It Could Get A Bit Messi In Here - The Football Thread.

Joe Mac said:
I never got into the Bundeliga, I think it being so heavily dominated by Bayern always put me off. Growing up in England of course the Premier League was where I was at! I did watch a lot of Italian football in the 90s both because it was brilliant then and randomly channel 4 in the U.K. had the rights and so there was a highlights package on a Saturday morning and a match every Sunday free to air on terrestrial tele!
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I really only got into the Bundesliga because I have cousins in Germany and when I became friends with some of them on Facebook and stuff, they would post about it so I wanted to know what they were talking about. I do get sick of Bayern though. I basically always just root for everyone but Bayern. My favorite is probably Dortmund.
 
Because I have nothing better to do, I might as well keep going with the Lineker takes:

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(This was the knee-to-the-face play.)

Bottom line is that physical contact is what happens when people are chasing after a ball. Player A can’t control where Player B will put his body. So although I understand the take that @Englishbob shared, I don’t think it’s a sensible rule at all.

That being said, it’s entirely possible that within our lifetimes we may see even more massive rule changes (like headers being made illegal due to concussion fears). “Proper football” will become the new fight club.
 
bettim84 said:
Because I have nothing better to do, I might as well keep going with the Lineker takes:

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(This was the knee-to-the-face play.)

Bottom line is that physical contact is what happens when people are chasing after a ball. Player A can’t control where Player B will put his body. So although I understand the take that @Englishbob shared, I don’t think it’s a sensible rule at all.

That being said, it’s entirely possible that within our lifetimes we may see even more massive rule changes (like headers being made illegal due to concussion fears). “Proper football” will become the new fight club.
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Totally and if anything that’s much more dangerous for the injured player as a knee in the face but how can you penalise someone for slipping and their momentum going into someone else? Especially as the lad himself had gone to ground to block. On the tele a commentator was calling for a penalty, clearly the defenders head had wiped the attacker out 🤦🏻

With heading and brain injuries the game does have to do something. Impact injuries are one thing and to a degree unavoidable but the links to dementia is a long term risk that we can’t expect people to take. From what I’ve read the risk is much lower with modern balls but is at its highest with developmental brain and when it’s done repetitively (ie training drills worse than the odd header in a match). I can see it being outlawed in underage and training but still existing in first team matches. That will of course dull its potency in a match but might well be the sensible approach.

That said if you think football might be a mess because of this I think that anyone who follows rugby might have to brace themselves to it either not existing or being a radically different game in 20 years time due to head injuries.
 
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"Football's a contact sport. As long as a player makes a genuine attempt to get the ball it can't be a red card. Players just have to accept that they may get injured going for a ball. Game's gone soft."

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Joe Mac said:
Is it terrible that when I see the Rangers shirt I just automatically assume that he went to do him…
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It was one of those challenges where you see it in real time and you wince. Honestly have no idea why he tried to kick the ball in that way.

For what it's worth, I think it was a red. I think the days of pointing to the ball and saying that you got that first in a challenge are long gone. Some might say for the worst, but I'm not so sure of that. Yes, the referees may need to be more consistent, but I don't think that red card is emblematic of a "watering down" of a contact sport.
 
Thackeraye said:
It was one of those challenges where you see it in real time and you wince. Honestly have no idea why he tried to kick the ball in that way.

For what it's worth, I think it was a red. I think the days of pointing to the ball and saying that you got that first in a challenge are long gone. Some might say for the worst, but I'm not so sure of that. Yes, the referees may need to be more consistent, but I don't think that red card is emblematic of a "watering down" of a contact sport.
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Yeah I saw that one immediately after the match on the highlights package and as much as I jest I totally agree that it was a hard watch and completely a red. It was reckless, it had force and the goalkeeper is exactly where that forward should expect him to be. There is likely zero intent to do the keeper but it’s a red. Looking at it he looks like he’s trying to take the ball down, you see that pose a lot on the wing to control a dropping ball, but it seems a nuts skill to try to pull off in a crowded penalty area. I also agree that ball first has gone, particularly in slide tackles and I’m not necessarily sad about either of those things.

I do however think that it is still possible to make contact with an opponent, particularly where they are putting on a heavy press and it’s from the follow through to you kicking the ball, and it not be a red, or even a foul, as well. There is a sort of nuance in the determination that I don’t think referees are great at and that VAR is appealing at. I still don’t understand for the life of me why only the point of contact in slow motion is shown on the screen to the referee rather than the lead in and contact at full speed.

