Some of these games have been absolute crap and totally anti football. If England can't beat any of the other 7 teams they need to turn it in. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

57 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Xhaka just dictating everything can see why Alonso was pushing for him.

I remember Xhaka's time at Arsenal and the complaints were very much the same I hear for Enzo: "too slow for the PL."

Edited July 7Jul 7 by acaeus

1 hour ago, acaeus said:

I remember Xhaka's time at Arsenal and the complaints were very much the same I hear for Enzo: "too slow for the PL."

Not in his last season. Xhaka was an average defensive midfielder under Emery, who became a quality link player in a more attacking role under Arteta, a role which Alonso continued and arguably developed. His role is pretty simple, receive the ball deep and get it to the attacking players, either through switches or by breaking the lines. We desparately need that sort of player at Chelsea, even if it is not necessarily Xhaka.

The only problem is that the last few years he has been part of a genuine double-pivot, whereas Caicedo would be one of the most defensive players he plays with. The link burden would solely be on him, which is never a good thing.

This has 2022 written all over it. Argentina stuttering and sputtering on the red carpet to the final they have been given. Fifa doing their best to give a grand farewell tour to Messi. Next up Switzerland.

14 minutes ago, Nick05 said:

This has 2022 written all over it. Argentina stuttering and sputtering on the red carpet to the final they have been given. Fifa doing their best to give a grand farewell tour to Messi. Next up Switzerland.

That's nice, but they will get utterly destroyed by England. England have had such an easy draw to the final. Beating Mexico at the Azteca is not a small feat, with the caveat that this is probably one of Mexico's weakest sides in a decade. But the only real threats were Brazil or Argentina's Dad's Army, with Norway capable of creating an upset.

I just saw Argentina vs Egypt var incident and I am not sure it is as controversial as I read in many places.

Martinez one was a foul, he got stamped. Is it enough to disallow a goal? This is probably the only discussion. It is a difficult one because if you have been stamped with football boots, you won't ever say small stamp.

I don't see any foul on Argentina'goal. Salah lost the ball already and the jersey tucked was irrelevant.

Edited July 8Jul 8 by Bob stark

Even if the Argentinian was fouled that's an awful long way to go back for a free kick. Football is just being micro managed now and there's no consistency.. Also is it just that these incidents are more highlighted with the dozens of cameras about or does "stamping/treading on the foot" becoming a problem in the game?

Of course, after overturning a red card for USA, FIFA have gifted Argentina passage to the later stages and VAR, due to stamp out bad decisions in the game is adding to them. FIFA needs to go, replaced by an organisation not steeped in corruption. Theyve destroyed the World Cup.

What's the odds of Argentina getting another penalty against Switzerland next game? For me the biggest issue is not whether the correct decision was made on that Egyptian goal, it's the fact they happily roll back the whole replay to identify a fault within the Egyptian goal, but totally let the Argentia goal setw ithout a look. Just about every important 50-50 ( some not even close calls) went in favor of Argentina for this and last world cup, they got 8 Penalties compare to the next best team ( on 3) for the last 2 cups. Messi had a full foot stamp in the first game against Algeria, and not even checked. The favoritism has been go on for 2 cups now, last night it finally hit a nerve.

Whoever stands in Argentina's way, need to play well and more importantly not get screwed over like those went before them.

Hard to believe Colombia missed so many opportunities.

16 hours ago, Scott Harris said:

I'm getting bored of all of this "rigged" sh*t I see online every time Argentina get any decision their way. The penalty Messi missed was a penalty, the goal Egypt scored did come from a foul in the build up. I would much rather Egypt won, but Argentina aren't winning from cheating. This generation of Argentina players just have the same thing Real Madrid had a few years back, coming up with big moments when they look like they are down and out.

This, this and this. Conspiracy: the refuge of the simple minded.

41 minutes ago, icecoolguy22 said:

What's the odds of Argentina getting another penalty against Switzerland next game? For me the biggest issue is not whether the correct decision was made on that Egyptian goal, it's the fact they happily roll back the whole replay to identify a fault within the Egyptian goal, but totally let the Argentia goal setw ithout a look. Just about every important 50-50 ( some not even close calls) went in favor of Argentina for this and last world cup, they got 8 Penalties compare to the next best team ( on 3) for the last 2 cups. Messi had a full foot stamp in the first game against Algeria, and not even checked. The favoritism has been go on for 2 cups now, last night it finally hit a nerve.

