Cristiano Ronaldo

I'd imagine today's players would figure out how to play on a lumpier pitch in a matter of months

it is a problem in the cups and europe though for away matches when you have to play on a mudpit of a side with no money. lots of 'shock' results occur because the pampered ones just aren't used to it.

I've had the opportunity to visit some of the lesser club grounds in South America and Africa for work. Merely predicting the bounce of the ball requires superhuman calculations of probability. An awkward landing could mean retirement.
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Those pitches, often made of overgrown, tough patches of weeds on uneven surfaces are different from your typical English pitch even in decades past. The pro pitches were never that bad.

Rolling an accurate 30-yard "Pirlo" pass to a teammate on an uneven or poorly drained pitch, would call for extra skill; don't you say?
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Would it? I highly doubt so.

Unless you're implying that the players back then looked at the divots between them and their forwards, and then played the pass differently to counter them. It definitely led to more misplaced passes but it's not like they gained some extra skill that was needed to pass on those fields

comment by Isle of Manc - Year of the Januzaj (U18323)
posted 22 minutes ago
Rolling an accurate 30-yard "Pirlo" pass to a teammate on an uneven or poorly drained pitch, would call for extra skill; don't you say?
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Would it? I highly doubt so.

Unless you're implying that the players back then looked at the divots between them and their forwards, and then played the pass differently to counter them. It definitely led to more misplaced passes but it's not like they gained some extra skill that was needed to pass on those fields
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A similar debate would be raised when discussing Formula 1 drivers through the years. The likes of Stirling Moss and Jackie Stewart may never have reached speeds of 300 kph, but danced with death everytime they raced.

A similar debate would be raised when discussing Formula 1 drivers through the years. The likes of Stirling Moss and Jackie Stewart may never have reached speeds of 300 kph, but danced with death everytime they raced
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I think that's a bit too much of a stretch to compare the way Formula 1 and football have progressed over the years

CR7 has yet to dominate in a World Cup to be considered on a par with Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Ronaldo or Zidane.

comment by SM67 (U19913)
posted 17 minutes ago
CR7 has yet to dominate in a World Cup to be considered on a par with Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Ronaldo or Zidane.
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No.

Fantastic article. Ronaldo is the GOAT, undisputed.

Messi fangirls are in SHOCK

Credit to Casillas. After all the shít he's taken in recent months, he came up with a couple of big saves to to keep us in the match and later protect our lead.

Re past and current players, don't know if it was the gist of earlier comments, but playing fields, application of the rules of the game and other factors aside, the talent used to be much more spread out. I reckon a lot of the past greats would have had just as many field days as Messi or CR if they'd played in teams that hoarded such an amount of talent.