Away Match Day Thread 18/9/21 L1: Cheltenham Town v OUFC

The issues around TV revenue and access to games via streaming platforms is something that clearly needs addressing, but the whole game needs a complete overhaul, from a moral point of view, as at the top level, clubs have become foreign run companies with largely foreign players and very few homegrown players, all on astronomical wages, supposedly representing communities that were at one time intrinsically linked to their football clubs, but who they simply can't relate to anymore.

Gone are the days when players would come through the ranks at clubs, and go on to become club legends, making hundreds of appearances, and sharing memorable moments with the fans that will be remembered for a lifetime. You might get the odd one, but most players who do come through these days, predominantly sit on the bench whilst a bunch of foreign players come in and get paid obscene amounts of money, and walk straight into the side, stunting the homegrown players' progression, leading to those players either spending their career on the fringes of the first team, or moving on to a Championship club, or forever being shipped out to lower league clubs on loan, until they fade into obscurity.

Premier league games used to be a great spectacle, when fixtures really meant something to the players, and there were club rivalries and individual player rivalries, back when you'd have a handful of foreign players in the squad, who would buy into the ethos of the club, and develop a huge bond with the club, the fans and the local community, and go on to become club legends.

Players like Cantona, Henry, Bergkamp, Pires, Lundberg, Viera, Van Nistelrooy, Torres, Klinsmann, Drogba, Zola, Ronaldo, Evra, Stam, Vidic, to name a few!

These players didn't just chase the dollar, they went to clubs for success, learnt about the history of their clubs, and understood the rivalries, and what the club meant to the fans and the local communities, and fought for that club, putting their bodies on the line each week, along with the homegrown players who went on to become premier league and club legends themselves, it made the premier league a cauldron for intense competitive matches week in week out, and was a great spectacle, and whoever was playing, you knew you were going to be entertained.

Now, players go where the money is, and they barely bother to learn the language, let alone anything else, such as the club's history, they play like they're more bothered about themselves, and preserving their latest tattoo and hairstyle, before securing another big money move elsewhere, and due to their disgusting wages, are so far removed from the reality of the communities that their clubs represent, that the bonds that used to exist between players, clubs, fans and communities are no longer there. At the top level of the game, fans are considered paying customers now, nothing more.

The passion from the players for their club isn't there anymore, and it shows in the lacklustre performances in the premier league every week, the games are flat, sterile and lacking passion, intensity and desire, with players from opposing teams laughing and chatting after games, even if one team has thrashed the other. They're not bothered.

In my opinion, it's due to the overwhelming influx of money, technology, and foreign players, foreign managers and foreign owners.

Football originated from a working class background, but has now evolved into a money generating monster for the elite mega rich, and the clubs are losing their identities in the process.

It's like an infection, that's already trickled down from the premiership into the Championship, and needs to be stopped in it's tracks, before it can trickle down in the lower leagues, although I fear we're already seeing the first signs that it may already be too late...
Eeeee, I bet people were saying that in about 1980 - or when the players wage cap was lifted in the 60s. It's odd to be nostalgic about the PL when that's the thing that has accelerated the changes you refer to.

I don't mind seeing players chatting with opponents, some of them are ex colleagues after all and maybe friends, as long as they are competitive in the actual game.
 
The issues around TV revenue and access to games via streaming platforms is something that clearly needs addressing, but the whole game needs a complete overhaul, from a moral point of view, as at the top level, clubs have become foreign run companies with largely foreign players and very few homegrown players, all on astronomical wages, supposedly representing communities that were at one time intrinsically linked to their football clubs, but who they simply can't relate to anymore.

Gone are the days when players would come through the ranks at clubs, and go on to become club legends, making hundreds of appearances, and sharing memorable moments with the fans that will be remembered for a lifetime. You might get the odd one, but most players who do come through these days, predominantly sit on the bench whilst a bunch of foreign players come in and get paid obscene amounts of money, and walk straight into the side, stunting the homegrown players' progression, leading to those players either spending their career on the fringes of the first team, or moving on to a Championship club, or forever being shipped out to lower league clubs on loan, until they fade into obscurity.

