If you could go back in time and watch any game live, that did not involve your club or country, what would it be?

[WarksRobin]

4 hours ago, cider hoss rules said:

I thought it was a draw, a last minute penalty save kept it at 4-4

I was sure they escaped to victory. I'll check the record books....

[BS15_RED]

I know it says not club or country, but I’d love to of seen Brazil v England at the 1970 World Cup, in particular the battle between Pelé and Bobby Moore. The way Moore stopped him time and time again without being overly physical in an era when kicking your opponent was  accepted. The photo of them swapping their shirts after the game is one of the all time great images of sport.

[22A]

Any game on the first day of the Football League in 1888. I'd then come out of the ground, go into a bookies and put a large bet on PNE going undefeated for the entire season!

[cider hoss rules]

1 hour ago, WarksRobin said:

I was sure they escaped to victory. I'll check the record books....

From Wiki:

Despite the match officials being heavily biased towards the Germans, and the German team causing several deliberate injuries to the Allied players, a draw is achieved after great performances from Luis Fernandez (portrayed by Pelé), Carlos Rey (portrayed by Osvaldo Ardiles) and Terry Brady (portrayed by Bobby Moore). Hatch plays goalkeeper, and makes excellent saves including one last save from a penalty kick as time expires to deny the Germans the win, drawing the game 4–4. An Allied goal had been blatantly disallowed earlier in the match, so the POW team should have won 5–4.

The POWs do manage to escape at the end of the game following the original plan, amid the confusion caused by the crowd storming the field (shouting "victoire") after Hatch preserved the draw.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape_to_Victory

[stephenkibby.]

WBA v Coventry late 70s.  If our game was called off early enough (local football) we would shoot of to a game somewhere.

As much my choice would be City living in Devon I didn't always get the casting vote.

So this particular day it was a trip to the Hawthorns witch I decided to give a miss.

West Brom side that included Regis and Cunningham. Result  WBA 7-0 Coventry. also in my wisdom turned down the chance of going to the England v Holland game in the Euros.

[BS4 on Tour...]

.

[BS4 on Tour...]

On 24/05/2020 at 23:29, David Brent said:

Not everyone on here is English

So, you plumped for the 1966 World Cup Final as the game you wanted to go back in time to watch ‘live’ - brill choice! Then I pointed you towards the thread title and you replied as above ... apologies, from all your posts on here I thought you were English ... I seemingly got that wrong. It’s obvious that a non-English person would chose the 1966 World Cup Final ... so, what nationality are you? 

[Isawjonshaw]

Liverpool 0 Arsenal 2    1989

[Norn Iron]

On 27/05/2020 at 23:02, BS4 on Tour... said:

So, you plumped for the 1966 World Cup Final as the game you wanted to go back in time to watch ‘live’ - brill choice! Then I pointed you towards the thread title and you replied as above ... apologies, from all your posts on here I thought you were English ... I seemingly got that wrong. It’s obvious that a non-English person would chose the 1966 World Cup Final ... so, what nationality are you? 

Russian. His real name is Davvid Brentski and is related to the linesman.

[bcfcshorey]

Liverpool vs Milan for the Istanbul final. Especially if I could lump all my money on a Liverpool win at HT.

[CHIPLEY RED]

Bristol Rovers 0 - 1 Mansfield

[ZiderEyed]

On 03/06/2020 at 11:58, bcfcshorey said:

Liverpool vs Milan for the Istanbul final. Especially if I could lump all my money on a Liverpool win at HT.

As recent(ish!) as it was, if you were to compare those two sides now, theres is no way you'd have put money on Liverpool to win even before kick off.

              

                    Dida

Cafu - Maldini - Stam - Nesta

                Gattuso

         Seedorf - Pirlo

                  Kaka

    Shevchenko - Crespo

 

That is a properly world class team. Every single player was world class on their day. The only Liverpool player close to that mantle was Gerrard. Mindblowing that Liverpool beat that side. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

5 minutes ago, ZiderEyed said:

As recent(ish!) as it was, if you were to compare those two sides now, theres is no way you'd have put money on Liverpool to win even before kick off.

              

                    Dida

Cafu - Maldini - Stam - Nesta

                Gattuso

         Seedorf - Pirlo

                  Kaka

    Shevchenko - Crespo

 

That is a properly world class team. Every single player was world class on their day. The only Liverpool player close to that mantle was Gerrard. Mindblowing that Liverpool beat that side. 

