... England played Hungary at Wembley,in a match that turned World football upside down. Here is the entire,(well almost),match,hope you can enjoy it,even with the poor quality sound. www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMu5_2wHqUo Some believe that "tika taka" was born that day.
Before my time but that Hungarian team was ahead of its time wasn't it. They really do look like they're from a different era. Someone posted it was the greatest international team ever but I suspect the Brasil team of the early seventies would win that accolade. Pele, Jairzinho, Tostao, Revelino, Carlos Alberto - wow what a team that was. And they all played in their home country. How times have changed. For me growing up it's that tournament in Mexico 1970 that got me interested in football and everyone in school knew the names of that Brasil team. They were that good.
I suspect most followers of the game today look down on these great teams/players of yesterday and exhibit a certain degree of disdain,dismissing them as an irrelevance. That's a pity.because these were the top players in their day. I wonder if football fans' in 60 years time will dismiss today's top performers as easily. The England set up back in the early fifties regarded themselves as being THE proponents of the game,and when they were thrashed at Wembley.they claimed it was a fluke result,caught us on a bad day,etc.,etc. Guess what,it was no fluke. The following year saw the return in Budapest with Hungary winning 7-1. Some fluke,eh? The great Ferenc Puskas became a national hero,his name rebounding around the world. He was the Pele/Ronaldo/Messi of his day,and went on to further glory with Real Madrid,and became an icon there,as well. He was as popular in Spain as John Charles was in Italy. Brazil have had some great teams,Knackered,but that Hungarian team just seemed to burst on to the scene,and in the dreary post war years,brought some magic to the world,especially the world of football.. Perhaps that is why they were nicknamed "The Magical Magyars".
But how can we have an affection for players of old if we were not around to see them play. I was born in the 80's, so the Brazil squad of the 70's and the teams you are referring to mean nothing to me. Yes they had great players, but I never seen them play, so they have no meaning to me personally. So yes it is easy for us not to have any reason to look up to them in the same way you do. Same as in 60 years, kids born in 30 years time, won't have the same feelings for the likes of Michu as we have, because they were not around to see him perform. Take Pele, we all know he was a great player, but those who seen him play will always hold him in a higher regard than those who were born after his playing days, there is no real connection, unlike those who seen him kick the ball. The ultimate team for me was the Brazil squad which had the likes of Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Carlos and the like, as they were the team to beat during my childhood. Same as for the current generation of kids, they are going to grow up on the current Spanish squad being the best. Along with special players such as Messi and Ronaldo.
I remember watching the 1966 World Cup, the Portugal v Nth Korea match, the hat trick in the final, 1970 the great Banks save v Brazil. I do not think comparisons between eras can be made due to technology advances, fitness levels etc etc. Would a young Pele or Eusabio or Muller have the same impact today - I doubt it
I tend to agree but I know others don't. The pace of the game is now probably as fast as it will ever get; defenders are better drilled and players don't have as much time on the ball. Players today have to think twice as fast because of that. The ball has changed immeasurably too and this has changed the nature of the game. I think the players of days gone by were fantastic in their own time but when you compare them with the likes of Ronaldo he is streets ahead imo.
Personally, I think the greatest difference these days is the cheating, diving and play acting. Still winds me up no end. One of my first great memories is the 78 World Cup. Would Archie Gemmil's equivalent, for instance, now skip through the whole defence and score a fabulous goal or just fall over when the first defender breathes on him?
Well I agree that it's a modern phenomenon Daimun and I hate it too. Most players these days go over too easily imo but some of that is down to the speed of the game. Bale occasionally went over easily but often it was because he was clipped whilst motoring. If you're burning up the ground you only need a clip to send you over and he often got a bum rap imo. So for me the greatest difference remains the the pace of the game. Some of the counter-attacks you see these days are breathtaking in speed and precision.
Generally agree but would Ronaldo and Messi etc be quite as effective or quick on the heavy mud bath pitches of yesteryear? Would they be as happy with the older, heavy, water retaining balls? They certainly wouldn't get the protection that referees give in the modern game: and they would have been targets for the many hatchet men that prowled the pitches intent only on hunting down and chopping down any player who was a danger to their own side. And the rules of the day allowed them to do just that. Top talent such as all those players mentioned in the various posts can only be judged by the standards of their day. All the rest is just conjecture. Great fun but conjecture nonetheless. I'm quite certain that if truly great players such as Puskas, di Stefano, Pele, Best, Charles, Ivor etc etc etc played in today's game, they would make sure that they met the physical standards required. Fitness levels can easily be achieved but talent cannot. You either have it or you don't and the great players of any era certainly had it.
"Top talent such as all those players mentioned in the various posts can only be judged by the standards of their day" True, Ivor. And your point about muddy pitches and those heavy waterlogged footballs is valid. I suppose that as you say if a top player is in a particular era he has been brought up with the conditions and the environment, thus rising to the top of the profession in the end. As you say, fitness (and even some skills) can be learned, but talent is innate.
I was born in the 70s but read loads and watched lots growing up. My favourite old school players are; Garrincha, Best, Gerd Muller, Cruyff, Liam Brady, Kenny Dalglish and Glenn Hoddle. Haven't seen much footage of that Hungary team or Wales greats like Charles and Allchurch so would find it difficult to show my appreciation as I am largely ignorant of what they were capable of....that's not to say I don't appreciate they were great, their career stats and achievements testify to this, just that other people who knew them as footballers well are better placed to talk about them.
Trip down memory lane aye! Way before my time, though the 1966 world cup, was a defining moment for me, watching the front line of West Ham do it's job, and the two Charlton boys! What a shot Bobby Charlton had, and his brother always coming into the box for the headers................ That Hungarian team is way before it's time.
Could also flip it and question could a Ronaldo or Messi play in an era where players were allowed to tackle and very poor pitches. Would they also be able to dribble like Best? Edit: just seen Ivor's post. Spot on.
A certain team from the British isles was quite a good team in 1958 and only got knocked out of the world cup by a single goal by some kid called ..Edson Arantes do Nascimento....AKA pele...
Aye and that shot took a slight deflection. Also, we were without John Charles who the f*****g Hungarians cynically kicked out of the World Cup. I wonder how today's top players such as Ronaldo and Messi would have coped with treatment like that remembering that Big John was bigger and tougher than both of them put together.
He was massive and im glad i got to see him play. Yes if big john was playing in that game it could have been a different result.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spT6rQkXIto
Speaking from memory, Dai, Brazil went on to stick 5 past Sweden in the final. Gives some sort of perspective to our result in only losing 1-0. Was it Kelsey in goal for us? Whatever, I remember our keeper bemoaning the slight touch from one of our defenders that took Pele's shot agonisingly just out of his reach. Untidy goal. I remember reading that the Hungarians had a calculated and cynical ploy to boot Charlo at every opportunity and the officials disgracefully gave them full rein to do it. I've hated referees and their kind ever since but, unfortunately, we wouldn't have a game without them. I long for the day when games are officiated by remote control but it won't happen in my lifetime.
