1999

[Cowshed]

8 minutes ago, Lanterne Rouge said:

The answer will depend a lot on the age of the person being asked I should think. A lot of us older supporters will feel a lot more `detached` from the game, younger ones maybe not so much. There`s a lot to be said for the view that the era that got you into loving football defines your opinions of those that came after it - early 70s was my `time` and nothing I`ve seen since matches that period for excitement and entertainment, both on and off the pitch.

I was watching football in the seventies. I was quite young but do remember that Bristol City were not exactly free scoring in the first division. 

To be frank a lot of the football through the eighties and nineties was low quality. I would rather see todays highly skilled players than the long ball teams of the eighties and nineties. 

Off the pitch. Well that is reflective of society. Modern life is homogenised and quite benign in comparison to my youth. I don't miss having to watch my back leaving gigs because I like the wrong music, or being fronted in pubs because I was looking in the wrong direction/part of another youth culture.

 

 

[Red-Robbo]

On 08/04/2020 at 16:03, Clutton Caveman said:

The other night I watched the final game of the 1999 season Man U v Spurs

Firstly it felt great to be watching football at all but as the game went on I was amazed at the lack of:

Time wasting

Diving and play acting

Kicking the ball away at every opportunity

Pointless keep posession, sideways passing

Injury time subs

Professional fouls

I did not realise how the spectacle of Premier League football had declinned so much in 20 years.

I don't want to hear "but the skill is so much better now" Check out the finish from Andy Cole amd how quickly the ball was moved.

It was great to see determined but fair tackling allowed by a good ref,the Strikers even with close physical attention were able to hold the ball up and express themselves probably because the first thought on their mind was not to get a free kick and a yellow card for the defender.

It was great to see a coach able to give a player a verbal rocket without then seeing 10 mins of sulking

I was truly shocked to realise how many bad things have crept into our game under the guise of "professionalism" and worse still to think that it could get worse.

 

 

I always think a little bit of football died after the 2006 when an Italian team with more divers than in a sub-aqua club and more cynical foulers than at a convention for disgruntled duck hunters, won the World Cup.

For me, there was a tournament that showed that cheats prosper and its effect was quickly felt on the national game.

I don't doubt that players are fitter and the coaching more intelligent now. The game's just more cynical alas and I hate the whole "he should dive there" and "he's entitled to go down" mentality.

[Tinmans Love Child]

Today’s players may well be fitter and faster and all the rest of it, but how good would they be if they had to chuck in an Arsenal Tuesday Club every week!

[Mr Popodopolous]

50 minutes ago, Red-Robbo said:

 

I always think a little bit of football died after the 2006 when an Italian team with more divers than in a sub-aqua club and more cynical foulers than at a convention for disgruntled duck hunters, won the World Cup.

For me, there was a tournament that showed that cheats prosper and its effect was quickly felt on the national game.

I don't doubt that players are fitter and the coaching more intelligent now. The game's just more cynical alas and I hate the whole "he should dive there" and "he's entitled to go down" mentality.

Unsure on this.

Reasonably free scoring tbh, 12 goals 7 games- well relatively anyway, had a decent amount of possession, reasonably high calibre side- Lippi certainly not one of the old Catenaccio style coaches, can't say I really agree.

Involved in one of the great World Cup modern games- their semi final vs Germany.

If BBC Stats to be believed, 102 fouls in 7 games. Unsure if it's exorbitant but I'd have to try to find more stats to compare. 102 fouls and that includes the fact that two of the games had the full half hour of extra time- the semi final and the final. 92 shots in said 7 games- reasonably efficient but more attacking than the image of Italian football.

Averaged about 52% possession-  not amazing but reasonable.

[Red-Robbo]

9 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Unsure on this.

Reasonably free scoring tbh, 12 goals 7 games- well relatively anyway, had a decent amount of possession, reasonably high calibre side- Lippi certainly not one of the old catenaccio style coaches, can't say I really agree.

Involved in one of the great World Cup modern games- their semi final vs Germany.

If BBC Stats to be believed, 102 fouls in 7 games. Unsure if it's exorbitant but I'd have to try to find more stats to compare. 102 fouls and that includes the fact that two of the games had the full half hour of extra time- the semi final and the final. 92 shots in said 7 games- reasonably efficient but more attacking than the image of Italian football.

Averaged about 52% possession-  not amazing but reasonable.

They might not even have got out of the Round of 16 without Grosso's dive against Australia. 

They were on the grass in that game more than Snoop Dogg at Glastonbury.

[Mr Popodopolous]

14 minutes ago, Red-Robbo said:

They might not even have got out of the Round of 16 without Grosso's dive against Australia. 

They were on the grass in that game more than Snoop Dogg at Glastonbury.

Possible, but they put in some strong displays in other games- Germany but also to an extent Ukraine, Ghana and Czech Republic. All decent sides at the time.

That's one game I possibly missed granted- but read back some of the reports and commentary and though they benefited from a howler- ie the Grosso dive- they also according to reports had Materazzi wrongly sent off earlier in the game.

Will try to find some footage of said game v Australia.

[Red-Robbo]

6 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Possible, but they put in some strong displays in other games- Germany but also to an extent Ukraine, Ghana and Czech Republic. All decent sides at the time.

That's one game I possibly missed granted- but read back some of the reports and commentary and though they benefited from a howler- ie the Grosso dive- they also had Materazzi wrongly sent off earlier in the game.

Will try to find some footage of said game v Australia.

Two-footed and mistimed. I think Materazzi's sending off was not too surprising, even if there was no evil intent. 

I used to watch him at Perugia. Great player, but always on the verge of being sent off and with a massive attitude. No wonder Zidane twatted him.  

[Portland Bill]

On 08/04/2020 at 20:28, Dolman_Stand said:

I was only 10 in 1996 so barely knew who our players were let alone who were favourites but from 2002 to 2006 it felt like a matter of time until we won a big tournament. In Euro 2004 I still think to this day we would have won the whole thing if Rooney hadn't got injured in that Portugal QF and once you win one it can snowball as it did with France and Spain.

Since Sven got hounded out this team under Southgate is the most exciting and with the extra years delay I think we have a real shot next summer

If you think England will win a major tournament, you have many years of disappointment in front of you