Premier league games used to be a great spectacle, when fixtures really meant something to the players, and there were club rivalries and individual player rivalries, back when you'd have a handful of foreign players in the squad, who would buy into the ethos of the club, and develop a huge bond with the club, the fans and the local community, and go on to become club legends.

Players like Cantona, Henry, Bergkamp, Pires, Lundberg, Viera, Van Nistelrooy, Torres, Klinsmann, Drogba, Zola, Ronaldo, Evra, Stam, Vidic, to name a few!

These players didn't just chase the dollar, they went to clubs for success, learnt about the history of their clubs, and understood the rivalries, and what the club meant to the fans and the local communities, and fought for that club, putting their bodies on the line each week, along with the homegrown players who went on to become premier league and club legends themselves, it made the premier league a cauldron for intense competitive matches week in week out, and was a great spectacle, and whoever was playing, you knew you were going to be entertained.

Now, players go where the money is, and they barely bother to learn the language, let alone anything else, such as the club's history, they play like they're more bothered about themselves, and preserving their latest tattoo and hairstyle, before securing another big money move elsewhere, and due to their disgusting wages, are so far removed from the reality of the communities that their clubs represent, that the bonds that used to exist between players, clubs, fans and communities are no longer there. At the top level of the game, fans are considered paying customers now, nothing more.

The passion from the players for their club isn't there anymore, and it shows in the lacklustre performances in the premier league every week, the games are flat, sterile and lacking passion, intensity and desire, with players from opposing teams laughing and chatting after games, even if one team has thrashed the other. They're not bothered.

In my opinion, it's due to the overwhelming influx of money, technology, and foreign players, foreign managers and foreign owners.

Football originated from a working class background, but has now evolved into a money generating monster for the elite mega rich, and the clubs are losing their identities in the process.

It's like an infection, that's already trickled down from the premiership into the Championship, and needs to be stopped in it's tracks, before it can trickle down in the lower leagues, although I fear we're already seeing the first signs that it may already be too late...
Excellent post.
 
The issues around TV revenue and access to games via streaming platforms is something that clearly needs addressing, but the whole game needs a complete overhaul, from a moral point of view, as at the top level, clubs have become foreign run companies with largely foreign players and very few homegrown players, all on astronomical wages, supposedly representing communities that were at one time intrinsically linked to their football clubs, but who they simply can't relate to anymore.

Gone are the days when players would come through the ranks at clubs, and go on to become club legends, making hundreds of appearances, and sharing memorable moments with the fans that will be remembered for a lifetime. You might get the odd one, but most players who do come through these days, predominantly sit on the bench whilst a bunch of foreign players come in and get paid obscene amounts of money, and walk straight into the side, stunting the homegrown players' progression, leading to those players either spending their career on the fringes of the first team, or moving on to a Championship club, or forever being shipped out to lower league clubs on loan, until they fade into obscurity.

Premier league games used to be a great spectacle, when fixtures really meant something to the players, and there were club rivalries and individual player rivalries, back when you'd have a handful of foreign players in the squad, who would buy into the ethos of the club, and develop a huge bond with the club, the fans and the local community, and go on to become club legends.

Players like Cantona, Henry, Bergkamp, Pires, Lundberg, Viera, Van Nistelrooy, Torres, Klinsmann, Drogba, Zola, Ronaldo, Evra, Stam, Vidic, to name a few!

These players didn't just chase the dollar, they went to clubs for success, learnt about the history of their clubs, and understood the rivalries, and what the club meant to the fans and the local communities, and fought for that club, putting their bodies on the line each week, along with the homegrown players who went on to become premier league and club legends themselves, it made the premier league a cauldron for intense competitive matches week in week out, and was a great spectacle, and whoever was playing, you knew you were going to be entertained.

