Fitba' 19

[Alcibiades]

Yah hopefully we'll see a little RVP tonight. Missed seeing him play all season.

[Black Wizard]

I think RVP will appear as a substitute, especially if Arsenal need a late goal although Bendtner has been the master of that recently. Mabye if Arsenal are in a comfortable position Wenger may not risk him and wait till the weekend.

[Horza]

Do you really want to watch World Cups where a large number of teams try to emulate Greece's Euro Championship success?

Just to head in the opposite direction for a moment, I think the offside rule needs to change. In its current format it is unfair to defenders. An attacker is only offside if interfering with play, but a defender keeps an attacker onside even if the defender is not interfering with play (e.g. 40 yards away asleep in the left back position, or possibly even prone on the ground with an injury).

Wha? Opposing goalpost widening and other ludricrous attempts to make it easier to score goals for shits and gigs is akin to being Otto Rehhagel II: This Time It's Pragmaticer? For real?

The whole point of the offside law revisions is to encourage defenders to actually defend rather than step forward when the ball is kicked from deep. If they can't do that it's their problem.

[Fireball07]

It's not that easy to do what Greece did, that was a tactical masterclass from Rehhagel, with the right players. Not every team could do that.

If the other teams were good enough, they would have won.

Widening the goals is absolute bullshit.

[Jon AS]

The whole point of the offside law revisions is to encourage defenders to actually defend rather than step forward when the ball is kicked from deep. If they can't do that it's their problem.

My favourite bit about the offside rule is that, at least in Germany, referees are officially encouraged to not flag an attacking player offside if they aren't certain that he was. Of course in general referees and assistants do the exact opposite, as dealing with the fallout of a wrongly given goal is probably a lot more hassle than a player arguing a hypothetical goal he might have scored, but if this was applied consistently we'd probably get a few more goals as a result.

[BigFatCoward]

just noticed that Swansea have managed to get themselves into the play off spots with a 0.86 goals per game ratio, i know they have a good defence but that is amazing.

games at the liberty stadium must have been a riot this year.

[Jon AS]

just noticed that Swansea have managed to get themselves into the play off spots with a 0.86 goals per game ratio, i know they have a good defence but that is amazing.

games at the liberty stadium must have been a riot this year.

In France Auxerre sit second in the league with exactly 1 goal per game.

[BigFatCoward]

Yah hopefully we'll see a little RVP tonight. Missed seeing him play all season.

Arsenal have averaged 3.3 goals per game in 11 PL games with Van Persie playing this season, compared to 1.8 without him, so yeah, i hope he plays too.

[BigFatCoward]

In France Auxerre sit second in the league with exactly 1 goal per game.

How, do they win lots of game 1-0, then when they do get beat its by 3 or 4? it doesn't compute for me. and i certainly wouldn't want to watch it. but i suppose managers must play to their strengths.

[Jon AS]

How, do they win lots of game 1-0, then when they do get beat its by 3 or 4? it doesn't compute for me. and i certainly wouldn't want to watch it. but i suppose managers must play to their strengths.

I can't say I've seen them play, I'm just as amazed as you that they managed this. I mean there are only 3 teams in the Bundesliga with a worse scoring record than the number two team in France? Auxerre scored less than 3 goals in all but one match so far, on top of that they started the season with three defeats and have lost some games conceding a lot of goals, including a 5-0 loss to Grenoble who are dead last (in fact I think they've already been relegated).

[Padraig]

You've seen David James play, right?

But you haven't seen his grandfather play. :P

Do you guys know what happens when you do that? It's called Australian Rules Football and it's fucking boring.

So basically you are saying that 100 years ago, football was like Australian Rules? Because this widening suggestion just turns the clock back a few decades.

Widening the goals is absolute bullshit.

But why? Change is bad? Or it should be really really difficult to score? (Rather than just really difficult?)

Once I got over my whole "change is bad" viewpoint, I have no reason not to approve of widening goals. Although, if somebody can think of a good reason, i'm happy to change my mind again. :)

[Ken Stone]

I was hoping some of you football fans could enlighten me a bit. My son is in 1st grade and I am coaching his soccer team. They call it Micro-soccer, and there are only 4 kids on each side on the field at a time, so it is pretty basic. I understand the basics of soccer but I don't really understand what is allowed when it comes to contact. I watched a pro match a bit and I couldn't figure out why some things were considered fouls and others were not. Right now the kids have a hard time attacking the ball. They sort of try to run to where the ball is going but it's easy for the dribbler to change directions and then they are out of position. Is it correct to teach them to get between the ball and the guy dribbling it? I'm not sure if stepping in like that is a foul or not.

[kuroishi]

I can't say I've seen them play, I'm just as amazed as you that they managed this. I mean there are only 3 teams in the Bundesliga with a worse scoring record than the number two team in France? Auxerre scored less than 3 goals in all but one match so far, on top of that they started the season with three defeats and have lost some games conceding a lot of goals, including a 5-0 loss to Grenoble who are dead last (in fact I think they've already been relegated).

Grenoble have been relegated in the last championship day, indeed.

