World Cup Qatar

[EtoileSportiveDeDerby]

2nd WC final lost on pens but as much as i hated losing to Italy in 2006, I am OK with is one. It's gone to Messi and that's good enough for me.

Mind you, my blood pressure might need a bit longer to recover, what a game that was. 

Edited December 18, 2022 by EtoileSportiveDeDerby

[Mucker1884]

So in a shootout, with the ball already placed on the spot, the keeper can saunter up, pick up the ball, carry back to his goal line, then roll it away... all under the ever-watchful eye of the referee, and it's not worthy of a card?

Not even for ungentlemanly conduct?
And they wonder why cheating is rife in today's game!

What an absolute pile of shoite!

 

[kevinhectoring]

18 minutes ago, Mucker1884 said:

So in a shootout, with the ball already placed on the spot, the keeper can saunter up, pick up the ball, carry back to his goal line, then roll it away... all under the ever-watchful eye of the referee, and it's not worthy of a card?

Not even for ungentlemanly conduct?
And they wonder why cheating is rife in today's game!

What an absolute pile of shoite!

 

Yes there was too much of this in the competition. Instead of a yellow the pen should be awarded.
 

Martinez beyond the pale today and by comparison  Lloris too much the gentleman 

[BramcoteRam84]

Think it’s hard to say who is the greatest ever because each era is different. You can I think name the best players of each era/generation.

My view

58-70 - Pele

70s - Cruyff

80-92 - Maradona

96-06 - Zidane

06-22 - Messi 

I think Messi is definitely the greatest of this generation, he has more natural ability than Ronaldo, he’s played a leading role in taking Argentina (not the best squad) to 2 World Cup finals, including a World Cup win, along with winning the Copa America, he’s won everything in the game. He’s special. Ronaldo has been sensational but i think has had to work harder to get himself to that level and I think Messi’s football intelligence is on another level to Ronaldo.

It was fitting that Messi won this today playing a starring role and the young pretender Mbappe scored a hat trick to get the golden boot - he’s the next guy who will probably be the greatest of his generation 

[TigerTedd]

1 hour ago, Crewton said:

It's a debate I'm not that bothered about. I can see an argument in favour of anyone's GOAT, particularly if stats are their thing, but Pele and Best were things of beauty, and beauty stirs the soul more than stats. 

And Messi’s not? That’s precisely why I’d have Messi over Ronaldo any day of the week. Ronaldo only seems to care about the next record, and the next stat. Messi’s many highlight reels are works of art. 

[TigerTedd]

52 minutes ago, Mucker1884 said:

So in a shootout, with the ball already placed on the spot, the keeper can saunter up, pick up the ball, carry back to his goal line, then roll it away... all under the ever-watchful eye of the referee, and it's not worthy of a card?

Not even for ungentlemanly conduct?
And they wonder why cheating is rife in today's game!

What an absolute pile of shoite!

 

Nothing stopping Lloris from doing the same. It’s the kind of thing where if wildsmith did it to win us the FA cup, I’d have no problem with it. But if the oppo goalie did it to us, it would be the wire at thing in the world.

Until someone tells him there’s a rule against it, why shouldn’t he leverage every advantage ge can get?

[Steve Buckley’s Dog]

Congratulations to MacAllister - the first Scotsman to win the World Cup. 

[EtoileSportiveDeDerby]

2 minutes ago, TigerTedd said:

Nothing stopping Lloris from doing the same. It’s the kind of thing where if wildsmith did it to win us the FA cup, I’d have no problem with it. But if the oppo goalie did it to us, it would be the wire at thing in the world.

Until someone tells him there’s a rule against it, why shouldn’t he leverage every advantage ge can get?

I have been watching football for years and the French team, Lloris is a top class keeper yet he is the worst keeper i have seen at pens by a long way. I simply cannot remember him saving one, ever. He could bare his arse on his line that would make no difference as long as the penalty taker puts it on target, it is a goal, simple as that. 

[TuffLuff]

8 minutes ago, EtoileSportiveDeDerby said:

I have been watching football for years and the French team, Lloris is a top class keeper yet he is the worst keeper i have seen at pens by a long way. I simply cannot remember him saving one, ever. He could bare his arse on his line that would make no difference as long as the penalty taker puts it on target, it is a goal, simple as that. 

Talk to Harry Kane ?

But in all seriousness I get your point and thought he was poor which is a shame because I think he’s a top class keeper overall. I think where he falls down in a shootout is that I don’t think he keeps good ‘rhythm’ with the steps in the shooters run up. What I mean by that is if the shooter takes four steps, Lloris has probably already committed before that fourth step and the shooter finds it easier to pick his spot. This is what Messi did for the first one, he stuttered his run up and Lloris moved slightly to his left giving Messi the room to slot right. After that he was done and couldn’t really get near. Compare that to Martinez who seems impeccable with that rhythm which means he’s got a good chance of guessing the direction of the ball (aside if your name is Mbappe ofcourse).

