The top players from the 60-90s would have to be a LOT fitter to even live with an average PL team now. The players are absolute athletes these days - the Liverpool team of the 80s based all their success on playing 5-a-sides every day and drinking every night
Eyebrows Ronaldo almost certainly couldn't have. Would have the temperament to handle getting kicked up and down the field.
Of all time, has anyone been around that long. well in my time Eusebio Pele Best Beckenbauer spring to mind.
I recall watching an Emlyn Hughes interview when he was asked 'how would your Liverpool side fare against the current Team'. His response was - 'We would play them off the park, for the first 80 minutes. After that we would get slaughtered'. He went to explain that the fitness levels, the training and medical advances made any comparison impossible. Hard to argue against Crazy Horse.
My dad is utterly convinced that Charlie Hurley would be an absolute legend in the modern game with modern training. He also reckons Beckenbauer, Moore and Pele would still be absolute legends if they had modern training etc
I do wonder if Jude Bellingham will feature in these conversations in 20 years time. His potential is scary.
That's a hell of a team. I could swap a couple in and out, baresi in at centre half, Maldini to left back, Deschamps or Makelele in as a dm maybe, That front 3 though, the stuff of defenders nightmares
I tend to think modern fitness levels are a product of the time and knowledge available. I believe were say Paul McGrath around now his fitness levels would be different to then. Growing up in academies, where you learn so much about looking after yourself and diet etc is a different world. It doesnt go the other way though for me. If the game were as physical as it once were some modern day players wouldnt cope. That physicality is something you have to want to get involved in. Look at Ballard and Hume, they would thrive. Then look at Ekwah. It is a mindset.
That is generally my feeling, that the technically very good players of the past would be able to adapt to modern training methods and fitness level expectations but that many modern players couldn't or wouldn't cope with the more physical game of the past. But then I start thinking about technique. Puskas' first goal against England at Wembley in 1953 was scored with the famous drag back. Something that isn't that unusual now but people's minds were blown at the time. Yet, I think back to the old boys in our village who used to tell me about Len Shackleton and his tekkers and think maybe he was at least the equal of some modern players in those terms. So has the game moved on in that regard? Are modern players more technical?
It's a really interesting discussion, I think the true greats like Pele, Beckenbauer had vision, speed of thought, almost a natural instinct as well as just brilliant skills that would still stand out now. If you look at players like Maradona, the original Ronaldo and the punishment they got, imagine what they would be like with the protection they would get now.
Oh man I need time to answer this one. Maybe tonight. In short I think the technically good players of today are not as good as the technical players of the past. If you gave the older players a modern football, modern boots, 4g pitches they would probably laugh at some of the modern lads technique. More to follow, a favourite subject of mine, player technique...
Not sure. Cocaine was a difficult drug to get your hands on in the 50s. Diego might have had to turn to something like opium, no kind of PED at all.
