Disenchanted with Football

[No1newts]

In general I am feeling completely disenchanted with football.

I found the world cup provided, at best, an average level of entertainment. Games were generally and surprisingly of a poor standard and even the "better" teams offered little in the way of real entertainment. Most teams were taking the Mourinho approach of win at all costs and yes we would love it if England could do and win, but ultimately it is not very entertaining.

The inequity of club football bores me. Unless you are a top 4 club you are looking at a boring mid table slog, perhaps a relegation dogfight to spice things up or maybe even have a "sucessful" season and finish in a Europa League place (which clubs then go about disdaining the competition and hardly bothering to field a first team)

Players live on another planet these days with wages through the roof and little attachment to reality and you can tell, generally, by their actions that they dont really give a toss about fans as long as they receive their next paycheck.

English football as a nation is in decline, poor performance and lack of quality players coming through (im pretty sure you Scots out there have the same feeling about your own national game on this point) and generally I cannot be bothered to get excited about another season of disapointment.

The only thing that I generally tend to enjoy in football these days is lower league football. I go to watch Gateshead when I can and generally feel a lot more engaged with the process than I do with the Newcastle games. I can rarely bother myself to summon up the will, the effort or the cash to go along to St James, even last season when we were winning all the time.

Is anyone else just feeling generally a little disilussioned with football at the moment? I honestly could not really care about the upcoming season and have found myself much, much more interested in the going on's in the NBA and how things are shaping up for next season over there.

In general I find American sports a lot fairer and more interesting with the salary caps and drafts but thats a whole different kettle of fish

 

[No1newts]

The one point I agree on is the relatively fairer American sports. However that doesn't mean very rich sides can't dominate and as such they still in effect can buy their way to success. While salary caps and drafts work for them, they're both ideas which just can't function in a our very differently setup football. It's not hard to work out why.

Oh I agree it would be impossible to implement over here without overhauling everything entirely and that is not practical nor to many people even desirable. Just personal taste that I quite like the relative fairness that it brings into the system.

Players over there are also very rich, they too live on different planets compared to the vast majority of fans, as do most 'top level' sportsmen. It's no different to Australian Rules football players or cricketers in India. Don't blame athletes for the fact they're rich, they're employees like anybody else and will do what's best for their own careers. While 99% of the rest of the population who earn less can moan about it, we'd all do the same if we could - anybody who wouldn't is just plain lying.

Oh I agree. I am not sitting here saying "waaaaaaaaaaaa its unfair they have more money than me" as you said they want to do the best for themselves and I do not begrudge them that. Its just from years ago you could have interaction with football players, and generally with the older generation of footballer you still have this level of interactivity. I used to frequent a few pubs/resteraunts across Newcastle when I lived up there and if you ever bumped into any ex-pros (for me regularly saw Beardsley, Gazza and to a lesser extent Beresford, Mick Quinn) they always have time for you. These days you can barely say hello. Different times etc but just find the whole attitude a little disapointing.

Would I be the same in their shoes with the amount of hassle they get? Perhaps, you never know but as I say its just a little disapointing that my own kids and the young now get little to no interaction with their "heroes." I still remember when I first met big Pav the ex Newcastle keeper, great bloke and my mum loved him Personal opinions and experiences on this one though so I can understand that some people will disagree.

You say that English football's in decline, what do you mean exactly? Our teams have done very well in Europe these last 5 or 6 years, not just the Champion's League but we've had two finalists in the UEFA Cup too. Both of our teams lost against Spanish sides which aren't infrequent competitors in the Champions League. If alternatively you mean the lack of English kids, see the other thread where it's been discussed.

I did mean the lack of English kids and the general "Englishness" of the game, even Britishness would suit me and how this is effecting the national team.

Dont get me wrong, I am not the type of person who screams "GET EM OUT" about the foreign players in the British game. However I found the late 90's early 2k's a golden era for foreign influx vs British talent. We were generally only importing players who actually brung soemthing to the game and they were certainly not brung in at the expense of young British players. We had quality of the likes of Bergkamp, Klinsman, Ginola, Zola Cantona amongst others rather than these days palyers who can barely make their own national side (though admittedly Ginola and Cantona had poor to non-existant international careers)

However if this is discussed elsewhere just leave this alone

Based on what exactly?

Which part?

The "not really giving a toss" part was pretty self-evident by the compelte lack of care the English players showed to a poor world cup. There are other examples in and around this but also when clubs get relegated these days, this is mainly premier league I muat admit, you rarely see any outporing of emotion from players at such a fate, most just shrug and get on with it.

