The Beautiful Game

[Bear60]

I am old enough to remember the 1970 World Cup final I was 10 years old and my Dad took me to the Labour Club to watch it . That was when I first realised how good this game is that we all love doesn't matter what team you support if you are a true football fan you appreciate how great it is when teams play the game the way we do now . I was at the Game when Bayern Munich dicked us at home in the second half I turned round to the bloke next to me and said I am not watching City I am watching them , he said So am I . Who was their manager ? Pep Guardiola , watching Pep Guardiola's Barcelona was on a par with the 1970 Brasil team and now watching our beloved Manchester City I get the same feeling it's The Beautiful game.

[phips]

but to be this beautiful you have to sacrifice the tough, gritty, hard-nosed football of old. and that means that modern day players would die in the trenches.

i love it though.

[carolina-blue]

I am old enough to remember the 1970 World Cup final I was 10 years old and my Dad took me to the Labour Club to watch it . That was when I first realised how good this game is that we all love doesn't matter what team you support if you are a true football fan you appreciate how great it is when teams play the game the way we do now . I was at the Game when Bayern Munich dicked us at home in the second half I turned round to the bloke next to me and said I am not watching City I am watching them , he said So am I . Who was their manager ? Pep Guardiola , watching Pep Guardiola's Barcelona was on a par with the 1970 Brasil team and now watching our beloved Manchester City I get the same feeling it's The Beautiful game.

Great Post . And just to add One of my fondest memories of football in that era was the Dutch and Johan Cruyff . Circle of life mate circle of life .
Can you just imagine the media licking going on right now if Pep & this football was being played at the comedy club ,

[failsworthblue]

I was only six for the 1970 World Cup , but I remember watching the games and my Dad taking me to the Esso Petrol Station for the football tokens.

it was magical and only Brazil in 82 beats it as the best football I have ever seen.

But this team is very close

[Mase]

My fondest City memory was seeing Tiatto come on as a sub against Blackburn then get sent off a few minutes later for twating someone.

[s1ty m]

The Carlos Alberto goal was the single greatest piece of football ever played. It still makes me weep. It's indescribable.

[Mikhail Chigorin]

I was only six for the 1970 World Cup , but I remember watching the games and my Dad taking me to the Esso Petrol Station for the football tokens.

it was magical and only Brazil in 82 beats it as the best football I have ever seen.

But this team is very close

Brilliant as Brazil were in 1970, I always maintain that the Peru side of that era had even more flair, flamboyance and attacking style, which they continued to exhibit until the later stages of that decade.

The trouble was, they were wildly inconsistent and their concentration on all out attack left their defence continually exposed and woefully weak. They quite literally threw all caution to the winds.

IMHO, although it's a significantly different game today, I think we have the equivalent of that Peruvian side's flair but, under Pep, we've cultivated a way to shield the defence from the vulnerabilities of forever attacking.

All in all, we're probably going to become the most legendary side of all time.

[john68]

but to be this beautiful you have to sacrifice the tough, gritty, hard-nosed football of old. and that means that modern day players would die in the trenches.

i love it though.

I don't think that is necessarily true Phips, even though the media would have you believe it were so. Even in my own memory of watching football, there have been plenty of players, encumbered with boots they could have worn working down a pit and a water sogged, laced up leather casie for a ball, who could display silkt skills.
Nor do I believe, despite what retired footballers, mentally handcuffed to a fonder past time that never really was as they would remember, or have you believe, that footballers were a much tougher breed.
We have only to witness the tackles on City players to understand that the game can be just as hard nosed and cruelly physical. Further evidence can be drawn on the severity of some of the injuries we see.

And even if it were true, though not a huge fan of either, I would much rather watch the artistic beauty of a ballet that two big ugly bastards kicking fuck out of each other.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

I think that in the clamour for the the points to get us over the line early for the title it's possible to miss the pure beauty and joy in the football we have been playing.
We have never seen anything like this before and who knows, we may never again. Enjoy every moment, for we are, fucking ace.

[nottsblue]

There have been a number of sides over the years to who greatness has been attributed.

