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Far from a long-term solution but a start

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The Independent’s football newsletter June 24, 2022 Reading the Game Written by Lawrence Ostler

The Independent’s football newsletter [View in browser]( [The Independent]( June 24, 2022 [The Independent]( Reading the Game Written by Lawrence Ostlere   A small but encouragingstep taken against online abuse   Fifa take action on abuse before Qatar It may only be a small step, but there was some positive news this week in the fight against online abuse. You may remember when footballers and clubs boycotted social media last April following a series of attacks on Liverpool players including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings and Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling, among too many examples. The Euro 2020 final later last summer then brought on a storm of racist abuse directed at Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, who missed penalties in England’s shootout defeat to Italy. [One man was jailed for such abuse](. There has been a long and tedious game of buck-passing between social media companies and football’s governing bodies, but there is at least a plan in place to help prevent something similar from occurring at the World Cup later this year. Together with the players’ union Fifpro, Fifa is launching a dedicated “in-tournament moderation service” to scan recognised hate speech published by any identifiable social media accounts during Qatar 2022, and will block the abuse from being seen by the recipient or their followers. It is far from a long-term solution but it is a start and does at least acknowledge there is a serious problem to be dealt with. It comes on the back of a joint Fifa-Fifpro report which found that more than 50% of players who made the semis of the Euros and this year’s Africa Cup of Nations were subject to online abuse, most of it either homophobic or racist in nature. The report also found that 90% of accounts which doled out abuse had a “high probability” of identification. It is not exactly justice, but at least this measure might stop the abusers being heard. Southgate gets World Cup harmony boost One of the hardest parts of Euro 2020 for Gareth Southgate was having to select three players to leave out of his England squad each match. [Uefa extended squads from the usual 23 players to 26]( as a response to a packed schedule the previous season and the possibility of Covid outbreaks. However, only 23 were allowed in each matchday squad, meaning three had to be omitted altogether, and Southgate admitted it was painful having to personally sideline three members of his squad. Ben Chilwell, for example, didn’t play a minute of the Euros and was effectively reduced to a mascot; he was left out of the squad for the final at Wembley along with Ben White and the injured Phil Foden in what were some of the most difficult conversations all summer for a manager who relies so heavily on a strong bond with his players. The Fifa World Cup in Qatar later this year will also allow 26-player squads, but it was approved this week for every player to be on the bench and available for selection. It may not have made many headlines but the news will have been hugely welcome to Southgate at a time when the pressure around him is at its highest yet, and it will make his aim of ensuring every player feel included and important that little bit easier. England face test against Netherlands Euro 2022 is nearly upon us and as hosts, England have a real chance of lifting the trophy at Wembley on 31 July. Tonight they face Netherlands, the reigning champions who beat England 3-0 in the 2017 final, in a warm up at Elland Road in what will be a stern examination of exactly[where Sarina Wiegman’s side are]( – Wiegman was the winning coach of the Dutch five years ago, and her experience will be vital over the coming weeks. From a broader perspective this tournament is a major opportunity to grow the women’s game, a challenge inadvertently highlighted by the strange choice of venues: fewer than 5,000 will fit into the Etihad Academy Stadium while barely 8,000 will fill Leigh Sports Village - two of the 10 venues - suggesting there is not great optimism over attendances at some of the lower-profile games. The impact of the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup on the national consciousness was clear and a similar run to the final, shown live on the BBC as well as played out in grounds up and down the country, would give the already blossoming English game the fresh impetus it needs to reach the next level. Bronze goes on new adventure While we’re on England, how refreshing [were Lucy Bronze’s quotes](this week? The right-back has signed for Barcelona and the 30-year-old talked about her move like a giddy school child. Bronze had an offer from her former club Lyon too, but chose Barca and the chance of a whole new experience. "I knew I wanted to play abroad again. My experience at Lyon was the best time and best moments in my career," she added. "Going out and pushing myself into a different culture, a different experience, playing with the world's best players - to have the chance to do that again was a no brainer.” The success of men’s players like Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho have shown what can be achieved by going abroad, and here’s hoping Bronze, too, will continue to show the merit in broadening horizons.   Top stories [Newcastle complete signing of ‘exceptional’ England goalkeeper from Burnley]( [Jurgen Klopp addresses Sadio Mane departure in message to Liverpool fans](   Lawrence's Dispatches We haven’t been out and about at many football matches recently but I have been tuning into the cricket, where Sky Sports’ coverage has been outstanding and left me wondering why football can’t offer something similar. Last week Michael Atherton held an in-depth discussion with Graeme Swann on the intricacies of bowling off-spin, and on Thursday Nasser Hussain pinpointed the improvements in batsman Alex Lees’ game, something Hussain does exceptionally well. Just as Shane Warne had in abundance, Hussain and Atherton possess the very watchable ability of offering insight and expertise while at the same time giving off an almost childish curiosity that digs under cricket’s skin. You could see this in the way Atherton probed Swann, asking questions that casual fans might wonder about grip and variation, treating the viewer with respect, while also drawing on their own encyclopaedic knowledge of the game to gently challenge their subject. It is an odd thing that this kind of technical analysis has never seeped into football punditry’s culture. The use of data and tactics boards have become more commonplace in recent years, led by Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher, while the coaching insight of Emma Hayes has been a welcome addition to broadcasting. But there is little dissection of how to play the game on a technical level. In much the same way a bowler’s action is compared over split screen, why not examine the different ways James Ward-Prowse contorts his body when he takes a free-kick depending on his target, or assess exactly how a player’s technique let them down rather than simply another “he must score there”? Football punditry seems caught in a world of extremes, full of moments of genius or supposedly “disgraceful” mistakes, with little room for empathetic analysis in between. For a sport with such popularity and resources, that seems like an oversight.   Quote of the day "It will be hard for me that he is not there but he will have the best seat in the house. My dad was a die-hard Leeds fan and he was the person who made me the biggest Leeds fan. If I can make him proud, then that is all that matters to me." England defender Rachel Daly on potentially making her 50th appearance tonight at Elland Road, home of her family’s beloved Leeds, without her dad after he died in September   Reading the game quiz Only four nations have won the Women’s Euros across its 12 different tournaments. Netherlands are the reigning champions – who are the three other countries to have won it? ([You can find out the answers here](. The answer page will be updated weekly and contains answers from previous newsletters, too)   INDYBEST /BEST SPORTS BUY](   11 best men’s gym bags for every kind of workout Having all your kit ready to go in a quality bag might at least give you one less excuse to miss getting a sweat on, and may even motivate you to make the most of that gym membership. [Click here for the reviews](     Essential reading [Gary Neville explains why he refused to sing God Save the Queen at Euro 96](   [‘Many countries are favourites:’ England manager Sarina Wiegman believes Euro 2022 is wide open](   If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. [The Independent]( Join the conversation or follow us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's football newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders. If you do not want to receive The Independent's football newsletter, please [unsubscribe](list_name=IND_Football_CDP). If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe [here](. This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. Read our [privacy notice]( and [cookie policy](.

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