The actual I am watching the World Cup thread. No, non World Cup watchers please. Spoilers.

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Comments

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,215
    They are if the post is your target.
  • seanoconn
    seanoconn Posts: 11,318
    Don’t know what to make of Brazil. Serbia didn’t offer anything. The way to play Brazil is not to sit back and let them attack you.
    Pinno, מלך אידיוט וחרא מכונאי
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,233
    They were pretty good and made a decent side look rubbish.
  • Tashman
    Tashman Posts: 3,398

    No idea who the commentator is, but "I've never understood why they don't count shots that hit the post as shots on target" deserved the response it got. "Because they aren't on target."

    It's the same level of punditry on anything a goalkeeper does being "a good height" or "straight at him". Never compliment the keeper for their positioning or movement.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,233
    It's remarkable for such a popular sport how bad the commentary is. The amount of nothing they say is remarkable. Just cliche after cliche.
  • It's remarkable for such a popular sport how bad the commentary is. The amount of nothing they say is remarkable. Just cliche after cliche.

    I had the misfortune of catching the end of a match with John Hartson as a pundit. There was 5 mins of injury time in which VAR summoned the ref to the monitor. Poor old John had so little understanding that he kept incredulously pointing to the clock going into the 96th then 97th minute
  • Tashman said:

    No idea who the commentator is, but "I've never understood why they don't count shots that hit the post as shots on target" deserved the response it got. "Because they aren't on target."

    It's the same level of punditry on anything a goalkeeper does being "a good height" or "straight at him". Never compliment the keeper for their positioning or movement.
    I think we are spoiled in other sports. In the summer Sangakkara analysed Ben Foakes 12 "drops" and concluded that no other keeper would have even touched them so would not have gone down as a drop
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,215

    It's remarkable for such a popular sport how bad the commentary is. The amount of nothing they say is remarkable. Just cliche after cliche.

    I had the misfortune of catching the end of a match with John Hartson as a pundit. There was 5 mins of injury time in which VAR summoned the ref to the monitor. Poor old John had so little understanding that he kept incredulously pointing to the clock going into the 96th then 97th minute
    Hartson was abysmal.
  • Pross said:

    It's remarkable for such a popular sport how bad the commentary is. The amount of nothing they say is remarkable. Just cliche after cliche.

    I had the misfortune of catching the end of a match with John Hartson as a pundit. There was 5 mins of injury time in which VAR summoned the ref to the monitor. Poor old John had so little understanding that he kept incredulously pointing to the clock going into the 96th then 97th minute
    Hartson was abysmal.
    It does raise the question of whether he is the highest profile Welsh ex-player who has not done something unsavoury?

    Even the brain dead Robbie Savage is streets ahead of this fool
  • I think we are spoiled in other sports.


    True, and a lot of other sports, as per the cricket example, have a lot of technical elements which require analysis and an ability to explain and interpret them succinctly.

    Football is actually a much simpler sport and players tend to be told what to do rather than work it out for themselves. I think that is why so many pundits, being ex players, are rubbish at analysis and commentary.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,215

    Pross said:

    It's remarkable for such a popular sport how bad the commentary is. The amount of nothing they say is remarkable. Just cliche after cliche.

    I had the misfortune of catching the end of a match with John Hartson as a pundit. There was 5 mins of injury time in which VAR summoned the ref to the monitor. Poor old John had so little understanding that he kept incredulously pointing to the clock going into the 96th then 97th minute
    Hartson was abysmal.
    It does raise the question of whether he is the highest profile Welsh ex-player who has not done something unsavoury?

    Even the brain dead Robbie Savage is streets ahead of this fool
    Surprised no-one has Mark Hughes or Chris Coleman.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,233

    I think we are spoiled in other sports.


    True, and a lot of other sports, as per the cricket example, have a lot of technical elements which require analysis and an ability to explain and interpret them succinctly.

    Football is actually a much simpler sport and players tend to be told what to do rather than work it out for themselves. I think that is why so many pundits, being ex players, are rubbish at analysis and commentary.
    You'd have thought the depth of football meant that somewhere you'd find an ex player or coach who is articulate enough.

    It's remarkably non-technical. In most other sports you feel you're learning something at some point from the commentator.

    It goes from utterly banal to nerd in front of a touch screen and nothing inbetween.
  • I think we are spoiled in other sports.


    True, and a lot of other sports, as per the cricket example, have a lot of technical elements which require analysis and an ability to explain and interpret them succinctly.

    Football is actually a much simpler sport and players tend to be told what to do rather than work it out for themselves. I think that is why so many pundits, being ex players, are rubbish at analysis and commentary.
    That does not explain why they don't do the basics like explain Kane plays so deep as he does not have the pace or that we are very good at set pieces so we will play for free kicks. Or Sterling/Grealish when you look at the stats are gash and whilst some of the others may be no better at least they track back.

    If it was like cricket they would point out the opposition right back is too slow so we will run our most theatrical divers at him to try and draw an early yellow card.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,215

    I think we are spoiled in other sports.


    True, and a lot of other sports, as per the cricket example, have a lot of technical elements which require analysis and an ability to explain and interpret them succinctly.

