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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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England play their semi at Atlanta on Wednesday, kick off 3 pm local time, but it's in a dome with presumably aircon. This is essential because it will be hurry-scurry and precision brute force that will see off the Argies. Like in the '82 final at Port Stanley.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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Even my Ladbroke Grove compatriots were subdued. After kicking over some dustbins in celebration -- they must have brought along their own since Kensington & Chelsea use plastic ones -- they went off to look for Norwegians under bridges.
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Wile E. Coyote
In: Arizona
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To Wiley, Norway made England look a bad team, just like they made Brazil look a bad team. Norway are rather good at winning ugly. By the end of the game against Brazil, the Brazilians were looking totally hapless, even their star manager Ancelotti was looking bemused, they had just been outplayed.
The main difference for Wiley is that England have a few players like Anderson and Bellingham that are prepared to fight and win and grind it out, beautiful game, technical game ugly mess.....
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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| they had just been outplayed |
I understand what you mean, they outplayed us for long periods after the first quarter of 29-71% adverse possession. But it's not down to management or personnel. It's the fault of the way the game is currently played how a bunch of journeymen can 'outplay' teams of Rolls-Royce quality:
How many of their squad are first choice for elite clubs?
One and a half, Haaland and Odegaard.
How many of Brazil and England's squads?
All of them (o.n.o.).
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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Some incidental entertainment was provided by the ITV panel. Whenever Alf-Inge Haaland (father of Erling) was show watching from the stands, the studio pundits were in fits -- they all remembered him from their own playing days. But one of them, Roy Keane, had special reason to remember Haaland Senior:
| Wiki wrote: | | In April 2001, during a match against Manchester United, Roy Keane tackled Haaland, kicking him high on his right knee, for which he was immediately sent off. |
Routine Keane? Routine City/United derby? Not quite.
| In his autobiography, Keane stated that the tackle was a pre-meditated, deliberate act of vengeance against Haaland for the on-field criticism he received from him three and a half years previously. |
Routine Keane certainly. But did the punishment fit the crime?
| At the time of Keane's tackle, Haaland's left knee was already giving him sufficient problems for him to have to play with strapping around it. That summer, he underwent surgery on his left knee but only managed a further four substitute appearances the following season, and finally retired in July 2003 after failing to recover full fitness. | |
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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| The New York Times wrote: | South Africa’s Jayden Adams, 25, dies two weeks after playing at World Cup.
SAFPU said it was “devastated by the untimely passing” of the midfielder, who appeared in three of his nation’s matches at this summer’s World Cup. The news was later confirmed by Adams’ club Mamelodi Sundowns and by the South African government’s Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture. “South African football has lost a gifted player, a proud servant of the game and a young life that still had so much to offer. May his soul rest in eternal peace.” |
And so forth for para after para in all media. The England and Norway teams had a minute's silence in Jayden's remembrance before their game. Hardly anyone mentioned with any prominence a gunshot wound was the cause of death. Odd, really. Not odd, really.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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So we have finally got rid of the minnows and it's strictly a Battle of the Titans: England vs Argentina and France vs Spain. How do we categorise 'World Cup Titans'?
* Argentina is a super-Titan, England a mere Titan. The former has three World Cups in its locker, the latter only one. England may (or may not) have the better squad, player-for-player, but Argentina hold the whammy over them.
* France is a super-Titan, Spain a mere Titan. The former has two World Cups in its locker, the latter only one. Spain may (or may not) have the better squad, player-for-player, but France hold the whammy over them.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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The Ultimate Insult
| “El que no salta es un ingles” went around the stadium: “He who doesn’t jump is an Englishman.” | |
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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Reasons To Be Optimistic (1)
1. Argentina has not yet played a game against a team ranked in top fifteen of the world.
2. Argentina are the forty-fourth tallest of the forty-eight teams in the tournament.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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Golden Boot, It's All To Play For
Mbappé (France) 8 goals
Messi (Argentina) 8 goals
Bellingham (England) 6 goals
Kane (England) 6 goals
Dembélé (France) 5 goals
Oyarzabal (Spain) 4 goals
The way I see it, we're in cruise control, three-up against the Argies, so we spoonfeed Bellingham and Kane, goalhangers united. Then go down in a goalfest with France because we're triple-marking Mbappé.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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President Trump has let it be known that an all Spanish-speaking final in New York would be a powder keg to a raging bull. 'Signor' Infantino has assured him it will not be allowed to happen. Expect Rattin to be sent off in the first half (o.n.o.).
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Wile E. Coyote
In: Arizona
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Somwhat typically an arrogant France, decided that rather than actually try scoring goals (which they are the worlds best at) etc....they would instead demonstrate to Spain that they are also the better team at Spanish "Olé football" ie mocking the opposition by technically brillant passing the ball around effortlessly. With the following predictable result.
France.....
"Olé"
"Olé"
"Zut Alors"
"Olé"
"Olé"
"Zut Alors"
Spain .....
"Olé"... "Olé", "Olé, "Olé"
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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I hesitate to disagree with Herr Tuchel over a technical footballing question, but only for a split nanosecond. That question is:
| What changes in overall playing strategy should be adopted when protecting a one-goal lead? |
England changed from playing it out from the back to hoofing it up the park, apparently under instructions since the change included a drinks break.
The latter policy can be quite sound. Since POOFTA, as the former strategy is known (from 'Playing it Out OF The Arse') carries with it the danger of conceding possession in a dangerous area, it is certainly to be eschewed when 'playing out time'.
HOOPLA (HOOfing it up the Park, Like Always) only concedes possession at the other end and that statistically results in an adverse goal in a time frame a great deal longer than 'playing out time'. The question for the manager therefore is:
| How long is 'playing out time' in a given situation? |
Which I will now proceed to address.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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But before doing so, I should say a word about how disappointed I am about England losing to Argentina.
At the time, it was a considerable blow. 'A lowering of the spirit between full-time and bed-time' is how I could best describe it. I do not, on the whole, judge passing events on an emotional basis, only on a 'does this make my life more or less interesting' basis.
Immediately, I have lost several hours of exemplary excitement in the form of a World Cup final. (I doubt I will even watch Spain vs Argentina.) I have gained a Third Place final, though that is scant consolation.
However in the longer term I would have to say, in so far as I can judge it, that a losing England coming home makes for a better life, for me personally, than a winning one would. I like a bit of knockabout, I abhor gush.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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This has some bearing on our important, if recently neglected, debates about brain vs mind. How do I reconcile my genuine desire for England to win the World Cup for the last year or two with my assessment now that a losing England is better than a winning one?
No doubt I have a gift for post-partum rationalisation, something I have been aware of for a long time and is wholly necessary for a life of overweening ambition and constant failure. But I think it is more than that. The brain (or the mind) has a generalised ability to draw a line on the past and treat every day as a new day.
Feelings of crushing disappointment can be erased if they do not affect one on a day-to-day basis. My wife and kids informing me they are leaving home to go and live with Richard Branson would be as crushing tomorrow as it is today. England coming home without the World Cup is something I'm (almost) looking forward to.
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