The Football Thread

Man that was a kung fu kick. I�d say that�s a bit too dangerous for my entertainment. If one of our players had been treated like that, we would have shouted w**ker and other more nasty things at the kung fu kicker the rest of the game.

Colt wrote: ..and yes play just carried on, no girlie fights or play acting. ...and yes shortly after Bremner got up and played on. ...and yes there were far less injuries than today even with the physical side that existed back then. If you can find it get a copy of the Leeds v Chelsea FA Cup Final Replay 1970. REAL football. Not for the faint hearted but also some of the silkiest skills you will ever witness.

Though, he was laying down the whole time. All he needed was a wet sponge to get up... That's just trying to get a free kick or a penalty in this case.  

Edited by Woutjinho - 25 Nov 2011 at 4:44am

Woutjinho wrote: All he needed was a wet sponge to get up...

Like it!

Woutjinho wrote: Jaap Stam... Video doesn't work...

Make sure you use the long link from You Tube and use the insert movie icon in the new post box

Colt wrote: harmonium.ro wrote: BTW, the extreme physicality is one of the things I dislike most about modern football. Are you winding me up Alex??

Not at all, just providing conversation. :) By physicality I am referring to the force put into rule-abiding contacts, especially tackles and shoulder-to-shoulder runs. I am often watching videos of football played twenty or more years ago and the thing that strucks me more is how the creative player can dribble and twist around the opponents freely, in a manner that today would not be possible anymore. Just look at these videos for example:





This stuff isn't possible anymore; most such encounters end with the player with the ball being smashed into and brought down to the ground or at least put off balance enough to lose the ball. Today this is seen as a perfectly normal aspect of the game basics, it's part of the "professional" approach.

Here are some typical examples:





Now we idolize Messi for his outstanding skill and we rate him as probably the best footballer ever, but in reality we simply became unaccustumed with such playing style (the dribbling no.10) as it slowly disappeared under the pressure of extreme physicality. But back in the day there were plenty of players whose style was just like that.

In fairness though, Messi probably is the most technically gifted ever, considering he manages to dribble like he does in our days... And the same applies to Ronaldinho.

It's no wonder that the only game style from our days fully based on technicality, that of Spain and Barcelona, is not one in which technicality is employed in taking on the adversary in a one-on-one with the ball, like in the old days, but in releasing the ball in short and fast passes before the opponent can reach you in order to close you down (the so-called tiki-taka):



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Now, from what you said and from the video you posted, the physicality you mentioned is a different one, one which was specific to the "romantic" era. This wasn't about ruthlessly closing down the opponent as tough as possible, but it was about (sorry if the words offend) extreme recklessness and even pure violence (kicking and hitting). When you couldn't do anything of a sporting nature against the opponent, you'd resort to that. Here's a classic example:



And the classic target of the romantic era:



His physical resilience to all this was just amazing. Probably the most assaulted football player ever. One can even split in categories the most used violent procedures against him, now all disappeared from the game: standing in front of him for impact, hugging and bringing him down, hitting his legs, making him trip from behind.

Maradona didn't escape it either:





Some variations from Maradona's time are the punch in the face and the scissor-tackle.

But this is probably the "best" moment of violence on the football field:



Personally I consider all this stuff barbaric and completely opposed to the idea of sportsmanship. Fortunately I started watching football in the mid '90s, when this phenomenen had just (finally) disappeared from football.

I listen regularly to the BBC 5 live daily football podcast and I can't stop noticing how whenever players from back then are asked about the positive changes in the game, what they stress is always:
- quality pitches
- the more dynamic game (especially because of the liberalization of the offside rule and of the banning of the backwards pass to the goalkeeper), and
- the ruling out of violence from the game (especially gratuitous violence and the tackle from behind).
All of them seem pretty happy with the evolution, and so am I.


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Phew! Glad I got that off my chest!

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Oh, and the other thing that I dislike (actually this annoys me as hell) is complaining and protesting to the referee.


Edited by harmonium.ro - 25 Nov 2011 at 5:25am

Sorry Jonas. :(

Good draw, nevertheless.

(obligatory American response)

That guy running the ball is 90 kilos and that guy he is dragging by his neck weighs around 150!


The play that won my team the championship back in 2008



I kid! Ironically could never get into football, watching but it is damn fun to play!
And rough...god my shins and ankles are beat up to hell and my feet hurt.
Was playing with some kids at school and my roommate accidentally got a kick to head and said the whole day all his teeth were loose. Was afraid to eat or do anything until they settled back into place


Edited by The Angry Scotsman - 12 Dec 2011 at 4:19pm

...and don�t remember to buy a hamburger, some fries and a 1 gallon coke.

I know I know I couldn't resist, it just has to be done.

UMUR wrote: ...and don�t remember to buy a hamburger, some fries and a 1 gallon coke.

Hey hey, it was all good until now. Don't be like Daniel Gildenlow, keep the lazy fat bastard stereotypes away please!


Like I said it is fun to play and I do hate when people laugh it off as "sissy" and all that, those dudes can pretty messed up. It's also fast paced and frenetic for sure.

Oh, and running around is fun, just some of us have evolved to use our hands



Edited by The Angry Scotsman - 13 Dec 2011 at 11:05am

The Angry Scotsman wrote: I know I know I couldn't resist, it just has to be done. UMUR wrote: ...and don�t remember to buy a hamburger, some fries and a 1 gallon coke. Hey hey, it was all good until now. Don't be like Daniel Gildenlow, keep the lazy fat bastard stereotypes away please! Like I said it is fun to play and I do hate when people laugh it off as "sissy" and all that, those dudes can pretty messed up. It's also fast paced and frenetic for sure. Oh, and running around is fun, just some of us have evolved to use our hands