The Round Ball Game - II

[LMcD]

Oh,you mean manchester city

I think that's what they're called, yes

[Maclintick]

I don't find this especially "inarticulate" (perhaps an unfortunately clichéd term for footballers...) just numb & heavy with shocked disappointment, finding some stock phrases for the usual stock questions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLM9yS17-_Y

As for Gerrard, he was already haunted by the infamous and crucial mistake against Chelsea (effectively costing us the 2014 Premiership) just weeks before, and made a similar (headed) one against Uruguay a few days before, gifting Suarez the winning goal....He was devastated & probably knew his playing career was well past its peak - approaching its end. Hardly surprising if he was in no mood to "face the press"....

Yes, WR was undoubtedly fielding stock questions as best he could in this dismal scenario -- & great credit to him that he was able to do so: it can't have been easy, but IMHO, it's up to the England captain to step up in these situations, which is something Gerrard failed to do, undoubted hero & legend he is on Merseyside. Incidentally, who coined that absurd "Golden Generation" nonsense, anyway ? They ALL failed to deliver, Gerrard, Lampard, et al (I forget who he is).

As to the recent Gomez/Sterling fracas, I find it profoundly depressing that two extravagantly-talented England players should be booed as has happened in the past week. It may or may not be that it's because they're both players of colour, but as with Danny Rose's intervention, the whole sorry episode has engendered levels of negative comment, both online and in the tabloid press, which bear comparison with the trashing of Megan. Racially-aggravated, or what ?

[jayne lee wilson]

Of course it is racially-aggravated, which is why Raheem hit back so powerfully a few weeks ago....and he has taken responsibility & defended Gomez following the Montenegro match.

Gerrard, Lampard, England 2014 etc?
It ALWAYS comes back to the manager. HE/SHE should take the blame and face the press, no-one else should really have to...
(It was obvious from 2010** on that the the Gerrard/Lampard combo would never work.... but no manager ever made the choice to fashion the team around one of them...)..

So I would still say that Gerrard didn't "fail" on this occasion. It really was all too much....and Rooney would have known that better than anyone.

(** When you feel like having a go at VAR, just remember the disallowed Lampard goal against Germany in SA 2010...)

[DracoM]

Hurray for Finland!!

[Maclintick]

[QUOTE=jayne lee wilson;763545]Of course it is racially-aggravated, /QUOTE]
Err, sorry - - not sure what you're saying here. I was referring to the twin incidents of Sterling being booed at Anfield last weekend, & Gomez yesterday. Are you saying that the booing of Sterling had merely to do with his upsetting of Reds' supporters on account of his departure from Liverpool when he was a poorly-advised 20-year-old, or whether there was a racially-aggravated dimension to it ? Whatever, I'd say that booing individual players reflects badly on supporters -- as if they'd care !

[Maclintick]

[QUOTE
(** When you feel like having a go at VAR, just remember the disallowed Lampard goal against Germany in SA 2010...)[/QUOTE]
Not sure what this is supposed to refer to as I've never mentioned it, BUT, I hate VAR, as it's ruining the game..

[jayne lee wilson]

[QUOTE=Maclintick;763553]

Of course it is racially-aggravated, /QUOTE]
Err, sorry - - not sure what you're saying here. I was referring to the twin incidents of Sterling being booed at Anfield last weekend, & Gomez yesterday. Are you saying that the booing of Sterling had merely to do with his upsetting of Reds' supporters on account of his departure from Liverpool when he was a poorly-advised 20-year-old, or whether there was a racially-aggravated dimension to it ? Whatever, I'd say that booing individual players reflects badly on supporters -- as if they'd care !

I was referring to the vast over-publicising of the Gomez/Sterling affair, and Sterling's previous treatment and brave outspokenness about racism on social media.

If you can't get the point about Reds' supporters booing Raheem (or many another player (especially "star players"), formerly with the home team or not) when he plays against us, well....see above or forget it, really... it is a very long tradition. It's what supporters do sometimes. Not a few players find it rather motivating. (Ibra!). (Watch the Kapadia Maradona film I referred to... my god, it goes way beyond booing there...!)
I was at a Xamax Neuchatel v Grasshoppers Zurich match in 1981, where the Xamax supporters booed (or whistled at) the then star of Swiss football, Claudio Sulser, continuously through the game.... it was both a jeering and a kind of homage to his quality really.... but then, all he did was stride around with a casual air, passing sideways.

Booing gave us something to amuse ourselves with, in a 0-0, in the pouring rain.
(I was taken to the game as a guest of honour being a Liverpool fan; and don't worry - I made absolutely sure that, as everyone drifted away, soaked and fed up, in the last 15 minutes, I was one of the last to leave....(along with a Swiss friend, telling me that "I think you've made your
point..."

***
VAR - you jogged my memory re Lampard/Gerrard/England.
VAR is not a problem in itself; it has already proved its worth. The problems are all due to the implementation, and the continued misunderstanding of the difficulty of decision making even when the video makes the event itself clear. (I mentioned it re the infamous Lampard disallowed goal of the 2010 World Cup, as aforementioned - it would have been 2-2 then & could easily have changed the result).

eg.: Handball: It is often impossible to say for sure what level of "intentionality" there is; and whether there was an "unnatural silhouette"; So the Video now shows the event clearly, but there is still a human interpretation - a decision - to be made, which we may or may not agree with.
But it would be better if this process were made immediate and public, as per the Cricket and Rugby versions.

[LMcD]

There's been no booing of players, badly behaved spectators, or slagging off of opponents, at the O2 - just a series of fantastic displays of on-court skill, physical prowess and stamina. The tennis authorities have also set sensible limits to the use of challenges (which, incidentally, seem to show that line judges get it right at least 90% of the time). And I'm looking forward to what should be a nourishing appetizer to today's matches as I settle down to watch Bath play Ulster on C4.

[zola]

Just to clarify about an incident such as the Lampard 'goal' against Germany; these are not now within the remit of VAR but the much less controversial and much more successful goal line technology, where an instant signal is transmitted to the referee's watch hence removing doubt and the wait for a decision.

[antongould]

Jack Ross lands on his feet .......... ?????

[jayne lee wilson]

Just to clarify about an incident such as the Lampard 'goal' against Germany; these are not now within the remit of VAR but the much less controversial and much more successful goal line technology, where an instant signal is transmitted to the referee's watch hence removing doubt and the wait for a decision.

Yes, that's right of course..... problem with that Lampard goal was just how far over the blasted goal-line it was!
A very gifted Germany had raced to a 2-0 lead, played us off the park.... but that shot, approaching half-time, would have crowned a swift and gritty fightback for 2-2....from there, who knows?

Germany beat a Maradona-coached Argentina 4-0 next round.... shame we didn't get the chance....

[johncorrigan]

Jack Ross lands on his feet .......... ?????

Saw that one coming, anton - I think the Buddies are playing Hibs in the next week or two. I wish him well...after that.

[Maclintick]

Germany beat a Maradona-coached Argentina 4-0 next round.... shame we didn't get the chance....

Shame indeed -- but there were other consolations...

[antongould]

Ebbsomething 2 Hangers .... not hanging on .... 2

[Edgy 2]

Barnet 1 Stockport County 2 Don’t you just love a last minute winner (again)