Things I hate about modern football

mull

mull

Well-known member
Well this year in particular .
This head injury thing . A player got gently shouldered out of a challenge last night, goes down writhing in agony , clutching his head . Even the normal replay showed that his head remained completely unscathed atop his cheating shoulders.
The other thing winding me up hugely this season is goalkeepers catching say a gently lobbed cross , then dramatically falling to the turf as though they've pulled off the save of the century whilst looking around the entire stadium for the next 2 minutes .
What sort of namby Pamby , overcoached game are we getting these days ?
I admit to having a slight hankering for a 1970 s well executed sliding tackle that started off some 20 yards away from the actual ball . I know it was eventually banned , but a good sliding tackle was admired, cheered, revered . Players would admit to the fact that they'd been successfully slid and just get on with it...if their legs were still intact. None of this harassing of the ref .
There, I ve said my three pennoth worth Very cathartic a good rant
 
Last edited:
Excessive tippy-tappy build-up play.

Pep introduced it at Barca and they were the masters of the art. Unfortunately for the neutral watching it soon got so boring....from the goalie it took 5 minutes for the ball to reach the left wing, 2 strikers in the box. No crossing, just tippy-tappy back out to the right wing.. and repeat x 100. The team they were playing eventually lost the will to live.

Credit to him though; City also play like this but are a lot more dynamic in their play.
 
No more Gary Brabin, Andy Morrison or indeed Gary Briggs for these soft lads to face up to and as you say Mull soft keepers and tippy tappy football around the penalty areas.
My biggest pet hate though is time wasting from the first minute till they go a goal behind and lets chuck in the 4th offical who is not answerable to anyone and robbing a living
 
I think a lot of you are grumpy old men, the game is usually a much better watch these days.
Why do you think they changed the back pass rule? Watch Italy and West Germany in the 80s and tell me they entertained for 90 minutes.
Pitches are better, fitness is better technique is better and that's through all levels of the game.
The only thing I will say is worse is that the clubs get the players so young and sometimes it's a like a production line of identikit players, although the truly great individuals always find a way through.
 
The o/p is something I’ve been thinking about posting for a while myself but never really known how to put my thoughts on the current game in writing. The new rules have made things more like a pantomime at times rather than a football match and the incident last night he refers to is a classic case in point. I don’t know why the authorities can’t use video evidence of cheating of this nature and fine/ban players retrospectively, I’m sure that would go some way to improving things.
 
The term ‘limbs’ to describe excessive celebration

The whole ‘xg’ concept

£30 to watch a game of championship football

Managers excessively blaming poor refereeing or injuries for defeats, when we have had more of a rough deal.
 
Wizaard said:
Why is it you're allowed to obstruct and wrestle a player as long as the ball you're shielding is going over the dead ball line? If it was in the middle of the pitch, the ref would blow for a foul every time.
Click to expand...
You’re not allowed to, it’s either foul play or obstruction wherever it is on the field. It’s just that like many other rules these days, it’s just ignored.🤬
 
St_Ives_Seasider said:
The o/p is something I’ve been thinking about posting for a while myself but never really known how to put my thoughts on the current game in writing. The new rules have made things more like a pantomime at times rather than a football match and the incident last night he refers to is a classic case in point. I don’t know why the authorities can’t use video evidence of cheating of this nature and fine/ban players retrospectively, I’m sure that would go some way to improving things.
Click to expand...
They would ban players retrospectively, if they played in tangerine.😁
 
gjr69 said:
I think a lot of you are grumpy old men, the game is usually a much better watch these days.
Why do you think they changed the back pass rule? Watch Italy and West Germany in the 80s and tell me they entertained for 90 minutes.
Pitches are better, fitness is better technique is better and that's through all levels of the game.
The only thing I will say is worse is that the clubs get the players so young and sometimes it's a like a production line of identikit players, although the truly great individuals always find a way through.
Click to expand...
If we are grumpy old men, that suggests you’re not very old yourself. If that’s the case how do you know it’s a ‘better watch’ now. If you are older don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy watching a good battle between two ‘hard’ men having a right go , say Joe Jordan against Tommy Smith. No quarter asked or given and go for a pint together after the game.
 
