Better than 85-87

[aazak]

The rules and the football itself are more conducive to an entertaining TV product now (I'm not against that). Certain teams seemed to hack and back pass themselves to trophies in the pre-Sky era and cheating was probably more widespread (but less organized). The great players were still great players though - just watch a few minutes of the Maradona documentary.

And the skill required for Sheedy's free kicks was greater than something that looks the same on TV now!

 

[Viennablue]

I've been trying to get one for weeks. Can't find one anywhere.

Ha!

I suppose as a collectors’ item they’re probably quite valuable these days. They look pretty cool, I’ll admit that. Good luck with your search.

My point was that they’re no longer needed as something someone would choose to buy for general use.

 

[mightymoyes]

the weird part about this thread is the posters that seemingly find it hard to believe that the best quality of players wouldn't be able to adapt to any era. baffling

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Next question: who to manage them? Ancelotti- win just about everything in the game, managed the biggest clubs, or HK twice league champs etc.
Or for @davek Bobby brown shoes?

 

[davek]

Next question: who to manage them? Ancelotti- win just about everything in the game, managed the biggest clubs, or HK twice league champs etc.
Or for @davek Bobby brown shoes?

I dont think there's any doubt that Martinez would be able to get results from great footballers...he even did it with donkeys in Everton's best ever PL season before the massive inadequacies of said donkeys couldn't be papered over anymore.

 

[Saint Domingo]

You’d have to compare them relatively. Southall Reid Bracewell Sheedy Lineker Ratcliffe were some of the best players in the league and in Europe at the time. If they had the advantages of modern day training and diet etc you’d imagine that they’d still be at the same sort of level of being better than most players. Some of our players now are amongst the worst in the prem so I just don’t buy that some clowns like Siggurdson or Schneiderlin are better than players who dragged Everton to titles against what was supposedly the greatest Liverpool team of all time. No chance.

 

[Chewbacca]

Sheedy would still be slow, one-footed, unable to tackle or head the ball.

And still world class

 

[dholliday]

I dont think there's any doubt that Martinez would be able to get results from great footballers...he even did it with donkeys in Everton's best ever PL season before the massive inadequacies of said donkeys couldn't be papered over anymore.

David Moyes managed us during our best-ever PL season. Joe Royle if you count winning the cup in the same season.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

You’d have to compare them relatively. Southall Reid Bracewell Sheedy Lineker Ratcliffe were some of the best players in the league and in Europe at the time. If they had the advantages of modern day training and diet etc you’d imagine that they’d still be at the same sort of level of being better than most players. Some of our players now are amongst the worst in the prem so I just don’t buy that some clowns like Siggurdson or Schneiderlin are better than players who dragged Everton to titles against what was supposedly the greatest Liverpool team of all time. No chance.

Agreed

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Sheedy would still be slow, one-footed, unable to tackle or head the ball.

And still world class

You could have been describing me there up until the last line...

 

[davek]

David Moyes managed us during our best-ever PL season. Joe Royle if you count winning the cup in the same season.

Lol.

 

[Darth Toffeeman]

I didn't mean technical ability. Bad wording. I just mean the game has come so far that any team in the PL now would run wild in the 80s and before. Maybe even the 90s too. A team like City wouldn't lose.

Which rules would we play to though?

70s / 80s -- paid a regular wage, and can be ploughed through in a challenge where play on is the outcome. Often on pitches like a ploughed farmers field. Players could not move on Bosman frees, so loyalty was important. Can pass the ball back to the goalkeeper to pick up.

Modern day -- astronomically paid, over protected dive merchants with entourages and agents. Given the finest health and dietry requirements catered for individually. Play on pitches similar to the courts of Wimbledon.

The entire landscape of the game has changed vastly in the last 40 years, you can only really compare pro rata against the era played in.

The 80s team was the best on the planet in that moment.
So they are the best.

 

[Darth Toffeeman]

I dont think there's any doubt that Martinez would be able to get results from great footballers...he even did it with donkeys in Everton's best ever PL season before the massive inadequacies of said donkeys couldn't be papered over anymore.

94/95 Royle era (we had a massive amount to make up on about 6 points in late November) and 08/09 season are the best Premier League moments.

13/14 was really good in parts.
I think an underperforming Rom against United cost Martinez the FA Cup in his last season. He came very close to achieving something.

I think Roberto in charge of the knockout stages of the Europa League in 07/08 sees us win that. The Fiorentina away was Moyes worst bottle job of all. He went into the away leg with no real gameplan and it sadly cost us. We were the best team in that competition bar none.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Which rules would we play to though?

70s / 80s -- paid a regular wage, and can be ploughed through in a challenge where play on is the outcome. Often on pitches like a ploughed farmers field. Players could not move on Bosman frees, so loyalty was important. Can pass the ball back to the goalkeeper to pick up.

Modern day -- astronomically paid, over protected dive merchants with entourages and agents. Given the finest health and dietry requirements catered for individually. Play on pitches similar to the courts of Wimbledon.

The entire landscape of the game has changed vastly in the last 40 years, you can only really compare pro rata against the era played in.

The 80s team was the best on the planet in that moment.
So they are the best.

This is another thing I find to be a bit of a myth. Go back and watch. While the tackles are harder, the referees still call fouls.

 

[dholliday]

Lol.

4th is better than 5th.