I know he has a claim to be mentioned with the GOATs himself, but if I was going to match the record of a true great like Eusebio then I wouldn’t be doing it on the basis of stealing a goal off a team mate like that.

Posted 2 months ago

Suarez has err grown a bit 😳😂

Posted 2 months ago

McCoist should be fired. Thinks he’s Brian Moore and he clearly isn’t.

Posted 2 months ago

I really don’t like seeing penalties like that awarded.

Posted 2 months ago

I really don’t like seeing penalties like that awarded.

Back 30 years ago I was a passionate fan who loved football, went to every match at Anfield for 15+ years.

These days I barely watch it. The game is dead to me, a large part of that is VAR

Posted 2 months ago

Awful penalty decision, what’s he supposed to land on.

Posted 2 months ago

Awful penalty decision, what’s he supposed to land on.

Just watched the highlights. Couldn’t work out what the penalty was given for at normal speed. Saw the first slow motion replay, still didn’t see what happened. Finally noticed the ball hit the fellow’s hand as he fell over.

Ridiculous.

Posted 2 months ago

These days I barely watch it. The game is dead to me, a large part of that is VAR

Yeah I long for the days where referees would give the benefit of the doubt to big teams after being pressured by their superstar players, or when matches, and sometimes relegations and championships, would be decided by some part time incompetent linesman who couldn’t keep up with play. VAR isn’t perfect, but it’s better than what came before.

Posted 2 months ago

Yeah I long for the days where referees would give the benefit of the doubt to big teams after being pressured by their superstar players, or when matches, and sometimes relegations and championships, would be decided by some part time incompetent linesman who couldn’t keep up with play. VAR isn’t perfect, but it’s better than what came before.

Whilst you’re being sarcastic, i’m 100% with that… 😀

The goal that wasn’t over the line (Luis Garcia, v Chelsea), or the tackle that missed the ball, the offside that was 3″ onside. That’s what makes football, the passion, the joy, the anger even… the good, the bad… It’s not a binary sport.

Posted 2 months ago

That’s what makes football, the passion, the joy, the anger even…

True. Bring back the golden days of the 1970s where teams kicked lumps out of each other on mudbath pitches while the fans rioted in the stands in a tsumani of misplaced masculinity. 😀

Posted 2 months ago

To be honest, the whole thing has become so ‘meh’ that I’m feeling a certain nostalgia for watching footage on the news of a pissed-up, lobster-pink Chelsea fan throwing a chair through the window of a bar 😉

Posted 2 months ago

Yep, it’s all getting a little bit too sanitised. Used to love a good hard tackle when I played but I’d probably not be in a huge waiting list for a knee replacement if a little gentler.
More seriously VAR is ruining the game but I’m not sure what the best alternative is. It’s also leading to the same issues in rugby and cricket.

Posted 2 months ago

I’m feeling a certain nostalgia for watching footage on the news of a pissed-up, lobster-pink Chelsea fan throwing a chair through the window of a bar 😉

Glory days! The world cup wasn’t the world cup without news stories of topless England fans being deported en masse from foreign countries. Despite my comments above, football has become far too middle class and ‘nice’.

Posted 2 months ago

More seriously VAR is ruining the game but I’m not sure what the best alternative is. It’s also leading to the same issues in rugby and cricket.

It works well in tennis, although that is a much simpler problem to solve

Posted 2 months ago

More seriously VAR is ruining the game but I’m not sure what the best alternative is.

I agree – it used to be the case that a goal was scored, and the fans celebrate. Now I am always left with that nagging doubt that there had been some infringement in the build-up so excitement is always tempered – and I detest the ridiculous decisions when the slightest, tiniest bit of body rules an offside.

Could there be a limit to the number of times a team can request a review (and ONLY by the captain – anyone else approaching the ref gets a yellow card) – a bit like they have in cricket (no idea about the rules in tennis or rugby codes).

Posted 2 months ago

I don’t have a solution but now it’s in place it’s not going away! I don’t like the idea of a review limit though. Some absolute clangers will no doubt get missed in the 89th minute….it just needs to be used better and more quickly. In terms of better I don’t think it will be given it’s so subjective. Good (bad) example last night – that was never a penalty and I suspect wouldn’t have been given at the other end. Took ages as well.

