World Cup Qatar

[Day]

I hope this does settle the ‘goat’ debate as it’s pretty tedious now. Feels almost political with the left v far right, so many entrenched in their views. You have social media accounts out there dedicating their days to promoting their ‘goat’ stats, come on now.

Get’s worse when Pele, Maradona are brought into it as these are from completely different eras, it’s a different game now, Nottingham Forest were winning European Cups shortly after Pele had retired and you’d be lucky if you could watch it on a colour TV, that’s how long ago it was.

Messi and Ronaldo are both incredible players, the best of the current era by far and can probably thank each other for providing the competition to push themselves further. 

Both should retire in the summer, call it a day.

Ronaldo is clearly struggling with his natural decline, Messi has won it all now, why walk around in Ligue 1 getting smashed?

Time for the new era to step forward and take over, Haaland and Mbappe, both very different players like Messi and Ronaldo but a fresh debate to be had.

[Mucker1884]

7 hours 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?

Sorry, have to disagree.

The ball is already placed!
It's blatantly removing the ball from it's free-kick position, and throwing it away.  Anyone does that during the 90mins, even for a standard free kick in the centre circle, and the very least they get is a "stern talking to", but more often, a card is issued.
It's not a case of "leveraging an advantage", it's out and out ungentlemanly conduct. 
He shouldn't need advising that it's against the rules, just as nobody needs advising that it's against the rules to pull a penalty taker's shorts down to his ankles, just as he's about to start his run up from the D!  ?  

I'm not one for crying "I'm done with football", as it's not that important to me, but I've got a big downer on this one.  I'm still stunned the ref followed his every move, from start to finish... and did feckall!  ?

[OoooMarkWright]

36 minutes ago, Mucker1884 said:

Sorry, have to disagree.

The ball is already placed!
It's blatantly removing the ball from it's free-kick position, and throwing it away.  Anyone does that during the 90mins, even for a standard free kick in the centre circle, and the very least they get is a "stern talking to", but more often, a card is issued.
It's not a case of "leveraging an advantage", it's out and out ungentlemanly conduct. 
He shouldn't need advising that it's against the rules, just as nobody needs advising that it's against the rules to pull a penalty taker's shorts down to his ankles, just as he's about to start his run up from the D!  ?  

I'm not one for crying "I'm done with football", as it's not that important to me, but I've got a big downer on this one.  I'm still stunned the ref followed his every move, from start to finish... and did feckall!  ?

We’ve witnessed the greatest World Cup final in living memory and you’re harping on about a technicality in the shoot out. Just take it for what it is and enjoy the game. 
 

That final was outstanding. I’ve never seen a game turn so quickly. Delighted for Messi as that seals his legacy. What a game. Highlighted football at its very best, so many twists, turns and drama’s. Absolutely brilliant game and it has to be said, a great finale for a fantastic World Cup!

[Van der MoodHoover]

Was high drama at the end but much of the game was pretty drab. 

One thing though - France turned the game mainly by ditching the old guard who had got them to the final - giroud etc all subbed off, some before half time. 

No farting about with "let's see if you can nick us a goal in the last 90 seconds" stuff with deschamps. 

[JoetheRam]

Customary team of the tournament to indulge the inner 12 year old...

4-3-3

Bounou (MAR)

 

Hakimi (MAR)

Souttar (AUS)

Gvardiol (HRV)

Hernandez (FRA)

 

Modric (HRV)

Amrabat (MAR)

Bellingham (ENG)

 

Messi (ARG)

Alvarez (ARG)

Mbappe (FRA)

None of this shoehorning players in out of position and it's not necessarily the best players overall, more players who were memorable AND good.

Edited December 19, 2022 by JoetheRam

[G STAR RAM]

27 minutes ago, Van der MoodHoover said:

Was high drama at the end but much of the game was pretty drab. 

One thing though - France turned the game mainly by ditching the old guard who had got them to the final - giroud etc all subbed off, some before half time. 

No farting about with "let's see if you can nick us a goal in the last 90 seconds" stuff with deschamps. 

But no doubt FIFA and all of the pundits who have pocketed their bloody money will be telling you its the best game you've ever seen.

[G STAR RAM]

1 hour ago, enachops said:

We’ve witnessed the greatest World Cup final in living memory and you’re harping on about a technicality in the shoot out. Just take it for what it is and enjoy the game. 
 

