Does football need to adapt to survive?

[vla_di_vla]

Is anyone else losing their love for the beautiful game? When was the last beautiful game you watched? I don’t remember many during the world cup and I certainly haven’t witnessed many recently at Easter Road.


With more and more managers intent on not losing games (except a recently unemployed Yogi ironically), culminating in Craig Levein’s “visionary” 4-6-0 tactics, how long before fans start drifting off elsewhere. And CL’s not the only one who should be on trial for crimes against football. How many people were turned off during Walter Smith’s slow lament to the UEFA cup final or his more recent strangulation of Man Utd? Our loyalty is being tested to the limit and has been for some time. Ticket prices, kick off times and boring uninspiring games cannot hope to attract many new fans and will start to turn away the seasoned followers.

So what can we do? Other sports like rugby have changed point scoring to try and encourage tries and give bonus points for achieving a set number of points and football itself started to give 3 points for a win instead of the old 2.

What about the nil nil draw for starters? If CL has actually set his team to achieve 0 0 should this be rewarded? How about neither team gets a point for a nil nil draw? And should teams start to get bonus points for say 3 or more goals scored. This would hopefully encourage more enterprising play and may tempt people to actually watch games.

But sadly we know our governing bodies are highly unlikely to make sweeping changes any time soon so I will just have to hope that our next manager is more Tony Mowbray than Bobby Williamson. Or should I just give up and go to the cinema instead. It’s not entertainment after all.

[YehButNoBut]

Remember they changed the points to 3 for a win instead of 2 which was supposed to encourage less draws and more teams going for a win, never really changed much. :agree:

[Littlest Hobo]

This S.P.L is a cut throat league.

You lose two, three games in a row and you could be in danger of relegation.

Bringing more teams into the set up would change this.

It's all about money these days.

They have been talking about changing the format for years now but nothing has come of it.

Playing for third spot every year doesn't help.

Something needs to be done.

[Hibs07p]

Remember they changed the points to 3 for a win instead of 2 which was supposed to encourage less draws and more teams going for a win, never really changed much. :agree:

It only allowed the OF to widen the gap.

[Danderhall Hibs]

Football in general has been getting worse to watch over the last wee while. A lot of it’s down to the mentality of stopping the other team winning rather than trying to win the game yourself. Mourinho won the Champions League based on that mentality and the World Cup was dire in the main because of it.

It’s been creeping in for a while – with 5 in midfield now common in the EPL and here in Scotland we’re taking it a stage further with Rangers at Old Trafford and Scotland against the Czech Republic not having any intention of winning, just not getting beat.

All in all it can be defended by the “it’s a results business” line but really it’s just pish to watch and will cause fans to drift away in their thousands.

[Green_one]

In terms of simple changes I believe

1. We should have pitches brought up to larger standards. Hibs size for example. This would create more room and possibly put the jambos out of business. :greengrin
2. Make the goals wider. This has almost no impact on tactics, with the possible exception of more long range shooting but MUST mean more goals. Say another 2 or 3 feet. Every shot hitting the post now would be in. Anything close would also have a chance. These big goalkeepers would not be so dominent.
3. Goals 'for' rather than goal 'difference'. Less sure of this but basically reward those who score most. Does not really make a lot of difference in any league but still pushing for goals late in a game would make more sense.
4. Some sort of off the field video replay to reduce daft decisions.

[Septimus]

The plain fact is that the grass roots are stone dead. The amateur, juvenile and junior teams which I played for as a youth are long since defunct. Scotland was great when boys had nothing to do but kick a tanner ba' about. Now we would probably excel at more fat inducing pastimes.

[ballengeich]

With Saturday free I went to a junior game. It was far more enjoyable than almost any Hibs or international games I've seen in the last few years. The game is still ok - it's the mentality of people at the top level that's doing it in.

