Where Have All The Flair Players Gone In Football?

Having grown up during an era of Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, and Zidane, it's difficult not to take a look at the current football landscape in 2021 and ask where all of the flair players have gone?
So in today's video, HITC Sevens takes a look at the demise of football's showboaters and entertainers, and ponders the question of why their numbers have dwindled.

[@michaelc.1710]

I think you’ve missed a massive one which is the decline of tackling. You’d think less tackles flying in would encourage flair players but it’s actually the opposite. Most dribbling skills are designed to draw a tackle and then skip past them. If you watch old videos of flair players they’re normally slaloming round a series of wild slide tackles. Do a step over in 1991 and a defender is going to dive in and try and win in it, giving you an opportunity to nip it away and go passed them. Do a step over in 2021 and the defender will stay on their feet and not commit. Actually someone like Neymar will often use flair like that now to wait for an overlap rather than draw a tackle

[@je7710]

I agree, and if you look even older with the likes of George Best some of the goals he scored were really dangerous, I don’t know how more legs were broken but it improved skill players, as they needed to be better to protect themselves

[@kingshuksaha9204]

@@josephg9304 I think another important reason has to be that the refereeing rules have become more stricter. You could get away with lunging tackles before but now it inevitably leads to a yellow card at least (even if you win the ball) and a red card at max. So why would defenders lunge in now anyway?

[@michaelmuller4356]

I agree with the others, you missed a major part: Defending has evolved and it's just the style of play that made flair playing moves more inefficient. Also you did not mention the flair goalies: Higuita's scorpion kicks, Chilavert's free kicks, Neuer's defense.

[@andrei8715b]

agreed, however i read somewhere a hot take regarding neymar and his theatrics have caused the other players to unbeknowingly protect him and not go diving in tackles and they know they d give away a foul. would ve this been the case for injury plagued players as ronaldo / van basten had they dived so much as him back in the days? obviously no one likes his playacting but had neymar meant this all along is something very interesting to think about.

[@longislandishim]

@@andrei8715b Neymar has extreme footballing smarts, he knows how to draw fouls (which is a skill imo) and this probably lead to opponents being more careful around him because they know that Neymar is able to sell fouls. I think it could have helped people back in the days, but Neymar has been strongly impacted by injuries as well, so i dont believe it makes a huge amout of difference. Neymar this season still gets fouled about 5 times a game this year, that is simply too much for a player with such soft feet & ankles to be able to stay fit for multiple seasons.

[@uriustosh]

"rabonas aren't as accurate as normal passes" Quaresma enters the chat

[@DanielorDs-1149]

Quaresma: shows a 10minute compilation of him doing rabonas as a pass

[@tigerblaze1205]

I hate when people make unsupported or false statements just to drive a point. I can hit the crossbar multiple times in a row from various distances with a rabona but my 'normal shooting' accuracy is all over the place

[@theportugueselegend]

Quaresma's the king of flair. Even at 39 the man is making beautiful and accurate trivelas at Vitória SC

[@jens1567]

I'm 0 star weak foot so my rabona is my left foot

[@ajamocampbell9143]

He was a classy flair player

[@ericxpenner]

The loss of flair players is definitely detrimental to the game. Watching Ronaldinho play was a real treat. Such inventiveness and staggering ability with a football. Still never seen a player like him. Given the current direction of the game, it'll likely be some time before we see another one.

[@ybarekghirmay7622]

They do it in Brazil if you don't do any skills and just score... The supporters want like it as they expect skills before goals same goes in South Africa

[@tso3064]

Neymar

[@G30rg31415]

@Ulises Leon I am pretty sure the kind of entertainment brazilian fans want and the fact their national team hasn't won a world cup are completely irrelevant

[@G30rg31415]

@Ulises Leon In Europe.Which hs nothing to do with your comment i replied earlier

[@ragecandy]

@Ulises Leon The last good generation they had was when they won, 2002 Brazil would obliterate france's 2018 winners, there was a steep decline in talented players in the 2010s, looks like this decade will be better looking at the younger talents though

[@mrmeeseeks2534]

A normal person: I was born in 96 Alfie: I was born a quarter ago

[@ratedpending]

quarter century

[@dodnsnbdkdsusn9600]

Alfie was born in 96

[@bri1085]

He wasn't born in 1995 though.

[@yannick245]

I think that's to early to have really "seen" players like Rivaldo. He was too young to have really appreciated and "understand", for example the WC 2002 team. Just my 30somethingyo 2 cents...

[@ianclinton7629]

@@yannick245 Exactly. I'm 28 and the 2002 WC was my first ever real football memory though I have bits and pieces of the 1998 one too so I guess he was at least 7 then which can be hard to recall properly

[@iiNeedSkins]

Footballers that express themselves are rare, most players are athletes first. Quaresma and Ronaldinho were my favorite players.

