2014 FIFA World Cup

[eFestivals]

The inherit unfairness in football and poor refereeing seems to be something a lot of fans are willing to accept so long as it means they can have an argument with their mates down the pub about dodgy decisions. I for one would prefer the game simply to be more fair and for refs to be stern and consistent. Too many times I switch off because of silly things within the game that are easily fixed

Australia should not have had a peno yesterday. If the result was different in the end I reckon a lot of Dutch would be in the pub/cafe spouting angry statements to their mates and anyone else who would listen

it's not so much that I want to accept those bad decisions, it's more the case that I can recognise that the game would lose a lot of what retains its popularity if there were fewer decisions to be argued over.

I missed the Aussie pen so I can't comment on that one but often there isn't any clear-cut decision over these things, they're ultimately decided by as matter of opinion anyway and that cannot change.

[lost]

Starting to get excited for tonight's game. I think we are more than capable of beating Uruguay

[mrtourette]

Lugano being out is actually a bad thing for England.

[ThomThomDrum]

it's not so much that I want to accept those bad decisions, it's more the case that I can recognise that the game would lose a lot of what retains its popularity if there were fewer decisions to be argued over.

[eFestivals]

I understand that yet find it somewhat perverse. I personally used to watch a lot more football when I was younger but watch a lot less these days because I find it chronically unfair with the same shit decisions being made all the time and nothing being done about it.

that's not really the fault of the rules, that's more caused by players who aren't playing to the spirit of the rules.

And changing the rules won't make that go away, because players will always be trying to game the system. As soon as there's rules (for just about anything), people try to find ways to exploit them to their advantage.

I actually think the problems would get worse, because they'd have to fake more often to try and get each single decision in their favour.

I personally would prefer to talk about Tim Cahills goal

I have seen that, and it's very very lovely.

[mrtourette]

The media coverage is what stops me watching/reading about more football than I actually do. I tuned in to watch Holland v Spain the other night and had not one but two fucking imbiciles still going on about David Moyes and Manchester Utd. For fuck sake get over it Rio. All I'll say is that goodness for Tivo, I can record MOTD and then fast forward through the 'analysis'.

[ThomThomDrum]

that's not really the fault of the rules, that's more caused by players who aren't playing to the spirit of the rules.

And changing the rules won't make that go away, because players will always be trying to game the system. As soon as there's rules (for just about anything), people try to find ways to exploit them to their advantage.

[eFestivals]

There is plenty more that you would recognise as you watch a game. All refs, all over the world seem to allow for the same rule breaking yet they are there to protect the rules. Footballs governing bodies need to change how refs ref.............

But, as I say, many of these things are opinion. That can never be removed.

For example, when is a tackle a late tackle? It could be considered that when the contact is 1 millisecond late or 1 second late, and each ref will have a different opinion.

Better training might narrow the range of opinion to some extent, but there'll always be an amount of variation.

[ThomThomDrum]

Better training might narrow the range of opinion to some extent, but there'll always be an amount of variation.

[pink_triangle]

We did compete against Italy, moreso than Bosnia did against Argentina anyway. You're right about some people being OTT about it (like Neville calling it the best England performance for fifteen years) but I think you might be downplaying it too much.

[Mouseboy11]

The media coverage is what stops me watching/reading about more football than I actually do. I tuned in to watch Holland v Spain the other night and had not one but two fucking imbiciles still going on about David Moyes and Manchester Utd. For fuck sake get over it Rio. All I'll say is that goodness for Tivo, I can record MOTD and then fast forward through the 'analysis'.

[ThomThomDrum]

It pisses me off that in every analysis point they're managing to shoehorn in England talk. Holland vs Australia yesterday had plenty going on in the first half. They can't fill 15 minutes of analysis for that game? No they have to talk about England and Rooney again.

[mrtourette]

I'd like to think that the likes of Seedorf, Cannavaro and Henry are utterly bemused by this insistance on not talking about the game in hand and absolutelly baffled by morons like Adrain Childs and Johnathan Pearce who don't seem to be able to engage their brains before opening their mouths. Childs' meltdown at half time of the Germany-Portugal game was embarassing, although I guess at least he was talking about the Germany-Portugal game. I can't figure out if the BBC and ITV think that the public are idiots or whether they're trying to turn the public into idiots, but there seems to be this weird aversion to relaxed and intelligent chat and instead this desperate belief that if there isn't something that has already been repeated in The Sun several times mentioned at least every 30 seconds then people are going to switch off.

"Adrian, Fabian and Juninho have been irreverently reminiscing about a past event that people haven't heard before, say something loud about England or the referee quickly before people forget what they're watching!"

Edited June 19, 2014 by mrtourette

[mrtourette]

Also did anyone notice that Rio Ferdinand was wearing a causal shirt buttoned up to top yesterday? Twat.

[kaosmark2]

I'd like to think that the likes of Seedorf, Cannavaro and Henry are utterly bemused by this insistance on not talking about the game in hand

[lost]

Also did anyone notice that Rio Ferdinand was wearing a causal shirt buttoned up to top yesterday? Twat.

[ThomThomDrum]

Shame you guys cant watch the Irish coverage. We have a panel of crazy old men that are basically akin to a panel of Statler and Waldorfs. Its comedy gold unintentionally as you actually see men age in front of your eyes....Then again it might get lost on the non Irish viewer

[ThomThomDrum]

Heres Dunphy on Englands chance at this world cup

[ThomThomDrum]

Here Souness trying to deal with them! Id love Jamie Redknapp to talk to him like thant on Sky one day!

[dentalplan]

I dont think Im downplaying anything, it was a decent performance against a similar ranked side who also put in a decent perfomance, the result could have gone one of 3 ways and went the way it did. Apart from Germany in the last world cup, England have always generally competed with the better teams. They have also in general only lost to teams of their equal and better. The idea that England were plucky underdogs against the mighty italian giants is pure fiction.

[mrtourette]

Here Souness trying to deal with them! Id love Jamie Redknapp to talk to him like thant on Sky one day!

[kaosmark2]

Columbia looking clinical.

[WS_Jack_III]

Well even if we get through, we aren't getting beyond these Colombians.

[pink_triangle]

Well even if we get through, we aren't getting beyond these Colombians.

[thetime]

Its a difficult one. As good as Columbia look the pressure of beating a "name" team is a different ball game.