The fact players fall over for the most minimal of contact is criminal. We are teaching footballers to be actors and cheats. If the Man City penalty last night is the line for a foul then there should be about 100 given in every match!

Football has almost become none contact!

Additionally I would like to see matches reviewed for diving/shithousery and those found guilts given bans like they do for foul play not picked up during a match.
 
Goforgoal said:
If we are grumpy old men, that suggests you’re not very old yourself. If that’s the case how do you know it’s a ‘better watch’ now. If you are older don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy watching a good battle between two ‘hard’ men having a right go , say Joe Jordan against Tommy Smith. No quarter asked or given and go for a pint together after the game.
Click to expand...
I'm old, 53, and football is definitely a better watch now. Don't get me wrong a good, fair and robust tackle is a thing to be admired, and occasionally a ref will allow it, the inconsistency is the annoying thing. And inconsistent refs is not a thing of the modern age they've always been like that!
Player wages is my biggest gripe in the modern game but overall standards have improved through all the leagues.
 
Goforgoal said:
If we are grumpy old men, that suggests you’re not very old yourself. If that’s the case how do you know it’s a ‘better watch’ now. If you are older don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy watching a good battle between two ‘hard’ men having a right go , say Joe Jordan against Tommy Smith. No quarter asked or given and go for a pint together after the game.
Click to expand...
Norman Hunter and Francis Lee.
Don't think they went for a pint after the Derby v Leeds match🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
 
Football panels should sit and watch matchs from the likes of Liverpool v Man City in the prem to Barrow v Grimsby in Lg2.
The FA don't tell any of the clubs which games are being reviewed so the players are none the wiser if they're being watched.

Every time a player cheats they are fined 10% of their wages. All money's paid would go to pay the panels.
When the money dries out to pay the panels, that means we won't have any more play acting.
 
I’ve one to add to the list —— the way opposition benches ( particular it seems at Bloomfield Rd), are constantly getting in the face and ears of the 4th official. It really should not be allowed and the 4th officials need to grow a pair and tell them to go away.
Sitting in the west, directly behind the benches we see it happening all the time. The worst one is when a team takes it in turn to get up and have a go. As soon as he sits down another one gets up and has a go. Easily stamped out but never seems to be.
 
gjr69 said:
I'm old, 53, and football is definitely a better watch now. Don't get me wrong a good, fair and robust tackle is a thing to be admired, and occasionally a ref will allow it, the inconsistency is the annoying thing. And inconsistent refs is not a thing of the modern age they've always been like that!
Player wages is my biggest gripe in the modern game but overall standards have improved through all the leagues.
Click to expand...
You’re old, 53 🤣🤣I wish I was that old. Refs as you say have always attracted controversy, but now with the fourth official, tech etc, the refereeing should be getting better instead it’s getting worse, and the more they pay them the worse it gets.
 
Wizzerboy said:
Football panels should sit and watch matchs from the likes of Liverpool v Man City in the prem to Barrow v Grimsby in Lg2.
The FA don't tell any of the clubs which games are being reviewed so the players are none the wiser if they're being watched.

Every time a player cheats they are fined 10% of their wages. All money's paid would go to pay the panels.
When the money dries out to pay the panels, that means we won't have any more play acting.
Click to expand...
At 10% deduction per cheat, most PL players would end up owing the club.
 
Wizzerboy said:
Football panels should sit and watch matchs from the likes of Liverpool v Man City in the prem to Barrow v Grimsby in Lg2.
The FA don't tell any of the clubs which games are being reviewed so the players are none the wiser if they're being watched.

Every time a player cheats they are fined 10% of their wages. All money's paid would go to pay the panels.
When the money dries out to pay the panels, that means we won't have any more play acting.
Click to expand...
Who defines what cheating is? What if the people on the panel are bent, they'll up the cheating factor if they are getting rewarded for it!
There isn't a single pro or ex pro from any era that didn't cheat or push the rules to the limits and beyond or engage in shit housery/game management!
 
