San Marino v England

[Super]

Playoffs for Italy.

[RoystonFoote'snephew]

35 minutes ago, Andy082005 said:

They should have to play qualifiers to get into the qualifiers in my eyes. Pointless games 

There is no way these teams should get bumped in their own league that then gets them into the finals . 

Not this again. I'll never agree. They pay their dues to FIFA like anyone else and deserve to be treated with equal respect. Personally I don't think there should be any seedings at all. If that resulted in a WCQ group of England, France, Belgium, Germany and Spain then so be it. 

[Northern Red]

Hungary beating Poland. If they hadn't shat the bed twice against Albania they'd be in the playoffs at Poland's expense.

[exAtyeoMax]

itv hub online gave up…it kept stopping and repeating the penalty

[phantom]

I bet this person is sick as a parrot 

[WessexPest]

15 minutes ago, The Gasbuster said:

Italy to do the jocks

Russia to do the taffs

You called it, The.

Let’s hope it comes to pass. Scotland are no doubt full of hubris after their recent “amazing” run of results.

Well done, England - you can only beat what’s put in front of you and clearly the qualifying set-up needs a serious overhaul. But that was as professional as could be expected - and I really don’t see what was wrong with either of the disallowed goals. Methinks the referee took pity on the hapless hosts.

[Numero Uno]

21 minutes ago, Bobby Bollax said:

So has Rooney

He has, just didn’t see the point of the post I was replying to. Negativity for negativity’s sake. Rooney did have a poor tournament record though.

[WessexPest]

1 hour ago, frenchred said:

let’s hope that when kane breaks the england scoring record he gets the same shit as rooney took on here. He only scores against crap teams etc etc. rooney never played against any team this bad!

When HK breaks Lineker’s record, as he inevitably will, he has to be duped into going on a Chris Morris show like Lineker did (unironically branding Brexiteers credulous ninnies) and then get hoodwinked into saying that the one-hit wonder act BALTIMORA, responsible for “Tarzan Boy” is creepy bloke text message slang for “I’m running at them now with my trousers down.”

Edited November 15, 2021 by WessexPest

[bristolmoose]

1 hour ago, RoystonFoote'snephew said:

Apparently 'a gaggle of 150 or so unofficial England fans have set up camp on a sort of hill behind the goal'. Makes it sound like a bunch of travellers have arrived. 

Well there was a Gas flag hung there so...

[StGeorge]

1 hour ago, GrahamC said:

Really good half.

Absolutely no point in watching England, what on earth can you get out of it?

Watching embarrassingly one sided contests is futile.

Yet you still go to Ashton Gate?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joke

[Northern Red]

 

[phantom]

1 hour ago, RoystonFoote'snephew said:

Apparently 'a gaggle of 150 or so unofficial England fans have set up camp on a sort of hill behind the goal'. Makes it sound like a bunch of travellers have arrived. 

 

[WessexPest]

37 minutes ago, RoystonFoote'snephew said:

Not this again. I'll never agree. They pay their dues to FIFA like anyone else and deserve to be treated with equal respect. Personally I don't think there should be any seedings at all. If that resulted in a WCQ group of England, France, Belgium, Germany and Spain then so be it. 

There should be a prequalifying tournament to separate the wheat from the chaff - some of the results in this final round of qualifiers have been utterly farcical.

What if you get a group of San Marino, Gibraltar, Andorra, Liechtenstein and Malta and are so obviously not watching the best teams in Europe or the World as you ****ing well should be? The current qualifying paths are a ridiculous participation-trophy farce.

Edited November 15, 2021 by WessexPest

[phantom]

3 minutes ago, WessexPest said:

There should be a prequalifying tournament to separate the wheat from the chaff - some of the results in this final round of qualifiers have been utterly farcical.

What if you get a group of San Marino, Gibraltar, Andorra, Liechtenstein and Malta and are so obviously not watching the best teams in Europe or the World as you ****ing well should be? The current qualifying paths are a ridiculous participation-trophy farce.

Exactly why the Nations league exists as it does 

[TBW]

Seems like that was a pointless game. Why are these teams allowed into the qualifiers? It's embarrassing, those players are only out there to try exchange a shirt after the game. 

[redsquirrel]

its not winning, its taking part that counts

[Sir Geoff]

3 minutes ago, redsquirrel said:

its not winning, its taking part that counts

Is that what is taught at the HPC ?

[Taylor10]

Amazed Kane is getting stick. His numbers for England are ridiculous and the type of goals to game ratio that people would be going nuts over if it was Ronaldo or Messi. 