That final was outstanding. I’ve never seen a game turn so quickly. Delighted for Messi as that seals his legacy. What a game. Highlighted football at its very best, so many twists, turns and drama’s. Absolutely brilliant game and it has to be said, a great finale for a fantastic World Cup!

A technicality? ?

Or as its more commonly referred to 'cheating'

[TigerTedd]

2 hours ago, Mucker1884 said:

Sorry, have to disagree.

The ball is already placed!
It's blatantly removing the ball from it's free-kick position, and throwing it away.  Anyone does that during the 90mins, even for a standard free kick in the centre circle, and the very least they get is a "stern talking to", but more often, a card is issued.
It's not a case of "leveraging an advantage", it's out and out ungentlemanly conduct. 
He shouldn't need advising that it's against the rules, just as nobody needs advising that it's against the rules to pull a penalty taker's shorts down to his ankles, just as he's about to start his run up from the D!  ?  

I'm not one for crying "I'm done with football", as it's not that important to me, but I've got a big downer on this one.  I'm still stunned the ref followed his every move, from start to finish... and did feckall!  ?

Don’t hate the player. Hate the game. Referee could’ve stopped him earlier, but didn’t, and he’d got a couple of missed penalties for troubles by the time the ref put a stop to it. 

[TuffLuff]

10 hours ago, EtoileSportiveDeDerby said:

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

In fairness I think that France team is excellent and I think that sick bug had quite a big impact on that final performance. Argentina really had that bit of luck you need to win a final, because I don’t think they were that good and were always likely to lose their heads at some point in the 90mins like they did. I think there will be a few European sides on the Argentinian side of the draw who will be kicking themselves because they would have fancied facing that Argentina side if they had their act together. 

[Ram-Alf]

1 hour ago, G STAR RAM said:

But no doubt FIFA and all of the pundits who have pocketed their bloody money will be telling you its the best game you've ever seen.

Going to be honest here, When Argentina were awarded a penalty for the slightest touch on Tia Maria and he spilled over I'd decided to watch the World at War...again, Gamesmanship/cheating is now a win at all cost, FIFA and the officials turn a blind eye to it all, The game's corrupt and rotting from the inside...imo ? 

[Alph]

There was a dive that got booked too wasn't there? 

You've got live video referees and still the harshest punishment for blatant diving is a rare yellow. Football says cheating is less criminal than taking your shirt off after you score. 

Diving should be a red card. Just like time wasting should be a yellow instantly and not 20 minutes of warnings. And actually follow the yellow with a red. 

Last night Martinez should have been booked for throwing the ball and/or not returning to his line. Then he'd have not messed around afterwards. If he did then send him off. 

Truth is that football left gentleman's conduct behind many decades ago. It is waaaay to late to talk about fair play and respect. 

Lie, cheat and push the limits. That's what players do. Because it's now called gamesmanship and the worst you'll get is told off for being naughty. 

As @TigerTeddsaid, don't hate the player. Martinez might be a troll but the referees allow this nonsense to go on. 

[Normanton Lad]

I've seen every World Cup since 1966 and this was easily the best. I've not enjoyed watching football so much since the 1970s. Qatar did a great job and all the complainers are left with egg on their faces.  England and Germany tried to spoil it with political stunts but they just showed themselves up as fools. All the world laughed at them. Keep politics out of sport. What a disgrace for the BBC to ignore some of the closing ceremonies just so that we could listen to boring nonsense from so-called pundits who have nothing original to say.

[Crewton]

Both penalties looked like con-jobs to me. So much gamesmanship going on. Whilst it was undoubtedly an exciting last 40 minutes + penalty shoot-out, the acceptance of such tactics seemingly across the world of football takes allot of the shine off the game. When you add in the corruption and migrant worker scandals it's hard to be bowled over by the spectacle.

[Crewton]

9 minutes ago, Normanton Lad said:

I've seen every World Cup since 1966 and this was easily the best. I've not enjoyed watching football so much since the 1970s. Qatar did a great job and all the complainers are left with egg on their faces.  England and Germany tried to spoil it with political stunts but they just showed themselves up as fools. All the world laughed at them. Keep politics out of sport. What a disgrace for the BBC to ignore some of the closing ceremonies just so that we could listen to boring nonsense from so-called pundits who have nothing original to say.

Yeah, starting with FIFA, UEFA and the IOC......

The desperation of the Qataris and Infantino to steal the limelight was one of the most nauseating spectacles I've witnessed in Sport.