Posted 2 months ago

Things that would improve VAR IMO

1, Communication between ref and var to be made available, so that fans can understand the thought processes behind decisions.

2, Time limit on VAR decisions, if not sure in time limit refs on field decision stands (which may also force refs to make an on field decision rather than rely on var to correct it later).

3, Make the goal/pen/red card decisions about getting it right, and not finding an excuse to support a refs poor decision (ie end the “clear and obvious error wording)

For example, Ronaldo’s pen against Ghana, I saw on the first replay that Ronaldo initiated the contact, so no reason that the ref could not be told quickly(2) to take a look on the screen. Ref is told “looks like the defender had stopped just short, and Ronaldo deliberately flicks his leg into the defender to initiate the contact” comms are made available to match broadcasters (1) and to viewers after filtering for swearing etc. In this case you can see why the ref has made the initial decision on the field of play, VAR should be looking to see if that is the correct decision rather than to justify that decision (3), in this case the movement is slight but absolutely critical in the event it wasn’t even just leaving a leg dangling he had to move towards the defender to initiate the contact.  “clear and obvious” error is too often being interpreted as an excuse to defend poor decisions.

Posted 2 months ago

Could there be a limit to the number of times a team can request a review (and ONLY by the captain

I’ve been thinking along the same lines. One of the biggest issues with var is that it calls up things that nobody on the pitch had an issue with, so why not go with the refs decision unless one of the captains objects? There should probably be an exception for foul play that nobody spots but even then the fouled player should be able to get their captain to ask for a var review.

Posted 2 months ago

Ohh dear, what a shame, never mind…

Qatar make unwanted history as they become the first host nation to exit the tournament losing all of their group games.

TBF, I feel for the team, but. Qatar.

Posted 2 months ago

Well I’d have dropped the players Gareth chose to drop. Let’s hope it’s a decent game.

Posted 2 months ago

first thing is that the refs and linos get most decisions right, at least within margin for error (offsides for example) – if the intent is to correct clearly obvious errors then live with the real marginal ones for the good of the game.

Then let the teams have 2 challenges (per half, in total, not exactly sure) so if a clear and obvious error is missed they can be reviewed. That’s the safety net. If it’s wrong, you lose the challenge, if right you keep it.

Controversial bit – anyone can call it, not just the captain. Question the referee over a pointless foul in the middle of the pitch, or a corner that you know wasn’t – tough, get it wrong and you lose your challenge. Would remove players questioning every decision in no time.

Posted 2 months ago

Kane’s fallen over.

Posted 2 months ago

Wales have figured out how best to deal with Maguire – let him dribble uncontested into the box and he will forget what he was there for and kick the ball at the corner flag.

Posted 2 months ago

This is poor. Aimless from both.

Posted 2 months ago

Has Henderson contributed anything so far?

Posted 2 months ago

This is poor. Aimless from both.

somewhat of a nothing match though

Posted 2 months ago

for a side that needs to win by four clear, I’d have thought Wales would have shown a bit more ambition

Posted 2 months ago

Wales are anti football it seems. Bus parkers.

Posted 2 months ago

Dear god, this is absolutely shite!

Posted 2 months ago

Can’t keep your eyes off it Binners!

Posted 2 months ago

It’s better than Coronation Street <switches over>

Posted 2 months ago

Wales don’t look like they’re trying to win 4-0.

Posted 2 months ago

What did they put in the half time orange segments?

Posted 2 months ago

it’s been poor from Wales

Posted 2 months ago

Well I thought that was an excellent second half from England, they looked really competent… Bring on Senegal!

Posted 2 months ago

I did love that Bellingham started celebrating before Foden even kicked the ball.

Posted 2 months ago

very competent performance particularly in the second half

Posted 2 months ago

Wales were poor thought, especially the goalkeeper for both of Rashford’s goals. We knew that Wales didn’t have the quality of England, but they also didn’t have the desire in a game they had beforehand claimed was about bringing the desire and emotion to England,

Posted 2 months ago

very difficult to judge Englands level in such a weak group (don’t think I can remember such a poor group)

Posted 2 months ago

very difficult to judge Englands level in such a weak group (don’t think I can remember such a poor group

England were clearly favourites but the other three are all top twenty ranked teams.

Posted 2 months ago