Support Italy if you like but the idea that it's because England cheat more is hysterical. Have you actually watched Italy in the past couple of games? Find another angle if I were you as you lack any credibility like this. Italy can score from anywhere, their finishing has been awesome compared to us and that's pretty exciting. Go with that instead and people will stop openly laughing at how silly your OP is buddy. Good luck. 1-1 and penalties. Not sure who wins from there as both teams have a pretty poor record at them.
Players have been magnificent to date, but, into the breach one last time, for Her Majesty and England. Of course the potential of an additional days Public Holiday shouldn't be forgotten if we win. Sign the petition...
The problem is, this sort of "gamesmanship" has crept into English football. The only way to stop this is to heavily penalise players for doing it. Everyone can see what Sterling is about but if the ref think he's been tripped he's going to give it. Not saying I think Sterling is justified for using this tactic I think it needs stamping out of the game.
How about, the ref doesn't give penalties. If you think you were tripped in the box or whatever you have to appeal. If VAR finds you were tripped it's a penalty, if not you get booked for diving!
I dunno mate as people are pointing out they're all at it, but there certain times where I find it unforgivable. Diving for pens or the lowest of the low and in games of such magnitude it turns my stomach. The thing is the attacking players create the contact in the 1st place and then in slow no people say "look contact" I said this yesterday but the thing is that these players are coached to do do it and conditioned to do it without thinking.. Unless the all stop coaching it in it'll always happen, but we don't have to like it and accept it either. I'm sure there's been times I've been pleased newcastle got one, but for quite a while now I've been advocating that a penalty should only be given for blatent fouls where a goal scoring opportunity was denied.. Some common sense would have to be applied, but I think it would clean it up a bit.
Football is a contact sport. You expect to be “touched,kicked,handled” all over the pitch. The diving or play acting is happening at all levels of football and it is virtually impossible to eradicate. Outside of the box it’s not as big an issue. But inside the box a penalty should only be given if it’s a Clear obstruction of a scoring opportunity. Not a little Nick or slight contact. Same goes for handball for me.
Anyhoo back on topic. Italy are definitely a serious threat. They have a bit of everything. However they don’t like pace at the back. And we have serious pace which I think can hurt them.
I think we can all agree that diving is endemic in the modern game. I also think we can all agree that in principle no one likes it and all would want it stopped. Years back on here I can remember ranting about so called experts mumbling in commentary that there was contact and therefore the attacker was entitled to go down and claim a penalty as if that formed any part of the Laws of the game. The way to stamp it out is simple. Send off anyone who dives. Review if necessary with VAR but if the sanction was to be sent off then I’m confident that diving would be greatly reduced. Also teach the referees that contact does not necessarily equal foul. Now let’s look forward to seeing England in a major Final and then Newcastle being taken over and the Premier League investigated for corruption.
I think fans on the whole accept it when it goes for them and argue against when it goes against. I'm sure I've done that before because it's people making decisions in their mind based an emotional bias, but for a while I've just said nah I don't want soft pens for dives. It's all coached in... People can make as many rules as they like, but the clubs, the managers would need to be telling their players to stay on their feet and don't go looking for contact. Football reinvented the terms diving and cheating started referring to it as #winning free kicks and penalties and that filters down and sounds more acceptable than what it is. It's using positives words instead of a negative word to make it sound like it's a positive behaviour. I don't think it can or ever will stop as people pointed out they're all at it , but I will continue to call it out whenever I see it.
I've explained this one but I'll try again Italy don't represent me and England do, so I don't care about Italy. I have a personal issue with England about the way we won the other day and I don't want us to win a competition with an after 55 years with an asterisk against it. Anyway I'm really just trying to find out what other peoples views are I think I've made mine clear on soft pens for ages. It's just other people's that seems to change that's all.
So wouldn't it be better to say I don't want any of these cheating c***s to win, football is dead to me till the Saudis take over and Sterling signs and then starts winning penalties for Newcastle.
Absolutely, but unfortunately one of them will. I have my reasons now and I it doesn't matter to anyone else what my feelings are, but I still have them. Hopefully mate let's hope we don't get cheated out of a bright future. I don't mind who comes here, but if they cheat for pens I'll say I don't like it. This isn't something new I've been saying just because of the other day. I've been saying I don't like it for years and it's sincere. I have evidence that other people change their stance based on whether decisions go for them or against them. They can do that it's fine.
Anyway it'll be more interesting if there's someone backing Italy on here.. It is afterall anyone's choice who they want to win
