[teeftwo]

One of the most interesting articles on modern football I can recall reading. Really worth a read if you love football.
 
Arsene Wenger interview: Fifa boss reveals his blueprint for the future of football | The Independent

Includes coverage of the following subjects amongst other stuff

• How football may have to “create striker schools” to solve a lack of goalscorers
  
• How modern academies offer high technical quality but have meant “we lose a bit of that freedom, that creativity”
  
• How pressing has affected that
  
• “The trend in some academies is to recreate park football”
  
• How football isn’t producing anywhere near as many good players as it could
  
• “Does the world produce enough good players? I think no”
  
• How this has led to an inflated transfer market, where “everybody thinks the same”
  
• Why countries like Croatia and Uruguay are so repeatedly successful
  
• How football is addressing these issues
  

[TBP]

Or, in other words, they have coached the life out of the game, as has often been commented on this board.

[Hammie]

The very best of late have been the ones who learnt on the streets and avoided coaching until they were already very good. Especially if you want to talk about wingers who take their man on.
Taking teams to junior school events, it disgusted me to see those adults who had attended FA coaching telling youngsters of 8 or 9 off for daring to dribble. Even substituting them.

[D'Alessandro dreaming]

I think it is more about the science and analysis than overcoaching as such (although there is overlap). The modern game is far more about systems and styles than individuals. Haaland scored 36 goals for Man City last season and there is still debate about whether they are a better side without him.

Wingers who try and beat their man might lose the ball and with modern higher pressing, that leaves teams very susceptible to being hit on the counter. Not saying I like it but that seems to be the thinking. It's kind of why the "Number 10" has become such a sought after position by fans and clubs. One of the few players on the pitch given that license to beat players and take risks.

[Prickles]

Modern pressing and systems against lesser teams are like playing noughts and crosses setting out to deliberately fuck the game and cause a draw.

To Hammie's point, Rooney is a standout example IMO

[Cunninglinguist]

It’s indicative of a game that is now more about winning than about entertainment.

Not everyone that can win but everyone can be entertained.

[Cunninglinguist]

Ideally, it should be a combination of the two.

I believe most people would enjoy seeing the Globetrotters. I couldn’t name one other basketball team.

[Hammie]

Modern pressing and systems against lesser teams are like playing noughts and crosses setting out to deliberately fuck the game and cause a draw.

To Hammie's point, Rooney is a standout example IMO

and, of course, the Portuguese one.