The Endangered Side Of Present Day Football

Ronaldinho as a reference point, graced the spectators and ardent followers of the round leather game with so many mind blowing skills and tricks on the pitch during his playing days.

It's a little bit difficult this days picking or selecting a handful of footballers that take it upon themselves to deliberately try or attempt to take opposing players on with their skills and trickery effortlessly,  and also doing it successfully. 

Over the years, we've had players that have lit up the English Premier League with trickery and silky moves as they charge up and down the flanks, centre field and opposition 18-yard box, mesmerizing defenders and putting the spectators on the edges of their seats, fascinated by what's on display. The daring moves, sharp twists and turns and incredible footwork.

From Cristiano Ronaldo to Thiery Henry to Eden Hazard, just to mention a few. These individual players were a joy to behind when it comes to flair, trickery and dribbling ability.

The league at the moment is quite short of players in this form that possess this ability and technique. Players with flair, that dazzles on the ball and give fans the true definition of what entertainment is about, which football as a sport is much more about rather than the final score line at the end of the game.

Emphasis and focus has always been on who wins the league title, the fight for top 4 finish, qualification for European competition, Relegation dogfight and recently added to this list is the Video Assistant Referee popularly known as VAR controversies dominating almost every match of the day.


Undeniably, all this provides for entertainment in itself, gives the spectators and an average football fan something to look forward to and what to expect which are always unpredictable and builds up to the excitement of the game as a whole. But more excitement can still be added.

For the Week 12 fixture for the current 2019/2020 season, Manchester United squared up against Brighton and Hoves Albion, with United going into the tie hoping to string back to back wins and get all 3 points to push them further up the league table just before the international break.

In the 75th minute, United already having a 3-1 lead, Marcus Rashford unleased a Ronaldinho's elastico or also known as "The Snakebite" on Brighton's   defender Davey Propper. The audacity of the move and the successful attempt at it was a beauty to behold. In seconds Rashford had lost the defender and left him chasing shadows. But for the quick reflexes of Ryan, Brighton's goalkeeper, the resulting shot at goal from Rashford in a tight angle, could have produced one of the best goal of the season.

It provides for good advertisement in the league and Manchester United as a football club, having a player like Marcos Rashford in the team with such boldness to attempt release such a skill at  skill at that moment, rolling back the time we once had a player in Ronaldinho who is always fond of pulling up that silky move.

Certainly, Marcos Rashford is below the level and standard of many household names that have once graced football over the years and seasons gone by in terms of tricky, individual skill display and dribbling. But this singular act is compelling and enthralling. It should be encouraged across board, among other teams in the league.

Every now and then, there is always one or two cases of players going overboard about this, showboating or being over elaborate, becoming careless with the ball in the process, which could lead to losing possession in the process and his team conceding a goal.

 Yes, there is always those situations but this is not to say some bit of freedom and leeway shouldn't and cannot be given to players to express themselves on the pitch  - especially players with flair and trickery up their sleeves for offer - which in the ending gives additional entertainment that spectators in general crave for in football.