pineapple stu
02/09/2021, 8:05 PM
Arising from a side discussion in the Portugal match thread, I said I'd give this a try and see if there was any traction.
Each round of qualifying matches, I'll take the current team and a random line-up from the past, and the idea is to compare them player-by-player and see what discussion happens. I'm hoping for stuff like this from Trequartista20 (https://foot.ie/threads/269226-Portugal-V-Republic-of-Ireland-Wednesday-1st-Sep-2021-2022-World-Cup-Qualifier?p=2085895#post2085895), but any aul bull**** will do so long as it's good-natured. We're all on the same side here!
Key rule is to compare the player as they are now. So in the example below, it's 20-year-old Adam Idah v 37-year-old John Aldridge. Not the player you think Idah could become, or the player Aldridge was in his prime.
Comparing players across time is obviously very difficult. I'd be inclined to ignore advances in strength, conditioning and fitness - Pelé in his prime wouldn't hack it today, but if he had had access to today's coaching techniques, he probably would be world class today. But it's fair to argue, say, that bottom half Premier League is stronger now than in the past because foreign players mean more strength in depth.
In positions where multiple players play - centre-back being the obvious one - they're probably best compared in one group. But if you want to split centre-mid between attacking mid and defensive mid, that's fine.
If we played 5-3-2 in one game and 4-4-2 in the other...well then make it up. :) It's just a bit of craic.
The teams this month are -
Ireland v Holland, Dec 1995
Alan Kelly
Gary Kelly
Paul McGrath
Phil Babb
Denis Irwin
Jeff Kenna
Andy Townsend (c)
John Sheridan
Terry Phelan
John Aldridge
Tony Cascarino
Portugal v Ireland, Sept 2021
Gavin Bazunu
Séamus Coleman
Shane Duffy
Dara O'Shea
John Egan
Josh Cullen
Matt Doherty
Jeff Hendrick
Jamie McGrath
Adam Idah
Aaron Connolly
And some highlights -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRnLXrbQ8rU
Each round of qualifying matches, I'll take the current team and a random line-up from the past, and the idea is to compare them player-by-player and see what discussion happens. I'm hoping for stuff like this from Trequartista20 (https://foot.ie/threads/269226-Portugal-V-Republic-of-Ireland-Wednesday-1st-Sep-2021-2022-World-Cup-Qualifier?p=2085895#post2085895), but any aul bull**** will do so long as it's good-natured. We're all on the same side here!
Key rule is to compare the player as they are now. So in the example below, it's 20-year-old Adam Idah v 37-year-old John Aldridge. Not the player you think Idah could become, or the player Aldridge was in his prime.
Comparing players across time is obviously very difficult. I'd be inclined to ignore advances in strength, conditioning and fitness - Pelé in his prime wouldn't hack it today, but if he had had access to today's coaching techniques, he probably would be world class today. But it's fair to argue, say, that bottom half Premier League is stronger now than in the past because foreign players mean more strength in depth.
In positions where multiple players play - centre-back being the obvious one - they're probably best compared in one group. But if you want to split centre-mid between attacking mid and defensive mid, that's fine.
If we played 5-3-2 in one game and 4-4-2 in the other...well then make it up. :) It's just a bit of craic.
The teams this month are -
Ireland v Holland, Dec 1995
Alan Kelly
Gary Kelly
Paul McGrath
Phil Babb
Denis Irwin
Jeff Kenna
Andy Townsend (c)
John Sheridan
Terry Phelan
John Aldridge
Tony Cascarino
Portugal v Ireland, Sept 2021
Gavin Bazunu
Séamus Coleman
Shane Duffy
Dara O'Shea
John Egan
Josh Cullen
Matt Doherty
Jeff Hendrick
Jamie McGrath
Adam Idah
Aaron Connolly
And some highlights -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRnLXrbQ8rU