Lack Of World Class Players And Poorer Defending Nowadays?

[BlueRon7]

After Messi and Tranny, is there a lack of depth of world class players? 15-20 years ago you had world class players like Zidane, Ronaldo (the original), Figo, Nedved, Raul, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Batistuta, Costa, Bergkamp, Koeman, Overmars etc.

Even Bolton had players like friggin Jay-Jay Okocha (so good they named him twice !) and Middlesborough attracting players like Juninho to bring a bit of Samba flair to the Premier League. So all through the league there was quality..

I also think defending was much better with players like Maldini and the nasty old-school Italian defenders treading on toes etc.

Anyone else agree? and sick of the Messi/Ronaldo duoapoloy and think like me that football was better when the quality and competitiveness were more equally spread? nowadays you know that Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich will reach the semi-finals of the Champion's League every year.. it's been the same for the past 10 years roughly (give and take)

 

[Maldeika]

No. There is no lack of world class players even if this two are the best. It might just be that individualism in today's football is less effective and it is other abilities that get you ahead. Same with defenders. The modern defender just has other tasks to do.

 

[Gabriel]

Messi and Ronaldo are on a completely different level to all other current players. That doesn't mean the other players are poor, simply that those two are incomparably superior. Rather than bemoan that, however, I count myself fortunate to be living in a time when I have been able to watch both.

 

[prestonibbo_mcfc]

I feel sorry for defenders these days. They can't tackle, simple as.
The refs fall for every con job, by forward players. Unless it's us of course ;-)

 

[Andrew___K]

The game has improved in tactical sense tremendously. 2002 CL winner Real Madrid would be dismantled by any top team nowadays, as the standards of team's coherence, amount of teamwork and players' versatility are on different level, it's evolution. The teams defend and attack much better as a whole, defenders have more diverse tasks, so it's logical that 1-on-1 specialists are harder to find, there are no defs close to Baresi's or Nesta's level.
But it doesn't mean that defences have become collectively worse, it's the other way round.

Actually, you're not the only one who has nolstalgia for that oldschool defending. Gary Neville: “I look at some teams and feel: they don’t know how to defend. They struggle with crosses, they don’t deal with set-pieces, they don’t know how to work one on one. They have a weak understanding of the game”.
And there's an insightful response from Rene Maric (this guy has just won Youth CL as RB Salzburg U19 staff member): http://spielverlagerung.com/2014/11/21/the-problem-with-english-football/

 

[BlueMoonz1977]

I feel sorry for defenders these days. They can't tackle, simple as.
The refs fall for every con job, by forward players. Unless it's us of course ;-)

i agree totally. Defending has been ignored by FIFA/UEFA as what once was an art form, in favour of protection for the forward attacking players.