OP is just a Spurs fan who wanted to get a random shot in at Saka lol.

Like others have said, I’d argue the quality is substantially higher due to a bunch of factors listed in this thread, and the gap between elite and very good players is much smaller than it used to be.

I would just say it has less flair if anything (and if that’s even the right word to use)

Hardly see players doing crazy skills, dribbles, etc nowadays

Absolutely not.

Sometimes it’s tough to compare when the rules have changed a good bit, the tolerance for certain styles of play and of course the quality/corruption of PGMOL. The quality of players seems definitely higher though overall and it’s exciting to see.

It’s definitely gone up. The difference is we don’t have the same gap between the worst and best players in the Premier League. There are a lot more good players today than there were in the past, so we have a harder time saying certain guys are so clearly above everyone else. Still happens of course, but still.

Nostalgia definitely plays a part as well. I remember playing games on my PS3 when I was a kid and thinking of how good the graphics were. Then, when I play the same games today, it’s clear that they’re a product of their time, and not even close to the same level of graphical fidelity we have today.

The younger and less knowledgeable we are of the game, the less likely we are to notice the flaws in what we see happen on the pitch, erasing the negatives and amplifying the positives in our memory.

This is what happens when your peers get old, people you trust with “good takes” start getting romantic about the past

It’s funny how you talk about Bale and Robben as if they’re historical figures like John Charles and Johan Cruyff.

I think overall quality has gone up, and as a result we see less shine out stars which has made it less entertaining in some ways. Players like Ronaldinho, CR7, Henry etc with real flair will be told to minimise flair to aid the teams overall function. Previously these individual superstars would be given more free reign to show off what they can do

I think overall quality has gone up, and as a result we see less shine out stars which has made it less entertaining in some ways. Players like Ronaldinho, CR7, Henry etc with real flair will be told to minimise flair to aid the teams overall function. Previously these individual superstars would be given more free reign to show off what they can do

Athleticism-improved
Tactical awareness-improved

Individual skill - gone down.

Reason: Managers are scrutinised more than ever where the Roman Abrahimovich or Real Madrid model of firing managers are followed by even mid-level clubs. This leads to managers having to take conservative approach of avoiding a loss first than going for the win-meaning more players are discouraged from being individualistic and getting in line with the team tactics, hence lesser exciting players and lesser skilled players. Essentially the effect of corporate profit and too much statistical analysis. The same thing happens in the NBA with everyone being a 3-point merchant because that is the best thing to do to get points but brings the excitement down.

Saka isn’t world class…

It’s probably the fact that there are more casuals in the scene and they don’t know what real talent is. Anything they can’t do or fathom is possible is considered world class.

The game is simply more athletic, less physical. This means that world class players were gifted on the ball, off the ball, and hard as fuck. Now you only need to be the first two, which means half of each team are of similar ability. So nobody stands out as much to be considered in the same way until you get the rare anomalies - Haaland et al.

I think it’s more about the talent and passion, they have both gone down in the players of today