[@staforiii]

They’re players first and end up becoming more athletic since sports science had gotten so much better. Even the weakest players end up so much stronger and faster because fitness requirements keep increasing.

[@staforiii]

Ronaldinho was extremely athletic during his prime. Strong as an ox when he had to hold off defenders in addition to world class creativity haha he’s one of my favourites

[@JudeMarchisio]

No. Footballers are footballer first. There are many footballers who are not athletic at all.

[@iiNeedSkins]

@@JudeMarchisio Yes. At the top level.

[@iiNeedSkins]

@@staforiii Never said you can't be both, but today athleticism is valued over skill.

[@Likwidl]

The reason is that young players are playing at football academies without much exposure to street football. Most flare players played a fair amount of street football at a young age.

[@johnleven8907]

A flair amount

[@blomberg1056]

That’s why Brazilians are so unique with their style of play many of them accredit it to futsal

[@Likwidl]

@@blomberg1056 100% agree footsal is played in a much tighter space where you have to beat your man to move forward.

[@ericrobinson7861]

@Ulises Leon you in every comment hating on Brazilian football, for why?

[@valentinsiskind7326]

@Ulises Leon you realize you are exactly the person that he is talking about in the video. People like you killed off the beautiful players and the beautiful game

[@jawadali3947]

Allan saint maximin still one of the few ones Remaining

[@georgefaux2154]

And Zaha and hazard was for us but he is right they are rarer

[@americaninsurgent4403]

Pepe

[@mantosh56]

@@georgefaux2154 Hazard...idk imo lost his flair : /

[@nomirakuru]

neymar doesnt even get mentioned in most of these comments what

[@georgefaux2154]

@@nomirakuru cos he's mentioned in the vidro

[@arunfooty]

there are less CAMs these days, so there's less pure flair players around. thankfully there are players like zaha, mahrez, and felix still full of skills

[@LK-px6eo]

The new 10 is different from the old 10 the old one is more like a second striker

[@drfrappuccino108]

Rashford, Saint-Maximin, Neymar, Payet, Ben Arfa and Mbappe as well

[@quantum3672]

@@arunfooty I know it does but the term has been popularized do to it's presence in FIFA games. That's undeniable.

[@beno9023]

DrFrappuccino rashford ? Nah , but I agree with the others

[@jens1567]

@Mohul Vidyasagar Ghosh Biswas U obviously don't watch football, lmao

[@alitalhouni2843]

I remember the joga bonito days, when flair was at its peak

[@Mazrati]

And Brazil constantly trying to play with flair is the reason why a lot of Brazilians hate the NT because its preventing us from winning a world cup.

[@luccavalentinw.fiorini2302]

@@Mazrati today our team doesn't play effectively and don't play with flair also. Brasil isn't playing well since 2006/2007. And with rare occasions where we actually play good in a match is usually against Bolivia, El Salvador and other bad NTs. If we actually played with at least flair I would be happier

[@Mazrati]

@@luccavalentinw.fiorini2302 I just wish we played more direct and more structured instead of trying to play beautiful all the time

[@luccavalentinw.fiorini2302]

@@Mazrati I think we don't play one way or another. We simply are focused on winning 1-0. We play bad even against Venezuela and Bolívia and with 1-0 we are "happy". The team doesent have tactics, passion and hability. Even against the recent match against Peru it was 2 penaltys that decided the game and a rebound. We are probably still the best in SouthAmerica but thats because the other teams are even worse

[@BoqPrecision]

It was a short era of football from 1993 to about 2013. Before this period was another period early 80s (Brazil team was all flair, also Platini etc)

[@JingerJedi]

"I suffer from a condition known as being an idiot" Same, Archie, same.

[@istvantotpal150]

*Alfie

[@JingerJedi]

@@istvantotpal150..... That one flew over your head, didn't it

[@lemaradona8127]

@@JingerJedi Flew over mine as well lol.

[@istvantotpal150]

@@JingerJedi Fair paly 👏

[@DL-nn1ws]

@@istvantotpal150 *Flair paly!

[@lxfj2128]

Messi was never flair player he was always a dribbler as last match he completed 11 dribbles against Bilbao

[@aayushkarnik7166]

Ozil and Hazard are two good shouts alongside Neymar but then again, they have dropped off massively over the last two years.

[@drblastboi-f2pplayer269]

he was flair..he used to do a lot of body feints and stepovers when he was young

[@chikennuget3634]

@@aayushkarnik7166 mbappe doesn't really skill much, but he does perform a lot of trick shots

[@princewillmadugba]

Messi was a flair player

[@lxfj2128]

@@aayushkarnik7166 true hazard used to be a flair player in his early days at Chelsea

[@vikramadityapaul7400]

These flair-players is what got me hooked to this game. Miss seeing it.

