6 Clubs in the Play-Offs from Next Season 2026/27

[SwanseaBoy123]

I just noticed that you were comparing our current 2026 team with the 1981 Toshack Team. Now maybe there is a more of an argument to be made when referring to the Rodgers 2011 team for comparison.

But I really don't think the 1981 absolute quality team would be comfortably beaten by our CURRENT mid table side. I'm guessing you never saw that team (apologies if you did). But it oozed class and pace and strength. And after all, it wasn't 1881 - and Old Etonians and Royal Engineers stuff.

That team of 1981, apart from class, was strong and fit. Robbie James was an absolute powerhouse for example. Ok they might have enjoyed a few pints now and then ( excusing a pissed Tony Millington on the train back from Leeds cup game in the 1970's ) - but they weren't invalids for goodness sake. Toshack was schooled by Shankly and they were pretty professional. And don't talk to me about better tactical know-how these days, Russell Martin et al. Crap. Too much emphasis, football can be a simple game and quality will shine - so much so that the class team of 81 would be 4-0 up by 60 minutes v our current lot - then I'll concede superior fitness would come into play and max 2 goals conceded.

Fun debate though

Ps - and to even things up a bit, allow only 1 sub like it was then, not like 5 now ! So actually they were pretty fit to be fair, muddy pitches also. And as I said it wasn't 1881 . I'd also love to see Curt on a smooth pitch, he'd be unplayable, even more so than he was then. And my last point..I'm not sure where this "exponentially better football these days " has come from. I've seen 1981, 2011 ( both great) ...but football generally today - Nah, I'm not having it. Certainly less enjoyable also.

Nostalgia bias plays a huge role in these debates aswell. People remember the best moments from older football and compare them to the average games of today. In 10 years time we'll all look back and say how enjoyable this era of football was too.

Part of the reason why that 1981 team looked so strong and fit and full of quality is because they were being compared to the standard of their own era. Even if you take away the physical side where yes the modern era has benefitted from better nutrition and equipment ect. The pure technical side of it has drastically improved aswell.

That doesn’t take anything away from how good those teams were at the time but the baseline level of the sport has just simply improved. Football hasn't stood still for 45 years.

 

[swansvalleyjack]

That doesn’t take anything away from how good those teams were at the time but the baseline level of the sport has just simply improved. Football hasn't stood still for 45 years.

You make some good points - but for me the baseline level has CHANGED not necessarily IMPROVED. Fitness, nutrition improved yes, but quality of the actual football game/skills I think not, certainly at the higher level. You can tinker with tactics all you like, they are often cyclic, but the skills of Robbie and Curt for example are pretty timeless and transferrable. I just mention those because the fun debate was about the 1981 team v 2011 team. Though someone crazily threw in the 2026 team as "better" than 1981 in terms of modern tactics etc

One sport though has changed beyond recognition and not for the better either. Rugby. And where brilliant individuals of their time could never compete these days. Simply through the fact that back line players of today are bigger and more powerful than the forwards of previously. Fitness and changing tactics are one thing , but a current centre who is built like an old second row, would simply smash his opponent. Sheer power. Thankfully football in those terms is not like that. Hence why Robbie and Curt would shine today.

And by Rugby comparison of course I mean the Welsh side of the 70's, a joy to watch. I'm not a rugby fan as such, but by god a lot of the stuff today is just rugby league with more players, defense is king. No thanks.

 

[Frankie Burrows Cap]

You make some good points - but for me the baseline level has CHANGED not necessarily IMPROVED. Fitness, nutrition improved yes, but quality of the actual football game/skills I think not, certainly at the higher level. You can tinker with tactics all you like, they are often cyclic, but the skills of Robbie and Curt for example are pretty timeless and transferrable. I just mention those because the fun debate was about the 1981 team v 2011 team. Though someone crazily threw in the 2026 team as "better" than 1981 in terms of modern tactics etc

One sport though has changed beyond recognition and not for the better either. Rugby. And where brilliant individuals of their time could never compete these days. Simply through the fact that back line players of today are bigger and more powerful than the forwards of previously. Fitness and changing tactics are one thing , but a current centre who is built like an old second row, would simply smash his opponent. Sheer power. Thankfully football in those terms is not like that. Hence why Robbie and Curt would shine today.

