- Oct 25, 2004
- 18,801
- 12,479
This is something that has been graduallly eating away at my love of the game for some time now. It seems that since the 1990s tackles have become almost entirely illegal.
If two players go for the ball, 50/50, and really hit the ball hard, the one that comes out with the ball will most likely be punished for a foul. Players even like David Howells would be considered dirty nowadays, he wasn't really even a hardman.
I realise that the value of players, compensation culture and the prize money available makes every club want to wrap players in cotton wool, but seriously, football is worse as a result of the softening of the professionals.
I really think it's about time players man the feck up. I used to really enjoy watching the likes of Richard Gough and Neil Ruddock smash the hell out of someone, win the ball and then do a simple pass. I honestly find it really hard to like these "technical" defenders (thinking Rio Ferdinand as an example). I think this is why I like Dawson as a player (and Wilson for that matter).
Does anyone else enjoy this part of the game? Am I just being a miserable old git? Is there any way back? Surely it is still possible to liek a player because they ruin it for the other team?
If two players go for the ball, 50/50, and really hit the ball hard, the one that comes out with the ball will most likely be punished for a foul. Players even like David Howells would be considered dirty nowadays, he wasn't really even a hardman.
I realise that the value of players, compensation culture and the prize money available makes every club want to wrap players in cotton wool, but seriously, football is worse as a result of the softening of the professionals.
I really think it's about time players man the feck up. I used to really enjoy watching the likes of Richard Gough and Neil Ruddock smash the hell out of someone, win the ball and then do a simple pass. I honestly find it really hard to like these "technical" defenders (thinking Rio Ferdinand as an example). I think this is why I like Dawson as a player (and Wilson for that matter).
Does anyone else enjoy this part of the game? Am I just being a miserable old git? Is there any way back? Surely it is still possible to liek a player because they ruin it for the other team?