Football 2020 - 2021

[ProfessorDavey]

Nope


http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamDiscip/PlyrDisc.html

I must admit that I was surprised by the team section for both games - there seemed to be a lot of trying out of players whom I doubt would be on the first team teamsheet had this been the first game in the Euro2020 finals rather than a strange half way house tournament somewhere between a friendly and a real competitive game.

I guess some players were unavailable, but nonetheless.

If you give fringe players a start what you hope to achieve is to increase competition and boost confidence - certainly last night did neither, and although England won against Belgium it seemed to be inspire of the performance, rather than because of it.

[jeremyp]

And yes there is a level of stereotyping going on here.

What the hell are you talking about? Belgium is a small nation.

I suspect many people consider the Netherlands to be one of the great footballing nations - not always at the top, but regularly right up there and sometimes with a world beating golden generation.

Yet the Netherlands isn't much larger than Belgium in terms of population. So why are we not surprised when the Netherlands ranks really highly and ends up at the sharp end of tournaments, but we are surprised when Belgium does so.

The Netherlands is about 70% larger than Belgium in population terms. Even so, if you didn't know about their footballing history, it might be surprising to find out they were ranked at number one (only once for a short period of time, as it happens).

And yes, actually, in the context of their size, it is surprising that they have such a good record in Football.

And didn't you notice they won every one of their qualifying games for Euro 2020, with a record better than any other team.

If qualifying performance were an indicator of subsequent brilliance, England would have a whole heap of silverware.

[Nearly Sane]

I must admit that I was surprised by the team section for both games - there seemed to be a lot of trying out of players whom I doubt would be on the first team teamsheet had this been the first game in the Euro2020 finals rather than a strange half way house tournament somewhere between a friendly and a real competitive game.

I guess some players were unavailable, but nonetheless.

If you give fringe players a start what you hope to achieve is to increase competition and boost confidence - certainly last night did neither, and although England won against Belgium it seemed to be inspire of the performance, rather than because of it.

I think the current situation has affected the Nations League's point in some ways. That Scotland are involved in the later stages of the last one and the stages of this one makes it all a bit messy. I have to admit that the impact on qualification for the World Cup connected with this Nations League feel really arcane.

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Far from vintage England performance last night

Poor. And Maguire isn't the same player he was at Leicester. Southgate needs to start playing those who are in form. What has Grealish got to do to get a start?

[Nearly Sane]

Poor. And Maguire isn't the same player he was at Leicester. Southgate needs to start playing those who are in form. What has Grealish got to do to get a start?

It's an odd one. I thought he was going to be in.

[ProfessorDavey]

It's an odd one. I thought he was going to be in.

Southgate seemed reluctant to include his most creative players. I'd have liked to have seen more of Sancho too, but he was only give a brief cameo.

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Some horrific VAR decisions yesterday. The officials have lost touch withe the original intention of VAR, to correct clear and obvious mistakes.

[ProfessorDavey]

Some horrific VAR decisions yesterday. The officials have lost touch withe the original intention of VAR, to correct clear and obvious mistakes.

I agree - the Mane pass for Henderson's goal didn't seem offside to me, level at best. They need to draw thicker lines and require them not to overlap - then you'd have benefit of the doubt to the attacking side.

But the Pickford challenge is just astonishing - a red card if ever there was, yet somehow completely missed by VAR - how on earth is that possible. There was some talk at the time that it was because it had already been flagged offside, but that simply isn't true - in some angles you can see the official beginning to raise the flag for offside just after Pickford had clattered VanDijk.

I hope they review it and Pickford gets a retrospective red card, but of course that doesn't help Liverpool who surely would have won had Everton been down to 10 men so early, nor VanDijk who may have a serious injury as a result of the challenge.

[Nearly Sane]

Pickford should be done for assault

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When Tottenham fucked it up! When Tottenham fucked it up! We're all having a party. We're all having a party. We're having a party, when Tottenham fucked it up!

[jeremyp]

When Tottenham fucked it up! When Tottenham fucked it up! We're all having a party. We're all having a party. We're having a party, when Tottenham fucked it up!

Here you are AO

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54594216

you can vote for the EPL's most extraordinary game. Spurs - West Ham is at 12% at the time of voting but Aston Villa - Liverpool is miles ahead.