And by Rugby comparison of course I mean the Welsh side of the 70's, a joy to watch. I'm not a rugby fan as such, but by god a lot of the stuff today is just rugby league with more players, defense is king. No thanks.

I’m not too sure about the idea rugby was more entertaining. It was looser and less structured but there are almost double the number of tries scored now (on average per game) than there were in the 60s-80s.

Try sitting through the full 5 nations games from that era and compare them to the 3 games from last weekend and I think you’ll be surprised at the difference in skill levels (not just the physicality).

That’s not to say players of that era wouldn’t have adapted, it’s just that sport, like everything changes over time.

 

[swansvalleyjack]

I’m not too sure about the idea rugby was more entertaining. It was looser and less structured but there are almost double the number of tries scored now (on average per game) than there were in the 60s-80s.

.

Well I stand corrected then on your stats. Though from my limited view on Rugby I just recall being enthralled by the likes of Barry John or Jonathan Davies spontaneously gliding through defences, pure art.

I also attended one (and only) Ospreys game several years ago. Shane Williams was playing and he too was a player who could get bums off seats.

Watching the game away from TV, you get a wider view of things of course. It amazed me how organized defences were. Instantly a tackle and the team without the ball would virtually cover the whole width of the pitch, a couple of yards between each. No way through, even Shane was stuck. I found it so boring.

So how there are more tries these days I just can't work out, but what do I know. Maybe things have moved on even further from Shane's Ospreys days.
.

 

[bakajack]

Fans will be in favour of these changes until their team who finished 3rd to 6th place gets knocked out by a team who finished 7th or 8th. The fans who hate these changes will do so until their team happens to have finished 7th or 8th gets to have a tilt at the playoffs.

 

[J_B]

Sports in which it is easy to measure performance like athletics and swimming all show massive improvement in performance over the last 45 years. World records are routinely broken and broken again because our understanding of sports science has developed fitter, stronger participants both physically and mentally.
Football would obviously show this as well if you could measure it in some way but you can only be as good as you can in your own era.
It’s now 60 years since my father first took me to the Vetch and the game has changed out of all recognition since then when players routinely had a fag at half time.
Enjoy each era for what it brings.

 

[SeaJack]

You make some good points - but for me the baseline level has CHANGED not necessarily IMPROVED. Fitness, nutrition improved yes, but quality of the actual football game/skills I think not, certainly at the higher level. You can tinker with tactics all you like, they are often cyclic, but the skills of Robbie and Curt for example are pretty timeless and transferrable. I just mention those because the fun debate was about the 1981 team v 2011 team. Though someone crazily threw in the 2026 team as "better" than 1981 in terms of modern tactics etc

I agree about their respective skills being timeless and transferable.

 

[swansvalleyjack]

Enjoy each era for what it brings.

Well in principle that's right. But "enjoy" - that's relative.

Toshack. Martinez, Rodgers, Laudrup - really enjoyed of course.

In more recent times, Cooper and (start) Sheehan - tolerable

Russell Martin - purgatory ( closely followed by Luke Williams/ Michael Duff). Tbh I nearly gave up football pre Vitor.

But Vitor I'm enjoying again. Thanks.

 

[malc]

What a front 3
Leighton James , Bob Latchford , Alan Curtis

James a left winger who had everything pace ball control who could cross with either foot ,
Scored lots of goals averaged 1 in 4 for Burnley in the first Division .
2 of my favourite goals he scored for the Swans , the one against Preston plus the one against Liverpool a free kick from 30 yards.

Bob Latchford ex Everton scored goals for fun.
Good in the Air , struck the ball sweet with either foot ,

Alan Curtis legend say no more .