Goforgoal said:
You’re old, 53 🤣🤣I wish I was that old. Refs as you say have always attracted controversy, but now with the fourth official, tech etc, the refereeing should be getting better instead it’s getting worse, and the more they pay them the worse it gets.
Click to expand...
There have always been bad refs, var hasn't made the game better in my opinion so maybe I can give you that as a bad thing about modern football.
 
gjr69 said:
Who defines what cheating is? What if the people on the panel are bent, they'll up the cheating factor if they are getting rewarded for it!
There isn't a single pro or ex pro from any era that didn't cheat or push the rules to the limits and beyond or engage in shit housery/game management!
Click to expand...
Let's just keep letting them get away with it then 🤷
What's your answer?
 
Eight minutes injury time!

Until recently, my big gripe was that referees never blew up for foul throws. Always got done for it when playing in Sunday league footy. However, it would appear that they have now woken up to giving the odd foul throw
 
Wizzerboy said:
Let's just keep letting them get away with it then 🤷
What's your answer?
Click to expand...
When it comes to time wasting that's easy. An independent time keeper stops a big digital clock whenever a goal is scored, or a substitute is made, or there is a dead ball situation. Starts it again when play resumes. Only opportunity for time wasting would become throw ins and the goalkeepers milking possession of the ball. Ref can deal with that.
If its diving then that usually happens in the penalty area, so review the penalty decisions given in matches and if somebody is found conclusively guilty of a dive ban them for 3 games.
Do the same with red card decisions, if somebody obviously fakes injury or dives ban them for 3.
Ultimately though you can't catch or stop all cheating, real life or football the best cheats will get away with it but you can probably reduce it.
 
All this shirt pulling and grabbing arms at corners and keepers trying to be clever by playing it out slowly to a centre half and inevitably the pass is intercepted and the opponent's score. I've seen loads of goals conceded like this in the last couple of seasons
 
Football is miles better in terms of quality of play

However there are far too many soft arsed fans, either streaming matches or spending most of the game if they attend with a phone in their hand

Get to the matches and enjoy the moment ffs

I hate this YouTube culture
 
Wizaard said:
Why is it you're allowed to obstruct and wrestle a player as long as the ball you're shielding is going over the dead ball line? If it was in the middle of the pitch, the ref would blow for a foul every time.
Click to expand...
I'd forgotten all about that . Used to be obstruction as far as I recall . A striker gets bum shielded 😳 Off the ball, barged off the pitch . No free kick , booking not nowt most of the time
 
NornIronSeasider said:
The term ‘limbs’ to describe excessive celebration

The whole ‘xg’ concept

£30 to watch a game of championship football

Managers excessively blaming poor refereeing or injuries for defeats, when we have had more of a rough deal.
Click to expand...
In all my sheer spleen venting rage I'd forgotten all about the ,' Limbs ' thing . Lee even used the term in his latest vid on the 4 by 2 job we did on P.N.E .
Any term so inherently nonsensical that it needs explaining and still doesn't make any sense should be burned at the stake .
 
gjr69 said:
I think a lot of you are grumpy old men, the game is usually a much better watch these days.
Why do you think they changed the back pass rule? Watch Italy and West Germany in the 80s and tell me they entertained for 90 minutes.
Pitches are better, fitness is better technique is better and that's through all levels of the game.
The only thing I will say is worse is that the clubs get the players so young and sometimes it's a like a production line of identikit players, although the truly great individuals always find a way through.
Click to expand...
Armand did. 👍
 
Philbfctrois said:
Football is miles better in terms of quality of play

However there are far too many soft arsed fans, either streaming matches or spending most of the game if they attend with a phone in their hand

Get to the matches and enjoy the moment ffs

I hate this YouTube culture
Click to expand...
There's far too many soft arsed players. If they replicated Rugby and allowed the physio on to attend an "injury" and play carried on you'd find some of these "injuries" would miraculously disappear
 
Old_Laytonian said:
There's far too many soft arsed players. If they replicated Rugby and allowed the physio on to attend an "injury" and play carried on you'd find some of these "injuries" would miraculously disappear
Click to expand...
Rugby for periods of time is played in the same areas of the pitch. And the ball is in the hands not on the ground. The nature of football means that the ball can be at any part of the pitch from somewhere else within a couple of seconds. It realistically isn't feasible that physios/trainers or whoever could be on the pitch without the big possibility of it having an impact on the game going on around it.

