The Football.....

[Archie_tect]

He's definitely an anagram.

 

[Archie_tect]

Dreading a Germany v. Netherlands final... mainly because I've got Brazil in the office sweep.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I'm pretty sure that Mr Gerrard would not have booked his hols in January and then thought "bloody hell, I'd best make sure we dinnae get past the group stages as 'er indoors will be a bit miffed"

Well work it out then.The final is on the 13th of July so if England had gone all the way(fat chance) the duffers would only have had a fortnight or so before they'd have to report back to their clubs for pre season training. Ok their clubs might've given them another fortnight off but that's not good enough for them! They expect at least a month in the Caribbean,Dubai or wherever the multi millionaires go for their hols,then time at home with their families before reporting back!

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I have just realised that Robben is Nobber spelled backwards.

And if you swap the Rs and Ss around, Torres comes out Tosser.

 

[Dayvo]

A nobber who worked and worked for his team for the whole 120 minutes though.

Including winning penalties by diving, and then admitting it later.

Yeah, a great player, I don't think.

LA worked hard for his teams, and as a result didn't win the TdeF seven times.

A cheat is a cheat, and it isn't something to praise, whichever form it takes.

 

[Dayvo]

And after a bit of surfing!

I know it's only the Mirror, but the sentiment is relevant, IMO.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2014/arjen-robben-footballs-divers-should-3820033

 

[accountantpete]

 

[Dayvo]

the problem with retrospective punishment for diving is where does it stop, lets say on the reexamination of a dive it's discovered that the player gets a 10 for presentation but in fact it was a foul so a penalty should have been awarded.. then what...one rule for one and one for another..Robben might have dived during the Mexico match but he was also denied a clear cut penalty...
lets not forget penalties rewarded in a match maybe one or two, missed fouls on players in the area numberous....

If referees (i.e.FIFA) got TOUGH on shirt-pulling, kicking the ball away (after the opposition have been awarded a free kick), verbal criticism and abuse of the referees, and diving/feigning injury etc etc, then the game would improve almost immediately.

Very little of the above happened on the rugby pitch when I played (mid 70s to mid 90s) but as the game is now professional, I'm sure the 'sportsmanship' has creeped into the game there, too.

BTW, Mexico should also have had a penalty when a Mexican player was kicked in the head in the penalty area

 

[Dayvo]

What do you reckon his ratio of dives to having been cut down is? Are those defenders not also cheats?

Messi doesn't dive:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0gS5CshUDE


I agree with you about defenders who cheat: that is, unfortunately, how the game has 'developed', but there is no place in football/sport for blatant cheating and dirty play. Therefore the authorities HAVE to act NOW and come down hard on all the perpetrators.

 

[MarkF]

If referees (i.e.FIFA) got TOUGH on shirt-pulling, kicking the ball away (after the opposition have been awarded a free kick), verbal criticism and abuse of the referees, and diving/feigning injury etc etc, then the game would improve almost immediately.

You could have said that in 1972, the year that I started to watch live pro football. Nothing has got worse, it's the same as it always was, and tbh, I like it.

 

[Dayvo]

You could have said that in 1972, the year that I started to watch live pro football. Nothing has got worse, it's the same as it always was, and tbh, I like it.

Ah, but in those days (and pre 1972), if a player was out of order, the older statesman would step in. No handbags at dawn in those days!

 

[MarkF]

I used to watch a full back at Bradford City through the 1970's, he was an iconic figure in football, Cec Podd. He made toe poking the ball whilst pretending to pick it up, or "mis" catching it, an art form, he had a superb miming repertoire with time wasting it's goal. No cameras though, that is the only difference to today.

 

[JoeyB]

What do you reckon his ratio of dives to having been cut down is? Are those defenders not also cheats?

No. Go back to cycling

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Oh well, that's my prediction for the score gone - but great effort by Germany. Brazil are all over the shop.

 

[Beebo]

Oops, all over now.
3-0
Edit,
Now 4-0