• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Betting Offers UK

Best Free Bets & Casino Sign Up Offers For 2020

  • Betting Offers
  • Free Bets
  • Casino Bonuses
  • Home
  • New Sites
  • Free Spins
  • Free Bet Clubs
  • Loyalty
  • Football
    • Premier League
  • Horse Racing
    • Cheltenham Festival
      • Disruptions & Cancellations
      • Old Course v New Course Differences
      • Prestbury Cup
      • Top Trainers
    • Grand National
      • Disruptions & Cancellations
      • Back to Back Grand National Winners
      • How Often Does the Favourite Win?
      • How to Pick the Grand National Winner
      • What is the Virtual Grand National?
  • Irish Lottery
  • Blog

World Cup 2018 News: Southgate On the Spot as Croatia Name their Squad

14 May, 2018

Footballer Taking Penalty KIckYou do wonder if some callous individual had never mentioned the idea of a penalty shootout, would England have lifted the Jules Rimet trophy on more than just one occasion?

It’s a fair question to ask given that in three recent renewals of the World Cup, the Three Lions have been disposed of in this cruellest of manners.

Readers of a certain vintage will recall Chris Waddle blasting his spot kick into the solar system during the semi-final defeat to Germany, while further penalty shootout defeats were to follow in 1998 to Argentina and 2006 to Portugal.

In an ideal world, Gareth Southgate would have had his men out practising from 12 yards in preparation for this summer’s tournament, but it turns out that the players might not practice for the eventuality at all!

Southgate confirmed in a fans forum that the national Under-17s team had been used as guinea pigs for various spot kick routines; including whether practice was necessary at all.

And Matt Crocker, the FA’s head of player development, suggested that it was ultimately down to the players to decide. “Rather than thinking it’s about the player practising penalties every day in training, some of the players told us ‘we don’t want to practise them every day’,” he said.

“Those who don’t need it and just want to take it in a game, because that’s their style, we tailor it specific to their needs.”

The six-point dossier, which the FA hopes will lead England to success in Russia, also focuses on pre-penalty preparation: with players asked whether or not they want to take a spot kick, and remaining calm during that dreaded walk from the centre circle to the penalty spot.

Who knows; it’s this preparation that could final end 52 years of hurt!

Lovren and Modric Russia Bound

Croatia are one of the very first countries to name their provisional squad for Russia, and it contains a number of top notch talents.

Real Madrid pair Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic, and Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic, will put club allegiances aside and link up in midfield for the Croats, and they will support a highly capable frontline that includes Mario Mandzukic – fresh from Juventus’ Serie A triumph, Ivan Perisic and Nikola Kalinic.

Liverpool’s Dejan Lovren will shore up the defence along with Atletico Madrid’s Sime Vrsaljko, and in goal the Eastern Europeans can call upon the talented Monaco shot stopper, Daniel Subasic.

World Cup Ref Under Investigation

While it is the list of squads that generally captures the imagination of the public, the 36 referees that have been handpicked by FIFA generally draw less fanfare.

One ref, Fahad Al-Mirdasi has this week been suspended by the Saudi Arabian football authorities as he remains under ‘administrative investigation’.

The Saudi official was also taken off domestic duty for the King’s Cup final between Al-Ittihad and Al-Faisaly, with former Premier League whistle-blower Mark Clattenburg instead put in charge.

There is yet to be any confirmation of wrongdoing from Al-Mirdasi, and he could yet take up his role in Russia this summer.

Fahad al-Mirdasi has been deselected from 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ duty. #Russia2018https://t.co/6I3VviyvEG

— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) May 30, 2018

VAR Out, Man

It has been confirmed that VAR technology will be used at the World Cup, with video replays and the officials’ decision-making process to be shown on the big screen during the match for the very first time.

Similarly to the Hawkeye tech used in cricket and tennis, supporters inside the stadium will be able to watch replays unfold and any subsequent decisions made in real time. It’s a move designed to add to the atmosphere inside the stadia, as well as helping to clear up the confusion that VAR-based decisions have created in a number of European football’s top divisions this term.

Pierluigi Collina, the terrifying former referee who has officiated in a World Cup final, said that the idea behind VAR is to ‘avoid clear and obvious major errors’. “It’s not a question of refereeing the match with technology,” he said. “The goal has never been to check every minor incident.”

But the technology is not without its faults, and even senior officials in the world game – including UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin – believe it should be tested further before being unleashed on the beautiful game’s biggest stage.

