World Cup Discussion Thread - Day 8 (21 June)

[DFF]

I think that's debatable.

Not being one to really care if I fly in the face of public opinion, I hold the very unpopular opinion that the quality of footballers (sportsmen in general) has declined considerably over the last few years. I have some theories as to why but that is for another thread. But ultimately one of the key reasons why Messi, Ronaldo and hopefully Kane for some years to come!, have such amazing record breaking stats is because of this as much as their own brilliance.

To an extent it has always happened but we live in an era of hyperbole. I blame TV saturation but now average players are regarded as good, good players as world class etc. I look at Argentina and I see Dybala and Higuaín (another with great stats) and I simply do not see what the fuss is about. Decent players? Sure. Great players? Not even close. Going off on a tangent I think the same about Pogba. Never saw why he was being hyped to high heavens before Utd bought him back and I have seen nothing since they bought him back to suggest he is anywhere near world class.

As for Ronaldo vs Messi, it has been done to death. My personal view is that a peak Messi was a level above a peak Ronaldo as a footballer. But Ronaldo is a supreme athlete and as such it makes sense to me that he will be able to sustain a high level of quality longer than Messi. But a couple of games sample isn't really proof of anything. Ronaldo had a shocking game in the Champion's League final and people said he was finished. Now he is being spoken about as the GOAT after two World Cup games where he has scored more goals than all his previous World Cup games combined. Now people are saying Messi is a spent force, despite spearheading a comparatively weak Barcelona team to La Liga. As I said, hyperbole......

TLDR

 

[Woland]

At 3-0 Corluka gets subbed in for his 100th cap and his 1st tackle on Messi.

 

[Woland]

Then ref blew full-time while Vedran was still making a U-turn.

 

[spurs mental]

Argentina could really do with a shithouse like Lamela

 

[TheChosenOne]

Going a goal down then taking off Aguero for Higuain you have to wonder what the manager was thinking.
That said it's good to see a team with Laka and Charlie winning again.

100 caps for Charlie, following on from Hugo's and Jan's recent milestones.

Always good to see our old boys and present players racking up stats like this.

 

[TheChosenOne]

Argentina could really do with a shithouse like Lamela

Otamendi is a colostomy bag.

 

[Woland]

Argentina shouldn't have qualified by bringing Leo out of retirement. Instead of quietly rebuilding post-Messi they crashed out to embarrassment.

Still didn't lose to Iceland though

 

[yankspurs]

I think we should post some more pics of tits to get @yankspurs sacked.

 

[aliyid]

It’s a weird thing to say but Argentina would probably be better without Messi (who I think is the greatest player of our generation).

Their play is so slow and stunted because everybody looks to Messi but they have other great players in that squad who don’t seem to play their normal game.

Any team with players like Higuain, Dybala & Di Maria stuck on the bench should be doing a hell of a lot better than this

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Ok fellas, just sat down to watch the Croatia game. Can anyone tell me why Kalanic refused to go on and was subsequently sent home ?

And what the fuck is it with international managers. Is Modric playing RWF ? No wonder half these muppets aren't being employed by proper football clubs.

And @Shadydan , yeah I know. The kid does have some raw ability, but he's erratic as fuck. As a 16/17 yo kid he looked like he had the potential to be a Croatian Rooney, strong, feisty, direct, but though he's just has his best season, he looks to have developed into shit Croatian Hung-Min-Son. Capable of good things, but also capable of some pretty erratic, shit things. I've cooled on the boy considerably, despite him just having his career best season, helping (scoring) Frankfurt win the German Cup etc.

It just became a bit of a running gag between me and @THFCSPURS19.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Oh bollocks, we've got the melancholy, misanthropic Julian Clary punditing.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Not a big kit man, but liking that Croatian away kit.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

How has Mandzukic missed that.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Lovely ball from Modric at the end of that half. Royally fucked up by Rebic.

How the fuck was no-one sent off in that half ?

 

[Shadydan]

Good shit from F365 Re France:

https://www.football365.com/news/deschamps-is-frances-analogue-coach-in-a-digital-world

Deschamps is France’s analogue coach in a digital world

Watching this France team under Didier Deschamps can be a testing experience. It reminds of taking a middle-aged Dad shopping to forcefully buy him smarter clothes and gadgets, a shirt that hides the gut and a smartphone so he can finally keep in touch with his kids. As soon as he gets home, he throws the purchases into the back of the wardrobe, pulls on his old jumper with the fried egg stains and turns on the old Nokia. Given every chance to be better, France still infuriate and disappoint.