[Comrade 86]

36 minutes ago, EtoileSportiveDeDerby said:

I have been watching football for years and the French team, Lloris is a top class keeper yet he is the worst keeper i have seen at pens by a long way. I simply cannot remember him saving one, ever. He could bare his arse on his line that would make no difference as long as the penalty taker puts it on target, it is a goal, simple as that. 

Hard lines Etoile - the French were properly s********* there ?

[EtoileSportiveDeDerby]

10 minutes ago, TuffLuff said:

Talk to Harry Kane ?

But in all seriousness I get your point and thought he was poor which is a shame because I think he’s a top class keeper overall. I think where he falls down in a shootout is that I don’t think he keeps good ‘rhythm’ with the steps in the shooters run up. What I mean by that is if the shooter takes four steps, Lloris has probably already committed before that fourth step and the shooter finds it easier to pick his spot. This is what Messi did for the first one, he stuttered his run up and Lloris moved slightly to his left giving Messi the room to slot right. After that he was done and couldn’t really get near. Compare that to Martinez who seems impeccable with that rhythm which means he’s got a good chance of guessing the direction of the ball (aside if your name is Mbappe ofcourse).

Harry should know Hugo is rubbish at pens he probably sees it on a daily basis.

Exactly what you described. Martinez goes in there knowing he is gonna get one, I am not even sure Lloris hopes to stop one. Barthez was dodgy at times but he was good at the exercise. Lloris looks beaten before he even starts. Hey ho i you told me we would get to pens up to the 75th minutes I would have taken it

[Skin em Ted]

Not sure what’s being said here by Macron but from the players’ body language I’m guessing it’s as cringeworthy as his attempt to console Mbappe ? 

[uttoxram75]

50 minutes ago, Steve Buckley’s Dog said:

Congratulations to MacAllister - the first Scotsman to win the World Cup. 

I think he has some Scots ancestry but he's from mainly Irish stock.

Same principle stands!

Tbf, the lad has had a great WC, I though he was outstanding today.

[Van der MoodHoover]

4 minutes ago, Skin em Ted said:

Not sure what’s being said here by Macron but from the players’ body language I’m guessing it’s as cringeworthy as his attempt to console Mbappe ? 

He was basically saying something to the effect that "you may have lost today, the soul of French football may be mourning, the tricolour lowered in disappointment.........

 

.......but you wupped les ros boeufs so it's the legion d'honneur for you all." ?

 

[EtoileSportiveDeDerby]

1 minute ago, Skin em Ted said:

Not sure what’s being said here by Macron but from the players’ body language I’m guessing it’s as cringeworthy as his attempt to console Mbappe ? 

He's saying, you will learn a lesson from this

Aged 16, I...well you know, the French literature teacher, she taught me a few lessons.

 

[Comrade 86]

9 minutes ago, Skin em Ted said:

Not sure what’s being said here by Macron but from the players’ body language I’m guessing it’s as cringeworthy as his attempt to console Mbappe ? 

It's actually pretty spot on and not 'cringeworthy' at all, but nobody is going to be able to lift the spirits of a team that's just lost a WC final.  

[Skin em Ted]

3 minutes ago, 86 Hair Islands said:

It's actually pretty spot on and not 'cringeworthy' at all, but nobody is going to be able to lift the spirits of a team that's just lost a WC final.  

Looks like shameless opportunism from the bloke who said we should ‘keep politics out of football’

[Comrade 86]

15 minutes ago, Skin em Ted said:

Looks like shameless opportunism from the bloke who said we should ‘keep politics out of football’

[Bris Vegas]

2 hours ago, Crewton said:

It's a debate I'm not that bothered about. I can see an argument in favour of anyone's GOAT, particularly if stats are their thing, but Pele and Best were things of beauty, and beauty stirs the soul more than stats. 

It’s also why Messi is the best for me. His football is like art. 

Similar to tennis. Stats suggest Nadal and Djokovic are the best two players ever, but Federer will always be number one for me because (for me anyway) it goes beyond just winning. Messi and Federer produce those moments of pure elegance and magic that I just don’t see in other players. 

 

[Alph]

Didn't most of Pele's goals come in that Brazilian league? 

Messi is gets my vote for the goat. Even before he won the world cup. Some of the things I've seen him do consistently I just don't think others have been capable of

For as many years as he's done it, at the level he's done it, against the opponent's he's done it.... I just think he's a freak. 

I think there's players past and present that have been better than Messi for a time. Mbappe is probably there now. Ronaldo has had ridiculous seasons for example. 

But Messi has always been one of the best playmakers of the last 15 years. One of the best goalscorers of the last 15 years. The haul of trophies. The personal awards. For his whole career he's been the very elite and produced magic on every stage so frequently. He's never been carried. He's never shrunk away. 

He's the goat imo simply because he's the best midfielder, winger and striker of over a decade. 

Most great players are only in that top 2 or 3 for a few years. Their "peak". When was Messi's peak? He scored 70+ goals in a season 10 years ago and now he's just won the Copa America and World Cup. 

Whatever you use to measure him by he ironically stands tall. Whether a young winger, center forward or a number 10. Whether 2012 or 2022. 

Don't suppose it matters. But short of joining Burnley to prove he's good I'm not sure what else he could do to further his case. He's not even finished yet.