Good lord, some people are just incapable of sensible debate aren't they. I chose to debate your choice of team because everyone bangs on about Barcelona still, despite them not having won anything this season, and not actually having played that well either. And I assumed that the other ridiculous things you said, such as the scoreline and the fact that Saints would be in the final, were said in jest. For me to argue with something which is clearly a joke would be rather stupid of me, would it not?
It's the Copa Del Rey Final tonight, Barcelona v Bilbao. They won the Club World Cup and the Super Cup, and the Supercopa (Community Shield). Yes, they are all basically minor trophies.
Oh, yeah Super Cups are basically friendlies and the Club World Cup is barely an achievement. Though I actually would like to see that tournament become more important in the future. I'll be supporting Bilbao tonight as I am so sick of everyone licking the arses of Barcelona players.
Agreed. Although they were obviously a wonderful team I think they're definately on a downward spiral and it will take some years to get even close to that level again. Would say that this also applies to the Spanish national team who I don't think will get a sniff at the Euros. All about the Dutch and the Germans for me and maybe the French if for once they can keep it together.
I know it goes against everything we stand for as a nation of moaning doubters and pessimists, but I think the future looks bright for English football as well. I think we'll take a leaf out of the books of the Spanish teams who create so much young talent and breed them to play exciting, attacking, technical football, and kids in this country will be taught to play this way too. Combine that with the fact that we are clearly more tactically adept than the Spanish, as Chelsea have demonstrated this year, and we can have a perfect brand of football - both pretty and smart. We also have a new set of rules at club level which encourages focus on home-grown talent, and every season the old "top 4" starts to look more and more like a "top 10". I personally think that there is plenty of Champions League glory ahead for Premier League teams, and I wouldn't be surprised to see our clubs dominating Europe in ten years' time.
As a 20 year old the obvious choice would have to be '76, not including that probs FA Cup at Fratton Park '84
If I had a time machine, I would have placed a large quantity of money on an accumulator which included Saints winning that game against Man United by 6 goals to 3. Going to the game would have been a pleasurable and rewarding experience and I would now be dictating this to my personal assistant who would be typing it on my gold laptop for you peasants to read.
Just in case I haven't already written this, I'll write this now... I would take a wee trip, about 10-20 years into the future, where goal line technology has progressed to making all the decisions and informing the officials to implement the signals and direct the play, and then take the technology back to at least 1966, where we find out for sure that Geoff Hurst's goal WAS over the line; that Bobby Stokes WAS onside for sure; that Harald Schumacher should have been imprisoned for his body-check on Patrick Battiston, rather than getting a goal-kick; that Diego Maradona's hand of god cheating would have been seen at the very moment when it mattered, so illustrating that he was/is not worthy of even being consider great, let alone amongst the greatest; that Pedro Mendes goal would have stood at Old Trafford, when Roy Carroll spilled the ball a yard over the goalline, only to fetch it out without the officials apparently noticing; that Frank Lampard's goal would have stood in the last World Cup; and a myriad of other big decisions, goals/no goals that I both can, and cannot remember, that have been incorrectly called, and so can have had major effects on the future. In fact, I'd be able to go back with evidence to that end.
One game that I heard a lot about from my older brother was the European Cup Winners Cup Q/F second leg against Anderlect at the Dell in 1977. I was too young to go and had school the next day but I know how special midweek games under the floodlights were at the dear old stadium (apparently the crowd could be heard over the river in Woolston that night). We were 2-0 down and levelled the tie to 2-2 on aggregate, then a mistake from Jim Steele allowed them to score the winner 7 minutes from time. It was very much a case of what might have been as Anderlect went on to win the trophy.... [video=youtube;GUMd2E53SmA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUMd2E53SmA&feature=related[/video]
Some of us who are rather long in the tooth might want to go back to the 9-3 demolition of Wolves in 65/66. Beautiful sunny day at the Dell and watching a young Martin Chivers!
Interesting thought about developing technique in young players. Wonder how many of England's '66 team went to footballing academies or Brazil's dazzling array of talent in 1970? Are today's players who receive massive input any better technically than Alan Ball?? Nooo way!!
I have to agree, Bally was a master of 'one touch football', you cannot teach a natural football brain to someone.
If I had a time machine...I'd take a 2012 team to play a team from 30-40 years ago, and see what happens. Maybe they could play one half with modern rules and one with 70's rules.
You said it mate Oh and by the way: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/may/25/barcelona-athletic-copa-del-rey?newsfeed=true
To be fair, Bally did have a progressive coach in his father, Alan Ball Sr, so if he was good enough, he was always going to be slightly more modern in his technical playing abilities and style than his contemporaries. We also know that Bally, as a manager, loved the passing game, and so when he had the most gifted English player in the game, at the time, he knew how to work him, and make him extra effective. He was on the same wavelength as LeTiss, and even though I say it myself, he may not have been as skilled in technique as Matty [who was..?], he was just as quick in his head.
I would say the '76 Cup Final, but as I was actually there, that would be greedy! The Mick Channon testimonial which followed it sounded as if it was a hoot!
whenever I want to remember all those classic games from the 1950's I catch the ferry to the isle of wight where according to my watch it is 1952.
