World Football Thread XIV - Italy: Hail to the Champions

[ískallin]

ou are unbelievably naive if you think it "just seems to clinge [sic] to italian players."

Not all Italian players. I never said that . But don't try to deny that many Italian football players, use as you could put it unconventional methods to gain atvantage.

And of course you could also mention the racist chanting in Italian football stadiums

[Lord Avalon]

Housebroken, Pimp My Soccer.

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by ískallin And of course you could also mention the racist chanting in Italian football stadiums

Indeed. But it happens elsewhere too (Spain is perhaps more guilty of it).

Originally posted by ískallin
Not all Italian players. I never said that . But don't try to deny that many Italian football players, use as you could put it unconventional methods to gain atvantage.

I know you didn't say all Italian players. What you said is that the only ones who cheat are Italians, which is obviously not true.


Meanwhile, look at the stats for the World Cup. Guess who's #1 in fouls committed? France. Here's the top 5:[list=1][*]France (120 fouls)[*]Germany (118 fouls)[*]Portugal (109 fouls)[*]Italy (102 fouls)[*]Ghana (92 fouls)[/list=1]
So, of the four teams that played the most games, Italy is at the bottom.

Essentially, the numbers show all of you "Wa wa So what if Italy won they cheated and they fouled alot wa wa" crowd to be plain wrong.

[Lord Avalon]

Is that really fouls committed? Or just fouls called against? I'm just asking.

[ískallin]

Stats don't tell you sqat about football mate...

I saw a statistic last season that John O'shea of man utd was the fifth best player in the premier league.
Well he wasn't. I watched every one of man utd's games last season, fa cup, champion league, premier league and league cup. And I tell you that O'shea isn't by a long shot even in the top 100 in the premier league.


Stats don't work in football. They tell you half or maybe quarter of the story.

[LordShiva]

That makes no sense. There is no such thing as a "Best player points" stat; obviously, that's based on other stats with real meaning - number of goals scored, tackles committed, games played, etc., in some combination. When you disagree with the conclusion, you don't disagree with the stats - you disagree with the way they were scored against each other to come up with a composite player rating.

On the other hand, there's no ambiguity in a stat that says one side committed less fouls than another. That's fact.

[Lord Avalon]

Originally posted by LordShiva
On the other hand, there's no ambiguity in a stat that says one side committed less fouls than another. That's fact.

Actually, it's the ref's judgment. The stats could mean that more opposing players dove against France and got the ref to call a foul (doesn't mean one was committed, IMHO).

Edit: "There are lies, damn lies, and statistics." - Mark Twain

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by Lord Avalon
Actually, it's the ref's judgment. The stats could mean that more opposing players dove against France and got the ref to call a foul (doesn't mean one was committed, IMHO).

You have a point - both France and Germany played against Portugal.

But IMO it's the best indication to go with. Better than the "feeling" someone gets from watching one or two games (especially when s/he's going in with an almost racist bias, as one or two of the previous posters seem to have).

[C0ckney]

all the people condemning matterazi here have clearly never played football in their lives. if there was a head butt every time someone's mother, sister or whatever got insulted by an opponent, every game ever played would get abandoned.

violence like that can never be justified on a football field, whatever was said

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by C0ckney
all the people condemning matterazi here have clearly never played football in their lives. if there was a head butt every time someone's mother, sister or whatever got insulted by an opponent, every game ever played would get abandoned.

violence like that can never be justified on a football field, whatever was said

Exactly my point from pages 1 and 2.

[Hueij]

Stats in football? Are you American?

[Ecthy]

Klinsmann just announced his retreat from national coach

[Hueij]

Originally posted by Ecthy
Klinsmann just announced his retreat from national coach

You got to be kidding... He is the guy that made me cheering for Germany for the first time since '74

[Harovan]

Really?

It's the best he could do, though.

[Ecthy]