[RoystonFoote'snephew]

7 minutes ago, WessexPest said:

There should be a prequalifying tournament to separate the wheat from the chaff - some of the results in this final round of qualifiers have been utterly farcical.

What if you get a group of San Marino, Gibraltar, Andorra, Liechtenstein and Malta and are so obviously not watching the best teams in Europe or the World as you ****ing well should be? The current qualifying paths are a ridiculous participation-trophy farce.

I'd be happy with such a group. Its a cup competition and as such everyone should start equal. Let's not pretend that FIFA and its Confederations give a stuff about footballing quality, its all about the money. The expansion of the World Cup to 32 teams is to generate more income and provide a greater opportunity to pass around brown envelopes. Africa and Asia remain incredibly underrepresented compared to Europe but we know where the money lies. 

[phantom]

27 minutes ago, phantom said:

 

 

[The Swan and Cemetery]

Think it’s tonight’s result that’s the exception rather than the rule, teams can improve by playing in tournaments against better teams.

Luxembourg won 5 games in their first 134 World Cup qualifiers and 3 out of 8 this time.

Faroe Islands 2nd bottom of group. 

Gibraltar about as bad as their first go in 2018, but it does take time. 

Malta most goals they’ve scored in 13 World Cup qualifying attempts (back to 1974) and most points (admittedly only 5) as well.

Liechtenstein marginally better than 2018, but have gone backwards vs 2014 and earlier. However a 1-1, 0-1 and three 0-2s this time, so still not being hammered every game.

Even San Marino’s travails have allowed Andorra to their best record ever! And San Marino themselves lost two matches 2-0 and two 3-0, so not tonight’s result repeated consistently. 

Unless the World Cup is automatically Germany Vs Brazil every time, because every other team has a worse record, then think okay for qualifying to be a reasonably broad church. 

 

 

[TBW]

58 minutes ago, redsquirrel said:

its not winning, its taking part that counts

Sounds like Pearson's team talk.

[WessexPest]

55 minutes ago, RoystonFoote'snephew said:

I'd be happy with such a group. Its a cup competition and as such everyone should start equal. Let's not pretend that FIFA and its Confederations give a stuff about footballing quality, its all about the money. The expansion of the World Cup to 32 teams is to generate more income and provide a greater opportunity to pass around brown envelopes. Africa and Asia remain incredibly underrepresented compared to Europe but we know where the money lies. 

That doesn’t happen in any cup competition. There’s a reason why teams like Ottery St Mary have to jump through many, many hoops before they can even have the “privilege” of facing abject dogs**t like Bristol Rovers.

European teams have won each of the past four WCs and nine of the past 14 so it’s not unfair they get more Finals places than Asia and Africa, who have amassed a big, fat lonely zero between them. 

Agree that expanding the WC is stupid - 32 teams is optimal; both in terms of quality and the mathematics to get down to two finalists with a just round by round exit. But of course FIFA cannot leave it alone just like UEFA with the elephantine European Championship - so hey presto a more drawn out, uninspiring tournament and a qualifying campaign that is like watching paint dry.

[sticks 1969]

Good showing from city last night few gas out there aswell 

[sticks 1969]

1 minute ago, sticks 1969 said:

Good showing from city last night few gas out there aswell 

 

[WessexPest]

6 hours ago, TBW said:

Sounds like Pearson's team talk.

Can you imagine what England would do to this dreadful City team? We’d ship as many goals at least as San Marino, I’m sure.

[Port Said Red]

I am not sure I have ever seen an England team with this level of confidence, with the talent to back it up. 

When you look at some of the players they haven't used in the last couple of games, and the ones that can't even get in the squad, this really does seem like a great generation.

Southgate and his coaching team deserve much praise too, the way that players seem to switch in and out so seamlessly is down to the work they do.

[Super]

3 hours ago, WessexPest said:

Can you imagine what England would do to this dreadful City team? We’d ship as many goals at least as San Marino, I’m sure.

Surely we are better than San Marino?

[Northern Red]

3 hours ago, WessexPest said:

Can you imagine what England would do to this dreadful City team? We’d ship as many goals at least as San Marino, I’m sure.

Yeah I reckon we'd concede at least 20 because look how much more miserable I am.

State.

[Northern Red]

24 minutes ago, Super said:

Surely we are better than San Marino?

Of course we are but it's an excuse for a baseless whinge, isn't It?

Edited November 16, 2021 by Northern Red