Serie A 2021-22 (56 Viewers)

[Strickland]

Teams compete at who's the worst rather than being the best.The game is way less competitive which made it stagnate - scratch that, made it regress.

Game is watered down to shocking levels. This sport is in serious decline and with the world still dealing with Covid all those cash flows will get further diminished. Super League inception was thought of because the sport is not even being sustainable anymore due to viewership getting fewer and fewer.

Failing industry. But no! This is the best generation! Get out of here.

What the fuck does that even mean? Who competes at being the worst? Did Italy lose the Euros and actually North Macedonia won?

The sport isnt sustainable because the wage bills and agent fees and transfer fees exploded and were on a crazy rise 2016-2019 and then Covid happened.

 

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[Post Ironic]

I get the romanticism. I miss the days we had #10s honestly. The game has become a lot more physical.
But honestly I think this is pure nostalgia. You can say Batistuta is better striker, but you make it sound like they are levels apart, and they aren't. In what way was Batistuta so superior to Kane they can't be compared?

Not romanticism, nor nostalgia. Batistuta was the one of the best strikers in the world. Kane at his best has always been a level below the Lewandowski’s, Suarez’s, Cavani’s, etc of his era. He’s had some great periods of form, but never been in that upper echelon. Batistuta was in that upper echelon. Which is why he’s considered one of the best of all time, not just one of the best of his era alone. Kane, unless he really turns it up going forward won’t be there.

 

[Cerval]

What the fuck does that even mean? Who competes at being the worst? Did Italy lose the Euros and actually North Macedonia won?

The sport isnt sustainable because the wage bills and agent fees and transfer fees exploded and were on a crazy rise 2016-2019 and then Covid happened.

Compete at not being the worst. Thats what I meant. Viewership is on the decline, even Agnelli acknowledged it in his promotion of the Super League. The product offered is not interesting. Had I not had an interest in football before I would never have gotten into it right now.

Either way, I don't think we'll agree

 

[Post Ironic]

The sport has become less physical and more athletic, if that makes any sense. The OG Ronaldo would just have to run through the football field to score goals in this era without worrying about flying tackles and body checks.

Game is about athleticism alone now. Skill and talent are there in some players, but nowhere near the levels they were during the previous era. Everything is about running fast and hard.

 

[campionesidd]

Again, objective facts:
1. More people play the sport -> more competition -> higher level
2. The sport is more lucrative than ever -> more competition on all levels (players, coaches, support staff, etc) -> higher level
3. Improvements in sports medical science -> overall improvements in speed, stamina, strength, less players have to retire due to injuries, increased longetivity -> higher level
4. Improvement in sports data science -> players make better informed decisions, coaches make better informed decision, more effective talent identification -> higher level

That's the increase, I don't want to write an essay about it, but if you think long enough, you can double or triple this list with things that have improved compared to 20 or 70 years ago. So objectively the level has improved.

The data aspect of it might have cost something when it comes to entertainment. The money aspect might have cost a lot when it comes to the image of the sport, so obviously there's a lot not to like about it and I get sentiments such as "football was better in the xx'ies", meaning football was more entertaining or footballers and club owners were more likable. However I see no reasons to think that the competitiveness and the general level of the sport itself is lower than in the 90ties. Why the fuck would it be? It's like thinking formula 1 cars of the 50ties could run laps around the modern cars, of course they couldn't.

Compare any top National team today to one 20-30 years ago and see how far football has fallen.

Brazil. Is there anyone in todays team that comes close to Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Cafu, Roberto Carlos and Kaka? Neymar is the only one.

Argentina. They have Messi but the rest of the team is garbage. Who’s their Riquelme, Batistuta, Crespo, Aimar, Veron, Zanetti?

Italy. Winning the Euros was a huge achievement but the only legendary players this teams has are Chiellini and maybe Bonucci. No Buffon, Nesta, Cannavaro, Zambrotta, Maldini, Pirlo, Gattuso, Totti, Vieri, Del Piero and others.

Spain. Nowhere the team it was in the late 2000s.

France. Probably the best team in the world, but still doesn’t hold a candle to the 1998-2000 teams who had Zidane, Henry, Deschamps, Vieira, Trezeguet, Thuram, Pires etc.

I can go on and on.
The only exceptions are Belgium and Portugal who probably have the best teams they’ve ever had.

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If you want to make an argument from a club level, than today all the best players play for a handful of clubs- Barca (debatable after Messi left), Real Madrid, Bayern, PSG, maybe Juve and the big 4 English teams.
Back then you had superstars playing at clubs like Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen, Fiorentina, Roma, Lazio, the Milan teams, Lyon, Monaco, Celtic, Ajax, PSV, Porto, Benfica apart from the top teams I mentioned earlier.

 

[Fred]

The sport has become less physical and more athletic, if that makes any sense. The OG Ronaldo would just have to run through the football field to score goals in this era without worrying about flying tackles and body checks.

On the flipside defenders are faster, stronger and more fit.

 

[Elvin]

Compare any top National team today to one 20-30 years ago and see how far football has fallen.

Brazil. Is there anyone in todays team that comes close to Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Cafu, Roberto Carlos and Kaka? Neymar is the only one.

Argentina. They have Messi but the rest of the team is garbage. Who’s their Riquelme, Batistuta, Crespo, Aimar, Veron, Zanetti?

Italy. Winning the Euros was a huge achievement but the only legendary players this teams has are Chiellini and maybe Bonucci. No Buffon, Nesta, Cannavaro, Zambrotta, Maldini, Pirlo, Gattuso, Totti, Vieri, Del Piero and others.

Spain. Nowhere the team it was in the late 2000s.

France. Probably the best team in the world, but still doesn’t hold a candle to the 1998-2000 teams who had Zidane, Henry, Deschamps, Vieira, Trezeguet, Thuram, Pires etc.

I can go on and on.
The only exceptions are Belgium and Portugal who probably have the best teams they’ve ever had.

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If you want to make an argument from a club level, than today all the best players play for a handful of clubs- Barca (debatable after Messi left), Real Madrid, Bayern, PSG, maybe Juve and the big 4 English teams.
Back then you had superstars playing at clubs like Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen, Fiorentina, Roma, Lazio, the Milan teams, Lyon, Monaco, Celtic, Ajax, PSV, Porto, Benfica apart from the top teams I mentioned earlier.

I can even name them: Mendieta, Ballack, Batistuta, Totti, Nesta, Sheva, R9, Juninho, Giuly, Larsson, Van Bommel, Deco

Now I cant name shit from most these teams.

 

[Fred]

Compare any top National team today to one 20-30 years ago and see how far football has fallen.

Brazil. Is there anyone in todays team that comes close to Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Cafu, Roberto Carlos and Kaka? Neymar is the only one.

Argentina. They have Messi but the rest of the team is garbage. Who’s their Riquelme, Batistuta, Crespo, Aimar, Veron, Zanetti?

Italy. Winning the Euros was a huge achievement but the only legendary players this teams has are Chiellini and maybe Bonucci. No Buffon, Nesta, Cannavaro, Zambrotta, Maldini, Pirlo, Gattuso, Totti, Vieri, Del Piero and others.

Spain. Nowhere the team it was in the late 2000s.

France. Probably the best team in the world, but still doesn’t hold a candle to the 1998-2000 teams who had Zidane, Henry, Deschamps, Vieira, Trezeguet, Thuram, Pires etc.

I can go on and on.
The only exceptions are Belgium and Portugal who probably have the best teams they’ve ever had.

- - - Updated - - -

If you want to make an argument from a club level, than today all the best players play for a handful of clubs- Barca (debatable after Messi left), Real Madrid, Bayern, PSG, maybe Juve and the big 4 English teams.
Back then you had superstars playing at clubs like Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen, Fiorentina, Roma, Lazio, the Milan teams, Lyon, Monaco, Celtic, Ajax, PSV, Porto, Benfica apart from the top teams I mentioned earlier.

This I think is true though. Resources and money are more concentrated at the top now, which causes this. But an Aimar, Riquelme or Batistuta would not be playing at a smaller club nowadays

 

[campionesidd]

How is it possible that more and more people compete in the sport and more and more people from all fields contribute to the sport, as its become incredibly ludicrous, yet the quality of the elite players is lower? All of them dumb? No top youth coaches left in the world who know how to develop top talent, all dead?

So what? India and China have a billion people. By your logic, they should be the best teams in the world.
Football culture matters. Today’s football is plagued by mega clubs, parasitic agents and fame chasing players. Today’s fans also have zero attention spans, leading to the demand for ultra attacking and physical football with no regards to tactical shapes and defensive solidity.
The moment a team like Ajax or Monaco make a run in the Champions League, their teams get stripped apart to the bare bones by bigger clubs. That didn’t happen 20 years ago. The likes of AC Milan, one of the greatest football clubs of all time, struggle to compete financially with Burnley and Brighton and Hove Albion, so football heritage means jack shit, only financial might does.