Now, players go where the money is, and they barely bother to learn the language, let alone anything else, such as the club's history, they play like they're more bothered about themselves, and preserving their latest tattoo and hairstyle, before securing another big money move elsewhere, and due to their disgusting wages, are so far removed from the reality of the communities that their clubs represent, that the bonds that used to exist between players, clubs, fans and communities are no longer there. At the top level of the game, fans are considered paying customers now, nothing more.

The passion from the players for their club isn't there anymore, and it shows in the lacklustre performances in the premier league every week, the games are flat, sterile and lacking passion, intensity and desire, with players from opposing teams laughing and chatting after games, even if one team has thrashed the other. They're not bothered.

In my opinion, it's due to the overwhelming influx of money, technology, and foreign players, foreign managers and foreign owners.

Football originated from a working class background, but has now evolved into a money generating monster for the elite mega rich, and the clubs are losing their identities in the process.

It's like an infection, that's already trickled down from the premiership into the Championship, and needs to be stopped in it's tracks, before it can trickle down in the lower leagues, although I fear we're already seeing the first signs that it may already be too late...
 
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The problem began the moment the games powers that be sold out the game by letting the likes of Sky control and dictate who plays who and when, in an instant it was removed from Terrestrial Tv taking the game away from the people and largely only available for the more affluent in society.

Let it not be forgotten that football on Sky was once only Sky Sports 1 but then they ripped people off further by putting games on Sky Sports 2 and then came the PPV rip off. Itv had the Champions League and then Sky got their grubby hands on it and then came another Broadcaster with BT and suddenly the people had to pay 2 companies and more money for the same product, then recently Amazon entered the fray.

All the time though it was dictated what game you could watch and like it or not they still had your money and people swallowed it.

People cannot complain about the state of the game and gap between top 5/6 and the rest when it was their subscriptions that allowed it to happen, people just sat back and kept paying the Annual price increase.Fans across the country swallowed the hype and again sat back whilst the top clubs fielded virtual reserve sides in our domestic cups that led to apathy when their own team was playing because the opponent was not a perceived glamour club.

Nowadays there is so much more to do with your leisure time and that the Football Authorities are so stubborn to ignore modern technology is laughable and frankly deserve every thing they get, or more to the point don't get

it's too late now because you can watch virtual any game you choose by other means
 
In 20 years xG will be as common and accepted as possession %, the new generation of dinosaurs will be moaning about the latest data point that they don't (want to) understand and fans will be longing for the glory days of Salah, Kane and Pogba, and so the cycle continues.
 
In 20 years xG will be as common and accepted as possession %, the new generation of dinosaurs will be moaning about the latest data point that they don't (want to) understand and fans will be longing for the glory days of Salah, Kane and Pogba, and so the cycle continues.
If I ever hear anyone saying they long for the glory days of Pogba, I will s**t into my hand, and slap them across the face with it
 
If I ever hear anyone saying they long for the glory days of Pogba, I will s**t into my hand, and slap them across the face with it

[emoji23]

You mentioned Pires in your post, I’m sure many felt that same way about him back then!
 
As a sport football has got duller to watch, it’s an old game now that has been analysed to death and teams have tried to figure out how to minimise risk, whether that’s getting 10 men behind the ball or passing the ball across the back four for half an hour. I used to watch loads of games on tv but unless you have an interest in a team or it’s a big game it can be like watching paint dry.

There’s an old saying from some old football manager that if you want entertainment go and watch clowns in a circus, well kids very much have that option nowadays with social media and they don’t even have to get out of bed to do it, that explains why most youngsters barely watch football now, the game has disappeared up its own a**e.

It (like all other sports) will be a niche activity within 10 to 15 years as the gap between ultra competitive sporting demands and modern patience for entertainment widens.
Beg to differ, OUFC games are generally far far more entertaining than 5,10, 15, 20 years ago. Having said that I missed Wycombe 😉
 
Beg to differ, OUFC games are generally far far more entertaining than 5,10, 15, 20 years ago. Having said that I missed Wycombe 😉

I think our conference years might make us an outlier, certainly under Patterson unless you were entertained by watching Sunday league level players.
 
