Originally Posted by Section_31
I think body conditioning and nutrition is the only really 'scientific' aspect of football.
Players of yesteryear who were merely fed up on steak to 'build them up' simply couldn't live with the pace of footy today.
Tactics wise though no way, it's a simple fucking game - which is what's so frustrating about it.
The mancs play the simplest footy out there and yet it's the most effective - ball out wide, crossed in, loads of men in the box, goal.
They've been doing it for fifteen years and it works, simple as.
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It works over 38 games, when you also factor in that they have the best players. It certainly hasn't worked in Europe because if that's the way you play it's easy to get knocked out on one dodgy game where you don't fire.
I also don't agree that they've played the same way for years. The treble side had Beckham whipping crosses in and Giggs on the other wing taking people on and running at them, that's changed now and a lot of their play is little one-touch and move stuff around the area or even longer direct balls for Rooney, Ronaldo or Saha to latch onto behind the back four. The don't just whip it in, in fact they rarely do to be honest.
Arsenal played a completely different system and won things, having the best players (and in particular players who can go past people) makes you hard to stop, that's the crux of it. Defensive systems have become more astute over the last decade or two and that is why teams like United are focussing heavily with their kids on individual skill to go past a man. After a man has been skinned the whole thing has to move and gaps appear.