Turning to the Dark Side

[Slick]

Georgia are leading against Portugal!


Add them to the 6N!

[Slick]

Georgia are leading against Portugal!


Add them to the 6N!

2-0 now.

Courtesy of a questionable penalty

I can understand Ronaldo’s frustration when he gets his shirt pulled for about 5 seconds on the box and gets a card for complaining about it, then that penalty is given.

That penalty incident sums up why I have lost interest in football, the commentators agree it wasn’t enough to warrant a foul or falling over, but also agree they would fall over and want a penalty. It’s a really strange fucking sport

[inactionman]

Georgia are leading against Portugal!


Add them to the 6N!

2-0 now.

Courtesy of a questionable penalty

I can understand Ronaldo’s frustration when he gets his shirt pulled for about 5 seconds on the box and gets a card for complaining about it, then that penalty is given.

That penalty incident sums up why I have lost interest in football, the commentators agree it wasn’t enough to warrant a foul or falling over, but also agree they would fall over and want a penalty. It’s a really strange fucking sport

There's some mental gymnastics alright, almost that there's a right to fall over or clutch your face if someone wafts an arm anywhere near you. My brother worked in sports broadcasting for years and I was forever asking him why they never called out blatant divers - the players would stop cooperating if they mocked them so they could only really do it for relatively remote foreign games. It's all a bit too nepotistic and insular.

Perhaps worth comparing and contrasting with Ben Kay and Austin Healey giving mouthfuls to Huget on commentary when he dived and clutched his face against Bath - mind you, he was maybe trying to deflect attention from the fact his teammate had just knocked Anthony Watson out. To their credit, the citing commissioner issued a formal warning to him as well.

For soft penalties, I'd just get rid of penalties as a concept and just have direct free kicks, it's far too much return for what can be a marginal or wholly confected offence. It could indeed be 1-1 now if Portugal had a much stronger penalty claim given and Georgia's more correctly declined.

Mind you, we have scrum penalties. Even after all these years I've no fecking clue what half of them are for.

[Uncle fester]

18 cards in Turkey v Czech republic.

[robmatic]

18 cards in Turkey v Czech republic.

11 for Turkey

And I think that doesn't include the coaching staff, because there were a few brandished in that direction as well.

[Biffer]

18 cards in Turkey v Czech republic.

11 for Turkey

And I think that doesn't include the coaching staff, because there were a few brandished in that direction as well.

And multiple cards after the final whistle. The ref had so obviously lost control there

[Paddington Bear]

2-0 now.

Courtesy of a questionable penalty

I can understand Ronaldo’s frustration when he gets his shirt pulled for about 5 seconds on the box and gets a card for complaining about it, then that penalty is given.

That penalty incident sums up why I have lost interest in football, the commentators agree it wasn’t enough to warrant a foul or falling over, but also agree they would fall over and want a penalty. It’s a really strange fucking sport

There's some mental gymnastics alright, almost that there's a right to fall over or clutch your face if someone wafts an arm anywhere near you. My brother worked in sports broadcasting for years and I was forever asking him why they never called out blatant divers - the players would stop cooperating if they mocked them so they could only really do it for relatively remote foreign games. It's all a bit too nepotistic and insular.

Perhaps worth comparing and contrasting with Ben Kay and Austin Healey giving mouthfuls to Huget on commentary when he dived and clutched his face against Bath - mind you, he was maybe trying to deflect attention from the fact his teammate had just knocked Anthony Watson out. To their credit, the citing commissioner issued a formal warning to him as well.

For soft penalties, I'd just get rid of penalties as a concept and just have direct free kicks, it's far too much return for what can be a marginal or wholly confected offence. It could indeed be 1-1 now if Portugal had a much stronger penalty claim given and Georgia's more correctly declined.

Mind you, we have scrum penalties. Even after all these years I've no fecking clue what half of them are for.

The only thing I’ll say about diving in football, in defence of the players, is when you’re running it really doesn’t take much at all to send you arse over tit. Sometimes I think slow mo makes players look disgraceful when actually something quite genuine has happened. The writhing around is a different story, but there’s plenty of that swimming around Irish rugby

[Jim Lahey]

+1.

Rugby has lost its moral high ground against football.

