Why wont die hard GAA fans admit football these days is muck?

Firstly there was some cracking games last year so the idea that there can't be great games anymore is rubbish. However when one team sets up defensive the other simply has to mirror and you get the game of basketball, all defend and all attack, only without a shot clock (which would make things worse)

Teams keeping possession for long periods bores the teeth off people. The problem is as a game its too easy to keep possession. Teams won't press because the reward isn't there, you tire yourself out and pull yourself out of position for little chance of a turnover.

So make retaining possesion harder. How? Go back to the defined underhand striking action with a closed fist.

This won't stop teams from being able to fist and kick to each other uncontested around the 65. However, if you've ever been tackled with hands on, you'll know how much easier it is to get your pass away by flicking the ball to a teammate with your open fingers, than it is to close your fist and get a defined strike away accurately. Teams will have a reason to press, as they'll have a realistic chance of turning over the ball once they get pressure and hands on the opponent. It's a very simple rule change back to something we had previously, that would make a huge difference

Meath and Dublin played each other 11 times in the 1990's. Every one of those games had fewer scores than their game on Saturday. I would have to check again, but I think their games in 2020, 2021 and 2022 also had more scores than any game in the 90's. Whatever people's perceptions are, the modern game is not short on scores. And scores can never come from teams handpassing the ball for long periods away from the opposition goals.

I enjoy the contest, and I wouldn't bother watching anything that bored the teeth off me.

I still madly enjoy it also. Some of the games towards the latter stages of recent years have been fantastic and some of the best spectacles in all of sport imo

There is definitely a problem with teams holding the ball for extended periods though, and those periods are what are drawing the majority of the complaints. Those games in the 90's did have less scores etc, and lots of shoddy play. But with every punt out of the backs and into the forwards there was the unknown, a contest to win the ball. Take hurling, which is a massively flawed game. But when its at its most intense, there's a clear contest for possession every few seconds on average, so there's constantly an element of drama. Which is all down to it being exceptionally difficult to retain possession

The most exciting part of football outside of score taking is probably when a goalkeeper is pressed from a kickout and sends it long, as that battle for possession is an unknown. So while its definitely a better game than the 90's, and the standard of score taking has never been higher (last years final an obvious example), the rest of the game is suffering a bit due to the lack of changes of possession. Making it just a tad harder to retain possession would alleviate a lot of the problems I feel and the great features of the modern game would have even more of a showcase

The game has developed into shorter passing / hand passing in the main due to the vast increase in player fitness. The mindset of minding the ball, possession being king, not coughing it up, less risk…no more Hail Mary, 50/50…..

lads in the 80’s / 90’s and early 00’s wouldn’t have been able to use the tactics and style that prevail mainly now, they wouldn’t have the fitness levels, whole teams….they’d be blown up by 50 minutes engaging in that style.

Correct and right…

What we are discussing here is is this a good watch for the paying spectator or just a dull borefest.

If I recall correctly, one of the contributors here stopped watching football many years ago, because they found it so boring. That is a very sensible thing to do.

more scores, faster more athletic players, in some instances less competitive yes, but you can’t micromanage the game and keep tweaking the rules, just to suit whims of certain cohorts.

Cork play Armagh tomorrow they are not thinking about it being entertaining, competitive… they want it over by xx minutes and a comfortable margin of victory…if the win by 7 points there won’t be any pity for Antrim.

Some people find the modern game entertaining, and that makes them happy. Other people find it boring, and they can have a moan about it. That makes them happy.

A lot of people on the thread are moaning about it being boring. And the OP thinks it's muck. I didn't see anything constructive from them, just mad ideas that are out of touch with reality.

Luckily I don’t see myself as part of the cohort you describe.

You seem to fear honest straight opinions, my friend.

If you want to stick your head in the sand, nothing I can do.

Pity you try to play the man and not the ball.

I had you figured as a bit better than that, guess I was way wrong.

Any chance they could be right?

They are so rubbish at scoring that they have extra goalposts. Actually Gaelic Football used to have those extra posts as well up until about 1910. And I think it was 21 a side. We could go back to that, and make the game professional while we're at it.