[JoetheRam]

1 hour ago, Alpha said:

There was a dive that got booked too wasn't there? 

You've got live video referees and still the harshest punishment for blatant diving is a rare yellow. Football says cheating is less criminal than taking your shirt off after you score. 

Diving should be a red card. Just like time wasting should be a yellow instantly and not 20 minutes of warnings. And actually follow the yellow with a red. 

Last night Martinez should have been booked for throwing the ball and/or not returning to his line. Then he'd have not messed around afterwards. If he did then send him off. 

Truth is that football left gentleman's conduct behind many decades ago. It is waaaay to late to talk about fair play and respect. 

Lie, cheat and push the limits. That's what players do. Because it's now called gamesmanship and the worst you'll get is told off for being naughty. 

As @TigerTeddsaid, don't hate the player. Martinez might be a troll but the referees allow this nonsense to go on. 

I was always taught that sport mirrors society. 

When society is violent, sport is violent (see Ancient Rome). When society demands order, so to does sport (Victorian England).

It's somehow poetic that Football nowadays chooses to punish exuberant celebration and freedom of expression and let's 'gamesmanship' as you describe above escape almost unpunished. And that's without mentioning the corruption that is essentially accepted as part of the game and part of life and the cult of personality that surrounds the games key figures.

We get the sport we deserve I guess.

Edited December 19, 2022 by JoetheRam

[Day]

1 hour ago, Normanton Lad said:

I've seen every World Cup since 1966 and this was easily the best. I've not enjoyed watching football so much since the 1970s. Qatar did a great job and all the complainers are left with egg on their faces.  England and Germany tried to spoil it with political stunts but they just showed themselves up as fools. All the world laughed at them. Keep politics out of sport. What a disgrace for the BBC to ignore some of the closing ceremonies just so that we could listen to boring nonsense from so-called pundits who have nothing original to say.

Yeah I'm not sure the world really did laugh at England and Germany.

If we was to poll the World on the One Love armband, covering of the mouth or that robe they stuck on Messi at the end....my money is on the robe being the most laughable out of the three. 

Messi holding the World Cup should have been one of the most iconic photos of the game, yet it's been tainted now with something you would see in an Ann Summers catalogue.

It was an entertaining World Cup, no doubt about it, just not sure it will ever be able to hold the crown of being the best World Cup with the loss of lives, human rights issues and being played at Christmas.

Part of me is glad England didn't win it. 

Just hope a new trend hasn't been set and we see the winning captain at the US World Cup sprinkled with cheese and armed with an AR 15 as he collects the trophy.

[Carnero]

5 minutes ago, David said:

Just hope a new trend hasn't been set and we see the winning captain at the US World Cup sprinkled with cheese and armed with an AR 15 as he collects the trophy.

[Skin em Ted]

13 hours 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.  

Ok, fair enough... et pardon mon ignorance!

Maybe as a Derby fan I just don't like to see non-football folks de-briefing in the dressing room, regardless of the circumstance.

Perhaps more acceptable in French culture also? I can't help but feel if Bojo tried this after the Euros final - looking like a sackful of yoghurt with his England shirt over his suit - he would've quite rightly been derided, and hopefully canned out of there!

Forgive me for being cynical over the way he was clinging on to Mbappe like a piece of driftwood however, I think he physically tried to rub off a bit of magic at one point.

[Day]

5 minutes ago, Skin em Ted said:

Ok, fair enough... et pardon mon ignorance!

Maybe as a Derby fan I just don't like to see non-football folks de-briefing in the dressing room, regardless of the circumstance.

Perhaps more acceptable in French culture also? I can't help but feel if Bojo tried this after the Euros final - looking like a sackful of yoghurt with his England shirt over his suit - he would've quite rightly been derided, and hopefully canned out of there!

Forgive me for being cynical over the way he was clinging on to Mbappe like a piece of driftwood however, I think he physically tried to rub off a bit of magic at one point.

It gets worse.

As well as the robe on Messi, Macron being on the pitch, Aguero with his John Terry impression.....a bloke that sprinkles salt on a steak got on the pitch to join in with the celebrations as well.

I dread to think who would be on the pitch if England won, Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Clarkson and Wayne Rooney?

[Ram-Alf]

1 hour ago, JoetheRam said:

I was always taught that sport mirrors society. 

When society is violent, sport is violent (see Ancient Rome). 

Oh yeh, What ever have the Romans done for us ?