Articles by Cameron Winstanley

'Pep Guardiola's impact on football is sad - there's no individual players anymore'

Pep Guardiola has changed the face of the Premier League during his reign at Manchester City , but not everything is positive, says Lee Trundle . Trundle never made it to the Premier League despite the forward possessing incredible technical ability . A legend of the Football League, where he famously starred for the likes of Wrexham, Swansea City and Bristol City, Trundle’s expressive style of play today would do countless rounds on social media, with the talismanic forward a perfect example of what modern football is missing out on. While the Spaniard has won all there is to win at the Etihad Stadium , his style has been attempted to be replicated throughout the pyramid, stifling the expressive and flamboyant abilities of individual players that make football a joy to watch. Speaking exclusively to the Daily Star Sport , via Mighty Tips , Trundle admitted his fears that the Premier League will soon be void of players of a similar ilk to him, who play expressively on the front foot with flair. “I just think that's going out of it now,” he warned. “I think especially with Pep, and what he's brought into where everyone plays to assist him and you've got to fit into a style of play, I think you'd only have to look at someone like Jack Grealish going from Villa. “Built as a new Paul Gascoigne where he got on the ball, he'd go and create to then go into Man City and start fitting into a system and taking away that natural raw talent. “He's come back at Everton now and he seems to be picking it back up again, but that is something that is definitely going out of the game and it's sad because I love seeing them individual players, and you don't get that anymore. “I don't think you could probably have a section like Soccer AM's Showboat now on a show because no one would do it, you would have to have a section called possession, and that's the only way you would get your views because no one does individual skill anymore and tries to go and beat a man. “If you look back at the Brazilian Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Neymar, them types of players that used to be there and trying different skills every single week. I think that's going out of the game.” Trundle admitted his regret in not applying himself more from a younger age to reach the levels that his talents promised: “I think it was down to my attitude in my early years. I didn't turn professional till I was 24. “So I lost a lot of them years in non-league where I didn't apply myself right, just acting like a normal lad where I'd be going out drinking, even going out on a Friday night before games and still going to play in non-league. “You want to be a professional footballer and obviously you can't carry on like that, so I'd say that's my biggest regret in football. “But that would be the main reason why I probably didn't go to the Premier League , because by the time I was making a name for myself when I would have been 27, 28. “People probably look at you as an older player then as well, so it was definitely years wasted when I was younger. “I've always played football like that since I was a kid,” Trundle, who still plays now at the age of 49 for Welsh third-tier club Pure Swansea, continued. “I think probably not being at a professional club has probably helped the way I played because of what it's like now. “People go into professional clubs and you need to play to assist them and probably suppress the talent side and the rawness and that was something that never happened to me. “Coming into professional football at 24, so I was the player that tried them tricks, tried them skills, and that's something that I enjoy, that's how I enjoy playing football and I'll still do the same to this day.”

3 days ago

Articles by Cameron Winstanley

'Pep Guardiola's impact on football is sad - there's no individual players anymore'

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