World Cup 2022

Denmark heading out so Hojbjerg will get some rest

 

Looked at the France starting XI, and although not
following them very much IMHO it could be classed
as a deliberate fielding of a very understrength team
(with consequences therein) .

 

We weren't punished for this at the last world cup, and the turn around required in Australias GD meant they were highly unlikely to be caught even if they lost.

 

Well done Australia.

 

I haven't seen Tunisians look that disappointed since the Battle of Zama

 

I’m saying that the top teams are more able to play expansive football in the groups and then button it down as they come up against more equal opposition in the knockouts. Southgate may play 433 against Senegal but will likely not against France.

RM’s success in recent CLs has been built off the back of tactical competence, defensive solidity, a killer mentality and of course the individual brilliance of their players. But they’re not an insanely tactically drilled team like peak Barca, Klopp’s Liverpool, or, as an international comparison, Spain were.

Most international teams are boring but effective though, especially once you reach the business end of qualifying or competitive play. It’s how you win tournaments. Teams are either going to dominate the ball or have a solid shape and attack expansively in bursts.

 

And that's modern football, but Brazil, Holland and Argentina have blown us away with amazing and exciting football in past world cups. It's such a technical game now and defences are so well drilled which is why, as you say we get this boring football. The baby has been thrown away.

 

Seriously? VAR chalking off France's equaliser after the final whistle?

 

Holy **** Batman, never thought I'd come to this conversation for a reminder about the Second Punic War. Which of course sent my disturbed mind into wondering how many other battles start with "Z" (don't get too excited, Wiki lists nine).

 

Romero recalled to the starting 11 for Argentina

 

I was glad to see this. He has been one of our severely overworked players this season. Solid 2 week break now before a solid 2 weeks of training should work wonders.

 

Yeah the standard everywhere has improved and you can’t just get by from individual talent anymore. England didn’t cotton onto this during the golden generation era when it was still all about getting 11 stars on the pitch regardless of whether the team made sense. Unless all the pieces fall into place for your international team it’s hard to blow the other top teams away. The closest we came was Spain’s dominant 6 years or so but even that was technically and tactically brilliant football but was also pretty boring as they just kept the ball and picked their moments.

 

Ben White has left the England squad and returned home for personal reasons:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63808727

I assume it's something very serious, as he's not expected to return.

 

Poland's tactics are less busparquet, more Ever Given

 

Another penalty given for a slight misjudgement. Theoretically right according to the Laws but I can't see how that is really encouraging fair play.

 

Bloody awful penalty from Messi

 

Is that against the rules?

 

The Premier League fines clubs for fielding deliberately weakened teams

Wolves got stung for doing that against man Utd doing that a couple of seasons ago

 

This is the World Cup, not the PL. I think any selection from the squad is permitted.

 

I vaguely recall in 2018 that one team got censured for fielding a scratch side for a dead rubber, but can't recall which team it was