Playacting, gamesmanship, time wasting, badgering referees etc. Rugby is full of it. Maybe not as extreme as screaming in the face of refs as in football, but the constant whingeing of players, coaches and fans toward refs (in maybe a less aggressive manner) is designed to have the same effect in terms of influencing matches.

Its not a bad thing in my eyes (its just human nature imo), but it is what it is. The pompousness around rugby needs to be checked against the facts.

[Slick]

+1.

Rugby has lost its moral high ground against football.

Playacting, gamesmanship, time wasting, badgering referees etc. Rugby is full of it. Maybe not as extreme as screaming in the face of refs as in football, but the constant whingeing of players, coaches and fans toward refs (in maybe a less aggressive manner) is designed to have the same effect in terms of influencing matches.

Its not a bad thing in my eyes (its just human nature imo), but it is what it is. The pompousness around rugby needs to be checked against the facts.

Watching the footie, with the exception of Ronaldo last night (who got a yellow), football is actually a lot better than rugby now in terms of players and refs. That should be a wake up call for everyone.

[Margin__Walker]

I've no real knowledge of what Steve Holland did, other than it all stems from something said in camp that went down like a bucket of cold sick. I just query whether packing bags and heading home is the correct response - for the player, if no-one else. God above, the England rugby team would have consisted of a deaf tighthead and Ben Youngs if people did that under Eddie Jones.

I'm also not clear on the 'thrown under a bus' by Southgate - all I recall Southgate saying was that White had made himself unavailable, and that, well, it's true, isn't it? Southgate has to offer some response to questions as to why a fit and capable footballer has left the squad, and I'm not quite sure what else he can say. Just say it's the generic 'Personal Reasons? Maybe. What Southgate is categorically not going to say is that White has left due to arguments with assistant coaches. On the subject of Southgate having favourites, he will pick a team and some players will be disappointed - that is a footballer's lot.

The saddest aspect is a player being denied/denying themselves (delete depending where your sympathies lie) opportunities of a lifetime due to tensions with coaching staff. But he's not the first - and won't be the last - to suffer such tensions. Many England players utterly detested Capello and his infantilising methods - which were sadly initially needed after petty club rivalries had been dragged into the national team - but they managed to stay the course. Of course it led to the likes of Scholes and Carrick retiring before performance suggested they should, but everything I've read suggests that Southgate has gone out if his way to be supportive and engender a sense of enjoyment - which makes White's case particularly jarring.

From your posts it sounds like you're a gooner, but don't take this as a hammer having to knock another London club. I truly think White needs a better perspective on this, leaving camp and making pretty clear that you'll only return if senior leaders are replaced is not a good way to deal with any dispute, in any industry or any walk of life.



On your point about Havertz, he's looked such a genuinely gifted and rounded player at Arsenal, at least Arteta has a clue about how to use him.

Sorry, a little late to this one.

Ultimately it sounds like he walked away when he encountered what he thought was unfair criticism in front of his peers and was in an environment he clearly didn't enjoy. People are wired differently. Most would probably grit their teeth and stay, but I don't blame him at all for walking if it was an unhealthy environment for him. I think he's probably an introvert who's not really comfortable in that environment away from home in the first place and running up against Holland's old school approach was probably the straw that broke the camel's back. Not necessarily a slight on Holland, people take different approaches to management, but one that clearly didn't work in White's case. To your last point it's worth noting that he's not all over social media moaning about it, he just made a choice that was right for him and is getting on with his life. He's not said a word about publicly it that I've seen. He's certainly not been dictating his demands for an eventual return.

[Hugo]

I can't help feeling that, just as the hype around England before the tournament was overdone, the prognostications of doom and gloom are also overdone.

Fair point.

Also, on that same note we were supposed to be poor defensively but our defenders (and keeper) have fared well. In fact, Guehi would be my English player of the tournament so far.

I know that we have had the lions share of possession in two of the three games (therefore the defence have not been put under tons of pressure) but still I do feel more at ease with our defence than I was before the tournament began.

[inactionman]

I can't help feeling that, just as the hype around England before the tournament was overdone, the prognostications of doom and gloom are also overdone.

Fair point.

Also, on that same note we were supposed to be poor defensively but our defenders (and keeper) have fared well. In fact, Guehi would be my English player of the tournament so far.

