I watched the original Liverpool Newcatsle 4-3 game during lock down. Sky showed extended highlights, I didnt actually sit and watch the whole thing, I wasnt THAT bored! But within 10 minutes I saw 4 or 5 tackles that would be a straight red now. Not even "seen them given" I mean 'stonewall' red cards, and do you know what, both teams made them and both sets of players got straight up and got on with it. Now there would be players rolling about and screaming and (if it was Chelsea or a Jose team) half the team surrounding the ref calling for 3 red cards, 2 penalties, and a life time ban.
Now, I know that game was '96 ish and thus 25 years ago, but it just goes to show how much the game has changed. I suspect if we sat down and watched a game from 2010 there would be a good few tackles that would be red cards now that there barely even noticed then. That alone makes it hard to compare teams.
Even at that, I'm not sure why fans obsess about "best team ever" can we not just sit back and say City/Pool in their curren guise are two ****ing superb teams, as were Jose's first Chelsea, the Invincibles, Utd 99-00 and whatever the other Utd team was (07 ish?). Who cares who thinks which one is "best"? At the end of the day, most fans will vote for their club. The only real neutral is a fan who doesnt have a team nominated, and even at that our Spurs fans will probably be reluctant to vote for Arsenal.
Norwich first to go down, with their horrible run in I think Everton are odds on to join them at the moment!
Yeah, that run in is not pretty. Whilst I hated Everton's tactics last weekend and I will laugh if they go down, I have nothing against the club or the fans. The fans have suffered 27 yrs with no trophy, and not even getting close to winning one, and for the most part some utterly dreadful football. They don't deserve to be relegated. BUT that club is soooooo badly run. They have spent so much on shite, and over so many years. Then they sacked Rafa and appointed Fat Frank cos he was a good player. The fans didnt want yer man who had won leagues and developed players at his previous clubs, they wanted Frank cos he was a name and an Engerlund legend. And the Board listened to them.
Given Everton are in breach of FFP as it stands I suspect relegation will **** them royally. Their income will nose dive. I guess a good few players won't fancy the Championship and will leave, but I'm not sure Everton would have been switched on enough to have relegation clauses in the players contracts, so they may still, be paying PL wages. They would struggle to recoup what they paid for 90% of that squad. Especially if they go down. Clubs will know they want/need to sell and the players want away, so suddenly a 40m player attracts bids of 20-25m, probably spread over 2 or 3 years as well.
It would be tricky for any club to try to get back within the boundaries of FFP whilst being relegated but for one as incompetently run as Evertonā¦ā¦I could see a point deduction coming a year or two down the line. If they don't come straight back up they could be in a world of trouble.
Ronaldo was an animal back in 2007 and he still is now! Prime Henry, Viera, Anelka, Drogba, Van Persie and the list could go on and on. They would all have a field day right now. You could argue that the better teams have it easier now as players are protected from bad tackles a lot more. Look at James Milner, he's still one of the best players in the league, how long has he been playing?
