Orikoru
Tour Winner
Just give it a rest mate, we sussed you out weeks ago.
Crazyface
Tour Winner
What? I'm being serious! I'm light years ahead football wise. I predicted 3 at the back years ago. VAR was always going to come in, but I seem to have been alone in wanting it. It's here to stay now. Mr Linaker, shut up moaning about it. Something MUST be done about the handball thing and I think my suggestion is good. I've also tried to explain my change to the offside law, which is utter tosh!!!!!
Somethings must change to improve the sport. Look at Cricket and Rugby. Major changes and huge increase in numbers watching. Football must adapt.
Somethings must change to improve the sport. Look at Cricket and Rugby. Major changes and huge increase in numbers watching. Football must adapt.
D
Deleted member 15344
Guest
3 at the back i remember being used decades ago - but well done on letting all those clubs have your idea
VAR has a long way to go before it’s taken on fully - massive issues and he had a say in a country winning the World Cup which it shouldn’t have
As for the increase in number watching cricket and rugby - are you sure of that ?
chrisd
Major Champion
Can I purchase whatever it is you've been sniffing?
I've never read (barring Cabby's) such a load of nonsense as your last few posts
Orikoru
Tour Winner
You should have been keeping up with this topic over the last month. Every couple of days he'd pop in with an absolute gem.
Grant85
Head Pro
A few thoughts on the world cup just passed.
An enjoyable event with goals scored in all but one game.
VAR - on the whole a success. I personally like how they are not setting this up as a crutch for the ref to lean on. Human nature dictates that many people would always want to use this crutch - as we see in Rugby with a lot of tries checked and likewise almost every cricket run out is checked. With football, there is still the need for the ref to make the decision on the field - and only in the case of a serious error, do the video guys pull it back.
However still some absolute howlers with penalties being given for handball in crucial situations against Portgual in their last group game and for France in the final. Clearly both times there was a handball, but both at close contact and not intentional. The rules allow for this and almost direct the ref not to give a penalty.
Also notable how in the early stages, there was a lot of penalties given (many with VAR) but very quickly players adjusted and there were much fewer penalty incidents in the later games and fewer uses of VAR.
Personally I feel that diving has also not been stamped out at all. Yesterday we saw Griezeman dive and win a free kick (which led to the 1st goal). Now I accept it is very difficult for the ref to see this on the field and that they don't want VAR to come into play for every decision the ref makes - but in reality that is not a free kick and a booking for Griezeman. Which does change the game.
Even other incidents where refs didn't give penalties or free kicks for dives, there was no booking. IMO - especially with VAR, they should make diving a red card offence and in incidents where players have gone down clearly with no contact the video guys can authorise a red card. At the moment it is still very much worth diving as the punishments are not severe, or even given in many cases. As long as this is the case, we will continue to see players try to con the refs.
Also many many cases of dissent or kicking the ball away go unpunished in most games. Clearly we will continue see these incidents until a booking is delivered in all cases. If the rules were enforced, then this could be stopped overnight.
The game has certainly morphed into a version whereby the authorities obviously don't want too many players booked and it is a nightmare scenario for them to have high profile players suspended. The rule about wiping yellows after the quarter final... basically so that anyone booked in the semi won't miss the final.
I'm sorry - but that's madness. Bookings are part of the game and many players will 'take a booking' simply to gain an advantage in the play. Why are they nullifying this? Give the clear advantage to teams who don't accumulate bookings rather than an almost acceptance that it is part of the game.
Can you imagine the situation had Ronaldo or Messi been playing in the semi-final and been booked to miss the final? Fifa would have had a meltdown.
An enjoyable event with goals scored in all but one game.
VAR - on the whole a success. I personally like how they are not setting this up as a crutch for the ref to lean on. Human nature dictates that many people would always want to use this crutch - as we see in Rugby with a lot of tries checked and likewise almost every cricket run out is checked. With football, there is still the need for the ref to make the decision on the field - and only in the case of a serious error, do the video guys pull it back.
However still some absolute howlers with penalties being given for handball in crucial situations against Portgual in their last group game and for France in the final. Clearly both times there was a handball, but both at close contact and not intentional. The rules allow for this and almost direct the ref not to give a penalty.
Also notable how in the early stages, there was a lot of penalties given (many with VAR) but very quickly players adjusted and there were much fewer penalty incidents in the later games and fewer uses of VAR.
Personally I feel that diving has also not been stamped out at all. Yesterday we saw Griezeman dive and win a free kick (which led to the 1st goal). Now I accept it is very difficult for the ref to see this on the field and that they don't want VAR to come into play for every decision the ref makes - but in reality that is not a free kick and a booking for Griezeman. Which does change the game.
Even other incidents where refs didn't give penalties or free kicks for dives, there was no booking. IMO - especially with VAR, they should make diving a red card offence and in incidents where players have gone down clearly with no contact the video guys can authorise a red card. At the moment it is still very much worth diving as the punishments are not severe, or even given in many cases. As long as this is the case, we will continue to see players try to con the refs.
