ManchesterCanary 0 Posted July 5, 2006 After watching that wonderful, skilfull, passing game...it is depressingly and painfully clear that English football, NCFC included, is light years away from that kind of football... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mystic megson 0 Posted July 6, 2006 Very true MC. Arsenal are probably the nearest we''ve got in this country, and it''s probably no coincidence that they have fewer English players than any other Prem club. I only hope that the World Cup has been a wake up call for the powers that be in English football, particularly the FA. The Premiership is nowhere near as good as we are led to believe. What we do about it is another question. IMO a breakaway Euro League WILL happen, probably within five years. Arsenal, Chelsea and Man U will almost certainly join, regardless of what their fans want, and probably Liverpool too, although they could be more open to influence by fan power.How would this affect English football? At its most optimistic, there could be a knock-on effect, for example with some clubs becoming ''feeders'' for the Euro League and thereby adopting a different style which would eventually trickle down to the rest. But there''s little sign that the FA sees the need for change. The Premier League is far too lucrative in its present form. If there''s going to be a battle royal between traditionalists and progressives, it really needs to take place BEFORE the Euro League is formed . . . but don''t hold your breath.How would this affect Norwich City? IMO we are just the sort of club who should be keeping this scenario at the back of our minds, so that when it happens we are poised to take full advantage of it. With the ''big four'' out of the way, reestablishing ourselves in the top flight could become a realistic possibility once again - IF can we get our act together. Despite the mess we''re in at the moment, I wouldn''t dismiss that possibility out of hand. It certainly puts the club''s attempts in the late 1990s to form links with French and Italian clubs in a different light. The timing wasn''t right, and it''s probably not something a club like ours can do in isolation, but it could yet prove to be a sound idea whose time will not be long in coming . . . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yellow Rider 0 Posted July 6, 2006 Totally agree - see my similar post entitled ''Magnifico! - Over to you Worthy'' I was disappointed that no-one has seen fit to respond to that, posters seem to be obsessed with the constant slagging esch other off as they take up their entreched positions on the Worthy issue or speculate on the latest transfer rumour. I don''t care who we sign, if the fundamental philosophy of playing the game in the right fashion is not the cornerstone of the club at all levels then forget it. Like it or not that is one of the reasons why Ashton quickly became jarred off. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Peter 0 Posted July 6, 2006 Absolutely. We have two or three players maybe who have those skills but other teams have eleven and eleven more waiting. I dont very often agree with Graham Taylor but I think he is right in saying unless we address the problem, the England side will be made up of players from the lower divisions in a few years time as the premiership will become almost exclusively foreign talent.All this of course makes the prospect of watching hoofball at Carrow Road next season even more depressing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Evil Monkey 52 Posted July 6, 2006 To be fair, there seems to have been a revival of the "beautiful game" in the Premiership this last season. Arsenal started it, but Liverpool particularly have flourished under a passing regime, whilst Manure and Chelsea seem to be embracing it once more.Even the likes of Blackburn played some silky football last season, whilst the newly promoted likes of Wigan and West Ham also had their moments.That said, I remember watching Bolton vs West Brom on Sky and it was even worse than the Switzerland vs Ukraine game! It was like watching tennis, only with bigger balls and less pretty ladies... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rossi 0 Posted July 6, 2006 A few years ago when serie A was the doggies doo-dars, the Italian national team, full of superstars failed time and again. Their squad became full of talent that couldnt play together, but respective managers didnt have the guts to drop big names. Serie A has been overtaken by the prem and La Liga and with a lack of available cash in Italian football they have addressed certain issues, but all of the Italian team are based in Italy playing top flight football, something that hasnt been seen for a while.One issue worth remembering though is that national fans expect different things - the English like fast attacking football that can be seen as naive, the italians however are happy to score an 89th minute winner courtesy of an own goal. Sven''s italian style tactics hardly won us over did it!? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ManchesterCanary 0 Posted July 6, 2006 Yellow rider...just seen your post...I agree totally...NCFC ''must not'' lower itself to the long ball game anymore...that lovely carpet like grass is there for a reason. Even a syscraper like Crouch prefers it to his feet. It''s how the beautiful game should be played...and there should be no compromise. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Misery Guts 0 Posted July 6, 2006 It''s foreign managers that have made the leauge more boring ! Ok, Arsenal is coached by a frenchman but Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez have introduced boring, defensive football to the premier leauge. The premier leauge is the most watched leauge in the world because it is the most entertaining Newcastle, West Ham, Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham all play agressive attacking football and 4 of that 5 have a significant contigent of Englishmen. Lets please not look at Itallian football as the benchmark because they are in the world cup final , it is corrupt, hooligan ridden and boring , the english national team will thrive when we have a manager that can make the team play like the top club sides in this country. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites