Over the past few decades, football has been over-officiated to the point that it is now a sport where physical contact is all but forbidden.
In the 1970s the recipient of a meaty challenge would crawl out of the mud and count his legs, and – assuming both were still attached – proceed to make sure they weren’t pointing in unnatural directions.
These days, however, if a player breathes on an opponent after a garlicky pre-match meal, it is probably a bookable offence. Referees, under instruction from the powers-that-be, have become whistle happy to the point of nonsense.
I would be the first to admit the gung-ho martial arts tackles of yesteryear have no place in modern football. And it’s right that they had to be, ahem, stamped out. Nobby Styles, Tommy Smith and Norman Hunter were great to watch back in the day, but their approach was borderline assault and battery.
But as always in football, the sport went too far in the other direction in its efforts to protect today’s delicate stars. Whistle, stop. Whistle, stop, Whistle, stop. At times it’s like games are buffering.
That has led to more and more complaints from managers, fans, players and pundits that football had become a pale imitation of the physical sport it once was. I myself despair at this version of ‘touch’ football.
But this season things have taken a turn for the better.
After years of ignoring everyone’s cries for more refereeing leniency, the authorities have finally bowed to the pressure and instructed referees to stop being so anal and let games flow.
The result is more open football, no longer interrupted by frequent and unnecessary whistling. Because of that, games are more high-tempo, exciting and watchable. Football has taken a welcome step back towards its roots, which is much needed after the teeth-itching introduction of VAR.
Of course, like with everything in football, there are those who aren’t happy with the change. Jurgen Klopp and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, in a blatant attempt to manipulate refs to give their team more protection in the future, have both complained about this season’s more liberal approach to officiating.
But the word on the street is that the vast majority of managers are fully on board with men’s football going back to its roots. And all of the fans I have spoken too are equally happy to see the return of the good old-fashioned tackle and hefty shoulder charge.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to see football go back to the 1970s – tough, gnarly defenders leaving the pitch with pieces of their opponents wedged in their studs is not something we need.
But the truth is serious dangerous play will still be punished. It’s just the stupid, pointless, niggly breaks in play that are being eliminated.
Ultimately there is an art to playing physical. It may, according to Jurgen and Ole, be a dark art, but it is an art nevertheless. And it’s an art that I, for one, am very happy to see revived.
Serious dangerous play will still be punished. It’s just the stupid, pointless, niggly breaks in play that are being eliminated
Allowing teams to bully their opponents (not hurt them) gives those sides with less technically-gifted players a way of competing with their star-studded superiors. Which is precisely why the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool are not happy. But at a time when the gap between the elite and the rest has never been wider, anything which levels the playing field even a little has to be welcomed with open arms.
Unreal Madrid
Just a few days ago we heard how Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona were struggling to cope with their respective debt mountains.
The amounts they owe are so huge, in fact, that doubts are being cast about the very future of La Liga, which relies heavily on those two clubs for glitz, glamour and revenue.
A worrying prospect.
Fast forward a few days and I woke to the news that Real Madrid had made a €150 million bid for PSG forward Kylian Mbappe.
What? How? Why?
I mean, pleading poverty one week and then making an outrageous bid for a player the next week just doesn’t add up, financially or logically.
I understand that clubs don’t fork out an entire transfer fee in one go and that Real may have been offering PSG instalments over many years, for example. But that is the sort of deal which has got them into their current pickle.
And then there are Mbappe’s wages. That’s another €25 to €30 million a year they would need to find down the back of the sofa.
Yes, having the French star in the team would give Real more chance of success on the field and would boosts morale among players and fans alike.
But that doesn’t make it right.
Whether or not the deal goes through remains up the air (at the time of writing) but I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if PSG decided to cash in on a player whose contract expires next summer.
Whether or not the deal should be allowed to go through, however, is a whole different kettle of fish…
Dear Football Gods…
Hope this short note finds you well.
I was just wondering if you wouldn’t mind giving Sheffield United a bit of a break.
Far be it from me to tell you how to have your fun, of course, but surely you got enough pleasure from torturing us for an entire Premier League campaign? Awful performances, disastrous signings, useless managers and embarrassingly quick relegation. We ticked all your boxes.
On that basis, is it really necessary to keep toying with us now we are in the Championship? I mean, four league games into the season without a win and only a solitary goal? And you only let us have that goal because you knew our opponents would conjure up a winner with seconds to go.
Isn’t there another team you could curse for a while? Another football club that deserves your attention? West Brom and Fulham are having things all their own way at the moment, aren’t they? Just saying…
Best regards,
A distraught Sheffield United fan.
twitter: @maltablade