[@shubhamsinghstar123]

I mean, the game has evolved in a different way now. It's more about watching teams play their system of beautiful and effective football without the focus on a single player, Football is a team sport above all. That doesn't' exclude the possibility of Flair players taking risks and getting injured more frequently because of it. Players are a lot more protected now cause they are above all, a highly profitable commodity.

[@AdThe1st]

I'd classify Hazard as a flair player personally, the image that comes to mind is him sending Coquelin on his arse, reminded me of Zola sending Carragher

[@georgefaux2154]

What a legend for us he was😪just don't feel right without him in the prem

[@Astro007GE-X]

@@georgefaux2154 What has he done in RM lately? I feel like I hardly ever see him play now.

[@Eibarwoman]

@@Astro007GE-X Injuries, lot of them

[@thabanentshangase]

"Any how..." shows Eddie Howe🤣

[@ClassG7]

time stamp?

[@thabanentshangase]

@@ClassG7 towards the end of the video

[@jacekhansen2644]

@@ClassG7 12:51

[@sanjivmaharaj260]

Riyad Mahrez during his time at Leicester was 🔥

[@camilonavarro5997]

even this season. not a city fan but he is by far the filthiest player in the prem

[@arcadesic2808]

What about Antony?

[@hughjanus7633]

Dimitri payet

[@ga7889]

@@camilonavarro5997 a bit to far

[@jonathanm638]

he still is but guardiola doesnt play him consistently

[@thomasmuller6301]

I haven’t watched the video yet, but the reason is obviously this obsession with statistics. You can’t average only a few goals every season anymore

[@correlgamers7518]

But the former players had flair and most still had good statistics

[@thomasmuller6301]

@@correlgamers7518 because eventually they worked it into their game. Now it’s all about starting with goals and assists, you can’t just play well anymore. In fact, it’s better if you don’t

[@correlgamers7518]

@@thomasmuller6301 true I see your point

[@kennitodevangavani891]

@@thomasmuller6301 2013, Ribery lost to statistics... 😂 😂 😂 😂

[@raz20534]

@@thomasmuller6301 FACT people just look at stats not watch the game.. nobody looks at movement style of play, or work rate

[@dazwebster]

Ronaldinho and Messi were the reasons I fell in love with the sport, having grown up being an avid Rugby fan as a kid, but the structure of the game, the need to win to keep the coffers full, and the talent coming in has certainly hampered the flair that makes the beautiful game even more beautiful.

[@denisp8432]

I would say vinicius is a flair player, he's not good at it but he's still a flair player

[@zed704]

I think the biggest proof of flair players being less effective was martial, 16/17 to 18/19 martial was a pure flair player and would get around 15/20 g/a but when he cut it all out and became more direct 23 goals 11 assists in 48 games

[@ahmedzakikhan7639]

Vinicius isn't that good as Neymar, Ronaldinho or Robinho.

[@olayinkaamara385]

Those Eddie Howe references are brilliant 12:50 😂

[@spooked2104]

Lmao ikr

[@proclubsclips3654]

Alfie, You forget about Zaha, he's definitely fits the flair player category

[@876jamaicanyouth]

Also how wasn't Robinho mentioned

[@realmerdon1123]

Great Jamaican minds think the same bro Robinho is one of the greatest flair players of all times

[@BoqPrecision]

I think he along with Neymar flair is and was overrated

[@yvans.]

@@BoqPrecisionNobody rate Robinho like that wtf

[@arjunwijayaratnam1986]

I don't think people don't appreciate Neymar as much as Bergkamp or Zola because "Football has changed", it's just because he's such a drama queen. If Neymar had Bergkamp's attitude/character, trust me, he would be loved and appreciated by everyone.

[@junko4166]

The scary thing about Ronaldinho is that most of the time he wasn't even trying. Imagine how fantastic he could've been if he actually cared.

[@joeg5265]

I’m sure he cared to get to that level

[@dido.d3438]

Day 6: 7 footballers who have fewer career goals than Sergio Ramos.

[@jailos10]

List would be too long, better if: 7 best footballers with less goals than Ramos

[@ggxbranch5244]

Strikers that have fewer goals than Sergio Ramos would be easier

[@abdullaalromaihi6440]

@@jailos10 wdym too long, it’ll be 7 players anyway, the same length

[@craigbingham324]

Make it top 7 strikers with less goals than Ramos

[@ggxbranch5244]

@@craigbingham324 that’s what I was saying lol

[@samoso6979]

Messi isn’t the type of player to do step overs. He keeps it simple

[@AceTheSkylord]

Messi doesn't need to do stepovers when he can control the ball's movement with his mind

[@007Fusiion]

I just realised this, he doesn’t do step overs!

