Writers 
MY TAKE ON TODAY’S FOOTBALL
Sometimes I sit down and watch old football clips, and honestly, the game just feels different.
I’m not saying football was better back then in every way. Modern football is faster, smarter and probably more physically demanding than it has ever been. But there is something about the old game that I really miss.
Freedom.
Back then, football felt like players were allowed to just play.
You got the ball, looked at the defender in front of you and decided what you wanted to do. If you felt like dribbling past him, you went for it. If you saw a crazy pass, you tried it. If you wanted to carry the ball 30 yards up the pitch, nobody was shouting at you to stick to a specific position.
There was a lot more instinct involved.
Now, football has become much more tactical.
And I don’t mean that as an insult. Tactics are a huge part of what makes modern football interesting. Managers have become extremely detailed. Teams know exactly how they want to build from the back, where they want their players positioned, when to press, when to drop back and how to attack certain weaknesses.
Sometimes it honestly feels like watching a game of chess.
But that’s also where I think we’ve lost a little bit of the old magic.
EVERYONE HAS A PLAN NOW
Watch a modern football match and you’ll notice how organised almost everything is.
A winger isn’t just told to “go out there and play.” He might be told exactly where to stand during build-up, when to come inside, when to press the full-back and where to be if the ball is lost.
Midfielders aren’t just running around looking for the ball. They’re constantly thinking about spaces, angles and positioning.
Even defenders are expected to be comfortable with the ball and know exactly when to step forward.
The game has become incredibly structured.
And because of that, taking risks has become harder.
A player trying to dribble past two or three people and losing the ball can completely destroy his team’s shape. So sometimes the easier option is just to pass the ball.
Pass.
Move.
Receive.
Pass again.
It’s effective, but sometimes I watch and think, “Bro, just take the guy on.”
That’s the part I miss.
WHERE DID THE DRIBBLERS GO?
I’m not saying nobody dribbles anymore. There are still plenty of brilliant dribblers.
But I feel like the culture around dribbling has changed.
There was a time when being able to beat your man was almost expected from certain players. Wingers wanted that one-on-one. They wanted to embarrass the full-back, create space and make something happen.
Now, a lot of attacking players are encouraged to make the efficient decision.
And you can understand why.
Football has become so competitive that every mistake can be punished.
But for me, football isn’t supposed to be completely safe.
Sometimes I want to see someone try something ridiculous.
A nutmeg.
A stepover.
A sudden change of direction.
A player taking on someone even though the safer option is right beside him.
That’s what makes people jump out of their seats.
THE PLAYERS WHO STILL PLAY WITH FREEDOM
Thankfully, there are still players who haven’t completely followed the script.
Vinícius Júnior is probably one of the best examples.
When Vinícius gets the ball and sees a defender in front of him, you already know what he’s thinking. He’s going at him.
That’s what makes him so entertaining.
Then there’s Lamine Yamal.
For someone so young, the confidence he plays with is crazy. He doesn’t seem scared of trying things. He’ll receive the ball, face a defender and actually look for a way through instead of immediately looking for the safest pass.
And that’s what I love about him.
Jérémy Doku is another one. He’s the type of player who can receive the ball and completely change the situation with one dribble.
Then you have players like Kylian Mbappé, who are a mixture of both worlds.
Mbappé understands modern football. He understands movement, positioning and tactical systems. But when he gets the opportunity to attack space or isolate a defender, he can just switch into that individual mode.
And that combination is probably what separates the very best from everyone else.
THE BEST PLAYERS OF TODAY
The best players in today’s game aren’t necessarily the players who ignore tactics.
They’re the players who understand them and still know when to break them.
Mbappé has changed the way we look at attacking forwards because he can combine ridiculous speed with movement, finishing and individual ability.
Vinícius has shown how important one-on-one football still is. Give him space against a defender and suddenly the entire defensive structure can fall apart.
Yamal feels like a glimpse into where football is going. He’s comfortable in a tactical system, but he still plays with that freedom that I associate with older football.
Jude Bellingham is different again. He’s the kind of player modern football seems to be producing more of — someone who can influence the game from different areas rather than being trapped in one traditional position.
And then there’s Haaland.
Haaland isn’t necessarily the player you watch for 20 dribbles and five stepovers. His impact comes from something different: movement, positioning, physical presence and an unbelievable ability to turn a small opportunity into a goal.
All of these players show different sides of today’s football.
And that’s why I don’t think modern football is bad.
It’s just different.
MAYBE WE NEED BOTH
If I’m being honest, I don’t want football to completely go back to the way it was.
The tactical side of the game is fascinating.
I love seeing a team execute a perfect pressing trap. I love watching a midfielder find a tiny pocket of space because he understands where the opposition’s weaknesses are. I love seeing a manager change a game with one substitution or tactical adjustment.
That’s football too.
But I don’t want tactics to completely take away individuality.
Because at the end of the day, people don’t always remember the perfect passing sequence.
Sometimes they remember the kid who received the ball, looked at a defender and decided:
“I’m going past you.”
That’s football to me.
Football has evolved. It’s faster, more tactical and more calculated than ever.
But I hope there will always be players who refuse to play completely by the rules of the script.
Players who take risks.
Players who dribble.
Players who improvise.
Players who make you sit up from your chair because you genuinely don’t know what they’re about to do.
Because tactics can make a team great.
But freedom is what makes football beautiful.