Do you enjoy the modern style of possession football ?I'm starting to find modern football a very boring experience.
It appears that the modern game consists of keeping hold of the ball, but doing little with it, and players are no longer taking responsibility in order to score a goal. Instead they choose to pass it, often straight back to the player it came from, without the slightest thought of doing something with it themselves.
Whoever invented one-two's needs to be banished from football never to return.
Example 1 : A Striker has his back to an opposing Defender.
The Midfield are on the attack, and play it into the Striker, who instead of turning with the ball, and looking to shoot, or beat the Defender, immediately passes it straight back to the midfielder, in a one-two. One can argue that they do this so that they lay it off for the Midfielder to shoot, but it simply isn't the case.
It is in my opinion an automated response from many Strikers, who appear to do this regardless of the situation, instead of reading the game, and taking each passage of play as an individual event, where they could react, and do what ever comes naturally.
Coaching is brainwashing players into automated responses, and they appear to have stopped expressing themselves. I watched Deli Ali playing for England last night, and he treated the football like a hot piece of coal, in that more often than not when the ball was played into his feet, he simply played it straight back, and I've watched Lukaku doing it for Everton constantly.
Example 2 : Possession at all costs.
A Defender has the ball and proceeds to play it up to Central Midfield, who in turn plays it sideways to his team mate, who plays it sideways to the Winger, who immediately plays it straight back at the first sign of an opposing player, and sideways it goes once more, until eventually it gets played back to the Defender. Often it can be 6 - 10 passes only for it to come right back to where it started.
What is the point?
It's like they're walking through a maze, and each time they meet a dead end, they trace back their steps and try again, and the reason they do it, is in my opinion, because they would rather keep hold of the ball, than take a risk.
The modern game looks to 'pass' the ball beyond the opposition, until the final pass results in a shooting opportunity.
I find this style of football mindnumbingly boring, in that it is like a very cheap version of what it aims to achieve, and that is to play like the great Spanish teams. However, there is a very big problem when trying to emulate this style, and that is the English game traditionally, was much more quick and direct, unlike the slow laid back style of the continent.
It's the equivalent of taking the Royal Ballet School, and reinventing them to dance Flamenco. They might embrace it, but it will be a very poor version, and that is what it's like watching the modern football being played by the England team, and many teams within the Premier League. It's a very poor version of an attempt to replicate the footballing style of the continent.
What do I want to see?I'd like to see much more running and movement, and self expression from players, and I'd like to see more creativity. If you can pass it long, do so, and if you can take a man on, do so. If you lose the ball, press hard to win it back and go again, but I really don't want to watch lethargic passing that goes nowhere.
Rooney last night played a ball in behind the defenders and was made to look stupid, because our strikers were running back onside and didn't anticipate the pass, but they don't anticipate it, because they're not used to spontaneity, or creativity, and are therefore not switched on to a 'what if' scenario.
Goal mouth action is entertainment, and I want to be entertained. Passing for passing sake is not entertainment, when it's purpose is simply not to lose the ball.
Modern football is plagued by analysis, science, statistics, and unnecessary desire to play in a certain way, and it results in a very boring and frustrating experience for somebody like myself.
