World cup - looking forward?

[Vorpal]

It crossed my mind that they have been taught their patterns of play / structure and rigidly adhere to it. Unable to change and adapt.

Some players are better at it than others. Those who play on a team, where they train several days a week, if they aren't as flexible, can typically learn multiple structures/strategies over time. Some people are only every really good at one type of play, but a good coach & teammates can manage that to some extent. Ideally, the national squad will be selected from those who have the best possible combination for flexibility and skill, but sometimes the ideal isn't available, and they have to settle for one or the other.

[Mick F]

PM me your email address and I will send you a £15 off a £60 spend at Morrisons voucher. There is also another one for £15 and another at £10 Hobgoblin Gold is usually £1.25 in our Aldi.

Very kind of you, but you may be better offering it to someone else.

I cannot remember ever (in recent years) of spending over £60 at any supermarket.

In the old days when the girls were still at home, we used to go out and do a massive monthly shopping expedition. These days, with just the two of us, we shop locally and variously, and supermarkets are there for only utility stuff plus cheap beer and wine, but never £60 worth.

[al_yrpal]

I still do a mass shop once every 10 days or so, then its just milk and bananas and other fruit every few days from the village Co-op. A decent freezer saves lots of shopping trips.

Glad the footie fever is over, it was fun while it lasted.

Al

[Audax67]

Over? The flags are still out in this neck of the woods.

[thirdcrank]

... Yes, the failed strategy should have been picked up. It's possible that Southgate and some of the players saw that and were unable to make adjustments. ...

Thirty-odd years ago, one of my sons was hooked on American football when Channel 4 ran a weekly programme. He even had a Miami Dolphins shirt. My memory is of a game consisting entirely of a series of "set pieces" with different specialist players trooping on and off the pitch for every different situation, although most of that was edited out in what was shown on our telly.

[Brucey]

Did I hear correctly, Croatia has a population of only 4 million?

That's right. Wikipedia only has data up to 2011, but the population was declining, then. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Croatia

one of my chums was (quite coincidentally) in Croatia last week. Needless to say they went absolutely ape when the footie was on. Gawd knows what it will be like there when the final is played. I kind of hope they beat France in fact.

In our match with Croatia, England had the run of the play in the first half, but whatever tactics were employed in the second half they didn't work against a skilled and motivated opposition.

cheers

[Vorpal]

Thirty-odd years ago, one of my sons was hooked on American football when Channel 4 ran a weekly programme. He even had a Miami Dolphins shirt. My memory is of a game consisting entirely of a series of "set pieces" with different specialist players trooping on and off the pitch for every different situation, although most of that was edited out in what was shown on our telly.

I like American football. We watch it & participate in a family fantasy league, as well.

As for the 'set pieces', that depends somewhat on the team, but it does rely more heavily on set pieces than football (soccer). Most teams have some plays that leave a great deal up to the players, and some teams rely heavily on improvisation as a strategy, as it is much more difficult to defend against. Also some plays (set pieces) consist of 'okay, you guys run all the way to the end and try to get open'.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Tennis has been good with a 6' 8 & 10 inch semi .........99 games in all
Jockavic has his work cut out with the SA guy

[Cyril Haearn]

Those poor footballers
The Grauniad reports that they are already warming up for the new season, Everton beat Irnding 22:0 for example
Do our heroes and role-models get any holiday after the tattoo and haircut championship, or do they have to go straight to training when they get home?

Did read of one top footballer who spends a lot of time sleeping mind, that would suit me

[Audax67]

Hi,
Tennis has been good with a 6' 8 & 10 inch semi .........99 games in all
Jockavic has his work cut out with the SA guy

6'8 and 10" - what about the other guy?

---o0o---

Over here there's been a run on paracetamol in preparation for Monday morning.*


* lie.

[Bonefishblues]

Thirty-odd years ago, one of my sons was hooked on American football when Channel 4 ran a weekly programme. He even had a Miami Dolphins shirt. My memory is of a game consisting entirely of a series of "set pieces" with different specialist players trooping on and off the pitch for every different situation, although most of that was edited out in what was shown on our telly.

I like American football. We watch it & participate in a family fantasy league, as well.

As for the 'set pieces', that depends somewhat on the team, but it does rely more heavily on set pieces than football (soccer). Most teams have some plays that leave a great deal up to the players, and some teams rely heavily on improvisation as a strategy, as it is much more difficult to defend against. Also some plays (set pieces) consist of 'okay, you guys run all the way to the end and try to get open'.

American Football is, at its heart a game comprising 60 minutes of set pieces (when played at a decent level, anyway!)

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

Hi,
Tennis has been good with a 6' 8 & 10 inch semi .........99 games in all
Jockavic has his work cut out with the SA guy

6'8 and 10" - what about the other guy?

---o0o---

Over here there's been a run on paracetamol in preparation for Monday morning.*


* lie.

One is 6'8................the other was 6'10

[Audax67]

Funny thing: every time I watch a football match, France win the World Cup. That's twice now.

[661-Pete]

Well, congrats to our closest cross-channel neighbours on an excellent performance....

Alas things got just a wee bit ugly in Paris last night. Seems we Englanders are not the only ones....

Or is it memories of 1968 perhaps?

[reohn2]

We missed the final as we were at Avebury cheering on our two youngest daughters(34 and 37)running and completing the Race to the Stones 100k trail ultra marathon(swells with prde )
I thought France would win but didn't think there would be so many goals in it .