Auxerre's performance this year is something of a surprise (as is Montpellier's position), as everybody was expecting Lyon, Marseille and Bordeaux to grab the three Champions League spots. (in fact, everybody still sort of expect them to, and for Auxerre and Montpellier to finally get dropped from the title race... but they don't)

Regarding Auxerre, they have the best defense of the league, a very good coach (Jean Fernandez, who indeed play with its team's strengths, as he used to make his team play a very offensive and pleasant football when he coached Marseille), only one good offensive player (Jelen) who is very often injuried, a relatively good playmaker (Pedretti), and not a lot of money.

[Jon AS]

I was hoping some of you football fans could enlighten me a bit. My son is in 1st grade and I am coaching his soccer team. They call it Micro-soccer, and there are only 4 kids on each side on the field at a time, so it is pretty basic. I understand the basics of soccer but I don't really understand what is allowed when it comes to contact. I watched a pro match a bit and I couldn't figure out why some things were considered fouls and others were not. Right now the kids have a hard time attacking the ball. They sort of try to run to where the ball is going but it's easy for the dribbler to change directions and then they are out of position. Is it correct to teach them to get between the ball and the guy dribbling it? I'm not sure if stepping in like that is a foul or not.

You should probably take the time to look up the rules, plenty of places online where you can find them. This was one of the first hits for googling "football rules". No idea if it is any good, but seems like a good start at first glance.

When it comes to challenging for the ball the basic rule is that as long as you are trying to play the ball you're good, if you just try to push/pull/kick the player it's a foul.

ETA: Just stepping into the path of a running player to stop him is usually a foul.

ETA2: actually read kuroishi's link, mine isn't as detailed as I thought at first glance.

[kuroishi]

I was hoping some of you football fans could enlighten me a bit. My son is in 1st grade and I am coaching his soccer team. They call it Micro-soccer, and there are only 4 kids on each side on the field at a time, so it is pretty basic. I understand the basics of soccer but I don't really understand what is allowed when it comes to contact. I watched a pro match a bit and I couldn't figure out why some things were considered fouls and others were not. Right now the kids have a hard time attacking the ball. They sort of try to run to where the ball is going but it's easy for the dribbler to change directions and then they are out of position. Is it correct to teach them to get between the ball and the guy dribbling it? I'm not sure if stepping in like that is a foul or not.

So basically, I'd redirect you to the page 111 of the FIFA Laws of the Game.

But I think that what you have to know is that contact is ok, as long as it's not too agressive (especially if you're playing with kids), and that the players are trying to get the ball (it is a foul to try to get the player instead of the ball).

Also, no holding, of the player or of his shirt.

[Renasko]

Not a bad point for Villa to pick up tonight, considering how things have been going of lately.

Strong, positive second-half performance from Spurs, there. Arsenal could've beaten them if not for Gomes' heroics. 3 fine stops, two from RVP's attempts, in particular.

[The Iceman of the North]

This was three points I wasn't expecting. Makes up for the Sunderland match, and means we're still in play for the fourth position (even if I doubt that City will give it up).

[Alcibiades]

Tough night for the Arse. Hard to see them figuring in the frame for the title now. Chelsea have to screw up pretty severely.

Van Persie should have had two goals at least, if not for some phenomenal goalkeeping from the once-maligned Gomez.

[Renasko]

I watched a pro match a bit and I couldn't figure out why some things were considered fouls and others were not.

I would advise that you watch some older football matches. Pre-90's, in particular. Modern day coaches of teams are guilty of bad habits you'll now see exhibited by players. With the increasing tempo of the game, and the distances the players cover (from 5,000 metres per game as it was in the mid 70s, it has now doubled and some are even capable of 13,000 per. game), they're increasingly in danger of becoming injured. So the managers encourage their staff to protect the players, which has led to players going down/giving up, even when they're not precisely fouled. It allows the team to have a breather and collect themselves. Also, it kills the speed of the play and saves things from getting out of hand. And in this, a bad culture of seizing opportunities, even from little, has emerged. Sometimes it is simply down to the desperation of tired players to win the game, but in other cases...well, I'm cynical.

While one would hope that players characters would shine through, unfortunately the young boys that seem to be emerging are malleable to the enforcements of style by the coaching staff. There is little personal expressionism or creativity among the current players occupying their trades in Europe. Indeed, some call the few that do 'shine', in this respect, as a dying breed.

They sort of try to run to where the ball is going but it's easy for the dribbler to change directions and then they are out of position. Is it correct to teach them to get between the ball and the guy dribbling it? I'm not sure if stepping in like that is a foul or not.

All-round athleticism is arguably the most useful thing in the modern game. It is now more than ever a team game, so it boils down to a lot of chasing and harrying of the opposition. Successful teams play at a high tempo and press the ball, even when it is in the oppositions half, so things breakdown and they can regain possession. If a player is fit enough, he can regain his position and get back, and hopefully will eventually win the ball. If not, his attempts will draw others into the fray and whoever is in control of the ball will inevitably lose it. But at all times, I'd stress you need to go for the ball. Never look for going between or at the player, when tackling, as it is after all what you're playing for. If you miss the ball, you're inviting a foul to be given in the oppositions favour.

[DJDonegal]

What a shit result. We pissed all over them in the second half.

Gomes' save from van Persies freekick was amazing. So was his save from Campbell's DEFLECTED header. What a bastard.