World Cup Moaning Thread

[Marked Ox]

Used to be that when two teams were tied on points, goal difference and goals scored, and had drawn head-to-head - they drew lots.

Not sure which system is better, to be honest.

Drawing lots is still done if level on yellow cards etc as well.

 

[unification]

As this is the moaning thread.

Earth, Wind and Fire’s ‘September’ is the worst song ever recorded.

England going out would at least mean we don’t have to hear that f*****g band play it again.

 

[Leysboy]

England have played for 2nd tonight it’s a gamble, but I think it’s a wise move.

 

[Marked Ox]

As this is the moaning thread.

Earth, Wind and Fire’s ‘September’ is the worst song ever recorded.

England going out would at least mean we don’t have to hear that f*****g band play it again.

Just need the Russian Police to go brutal on them.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

That was a waste of time, wasn't it! Probably had to desired result in that we finish second in the group, but I thought the 'fringe' players who got on the pitch tonight did very little to advance their causes as deserving a place in the team for the next round.

 

[Gary Baldi]

African teams just flatter to deceive. No matter how well rated they are, it always goes wrong and they go out with a whimper.

The England band. Tuneless idiots who ruin the atmosphere with another rendition of the great escape.

 

[beyondthefourth]

The England band. Tuneless idiots who ruin the atmosphere with another rendition of the great escape.

I genuinely don't think I'd mind so much if they played more than the same 1-2 bars of each song.

Worst one is by far:

THIS IS THE SELF PRESERVATION SOCIETY!
THIS IS THE SELF PRESERVATION SOCIETY!
THIS IS THE SELF PRESERVATION SOCIETY!
THIS IS THE SELF PRESERVATION SOCIETY!
THIS IS THE SELF PRESERVATION SOCIETY!
THIS IS THE SELF PRESERVATION SOCIETY!
Repeat until a twitch forms in my eyelid and my teeth start grinding together.

 

[Gary Baldi]

I genuinely don't think I'd mind so much if they played more than the same 1-2 bars of each song.

Worst one is by far:

THIS IS THE SELF PRESERVATION SOCIETY!
THIS IS THE SELF PRESERVATION SOCIETY!
THIS IS THE SELF PRESERVATION SOCIETY!
THIS IS THE SELF PRESERVATION SOCIETY!
THIS IS THE SELF PRESERVATION SOCIETY!
THIS IS THE SELF PRESERVATION SOCIETY!
Repeat until a twitch forms in my eyelid and my teeth start grinding together.

Agree. They are a prime example of why I cannot stand musical instruments at football games. Wonderful instruments, played tunelessly and repetitively by halfwits.

 

[MJB]

As this is the moaning thread.

Earth, Wind and Fire’s ‘September’ is the worst song ever recorded.

England going out would at least mean we don’t have to hear that f*****g band play it again.

What?! Who in their right mind doesn’t like September?

Even putting aside recognition for what an important song it is culturally for the black community, it’s clearly an amazing tune!

 

[unification]

What?! Who in their right mind doesn’t like September?

Even putting aside recognition for what an important song it is culturally for the black community, it’s clearly an amazing tune!

Aye. Posted in anger. It’s a good tune.

Just not played tunelessly and sung 78 times in 90 minutes by drunken England fans.

 

[MJB]

What?! Who in their right mind doesn’t like September?

Even putting aside recognition for what an important song it is culturally for the black community, it’s clearly an amazing tune!

Aye. Posted in anger. It’s a good tune.

Just not played tunelessly and sung 78 times in 90 minutes by drunken England fans.

Ah, didn’t realise it was being used as a song by England fans. I should imagine it’s as dreadful a rendition as you describe!

