World Cup 2018 it is in Russia

[greenman]

My takeaway is, they probably made more of a meal of that than they needed to. Or should be doing if they really aspire to top-level international football.

It does really come down to finishing in the end doesn't it? England could very easily have put 4-5 past them without really having to do anything that exceptional finishing wise.

Some pretty shocking reffing and really something that's been creeping up game after game, maybe its the VAR or advice from FIFA but were seeing some increasingly weak performances, its essentially a free ticket to bring someone down and avoid a yellow as long as your not too violent about it, plus of course the wrestling in the area.

[Captain Z]

It was what you'd call a clinical finish at the end there. Definitely one of those I'd say I couldn't do myself.

[Z]

A guy in the apartment downstairs, by himself, banging a drum chanting "IT'S COMING HOME! IT'S COMING HOME! IT'S COMING! FOOT! BALL'S! COMING! HOME!" over and over and over for the last five minutes. Grimmest thing I've heard in years.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Top top striker, Woman Clive, he took his goals well Woman Clive

[The Boston Crab]

GRAVERAPER vs Tunisia

[thraxx]

It does really come down to finishing in the end doesn't it? England could very easily have put 4-5 past them without really having to do anything that exceptional finishing wise.

Some pretty shocking reffing and really something that's been creeping up game after game, maybe its the VAR or advice from FIFA but were seeing some increasingly weak performances, its essentially a free ticket to bring someone down and avoid a yellow as long as your not too violent about it, plus of course the wrestling in the area.

Yes, and you can add to that England shitting the bed in front of goal 3 or 4 times, and 2 passengers in Henderson and Sterling that need putting into a sack full of bricks and hurling into the Volga.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Re: the top post

It just illustrates how the refs are now even under even more pressure, not less, with VAR. If none of those tackles on Kane were penalties then how was the actual penalty a penalty? The VAR referee sees what the cameramen and the programme editors have fed to the TV companies. Fucking chumps can see it but they can't. You should be binned. Gross misconduct.

[greenman]

Yes, and you can add to that England shitting the bed in front of goal 3 or 4 times, and 2 passengers in Henderson and Sterling that need putting into a sack full of bricks and hurling into the Volga.

Dyer and Loftus Cheek(yes I'm a Palace fan and think Zaha > Sterling as well) in for them would be my two changes but honestly I wouldn't be shocked if we thump Pamana and Sterling does well only to go missing ahead as soon as we face real pressure.

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

I smell a rat with VAR. Don't be surprised if there's some CGI shit going on in Russia's matches.

[BlodwynPig]

Too late for a sweepstake now, I think. There's this that got passed round at work...

THE RULES

You must pick 10 teams.
You must select at least 1 team from each group.
You have a maximum of 100,000 Roubles to spend.
All games played over 90 minutes (i.e. extra time and penalty shootouts do not count).
The 3rd place play-off game does NOT count as nobody cares anyway!
Pick a Dream Player to receive bonus points.


THE POINTS

10 POINTS FOR A WIN
3 POINT FOR    A DRAW
-5 POINTS FOR A DEFEAT
5 POINTS FOR EACH GOAL SCORED
-2 POINTS FOR EACH GOAL CONCEDED

For each game involving one of your teams, you will receive:

10 bonus points for each team progressing through the group stages.
10 more bonus points for each team progressing to the Quarter Finals.
Another 10 bonus points for each team progressing to the Semi Finals.
Yet another 10 bonus points for each team progressing to the Final.

10 bonus points for each goal scored by your Dream Player
(goals scored in extra time count for this, those in penalty shootouts do not).
25 bonus points if your Dream Player wins the Golden Boot.

THE TEAMS
20,000 ₽
Russia
Spain
France
Argentina
Brazil
Germany
Belgium
England

15,000 ₽
Uruguay
Portugal
Denmark
Croatia
Serbia
Mexico
Colombia
Poland

10,000 ₽
Egypt
Morocco
Peru
Nigeria
Switzerland
Sweden
Tunisia
Senegal

5,000 ₽
Saudi Arabia
Iran
Australia
Iceland
Costa Rica
South Korea
Panama
Japan

Remember:
You must pick 10 teams.
You must pick at least 1 team from each group.
You can spend a maximum of 100,000 Roubles.
Don't forget to select your Dream Player.

This came through on email and it's 10 quid to play but all the prize money gets shared out. Obviously we won't need to pay/ play officially and can just have a go between us but if anyone wants to play the game 'properly', I can forward you the organiser's email address.

Back of a beer mat calculations...

1st Position with one Group left to play

BlodywnPig - 68 points

[BlodwynPig]

A guy in the apartment downstairs, by himself, banging a drum chanting "IT'S COMING HOME! IT'S COMING HOME! IT'S COMING! FOOT! BALL'S! COMING! HOME!" over and over and over for the last five minutes. Grimmest thing I've heard in years.

Half a century of hurt, that's 4 generations in our family

[Captain Z]

Are we supposed to calculate it ourselves? I've been waiting for hzj to give us our scores.

[Captain Z]

Predictions: One of the Tottenham lads will do ok, Belgium will smash Panama.

