Qatar 🇶🇦 World 🌍 Cup 2022

[Derek27]

Sorry mate, that's nonsense. He's hours away and can do nothing. His best option was to be on the phone, launch his predigious wealth to protect those he loves.
Flying home for me suggests "i don't like the team selections, so you can all F*** off".

His wife might have had a miscarriage, an elderly relative could be in hospital, we don't know the situation. Did somebody get beaten up? Facing an armed robbery can't be much fun and he won't be much use on the football pitch if he's worried about their welfare.

That's all supposition unless you have inside info. From the outside, he was deselected, got the the hump and left the camp. I suspect if any of those lines where true they would be splattered all over the media. I hope they aren't true. But he now has to come up with something compelling for leaving.

You are cynical greenmark, if you find it hard to believe that someone's been burgled!

Yes, it is a supposition, I was merely pointing out that you don't know what's happened so you can't criticise. You accuse me of speculating and then do exactly the same yourself. When you're reversing your car, it's fine to suppose that somebody's behind you and check your mirrors, you don't suppose nobody's there and reverse!

Can you not accept that even footballers can have personal and family problems at any time? Next, a player will have a bereavement and you'll be attacking him for going home!

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/footbal ... r-AA14THGA

[greenmark]

His wife might have had a miscarriage, an elderly relative could be in hospital, we don't know the situation. Did somebody get beaten up? Facing an armed robbery can't be much fun and he won't be much use on the football pitch if he's worried about their welfare.

That's all supposition unless you have inside info. From the outside, he was deselected, got the the hump and left the camp. I suspect if any of those lines where true they would be splattered all over the media. I hope they aren't true. But he now has to come up with something compelling for leaving.

You are cynical greenmark, if you find it hard to believe that someone's been burgled!

Yes, it is a supposition, I was merely pointing out that you don't know what's happened so you can't criticise. You accuse me of speculating and then do exactly the same yourself. When you're reversing your car, it's fine to suppose that somebody's behind you and check your mirrors, you don't suppose nobody's there and reverse!

Can you not accept that even footballers can have personal and family problems at any time? Next, a player will have a bereavement and you'll be attacking him for going home!

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/footbal ... r-AA14THGA

I am cynical, that's true.
But it comes from a lifetime of watching famous people manipulate the media (via their agents).
An armed break-in is not a reason to fly home. As I said he's a millionaire and can pay for ample security AND feel confident that his family are safe.
And him being there isn't going to change what happened or might happen.
If that story is the reason for him leaving I think it supports my view.
He's got the hump and has left the team to it.
He won't be back.

[Derek27]

That's all supposition unless you have inside info. From the outside, he was deselected, got the the hump and left the camp. I suspect if any of those lines where true they would be splattered all over the media. I hope they aren't true. But he now has to come up with something compelling for leaving.

You are cynical greenmark, if you find it hard to believe that someone's been burgled!

Yes, it is a supposition, I was merely pointing out that you don't know what's happened so you can't criticise. You accuse me of speculating and then do exactly the same yourself. When you're reversing your car, it's fine to suppose that somebody's behind you and check your mirrors, you don't suppose nobody's there and reverse!

Can you not accept that even footballers can have personal and family problems at any time? Next, a player will have a bereavement and you'll be attacking him for going home!

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/footbal ... r-AA14THGA

I am cynical, that's true.
But it comes from a lifetime of watching famous people manipulate the media (via their agents).
An armed break-in is not a reason to fly home. As I said he's a millionaire and can pay for ample security AND feel confident that his family are safe.
And him being there isn't going to change what happened or might happen.
If that story is the reason for him leaving I think it supports my view.
He's got the hump and has left the team to it.
He won't be back.

You'll feel differently if you or anyone you know is subjected to an armed robbery. It's probably more traumatic than you realise.

[sionascaig]

Funny how we have such high expectations of footballers but not politicians... e.g. Hancock buggering off to earn 400k on a reality TV programme, Johnson still to turn up in parliament since being deposed but happy to take tax payers money whilst sunning his buns

At least Stirling has a completely unselfish reason.

[Derek27]

Latest reports are that the family were out at the time!!

[greenmark]

Now the BBC is reporting the police as saying his famiy came home to discover items of jewellery and watches missing.
It's quite an important detail as to whether his family were there when the break-in occured. But accuracy seems less important these days.
I would imagine he has CCTV and the police have been all over that, so perhaps their version is correct.
Yes I am at least 50% cynic Derek27.

[Derek27]

Now the BBC is reporting the police as saying his famiy came home to discover items of jewellery and watches missing.
It's quite an important detail as to whether his family were there when the break-in occured. But accuracy seems less important these days.
I would imagine he has CCTV and the police have been all over that, so perhaps their version is correct.
Yes I am at least 50% cynic Derek27.

Give people the benefit of the doubt until you have enough information.

When my parents were living in Uganda they had a servant (you didn't need to be wealthy to have one). My mum gave her time off when her mother died. She got more time off when her father died. Then her mother died again and she wanted more time off, but I'm sure my mother would have given her the benefit of any doubt the first time she died!

[greenmark]

Now the BBC is reporting the police as saying his famiy came home to discover items of jewellery and watches missing.
It's quite an important detail as to whether his family were there when the break-in occured. But accuracy seems less important these days.
I would imagine he has CCTV and the police have been all over that, so perhaps their version is correct.
Yes I am at least 50% cynic Derek27.

Give people the benefit of the doubt until you have enough information.

When my parents were living in Uganda they had a servant (you didn't need to be wealthy to have one). My mum gave her time off when her mother died. She got more time off when her father died. Then her mother died again and she wanted more time off, but I'm sure my mother would have given her the benefit of any doubt the first time she died!

Fair point, I am guillty of jumping to possibly the wrong conclusion. But hey, perhaps this means I'm ideal for a journalistic job with the tabloids or now the BBC.
Or is that a BBCist remark?

[greenmark]

This may be racist, but is it my imagination or are Japan a much smaller team than Croatia?
Is it a visual trick that blue looks smaller than white?
Very odd.

[wearthefoxhat]

Fair HT score.

HTAft.png

[Derek27]

This may be racist, but is it my imagination or are Japan a much smaller team than Croatia?
Is it a visual trick that blue looks smaller than white?
Very odd.

You very rarely see tall Japanese guys which makes their goalie stick out like a sore thumb!

[Archangel]

Japan supporters only appear to have one song...

[Derek27]

Japan supporters only appear to have one song...

So do the Norwegians - Hey! Baby.

[Derek27]

Wish I traded the 2.5 market now. Long wait until the next match.

[Derek27]

Betfair settle bets on teams knocked out in the winner's market but it's a cumulative total that gets moved from day-to-day each time another bet's settled. Don't even know if they include it for premium charge calculations or wait until the event's over!

In case it's of interest to anyone else, they haven't included the partially settled WC market in last week's PC.