Football

[61653 HTAFC]

The issues for the African teams is more a lack of infrastructure in those countries, in terms of coaching facilities and coach development. Players from these countries can be developed in the European leagues, but quality coaching staff can't. This is one reason they often appear tactically naive or disorganised at World Cup tournaments.

Yes, the Saudi team have been poor (yet seem to always qualify) for years... there will be better teams than them even from within the Asia confederation, let alone in Europe or South America.

But I don't think the expansion will automatically lead to a drop in quality. We've had no nil-nils and only one red card this WC, and it has generally been entertaining. Poor teams can sometimes pull off surprises and don't we all love an underdog story? Be wary of first-world exceptionalism, because football would be poorer without Cameroon 1990, Senegal 2002 or Ghana 2010.

Or maybe we should just give the trophy to whoever is top of the FIFA rankings- Why even bother with the finals tournament? It'd be cheaper that way...

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

I am against it entirely. The decision of the referee should be final.

They seem to use it for things that are not "A clear and obvious error"

At least in the A-League we had an indication of if the VAR was investigating an incident. This world cup appears to be nothing.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

To paraphrase Kevin Keegan, I would love it if Portugal got smashed by two late Moroccan goals...

 

[DarloRich]

They seem to use it for things that are not "A clear and obvious error"

At least in the A-League we had an indication of if the VAR was investigating an incident. This world cup appears to be nothing.

That is one of the things I find really difficult - we as viewers don't know what is going on. In other sports it is clear what is happening when a referral to the TV umpire is made as the ref is on a mic and the conversation can be heard. I suspect it is because FIFA want to avoid stopping the game for a review.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

Dead set Morocco. Couldn't score to save themselves.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Dead set Morocco. Couldn't score to save themselves.

A shame, they looked to have one or two really good players but Portugal were their usual cynical but clinical selves. Pepe in particular didn't cover himself in glory with his reaction to a pat on the back from a Moroccan player.

Away from Russia, Huddersfield Town have signed Juninho Bacuna from Groningen for an as-yet-unkown fee. Having watched a highlights clip he looks very promising, and wondered what @Groningen thought about this move?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It is good to see that there has been a seeming end to the postings that reflected the felt-hatred of certain website members towards certain players in this current World Cup.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

But I don't think the expansion will automatically lead to a drop in quality. We've had no nil-nils and only one red card this WC, and it has generally been entertaining. Poor teams can sometimes pull off surprises and don't we all love an underdog story? Be wary of first-world exceptionalism, because football would be poorer without Cameroon 1990, Senegal 2002 or Ghana 2010.
..

Euro 2016 for me was an example of it happening, awful quality and long-winded; were it not for the Icelandic no one would remember it. I feel the same way about the Champions League - hardly worth watching until the filler have been weeded out and the genuinely good teams (not just the big ones - see Roma this year or Malaga a few years ago) are left. I just do not see how upping the number of teams can ever improve the quality of the end product.

 

[DarloRich]

Pepe in particular didn't cover himself in glory with his reaction to a pat on the back from a Moroccan player

Pepe - Never. Wont have it. He is a disgrace. The way he writhed about after Costa went through in the SPain v Portugal him was embarrassing. Cost his side by being weak and physically cowardly.

Euro 2016 for me was an example of it happening, awful quality and long-winded; were it not for the Icelandic no one would remember it. I feel the same way about the Champions League - hardly worth watching until the filler have been weeded out and the genuinely good teams (not just the big ones - see Roma this year or Malaga a few years ago) are left. I just do not see how upping the number of teams can ever improve the quality of the end product.

But these nations wont get any better unless they have an opportunity to qualify and learn from playing the big nations.

It is good to see that there has been a seeming end to the postings that reflected the felt-hatred of certain website members towards certain players in this current World Cup.

No. I still dislike the prancing, cheating, diving, winking, overly gelled show pony that is Ronaldo. He is a cheat. Why a great player like that carries on as he does is mystery.

 

[Iskra]

It’s incredible how nobody has sought to change that though. There are many successful African footballers who’s knowledge could be shared.

Pepe - Never. Wont have it. He is a disgrace. The way he writhed about after Costa went through in the SPain v Portugal him was embarrassing. Cost his side by being weak and physically cowardly.



But these nations wont get any better unless they have an opportunity to qualify and learn from playing the big nations.



No. I still dislike the prancing, cheating, diving, winking, overly gelled show pony that is Ronaldo. He is a cheat. Why a great player like that carries on as he does is mystery.

