So another Saturday with no game for the Villa.
I don’t know about you, but I feel a bit desolate when we don’t have a Saturday game.
I get bored with having nothing to look forward to in the afternoon.
And my mind turns to strange things. Like keeping a close eye on other results.
It’s not like I really care, as it’s usually the few clubs involved in challenging, the few at risk of the drop (far more interesting) and the bunch inbetween.
Nothing new in that, but it’s as though I have to get my footy fix in some other way and watching the scores is as close as I can get. It seems I might not be the only one, judging by some of the replies in the previous article.
I know it’s been said a few times, but what a strange league it’s turning out to be this year.
It really does seem that anyone is capable of beating anyone.
To my mind that’s because the standard overall is falling, not that the poorer teams have become better.
Which begs the question of “what’s going on?”
Which is why I’m about to ask a strange question;
Could it possibly be that we’re beginning to witness the demise of British football?
Now, I know what your immediate response will be. Indeed it’d probably be mine usually;
I’m talking proverbials.
But before you get on the keyboard telling me what an idiot I am, think about it for a minute.
First point and perhaps the most relevant;
Do you think the standard of football has improved in the last ten or twenty years?
I’m not sure I do.
Perhaps I’m being selective (and it’s very easy to do) in only remembering the likes of Cantona and Klinsmann etc with all their majesty, but is it just me that thinks the average standard of the Premier league in particular has plummeted, especially over the last say, four or five years?
I’ve said it a few times and some people have agreed, but Manchester Utd last season were a poor side in my opinion. Yet they won the league at a canter. So what’s going on?
Second point.
Do you think the average player is better?
Again, I’m not convinced I do.
While we still of course have some great players at the top of the pile, think about the more average ones. I’ll bet we could all easily name five of the same Man U team that wouldn’t have got a sniff of a game, a few years back.
To keep things on track, seeing as this is a Villa site, let’s look at our own players.
Considering we’re supposed to be looking to more technical players, why is it most of the time they can’t do the simple things correctly? Like pass the ball and keep possession?
Surely, this is what being technical is all about?
And please don’t think I’m just running the team down. I’m not. It’s widespread, in my opinion.
Even though times are tough and the wages might have dropped somewhat, the EPL is still one of the highest, if not THE highest paid league in the world. So it’s not about the money.
And we’ve now gone statistics and ultimate fitness mad, where players are so highly tuned they only have to step out on to the pitch to get injured sometimes.
So it’s not about that either.
So why do I think the average player is not as good as he was?
And if he’s so fit, why isn’t he able to play a couple of games a week without needing a break?
I could rattle on about other areas of the game, like kids not getting involved in watching the game, maybe too many foreigners in the game, the state of the National sides etc, but this post is starting to become too long.
So I’ll just leave it there.
I guess the main question I’m asking is, is it possible that we’ve peaked as a game?
Bear in mind, I’m talking about the average standard.
Hopefully, even if you think I’m talking rubbish, I might have given you something to think about.
Go on then, start slating, I can take it 🙂
