Question for the day.

[Sutekh]

Could today’s top teams eg. Liverpool, City, Arsenal etc. “wipe the floor” with the Uniteds, Arsenals and Chelsea’s of 20/25 years ago?

[Sanguine]

Could today’s top teams eg. Liverpool, City, Arsenal etc. “wipe the floor” with the Uniteds, Arsenals and Chelsea’s of 20/25 years ago?

Probably. I think the extent to which fitness and agility and skill has improved is acknowledged, but under-rated. Certainly clips of the Premier League in late 90s and early 2000s look 'different', shall we say.

[Clyde1998]

The tactics were very different. I wonder how good the teams from twenty-odd years ago would adapt to the current tactics.

That said, I think football was more entertaining back then because of sides being less refined and there being more scope for flair players.

[Winston Biscuit]

yeah I think the best teams today would most likely beat the best teams of the 90's, maybe even into the 00's.

I think the progress of sports science, data analysis, tactics etc means the top teams are better these days, are more in control of games and are harder to play against, but at the expense of entertainment.

I reckon the Man Utd teams of the mid to late 90's might be my favourite of all the successful teams we have seen, though maybe my age plays into that too, but if you put the Man Utd Championship winning team of, say, 95/96 or 96/97 up aginst the current Liverpool team or the recent Man City teams I think they would be embarrassed and would look pretty basic and one dimensional.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Pele would be warming the bench for Bournemouth.

[stealthpapes]

It depends slightly on the rules/interpretations used.

It depends on how much preparation the squad has.

So, I reckon the United sides of the late 90s would rapidly adapt. The best players would adapt most quickly, maybe with the odd surprise here and there.

But even in the mid-00s, you were seeing a certain homogenisation of players. While there's a few outliers, most players are now streamlined and I imagine their fitness outputs are both better and differently focused than the players in the past. Faster top speeds, less outright strength, more agility, huge improvements in recovery time.

That said, I think football was more entertaining back then because of sides being less refined and there being more scope for flair players.

And the odd player that looks like they shouldn't be there. .. .. .

[Dirk Gently]

Yes, most of the time - unless they played on some of the pitches from 20/25 years ago.

They were by no means as bad as the pitches of the 80s (the Baseball ground springs to mind) but occasionally there'd be a real shocker that might have levelled things slightly

[Sutekh]

Yes, most of the time - unless they played on some of the pitches from 20/25 years ago.

They were by no means as bad as the pitches of the 80s (the Baseball ground springs to mind) but occasionally there'd be a real shocker that might have levelled things slightly

Miss the good old days of a great leveller of pitch and everyone ending up wearing the same colour shirts, everyone knew there’d been a game.

[Winston Biscuit]

Pele would be warming the bench for Bournemouth.

If you dropped a prime Pele into football now I reckon his fitness levels would see him struggle to make into a football league match

[6ft Kerplunk]

Pele would be warming the bench for Bournemouth.

If you dropped a prime Pele into football now I reckon his fitness levels would see him struggle to make into a football league match

But take a 10 year old Pele and give him the football schooling current players get and you'd still get one of the best players ever.

[Clyde1998]

Another question: what players who a elite now but wouldn't be in the 90s and players who'd be an elite player in the 90s but isn't now?

[Winston Biscuit]

Another question: what players who a elite now but wouldn't be in the 90s and players who'd be an elite player in the 90s but isn't now?

Ooh good question. TAA I assume as olden day full backs were pure defenders. Imagine your Dylan Kerr's and Andy Bernal's of this world just wandering into midfield because they want to start dictating play l?!

I wonder if your top quality centre mids, like Busquets, would struggle as the more frantic play would pass them by

[Hendo]

Another question: what players who a elite now but wouldn't be in the 90s and players who'd be an elite player in the 90s but isn't now?

Ooh good question. TAA I assume as olden day full backs were pure defenders. Imagine your Dylan Kerr's and Andy Bernal's of this world just wandering into midfield because they want to start dictating play l?!

I wonder if your top quality centre mids, like Busquets, would struggle as the more frantic play would pass them by

I think uber-flair players may struggle. You'd expect someone like Keane, Viera, Adams to just absolutely nail them early on.

Their talent would get them so far, it would all get too much and then BAM

[Sutekh]

How good might Stanley Matthews, Jimmy Greaves, Denis Law, Dixie Dean etc. be if they were born in the last 20 years? Might they surpass the achievements they did manage? Certainly should get more international caps.

[Pepe the Horseman]

How good might Stanley Matthews, Jimmy Greaves, Denis Law, Dixie Dean etc. be if they were born in the last 20 years? Might they surpass the achievements they did manage? Certainly should get more international caps.

No. They'd probably be playing in League Two.

[Clyde1998]

Another question: what players who a elite now but wouldn't be in the 90s and players who'd be an elite player in the 90s but isn't now?

Ooh good question. TAA I assume as olden day full backs were pure defenders. Imagine your Dylan Kerr's and Andy Bernal's of this world just wandering into midfield because they want to start dictating play l?!

I wonder if your top quality centre mids, like Busquets, would struggle as the more frantic play would pass them by

The standard of pitches would likely hurt technical players too - players dependant on snooker table pitches would have a shock if they played on a 90s pitch.

[Snowflake Royal]

yeah I think the best teams today would most likely beat the best teams of the 90's, maybe even into the 00's.

I think the progress of sports science, data analysis, tactics etc means the top teams are better these days, are more in control of games and are harder to play against, but at the expense of entertainment.

I reckon the Man Utd teams of the mid to late 90's might be my favourite of all the successful teams we have seen, though maybe my age plays into that too, but if you put the Man Utd Championship winning team of, say, 95/96 or 96/97 up aginst the current Liverpool team or the recent Man City teams I think they would be embarrassed and would look pretty basic and one dimensional.

When you think of 90s Arsenal and Spurs, and remember that Adams, Gascoigne and Merson were off their face on drink and drugs half the time, and Le Tissier at Saints was in no way an athlete its pretty easy to conclude that modern teams would wipe the floor with them.