Whoever stands in Argentina's way, need to play well and more importantly not get screwed over like those went before them.

I didn't watch the game so I don't know about about the rest of the ref decision.

But Egypt has no case for Argentina goal. Salah lost the ball and the jersey is nothing.

Should the ref disallowed Egypt goal for stamp on Martinez was the only question. Is I don't think they should but it was a clear foul so I can see ref giving it.

Is it too far back? Not at all, the game phase hasn't been resetted yet. 90 yard does not matter, if Egypt pass the ball back and allow Argentina player to regroup and then score the goal, then the foul on Martinez should not be checked at all.

Edited July 8Jul 8 by Bob stark

27 minutes ago, dermott said:

This, this and this. Conspiracy: the refuge of the simple minded.

I honestly expected egregious decision, it turns out to be nothing.

Shearer is so full of sh*t.

If Harry Kane got stomped just outside the box and Mexico led a counter and in that same sequence scored a goal, he would of been fuming and calling it corrupt.

It's just something I'm done entertaining.

4 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Shearer is so full of sh*t.

If Harry Kane got stomped just outside the box and Mexico led a counter and in that same sequence scored a goal, he would of been fuming and calling it corrupt.

It's just something I'm done entertaining.

It’s annoying though. I remember we had a similar incident, I think it was Azpilicueta who made the foul. Can’t really remember what game it was.

It looked a foul, and then the subjective question of how far back you go before the goal. Had there not been a foul, it is unlikely the series of passes would have occurred to even create the goal. Difficult decision but was a foul. They were still 2-0 up and blew the lead. Bit like Senegal vs Belgium with the super slow motion replay. Or Croatia’s late equalizer from a chip in the ball detecting the slightest contact. Difficult moments but if they’re the right decision, then so be it.

Probably more of concern is VAR re-referring the game. Saw it a bit with England also with the penalty and red card. But again those looked like the “right” decisions. We have the tech to evaluate but what is an acceptable window to review?

Doesn’t take away from the World Cup for me. I’m dreading once the PGMOL comes back from their holidays and gives us some more gold week to week!

17 minutes ago, dermott said:

It’s dying out in English, sadly. It’s so mellifluous. Very much alive in Italian. What about Dutch?

Finish your drink first.

I knew my Collins pocket dictionary would come in handy one day!

15 hours ago, BordeauxBlue said:

Potato, potatoes.

It wasn't in line with the previous decisions so I really don't care that is overturned / suspended/ ignored.

It hardly made a difference.

Oh well, if you don't care that a politician is able to get football decisions overturned in favour of his national team, then you don't really care about football

2 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Shearer is so full of sh*t.

If Harry Kane got stomped just outside the box and Mexico led a counter and in that same sequence scored a goal, he would of been fuming and calling it corrupt.

It's just something I'm done entertaining.

Good point.

8 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

On TalkSport interview with Jim White....

Andrew Giuliano, defending the intervention of Trump says that VAR isn't allowed to slow down the video when there is contact between players.

Also, Starmer is responsible for the deaths of 3 Mexican fans for not allowing FIFA to move the KO time !

11 hours ago, SydneyChelsea said:

That's nice, but they will get utterly destroyed by England. England have had such an easy draw to the final. Beating Mexico at the Azteca is not a small feat, with the caveat that this is probably one of Mexico's weakest sides in a decade. But the only real threats were Brazil or Argentina's Dad's Army, with Norway capable of creating an upset.

Hang on, haven't you been paying attention on here ?

FIFA have a very obvious agenda in favour of Argentina and Messi. EVERY decision goes in their favour no one is allowed to beat them.

10 hours ago, Bob stark said:

I just saw Argentina vs Egypt var incident and I am not sure it is as controversial as I read in many places.

Martinez one was a foul, he got stamped. Is it enough to disallow a goal? This is probably the only discussion. It is a difficult one because if you have been stamped with football boots, you won't ever say small stamp.

I don't see any foul on Argentina'goal. Salah lost the ball already and the jersey tucked was irrelevant.

It's all just crying from people online because they wanted an underdog story. I have seen just as many incidents that didn't go in Argentina's favour. There was one moment where the player from Egypt kicked the back of Mac Allister's leg in the penalty area and no penalty was given

Also, maybe the likes of Salah should try and stay on his feet for once instead of doing that slow stumbling fall he always does from the slightest of touches.