[0762]

Because Belgium played a weak team as England did makes it morally right!? Aye, in the eyes of some people with vested interest. It's a form of match fixing, definitely - just massage the description to a 'moderate'or 'mild' form of 'throwing a match'! I don't buy that argument one jot but it's done and there is an issue re certain 'individuals', like Lineker (and others), who was previously quick to condemn teams who practised in this manner. Suddenly, because it's England, it became a different issue. Back to the main theme of my thread and remove England & Belgium (btw they did play that game to win it anyway in the 'true spirit of the game'!!) from the 'emotive' equation - it's an issue that could so easily be avoided by staging a FIFA KO draw and stuff any 'reading' of who is playing who in the next rounds - so ###### simple that only FIFA could still practise in this way! A bit like VAR when FIFA deferred using it for years n years and came up with various excuses to dismiss it but then suddenly 'saw the light'.