The attachment to reality part is pretty abstract I guess and really was more used as a pre-cursor to my second point though I am sure we could dig up some examples of some daft behaviour


This is all personal opinion of my own, not demanding that anyone agrees with me here just wondering if anyone does feel the same or am I a minority and is everyone ready and raring to go on another premier league season and another qualifying campaign for the Euros?

 

[No1newts]

snip

I must admit I have a massive soft spot for Stoke fans.

Newcastles relegation season I was over in Vegas with a few mates (all Toon fans) and we went to the English pub over there to watch the game, I completely forget the name of the place.

Anyway due to time difference the kick offs were daft times so we were drinking from 7am in the morning after a hefty night the prior evening. After all the earlier games finish and everyone clears out all that is left in the pub is about a dozen toon fans and these 5 stoke lads and it was fantastic!

Best banter I have ever seen in a match, we were ribbing eachother like mad (all good natured of course) buying eachother rounds so everyone kept on drinking and when Newcastle equalised at the end to make it 1-1 I got a piggy back round the bar by one of the Stoke lads waving a Newcastle and stoke shirt round my head.

Ended up on a complete bender round Vegas with us all passed out in some radnom student bar called the Freaking Frog at around 5pm, great, great memories so love all you Stoke lads! Still actually got a Stoke shirt one of the lads gave me

Thats the sort of fun and banter I love around footie!

 

[No1newts]

So that's an educated opinion you've formed on English professional footballers based on....23 players actions. Some of which didn't even play, and how can you possibly know whether they cared or not? I think you've been listening to the media too much.

Look I cant be bothered to get in an arguement with you. We are on other sides of the fence here so lets agree to disagree.

As I said its my personal opinion of what I have seen of English national team. The lack of care compared with prior WC exits, no one bothering to really mention it in the press to either give any sort of excuse for the performances or even to stick up for themselves. Its just a glaring silence. Ultimately as a snap shot of the standard of the national game (not the PL) I think the "best" 23 in the country should provide some sort of gauge.

Personally I dont really give a hoot about what the media says, of course I will read/listen/watch what is provided by the media as how else can you gain any sort of knowledge to have an opinion on the team? You cannot. But im a big enough lad to make up my own mind thanks.

 

[No1newts]

You do that then, all players these days clearly don't give a toss about fans because the few that played for England at this World Cup haven't come out and started throwing blame/excuses around for why we aren't the best team in the world.

You're certainly a big enough lad to make your own mind about things, but if you can't back up your statements or "be bothered" then there isn't much point in starting a thread on a forum is there?

Dear me you have your knickers in a twist tonight. I know a lot of people are blind followers of the footballing fraternity (like yourself it seems) and beleive they can do no wrong. Not everyone is so blind though.

I can only "back up" my statements in as much as what I have seen through the media in and around the world cup. However you are so blinded by your faith in the players that this is not enough for you. It is a personal opinion, I find what they offered as evidence of a general lack of care (see the word "general" as all we can do is generalise when we do not know players ourselves) you choose not to see it this way which is your opinion. We can dance round this as much as you want though.

 

[No1newts]

Thought so.



Where did I say I had faith in the players?



Well actually it isn't personal opinion, it's the media's opinion which you are just then repeating.



If we do not know the players ourselves....then why are you saying they don't care about the fans?

either learn to read or stop trolling for an arguement. If you come back with some sense on what I have actually posted I will continue this debate otherwise it's a waste of time (and too early in the morning )

some good points Drunken. About the charity some players like Drogba offer a lot back and they do deserve a lot of respect for that. Good input on the fan/player relationship. About international football I agree that it is never AS good s expected but I surprised by the quality and entertainment value on offfer. A lot of previous tournies have offered one or the other (if not both at times)

 

[No1newts]

I must admit, i have become a little drained? if that the right word .. by football recently.
The WC was a complete bore fest. Almost every team taken over by "Stoke City" syndrome (no offence poster(s) above me ). I realise no one wants to be beaten but it makes for dull football matches.

Then you have the Chelsea and City of this world ruining club football with their limitless money power. The Man United of old (pre-yanks) i could stand, they earned their financial power, but not these guys.

And again - stoke city syndrome. Its too important not to be defeated in the PL so everyone plays for a draw these days =/
90 mins of the top teams with 70% + possession trying to break down a bottom half team.

Give me the football of the 80's and 90's anyday.

Newcastle had the title entertainers late 90's and loved that. We never won anything but I loved the matches, so exciting