[Football] European dominance

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Aye - closer unity. European currency. European army. European football team. I can just see it now - Uruguay 1, Europe 2........... oh what days!

not like that yer fule

 

[GT49er]

You know what. I was just checking to see if anyone had started a thread like this as if not, I was going to.

I think (as Trig said) that VAR has had a big hand in this. Snidey fouls in the box (or blatant wrestling) and diving have actually been punished/dismissed on a much more regular basis.

So cheating ***** like Neymar, Suarez, Pepe, the whole Colombia team etc have had a rude awakening.

I wasn't a fan of VAR being introduced in this tournament as I thought it was too soon. It's been far from perfect (my major bugbear being players not being booked for simulation) but it's definitely made things better.

Seems like the only bunch of cheats left in the competition are the ones who've probably taken PEDs and hopefully they'll be knocked out tomorrow. [emoji6]

I sort of agree, but I'd have been much more impressed if FIFA had had the balls (and the intelligence) to add one more simple thing to the VAR rules: any player making that 'TV' sign should instantly be shown a yellow card, on every occasion that they do it - and compulsory for refs to do it. Retrospective yellows and reds for any incidences that the ref might have 'missed' (aka bottled).

 

[LlcoolJ]

They had to attack though, they were two down at half time. I just find the media fawning over Brazil at every WC bizarre as there are teams much better than them, France and Belgium in this competition and let us not forget they were ripped apart by the Germans in the last WC too.

They were total dogshit in their home World Cup and spawned their way to the Germany game. While dickheads like Tyldsley were creaming their pants over Brazil, anyone watching the matches could see that they were actually pretty shit and once their luck ran out they'd get stuffed.

Better team this tournament but they've still been mediocre and yet we're supposed to be surprised by plucky Belgium beating "the mighty Brazil". Makes me sick.

If you base your entire team around an overrated, diving showpony who thinks he's as good as Messi then you're destined to fail.

Good riddance. Pot Noodle head will never be considered a great player, just a greedy overrated ****.

 

[Hampster Gull]

Yes and the quality will be badly diluted when the WC is enlarged.

What, even Scotland might even make it?

 

[Hampster Gull]

Spot on. Europe's coming home. I have an idea. Why don't we European nations join together and......oops!

Ahead of your time HWT

 

[LlcoolJ]

What, even Scotland might even make it?

No.

 

[GT49er]

What, even Scotland might even make it?

Errmmm......................I don't think FIFA are planning to involve more European nations...................

 

[atfc village]

They were total dogshit in their home World Cup and spawned their way to the Germany game. While dickheads like Tyldsley were creaming their pants over Brazil, anyone watching the matches could see that they were actually pretty shit and once their luck ran out they'd get stuffed.

Better team this tournament but they've still been mediocre and yet we're supposed to be surprised by plucky Belgium beating "the mighty Brazil". Makes me sick.

If you base your entire team around an overrated, diving showpony who thinks he's as good as Messi then you're destined to fail.

Good riddance. Pot Noodle head will never be considered a great player, just a greedy overrated ****.

Good post ,they were shite in 14

 

[Buffalo Seagull]

Yet in both the 2014 and 2010 World Cups, non-European nations made up 10 of the 16 countries to make the knockout stage. One tournament hardly constitutes dominance.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

If South American teams had played football rather than wrestling, boxing and diving then I think they'd have multiple teams left. Tactics rather than ability I.M.V.H.O.

 

[LlcoolJ]

Yet in both the 2014 and 2010 World Cups, non-European nations made up 10 of the 16 countries to make the knockout stage. One tournament hardly constitutes dominance.

One tournament where cheating is more easily identified and punished.

 

[DavePage]

What, even Scotland might even make it?

At least people with Swedish shirts will have an easy fix to convert into Scottish shirts

 

[OzMike]

The diving and play acting has really left it's mark in this tournament and has spoilt it for me, painful to watch.
It is cheating and there is no other word for it and how can anyone be proud of winning if that is what they have to resort to.
Take last nights game between France and Uruguay, the French were already 2 - 0 up well into the second half and going to obviously win.
I know that the players, mainly French were throwing themselves to the ground whenever the wind changed.
For no reason at all Mbappe decides to throw himself to the floor and feign injury, the crime of the Uruguayan player was that he was standing next to him.
I would have done the VAR thing and sent him off, even though they have the VAR I don't think it is being used effectively and should be used for cheats as well as penalties.
There doesn't seem to be any English refs there at all.
Thankfully Sweden v England won't have so much of this shit going on.........................though we have had our moments.
The Aussies are not really endearing to it and I can see why, the tournament is turning into a farce.
The local is staying open to screen it tonight, but there will be no true blue Aussies there I bet.....................just a shit load of ex pats !
Come on England !

 

[brightn'ove]

Errmmm......................I don't think FIFA are planning to involve more European nations...................

Ermmmmmm........ yes they are, 3 more in fact. (Won’t help Scotland qualify, though)

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Six teams left, all from Europe. Not a single African team through to the knockouts and only Japan from the Asian pool. That leaves a discussion about the South Americans; I have long hated the utter fawning over SA flair and the OTT love in for the Brazilians, once again the European nations have shown their dominance and tactics to be far superior.

Would people agree that the tactics of diving, rolling around, conning the ref and the antics we saw with Colombia the other night have had their day? It does not work anymore, if these teams want world dominance again they they need to move on from these awful histrionics to get close to the European sides.

Yes, I have had a couple of beers but thoughts?

You could stamp out diving very quickly with VAR and post-match penalties. Suspend a player for 3 games for diving in post-match analysis and it would pretty much stop.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I don't think the quality of football has been high at all.

Croatia, France/Belgium in patches have been the exceptions.

The games have been excellent though.

 

[crookie]

I sort of agree, but I'd have been much more impressed if FIFA had had the balls (and the intelligence) to add one more simple thing to the VAR rules: any player making that 'TV' sign should instantly be shown a yellow card, on every occasion that they do it - and compulsory for refs to do it. Retrospective yellows and reds for any incidences that the ref might have 'missed' (aka bottled).

I agree, and would add that any player waving an imaginary card should be instantly booked themselves. That would cut that cr*p out sharpish

 

[darkwolf666]

All South Americans are sneaky, cynical, play acting f..uck.ers.

What, even those that don’t play football?

 

[1234andcounting]

Surely it is just the continuation of a trend that had already started. For most of its history the WC has been shared equally between S America and Europe. Since 2006 though, 2 all European finals (Italy v France 2006, Spain v Netherlands 2010). If there is a correlation it is between the increasing amounts of money flowing in to European football from tv; too soon to say re VAR.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I agree, and would add that any player waving an imaginary card should be instantly booked themselves. That would cut that cr*p out sharpish

What about making a VAR mime like one of the England players did after Henderson flung himself to the ground? At least it was original. Wonder if it will catch on?