When did English football clubs stop playing dinosaur football?

[Tommy_Catons_Perm]

Pep has taken total football to another level. It was a rare sight to see possession-based football in England before the modern era. The only teams I remember playing that way were Clough's Forest (but they still used wingers); Ipswich under Bobby Robson; and the 1980s' Liverpool side. All these teams had success in Europe playing a "European" style.

In those days the goalkeeper could pick up the ball if it was passed to him. Ray Clemence was regularly picking up back passes from Alan Hansen. He would then roll the ball out to Hansen who would simply pass it back again if challenged.

Probably the best rule change in modern football was not allowing the goalkeeper to pick up the ball from a back pass.

Except for that other revolutionary change of allowing the ball to be passed backwards from the kick off of course!

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

In those days the goalkeeper could pick up the ball if it was passed to him. Ray Clemence was regularly picking up back passes from Alan Hansen. He would then roll the ball out to Hansen who would simply pass it back again if challenged.

Probably the best rule change in modern football was not allowing the goalkeeper to pick up the ball from a back pass.

Except for that other revolutionary change of allowing the ball to be passed backwards from the kick off of course!

You are right about the backpass rule but, to be fair, Hansen and Lawrenson did play the ball out from the back a lot of the time. They were the first ball-playing centre backs I remember in an English team. The 1970s Liverpool team was very direct but the 1980s version were brilliant at keeping the ball. They played like a European team.

 

[iTyler]

I think he has to take a lot of credit for the way our English lads play these days. At every level now we're so comfortable with the ball. Go back 15-20 years and we had players like Gerrard and Lampard for England who would try a Hollywood pass almost every time they had it. It looks fantastic when it came off, but most of the time it just gifted the ball back to the opposition. And our full-backs then we're more than happy to just launch it forward into the channels at every opportunity.

The technical quality between your average England player now compared to just 15 years ago is like night and day.

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

You are right about the backpass rule but, to be fair, Hansen and Lawrenson did play the ball out from the back a lot of the time. They were the first ball-playing centre backs I remember in an English team. The 1970s Liverpool team was very direct but the 1980s version were brilliant at keeping the ball. They played like a European team.

As I remember that 80s Liverpool team as a kid they were great up until they scored. Then it was a masterclass in killing the game. If there were detailed stats from back then pretty sure the backwards passes would outnumber forward passes 10.1 and the lumping it up at the big man up top was what would get them up the pitch. Followed by 10 passes back to the keeper.

 

[SambaStyle]

footballia has a great archive of old full football matches, and modern ones!

I put some of the 'great' Man United team of 08 on and it was turgid stuff to watch.

 

[cleavers]

Almost as good a question is, when did english clubs start playing dinosaur football, because back in the years after WWII football was generally all out attack, and passing short was normal.

 

[mrbelfry]

Almost as good a question is, when did english clubs start playing dinosaur football, because back in the years after WWII football was generally all out attack, and passing short was normal.

I forget the guys name (Charles?) but didn't some guy write an analysis of football for the FA that most 3 was the most common number of passes made before a goal was scored. This became de rigeur in the English game and this was the point at which English football took a different path to most other countries?

 

[Stelea]

Klopp still at it. Hit it long and early into the channel for Salah

 

[mattcity5]

I forget the guys name (Charles?) but didn't some guy write an analysis of football for the FA that most 3 was the most common number of passes made before a goal was scored. This became de rigeur in the English game and this was the point at which English football took a different path to most other countries?

Yeah Charles Reep. He wrote it in the 50s, but it became more popular in the 80s thanks to the success Graham Taylor had.

Then England being banned from Europe coincided with a move further in that direction.

 

[mattcity5]

City played fantastic football under Mancini.well before Pep arrived obviously.2nd season Mancini ,Silva,Yaya and Sergi couldn't play hoofball if they tried.
The Ipswich Town Side of late 70s and early 80s played a fluid passing game which destroyed many a team on a great Portman rd pitch,most noticeably when they trounced utd 6-3 at Portman rd with their keeper Bailey saving 3 pens. Could have been 9.A great game of football that.

People easily forget about Norwich City playing great attacking football ,again,well before Pep turned up on these shores.Mark Bowen Robert Fleck at.. can't remember the years tho...other players whose names i cant recall...getting old..short sharp passing moves with great movement off the ball..

.i can remember utd going Carrow Road one Sunday pm, live on sky,fergies, showing great tactical skill,put Paul ince as sweeper...result utd 1 down inside 5 mins.! Ince moved back into midfield...that's how feared Norwich were at Carrow Road at the time...Games between Norwich under Clive Walker were often a culture clash of great passing football,and hit it down the wings and chase from utd,iirc.

Southampton under Lawrie Mcmenamy with Keegan, Ball, Steve Williams Ivan golac etc played great football.late 70s.

West ham under John Lyalll ...Trevor ,Brooking and Alan Devonshire were great to watch,esp at home.

In my opinion,lots of diff teams played good passing football in this country,but as the OP hints ,an awful lot more played kick and rush.

It was Arsenal under Wenger, and not Swansea who broke the mould consistently and successfully ,imo

Don't get me wrong, we did play some great stuff under Mancini, but compared with now it was less patient, more direct and obviously didn't work that well compared to the top European teams.

There have always been teams who are an exception and play great football - sides like those you mentioned - but that's what they were, an exception. That's why you can remember them, because they were something a bit different - the majority of English football still didn't play that way. Not all like Wimbledon exactly, but some like that and then some inbetween.

It's only since Pep when English football as a whole has been lifted to be the pinnacle and the best football out there (regardless of what Sky say).