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Cheers!

[ProfessorDavey]

When Tottenham fucked it up! When Tottenham fucked it up! We're all having a party. We're all having a party. We're having a party, when Tottenham fucked it up!

Astonishing - I watched the match on and off until Bale came on after 72 mins. I muttered something to my wife about it being pretty grim when you are 3-0 down with less then 20 minutes to play and the opposition bring on Gareth Bale. I couldn't believe it when I checked the final score on my phone.

There really have been some bonkers games this season.

[Nearly Sane]

No action against Pickford



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54601721

[ProfessorDavey]

No action against Pickford



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54601721

I just don't understand that.

[jeremyp]

I just don't understand that.

According to the report, the officials saw the incident at the time but chose not to send him off. There's apparently a rule that means they don't usually over-rule a decision made on the pitch.

[ProfessorDavey]

According to the report, the officials saw the incident at the time but chose not to send him off. There's apparently a rule that means they don't usually over-rule a decision made on the pitch.

Wrong - from the news item:

'The FA does have the power to intervene even if a decision is seen, but this is only used in exceptionally rare circumstances.'

They could have intervened - they chose not to.

[jeremyp]

Wrong

Nope.

'The FA does have the power to intervene even if a decision is seen, but this is only used in exceptionally rare circumstances.'

They could have intervened - they chose not to.

Let me draw your attention to the bold bit above. Got that? Now look at my post below.

According to the report, the officials saw the incident at the time but chose not to send him off. There's apparently a rule that means they don't usually over-rule a decision made on the pitch.

I said the same thing as the article. You clearly didn't read my post properly and you clearly didn't read the article properly, or you wouldn't have written

I just don't understand that.

[ProfessorDavey]

Let me draw your attention to the bold bit above. Got that? Now look at my post below.

I said the same thing as the article. You clearly didn't read my post properly and you clearly didn't read the article properly, or you wouldn't have written

The rule allows them to intervene (that this only happens rarely is a red herring and does alter their authority to intervene). So they had the authority under the rules to intervene - they chose not to. Exactly as I said. The implication of your comment was that they were not allowed to intervene under the rules - that isn't correct.

[Nearly Sane]

The rule allows them to intervene (that this only happens rarely is a red herring and does alter their authority to intervene). So they had the authority under the rules to intervene - they chose not to. Exactly as I said. The implication of your comment was that they were not allowed to intervene under the rules - that isn't correct.

I don't think jeremyp is implying that they couldn't rather he is misreading your post that you couldn't understand it as saying something other than you don't understand why they didn't in this case.

[ProfessorDavey]

I don't think jeremyp is implying that they couldn't rather he is misreading your post that you couldn't understand it as saying something other than you don't understand why they didn't in this case.

That may be correct - it would appear that the FA were authorised to take action, even if such action is rare. I would have thought this would be exactly the type of case (so appalling was the challenge) where allowed, but rare, retrospective action was warranted.

[Nearly Sane]

That may be correct - it would appear that the FA were authorised to take action, even if such action is rare. I would have thought this would be exactly the type of case (so appalling was the challenge) where allowed, but rare, retrospective action was warranted.

Yep, that was my reading of your post and I agree.

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Astonishing - I watched the match on and off until Bale came on after 72 mins. I muttered something to my wife about it being pretty grim when you are 3-0 down with less then 20 minutes to play and the opposition bring on Gareth Bale. I couldn't believe it when I checked the final score on my phone.

There really have been some bonkers games this season.

Yep, there have been some really extraordinary games. When Balbuena scored I thought shame, just a consolation goal. Then we quickly got another and my hope grew. When that Lanzini strike went in I jumped up and down in the pub. The best thing was one Spurs mate in England started giving me jip on Whatsapp when they went 3-0 up, but he got it back after fulltime.

[Nearly Sane]

Yep, there have been some really extraordinary games. When Balbuena scored I thought shame, just a consolation goal. Then we quickly got another and my hope grew. When that Lanzini strike went in I jumped up and down in the pub. The best thing was one Spurs mate in England started giving me jip on Whatsapp when they went 3-0 up, but he got it back after fulltime.

And no 0-0 matches so far in the Premiership

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And no 0-0 matches so far in the Premiership

Didn't know that. Wow!  Goals galore!