 

[FalmouthOx]

Isnt it ridiculous, back to moaning about the world cup, that we have games like last night where no one wants to win and end up in the "wrong" half of the draw. Despite losing the battle, we now have a better chance of winning the war Neither side were at anywhere near full strength so the "loss" was meaningless and we learned nothing, as we wont see many of those players again as we enter knock out. Why dont they make a draw for ties when the last 16 is finalised, FA cup style? Otherwise there really is almost match-fixing going on with teams looking to try and deliver a result which picks easier next opponents. Its a huge advantage to be in group FGH than ABC as they can see who has already progressed and win/lose/draw accordingly. And as Glenn Hoddle said, use biggest differential not yellow cards as the tie breaker if everything is equal. Encourage attacking play. Gary Neville was also bang on last night. What a chance! Beat Colombia and Switz/Sweden for a place in the semis.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

If you have a draw to see who plays who after the group stage, it doesn't really matter whether you win the group or come second - so there might be just as many 'meh' games at the end of the group stages.

Still, now at least it becomes proper cup football - win or you're out!

 

[Gary Baldi]

Just think about the meh game potential with 16 more teams in the WC!

One solution is a mandatory penalty shoot out after each game that becomes the first tie breaker. While in a simplistic sense, it's laudable to do it on discipline, it's kind of rotten as well. A penalty shoot out puts more pressure on each team

 

[ZeroTheHero]

Just think about the meh game potential with 16 more teams in the WC!

One solution is a mandatory penalty shoot out after each game that becomes the first tie breaker. While in a simplistic sense, it's laudable to do it on discipline, it's kind of rotten as well. A penalty shoot out puts more pressure on each team

So how would you do that? You have two tied teams, which may have played games in different stadia (like the Japanese and the Senegalese) so they can't do it on the day. Do you mean that there would have to be a shoot out after EVERY game if it was a draw? Just in case those two teams happened to end up equal? Sounds even madder than the Checkatrade!

 

[Gary Baldi]

So how would you do that? You have two tied teams, which may have played games in different stadia (like the Japanese and the Senegalese) so they can't do it on the day. Do you mean that there would have to be a shoot out after EVERY game if it was a draw? Just in case those two teams happened to end up equal? Sounds even madder than the Checkatrade!

After each game, there is a penalty shoot out consisting of 5 penalties each. The scores are then totalled so that a cumulative total can be used a tie breaker. It's fair for each team.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

After every game - win, lose or draw?

 

[unification]

If you have a draw to see who plays who after the group stage, it doesn't really matter whether you win the group or come second - so there might be just as many 'meh' games at the end of the group stages.

Still, now at least it becomes proper cup football - win or you're out!

The answer to that would be to draw group winners in one hat and runners up in another - with a mechanism so they're not drawn against the team they've just played in the group stage. Depending on whether you keep drawing teams from hats (or bowls as the trend seems to be nowadays) for the QFs and SFs, you'd need to deploy that mechanism for each round in case the winner and runner up of one particular group keep winning and getting through to the next round.

With 48 teams due in future World Cups, I think the age of needing favourable results may end. If Panama and Saudi Arabia can get in, imagine the other ordinary sides that'll be able to qualify ...

 

[tonyw]

I think the idea that anyone was, or should have been, trying to pick a side of the draw yesterday is very, very tenuous.

You're trading an easier Second Round game (and Japan would have been easier - they're only really in the knockouts because Colombia's defender took up goalkeeping in the 3rd minute of their game) for an easier QF. The 'top left' is undoubtedly the toughest corner of the draw - with France/Argentina/Uruguay/Portugal.....but given that you only have to play one of them, it makes little difference for England/Belgium than playing against (probably) Spain or Croatia. With the possibility that it might actually be preferable to be in the other half because whoever comes out of that foursome is going to be bruised and battered.

Belgium & England played their scrubs because they didn't want any of their key players to get hurt in a meaningless game....no more, no less. France did the same, so did Russia, and they certainly weren't trying to hand-pick opponents.

 

[Scotchegg]

There has been talk for years about spreading football around the world, holding the world cup in American, South Africa, Qatar etc, yet we have a last 16 with only Japan outside the usual European and South/Central American teams. Moving to 48 teams will just add more token teams into the pot and more meaningless games.