So no, don't see it ever happening.
 
The worst thing in any sport, is cheating. With cameras everywhere there are no more excuses not to stamp this out. If a player cheats, they should face a ban. If players feigning injuries or other such things are suspended for a game or 2, it would quickly stop.

Can I add supporters filming themselves, rather than watching the bloody game and being in the moment, to the list of pet hates about the modern game?
 
Players going down at the slightest of touches, even the slightest kick, and rolling for ten yards . Book the bastards ! Players not watching the ball at set pieces, if they’re paying attention to the ball and not the opponent they will have more chance of making a clearance. No defenders on the posts, more goals are conceded in these areas from set pieces than anywhere else.
 
My current rant as per the o/p question, has to be where the ball is placed (or rather isn't placed....!) for a corner kick.
There is a perfectly good quadrant to put the ball in, but the current trend seems to be to place the ball somewhere in the general area of the quadrant, just so long as the shadow of the ball is touching just one single blade of white painted grass......! 😡
 
using the term "on the grass" , met Chris Hargreaves when he worked for BT Sports coverage for non league in Macclesfields Tesco before a game and was having a good chat with him until he used the term "on the grass" at which point i pretended to see @bollieboy and made my excuses and left him in the biscuit aisle!
 
Paradiddle_01 said:
My current rant as per the o/p question, has to be where the ball is placed (or rather isn't placed....!) for a corner kick.
There is a perfectly good quadrant to put the ball in, but the current trend seems to be to place the ball somewhere in the general area of the quadrant, just so long as the shadow of the ball is touching just one single blade of white painted grass......! 😡
Click to expand...
Totally agree
 
Players gaining an advantage when taking a 10 yard run for a throw in. I actually applauded when husband got done for it in the derby as the ref told him 3 times to stop moving forward. Players moving the ball from where the free kick offence took place, especially offsides….they happen say 5 yards from the corner flag yet the keeper then takes the kick from the edge of his D….any head injury the player must come off the field of play if they go down like a bag of shit …..you can’t have it both ways, be feigning a head injury and then not obeying the rules of the game. Oh if we’ve got goal line tech is there any potential for out of ply tech? Like put the cameras on the corner flags as noted the other day the ball went out 3/4 times and each time the lino couldn’t see it. Would result in them getting less abuse and potentially goals can come of these sets of plays. Players running off from refs when they’re trying to talk to them…..instant yellow imo. Yeah I’d be happy with teams been punished 5/10 yards for any abuse towards officials. Wouldn’t also mind seeing a sinbin included for abuse, we have it in our league and soon gets through when you lose one of your players
 
Players getting the tiniest knock and holding there face is bad enough. But even after they fake injury they have to check for blood 10 times...
Plus just wear 1 to 11 for starters...
 
gjr69 said:
Who defines what cheating is? What if the people on the panel are bent, they'll up the cheating factor if they are getting rewarded for it!
There isn't a single pro or ex pro from any era that didn't cheat or push the rules to the limits and beyond or engage in shit housery/game management!
Click to expand...
Not true.
Did you ever see Sir Stan going down like a ninepin and writhing in agony?
Very few, if any at all, did it in those days. If a player went down you could bet it was honest.
Remeber the 1953 FA Cup Final. Bolton had a player injured and he played on, on the wing, for the rest of the game.
No substitutes in those days.
 
Blackpool not competing at the top of the first division. I feel sometimes I missed the boat in terms of Blackpool as a football club and a town.

Love both to death mind!
 
Feigning injury during a game first became prevalent in the Italian league in the early 60’s.Got to admire the likes of Dave Whelan- who as he lay on the Wembley turf in the 1960 Cup Final said ” Ay up ref I think my leg is broken” -wasn’t kidding.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top