The World Cup Thread | Page 287 | Vital Football

The World Cup Thread

Villan57 said:
Yep, Man City for all their tippy tappy football, foul the opposition every single time they threaten to break away, never yet been picked up on by any pundit to my knowledge. Normally just a shirt tug or an arm pull so they have to tot up a few before they get booked then Pep subs them to prevent a sending-off later in the game. It's all part of the tactics
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Its been highlighted by a few pundits mate, they take it in turns as well so the ref is less likely to card them for persistent fouling. Its not just them though, a lot of top sides do it.
 
sirdennis said:
I think there was a lot of chat from the Netherlands which prompted the reaction needless though it was. One of the Dutch players even got booked during the shoot out.
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Yep loads of it was going on. Weghorst tried to wrestle the ball off Emi after scoring his pen as he wanted to hand it the the next Argentine and chat some shit to him, think a couple of them did it. Same during the game, it looked like they were intent on trying to wind them up into getting sent off.
 
garygaryshaw said:
Yep loads of it was going on. Weghorst tried to wrestle the ball off Emi after scoring his pen as he wanted to hand it the the next Argentine and chat some shit to him, think a couple of them did it. Same during the game, it looked like they were intent on trying to wind them up into getting sent off.
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Yes there was plenty of chat on the halfway line as well I think.
 
CDX_EIRE said:
Van Bommel and De Jong were nothing but destroyers in that World Cup run. I find that there is still this elitist view by European teams that they are above the rest of the world. You'd think South America came up with diving but the Spanish and Italians are masters of theatrics too. You've Keane and Co. sneering at the non-whites for dancing when they score or win a game. The Dutch went out there to stop Argentina playing from minute one, they sewed the seed of bad blood with that but if they had just played properly from the start they'd have won.

I hate to go there but Europeans have notions of themselves in all facets of life why would football be any different? The Argies have given themselves a name over the decades but they didn't just do it for no reason the other night. The Dutch have been dining out on Cruyff and Total Football for decades but there hasnt been a team in the last 20 years that wasnt as cynical as any Italian side defending a 1-0 lead with 10 mins to go.

It's pot kettle stuff from nearly every team in the tournament. While we're at it the Portuguese are the worst of them all, imagine having Pepe, Ronaldo and Penandez in one team and accusing someone else of cheating.
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yeh the refs turn a blind eye look at brunoe, lashing out with the ball after the ref stopped play ,sneakyness at its worst,,,seanie
 
Shearer is arguing that Southgate has turned around English football from 2016, given we are winning trophies at youth level and doing well at international level.

I don’t disagree with him on the history, but this for me, Southgate should only be playing part 1 of the journey to lead us back to ultimate glory. He’s done his bit, he’s moved us on but he can’t move us on further when it matters.

We can be all sentimental, but the wrong subs time after time are just one example where a top manager just doesn’t get it as wrong as Gareth does. I don’t know who’s out there who would want it, but the squad we have heading into euro 2024 and then the World Cup in 2026, there must be someone decent out there licking their lips to be given a go?
 
My only question would be, is there a better manager available to replace him?

In reality, I don't care whether he stays or goes. It would just seem odd to replace him with someone even worse.
 
I think Eddie Howe is a vastly superior manager other than that you have to look at non English candidates.

The reality is that top managers don’t do international football these days, you either get relatively average managers in their prime or great managers who are past their best and approaching their 60s.

Given Howe’s commitment to high intensity, possession based attacking football he would make a lot of sense given the talent England have.

England IMO could do a lot worse than Eddie Howe.
 
Fulford said:
It's reported that Tuchel wants the job.

There's no way the blazers would appoint him though.
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I've read that Poch would take it as well. I'm just struggling to see the nation getting behind a German or Argentine. I'd much rather see an Englishman in charge myself, although we are definitely short of quality candidates there.
 
Melon Donkey said:
I know, Bit over the top and all of a sudden moralistic. Didn’t see anyone moaning when Emi1 went down with ‘cramp’ when we were seeing the game out v Manure at home . Or someone falling over a bit easily in injury time at BHA away. We all loved Young getting in the refs ear at a difficult time in a match recently . We loved Emi dancing in front of the the Manure fans when Rat face skied the last min penalty last season.

Careful what you wish for?. Trophy or two maybe? . We are not talking back handers or brown paper bags stuffed with cash. Nor are we talking the whole team running at the opponents after defeating them . It’s simple gamesmanship things that everyone else does bar none that we are doing.
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I don't like it but unfortunately its a necessary evil if the officials aren't going to do anything about it (which we can be certain they won't) then we have to make use of it.

I enjoy the showboating and some of the cuntishness but I also hate the diving just like everyone else. Faking injuries and "tactical" fouls are annoying and the the players being allowed to berate officials is a farce too.
 
All joking aside, as much as I dislike Southgate and don't agree with pretty much anything he does, I can live with him as being kept on as England manager, but the FA would have to start succession planning and having a new candidate ready to phase him out.

Also, the media, pundits, and majority of the fanbase should STFU, re-calibrate their expectations and be prepared to accept that we won't be a contender for a major trophy if he's kept on, and that a QF should be about the limit of our ambition, with anything more as a bonus.
 
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