Beg to differ, OUFC games are generally far far more entertaining than 5,10, 15, 20 years ago. Having said that I missed Wycombe 😉
I think one of the knock ons from the PL farrago is that the standard of the lower leagues is higher now - league one probably as good as the second tier was last time we were there. Plus despite the frustrations we’ve had a really good team for most of the last few years!
 
I am really glad that someone has had the balls to comment on our current style of play. I, for one, am really fed up with all the ‘tippy tippy’ stuff. It IS ineffective if you are not good enough to make proper use of it and in league one, it’s a style of football that borders on arrogance. We are not Man City !!!
6-1.I hope Man City played arrogantly?
 
Beg to differ, OUFC games are generally far far more entertaining than 5,10, 15, 20 years ago. Having said that I missed Wycombe 😉

Rather arbitrary end points there!
20 years ago, our manager was Mark Wright - so just about any activity would have been more entertaining than watching OUFC games when he was in charge!
But 25 years ago? I think I would still rather watch that Denis Smith team than any team in yellow we've seen since.

However, I will accept the notion that watching Oxford games hasn't really gotten better or worse.....it's just dependent on who we have managing us at any given time....and the skill level has undeniably improved on average (though I suspect Joey would still shine today).

But the Premier League? I find it hard to watch a match nowadays. It seems to have become about maintaining possession above all else, tiki taka to death from every angle.....
 
I've said for sometime now that the Premier League is boring.

Outside of the 'big 6' (6 of: United, Grief, Arsenal, Spurs, City, Chelsea) i wouldn't walk down to the end of my road to watch the premier league. Even now, Spurs and Arsenal are bang average. They are both also rans like the other 14 in the league.

Unfortunately, over the last 25 years the rich have got richer and moved away from the rest. On a lesser level, look at Norwich. They rob a place in the premier league every other year because they have sufficient parachute payments to keep propping them up in the champ, which results in them winning promotion back at the first occasion, each time. The whole notion of parachute payments and the resulting rewarding of failure (relegation) is altogether wrong.

SKY and BT will continue to pump money into it and the sterile premier league product will continue to become more and more detached from clubs like ours. European Super League, you say?

I say let them have it.
 
I've said for sometime now that the Premier League is boring.

Outside of the 'big 6' (6 of: United, Grief, Arsenal, Spurs, City, Chelsea) i wouldn't walk down to the end of my road to watch the premier league. Even now, Spurs and Arsenal are bang average. They are both also rans like the other 14 in the league.

Unfortunately, over the last 25 years the rich have got richer and moved away from the rest. On a lesser level, look at Norwich. They rob a place in the premier league every other year because they have sufficient parachute payments to keep propping them up in the champ, which results in them winning promotion back at the first occasion, each time. The whole notion of parachute payments and the resulting rewarding of failure (relegation) is altogether wrong.

SKY and BT will continue to pump money into it and the sterile premier league product will continue to become more and more detached from clubs like ours. European Super League, you say?

I say let them have it.
I agree, the fun for me lies in unpredictable outcomes and smaller clubs regularly giving the big ones a good game, but that seems to be happening less and less. We've got to a situation now where Liverpool and Man City don't just win most home games, they regularly win 4-0 or 5-0
 
I agree, the fun for me lies in unpredictable outcomes and smaller clubs regularly giving the big ones a good game, but that seems to be happening less and less. We've got to a situation now where Liverpool and Man City don't just win most home games, they regularly win 4-0 or 5-0
Norwich v Liverpool was such an uninspired choice last night for the Carabao Cup TV game and a predictable 3-0 win for Liverpool (reserves and youth) ensued.

There was QPR v Everton, Sheff Utd v Southampton and Fulham v Leeds - championship at home to Prem on each occasion.

Still Millwall v Leicester is one of tonight's fixtures, could be a great game......checks TV guide.......it's f*ckin Man U v West Ham on the box
 
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