Agreed, I’m surprised a genteel poster such as Paul can tolerate a player so clearly lacking class and decorum.

 

[DarloRich]

Spain won this evening 1-0 v Iran. They were oddly poor. However i was very impressed with Iran who were disciplined and organised and should really have got something out of the game making, I think, the better chances. They could get something off Portugal and still qualify.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Agreed, I’m surprised a genteel poster such as Paul can tolerate a player so clearly lacking class and decorum.

There have been great male ballet dancers in the past whose artistic expressionisms were seen as something else by people which I suppose comparisons could be drawn to. Howsoever, it was the innate skills exhibited that are the reasons why these artistic people reach the pinnacles of their respective careers.

 

[Iskra]

There have been great male ballet dancers in the past whose artistic expressionisms were seen as something else by people which I suppose comparisons could be drawn to. Howsoever, it was the innate skills exhibited that are the reasons why these artistic people reach the pinnacles of their respective careers.

It’s possible to be good at your occupation, without being aloof.

 

[DarloRich]

There have been great male ballet dancers in the past whose artistic expressionisms were seen as something else by people which I suppose comparisons could be drawn to. Howsoever, it was the innate skills exhibited that are the reasons why these artistic people reach the pinnacles of their respective careers.

What on earth are you on about? Are you suggesting that I am saying that Christiano Ronaldo is a homosexual? If you are just come out and say that. You are wrong btw. I don't think he is gay, I think he is prat.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

What on earth are you on about? Are you suggesting that I am saying that Christiano Ronaldo is a homosexual? If you are just come out and say that. You are wrong btw. I don't think he is gay, I think he is prat.

It was you who drew that comparison which was not the comparison that I alluded to. Do not be both a judge and jury on your own misconstrued comprehensions. I drew a comparison to the innate artistic ability that leads to a high expression of their own particular artistic skills. For you then to use the word "prat" shows you have no real understanding of what artistic creativity so entails in terms of expressionism.

To return to the matter of football, Ronaldo was selected by Portugal for his ability to score goals with either foot and his head. This he has done on a regular basis over the years.

 

[DarloRich]

It was you who drew that comparison which was not the comparison that I alluded to. Do not be both a judge and jury on your own misconstrued comprehensions. I drew a comparison to the innate artistic ability that leads to a high expression of their own particular artistic skills. For you then to use the word "prat" shows you have no real understanding of what artistic creativity so entails in terms of expressionism.

To return to the matter of football, Ronaldo was selected by Portugal for his ability to score goals with either foot and his head. This he has done on a regular basis over the years.

Paul - I have no idea what you are talking about. This section of your post (There have been great male ballet dancers in the past whose artistic expressionisms were seen as something else) is clearly open to interpretation. Many men in the creative arts ( especially ballet) have often been taunted about their alleged homosexuality. It is fair to draw such an inference from your post. If you meant something else please state that clearly. You love to obfuscate and prattle yet can not set out simply what it is you are actually wittering on about. Perhaps you could try and be clear and concise instead of pointlessly verbose.

Ronaldo is a fantastic player, extremely highly skilled and blessed with fantastic ability. He is also a cheat. It is all so unnecessary. He doesn't need to cheat to win games but he does. He chooses to be a cheat and seems to revel in it. It is clear you are happy to support cheating and shamming which I find strange.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It is clear you are happy to support cheating and shamming which I find strange.

The only matter that concerns me is the ability of a highly skilled striker to put the ball in the back of the net on a regular basis for both club and country. Personal foibles are not matter that I even consider but it does appear that the said foibles do concern others.

 

[AlterEgo]

The only matter that concerns me is the ability of a highly skilled striker to put the ball in the back of the net on a regular basis for both club and country. Personal foibles are not matter that I even consider but it does appear that the said foibles do concern others.

So you don’t care if people cheat. Glad we got that one straightened out.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

Pepe in particular didn't cover himself in glory with his reaction to a pat on the back from a Moroccan player.

Russia might want to hunt down that sniper that managed to get in.

If I was running the joint he would of been given a red for that.

 

[DarloRich]

If I was running the joint he would of been given a red for that.

that is what they should be using the VAR for. Stopping cheating. We can all see it. FIFA can all see it but will do sod all.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

So you don’t care if people cheat. Glad we got that one straightened out.