[greenlex]

In terms of simple changes I believe

1. We should have pitches brought up to larger standards. Hibs size for example. This would create more room and possibly put the jambos out of business. :greengrin
2. Make the goals wider. This has almost no impact on tactics, with the possible exception of more long range shooting but MUST mean more goals. Say another 2 or 3 feet. Every shot hitting the post now would be in. Anything close would also have a chance. These big goalkeepers would not be so dominent.
3. Goals 'for' rather than goal 'difference'. Less sure of this but basically reward those who score most. Does not really make a lot of difference in any league but still pushing for goals late in a game would make more sense.
4. Some sort of off the field video replay to reduce daft decisions.

Simple change would be to go back to 2 pts for a win.
Do away with draws and play to a finish.
Forget limited extra time with penalty shoot out and go for the golden goal during extra time to get a winner. Might stop all the early leavers too. :greengrin

[Littlest Hobo]

Simple change would be to go back to 2 pts for a win.
Do away with draws and play to a finish.
Forget limited extra time with penalty shoot out and go for the golden goal during extra time to get a winner. Might stop all the early leavers too. :greengrin

I think for the first time ever I might agree with you :wink::greengrin

What do you think about reducing the number of players on the field? Say after the full time whistle, reduce it to sevens? First to score.

Take away the offside in extra time.

Sin bins instead of yellow cards.

None of this will ever happen I know but just imagine the crowds if it ever did. :greengrin

[SMAXXA]

Simple change would be to go back to 2 pts for a win.
Do away with draws and play to a finish.
Forget limited extra time with penalty shoot out and go for the golden goal during extra time to get a winner. Might stop all the early leavers too. :greengrin

Would be nice but with the tactics adopted by most teams so negative just dont want to be beat, I fear we could be playing all night in some occasions, mind getting home from the football at midnight would be more plausable to the other half :greengrin

[Littlest Hobo]

Would be nice but with the tactics adopted by most teams so negative just dont want to be beat, I fear we could be playing all night in some occasions, mind getting home from the football at midnight would be more plausable to the other half :greengrin

If it came down to a draw, the team with the most shots on target would get my vote to take all the points.

That way the teams would be forced to come out all guns blazing!

[SidBurns]

Get yourselves along to kids football at the weekend, some great games to watch.

I'm a ref' and have had the pleasure of refereeing one of the so called "Bigger Youth Clubs" at 13's and 19's this season, cracking teams especially the 13's. Some of the movement for 12/13 year olds was sooo good to watch! Even at corners, all gathering at the edge of the box then heading off in different directions. Trust me, they'll be a few from that team that will "make it" if they stick in.

That's the problem though, come 15/16 it's all about birds & booze but I suppose that's just Scotland for you!

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

I went to watch Hibs week in, week out for years, but, the general monotony of it all means I only go once in a blue moon these days. About 10 years ago I would never have though those words would come from me. Playing for 3rd from the start of each season doesnae help right enough.

[SMAXXA]

If it came down to a draw, the team with the most shots on target would get my vote to take all the points.

That way the teams would be forced to come out all guns blazing!

I like it, would increase the amount of shots I would think :greengrin. In all honestly I dont seem to see that many goals scored from outside the box these days. Guess thats what makes guys like Deeks so valuable to Hibs. Hes the only one capable of coming up with these kinda goals. Whats Tony Yeboah upto these days, man he scored some screamers :top marks

[Littlest Hobo]

Get yourselves along to kids football at the weekend, some great games to watch.

I'm a ref' and have had the pleasure of refereeing one of the so called "Bigger Youth Clubs" at 13's and 19's this season, cracking teams especially the 13's. Some of the movement for 12/13 year olds was sooo good to watch! Even at corners, all gathering at the edge of the box then heading off in different directions. Trust me, they'll be a few from that team that will "make it" if they stick in.

That's the problem though, come 15/16 it's all about birds & booze but I suppose that's just Scotland for you!

Aye that was my problem anaw :wink::greengrin

[SMAXXA]

Get yourselves along to kids football at the weekend, some great games to watch.

I'm a ref' and have had the pleasure of refereeing one of the so called "Bigger Youth Clubs" at 13's and 19's this season, cracking teams especially the 13's. Some of the movement for 12/13 year olds was sooo good to watch! Even at corners, all gathering at the edge of the box then heading off in different directions. Trust me, they'll be a few from that team that will "make it" if they stick in.