If this strikes as an uncharitable assessment of the manager of a team that has won both of its first two World Cup games, consider each France performance and consider their potential. Consider too that we have seen this before. France scuttled their way to the final of Euro 2016, only to lose to a Portugal side that had failed to win a single group game.

France were frustrated by an ultra-defensive Australia in their first game, victory via penalty and own goal, and responded by resorting to the tried and tested method of sending balls to the head and chest of Olivier Giroud. Nobody is doubting the efficacy of the strategy against weaker opposition, but what happens in the quarter-finals onwards? Why is this still it? What has changed in the last two years? Why am I asking so many rhetorical questions?

One of Deschamps’ party tricks is tinkering with his starting XI to the extent that Claudio Ranieri is considering suing for copyright. Giroud’s recovery from a pre-tournament head injury allowed him to take Ousmane Dembele’s place, but the more controversial change was Blaise Matuidi on the left despite Thomas Lemar and Florent Thauvin both being better fits for that position. If it does all go awry for Deschamps, he can surely rely on a professional career at cramming square pegs in round holes.

Deschamps et al were fortunate to face a team as naive as Peru, winning many more friends than football matches in Russia. Their vast hordes of supporters are one of the many feel-good stories of this World Cup, but surely the most colourful. There have been countless stories of houses and cars sold to fund the trip of a lifetime. Thousands descended on the most easterly city in this tournament. This was Yekaterinburg, suburb of Lima.

If Australia offered the blueprint to frustrate France, Peru proffered thanks for the advice before walking off in the opposite direction. Only Brazil and Uruguay scored more goals in qualifying than a team who bask in their glorious chaos. It is hard to imagine two more different opponents than France’s first two in this tournament. Attacking football is Peru’s lifeblood. They are artists, not diplomats.

Even so, artists can still remember to buy bread and milk from time to time. Peru started the game intent on sprinting the marathon, but noticeably tired before half-time. Ricardo Gareca’s response was to bring on Jefferson Farfán and make his side even more attacking. They have flown east for a good time, not a long time.

Yet it almost worked. Rather than inviting Peru’s now-four-man attack onto them before hitting them on the break – think Germany vs England 2010 – France panicked. Pedro Aquino hit the post as France launched the ball high and long with increasing regularity and let the ball bypass midfield. On commentary for ITV, Lee Dixon tutted and ticked France off for their lack of control. A nation nodded in agreement.

You do wonder just how many young, gifted players would be enough to account for the flaws in Didier Deschamps’ management, and this tournament may well provide the answer that this bumper crop is not sufficient. The depth of French footballing talent is unsurpassed. The list of players who have not made this World Cup squad is stunning: Kingsley Coman, Anthony Martial, Dimitri Payet, Alexandre Lacazette, Adrien Rabiot, Lucas Digne.

The accusation – inside and outside France – is that this squad will achieve despite its manager, not because of him. A group of high-achieving prodigies are being led by Mr Deschamps, the substitute teacher. In the background stands Zinedine Zidane, the young head of department currently without a job.

Comparisons between the two former teammates are not flattering. Deschamps is an analogue coach for France’s digital era

 

[IfiHadTheWings]

That Gail Platt from Corrie can play abit...

Miss the little magician, he’s still the bollox.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Oh my word, what a goal from my boy.

 

[NinjaTuna]

Corluka!!!!!! How is he still playing?

Just had a look on wiki and he's 32. What the actual fuck.. Could have sworn he was older than that when he left us and that was 6 fucking years ago!

 

[Bus-Conductor]

What a goal from Modric.

 

[WiganSpur]

Good shit from F365 Re France:

https://www.football365.com/news/deschamps-is-frances-analogue-coach-in-a-digital-world

Brilliantly written article. Deschamps' overriding problem is his lack of tactical direction. I know philosophy is a bit of a buzz word to use nowadays, but this France side could be far and away the best team in this tournament if it had a set philosophy or way of playing. He doesn't appear to have any tactical plan or principles to go off, I think this explains why he chops and changes and puts square pegs in round holes.