You can, in my younger days when my eyesight was better, not these days.
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roydo
in memoriam - 1965-2024
It actually is. Again, match going fans are telling you sommet you have never experienced.
Its things like a football pitch, in real life, is massively bigger than it appears on telly. And most are not flat. They aint sand dunes, but most have a slight camber on them.
The game is way quicker than on telly, the shots and tackles are harder than they seem on the telly. All sorts of stuff are just different. Strange if you prefer.
Dont think you can really tell how good a player is until you see them live myself. Remember watching Gullit for over a decade and never appreciated how good he was until i saw him live for Chelsea at Goodison, how he created time and space in real time compatively, how he was off the ball not even in play, how many players he could take out by a touch, how he influenced the system (he was playing sweeper at that stage), other players spring to mind, Zola was another, Roy Keane as well - his main influence was off the ball not even on it, Lombardo for some strange reason at Palace also stands out.
I go the other way to be honest, i dont think you see the whole game on TV, especially systems and off the ball positioning duels etc, i find watching on TV frustrating at times.
Actually Kanchelskis was another, man he was something else live compared to TV, speed, dribbling ability and shooting from unbelievable angles, you could really only appreciate it live, the ripple of the net before even seeing the ball cross the line, like everyone else on the pitch was in slo mo. Never really came across as, as impactful as it was on TV,
roydo
in memoriam - 1965-2024
Chalk and cheese isnt it? I was lucky enough to see a peak United side at OT, years ago. Giggs, Cantona, Beckham, Keane, etc, and I was astonished at the work Beckham did. Never stopped moving.
Cantona was something else mate, he lived in his own time zone - that never really came across well on TV or to the same extent.
I think once you've experienced games, TV is hard to warm to, like after a goal scored i immediately look at the other end of the pitch to try and watch the set up defensively and shape, you cant do that with live TV.
Goodison is something very special though, you are so close to the pitch players and managers, you see absolutely everything, you hear every tackle and see things so closely. Remember being in the main stand one day, i think it was against WHU, Pienaar and Baines were on that side second half and in the height of it and absolutely pulverised them in waves, the constant motion, movement, speed, understanding - you cant really appreciate it on the TV as the camera is focussed on that flank and you cant see WHU flooding the left side and them still getting through leaving acres on the right and gaping holes across the middle - because the camera doesn't show it, even though you knew they were a good combo on TV its not the same. Carsley was another i enjoyed watching off the ball and Gareth Barry.
Back in the day, if it was a real boring match youd just watch Big Nev and his antics even though the ball was no where near him, you'd always know what was going down by how Big Nev was and whether he had the hump or not.
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Are we talking about cheese now? Yum yum.
roydo
in memoriam - 1965-2024
I remember the first top class cricket match I went to, and seeing the wicket keeper being 20 yards ish from the wicket to the fast bowlers On telly, it looks like they are a few yards behind.
And that is why I never debate a player with someone who sees them live. Occasionally, its obvious, James at Anfield for example. But usually, 8 minutes on MOTD, or a live stream, doesnt cut the mustard. If Iwobi is doing the business, triffic.
….it’s what you don’t see on telly that detracts from the live experience. 10 crosses get blocked, the camera doesn’t pan to the midfielder who busts a gut to hit the penalty area on each occasion.
Agree mate, i think its especially true of central midfielders, i wouldn't argue with anyone who has seen Onana live yet, as i haven't myself, i firmly believe you cant judge a central midfield player fully until you see them live.
roydo
in memoriam - 1965-2024
Quite. Nor the work house who has dropped back to cover for the CH up for a corner.
TheBigIguana
Player Valuation: £100m
See what you want to do here Roids is ignore all the negatives and focus on all the positives. Everything you've said is true, but you also just factually have a worse vantage point from up close of everything that isn't happening at the spots close to you.
And that isn't unique to football, even though I'm sure you'll tell me it is, any end to end sport played at high speed has the same positives and negatives of sitting close. It's just a matter of how dismissive you want to be toward those who view it the other way.
bluestevon
Player Valuation: £80m
Agree a million percent on Kanchelskis, most electrifying player I've ever seen live
Ive seen Rondon live and I can assure you hes really that slow.
I was amazed how fast he was first time I saw him live.
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