Hungary 1953, Madrid 1960, Brazil 1970 and 1982, Barcelona 2008/9 and there will undoubtedly be others. Of course there have been other successful sides but the common denominator in all of those sides is their propensity to attack and have a culture of having most of the side as footballers and by that I mean people who are comfortable on the ball in possession. I think Manchester City 2018 could well be added to that esteemed list

[john@staustell]

I was only six for the 1970 World Cup , but I remember watching the games and my Dad taking me to the Esso Petrol Station for the football tokens.

it was magical and only Brazil in 82 beats it as the best football I have ever seen.

But this team is very close

Bizarrely I had an Alan Oakes token.

And I was 10, same as Bear.

[Bear60]

I was only six for the 1970 World Cup , but I remember watching the games and my Dad taking me to the Esso Petrol Station for the football tokens.

it was magical and only Brazil in 82 beats it as the best football I have ever seen.

But this team is very close

Bizarrely I had an Alan Oakes token.

And I was 10, same as Bear.

I remember the tokens I had Colin Bell and Francis Lee I also had a World Cup chart up on the bedroom wall and can remember filling in the quarterfinal result West Germany v England and crying as I was doing it lol

[Moonchesteri]

I think that in the clamour for the the points to get us over the line early for the title it's possible to miss the pure beauty and joy in the football we have been playing.
We have never seen anything like this before and who knows, we may never again. Enjoy every moment, for we are, fucking ace.

Exactly. I think it will only hit us afterwards how fucking amazing this team is.

[gillie]

I was only six for the 1970 World Cup , but I remember watching the games and my Dad taking me to the Esso Petrol Station for the football tokens.

it was magical and only Brazil in 82 beats it as the best football I have ever seen.

But this team is very close

Bizarrely I had an Alan Oakes token.

And I was 10, same as Bear.

I remember the tokens I had Colin Bell and Francis Lee I also had a World Cup chart up on the bedroom wall and can remember filling in the quarterfinal result West Germany v England and crying as I was doing it lol

Neal that QF result really upset me as well and as you know I was only 10 years old same as you mate as for Brazil 70 imo best National team ever.

[nottsblue]

The Carlos Alberto goal was the single greatest piece of football ever played. It still makes me weep. It's indescribable.

Was perfection.

[zuricity]

The Carlos Alberto goal was the single greatest piece of football ever played. It still makes me weep. It's indescribable.

soft bastard.

Rodney Marsh against Derby.

shake your head

[The Maine Man]

I was at the Etihad the other week (Stoke 7-2) and got talking to some Scottish lads sat behind me. They had driven down from Aberdeen for the weekend just to watch City play and couldn't believe the football they were watching. Good lads. They also raved about the pies and the welcome they got in the blue pubs.

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

There have been a number of sides over the years to who greatness has been attributed.

Hungary 1953, Madrid 1960, Brazil 1970 and 1982, Barcelona 2008/9 and there will undoubtedly be others. Of course there have been other successful sides but the common denominator in all of those sides is their propensity to attack and have a culture of having most of the side as footballers and by that I mean people who are comfortable on the ball in possession. I think Manchester City 2018 could well be added to that esteemed list

Ajax and Holland in the 1970s. Still support the Netherlands at the World Cups because of it. (Obviously won't be bothering this year.)

[nottsblue]

There have been a number of sides over the years to who greatness has been attributed.

Hungary 1953, Madrid 1960, Brazil 1970 and 1982, Barcelona 2008/9 and there will undoubtedly be others. Of course there have been other successful sides but the common denominator in all of those sides is their propensity to attack and have a culture of having most of the side as footballers and by that I mean people who are comfortable on the ball in possession. I think Manchester City 2018 could well be added to that esteemed list

Ajax and Holland in the 1970s. Still support the Netherlands at the World Cups because of it. (Obviously won't be bothering this year.)

Good shout

[Lev Bronstein]

There have been a number of sides over the years to who greatness has been attributed.

Hungary 1953, Madrid 1960, Brazil 1970 and 1982, Barcelona 2008/9 and there will undoubtedly be others. Of course there have been other successful sides but the common denominator in all of those sides is their propensity to attack and have a culture of having most of the side as footballers and by that I mean people who are comfortable on the ball in possession. I think Manchester City 2018 could well be added to that esteemed list

Ajax and Holland in the 1970s. Still support the Netherlands at the World Cups because of it. (Obviously won't be bothering this year.)

Cruyff would have loved this City team.