Alonso not world class or on the way to?

[ZiderEyed]

Just now, Mr Popodopolous said:

Alonso not world class or on the way to?

On the way to being if you ask me. It's an argument to be had all day, but he was certainly a very good player at the time. That Mascherano, Alonso and Gerrard midfield in 08-09 (?) is hard to get close to even by modern standards.

[Mr Popodopolous]

3 minutes ago, ZiderEyed said:

On the way to being if you ask me. It's an argument to be had all day, but he was certainly a very good player at the time. That Mascherano, Alonso and Gerrard midfield in 08-09 (?) is hard to get close to even by modern standards.

Ah with you now. Yeah at that time he wasn't there yet- absolutely became it in years to come.

That Milan side however, just seeing it laid out...wow.

[ZiderEyed]

Incredible isn't it? Every single player in that team was phenomenal.

So many people see the death of Italian football at the turn of the century or in 2001-2, but had that Milan side been a bit luckier in that game, then that dominance would've lasted a lot longer imo. 

[Simon bristol]

On 24/05/2020 at 18:08, Final 3 Star said:

I was there, Downend. Won an all-expenses-paid trip to Mexico courtesy of the Ford motor company. Stayed at the same hotel as the England team in Guadalajara, saw all the group matches there, a short break in Acapulco, then on to Mexico City for the W. Germany/Italy semi, 3rd place game, and final. A dream come true for a football-mad 16 year-old. 

Wow!! That’s seriously impressive!!

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

On 24/05/2020 at 15:19, downendcity said:

WC Final 1970.

Possibly the finest team ever, including Pele at his best.

Without a shadow of a doubt.  Surely the greatest team performance of all.

[Mr Popodopolous]

1 hour ago, ZiderEyed said:

Incredible isn't it? Every single player in that team was phenomenal.

So many people see the death of Italian football at the turn of the century or in 2001-2, but had that Milan side been a bit luckier in that game, then that dominance would've lasted a lot longer imo. 

Milan did win the CL again in 2006/07. Think it was the end of a cycle a bit for Italian football though, the mid to late 2000s.

Not a bad League now but that's despite as opposed to the Governance there. Still 3rd or 4th best League in Europe despite chronic and mid-longterm mismanagement.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, ZiderEyed said:

As recent(ish!) as it was, if you were to compare those two sides now, theres is no way you'd have put money on Liverpool to win even before kick off.

              

                    Dida

Cafu - Maldini - Stam - Nesta

                Gattuso

         Seedorf - Pirlo

                  Kaka

    Shevchenko - Crespo

 

That is a properly world class team. Every single player was world class on their day. The only Liverpool player close to that mantle was Gerrard. Mindblowing that Liverpool beat that side. 

Is it easy to say world class players just didn’t bond as a team? Then again the first half was as clinical as it gets. 
 

When you lay down the England team around 2000-2006 you scratch your head in disbelief that they didn’t do anything great. 

[RedLionLad]

Man City v QPR or Watford v Leicester.

Unbelievable emotions in the last minute of each.

An alternative would be Man Utd v Bayern Munich 1999

[Mr Popodopolous]

21 minutes ago, TomF said:

Is it easy to say world class players just didn’t bond as a team? Then again the first half was as clinical as it gets. 
 

When you lay down the England team around 2000-2006 you scratch your head in disbelief that they didn’t do anything great. 

2000 we were not good enough in the Group stage and it showed- bit of a group of death really or the 2nd group of death after Holland, France, Czech Republic and Denmark.

Vs Brazil we couldn't hold onto the ball, same old problems in the heat.

2004 was going great, then Rooney goes and it's the same. Keeping possession in the heat of a tournament has never been our strongest suit let's say...

2006,. I remember 2006 was a hot summer, in Europe in general- Germany no exception. Once Rooney red penalties was the best we could hope for.

All those tournaments, especially the last 3 were quite climatically unsuited to us IMO. We didn't enjoy the best of luck either but feel we were a bit overrated when it came to tournament football, and the requirements therein. We saw tactical and technical flaws in evidence at various points.

Good little exert on 2000.

Also think we just weren't quite good enough. Doing things differently? Maybe- one of Gerrard or Lampard, the steadying presence of Hargreaves and Scholes in a 3 may have made the difference- or Carrick if Scholes was adamant on retirement.

