World Cup 2018 - Thread | Page 2 | Vital Football

World Cup 2018 - Thread

TB, I believe you are being very harsh. You have not taken into consideration the opposition tactics. They became more intent on hanging on to what they had after being fortuitously level. As we ourselves should know once a side adopts spoiling and negative tactics it does become difficult. It does make you look worse than you want us to be. But you have to keep going in the belief that you will get your just reward. Luckily the players did just that, and I for one didn't doubt that we'd find a winner somehow.

MiW, I agree with your VAR sentiments exactly. If those two penalties cannot be given then why are we even bothering with the sodding system at all?
 
I think Egypt lost it by not risking Salah for 20 minutes in the first game when they might just have nicked a goal instead of conceding one. I thought Russia looked strong tonight and Salah is obviously not fit . They should have brought Sammy on......let’s hope he gets on in the final group game
 
henski said:
TB, I believe you are being very harsh. You have not taken into consideration the opposition tactics. They became more intent on hanging on to what they had after being fortuitously level. As we ourselves should know once a side adopts spoiling and negative tactics it does become difficult. It does make you look worse than you want us to be. But you have to keep going in the belief that you will get your just reward. Luckily the players did just that, and I for one didn't doubt that we'd find a winner somehow.

MiW, I agree with your VAR sentiments exactly. If those two penalties cannot be given then why are we even bothering with the sodding system at all?
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Possibly a tad harsh as you say some of the spoiling tactics obviously worked for Tunisia. But I do think there was a lack of energy after the first 20 minutes and it did seem to coincide with the injury Dele Alli picked up. Prior to that he was breaking their line with ease and he and Lingard looked really up for it and should have put us two or three up. I must admit the movement and interchange in those first twenty minutes was breath taking and if we can maintain that sort of intensity for the full 90 we will take some stopping.
 
Can't believe how lenient some of the referees have been. Just seen two nailed on yellows during the Portugal v Morocco match. Same during the England game. Are the refs expecting for VAR to make those decisions for them? As didn't think it was for that
 
Lovin' this world cup.
Been some good & dramatic games so far when usually the group stages can be a bit dull.
I still fancy Belgium to win it whose fans have adopted the "Will Grigg on fire" tune.
 
Got to agree Sid, some very decent games so far, with plenty of drama. However I'm not sure if the integrity of the completion. Sadly VAR is proving very ineffective and creating so much controversy that I am beginning to question the ethics and possible undue influence being exerted on those full kit clowns in the Moscow hut. Excluding any obvious bias from the England non penalties I can recall another 4 or 5 nailed on penalties that were clear and obvious that haven't been awarded. The mitrovic one last night and the Sweden one tonight were both crystal clear and it is mystifying why these weren't awarded upon review. We all know FIFA is corrupt, is this another extension of it?
 
TRUE BELIEVER said:
Very much a game of two halves. We seem to be a side that is lacking fitness. For the first 20 mins we tore them apart and should have been 3 goals up but for some very lacklustre finishing. After the very debatable penalty it seemed like the batteries ran out and we struggled to get a hold of the game. Although we still dominated possession there was little or no movement up front and we resorted to passing the ball sideways or backwards to retain possession. Perhaps Southgate should consider installing Duracell and hopefully we can then manage 90 mins.

All that said, great to see we have a quality striker who took the two opportunities he got with aplomb. Also I think the VAR experiment should be abandoned as it is clearly not working as shown by the penalty given and the refusal of a clear penalty when Kane was wrestled to the ground.
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It worked well today, then again so did the impartial ref.
 
One on of the things I've noticed this world cup is the number of fouls that haven't been given - mainly because I've lost a couple of quid as a result, so have been watching more closely.

The refs have obviously been directed to let the game flow, but bloody hell there's been some tackles flying. Watching the Belgium game the number of cards that could have been given, but as the ball broke their way the refs just waved the game on

Obviously different refs and all, but its as if we're waiting for a premiership ref to blow up when tackled. It's either that or we have to throw ourselves around a bit more theatrically
 
After all the arselicking Ronaldo has had this tournament how sweet it would have been if Iran had scored that chance at the end to put them out followed by Messi’s Argies scraping through tomorrow. Shame!
 
I'm
vancouverlatic said:
Spain v mor.
VAR brilliant, what’s your point.
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The point is it is very inconsistent yet is supposed to eradicate inconsistencies. Despite some of the decisions it has got correct there are many more when it hasn't so effectively it's a complete failure. How referees can decide the non award of a penalty - for a ball hitting a hand from a foot away when the defender was facing away from the direction the ball came from - was a clear and obvious error is beyond me. Especially when you can be wrestled to the ground in the area, deliberately pushed over or tripped in the box and they decide that's no clear error is ridiculous and hugely devalues the whole var project making it a complete farce. It seems that every other game the conversation is about this rather than the football.
 
Lazysid said:
Just heard on the BBC news that the last time they failed to qualify from the group stage was 1938.
Just hope lessons have been learnt and they are no longer sore losers.
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There was no groups in 1938, it was a straight knockout competition.
They lost 4-2 in a replay to Switzerland, 2 months later they invaded Czechoslovakia.
 
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