[@tonron888]

Niether did maradona but messi and maradona both are flair players.

[@blueshanks1]

@@tonron888 where's the flair then?

[@Mazrati]

@@AceTheSkylord He used to do stepovers and body feints when he was younger but not anymore.

[@anonymoustv5770]

People slaughter Neymar for the tricks and flicks, but he’s the last of his kind

[@luisdias5626]

Nahhh they slaughter him for his dives and whiny behavior on the pitch.

[@jomo2483]

Cr7 killed them all. Now it's just about goals. I only watch highlights. Neymar is seriously under-rated though

[@suchitapage4725]

Lol cr7? It's not like cr7 wasn't overall a great player till his late 20's. You are expecting me to be flair at the age of 36.

[@swastik2608]

@@suchitapage4725 Due to the advent of (specifically english) media. Numbers became more important than everything. You didn't have to be good to win, you had to win to be considered good. If you'll notice. Ronaldo started winning ucls again when he was about 28, when he realized that being efficient and getting good numbers is what helps to win games, and as you win team trophies, you also get individual recognition

[@stivstilianos980]

Day 22 : Can you do a video on why French Clubs have not been as successful historically ? I know you have defended Ligue 1 in the past , but only 1 UCL for French clubs is really underwhelming for a country like France . Especially when you consider that Dutch clubs have won 6 UCL ' s and Portuguese clubs have won 4 UCLs

[@Abyssian007]

In France the consensus is that this is partially because of the DNCG (an organisation) which if I were to oversimplify is an early and harsher form of FFP enforcer before FFP (guess why Platini wanted it). While the price of players were low club owners could still pay for it it was fine, as soon as the price of players exceeded multiple millions it was the end of it, Clubs in debt get relegated. In 1990' the biggest French club at the time, twice finalist and then only French UCL Champion was relegated for a case of corruption and the league top became extremely volatile. Unlike Spain, Netherland ,England, Italy and Germany no club has won the league a disproportionate amount of times and consider it a training for the UCL, Arsenal has won more league titles(13) than PSG or Marseille. The lack of lasting historically dominant club has been an issue (Lyon was an exception and PSG is basically the "novelty") since all the good players leave for wealthier leagues that have better finances, more appealing name, exposure and are simply better. The last clubs of EPL got more in league TV right than PSG, the French clubs. If you play well for Marseille there will be talks about leaving for a midtable EPL club, in Lyon for the top10 and for PSG you are linked to the top or "Mythical" clubs. Finally, also because each club that "Had their chance" missed it and bar PSG, no club can so much as dream of UCL now and the EL is barely accessible. There is a lack of ambition, call that realism. As to this day, all the potential talents are bought after one season and all that are left are those who could/did not make it, or the few that actually love their club/situation. In short, because most clubs are poor, so they do not take risks and cannot invest. It is good for the French National team though as youngsters get more chances to shine in a depleted league.

[@xrretrieve4892]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6POdItsqciNpsU

[@e.l.b6435]

And their neighbor Germany had won 7 UCL and many German teams in a final

[@MM-vr8rj]

It's simple, nowadays players are trained to be effective as a team but I think teams nowadays need creative players more than ever to win games. Attackers seem barely confident enough to dribble at defenders. They fear losing the ball and defenders fear to go at attackers (aggressively) because they will leave gaps in their trainer's tactic.

[@promzkingz]

I think people just want to play simple now. Ginola Okocha And Players like that are now fading. Eze And Zaha, Neymar and ASM are Flair players of today

[@Formerlypl]

When Neymar exists

[@promzkingz]

@@Formerlypl 😅😅 I'll edit the comment

[@Formerlypl]

@@promzkingz lol 😂

[@arunfooty]

it's crazy that crystal palace have two of the best flair players in the league

[@christianopulinaldo8319]

Eden hazard

[@Mitchcamp94]

No flair players left Zlatan enters the chat: Zlatan is still trying overheads and knock over and volleys still lol he's super old too 😂

[@Trackrace29582]

He’s a freak of nature. Also he ones the most athletic footballers.

[@nickortiz215]

No. The Messi argument is genuinely just incorrect. Messi was never really a showboater or a flair player. He always has tried to dribble with simply the most effectivity, and although he has gotten a bit slower, he still has at least 10 plays of pure dribbling magic a game. Cmon now Alfie I expect better

[@paddypoohead]

absolutely, saying Messi isn't a flair player is ridiculous. You don't need to do tricks to be a flair player. He's just slower than he was, it happens, he's older. He's still the most technically gifted player on earth.

