World Cup

[Rich B]

Has any referee ever changed their mind after a player gets in their face and shouts at them?! They were literally shoving him at one point! I’d be telling them that the next player who does it gets a red card.

[JLv3.0]

I think that every single time I see it happen, and unless I'm wrong (it's happened before - I think it was a Tuesday) this World Cup has been the worst in memory for fouls, cheating, diving, arguing etc and the attendant crowding of the ref. Send the cunts off - it's awful.

And how the fuck is an intentional headbutt only a yellow?! First day on the job eh?

Oh - and have Neymar inhumanely destroyed. This is non-negotiable.

[Jobbo]

I enjoy the penalty shoot-outs. Plenty of opportunities for more of them this World Cup

[NotoriousREV]

I thought we played well for the most part, but the Colombian defence were very, very good. If Colombia had played the entire match like they did for the last 15 mins of the 90 and the first half of extra time, they could’ve beaten us, though.

[JLv3.0]

Without question.

My nagging doubt is although we look like a strong team - organised, accurate, bags of energy - the lack of goals from open play is a concern.

We'll need more then set pieces and penalties against the grown-up teams.

[duncs500]

All of the above. We knew once the squad was announced that we were quite lacking in the creative midfield department, Wilshere was a player I wanted in the team but I also understand Southgate's reluctance as he is a risk.

We just don't have that talented playmaker, if we had an English Modric we'd be a top team.

[Gavin]

I watched some of the game, I watched an excellent film first then switched to the football at about 70 minutes or so. For 5, England seemed to be controlling the game then they seemed to sit back and Columbia were all over them. Sounds like the first half might have been the more entertaining one though!
Nothing I have seen from England so far has convinced me they are a great team though. Half decent and keep their shape but as others have commented, they have no spark, no Gazza type ply maker.
But this is a World Cup where the "Great" teams are flying home already so who knows!

[ZedLeg]

Onwards

Evostick looks like Paul Joseph Watson, Coincidence? I don't think so.

[evostick]

Evostick looks like Paul Joseph Watson, Coincidence? I don't think so.

No he fucking doesn't.

Quite frankly I think that the whole of South America should be ashamed of itself. Dirty, greasy, cheating cunts the lot of them.

I still can't quite believe we're still in it though

What a time to be alive

[GG.]

Oh - and have Neymar inhumanely destroyed. This is non-negotiable.

[integrale_evo]

It still completely baffles me that players continue with the absurd over reacting acting. Do they not realise how many high quality cameras they have pointed at they at any time which can play if back from a multitude of different angles making them look like absolute bell ends?

I understand why they do it given what is at stake, but I really really hate it, it's just ridiculous and makes a mockery of any sporting prowess.

[JLv3.0]

Totally agree, word for word. In fact I hate all bad sportsmanship in all sports - I know the stakes are high and there's an element of gamesmanship, but it just kills me that they have to resort to such stupidity given that they are professional athletes.

On the flipside, on the rare occasion that, say, someone from the other team helps up the guy on the ground he's just knocked over, or shows a nod of respect when the opponent raises his bat to celebrate his 100, I briefly believe everything might be OK until reality next sets in.

[GG.]

This is part of the solutions isn't it: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39790484

I get the argument that clamping down on this behaviour by showing someone a red has a massive and potentially distortive effect on the outcome of a game, so why not bring in a punishment beneath that but above a yellow? Makes total sense to me, but then again I'm not an ardent footballist.

[NotoriousREV]

I'm a big fan of the "If you're that badly hurt, you'll be stretchered off, examined by a medical professional fully, and then maybe let back on the pitch after 5 minutes or so" approach.

[GG.]

Yes I guess that achieves the aim for diving, etc. Sin bin would still be useful for the dissent angle though (which I think was the limit of the FA's scheme anyway).

[Coaster1]

All of the above. We knew once the squad was announced that we were quite lacking in the creative midfield department, Wilshere was a player I wanted in the team but I also understand Southgate's reluctance as he is a risk.

We just don't have that talented playmaker, if we had an English Modric we'd be a top team.

Bring back Paul Scholes!

[dinny_g]

The Sin Bin's got to be good idea but I'm not sure 3 levels of punishment is necessary - it'll all get very confusing. If the Sin-bin's before a yellow, does 2 Sin-bins get you a Yellow etc..

The only problem with the mandatory "Off Field for 5 mins" thing when dealing with divers is that in the event a genuine foul causes a temporary injury to a player, the victims are punished by being down to 10 players for 10 minutes.

The change I'd make was to have a new classification - lets call it "Player Welfare Injury". Head impact (especially) or "rolling around on the ground injury" - Mandatory 5/10 minutes from the field but you get to roll on a temporary substitute like in the rugby.

First off, concussion in sport is serious etc and this just takes it seriously (the current situations a Joke. A player clashing heads, having a it of water splashed on their face to be sent back in to potentially head a ball that's just been kicked 80 m by a goalie etc - laughable) . But secondly, yeah when Neymar's faking it and rolling around, they don't "lose a player" - they still have 11 but they do lose Neymar for 10 minutes and that matters.

[dinny_g]

Bring back Paul Scholes!

and play him out of position ?

[mik]

It still completely baffles me that players continue with the absurd over reacting acting. Do they not realise how many high quality cameras they have pointed at they at any time which can play if back from a multitude of different angles making them look like absolute bell ends?

I understand why they do it given what is at stake, but I really really hate it, it's just ridiculous and makes a mockery of any sporting prowess.

I only ever really entertain the idea of watching a bit of football at world cup time, so I am far from an expert, but IMHO they do it as it sometimes works, and (barring looking like a n0b as you mention) there is no ramification if it doesn't work. So why not?

I am not an expert in rugby either, but I have more experience of watching how the refs work in that game, and I am always both amazed and disgusted at how football refs are treated. I'm amazed they can get anyone to do it tbh. I watched a bit of Portual vs Iran - the ref was treated abysmally. (He then ran off and looked at screens to placate them..... which means they will do the same next time).

Get in the ref's face? Send them off. No 10-min sinbin b0llocks. Off.

They need to start looking at the camera footage and introduce consequences. If a player has clearly dived or pretended they have been hit when they haven't (ie cheating) ban them from the next game. If a team runs out of players to field as they are all banned.... tough.

[ZedLeg]

I think the difference between Rugby and Football is that a good footballer is treated like a prima donna rockstar golden child whereas (with a few exceptions) even the best rugby players are reminded that they are still part of a team and should behave as such.

The rules in rugby regarding sending off and injuries work really well and players seem to be a bit more sensible than footballers, on the pitch at least.