Also many many cases of dissent or kicking the ball away go unpunished in most games. Clearly we will continue see these incidents until a booking is delivered in all cases. If the rules were enforced, then this could be stopped overnight.
The game has certainly morphed into a version whereby the authorities obviously don't want too many players booked and it is a nightmare scenario for them to have high profile players suspended. The rule about wiping yellows after the quarter final... basically so that anyone booked in the semi won't miss the final.
I'm sorry - but that's madness. Bookings are part of the game and many players will 'take a booking' simply to gain an advantage in the play. Why are they nullifying this? Give the clear advantage to teams who don't accumulate bookings rather than an almost acceptance that it is part of the game.
Can you imagine the situation had Ronaldo or Messi been playing in the semi-final and been booked to miss the final? Fifa would have had a meltdown.
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Kellfire
Blackballed
One thing that REALLY annoyed me...
Ref gives a player a yellow card for dissent... after being shown the yellow, the player shouts at the referee... for me that's an instant second yellow and off you go.
Ref gives a player a yellow card for dissent... after being shown the yellow, the player shouts at the referee... for me that's an instant second yellow and off you go.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
With Grant's post above, the thing I agree with most is how players weren't booked for diving. Neymar dived in the box against Costa Rica, the VAR was watched, no penalty awarded - why on earth was he not booked then? There were other occasions were players dived without being cautioned.
I can see the thinking behind the booking amnesty before the final though. If you got booked for something silly like kicking the ball away in game one, then in the semi-final you pick up a yellow for a soft foul where the opponent goes down easily, you'd then be missing the World Cup final for two silly yellows over six games, which seems a tad unfair.
I can see the thinking behind the booking amnesty before the final though. If you got booked for something silly like kicking the ball away in game one, then in the semi-final you pick up a yellow for a soft foul where the opponent goes down easily, you'd then be missing the World Cup final for two silly yellows over six games, which seems a tad unfair.
Val
Ryder Cup Winner
You should read more of his posts, it's rambling of the highest order all the time
Orikoru
Tour Winner
I've just seen the official team of the tournament, and naturally with Fifa, it's hilarious. Paulinho and Neymar somehow made it in! Coutinho was the best Brazilian player by a country mile but he's nowhere to be seen. Best defender in the world Lovren is there of course. Courtois, despite winning the golden glove, misses out to Lloris! God knows how Young made it in either. Mental.
Team in full:
Team in full:
Lloris
Trippier Varane Lovren Young
Paulinho Modric
Hazard Griezmann Neymar
Mbappe
Trippier Varane Lovren Young
Paulinho Modric
Hazard Griezmann Neymar
Mbappe
Yet Courtios wins the Golden Glove as the best keeper but not in the team...
GG26
Challenge Tour Pro
As you say how did Young get in? Perasic was surely a better shout.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
Perisic is unlucky to miss out - arguably was better than Griezmann who didn't impress me that much. Pavard should have had a place, I'd have chucked him in instead of Young even though it's the wrong side. Godin and Stones had far better shouts than Lovren as well. And as I said earlier, Coutinho was the only Brazilian who deserved to be in it.
PJ87
Journeyman Pro
Saw this on Twitter
So true
Top 3 players at the World Cup:
1.Luka Modric 5ft8
2.Eden Hazard 5ft8
3.Antoine Griezmann 5ft9
Sort of players that English football is crying out for but all of these would’ve prob been released at an English club at u13 for being too small
So true
Top 3 players at the World Cup:
1.Luka Modric 5ft8
2.Eden Hazard 5ft8
3.Antoine Griezmann 5ft9
Sort of players that English football is crying out for but all of these would’ve prob been released at an English club at u13 for being too small
Dan2501
Tour Winner
Yep. Look at N'golo Kante as well. 5ft6 and absolutely bosses the midfield.
PJ87
Journeyman Pro
Something that will take years to undo as its set into our coaching being big and strong
Hopefully it gets addressed for the future
Dan2501
Tour Winner
They don't give them a chance to develop either. Lad at my school was unbelievably talented, on the books at Ipswich, would run rings around us, was dropped when he was 14 for being too small. He's now 6ft3.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
It's a small sample size that proves the point though, and Griezmann was definitely not the third best player of the World Cup. Some other players who played very well:
Mbappe 5'10
Pogba 6'3
Perisic 6'1
Mandzukic 6'3
Lukaku 6'3
De Bruyne 5'11
Also can you really say the small English players were all released??
Sterling 5'7
Lingard 5'9
Young 5'9
Even our keeper was 6'1 which is short for a keeper.
In summary, Twitter has a lot of rubbish on it.
JollyRedDevil
Club Champion
That was hoax/fake news doing the rounds on social media.
The actual team is
Courtois
Varane, Godin, Thiago Silva, Marcelo
Modric, Coutinho, KDB
Kane, Mbappe
Orikoru
Tour Winner
Marcelo would be just as laughable. And there's only ten players.
Edit: The truth is, apparently, that yes that one doing the rounds yesterday was a fake. :rofl: Damn it. There is no real one released though.
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