[@nickortiz215]

@@paddypoohead right we are agreeing but I mean he never did ridiculous flicks. If u look at it he didn’t change his dribbling style at all. He bases his style around effectivity w quick cuts and body feints. This hasn’t changed at all I’ve either years. If u look at footage of him as a kid he still played this way

[@paddypoohead]

@@nickortiz215 yeah I'm agreeing

[@activelifetransformation8414]

No, the fact that young Messi would attempt to dribble the whole field from his half or take on morethan three players everytime he had the ball is show boating. He doesn't do that anymore and there was no need to do it earlier but he did it the way someone would do flicks and tricks, because he could.

[@paddypoohead]

@@activelifetransformation8414 So dribbling less and being more efficient with the ball makes you less of a flair player? I don't understand your point.

[@badjujuforever]

Robinho once got booked for doing too many stepovers against an opposition, as the referee considered it disrespectful.... FLAIR

[@gm2407]

Referee is a buzzkill.

[@charles9489]

That picture of Vidal with his bewildered look at neymar is killing me 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@shubhamsinghstar123]

Loved this video, felt like a journey down the memory lane, into the old days of football.

[@abubakarkhan5045]

There are only a certain number of footballers that want to take risks

[@shubhamsinghstar123]

well, why take huge risks, when you can play better and efficiently without the risk of popping up an ACL after every stepover or two.

[@newguy6491]

@@shubhamsinghstar123 football is getting more n more boring every one plays the same with judgemental untalented critics everywhere

[@user-sb2mt6pz4o]

Could you do a documentary video on the downfall of Scottish football?

[@muhdpeep]

when has they ever been high lol

[@bricktop.]

@@muhdpeep This is what I'm thinking too lol, how can you have a " downfall" for something that's always been just abysmal.

[@tobiajose4411]

@@bricktop. Celtic have won the ucl before tbf

[@bso1469]

@@bricktop. i mean even in the 2000s Rangers got to a Europa league final, and both were regualrs in the champions league and used to have som iconicnplayers like Laudrup and Larrson in their primes. Now i cant imagine these happening

[@JudeMarchisio]

You have to be high to have a downfall, it's never been high.

[@LoneWolf677]

Pogba is a good example of the modern view on flair players, Pogba gets tons of hate for his individualism and style.

[@poko60]

But is he really that good tho? That's the problem people are going past. See football has changed, the world has changed. Children grow in a very safe environment. Footballers are kept in a very controlled environment, taken care of, and are smarter than ever. Unlike old times the game is methodical and not ruthless. This means showboating just doesn't work. Look at players like Van Djik or David Alaba. You wouldn't see defenders like these ever in old days. Defenders are almost as quick as attackers these days. Look at Neymar. I think he is absolutely amazing, but most of his skills go unused because he doesn't breakthrough, if not, he falls to the ground. You just cannot outsmart someone. But hey, summer is always just around the corner. The crazy skills you see on youtube and the freestyling scene is growing, so sooner, we'll see the natural talent as good as our best players in abundance This is a reason why I don't seem to like Mbappe that much. He is the product of the new generation, and a footballer with a physique people would laugh at 30 years ago. He just runs faster than anyone, he shoots really well and dribbles really well. Unlike him, I seem to enjoy Haaland more, he seems like a wreckless truck, who is also the byproduct of the new generation, he's large but unusually quick and smart. Also, Messi hardly attacks these days but just his sheer presence improves a club

[@killabuddha88]

Flair is coached out of players quite early now at the expense of efficiency. Its a shame though, we just don't seem to see players like R9, Ronaldinho and Bergkamp anymore. Hazard and Neymar were 2 who had those tricks but definitely had them coached out over the years

[@MatheusFernandes-xf4zm]

In an interview, Neymar said he doesn't watch football games.

[@johnyanga8532]

I used to think I was the only one who knew about this. Much love for this video. Lack of flair play these days makes is it difficult to watch a full 90 minute match anymore.

[@nicolassalamanca8051]

Financial pressure as well Imagine having all those millionaires and billionaires who own your club breathing down on your neck 24/7

[@stephencooper7459]

Redondo defensive midfielder even he had flair .

[@joehardingham2873]

One day Tanguy N’dombele will be seen in this light

[@mattweiss7645]

100% agree. I don't see anyone else doing the spin after spin he does as he moves down the field.

[@pallmallpunch]

Came here to say this. Probably my favorite player in the world right now

[@hayzinthehouse2744]

He really is amazing. That spin and assist versus Southampton was an amazing show of strength vision and skill. Edit: Sorry it wasn't an assist but it lead too a goal. All points still stand.

