The Round Ball Game - II

[johncorrigan]

Thought the disallowed goal for the French a ludicrous decision...VAR is not the answer. The length of time to make decisions is outrageous and must have an effect the game. We end up with too many refs, and the ones we already have are bad enough. Cricket seems to get the answer in seconds and until VAR can do likewise I think it needs to be shelved, personally speaking.

[jayne lee wilson]

I think that French disallowance was a tough call whoever made it, with all the physical contact....VAR just made it all clearer....
And it just worked very well for Brasil's equaliser....terrific contest now...

But better VAR than aftermatch injustices and resentments, any day....

[johncorrigan]

I think that French disallowance was a tough call whoever made it, with all the physical contact....VAR just made it all clearer....
And it just worked very well for Brasil's equaliser....terrific contest now...

But better VAR than aftermatch injustices and resentments, any day....

True, Jayne, it does deal with the straightforward issues about offside and perhaps if someone is Active, but I don't think the French would have left resentments behind after the match had they lost last night. The decision of VAR to question their goal at 0-0 forced the referee to have another look at her decision when it was unnecessary - she had made the correct decision in the heat of the moment...the French forward had every right to go for that ball. Why the ref changed her opinion beats me!

And I have to go back to the penalty decision made against Scotland against Argentina - there was no angle that I saw which proved conclusively that the Scottish defender did not touch the ball before the Argentinian forward went over. VAR officials looked at it for a while and then the ref went and looked at it for a good while, before she reversed her decision - at least 5 minutes wasted, and in the end the incorrect decision made. I don't believe VAR helped this at all, so leave it to make the decisions it CAN make and suggest that there are some areas which will, for the time being at least, remain not proven.

[johncorrigan]

Buddies Manager has left, by mutual consent - wonder if Benitez fancies a stint in Paisley.

[cloughie]

Buddies Manager has left, by mutual consent - wonder if Benitez fancies a stint in Paisley.

Would he be your choice jc?

[johncorrigan]

Would he be your choice jc?

I was disappointed that Kearney left, cloughie...I liked his attitude. It seems he was commuting twice a week from his home in Ireland and wanted to commute every day and fell out with the Chair about it. It would seem that he will go back to his old job in Ireland. Chances are Big Jim Goodwin will be in the frame, I suppose...hope there's a better handover than there was last summer when Stubbs did a clear-out and bombed within 8 games, and we only just managed to hang on.

[antongould]

Buddies Manager has left, by mutual consent - wonder if Benitez fancies a stint in Paisley.

Terribly sad about Rafa IMVVHO ... one of the last of nature’s gentlemen ...

[johncorrigan]

Japan/Netherlands - best game I've seen in the tournament so far - too bad one of them had to go home...some terrific football on show.

[cloughie]

Terribly sad about Rafa IMVVHO ... one of the last of nature’s gentlemen ...

I never took to Rafa at Liverpool - he seemed rather aloof and caught up in the hype with other top managers, and with his seemingly bottomless pit of money bought players he never used - yes he was successful. However with Newcastle he was battling the odds with not much money - and I was surprised when he stuck with them in the Championship and since he has kept them in the Prem showing his management skills getting the best from his available players. I can understand his frustration with the running of the club. Chelsea maybe should seriously consider him - Lampard is still in his management apprenticeship and were he to be appointed may not last long!

[Stanfordian]

I never took to Rafa at Liverpool - he seemed rather aloof and caught up in the hype with other top managers, and with his seemingly bottomless pit of money bought players he never used - yes he was successful. However with Newcastle he was battling the odds with not much money - and I was surprised when he stuck with them in the Championship and since he has kept them in the Prem showing his management skills getting the best from his available players. I can understand his frustration with the running of the club. Chelsea maybe should seriously consider him - Lampard is still in his management apprenticeship and were he to be appointed may not last long!

I wish Rafa would go to Man Utd but the club would rather stick with sentiment its driven appointments. I'm rapidly falling out of love with this great club owing to the ownership and management.

[jayne lee wilson]

Japan/Netherlands - best game I've seen in the tournament so far - too bad one of them had to go home...some terrific football on show.

Terrific that wasn't it? I felt so sorry for Japan, dominating the later stages with flowing football and near misses, and then.....
Cruel game as ever.....

Now on to tomorrow night.... the big one.... with what's happening in the Cricket (I was hoping to join in with England through...), we're relying even more on the Lionesses...

(I hope there aren't any penalties.....)

[jayne lee wilson]

I never took to Rafa at Liverpool - he seemed rather aloof and caught up in the hype with other top managers, and with his seemingly bottomless pit of money bought players he never used - yes he was successful. However with Newcastle he was battling the odds with not much money - and I was surprised when he stuck with them in the Championship and since he has kept them in the Prem showing his management skills getting the best from his available players. I can understand his frustration with the running of the club. Chelsea maybe should seriously consider him - Lampard is still in his management apprenticeship and were he to be appointed may not last long!

That's a bit unfair - Rafa's successes came before the club was sold (with near-disastrous effects) to Hicks & Gillett. Benitez won the CL in 2005, FA Cup in 2006, then runners-up in the CL 2007, without the budgets typical of the teams dominating the premiership at the time.
He made the most of his resources. But that falling-out with Xabi Alonso (one of those effects), a key player for us at the time, proved to be the harbinger....
Real made the offer you can't refuse, and that was it. We weren't the same without him.

Great player. What a career he had there and at Bayern!

[jayne lee wilson]

Getting the tingles.....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/47323159

(BBC1 tonight...)

Go Lionesses!

[teamsaint]

Demolition job.
Not sure how Norway got this far defending like they did for the first goal , but nevertheless England very impressive so far.

[jayne lee wilson]

So far so very good.... lovely flowing moves for the goals....
Keep tight, keep moving...focus, focus...

Oh look there's the big screen in Glasto...goal!!!
Get high without the mushrooms tonight...