Every incident being looked at fairly on it’s own merits rather than blanket “it’s a red” would be more my hope.
 
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Gavaxeman said:
Can’t believe Wolves let him go / sacked him ..we all love him in my part of the world
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I’m just glad he seems like such a nice guy. The cancer of José was too much to take. Wolves have played some phenomenal football, especially against big-6 teams, Spurs included, over the past 3 years. So I’m excited to see what he can do. The only box he doesn’t tick is the attacking football. However, he claims to be adaptable so we’ll see.
 
wokeupnew said:
I’m just glad he seems like such a nice guy. The cancer of José was too much to take. Wolves have played some phenomenal football, especially against big-6 teams, Spurs included, over the past 3 years. So I’m excited to see what he can do. The only box he doesn’t tick is the attacking football. However, he claims to be adaptable so we’ll see.
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To be fair Wolves’ counter attacking play the last 3 years, whilst built on a solid defence has been more thrilling than any post-Madrid Jose team! Plus he largely plays 3-4-3 which suits your squad, especially the full backs, if you can get a decent centre half in!
 
Joe Mac said:
To be fair Wolves’ counter attacking play the last 3 years, whilst built on a solid defence has been more thrilling than any post-Madrid Jose team! Plus he largely plays 3-4-3 which suits your squad, especially the full backs, if you can get a decent centre half in!
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I know Joséball was such a low bar. If we can do some basic passing triangles in possession I’ll be over the moon!
 
wokeupnew said:
I’m just glad he seems like such a nice guy. The cancer of José was too much to take. Wolves have played some phenomenal football, especially against big-6 teams, Spurs included, over the past 3 years. So I’m excited to see what he can do. The only box he doesn’t tick is the attacking football. However, he claims to be adaptable so we’ll see.
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Pretty sure he donated a huge sum of his own personal money at the start of the pandemic to help the city ..as I say ..he’s a god in Wolverhampton..same as Steve Bull !
 
Poor Everton. Benitez, the appointment that seems to make so much sense on so many levels apart from the fact that he used to manage Liverpool and called Everton a small club 🤦🏻.

This will either work or really really won’t. I suppose soap operas can be fun to watch?
 
Joe Mac said:
Poor Everton. Benitez, the appointment that seems to make so much sense on so many levels apart from the fact that he used to manage Liverpool and called Everton a small club 🤦🏻.

This will either work or really really won’t. I suppose soap operas can be fun to watch?
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I really feel bad for Everton fans. Got shafted by Ancelotti and then again by their owners for appointing Benitez. Will probably end up back in mid-table mediocracy barring a miracle.
 
wokeupnew said:
I really feel bad for Everton fans. Got shafted by Ancelotti and then again by their owners for appointing Benitez. Will probably end up back in mid-table mediocracy barring a miracle.
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Benitez is a weird one because for an aspiring club he’s probably a really good appointment. He will organise them well and get the most out of the side. It’s just the history is hard to stomach. They need to sign well too because that squad had talent but a real dearth of leaders.

That line though would he be bitter for any cross city rivalry but it’s particularly biting given Everton are so historically successful and it’s not like it’s Newcastle or Sunderland years ago either!

I don’t think I’d say that Carlo shafted them either. Are you staying at Everton if Madrid offer you the top job 😂
 
Joe Mac said:
Benitez is a weird one because for an aspiring club he’s probably a really good appointment. He will organise them well and get the most out of the side. It’s just the history is hard to stomach. They need to sign well too because that squad had talent but a real dearth of leaders.

That line though would he be bitter for any cross city rivalry but it’s particularly biting given Everton are so historically successful and it’s not like it’s Newcastle or Sunderland years ago either!

I don’t think I’d say that Carlo shafted them either. Are you staying at Everton if Madrid offer you the top job 😂
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I mean no, but I still think it was an unexpectedly shitty thing for him to do. I believe there were some rifts between Ancelotti and some players who were not good enough. It may have been a blessing for both for all we know.
 
wokeupnew said:
I mean no, but I still think it was an unexpectedly shitty thing for him to do. I believe there were some rifts between Ancelotti and some players who were not good enough. It may have been a blessing for both for all we know.
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I don’t think it had much to do with ability, I was hearing that he felt that there were some players who were plenty talented enough but that when things got sticky were happy enough to hide in the shadow of the few leaders they had. I think that’s why he liked Tom Davis so much, might not be the most talented of the midfielders they had but did his job, followed instructions and worked his arse off. That’s kinda what I was getting at when I said they need more leaders in their squad. A dominant centre half wouldn’t go amiss either.
 
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