[@e.l.b6435]

Or Rapha Guerreiro

[@leo130202]

Great video, Alfie. Would love more videos like this!

[@rock-smasher9692]

How could he not talk about Everton star man Bolasie when talking about the premier league's flair players?

[@eethkoth3343]

Day 8: What on earth is going on at Hertha BSC?

[@homerj.simpson7562]

They suck. They'll occasionally forget that they suck and play a season that's not totally embarrassing, but then they get right back to sucking. It's a club that thinks it's bigger than it is, from a shithole city that thinks it's better than it is.

[@mrmeeseeks2534]

@@homerj.simpson7562 jeeez what did her Hertha do to u

[@seadkolasinac7220]

What cities are better than ‘shithole’ Berlin? Plastic places like Dubai?

[@homerj.simpson7562]

@@seadkolasinac7220 Don't know about Dubai, never been there. Probably not my cup of tea because of the climate. The best thing about Berlin is the train to Hamburg ;)

[@nilsoskar]

@@homerj.simpson7562 😂😂 is it just that typical thing of those in the capital thinking they are better than the majority of the country’s population?

[@briancorbett9123]

One of my favorite videos from you ever

[@punditscovenfc988]

you have spoken well, cheers! . it is also widely speculated that scouts prefer the young, hardworking, quick and direct playing football talents over the flair players.

[@YuvrajSingh-bd5gf]

Shed tears seeing the title of this video Thank you Alfie

[@brandonhey7797]

@Ben Johnson madlad

[@jayden2274]

20 years ago every team had like 5 world class players but now a days there’s not that many top top players

[@h1kup]

Incredible video alfie, well done 👏

[@MO-rl9gl]

I’ve been saying this for ages. I even had a discussion about this yesterday on Locker Room. Probably a huge reason why Hazard was so special

[@toiletcomputer]

I never saw hazard as a flair player. A brilliant tactical dribbler who could use his low centre of gravity and ass power 😂 One thing that made him special for me was his attitude. Fouled constantly and the only time he ever snapped was on a Swansea ball boy, which I approve of

[@bri1085]

Hazard isn't a flair player like that at all

[@nunooo3549]

@@bri1085 hazard is a flair player. Maybe he didn’t to step overs n shit but he loved a flick, megs, rabonas etc

[@bri1085]

@@nunooo3549 He's like Salah for all intents and purposes, just not as good.

[@nunooo3549]

@@bri1085 is it crack that you smoke? Don’t compare that stat padder to hazard please

[@arz5530]

Video idea: make the best team made up of only players born from a certain month e.g. January XI. This could either be present players or past and present players, including either a current or past and present manager. You could make this a mini series and maybe even put them in a little cup competition at the end and predict which team would come out on top

[@lebrongilez]

people are obsessed with stats these days, especially on social media. Goals and assists now mean more than the eye test. Flair players who have a massive impact on games but don't necessarily have the best stats when it comes to goals and assists don't get the same respect as the players who do. It's the reason a guy like hazard doesn't get the full respect for how amazing he was in the Premier league. Because he doesn't score the amounts of goals as someone like salah. But he was a different type of player and impacted games in a way that many players have ever done in the Premier league. But it's all about stat padding now. Neymar is the most disrespected player.. Even though he does have the stats to back it up. He's outstanding. I remember seeing people trying to claim that sterling is a better play than him.. That's when I knew football was done.

[@Tom-dn6zy]

At the end of the day, goals and assists are what wins you games.

[@ashss203]

How did I think about this the other day and there’s a video for it now 😳👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@harshilkuvadia]

Kudos for making a different video like this 👍

[@umarashraf7386]

Nani I think is the best example of a flair player in the EPL. So inconsistent but on his day he was unstoppable. A walking highlight reel.

[@archstanton6102]

Le Tissier Beardsley Ginola Asprilla

[@kingpoostick]

Flair player doesn't mean inconsistent.

[@bri1085]

@@kingpoostick Most of them were massively inconsistent though. Coutinho at Liverpool was another flair player who'd dissapear from time to time.

[@adambjorkander4716]

Arsene Wenger was the last manager to properly promote flair, giving the players freedom to create without being rigid or systematic.

[@mikeknipper3050]

The dishonestly one of the best soccer videos iv ever seen on KZbin. As an American, soccer was my first sport like a lot of my friends but we always switch to football or baseball.. ⁶. Anywaus long story short I'll be subscribing. Hope to see similar content from other greats

[@Boredoutofmywits]

Back in the 90's no one in Britain seemed to had heard the word "rabona".

[@1222soccerpro]

first current flair player i thought of was Ndombele

[@brendanrodgers9753]

???

