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Is football better now Or was it better before Sky?

9 posts - Started 1 month ago by cosmicjellybaby - Latest reply from azz0020 -

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• Sky
• top four

1. cosmicjellybaby
   

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   Posted 1 month ago #

   I'm just asking. Things seem to be much more polarised at the moment. You know, the top four seem to be the top four every season. Is this boring for fans of other teams? Is the polarisation due solely to cash? If so, then who's dropping out to let City in? Or did this process of polarisation start in the seventies - e.g. in 1967 Liverpool and Man Utd were tied with 7 championships each, I think Arsenal had a similar number and Everton and a few others weren't that far behind. Then Liverpool won a further 11 titles in the next 20 years. In catching up, Man Utd have won 11 in an even shorter period. Dunno where I'm going here... But discuss it anyway!

   Then there's Sky's coverage. It is now and always has been hyped up beyond all belief (it still beats ITV mind). The presenters, Messrs Keys and Gray in particular seem to spout rubbish constantly. Keys especially to my mind doesn't know what on earth he's talking about.

2. Michael Tuff
   

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   Posted 1 month ago #

   i think its starting to even out now,you look at clubs like spurs city villa and everton now being able to give the big 4 clubs a real hard time.but sky and the premier league starting has damaged football around europe.other leagues are just so far behind in financial terms,and especially in the case of football here in ireland,fans just dont care about domestic teams anymore.before the PL and sky,there was money here,and teams were actually pretty good,attendances were large.but since,its just gone downhill constantly,and im sure its the same in many more european countries

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3. cosmicjellybaby
   

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   Posted 1 month ago #

   Thanks Michael it's interesting to hear your views on the situation. In my typically english way (!) I hadn't thought about the effect that our game and all its cash could have on our neighbours. I just wanna see a little bit more variety - the teams that you mentioned will push the big four for a while but then (i think city apart) will fall down when the big push comes and their smallish squads get stretched a little too far.

4. bobotonto
   

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   Posted 1 month ago #

   I haven't lived in England since '77, but it's night and day, innit? The money has changed everything. If you follow Eamonn Dunphy's reasoning, the game changed in Ireland once Matt Busby started to plunder all the best youth in the early fifties. It's hard to make a televised spectacle out of Cork City-vs-Shelbourne when there's so little genuine talent on display. All over the British isles and Ireland the kids would rather play Fifa Soccer and be someone else.

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5. thefourthwisemonkey
   

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   Posted 1 month ago #

   Tricky subject good one though. Yes the wall to wall football on sky has changed football both in terms of revenue and popularity but is it better? Completely agree with both Duffman and bobotonto that the premier league has deeply affected countries such as Ireland but to some extent that was expected with them being such close neighbours. More worrying though is the affect of premier league in Asia and Africa where domestic leagues are being ignored as fans watch the Premier league or in some cases Seria A. But back to your question is it better?

   Well football has changed tactically a lot in both the English and world game in the last 17 years. In my view it has for the large part become more defensive or rather the defensive mentality of more coaches and teams has increased. And yes Sky has had a hand in that. With Sky's millions pumped into the game flamboyant attackers and high quality defenders moved to England. That's not a bad thing though and it should have brought a higher standard with it. You could also argue that with all the financial rewards on offer from sky and the premier league, tactically a lot of teams have become more defensive as the risk of defeat is now greater than ever.

   In terms of the "big four", my personal opinion is that the money in football has sadly destroyed part of the romanticism of a team coming from nowhere to challenge for the title but hey that's life. Cosmicjellybaby spoke of the dominance of Liverpool and Arsenal in the 70s and 80s but don't forget Brian Clough's fantastic feats with Derby and Notts Forest in 78 where they had only been promoted that season, could anyone ever imagine that happening again with all due respect to Burnley fans?

6. bobotonto
   

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   Posted 1 month ago #

   The stranglehold of the big four/five is stronger than ever, but, it was mostly the same clubs with all the money in the 70's-80's, too. Spurs instead of Chelsea, though! Ron Saunders of Aston Villa and Brian Clough at Forest won the European Cup with players who were, more or less run-of-the -mill. Wouldn't it have been wonderful had Manchester United or the England national team been managed by Cloughy?

7. ricardox88
   

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   Posted 1 month ago #

   well i don't think its ruined football.. maybe if you live in england and you support man united for example but were born and live in a small town where your home team plays in the premiership you'll always check your home team results but the matches you really watch are the united games.. but honestly without the "big 4" the arsenal vs united games and so on wouldn't be special... who doesn't look forward to those big games?? it exciting and i for one like it!!

   the only thing thats ruined football a bit is watching millionares run around a field... for people who don't really love football its rather off putting to watch a 17 year old boy earn more in 2 weeks then you do in a year..

   "The pressure isn't being first... its being second and third chasing me!!!"
   
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8. football-journo
   

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   Posted 1 month ago #

   http://www.football-journo.com

   Of course its better now than before. The money bought in by Sky has helped bring in top players from abroad. It's hard to imagine the likes of Bergkamp, Zola, Henry, Ronaldo, Torres, etc. come over to England if it weren't for Sky and the money associated to it. I agree that it's been the same four that have benefited from Sky but that is starting to even out.

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9. azz0020
   

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   Posted 1 month ago #

   I think sky is good for football if our league is the most aestetically pleasing then i am happy and i can always watch the key derby matches so it's all good

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