    Football is actually a much simpler sport and players tend to be told what to do rather than work it out for themselves. I think that is why so many pundits, being ex players, are rubbish at analysis and commentary.
    You'd have thought the depth of football meant that somewhere you'd find an ex player or coach who is articulate enough.

    It's remarkably non-technical. In most other sports you feel you're learning something at some point from the commentator.

    It goes from utterly banal to nerd in front of a touch screen and nothing inbetween.
    The most articulate pundits tend to be those with English as a second language. There are a few out there though, Lineker and Shearer have become decent over time and Jermaine Jenas is showing promise. It also seems to have become qalmost compulsory to have a ex-pro female on the team now where the pool is smaller and it feels very much like a case of taking whoever is available with no concern about their ability to talk knowledgably.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,215
    Wales are terrible again. Usually taking your club form to the international stage is seen as a good thing but not in the case of Bale and those who had good games against the USA have looked a bit shaky today.
  • That does not explain why they don't do the basics like explain Kane plays so deep


    They probably don't know why he is, that was my point. They are told during their career, "you do this", but are not encouraged to ask why they are doing it. I worked in community football at pro clubs for a while and met a fair few players. I met Ashley Cole once and a young player asked why he didn't use his right foot, his response was "my first football coach said not to bother as my left was so good". Never questioned it and just did that his entire career.

    As per the Kane example, they will say Kane is dropping deep, but I expect if you then asked "why", most pundits would just say, because he has been told to!
  • That does not explain why they don't do the basics like explain Kane plays so deep


    They probably don't know why he is, that was my point. They are told during their career, "you do this", but are not encouraged to ask why they are doing it. I worked in community football at pro clubs for a while and met a fair few players. I met Ashley Cole once and a young player asked why he didn't use his right foot, his response was "my first football coach said not to bother as my left was so good". Never questioned it and just did that his entire career.

    As per the Kane example, they will say Kane is dropping deep, but I expect if you then asked "why", most pundits would just say, because he has been told to!
    A mate used to be the editor of his club's program and wrote their history and he reckons rather than thick they just swear so much that it comes naturally to them and this is why they sound inarticulate as they are concentrating so hard on not swearing
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,215
    Wales getting totally outplayed, Iran look a different team to the one that played England but I can't work out if that is due to them lifting their game or Wales being so lax in keeping posession. The referee is unusually tolerant!
  • As I said after the England game, Iran aren't mugs, they are a decent side that got totally outplayed by an excellent one. England's attacking options and the technical ability of the front players is as good as anything in world football. Wales and Iran are much more evenly matched, which has made for quite a decent game IMO.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,215
    Only one team looking likely to score.

    One bizarre thing I've noticed at this World Cup is the amount of people who are taking little babies to the match. It doesn't seem very sensible to me, especially given the heat.
  • As I said after the England game, Iran aren't mugs, they are a decent side that got totally outplayed by an excellent one. England's attacking options and the technical ability of the front players is as good as anything in world football. Wales and Iran are much more evenly matched, which has made for quite a decent game IMO.

    I just watched a couple of mins and thought it one of the worst games I have ever seen, they look like they are in the 120th minute
  • Pross said:

    Only one team looking likely to score.

    One bizarre thing I've noticed at this World Cup is the amount of people who are taking little babies to the match. It doesn't seem very sensible to me, especially given the heat.

    air conditioned stadia and no drunken louts. Plus there is a chance they have been paid to be there at short notice.
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 20,509

    I think we are spoiled in other sports.


    True, and a lot of other sports, as per the cricket example, have a lot of technical elements which require analysis and an ability to explain and interpret them succinctly.

    Football is actually a much simpler sport and players tend to be told what to do rather than work it out for themselves. I think that is why so many pundits, being ex players, are rubbish at analysis and commentary.
    You'd have thought the depth of football meant that somewhere you'd find an ex player or coach who is articulate enough.

    It's remarkably non-technical. In most other sports you feel you're learning something at some point from the commentator.

    It goes from utterly banal to nerd in front of a touch screen and nothing inbetween.
    A player who understands the game well becomes a manager because it is a more high profile, rewarding and profitable position.

    A cricketer in a similar position would choose to be a coach/commentator, because it is a high profile position with a great lifestyle.

    There's plenty of useless cricket commentators e.g. Botham.

    The other problem pundits have in football is that it is not possible to watch all the games every team plays whereas many fans will watch all the games their team plays. The result is that the pundit doesn't know the fan's team as well as the fan.

    In cricket, they all watch every England game and largely commentate on England's players, so it is a lot easier. Then there is the visiting commentator to provide expertise on their team.





  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,215
    No idea what Hennessey was doing there and luckily the referee's leniency stays but VAR is going to get it upgraded.
  • fvck me, that should have been two red cards, one for dangerous play and one for preventing a goalscoring opportunity
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,215
    A draw will feel like a great result for Wales after this performance.
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 14,498
    Pross said:

    A draw will feel like a great result for Wales after this performance.

    Oh.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,215
    Jut as I thought they were going to hold on for an undeserved draw. Wales have been so disappointing.
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 14,498
    Pross, there's a phone call for you. It is Pete Tong.
  • The TV pundits think Iran just about edged it in the second half. :D