Craig Johnston on the ball...

[porkypie]

Joe cole said before the start of the world cup that the ball takes all of the skill out of the game. I think the ball has ruined this world cup!

 

[Albumen]

BBC Sport - Football - World Cup 2010: Boot designer Craig Johnston slams ball

What he said.
He also shows what happens when you have intelligent panelists sitting next to two BBC puppets. They didn't know what to do.

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

I am still on the fence about the ball.

Even in this thread there are comments about it being too straight "like an arrow" and others saying it causes to much swerve.

Well, which is it?

 

[KneeOn]

So, the players can no longer bend the ball, it flies straight and true ..... and yet it's supposed to be really hard for keepers, and the cause for their mistakes as well. Surely if it flies straight and true rather than swerving around, then it should be easy peasy for keepers.

Nope, doesn't add up to me, someone is using the ball as a very handy excuse. No-one has yet to explain shy Rooney can't control the thing, is that the balls fault as well?

No, they can bend the ball, it just takes like, zero skill to do so because it flies at funny angles and strange curves on teh ball.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

You haven't watched that clip have you FDM'S Gloves? The ball doesn't 'curve' or 'dip' like people seem to think it does. That's part of the problem with it. There's no craftsmanship involved.

Listen to what Johnston has to say. He knows what he's talking about.

Oh and btw, the replica ball is nothing like the official one.

 

[Chicken Runner61]

It did not prevent anyone, or any national team, taking a ball home to practice with, at the start of the year though.

Everyone knows a new ball is produced by adidas for each any every world cup. This should not come as a surprise. England should have been training with it months ago.

If a competing nation, for whatever reason, decides it does not want its premier league to use the ball in a run up to a competition it is hardly adidas' or FIFAs fault...and it certainly is not their responsibility. They made it available at the start of the year. They cannot do much more.

And this ball is the least of England's problems.

It only came out in December and couldn't be used because of an existing contract with Nike.

I just think they should bring it in at the qualifiers rather than the finals after all they seem to be able to arrange all the sponsors 10 years ahead