Unpopular football opinions

[Airfixx]

Taking the knee has set race relations in football back 20 years and is divisive, not inclusive as it should have been (just link arms standing or clap FFS). Excessive virtual signalling makes you look silly when bringing it into Sport.

It really hasn't.

Look at the crap England have faced when in places like Hungary & Bulgaria; taking the knee hasn't caused that.....

Blaming the racist abuse received by the England penalty missers on 'the knee' is deeply flawed and serves to excuse unacceptable behaviour.

Southgate needs to concentrate on why he’s struggling rather than whine about the poor penalties in the Euro final that we’re the result of shit technique.

He fucked up with what he said this week; but you're clearly mis-interpretting what was both asked and said.

 

[McCOYS]

Think some people are missing the point of this thread, most of the pet peeves are things most people agree with.
My unpopular opinions are:
1. Nuno did a sterling job.
2. Winks should start every game
3. Tanguy should be given another chance.

You forgot the most important one LEVY/ENIC in forever!!

 

[anderton46]

Modern football is shit. I don't care about protecting players, let them tackle. Let them go shoulder to shoulder. If someone wins the ball and follows through, give a pat on the back.

The whole notion of protecting players is hilarious. It is/was a contact sport, yet this seems to be forgotten. Plenty of much more physical sports yet there seems to be a need for football to be overly regulated.




Also, don't get me started on the current criteria for a freekick/pen to be awarded. The 'any contact' thing is utter BS. Take Harry's penalty for England. Common sense should be applied, the first being, Harry was never getting to the ball, so there is no detriment. The second is it was clearly accidental.

Had he been able to make the ball and it was accidental = pen
Had it been clearly intentional then = pen.
But under those circumstances I think it should be common sense. The games gone so soft.

 

[Shadydan]

The quality of modern football is 10X better than football back in the day and when I say back in the day I'm talking the Zidane, Ronaldo, Henry, Bergkamp years going back...Teams play at a higher intensity on and off the ball, there's better coaching, much better diets and nutrition for the players, better tactics, better game plans, it's actually more demanding and harder for players to play nowadays, you have to be at peak fitness now whilst back then that wasn't always the case.

This is not to say that the players of that era couldn't hang with players now because obviously they'd be receiving the same level of coaching and diets and tactics etc... that the players get now, that's a different argument...For example the talent the original Ronaldo had back then - if he played now he'd be Mbappe on crack.

But the quality of football as a whole is just better, players are more tactically clued up, more technically sound on and off the ball, perhaps because they tend to play to instruction and a pattern, teams actually play in tighter spaces in more compact systems, defences are much better, you never used to see them playing our from the back and taking risks in their own box, you never used to see teams play in a high organised press and leave half the pitch wide open - it's now high risk/high reward.

One thing I will say about modern football is that it's too robotic compared to previous eras and I grew up watching the fluidity and purity of football in the 90s and I think the main reason why people say that football is getting worse is because of what you're used to and how you ought to think football should be played but that purely comes down to bias and hanging onto nostalgia but that always happens with generations...this generation who grew up on this brand of football will complain how the game has got worse in 20 years time when in truth it's just evolving.

 

[Shadydan]

Taking the knee has set race relations in football back 20 years and is divisive, not inclusive as it should have been (just link arms standing or clap FFS). Excessive virtual signalling makes you look silly when bringing it into Sport. Southgate needs to concentrate on why he’s struggling rather than whine about the poor penalties in the Euro final that we’re the result of shit technique.

I don't think it has, if anything it's exposed those people who have a problem with it (not saying you) but people who go out their way to boo something which is meant to be promoting equality says more about them than more than anything.

Linking arms and/or clapping is an empty gesture as well and Virtue signalling btw and is not getting to the root of the problem.

Having said that I'm not a fan of empty gestures just like I wasn't a fan of clapping for the NHS because if you're going to campaign about something do something and take action, I'm with Wilf Zaha on this, all well and good taking the knee but players are still getting racially abused.

How comes 30,000 kids were allowed in to the Hungary/England match if they were ordered to play behind closed doors, this is what I'm talking about...if the idea for tackling racism is to use a gesture then it's merely an easy way out for the powers that be when they should be doing more.

 

[Bazali]

Plus watching the TV on my knees at my age is fucking torture.

I heard your TV was floor to ceiling!

 

[Bazali]

Modern football is shit. I don't care about protecting players, let them tackle. Let them go shoulder to shoulder. If someone wins the ball and follows through, give a pat on the back.

The whole notion of protecting players is hilarious. It is/was a contact sport, yet this seems to be forgotten. Plenty of much more physical sports yet there seems to be a need for football to be overly regulated.




Also, don't get me started on the current criteria for a freekick/pen to be awarded. The 'any contact' thing is utter BS. Take Harry's penalty for England. Common sense should be applied, the first being, Harry was never getting to the ball, so there is no detriment. The second is it was clearly accidental.

Had he been able to make the ball and it was accidental = pen
Had it been clearly intentional then = pen.
But under those circumstances I think it should be common sense. The games gone so soft.

