Nath's Column (B) (U) Why Modern Day Soccer is just a Pick-n-mix (B) A controversial view on the current state of the "Beautiful Game" What makes football so special? There are many reasons of course. Probably footer's greatest asset is that it's so simple to understand - at its basic level anyway. We won't get bogged down with the ifs and buts of the offside rule or when a handball isn't a handball - those aspects depend on how the referee views the incident in question (or which team the referee favours if you listen to some of the more zealous fans!). I also like rugby, but there are so many rules and technicalities that it's all too easy to get lost in it all. What's the difference between a ruck and a maul anyway? What's all this about "truck and trailer"? No, with football there's just one aim - get the ball in to the back of the net and you know you're on to a good thing. Bill Shankly famously said that "Football's not a matter of life and death - it's much more important than that!" Whilst I wouldn't go quite that far, it's easy to see why soccer appeals to so many. Watching Ruud van Nistelrooy strike with precision or Thierry Henry weave through defenders and place the ball in the corner of the net - these are truly golden moments. Some might argue that Pele or Diego Maradonna are the greatest players of all time but for my money the aforementioned players (as well as Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos) can match them in different ways. I think in more recent years the tempo of football has increased and so has the competition - what, with all the multi-million pound transfers and signings. Football is now so much more competitive and all the players have to work harder to stay at the top. This is good for the game and good for fans. Yes, I truly enjoy modern soccer. I stay up late to watch The Premiership on TV and to follow the analysis. I like the unpredictable nature of the game. OK, so Arsenal, Manchester United or Chelsea might win most of their games, but occasionally the underdog will triumph and that's always good to see. But there is an element which causes