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Reminder of how awful defending was back in the day.... Pele and The Hand had enough time to roll one up and smoke it in some of those clips...... -
Glad no one has said Dwight Yorkes son."The kids missed everything from Queens Park Rangers to Conkers".
London Pride has been handed down to us.
London Pride is a flower that's free.
London Pride means our own dear town to us,
And our pride it for ever will be.Comment
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and from the boys from the Bush
Rodney Marsh
Stan Bowles
Adel Taraabt
Roy Wegerle
Tony Currie
and a special mention to 2 loan signings Morrison and Mark Kennedy
I must away now, I can no longer tarry
This morning's tempest I have to cross
I must be guided without a stumble
Into the arms I love the mostComment
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oh for one of those fellas down the bushComment
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old enough to have seen all these in the flesh bro, lovely balance, lovely touch, wish we had someone with 50% of any of that lot but you can not get away from the fact that back in the day defending was indifferent.
In fact anyone who knows their Rs history knows this is the case, we were fortunate enough to have a couple of lads who could take out a whole back line with one turn....Comment
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Pele and Maradona were incredible but there is a higher pace to todays game.Comment
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Some perspective needed...
You have to bear in mind that the footballs and player's boots (not to mention the pitches) were a lot heavier in those days. Also players were just footballers, unlike the athletes they also are today. Both these factors contributed to the slower pace of the game back then. That certainly didn't make it less skillful though. The likes of Pele, Best and Bowles would have been equally as phenomenal today as they were in the 60's and 70's.
I must also disagree with Hal9thou in that not all defending was as poor as he makes out. Facchetti, Beckenbauer and Moore being just three examples of some of the greatest defenders in football history.Comment
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The thing that stands out for me watching that video is the speed of footwork.......They would still bamboozle a well drilled modern defence....Comment
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Fair point about heavier boots and balls.Comment
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Excellent individual examples but - as far as I can recall - only the Italians were really capable of closing the back door as a system, using the libero. Today even that would be surplus to requirements (largely because the role of the GK has vastly expanded, meaning everyone is naturally pressing up that bit more = less space). There are other systems in place for when the ball is lost which simply didn't apply back then.
Arguably though, the ability to take men out of the game is even more precious precisely because there is less space and time........... From QPR Stan, Rodders and Adel all had the gift. There were others, but not in that class. Which makes the Adel thing so sad.Comment
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No Michael meaker? That man would ignore an open goal just to go back and try to dribble around the refComment
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