Has football lost its identity?

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

ThatJa said:
I've been thinking about this for a while now before posting and I really do feel like football has lost its identity. I read a report yesterday that stated there has been over 50 rule changes in football over the past 2 seasons (70% of them were this season) and the original rule book that was created in Sheffield has never been further away from how the professional game is played today.

We have the PGMOL that are making changes and adding stuff in like VAR (which is basically passing one human error to another human to make an error)

We have the handball rule changed season after season, nobody knows the correct offside rule anymore for example.

Is footbal becoming less enjoyable to watch? Are we as fans being short changed by the will to change the identity of the game and "modernising" it if you will?

I feel like watching football doesn't have the same feel of when I watched football growing up in the 90s, watching the old Premiership Years season reviews just shows what I miss about football.
Click to expand...

Yes, I hadn't noticed there had been that many rule changes.

It may not have changed the result of the match but Gordons handball for Newcastle really does boil my piss. Whatever rule change that allowed that to stand takes the smeg.

Also, this isn't a woe is us situation. We were complaining about a lot of this crap in our first PL season under Wilder. If anything it's worse now than it was in 2019.

How can anyone enjoy it when the rules keep being changed and you don't know if you can celebrate a goal or not.
 

I remember back in the early/mid 90s I was discussing with my American brother-in-law the merits/deficiencies with NFL vs football.

I pointed out (IMO) that the NFL was pretty much geared towards commercialism. The way they wedge in commercials at every opportunity with changeovers and timeouts, there was even an instance where the kick-off of one game had to be retaken because the cameras weren't ready. A large portion watch the Super Bowl to see what kind of commercials will be broadcast.

I mentioned that football wasn't like that, people go to watch the game, not to be seen at the game.

His response "Ha .. you'll learn"

He was right ...
 
The average skill level & athleticism nowadays is lightyears beyond the 1990s (although players like berkamp, cantona, could compete with anyone today in terms of skill, and the liked of yaya toure could hold their own physically).

But games back then were more unpredictable and even. Things could also swing quicker.

Nowadays possession is king, but back then territory was more important (which is why the getting the ball into your oppositions box was key).

But I think the biggest change is that there's now a weaker link between the players and their community. I'm thinking of Man utd of 90s having a core of locals / players who've come through the ranks. Same with Liverpool from the 80s.
 
ThatJa said:
I've been thinking about this for a while now before posting and I really do feel like football has lost its identity. I read a report yesterday that stated there has been over 50 rule changes in football over the past 2 seasons (70% of them were this season) and the original rule book that was created in Sheffield has never been further away from how the professional game is played today.

We have the PGMOL that are making changes and adding stuff in like VAR (which is basically passing one human error to another human to make an error)

We have the handball rule changed season after season, nobody knows the correct offside rule anymore for example.

Is footbal becoming less enjoyable to watch? Are we as fans being short changed by the will to change the identity of the game and "modernising" it if you will?

I feel like watching football doesn't have the same feel of when I watched football growing up in the 90s, watching the old Premiership Years season reviews just shows what I miss about football.
Click to expand...

No we’re just shit in this league so people are just romanticising about football of the past. The technical play is on a different level and is amazing to watch, we’re just not very good at it as we don’t have the quality…
 
JayGreen17 said:
No we’re just shit in this league so people are just romanticising about football of the past. The technical play is on a different level and is amazing to watch, we’re just not very good at it as we don’t have the quality…
Click to expand...
Is it amazing though? Not particularly aimed at you this, rather I'm just picking up on the word used and what as fans we're sold by Sky et al. We're always told about these incredible top of the table clashes etc, but how often are they edge of the seat stuff with impromptu brilliance? Rarely from what I've seen. It's certainly impressive, technically and the planning that goes into it, but it's more death by a thousand cuts than exhilarating stuff. Absolutely fair enough if you find it exciting, we all like different things of course, but for me it's rare that football excites me, more so at the top level.
 
JayGreen17 said:
No we’re just shit in this league so people are just romanticising about football of the past. The technical play is on a different level and is amazing to watch, we’re just not very good at it as we don’t have the quality…
Click to expand...

I openly admit to romanticising about football from the past. I used to love the thrill of running about outside the ground, mobbing up on the kop to fight off any infiltrators and away games, when the odds were against you were dangerous, but exciting and never to return. You had to be there to get it.

The football was very good (TC, Besty, Cruyff, etc,) bad and indifferent but it was way more honest, and it was played by blokes who weren't much different from us. You might see them at the dogs on a Friday night, or in your local boozer and they were just lucky to play football for a living but they weren't cunts like the pretty boys who are the heroes in today's game. Technically yes, they're excellent but only in flashes, and we see those flashes every two fucking minutes because the media is selling the product. Two minutes skill, 20 minutes diving, 20 minutes cheating and on it goes.

Pantomime football, fucking shite to us old 'uns.

UTBFTP
 
I understand the premise of the OP but what is / or was the identity . The 70s and 80s had its own identity, crap pitches, crap grounds , hooligans kicking the crap out if each other. But the grounds and players had character and a sence that a good team and manager could succeed .Likes of Derby ,Forest and Ipswich for example.
The PL has its own identity of Billionaires and a world wide audience . The championship still has its identity as being competitive and relentlessly brutal . ( no of games not players) .

Each Division has its own identity I suppose , , its not lost , its just changed as it always will .

We sometimes look back with rise tinted glasses at the past and forget the bad stuff. Watching the blades play crap in front of less than 10k in the third tier wasn't fun ,
neither is getting tonked by teams with players worth more than our squad in the PL.

Top level football is there for broadcasters , drama ,entertainment ( in its broadest sence ) and betting , its about champions league places and world stars and sponsors and nation states ownership , 15 teams giving the other 5 someone to play against .

Having said all that , still be lovely to be one of those 5 , we wouldn't give much of a flying toss about identity or VAR I suppose .
 
ThatJa said:
I've been thinking about this for a while now before posting and I really do feel like football has lost its identity. I read a report yesterday that stated there has been over 50 rule changes in football over the past 2 seasons (70% of them were this season) and the original rule book that was created in Sheffield has never been further away from how the professional game is played today.

We have the PGMOL that are making changes and adding stuff in like VAR (which is basically passing one human error to another human to make an error)

We have the handball rule changed season after season, nobody knows the correct offside rule anymore for example.

Is footbal becoming less enjoyable to watch? Are we as fans being short changed by the will to change the identity of the game and "modernising" it if you will?

I feel like watching football doesn't have the same feel of when I watched football growing up in the 90s, watching the old Premiership Years season reviews just shows what I miss about football.
Click to expand...
Not to mention sky funding the referees union.
 
I don't have any interest in the Premier league unless Sheffield United are in it. VAR killed the game as far as I'm concerned and ref's always favour the "top six" teams. The game is so loaded in their favour they can't really fail. Don't have any interest in the team playing in the European games either nor International games for that matter the game at top level has become a bore fest of possession football with no contact apart from shirt pulling and wrestling at corner kicks.
Out on my travels to do a bit of shopping on Saturday I found myself on Sandy Lane Worksop just has the crowd was going to a FA cup game Worksop Town v Boston Utd NPL v National league 2 there was a real buzz around the place I was sorely tempted to abandon Wickes and B&Q and pay on the gate for 90mins of real footy.
Worksop beat the higher level Boston 3-2 to go into the 1st round of the FA cup and go to high flying Stockport Co of League 2.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

Back
Top Bottom