[greenman]

Re: the top post

It just illustrates how the refs are now even under even more pressure, not less, with VAR. If none of those tackles on Kane were penalties then how was the actual penalty a penalty? The VAR referee sees what the cameramen and the programme editors have fed to the TV companies. Fucking chumps can see it but they can't. You should be binned. Gross misconduct.

The idea of yellow cards for repeated fouls especially just seems to have vanished, I mean I think its less of an issue for England than it was for Brazil as we can arguably make more of freekicks beyond shooting positions but the effect was similar, the opposition realised they had a free ticket to shut down any kind of decent attack after half an hour or so.

In this game the way the ref was behaving with the Tunisians not retreating was a joke as well, beyond the decisions it doesn't really inspire confidence in a lack of bias does it?

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Also, didn't think of this at the time, but having a VAR is effectively having two referees, which is a terrible idea because the original refereeing complaint is about inconsistency, whereas instead you have two referees applying their own opinion, one of whom apparently can't even see the most blatant rugby tackles in the penalty box, even with the benefit of replays.

Needs rethinking, I think it can work but needs defining

[greenman]

Also, didn't think of this at the time, but having a VAR is effectively having two referees, which is a terrible idea because the original refereeing complaint is about inconsistency, whereas instead you have two referees applying their own opinion, one of whom apparently can't even see the most blatant rugby tackles in the penalty box, even with the benefit of replays.

Needs rethinking, I think it can work but needs defining

If your being charitable perhaps its a case of both leaving it to each other? the ref things the VAR will pickup on more off the ball incidents in the area and the VAR thinks this stuff is so obvious the ref must have seen it rather than say being something like the france/oz pen where he might have missed it.

The end result seems much much worse, I mean typically yeah you get a bit of it but this was so blatant.

[daf]

You're Shi-i-i-t and you know you are
You're Shi-i-i-t and you know you are
You're Shi-i-i-t and you know you are
You're Shi-i-i-t and you know you are!

[BlodwynPig]

Proper Sessio chat this.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

If your being charitable perhaps its a case of both leaving it to each other? the ref things the VAR will pickup on more off the ball incidents in the area and the VAR thinks this stuff is so obvious the ref must have seen it rather than say being something like the france/oz pen where he might have missed it.

Yes, there's another fundamental problem with it.

[mothman]

A guy in the apartment downstairs, by himself, banging a drum chanting "IT'S COMING HOME! IT'S COMING HOME! IT'S COMING! FOOT! BALL'S! COMING! HOME!" over and over and over for the last five minutes. Grimmest thing I've heard in years.

You hope it's a drum he's beating.

[Ferris]

Hendo attempted a few THRIKERS so let's not shit on his contribution

[holyzombiejesus]

Are we supposed to calculate it ourselves? I've been waiting for hzj to give us our scores.

Wait til the end of the first round of games...

[The Boston Crab]

Guy probley playing Mallets Mallet with his red bulb on E Hondas belly

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

The idea of yellow cards for repeated fouls especially just seems to have vanished, I mean I think its less of an issue for England than it was for Brazil as we can arguably make more of freekicks beyond shooting positions but the effect was similar, the opposition realised they had a free ticket to shut down any kind of decent attack after half an hour or so.

In this game the way the ref was behaving with the Tunisians not retreating was a joke as well, beyond the decisions it doesn't really inspire confidence in a lack of bias does it?

I'm not sure the retreating issue was a VAR issue, in terms of the fact VAR shouldn't be necessary for a linesman and ref to realise how far back an opposition player is from the ball on a set piece that hasn't yet been taken.

[Beagle 2]

I looked down after the game and discovered I'd somehow cut my foot open and absolutely pissed blood all over the rug, the sofa and a little semi-circle around the telly without noticing. All now soaked in the blood of England.

[Cuellar]

Immensely proud of them all. Words can't express.

What a glorious day to be an Englishman!!

[Trojan_Jockey]

The Tunisian players crying after the first game seems a bit much.

Less public displays of emotion please, lads.

There is something very rewarding in seeing grown men crying after failing to grind out a dull 1-1 draw.

[imitationleather]

If England hadn't won that I would be fuming about the refereeing. The commentator said he was being "too gentlemanly". Err no. He was letting Tunisia get away with absolute fucking murder. You would have thought after giving them a soft penalty that there would be a bit of strictness employed and Tunisia also would be getting penalised for absolutely everything too. But it was as though after that decision the ref just gave up attempting to officiate. The free kick where he wasn't making the player go back ten yards in an attempt to run down seconds on the clock just completely took the piss. What was he doing?

[Ferris]

If England hadn't won that I would be fuming about the refereeing. The commentator said he was being "too gentlemanly". Err no. He was letting Tunisia get away with absolute fucking murder. You would have thought after giving them a soft penalty that there would be a bit of strictness employed and Tunisia also would be getting penalised for absolutely everything too. But it was as though after that decision the ref just gave up attempting to officiate. The free kick where he wasn't making the the player go back ten yards in an attempt to run down seconds on the clock just completely took the piss. What was he doing?

And then the fucker ran up to the ball as it was struck anyway! Awful officiating.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44526546

If you ever wanted evidence of what a preening psychopathic fucking melt Lampard is, just watch him making notes mid-celebration.

Good luck at Derby County