I know that we have had the lions share of possession in two of the three games (therefore the defence have not been put under tons of pressure) but still I do feel more at ease with our defence than I was before the tournament began.

Agree completely - although we haven't exactly had France running at us yet, the defence has been pleasantly surprisingly solid. Geuhi has indeed looked very good.

I would ask how long we can continue experiment with right-back-at-left-back, but then I recall the only actual left back we've selected isn't fully fit

[Enzedder]

Gee, that's two great goals from Switzerland. Italy so far have barely created a ripple.

[sturginho]

I can take the flags down now

[Biffer]

Italy have been rank all tournament. How Spain didn’t put five or six past them I don’t understand.

[Uncle fester]

Footage from Germany v Denmark is wild.
https://x.com/QrsBetting/status/1807139 ... nWZ8A&s=19

[Sandstorm]

Footage from Germany v Denmark is wild.
https://x.com/QrsBetting/status/1807139 ... nWZ8A&s=19

A friend is at that game and they got soaked in minutes.

[Hugo]

Well, let's see if Southgate shows a little bravery in the selection of his first XI.....

[fishfoodie]

Someone's getting sent off tonight

[JM2K6]

England's defenders playing like they've all had bets on the number of turnovers of possession, just absolute liabilities

[Niegs]

Cracking goal, that!

Have seen too many players push that straight into the keeper softly this tournament.

[JM2K6]

Cowardly football being deservedly booed by the fans. One nil down and keeping possession between the defenders for five minutes

[Biffer]

On the bright side, if they lose and theEngland fans go on the rampage in Gelsenkirchen, they could do a few million pounds worth of improvements

[Oxbow]

I reckon England will be pretty pleased with that, only 1-0 to the might of Slovakia at half time.

[JM2K6]

No subs, lol

[Niegs]

OMG, Slovakian couldn't believe his luck!

If England win this, it will not be deserved after a howler like that.

[JM2K6]

It's okay that Kane doesn't do much because when he gets a chance he'll definitely score



Oh.


England have persisted in crossing everything in the air despite failing to get on the end of 90%+ of them, and the one clear chance Kane butchers anyway

[fishfoodie]

Did England forget to bring subs to the stadium ?

[JM2K6]

If only that rebound had fallen to Bellingham and not Kane

[JM2K6]

As someone who watches a club that has both Chilwell and James, watching the hopeless fuckwits Trippier and Walker today has been a special kind of torture

[Wyndham Upalot]

If only that rebound had fallen to Bellingham and not Kane

He's been average at best today, regrettably.

[JM2K6]

If only that rebound had fallen to Bellingham and not Kane

He's been average at best today, regrettably.

He's not been his best, but he's probably been England's best player today after a shaky first 25. And he has the skill to put that one away.

No more subs used, England still keeping loads of players back in defence, England still putting crap crosses and corners in despite their total inability to win anything in the air... I think Southgate has done a great job for England in the last 8 years but the last 12 months have been poor and this tournament has been a shitshow of his own making.

[JM2K6]

If only that rebound had fallen to Bellingham and not Kane

He's been average at best today, regrettably.

He's not been his best, but he's probably been England's best player today after a shaky first 25. And he has the skill to put that one away.

See

[Wyndham Upalot]

I take back my last comment, that was class.

[JM2K6]

I take back my last comment, that was class.

His technical ability is freakish - Zidane-esque in Madrid

[Oxbow]

Great finish, but jeez England have been shite and don't really deserve that.

[Wyndham Upalot]

I take back my last comment, that was class.

His technical ability is freakish - Zidane-esque in Madrid

I have to admit that up to him being substituted, I thought Mainoo had been England's best player? Shit, what do I know though

[JM2K6]

I take back my last comment, that was class.

His technical ability is freakish - Zidane-esque in Madrid

I have to admit that up to him being substituted, I thought Mainoo had been England's best player? Shit, what do I know though

He wasn't bad, I just put more importance on Bellingham's attacking runs with the ball tbh.

Kane can't miss that one! Great assist by Toney. Gutted for Slovakia.

[Biffer]

Jammy cunts.

[Wyndham Upalot]

Jammy cunts.