How do people defend against the argument that "the game’s gone soft"?

So I'm sure we've all heard the classic phrase, "game's gone." Personally, I'm one to agree. Football has always been a peripheral in my life, but I'm not a big fan of the game. As an outsider, whenever I tune in to a game or catch one on at the pub, I can't look past the blatant diving, cheating, unsportsmanlike attitude, time wasting and the outright tantrums from pampered millionaire players. It's very hard to see the appeal. Frankly, it's embarrassing to see.

So I'm curious. How do fans of the sport look past this? I suspect it has something to do with the cultural/social institution that premier league football is, and probably the amount of drinking done over the course of a game. But, as fans, how do you respond? Is there some grand appeal I'm missing? I'd really love to hear a genuine answer to this, because complaints are very easy to see but I never see an explanation for the ongoing popularity of football.