The Football Thread

[victor meldrew]

I am not normally a violent person but Garth Crooks is one person I would slap just to burst his private bubble and bring him into the real world and to think I am contributing to his salary. Most pundits do so as they are not up to the job, should we try, it is simple for them as talking tactics is easier than trying to get your idea's across and having an angry player in your face who thinks your a twat and he has more idea, not all footie players have people skills.

Many an English player should venture abroad to see how its done and even attempt a different life style, it might be why overseas coaches have failed with England, works in your country, but we are stubborn animals who wont budge for something different, even if it is for the better and if you don't speak English, stick your head back in the sand.

Maybe one day we will wake up and smell the coffee or even put passports on pillows.

[victor meldrew]

Well not sure what to make of tonight's game other than Southgate's system worked, Koeman has is work cut out and Jesse Lingard is a world beater. Italy should prove a tougher ask even though they lost to Argentina.
France doing a very good WHU impression 2-0 up and losing, something we have been doing for as long as I can remember (Apologies footstep)
I know these are only friendlies but are Russia going to need some VAR help to get out of the group in three months time or has Putin purchased the trophy already?

[pierrelm]

I thought the pundits were too easily pleased; Holland were poor and whilst our snappy passing looks good, it needs to be more constructive and we didn't create anywhere near enough around their goal; Stones looks like he needs a LOT more game time. Too many players still give the ball away too easily. Alli was awful and at this rate will be lucky to be included in the squad, which he will be. Watching him this season, I've put his lack of form down to his attitude and having his head turned by the attention. It might be, though, that he isn't 'training on' and we've seen all he has to offer. I hope not. Maguire impresses every time he plays.

I saw Brazil sleepwalk past a very poor Russia. The contrast between how Brazil pass and move and what we offer shows we still have a long way to go. I susepct Southgate is going to produce an England who will try to cover well and hope for clean sheets, and pinch something at the other end. It's as much as he (and we) can hope for.

[judy84]

I thought the Neth vEng game was dire compared to Ger v Spain. In the latter there was a lot of one-touch passing, good close control and quick thinking.
The 5 man England defence looked solid. Pickford was promising but I thought his distribution could improve when teams are pressing, basically they didn't trust teamates to control and pass.
Rashford and Sterling looked good at times but took long deciding what to do.

Ox looked a lot better than I have seen previously, strong and good control.
Lingard flits in and out of games, has poor control and loses the ball too much.
Henderson may suit England's style of trying not to lose, but you are never going to win many games with him. He passes the ball backwards more often than forwards, has poor touch and just slows everything down.

I can see a lot of 0-0's even with Kane.

[footstep]

France just forgot to play in the second half.
Deschamps said : disturbing complacency..

[Old Jud]

Originally Posted by pierrelm

While I'm on one:
Garth Crooks - opinionated, irritating one-eyed toad? Discuss.

It's too easy and too readily tolerated to have shite spoken about 'representation' in football, or other sport. Here's the news - picking a team of the BEST should be exactly that, whatever their colour creed, sexual orientation or maybe even gender, although that is a different can of the proverbial.

A football team is a meritocracy - it self defines itself that way. That also goes for coaching staff.
When you were in the playground, did anyone ever pick teams based on how someone looked? I don't think so. You chose a keeper, someone nippy, someone well 'ard, a bighead who can score goals, an ankle biter, the one who is a bit frightening and a kid who actually had a ball etc. That's sort of how you chose a team. On merit, depending on their role - even if it's just being the one with the football. Rarely if ever, do I recall fights among pickers because they hadn't got equal gingers, or the black lads were mostly in one team. It never happened, so why does it seemingly need to be a basis in the professional game?

Rant the seconde: Ian Wright has laughably dismissed any suggestion that he should becoaching. John Barnes unfortunately ignored suggestions that he shouldn't be. Sol Campbell, a man with 'issues' seems determined that he is being held back due to his colour. I suspect football clubs welcome success, however tall, short, pale or dark the coaching staff might be? Maybe the likes of Garth Crooks himself should step up to the coaching plate to show us how it's done? Or perhaps look at why so many pros of whatever colour, won't touch coaching with a bargepole - that might be more interesting?

I've said it before: I'm convinced our football culture is fundamentally flawed - the level of tactical awareness in Italy, Spain, Germany etc among coaches and most notably, players, is way above anything we have here, because they know it works. Here we still are in the dark ages, with players who rely on ability rather than application and as coaches will occasionally reveal, most PL home grown talent find tactics and team talk 'boring'. Our league attracts the mavericks from abroad, the characters, the ones who don't fit in - ever wondered why?

And when we do get coaches, like Pep G, like Conti who can actually can coach they are seen as people who have strange insight which isn't available to the rest. No, they buy players who listen and want to win by playing football as a team. Then they go out, having assimilated their role in the side and win. Simples.

Sir,
You are talking common-sense, that will not do, at least in the eyes of the FA.

[ultimatewarlord]

Congratulations to Gibraltar who beat Latvia 1-0 to claim only their second International win.

[Meini Again]

This might be one way to get rid of the 'poison-dwarf'

‘Sullivan avoided paying £700,000 in tax’

Was David Sullivan’s West Ham takeover motivated by a tax avoidance scheme?

One supposes that £700k isn't a 'Big Deal' to a self-confessed-billionaire. Then again ~ some people, very rich people ~ sometimes tweak the corners for any advantage or gain.
Call it "Winning" more than "Greed"

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/d...-tax-gvm67657k

[victor meldrew]

Originally Posted by Meini Again

This might be one way to get rid of the 'poison-dwarf'




One supposes that £700k isn't a 'Big Deal' to a self-confessed-billionaire. Then again ~ some people, very rich people ~ sometimes tweak the corners for any advantage or gain.
Call it "Winning" more than "Greed"

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/d...-tax-gvm67657k

Might be more demo's at the weekend.

Quotes from the court room.

Tribunal judge Jane Bailey acknowledged the "overarching" reason for the transactions was to provide funds for the club.

But she added: "It is clear from our findings of fact that there was more than one way to provide funding to the football club and that one of the reasons that Mr Sullivan chose to provide funds to the football club in the specific way that transpired was so that the appellant (Sullivan) could claim a capital loss.
"Therefore we consider securing a tax advantage to have been 'one of the main purposes' of the arrangements."

Penny Ciniewicz, HM Revenue and Customs director general for customer compliance, said: "Conegate built tax structures to avoid paying the tax that was rightfully due."

[jokerman]

England were powder puff in front of goal tonight. It was a soft penalty to give away. But V.A.R has proved that it is definately needed.