 

[Fred]

So what? India and China have a billion people. By your logic, they should be the best teams in the world.
Football culture matters. Today’s football is plagued by mega clubs, parasitic agents and fame chasing players. Today’s fans also have zero attention spans, leading to the demand for ultra attacking and physical football with no regards to tactical shapes and defensive solidity.
The moment a team like Ajax or Monaco make a run in the Champions League, their teams get stripped apart to the bare bones by bigger clubs. That didn’t happen 20 years ago. The likes of AC Milan, one of the greatest football clubs of all time, struggle to compete financially with Burnley and Brighton and Hove Albion, so football heritage means jack shit, only financial might does.

When Ac Milan was one of the best clubs in the world, they were also one of the richest. Football heritage never meant anything if you didn't have resources. When Serie A was the best league in the world, it also was the league players got paid the highest, and some of the biggest transfers were made.

You make it sound like Italian clubs were not some of the most resourceful in the 80's, 90s.

 

[Elvin]

When Ac Milan was one of the best clubs in the world, they were also one of the richest. Football heritage never meant anything if you didn't have resources. When Serie A was the best league in the world, it also was the league players got paid the highest, and some of the biggest transfers were made.

You make it sound like Italian clubs were not some of the most resourceful in the 80's, 90s.

I think we all found the root of the problem - the resources were more spread out, which made football more fun/competitive.

 

[Stevie]

Football has seriously declined since roughly 2010 anyone who cant see that is either too young or too dumb.

 

[Fred]

I think we all found the root of the problem - the resources were more spread out, which made football more fun/competitive.

They were spread out, but Italian teams in general were the richest in the 80s 90s

But ya seriously, a lot of players on the bench at city, psg, bayern, Chelsea nowadays would have been star players at other clubs in the past

 

[il brutto]

So what? India and China have a billion people. By your logic, they should be the best teams in the world.
Football culture matters. Today’s football is plagued by mega clubs, parasitic agents and fame chasing players. Today’s fans also have zero attention spans, leading to the demand for ultra attacking and physical football with no regards to tactical shapes and defensive solidity.
The moment a team like Ajax or Monaco make a run in the Champions League, their teams get stripped apart to the bare bones by bigger clubs. That didn’t happen 20 years ago. The likes of AC Milan, one of the greatest football clubs of all time, struggle to compete financially with Burnley and Brighton and Hove Albion.

I disagree about the tactical and defensive solidity part. Imo teams today are generally much better set-up defensively compared to the 90s for example. The amount of space you had in the 90s was just borderline amateur level compared to today. Teams are much more compact nowadays and generally do a good job of limiting the time and space players have in dangerous areas.

Also the part about Ajax and Monaco is not really true.

Basically everyone that didn't retire left that team sooner or later

Kluivert -> Milan
Davids -> Milan
Reiziger -> Milan
Overmars -> Arsenal
George -> Betis
Van der Sar -> Juventus
Litmanen -> Barcelona
Both De Boers -> Barcelona

And if we're talking about that 2004 Monaco team they also lost a lot of their spine with guys like Evra, Giuly and Rothen moving to other teams.

 

[Fred]

Football has seriously declined since roughly 2010 anyone who cant see that is either too young or too dumb.

I'm glad you settled that.
I'm probably older than you though and maybe even have been watching football longer

 

[Siamak]

So what? India and China have a billion people. By your logic, they should be the best teams in the world.
Football culture matters. Today’s football is plagued by mega clubs, parasitic agents and fame chasing players. Today’s fans also have zero attention spans, leading to the demand for ultra attacking and physical football with no regards to tactical shapes and defensive solidity.
The moment a team like Ajax or Monaco make a run in the Champions League, their teams get stripped apart to the bare bones by bigger clubs. That didn’t happen 20 years ago. The likes of AC Milan, one of the greatest football clubs of all time, struggle to compete financially with Burnley and Brighton and Hove Albion, so football heritage means jack shit, only financial might does.

India is great at cricket.

 

[DAiDEViL]

I'm glad you settled that.
I'm probably older than you though and maybe even have been watching football longer

What's next, you gonna play the jew card?

 

[Fred]

It's going to happen to every generation. Do you guys not remember your parents or older ppl telling you Zz, Dp, fat R9 were nothing compared to Maradona, Van Basten and Baggio

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What's next, you gonna play the jew card?

From now on I think I will

 

[JCK]

Which current striker can be compared to Ruud Van Nistelroy?

 

[Albo]

Nostalgia fc strikes again


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