In 1999 Manchester United won the ‘treble’; the English Premier league, FA cup and Champions League. In 2003, the “invincible” arsenal squad went unbeaten in 38 league matches.
In 1995 Michael Jordan came out of retirement and went on to win a three-peat (3 back-to-back NBA championships), with the Chicago Bulls. The great Kobe Bryant also won a threepeat in 2003 with the LA Lakers.
We are talking about legendary players, legendary teams and legendary performances.
There are no legends any more. In the last few decades, we seem to have taken a nose dive in terms of great athletes and clutch performances. The current crop of players are inconsistent and lackluster. No player can be depended on to turn the game on its head.
Teams that win the league by a point or by goal difference cannot be considered great by any means. Players that don’t rise to the occasion when it matters cannot be called legends.
There is a lot of debate about the GOATs in our generation. But the fact that we are unable to agree on who is the greatest proves the point that there are no legends. Legends are in a class of their own and cannot be compared with anyone.
The truth is, there are no greats anymore. They don’t set records. And when they win, they win by a whisker. They win because they got lucky on that particular day. This is evidenced by their performance the following day or season. No consistency. No dominance.
A typical football match nowadays involves players trying to avoid their opponents by all means. The players don’t want to go one-on-one with an opponent. They either run away from opponents as fast as they can or pass the ball quickly to avoid making a mistake.
No one wants to dribble like Jay-Jay Okocha. No wants to hit the ball like Roberto Carlos. No wants to put his heart in the game like Gennaro Gattusso. No one wants to play anymore.
What happened to the beautiful game? Why don’t we see legends in our time? How come with a lot of money being poured in sports, there are no players who stand out?
Is it lack of talent?
I think there is no shortage of talent. Everyday new kids show up with unique talents and abilities.
But the system in which they are introduced to, the culture in which they play has killed their possibilities. The moment a player joins a team, he joins a “system” and he has to fit into the system.
To fit into the system, he has to become “all rounded”. Becoming all rounded means that he becomes a cog in the system. He stops playing and starts to work.
This means that his uniqueness, his artistry, his wizardry, is sacrificed at the altar of the “common good of the team”.
Genuine lovers of football were attracted by the beauty of the game; the sleek touches, the chobos, the skillful dribbles, the komboras, the beautiful finishes, the tiki-taka.
This is what moves an eight-year-old boy to make a football out of nylon papers. The art of the game.
But if you look at a football match today, there are no artists on the pitch.
Only workers in a factory trying to meet their target.
This is the culture we live in.
Life is life
Fabio