Tuariki wrote:And sorry, Pego, but Marlow is correct about football. The technical skills of today's players are substantially greater than the skills from Pele's era. What I would possibly concede is that Pele's skills were substantially greater than those of his era than Messi's for this era. But skill-wise, Messi would run rings around Pele
Obviously, you and Marlow have every right to believe what you believe, but it just is not so. Today's football players may be more athletic overall, the game is more physical, but IT IS LESS PRETTY. Why? The technical skills of the guys from the past were great. Not only players everybody quotes (Pelè, Eusebio, Beckenbauer, DiStefano), but many others. Jokl, that probably nobody on this board ever heard of was a ball wizard and did it in high speed. Would he excel today against physical play? I don't know, but to watch him play was pure pleasure. Sir Stanley Matthews? His dribble/fake was amazing. Show me one player today with header skills in air of Kocsis. Puskás? He may have seemed slow, but was constantly in motion, his passing precise, getting the ball through miniscule holes.
Please, leave other sports out of this. What has gymnastics got to do with football? Yes, today (especially female) gymnasts are incredible acrobats, it is not even the same sport that Latynina, Kéleti or Čáslavská practiced half a century and more ago.
Pego wrote:Please, leave other sports out of this. What has gymnastics got to do with football? Yes, today (especially female) gymnasts are incredible acrobats, it is not even the same sport that Latynina, Kéleti or Čáslavská practiced half a century and more ago.
Get a life mate. Gymnastics has as much do with this thread - WR Felix 4 x 400m - as football.
Stanley Matthews, Pele, Eusebio, Beckenbauer were all great players and highly skilled. However, your position is best summed up by your own words:
"He may have seemed slow......"
And that is the difference between today's best players such as Messi and those of yesteryear. It is a much faster game today requiring much greater skill to achieve the same ball control and skills than 50 years ago. Just like all other sports.
Using another example. In New Zealand we tend to revere the legendary skills and ability of Sir Colin Meads from the 1960's - considered by many as the greatest rugby player in history. However,in today's rugby environment the Colin Meads of the 1960's would be eaten alive. Sport has moved on and the players of today are bigger, faster and more skilled - football is no exception; and neither is Track and Field.
Interesting stats but the idea is totally stupid... Argument that WRs will bring attention to the sport is wrong. Those who see only WRs as entertainment while watching TandF are going to forget that WR in three days anyway.
Tuariki wrote: Using another example. In New Zealand we tend to revere the legendary skills and ability of Sir Colin Meads from the 1960's - considered by many as the greatest rugby player in history. However,in today's rugby environment the Colin Meads of the 1960's would be eaten alive. Sport has moved on and the players of today are bigger, faster and more skilled - football is no exception; and neither is Track and Field.
Eh? Many Rugby players are less skilled than in the 1970's. Before skills were a requirement. Now as many players are picked on physical abilities because coaches believe skills can be choached but size can not. This is partly true but coaches forget player scan bul up and those with poor skills have veyr limited improvement. For example there are a huge numbe rof scrum halfs now who are quick but clueless when pressure is on and can only pass off one hand withone a "step" first in their weaker direction killing the fast ball. All this has led to a decline in skills in the past 15 years and more focus on "bosh" and breaking the gainline instead. They are learning now, forwards are smaller now than 5 years ago imply coaches realising the importance of skills.
As for football Wayne Rooney is a skillful player, but technically his first touch is often awful and he needs two or three touches to get control, losing time and space. The game is faster due to fitness but it's not technically better except in that any good player is almost solely concentrated at the big few clubs rather than spread through a wide variety of clubs and leagues.
Tuariki wrote:Get a life mate. Gymnastics has as much do with this thread
I have a life, mate, thank you very much. I was not referring to the thread but to football and you know it.
Tuariki wrote:And that is the difference between today's best players such as Messi and those of yesteryear. It is a much faster game today requiring much greater skill to achieve the same ball control and skills than 50 years ago.
Messi is not faster than many guys I remember playing in those days.
Marlow wrote:Why, back in MY day, we had to walk 10 miles to school
LMAO, Mrs Pego had to, 2 miles only, but she did .
Pego wrote:LMAO, Mrs Pego had to, 2 miles only, but she did .
I walked to school from kindergarten (OK, my mom walked with me till the school was in sight) through college. At most it was a mile away (Jr. High) and was never a problem. Today a parent would be turned into Social Services for that (d'oh, I just went into Geezer Mode!)
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