He told the Italian paper Gazzetta dello Sport: “I have some fear for the World Cup, where we will have referees who have never officiated with the VAR.”

Previous Post: « It’s Not How You Start, But How You Finish: The Permutations of the Final Day of the Premier League Campaign
Next Post: World Cup 2018 Squad News: Neymar Shakes Off Injury to Shine in Russia »

Primary Sidebar

Blog

Football Manager In Front of Stadium Holding Ball
Why Do Football Clubs Employ Inexperienced Big Name Players as Managers?
Football Player Celebrating
The Closest Premier League Title Races in History: Will 2020/21 Be One of Them?
Saudi Flag Against Dark Background
Racing Behemoth Khalid Abdullah Dies Aged 83 – What a Legacy He Leaves Behind
Donald Trump Waving
Donald Trump and Golf: The Courses Owned by the Former US President & Why He Was Dropped by the PGA Championship
Football Referee Flipping Coin
Heads or Tails: When Football Matches & Tournaments Have Been Decided by a Coin Toss
More Blog Posts | Full Archives

Archives

Loyalty Offers

  • Acca Bonuses
  • Acca Insurance
  • Best Odds Guaranteed
  • Free Bet Clubs
  • Loyalty Points

Major Events

  • Grand National
    • Disruptions & Cancellations
    • Back to Back Winners
    • How Often Does the Favourite Win?
    • How to Pick the Grand National Winner
    • What is the Virtual Grand National?
  • Cheltenham Festival
    • Festival Disruptions & Cancellations
    • Old Course v New Course
    • The Prestbury Cup
    • Top Trainers
  • Premier League
  • Irish Lottery

Popular Posts

  • Equine Flu Outbreak 2019: Timeline & Latest Updates
  • The Life & Career of Emiliano Sala: From Cow Fields in Argentina to a Terrace Darling in Nantes
  • Brexit & Football: Will Leaving the EU Spell the End of the Premier League As We Know It?
  • Cheltenham Gold Cup 2019 Entries: Who’s In, Who’s Out and Who Should You Back?
  • Rooney’s Rap Sheet: After Airport Arrest We Ask Why Wayne Can't Keep Out of Trouble?
  • Manchester United Sack Jose Mourinho: Is it Farewell or Good Riddance, and What Next for the Portuguese Manager?
  • The Brexit Affect: UK & Irish Horse Racing Could Look Very Different After Leaving the EU
  • Gambling Advertising in Sport: Is it Game Over for Betting Shirt Sponsors in Football?
  • Match Fixing in Sport: How Deep Does it Go and Should Punters be Concerned?
  • Fans Behaving Badly: Football Violence, Riots, Protests and Disruptions
  • Cheating in Darts: Coughing, Farting & Outright Deception
  • FOBT Maximum Stake Limit: How the Government Has Made a Shambles of Our Era’s Most Contentious Betting Issue
  • Does Football Have a Gambling Problem? Sturridge Latest to be Charged by the FA For Breaching Betting Rules
  • A History of The Tote: One of Sports Betting’s Oldest Institutions

Related Posts

  • Why Do Football Clubs Employ Inexperienced Big Name Players as Managers?
  • The Closest Premier League Title Races in History: Will 2020/21 Be One of Them?
  • Heads or Tails: When Football Matches & Tournaments Have Been Decided by a Coin Toss
  • Liverpool or Manchester United – Which Is the Most Successful Club?
  • The Shortest Ever Football Managerial Reigns: Where Does Tony Pulis' 45 Day Sheffield Wednesday Tenure Rank?
  • Messi’s Magic: All of the Broken Records That Prove Lionel is Better Than Ronaldo
  • What Is The Bosman Ruling and Who Is the Best Bosman Signing Ever?
  • Gerard Houllier & Other Ordinary Footballers That Became Extraordinary Managers
  • Copa Libertadores: What Is It and How Can You Watch It?
  • New Rules On Maternity Leave Bring Women’s Football Into the 21st Century

Betting Blog

  • American Football
  • Athletics
  • Betting Industry
  • Boxing
  • Cricket
  • Darts
  • Football
  • General
  • Golf
  • Horse Racing
  • Motor Racing
  • Politics
  • Rugby
  • Snooker
  • Tennis
betting-sites.co.uk
gambling-sites.co.uk

Copyright © 2021 Betting-Offers.com | BeGambleAware.org 18+