryear and today mainly Ronaldo, laughable, someone should buy you a clue. Anyone with the slightest insight of Ronaldo knows he has the ball at his feet every day and is obsessed with it even while off time he plays in his backyard and has broken some of his windows by accident from all the games he plays with his cousin. He is the first to training and last to leave every session because he is determined to be the best player in the world and has made that statement many times since he was 18. While injured he still continued juggling the ball with his head only. So for you Raul, Zizou and Beckham had the passion but today it's just about money. How unfortunate for the players you mentioned, their passion was not rewarded with today's big paychecks, oh wait! Finally you say you would kick Ronaldo? looks like he already beat you at the mental game and would get a couple of free kicks then
Now I was thinking about Sanchy's original post, about how footy doesn't hold what it once did to him, becoz of the players, and with the NBA tipoff lastnight it made me realise that I totally feel the same about Bball. For me, the shadow of Batman & Robin loom so large that all since have been doomed to fail. That era of mid 80s-90s ball seemingly holds prominence in the modern day players minds also, as the retro culture has the entire league paying homage, not that I watch Bball anymores, even tho it prolly is as good as ever - just in my mind the magic is gone and todays league is a pale imitation.... Sad times
case, thing is with the nba...they let certain supoerstars take about 4 steps if they finish with a dunk the foul calls are bs too, more contact should be allowed the old shaq diesel wouldve fouled out every game nowadays, its sad....dudes cant bang inside no more (no homo) personally lebron and kobe are on a jordan level the amount they can do....maybe jordan took the marketisation (does that word exist? i might patent it!) too far and now everyone expects too much?
mate imo, the games 'better' than it was and these guys can jordan it up on any given night there are much better and bigger players in the league now so even though jordan is the best ever these guys put up sinmilair numbers kobe is like him cus hes lethal, athletic and a lockdown defender
I mean the Pippen factor will never be truely known, but it's possible that the guy was no1 potential with the humility and sense to see the benefit in riding Mike coat-tails. I don't think you can see the season and a half between 3peats as an inditement of Robin's ability as THE man. Nowadays you ain't gonna get someone that good with someone that great, and it's arguable that Jordan's shine was only as bright becoz of Robin. So perhaps these next dudes could've been Mike, but they haven't. Youtube Kobe Vs Jordan and u'll see how immatation is indeed the best form of flattery, but for all the ability, Bryant has, perhaps thru bad luck, been unable to perform those miracles. Failures with US Bball, no rings post Shaq etc. To me Kobe and Lebron are bother reincarnations of Jordan's mojo, but neither have quite managed the glory that the big homie did. Mebe it is the rest of the game has up-skilled around them, but either way there just isn't that omnipotence about their presence BECAUSE the ability of others takes away from their own. Who is the best player in the league? That question has been debateable for years, with Hill, Carter, Wade and others being shouts in the past decades, whereas for like 12 years there wasn't any argument. I just figure that after arguing so voicefirously with Sanchy's stance, it was worth mentioning that I feel the exact same about a different sport!
maybe jordan was the first true superstar swingman? he could do everything, if u watch kobe he can too, 3s, mid range, drive, athletic layups/dunks, he can pass and defend well, steal the ball instincitvely....thing is, basketball players are better nowadays so theres more quality its like comparing maradonna to messi
Except Messi is nothing compared to Maradona, he's won dick all compared to Maradona. Don't get me wrong, I love Messi, but don't compare him to Maradona.