The Football Thread

[Ollkiller]

I'm still in favour of VAR. If it goes cheating for penos etc will be back with a vengeance. The problem isn't the technology. It's the fucking idiots who seem to lose all common sense when interpreting an image on a screen. Like the West ham red card.

[Trev]

Even with VAR people are still arguing over the calls and the wrong decisions are still being made. The only difference now is waiting to see if a goal will actually be allowed. Its bollocks, get rid

[Emphyrio]

I'm still in favour of VAR. If it goes cheating for penos etc will be back with a vengeance. The problem isn't the technology. It's the fucking idiots who seem to lose all common sense when interpreting an image on a screen. Like the West ham red card.

100%. That red card decision was a joke. Absolute morons.

The offside calls are getting ridiculous. Unless it's clearly offside, the advantage should go to the striker. This getting out the coloured lines is nonsense.

[Doctor Crippen]

The game is all about the game, reviewing millimetre offsides and looking at a follow through as a foul is ridiculous really. Its meant to be a physical game based around skill and stamina. The issue really in football is cheating for penalties and trying to get people sent of for innocuous fouls .

This is a foul

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=36cRFUUqp9Y

[Mower Liberation Front]

Yep, blatant handball there.

Bit of a mess at Old Trafford today, to say the least.

[astfgyl]

Anyone listen to Michael Martin interview on Newstalk Off The Ball this evening? Thought he didn't come across too bad in it and didn't seem to be overly prepared for the questions but didn't dodge any of them. Some good stuff raised around PE in schools and FAI league funding. An interesting question at the end re holding a pro boxing match in Dublin, to which he answered that the Gardai have deemed it unsafe and fair enough it's a tangent but does anyone know what that meant? He didn't mean the covid by the way, it was particular to boxing. We have international games of all sorts here and gigs of all sorts so what gives with the boxing?

About the Old Trafford incident, I guess the United fans weren't prepared to take both the ignominy of a loss to Liverpool being the final straw in City winning the league and I wouldn't blame them for doing everything possible to avoid that double whammy. That, and the illusion that the Chelsea fans' protest at Stamford Bridge had some effect on the outcome of the ESL maybe makes the fans think that they have some sort of say in things and the clubs give a flying fuck what they think might have galvanised some of them.

[astfgyl]

that Madrid team are chronic and lucky not to lose by 5 or 6.

[Snare]

I'd imagine the boxing relates to Kinahan issues? Besides The Regency, wasn't there serious issues outside an arena since? Take it up in a boxing thread maybe!

[astfgyl]

I'd imagine the boxing relates to Kinahan issues? Besides The Regency, wasn't there serious issues outside an arena since? Take it up in a boxing thread maybe!

Yeah it was a tangent. It was explained to me by the first fella I asked in real life and it seemed kind of obvious then why the Gardai would say that. I also know fuck all about boxing.

[Mower Liberation Front]

Fred is George Weah's Brazilian cousin.

[astfgyl]

Top 4 race got a lot more interesting with last night's result. Chelsea's season could be about to crumble in the space of a couple of games too.

[Blackout]

Top 4 race got a lot more interesting with last night's result. Chelsea's season could be about to crumble in the space of a couple of games too.

You love to see it. Chelsea are a team I've despised for a long time due to how boring their matches usually are and their tactics have not changed since the mourinho era.

[Caomhaoin]

That Howe lad should already have been announced by Celtic. We've suffered enough this season without this interminable waiting for a manager. Guys if three months now.

[Mower Liberation Front]

That Howe lad should already have been announced by Celtic. We've suffered enough this season without this interminable waiting for a manager. Guys if three months now.

Bring back John Barnes.

[astfgyl]

Top 4 race got a lot more interesting with last night's result. Chelsea's season could be about to crumble in the space of a couple of games too.

You love to see it. Chelsea are a team I've despised for a long time due to how boring their matches usually are and their tactics have not changed since the mourinho era.

Well that simply isn't true. I can understand people despising them, due to their perceived arrogance and lack of class (whatever that is in the modern era) but at least do it with facts. Tommy Tuchel's tactics are very un-Mourinho, as were Carlo Ancelotti's. In fact the stuff they played under Carlo in doing the double is the best stuff I've seen out of them. Frank Lampard was attempting something akin to Klopp's Liverpool but he had neither the tactical nous nor the players for it. The most Mourinho-like was probably Conte, and they won the league with it. Mourinho's first Chelsea team were an absolute powerhouse and a joy to behold the talent in that team even though he had them playing like stoke against inferior opposition a lot of the time. His second stint he actually came out with an attacking intent but by christmas he had reverted to type and ground out one of the most painful league wins I've seen so that was boring but the point you make isn't based on anything factual. Scolari and also Villas Boas tried to do different things as well.

Anyway, with the relegation and league winners sorted out it makes for an exciting finish to proceedings one way or the other and as a Chelsea supporter (pre-Abramovich, yes) I would let them throw the cup final for a league win vs Leicester. I feel like both teams will have their minds on the fourth place rather than the now almost meaningless cup. It's a pity the way the cup has gone for potential CL qualifiers but it's the way of it.