"Cheat" is a description of how certain people can view matters that they cannot abide, but who is to say that their particular views are correct? My views on concentration of people on personally perceived foibles rather than on the actuality of football skills demonstrated on a football field are now well known. Hence your statement above comes straight out of the combined judge and jury scenario, so well practised by the media.

 

[AlterEgo]

"Cheat" is a description of how certain people can view matters that they cannot abide, but who is to say that their particular views are correct? My views on concentration of people on personally perceived foibles rather than on the actuality of football skills demonstrated on a football field are now well known. Hence your statement above comes straight out of the combined judge and jury scenario, so well practised by the media.

If you dive or feign injury, that’s simulation, which is cheating. That’s a fact. A lot of players engage in the practice, and it’s good for the people who support football as a sport to say “no, that’s wrong and it is cheating, and it harms the sport as a spectacle”.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

If you dive or feign injury, that’s simulation, which is cheating. That’s a fact. A lot of players engage in the practice, and it’s good for the people who support football as a sport to say “no, that’s wrong and it is cheating, and it harms the sport as a spectacle”.

If that be the case, why does it seem to me that there is one particular footballer chosen by some on this website as their favoured example to vent their spleen upon? One would assume that the vast majority of the number of goals scored by this certain player were deemed to be suspect in their eyes.

 

[AlterEgo]

If that be the case, why does it seem to me that there is one particular footballer chosen by some on this website as their favoured example to vent their spleen upon? One would assume that the vast majority of the number of goals scored by this certain player were deemed to be suspect in their eyes.

Ronaldo is very unpopular because he was involved in the famous “winking” incident when Rooney got sent off years back. He’s had a reputation since then.

Personally I don’t have a problem with Ronaldo over anyone else but I understand why his reputation precedes him.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Ronaldo is very unpopular because he was involved in the famous “winking” incident when Rooney got sent off years back. He’s had a reputation since then. Personally I don’t have a problem with Ronaldo over anyone else but I understand why his reputation precedes him.

Can you cite the section in the official laws of the game that states "winking" is an offence?

 

[AlterEgo]

Can you cite the section in the official laws of the game that states "winking" is an offence?

Shagging a team-mate’s partner isn’t against the laws of the game either but it doesn’t mean you’re not a prick for doing it.

 

[WelshBluebird]

What I don't get is why players like Ronaldo, Pepe etc, players who are world class and could easily win fouls from players just by the very fact of being better than them, why they resort to the kind of diving and play acting that we see? The rolling around like you've been shot, the clutching a part of your body that was no where near the place that was struck etc. Hell we used to take the mick out of players who did that (remember the reaction to Rivaldo doing it in 2002, at least out of people I know the reaction was purely mockery of how pathetic it was - yet now that kind of acting is common place and seemingly accepted.

Can you cite the section in the official laws of the game that states "winking" is an offence?

Running up the ref and trying to argue or gesture that a player should be sent off could very well be against the laws of the game. Indeed there have been numerous attempts to try to crack down on it within the game - the rules were changed in 2006 so that refs can send off players who "confront match officials and use offensive language or make gestures towards them" - which certainly would catch Ronaldos actions in that game against England. Sadly it seems refs tend not to use those powers. I bet if they did we would see officials given much more respect by players.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

Running up the ref and trying to argue or gesture that a player should be sent off could very well be against the laws of the game. Indeed there have been numerous attempts to try to crack down on it within the game - the rules were changed in 2006 so that refs can send off players who "confront match officials and use offensive language or make gestures towards them" - which certainly would catch Ronaldos actions in that game against England. Sadly it seems refs tend not to use those powers. I bet if they did we would see officials given much more respect by players.

In Aussie Rules if you went up to the ump and abused him in his face you can guarantee the ump will pay a free kick against you and properly march you 50m down the ground. Keep going the ump will just keep paying a 50m penalty.
You'll more than likely be getting a fine/1 week suspension from the Match Review Officer/Tribunal.
Touch an umpire in any demonstrative way you get a week.

 

[adrock1976]

Having a different angle on cheating, what about managers and chair/owners of football clubs trying to gain financial advantages?

There are a few recent examples such as Steve Evans and the then owner of Boston United covering up transfer fees to dodge paying tax in the early-mid noughties. Evans subsequently got convicted of tax fraud. How he is still involved in football management beggars belief.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Shagging a team-mate’s partner isn’t against the laws of the game either but it doesn’t mean you’re not a prick for doing it.

So you make a comparison between "winking" and what you state above...