Quote For months before the tournament, the media focused on England's pairing with traditional rivals Germany, on Germany's drastic decline, on whether England at long last might achieve their first win in competitive play against Germany since the 1966 World Cup.  Scant attention went to the group's other two teams.  England under Glenn Hoddle had easily beaten Portugal, 3-0, at Wembley Stadium in an early 1998 friendly, which might have accounted for cursory dismissal of the Portuguese as a threat, but Portugal had given clear evidence during their qualifying campaign that their play had improved immensely.  And Romania had beaten Hoddle's England 2-1 at France's World Cup on a last-minute goal.  Yet, as always, England expected, and, in the thrall of the national debate positing the old enemy as the main threat to England's chances, it must have been easy to assume England would beat Romania and Portugal. In the event, England got their long-awaited win against Germany, 1-0, although the Germans, poor as they were, still had the better part of the play.  But it was no consolation for the two stunning 3-2 losses to Portugal and Romania that sent England home early yet again.  In both those matches, the single-goal margin belied the gaping disparity in the quality of the teams.   It was apparent to observers with any objectivity that England suffered from glaring deficiencies in technical skills, relative immobility, alarming defensive vulnerabilities, tactical naivete, and rigidity and predictability in their play--weaknesses and failings that have infected England's game for decades now.  None of the steady and marked improvements Hoddle made in these areas during his tenure survived his dismissal and the hasty retention, largely for public relations purposes, of Kevin Keegan, hugely popular yet plainly in far over his head.   For the first time, the media, which played a prominent role in ousting Hoddle and warmly greeted his replacement, subjected Keegan to criticism at once harsh and widespread.  Yet the Football Association, as obdurate as ever in clinging to its mistakes--or in refusing to admit them-- professed to have continuing confidence in the beleaguered manager as England prepared for their next campaign, qualification for World Cup 2002.

[Oh Louie louie]

That game against brazil was unreal.

The amount of times ive seen england go 1 0 up in world cup games, then sit back, end up losing is unreal.

 

[Mr Popodopolous]

6 hours ago, Oh Louie louie said:

That game against brazil was unreal.

The amount of times ive seen england go 1 0 up in world cup games, then sit back, end up losing is unreal.

 

Quite often goes something like this. Not only in tournaments top, think Russia away in Euro 2008 qualification! Is often in heat of summer tournament though but not always...

We start alright. Maybe even score first or at least start on par.

Our lack of care in possession, lack of variety at times in our play does not suit well a summer tournament vs a side as we invariably play- in these cases Brazil 2002, Portugal 2004, 2006- a side who do look after the ball well, who are strong technically and who are more used to such conditions.

Invariably, we fall back with a combination of limited possession, having to work hard out of it and we lose control slowly but surely.

Our combination of climate and our high pressing domestic game has traditionally not been the best suited for possession football, and in a hot summer tournament especially keeping control and taking care of the ball is vital.

Though in modern times.Venables and Hoddle showed us a different path. Still this has often not been the case.

Luck plays its part too! Rooney injured 2004, Rooney red caused by the winker 2006!

We even to an extent saw it in 2018 vs Croatia? Certainly saw in 2012 v Italy, and had less ball but also unlucky to lose in 2014 v Italy.

[Oh Louie louie]

Worst ever was being 1 0 up to france on 90 minutes.

Then them scoring twice.

[Mr Popodopolous]

54 minutes ago, Oh Louie louie said:

Worst ever was being 1 0 up to france on 90 minutes.

Then them scoring twice.

Euro 2004? That was an odd one- sure we gave away a late penalty, a certain future City goalie- James was it?

[bcfcshorey]

20 hours ago, ZiderEyed said:

As recent(ish!) as it was, if you were to compare those two sides now, theres is no way you'd have put money on Liverpool to win even before kick off.

              

                    Dida

Cafu - Maldini - Stam - Nesta

                Gattuso

         Seedorf - Pirlo

                  Kaka

    Shevchenko - Crespo

 

That is a properly world class team. Every single player was world class on their day. The only Liverpool player close to that mantle was Gerrard. Mindblowing that Liverpool beat that side. 

Funnily enough, I was winding up my friend at Half-Time who hated Liverpool saying I think they could still win. I was 11 at the time, so didn't have a clue and was only saying it to annoy him!

My Dad went out of the room for something and missed all 3 of the Liverpool goals.

[harvey54]

Man U v Benfica. Wembley 68. To watch my hero George Best