When looking through the annals of football history, it’s not uncommon that we refer to periods defined by a team’s or many teams’ dominance over a sustained period of time.
Think Barcelona of the 2000s, Milan of the 1990s, Liverpool and their European exploits in the 1970s and the Manchester United class of 1992 as just a few examples.
What a lot of these teams had in common was a consistent core group of players who played together. Of course the total squad would change regularly as even then keeping 11 together was not sustainable nor preferable, but more often than not the key players remained.
Arsenal aside – Alexis Sanchez and Mezut Ozil – it seems that the notion of a contract binding you to a club and the club to you has lost its meaning in the current European football market. Whether it be the riches of the English Premier League, the pressure for immediate results or even the pressure to be seen to be making transfers, the way a football contract is regarded has changed.
Thinking about it another way, in the last five years there have been four teams crowned Premier League champions: Chelsea, Leicester, Manchester City and Manchester United. In the ten years before that there were the same number of champions.
(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
The need for quick success and, maybe more importantly, the ability to create that success in a single transfer period has changed the game.
This also extends to coaching, for which the pressure to achieve results quickly means that the time to instil your system or values within a group of players is limited to sometimes less than half a season and sometimes not even that long.
It also increases pressure to sell and/or buy players who will provide those results, but sometimes at the expense of the system a coach would prefer to play. Arsene Wenger is now the exception to the rule, having been at the helm for over 21 years. The next best is Eddie Howe, who has been at Bournemouth for just five years.
There is of course the argument that football moves on and seeing one or a few teams dominate over a long period of time is not in the best interests of the game whereas this constant churn keeps people interested.
But I think when we recall era of football – when short-term gain was in vogue, when teams were constantly assembled and disassembled and when the rewards of sticking with a project long term did not come to fruition – we won’t look back as fondly on it
Fadida
Guest
I'm also amazed by coaches constantly coaching from the sidelines. I do wonder what they've been working on during the week. The occasional minor alterations is all they should require. Watching Arnold, Okon and Aloisi telling players to press, push up, who to pass to etc is ridiculous. All of these should be domains of the players on field. As a coach I would spend most of the first half in the stands watching my team's shape, confident that my players didn't need me to tell them when to tackle and"don't dive in!. I notice Ernie Merrick is of the same mind.
Kangajets
Guest
Definitely credit for Sevilla for taking their chances , however I don’t believe they were put under pressure by United , because of Jose ego , won’t let the players off the chain . I think the Manchester United players are shackled by their tactics of their coach . In fact , not one expert or fan says anything different. This is not the Manchester United way of playing. Contrasting to Last week, we saw juventus and spurs in a classic cup tie , where experience prevailed in the end , today the experienced one lost the battle. I like to see Sevilla progress , if they can draw Roma in the quarters they have a chance My ideal quarter finals would be Man city v real Barcelona v Liverpool Juventus v Bayern Roma v Sevilla
Ben Yedder
Guest
The pre-92 European Cup has some romantic appeal, but the competition was far poorer in its old format. Too many lopsided matches and too much predictability over who would still be around at the end of the tournament, even by today’s standards. That said, i’m not a fan of the changes coming in for next year. Give Sevilla some credit by the way. They were the better team over the two legs and fully deserved to go through.
j,binnie
Guest
Fads - I do agree with what you have said about coaches working on tactics and team building,but at he same time they have all week to get their "messages" across to the players and yet every weekend we see them standing on the touchline shouting and indicating to players what they want done. Now that in turn poses the question ,are they actually getting their message across to their players?, for these performances indicate that they are NOT, either that or the players do not have the intelligence to carry out those instructions, or have a hearing deficiency that affects them at training. Now I for one do NOT believe that all the players in our teams suffer from those malaises. So to what do we owe these performances we see every weekend on the touchlines around the country.? If they got themselves to the highest point in the ground they would get a far better view of what is going on out on the field as to the success or failure of their tactical ideas. Cheers jb.
Kangajets
Guest
kris Which team do you follow ? nothing about modern football has been positive from your comments lately ... so maybe your team are having a bad run
Buddy
Guest
If you still have a video KJ and we can make contact, I can loan you match of the day 60’s 70’s and 80’s. There is more fun and nostalgia contained there than you would believe. They will give you the complete experience including the theme music even as it changed!
Kangajets
Guest
Yes I unfortunately do long for a pre 1992 Cup I know , that money rules and we are stuck with a champions league which keeps the rich clubs richer . United v Sevilla. Geez The standard from United was unwatchable, but that’s from a manager who built his reputation on belerigent negativity. That style came back to bite him today. Imagine spending 300 million on something that dross , his only saving grace is that beat Liverpool 3 days ago by picking on a manager in Klopp who doesn’t understand how to defend the long ball . Seriously though , man utd have just giving Jose a new contact,, dross dross dross I’d rather Ernie Merrick manage Manchester United.