That's the problem though, come 15/16 it's all about birds & booze but I suppose that's just Scotland for you!


Its funny I was having this conversation with a few guys yesterday and thats pretty much spot on. Its the culture in Scotland/UK for when kids hit their teens they have this desire to go get P*&&Ed, and its getting younger. Dont get me wrong I think we have all done it, I certainly did. The mantality in alot of the meditaranian countries where kids are exposed to drink at an early age, brought up with big family meals allowed a glass of wine etc then when they hit their teens theirs not the desire to go get trollied. This is a generalisation of course but I honestly believe theres some truth to it.

[Littlest Hobo]

Its funny I was having this conversation with a few guys yesterday and thats pretty much spot on. Its the culture in Scotland/UK for when kids hit their teens they have this desire to go get P*&&Ed, and its getting younger. Dont get me wrong I think we have all done it, I certainly did. The mantality in alot of the meditaranian countries where kids are exposed to drink at an early age, brought up with big family meals allowed a glass of wine etc then when they hit their teens theirs not the desire to go get trollied. This is a generalisation of course but I honestly believe theres some truth to it.


Defo a culture thing in my opinion.

There will always be plenty of time for wumin and drink. Just hay a look at Becks!:greengrin

[basehibby]

Football in general has been getting worse to watch over the last wee while. A lot of it’s down to the mentality of stopping the other team winning rather than trying to win the game yourself. Mourinho won the Champions League based on that mentality and the World Cup was dire in the main because of it.

It’s been creeping in for a while – with 5 in midfield now common in the EPL and here in Scotland we’re taking it a stage further with Rangers at Old Trafford and Scotland against the Czech Republic not having any intention of winning, just not getting beat.

All in all it can be defended by the “it’s a results business” line but really it’s just pish to watch and will cause fans to drift away in their thousands.

It's symptomatic of a disparity in quality between sides IMO. In the EPL for instance there is an increasing gap between the mega rich clubs at the top end of the table and the only-a-bit-rich ones at the other end. It's near enough always been like that in Scotland of course with the OF hoovering up all the cash.

So - you can't blame the smaller sides for trying to make life difficult for their more cash-bloated opponents by stuffing the midfield to deny their £50M strikers service and hoping to worry them on the break.

I also think that this sort of system (a 4-5-1) can be pretty engrossing to watch if played in the right way with the right personnel - I think Smith and McLeish for example did a good job with Scotland playing like that and I certainly had no problems watching it.

What I do have a problem with though is the likes of Levein taking it a step further and playing with no strikers at all - absolutely appalling to watch and I feel genuinely sorry for anyone that made the effort to travel all the way to Czeck on Friday to be served up with that drivel.

[Littlest Hobo]

It's symptomatic of a disparity in quality between sides IMO. In the EPL for instance there is an increasing gap between the mega rich clubs at the top end of the table and the only-a-bit-rich ones at the other end. It's near enough always been like that in Scotland of course with the OF hoovering up all the cash.

So - you can't blame the smaller sides for trying to make life difficult for their more cash-bloated opponents by stuffing the midfield to deny their £50M strikers service and hoping to worry them on the break.

I also think that this sort of system (a 4-5-1) can be pretty engrossing to watch if played in the right way with the right personnel - I think Smith and McLeish for example did a good job with Scotland playing like that and I certainly had no problems watching it.

What I do have a problem with though is the likes of Levein taking it a step further and playing with no strikers at all - absolutely appalling to watch and I feel genuinely sorry for anyone that made the effort to travel all the way to Czeck on Friday to be served up with that drivel.

Must confess before he was touted as the Scotland boss I was one of the many singing his praises for what he had done at United.

What Levien didn't take into account the other night was that most Scotland fans would have been "happier" had we taken the game to them and lost rather than lose in the fashion we did. :boo hoo:

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

That seemed to be the general opinion of most folk i discussed the game with in Prague after the game.