[@lemaradona8127]

Remember his turn in that Liverpool game? (I forgot what it's called)

[@thedoc225ify]

Djalminha and Denilson more skill than some of those robots Brazil have playing for them now and they didn't even win that many caps

[@musakamara9098]

Thanks bro for the video

[@blueexpresstv5401]

This video may have been a deviation from the norm but it is received with joy and happiness.

[@joenewman5985]

Tallest Premier League xi VS Smallest Premier League xi

[@victorovich90]

Pepe at Arsenal. This is the main reason I want him to turn this form around. All about the skills in a generation where you rarely see it.

[@yiotzolive6581]

I just found out your videos are very good for doing other things while watching them

[@olliewalton361]

Stanley Matthews longevity is underrated. Yes it was such a diffferent time and defenders are much better nowadays, but he was the 20th century Messi and CR7 combined. Unbelievable talent and a spectacle to watch, as well as great dedication and fitness levels that allowed him to play upto 50 years old.

[@achyutanandjha2964]

The modern football is too fast for flair players. I had read an article in givemesport that said that players like Ronaldinho, Juninho Paulista, Garrincha and Zico liked to slow the game down

[@papipaulo8503]

Ndombele robbed of a prem flair player mention

[@Pm1710]

Great video!

[@RedCloudGawdian]

Mahrez is a flair player that deserved a mention in this video. Even how his game has adapted under Pep, something that both Sterling and Sane also underwent. The current incarnation of Pepe under Arteta is another case of a flair player adapting to become a starter for a system based manager.

[@iuliangheorghe6857]

Just tell ,the irish guy, that Grealish is a flair player!

[@ben1468]

Day 17 of asking for every team from the last Soviet Top League: Where are they now?

[@richuncho8265]

Sounds pretty boring tbh

[@williambarton2630]

why would you spend 17 days asking for such an average video idea

[@bricktop.]

In the old people's home.

[@AGP47]

@@williambarton2630 People who watch Bald and Bankrupt would like to see it. Nice soviet teams in their soviet stadium filled with their soviet fans. Would be great.

[@brandonhey7797]

Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

[@francescganau7679]

I think the evolution of tactics and physicality in football has applied a sort of natural selection favouring footballers with certain mindsets rising to the top. Those players willing to win and improve themselves to their fullest even at older ages (for example Ronaldo or Ibrahimovic) tend to focus on effectiveness rather than flair. Players that rely on their ability tend to be run over by less talented teamates unless they are tactically and physically disciplined themselves. Players with flair are usually praised from a young age as demigods, resulting in large egos that make them difficult to manage. As they rely on their sheer ability from a very young age, they are used to have teams revolving around them and teammates running for them. When they get to professional, they still hold this belief (see Deulofeu with Luis Enrique). Managers prefer reliable players over moody geniuses. If they can be geniuses and disciplined at the same time, they become stars (Messi, Ribery...). But most flair players just don't cut it to first level football. This selection process has always existed, with only truly exceptional players in the past (Romario, Zico...) being worth despite their lack of discipline. With science in football leading to high-profile managing and physical training, though, those players are no longer making it. Look at Brazil's midfield today and you will see what I mean.

[@feanorn8409]

The game isnt as beautiful anymore as it once was thats for sure. Born in 92 i too grew up watching outstanding players like Ronaldo, Adriano, Jay Jay, Henry, Kaka, Zidane and of course Ronaldinho, the most gifted magician on the ball ever. And it was a joy, even tho it was hard sometimes being a german football fan. I agree more and more to the view that ~1990-2006 was the golden era of football. Not because of nostalgia but through looking at how things developed. In terms of pure efficiency we had both Messi and CR7 afterwards but especially in the last decade the doctrine of most coaches seemed to be a less risky defense first and heavy influence of tikitaka in the "offense". This lead to teams relying less and less on dribblers doing their magic. Imo Brazil 2002 is the best football team ever.

[@Apache3617]

Football has evolved. I rather have 11 fast, hardworking, efficient, intelligent , and high pressing players than one or two flair players.

[@thejokers10]

That's how most if not all managers sees it these days

[@footyfan5992]

Day 2: What on Earth is Going On At Celtic?

[@Williamjohn-pg1ik]

They’re doing pretty good

[@dominicthompson7612]

@@Williamjohn-pg1ik never thought I'd be arguing with Anne Frank about the SPFL, but here we go. How are celtic doing well? They're 20 points behind Rangers and have been knocked out the cuo

[@Williamjohn-pg1ik]

Dominic Thompson rangers are just on another level this year. They ended last year with 67 points and they’re already on 72 this year

[@virogenictie5036]

Mate I’m a Celt and we’re crap. We’ve won like 9 from 25 games.Rubbish

[@Williamjohn-pg1ik]

Virogenictie 503 okay you guys are trash 😔

[@jdotman09]

I think the main reason is because teams lean towards playing in patterns of play in wide positions with fullbacks pushed up much higher and wingers more inverted. So you simply have way less 1v1 situations between wingers and fullbacks. Also patterns of play also encourage players to pass the ball and not try to take defenders on so using a trick to go past a defender and create a chance has become a dying art nowadays

[@volkte37]

Great video. Ronaldinho for me is the greatest player ever to play the game. He was spectacular, successful and entertaining. Shame he fell away but I've never enjoyed anyone like I did watching him.