Bilbo
Guest
Sounds like you want a return to the pre 1992 European Cup You are right though. The game this morning should have featured Chelsea v Dinamo Tblisi
Kangajets
Guest
Neither Sevilla or man utd deserves to be in the champions league, they are not the champions of their nation. That’s kind of what I’m getting at . Hopefully, in a footballing sense mourinho can see the error of his ways and play some more proactive football with the zillions he spends on players, but does a leopard ever change its spots .
Bilbo
Guest
I'd say it has been a good period for the game in some ways "Thinking about it another way, in the last five years there have been four teams crowned Premier League champions: Chelsea, Leicester, Manchester City and Manchester United. In the ten years before that there were the same number of champions." I would think that is a positive. I still remember those years when Utd dominated, only to face real consistent opposition in Arsenal. Then came Chelsea and while I wasn't excited about the money bags approach, they did at least make it a three horse race. Apart from this season with Man City, the EPL hasn't always been dominated by the biggest spender. Today was another example of how great the game is with a smaller team (Sevilla) shocking one of the giants.
Kangajets
Guest
The Denmark team that won euro 92 was the magic of football. An 8 team euros championship. where England lost every game and holland had van basten and Rudy guillitt, Germany had just won Italia 90 and had mattius , brehme and klinnsman I think France and Sweden had terrific teams also . Ireland were running amok and then little old Denmark, population abt 5 million, come back from summer holidays and beat everyone wearing shirts that were 2 shades of pink .
Fadida
Guest
Agree Kanga. Watching the biggest teams pick the eyes out of their rivals, in doing so weakening them, is killing leagues. Chelsea went through a period of doing it, City are at it, Man U have done it for years (though direct rivals won't sell). Germany is the worst example though. Bayern wait for opponents to challenge and then take their best players.
Fadida
Guest
Doc, it used to be that success brought money. The big clubs got big by winning or threatening to win. City, and to a lesser extent Chelsea, were given money which bought success. City were a nothing club, Sunderland in stature. I agree that the same clubs winning is dull, Leicester winning was great. City winning is artificial,financial doping.
Kangajets
Guest
Why are fast rebuilding teams that buy 10 new players better . I’m not a Tottenham fan but that is a team that is building a club over 5 years but the bigger clubs will steal their players before they win anything. Do you know that 30 years ago , notts forest snd derby and villa and Ipswich and 10 other teams all could have a chance of winning, now you only have 6 clubs. At least man utd dominant era was built in the back of 6 kids from Manchester, the class of 92 Spain and Italy and Germany are even more inhibited by rich clubs Once upon a time Bayern didn’t win everything Hamburg Stuttgart Kaiserslautern Werder bremen Dortmund Schalke All had a chance In Italy they had Verona samodoria Lazio inter fiorentina all had a chance Money is the reason that this era is not so noteworthy , apart from Messi and Rinaldo
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
WE will remember this era as the moment when Leceister did the Greek thing, winning something way, way above their station. Let us not forget that the Greeks were not the first to do the Greek thing, that the Danes did it first winning something for which they hadn't qualifed in the first place.
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
Rinaldo - a legendary crusader - Handel wrote an opera about him in which we hear the lament: Lascia ch'io pianga - appropriate given the context of this OP.
shaun
Guest
This, and this is the reason i think the Spanish league (and a number of other european leagues) are incredibly boring. They so top heavy that it is only ever a 2 or 3 horse race. Premier at least has a lot more spread out talent and usually there are at least 5 or 6 teams in the hunt for most the season (except this season of course)
Kangajets
Guest
That’s what I’m talking about ?
The Doc
Roar Guru
Good point Fads. But I have to say what is earnt? I think it is great to see Man city challenge the status quo. It was a monopoly, 'big 4' have the most money and the big name status, get the best players, qualify for UCL/win trophies, get more money and the cycle continues. City and chelsea (to a lesser extent) have shown that they can subvert this and it has increased competition and no question that Guardiolo has elevated the quality of football. but you are right it is all based on perspective and age
Fadida
Guest
Good tactical coaches influence games jb. I know you've implied otherwise at times, but they do. No longer do players organise themselves, with the best group of players necessily winning. Whether that is good from an entertainment POV is another question, as they generally close games down rather than open them up. Would Porto have triumphed in the champions league without Jose? No? Would football be more "entertaining" without him? Yes.