Thermopylae 15,286 Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 With the movement towards the "footballing" defender have good defensive qualities become almost surplus to requirements? I can't really think of one present day team that are renown for their defensive qualities like the Forrest team who won 2 European Cups or countless Italian sides of the past. Don't get me wrong all the goals are good to watch but I am beginning to wonder what it is I'm watching is it good goal scoring or just weak defending? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ger77 742 Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 The holding and pulling in the 18th box is killing the art of defending and is getting more blatant season after season. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheKingObv 10,646 Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 Defending in the 80s is hilariously over rated.Diving in with crunching tackles isn't good defending. Defending is far more in the head than it used to be. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tannerall 25,935 Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 Totally different game now, with less physical contact allowed, greater fitness and athleticism, and a much lighter ball which has more movement. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimfanciesthedude 24,540 Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 Defending in the 80s is hilariously over rated.Diving in with crunching tackles isn't good defending. Defending is far more in the head than it used to be.its not over rated, you say diving in with crunching tackles isnt good defending, but back in the 80's you could play the ball and that was the end of it, none of this "overly aggressive" or "potential for injury" shite that gets trotted out when a defender makes a strong tackle these daysthen you have the absolute pussy attackers that fall at the smallest touches, because its classed as "contact"football has became embarrassingly soft nowadays Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimjim1690 4,534 Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 I keep watching football because I love it, but I can't stand it for what it has become, does that even make any sense? I don't know, but I'm glad that I at least got to watch the game when a good hard tackle was allowed.I did get the reason for protecting the great ball players but it has gone way to far the other way now when a slight breeze is enough to have some of these cheats rolling around as if they had been shot.Whenever I'm in the company of any Canadian who has very little knowledge of the game and they see these fuckers rolling around as if mortally wounded and then suddenly get up and carry on, as they are laughing they ask me "how can you be serious about this sport" and I reply "it's the most popular sport in the world" (I know fishing technicaly is), they laugh in my face, and it really is impossible to defend, no pun intended. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGM_72 3,633 Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 its not over rated, you say diving in with crunching tackles isnt good defending, but back in the 80's you could play the ball and that was the end of it, none of this "overly aggressive" or "potential for injury" shite that gets trotted out when a defender makes a strong tackle these daysthen you have the absolute pussy attackers that fall at the smallest touches, because its classed as "contact"football has became embarrassingly soft nowadaysThe reality is somewhere in the middle of both suggestions, IMO.If someone wins the ball but destroys someone's leg in the process, it's not a good tackle. There needs to be protection, just as much as there needs to be freedom for players to make a strong, physical challenge and more stringent rules to cut out the gamesmanship that plagues football. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harlands plater 16,975 Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 Defending in the 80s is hilariously over rated.Diving in with crunching tackles isn't good defending. Defending is far more in the head than it used to be.Try telling Ron "Chopper" Harris or Norman "Bites Yer Legs" Hunter that Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
talisker 0 Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 The pace of the game, the rules of the game, most pitches are better nowdays give a good fast skillful player better chances of always making a defender look bad, a defender going backwards against a bale, ronaldo, suarez, or any other forward running attacker two options, a tackle thats on time or a tackle that is not.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan_1 1,136 Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Defending in general has taken a dip in recent years, about 5 or 6 years ago, especially down south and more often than not the big games were decided by the odd goal or two because teams were so well drilled and didn't want to give an inch to their opponents.Nowadays we've went the other way, more and more of the big games are getting more and more goals scored in them but in saying that there are still some great defensive sides. Chelsea, and I suppose any Mourinho side, are usually very well drilled and go back to the walls, grind out results.I think it goes in cycles, things like defending will never die, it's such an integral part of the game. Certain aspects of the game have died yes, the 70/80's style of defending has no place in the modern game but that's not to suggest defending as a whole has died. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thermopylae 15,286 Posted May 20, 2015 Author Share Posted May 20, 2015 I keep watching football because I love it, but I can't stand it for what it has become, does that even make any sense? I don't know, but I'm glad that I at least got to watch the game when a good hard tackle was allowed.I did get the reason for protecting the great ball players but it has gone way to far the other way now when a slight breeze is enough to have some of these cheats rolling around as if they had been shot.Whenever I'm in the company of any Canadian who has very little knowledge of the game and they see these fuckers rolling around as if mortally wounded and then suddenly get up and carry on, as they are laughing they ask me "how can you be serious about this sport" and I reply "it's the most popular sport in the world" (I know fishing technicaly is), they laugh in my face, and it really is impossible to defend, no pun intended.Every game has it's down sides ... the beautiful game is the game played without the hands that's why it's the worlds favourite Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cushynumber 25,178 Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 teams defend now by pushing high up the park . The days of the crunching tackle are over, but teams just defend differently now. Its not lost, just different Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thermopylae 15,286 Posted May 20, 2015 Author Share Posted May 20, 2015 The pace of the game, the rules of the game, most pitches are better nowdays give a good fast skillful player better chances of always making a defender look bad, a defender going backwards against a bale, ronaldo, suarez, or any other forward running attacker two options, a tackle thats on time or a tackle that is not..There's always been great players Cruyff, Maradona and George Best come to mind Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Educator 1,572 Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 There seems to be a great lack of defenders who actually attack the ball, and that's not just up here it's really noticeable in the EPL on MotD. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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