[@thetwitterlectual9528]

Grealish? Foden? Maddison? Sterling? Messi? Ronaldo? M’Bappe? Rashford? Neymar?

[@thetwitterlectual9528]

@Blxck Rvssian the speaker’s voice puts me off. I hear him, I move on.

[@papipaulo8503]

Day 19: Every Final West German First League Teams, Where Are They Now

[@ChangingCrisis]

Great video, I feel like football has become very boring during the last few years. Wasn't sure why but it really is down to the lack of players who get you off the edge of your seat

[@AblemanSy]

Nedved was absolutely stylish and one of the most entertaining players that I have ever seen!

[@harshdatar5522]

Day 19: Top 7 Football Academies

[@jediarmour]

Neymar - It's hard to have an end product when you are rolling around on the floor when a gust of wind blows you over

[@James_utd123]

Wtf why u hating on Neymar hes the most entertaining player in world football

[@cellyszn20]

Every point raised in this video was on point

[@nicolassalamanca8051]

Please if you can make sure there are subtitles cause some of us have some difficulties understanding the sweet sweet nectar that is your voice

[@danpreston564]

Traore and St Maximin are just fast. They’re not 'flare' as far as I’m concerned, certainly no more than Salah, who was also a fast winger before becoming a goal scorer.

[@mike9326]

Football as gone boring now, football in the early 2000s was amazing

[@WTFiswr0ngwithu]

You mentioned top tier coaches expecting you to play a certain role but what do you think about it also being the case in youth academies? I have no experience within a youth system, but overall in all sports there seems to be an ever increasing emphasis in tactics and systems from a young age. If from the age of 12 you're being coached to play in a certain unit with a specific role with reduced freedoms, an increasing number players will have the "flair" eliminated from their game (or just get kicked from the academy) before they are good enough to justify it.

[@yerda299]

Mahrez is 100% a very prominent flair player today, along with Joao Cancelo. Call it city bias if you want but watching those two compete in the premier league and play with the ball makes the football a beautiful game indeed

[@jasonoldfield7156]

After m10 and cr7 the amount of good players is gonna decline heavily

[@newguy6491]

Do u evn watch football? Theres more young talent now then any other generation

[@mcwildo2617]

Firmino and Grealish are probably the best flair players in the Premier league. Yet they are probably also the most hard working at the same time. It really shows how much flair players have changed.

[@azexy21]

Firmino! bitch u crazy

[@bri1085]

@@azexy21 Spoken like someone who hasn't watched Firmino.

[@ClubSoda98]

I think Hazard's time at Chelsea was full of flair. His rabona crosses at Lille were also pretty insane too.

[@MrTuthom-Mulay]

Yep football has lost its magic. Eden hazard was the last flair player in the premier league. Jack Grealish has a little flair too. I remember first watching Cantona, David ginola, Bergkamp, Matt le tissier, zola, Di canio, Henry, Pires, j.cole, Jay Jay okocha, c.ronaldo. These guys created tricks and skills all the fans enjoyed. And then players I enjoyed in europe were Ronaldo R9, Ronaldinho, Zidane, rui Costa, Figo, Rivaldo, seedorf, denilson, riquelme, andres iniesta, Neymar, kaka, del piero, robinho, Queresma, ribery. Theres probably more I have forgotten. But all those players I mentioned had individual skill

[@jhaych]

A big factor is that the games pace has speed up massively, which makes it harder to do this, and also tactics have also developed.

[@ahmedzakikhan7639]

Now it's all about running. Boring. I like to skills, slow game and sudden burst of pace like the Brazil of 2002.

[@oghenerukevweemeni2748]

Says Anyhow goes ahead and shoes Eddie Howe 😅 12:52

[@talljib]

Been asking this question for years. But I believe many coaches curtailed the flair players for the "benefit" of the team. And I definitely saw and heard some coaches promote this mentality.

[@suttscraig]

Remember the ad with Eric Cantona talking about Ronaldinho playing as a child it’s more than likely still in youtube, but that was really what people were doing when they used their flair but it seems that the push for wins over all else is killing the flair players unless they establish themselves as a key part of a system