Absolutely agree and it’s the same with Rugby League

Ridiculous what players are getting carded for nowadays

 

[LuckyMe]

Think some people are missing the point of this thread, most of the pet peeves are things most people agree with.
My unpopular opinions are:
1. Nuno did a sterling job.
2. Winks should start every game
3. Tanguy should be given another chance.

True, but I used it as tester for whether my pet peeve was annoying anyone else. I would have thought so, but might have my head up my arse and assume things. Because I never hear others really complain about it, be that irl, online, or the talking heads on tv. The narrative always seems to be that "it's a good foul to give away" or "Player X is taking one for the team by committing a cynical foul and getting a yellow card." Which just makes my blood boil more.

So I was unsure if my personal pet peeve was actually an unpopular opinion and considered a natural part of the game by the majority.

 

[Shotgunofmichalebrow]

Taking the knee has set race relations in football back 20 years and is divisive, not inclusive as it should have been (just link arms standing or clap FFS). Excessive virtual signalling makes you look silly when bringing it into Sport. Southgate needs to concentrate on why he’s struggling rather than whine about the poor penalties in the Euro final that we’re the result of shit technique.

Nah . That some people really hate such a small gesture shows you that there was never any real progress to begin with. Patting folk on the back because they have been forced a not to throw bananas and make monkey noises that's your real fake progress.

I'm going for my own take on this, and that it is American cultural norms and history (right from taking the knee to the loudest objections to it ) are the problem. Racism in British/ European football got loaded into the US driven culture war (See orange Donny and Colin Kappernick ) and the mistake people on the Iine here make is drinking Amerian toxic kool Aid. Without the US lead critique half the people here -the game going public -would barely have noticed it.

 

[Shotgunofmichalebrow]

Warming to my theme but keeping on topic. Global Internet culture is making European football less fun more toxic and overtly politicised.

 

[JPav03]

This might not be so unpopular but I think Messi and Ronaldo are not comparable. Nothing against Ronnie, he's world class but Messi is on a different level altogether.

 

[Deuterz]

This might not be so unpopular but I think Messi and Ronaldo are not comparable. Nothing against Ronnie, he's world class but Messi is on a different level altogether.

Shouldn't be unpopular. Ronaldo is an incredible goalscorer, one of the best ever, but Messi is that and so, so much more.

 

[Mrs Perryman]

True, but I used it as tester for whether my pet peeve was annoying anyone else. I would have thought so, but might have my head up my arse and assume things. Because I never hear others really complain about it, be that irl, online, or the talking heads on tv. The narrative always seems to be that "it's a good foul to give away" or "Player X is taking one for the team by committing a cynical foul and getting a yellow card." Which just makes my blood boil more.

So I was unsure if my personal pet peeve was actually an unpopular opinion and considered a natural part of the game by the majority.

Fair point, didn't see it from that POV, as I would assume most people would regard it as anti-football

 

[TonySoprano]

This might not be so unpopular but I think Messi and Ronaldo are not comparable. Nothing against Ronnie, he's world class but Messi is on a different level altogether.

I think Messi will be truly appreciated once he's retired. I don't think anybody will match his numbers of goals/assists in any major league (not including France/Germany). His stats are just ridiculous.

 

[bonaspur23]

The offsides rule about a defensive players “deliberate action” playing attackers onside is a crock of shit. Defensive players are being penalized for trying to intercept passes and the rule expects defenders to have an offsides GPS in their head before making a challenge.

That mbappe goal vs Spain last year was a load of shit. To a lesser degree, Kane was offside against Germany. None of these defenders had “time” which is a criteria for a deliberate action.

The intent of the rule is that if a defender plays a deliberate pass that goes to an attacker he can’t be offside. Interceptions are fucking defending and not a deliberate pass. The people making/interpreting these rules are completely out of touch with how fast the game is.

 

[JDM]

This might not be so unpopular but I think Messi and Ronaldo are not comparable. Nothing against Ronnie, he's world class but Messi is on a different level altogether.

If you watched the both play then the clear winner is Messi, it’s not even close. That said Ronaldo over the years has developed that clutch mentality, the bigger the game the more likely he would be to win it for the club. Messi is certainly not poor in this area, but Ronaldo is more likely to drag a side to victory when it matters.

 

[MemphisWill]

VAR has been an overall positive addition to the sport, and 10 years from now it will seem utterly bizarre that we used to just let bad decisions determine the outcome of matches and seasons.

 

[Shotgunofmichalebrow]

VAR has been an overall positive addition to the sport, and 10 years from now it will seem utterly bizarre that we used to just let bad decisions determine the outcome of matches and seasons.

Yeah this is just wrong dude it sucks. It should have never been used for offsides ect only deliberate monumental errors of officiating. People referees make errors that's life.

 

[MemphisWill]

Yeah this is just wrong dude it sucks. It should have never been used for offsides ect only deliberate monumental errors of officiating. People referees make errors that's life.

The title did request unpopular opinions, after all.

But it's true. Much rather have offsides fixed and shite decisions not stand.

 

[Airfixx]

Yeah this is just wrong dude it sucks. It should have never been used for offsides ect

Off-sides is the best thing about it.....

It's the subjective stuff where it fails and leaves us no better off.

only deliberate monumental errors of officiating. People referees make errors that's life.

"Deliberate"?