2015

They played below par but had a team literally full of winners, compared to Argentina's lack of experience (Messi and Di Maria aside). Mbappe will need to move to La Liga or the Premier League for me and score at least 30 goals every season to be even compared to Ronaldo let alone Messi by the time he gets to their ages. You can spin it no matter however you want about Lionel Messi not being the greatest. The problem is, most of the Football world would disagree with you and most of its legends would too.

When Mr P took over we were barely getting a shot on target in our home matches and our performances had been like this for a good 18 months before his take over in the majority of home games. Has anyone of us said NP has been perfect or not done a thing wrong in his time? No, we haven't. The job he has at hand was just a much bigger job than instant success. We're absolutely ****** on the FFP front and unfortunately stability and survival was his main task of his job here. That's the truth You've wanted him gone the day he signed Danny Simpson so I would class you as reactionary.

I'm glad Adam Baker is no longer employed by the club after that Tweet.

Problem is our simple fans like a smiley smiley manager who says cracking jokes after defeats and stupid punchlines to make themselves sound clever. Now we have a Manager who is seriously unhappy after a defeat and says things how he sees fit and it doesn't go down well. How's he supposed to act? All happy about the situation. NP can't win with our fans

Really? France's squad is much more talented than Argentina's was yesterday. Varane (A multiple CL winner), Griezmann, Dembele, Giroud. I am shocked you think the players that Argentina had were better. France also were the current World Champions. Maybe the media's obsession with Messi is because of how great he is and has been for his whole career.

It's annoyed me more than our defeat at the weekend. Our fanbase must be the most reactionary bunch in the Country, or certainly up there. I don't think people realise how big the job was that NP took on in February 2021. The whole culture within the club has to change i'm afraid, none of this getting upset over our manager being rude, none of this bedwetting over a narrow defeat to a club at a similar level to ourselves. The culture needs to change and reading Adam Baker's tweet - I am now glad he has left the building.

On the game on Saturday anyway - Deservedly took the lead. Individual errors from King and O'Leary cost us going in 1-1 at the break, we then start the 2nd half slowly and concede a soft goal. We were by no means awfully bad, it was just a poor result. Been a major overreaction

I might be in the minority but I think there has been a MAJOR overreaction to the BBC interview with NP. No wonder this club has always been a soft touch

I think that puts to bed the Messi and Ronaldo debate once and for all. The right player will be considered the greatest of this generation.

Best ever. Brilliant. Also on balance of the play, Argentina deserved the Win.

Have some of that some of you on here ?

I do remember similar claims after 2018 world cup with it being said it was the best ever. I think World Cup's are probably best to be judged some time after they've taken place to really say how good it was. Of course Infantino would say that though, whilst he's fifa president.

I'd also like to add, when do the changes stop - Is it going to be a 2nd tier World Cup in 2045? Is it going to be a 98 team World Cup by 2060? There seriously needs to be regulations and caps on these sorts of changes to protect to quality and the beauty of the game. It isn't because I don't want there to be a change it's because I love Football for how it is and has been for the last 30 years.

If it aint broke, there is no need to fix it. -The change from 24 to 32 teams at a World Cup was understandable. Adding 8 more sides to that competition isn't much and never diminished the quality, it stopped the best 3rd placed sides from going through and thus encouraged sides to be more attacking in World Cup Group games. It also didn't impact the format too much - you still had a round of 16, quarter final etc. Now they want to change it to 48 teams with 16 groups of 3 and this is seen as a step forward in the direction? I'm sorry but it looks awful and sounds awful, to me. -UEFA changed Euros from 16 to 24 teams for 2016 and again the quality of that Tournament has gone downhill massively since that change. Too many sides qualifying who are just not good enough. Qualifying for a major tournament has to feel like something that is rare and a hard achievement to gain. Unfortunately when you have half of Europe qualifying for a Euros it doesn't feel that way. -The Champions League was the best format they changed in 1992 and has easily become the biggest club competition in the world and produced some fantastic matches over the years because of the infrequency the top clubs play each other. Now they want to change that in 2024 as well. Why? Money. Football doesn't need any more changes

What is the constant need to always change things? Football and its tournaments are absolutely great as they are and over the last 30 years is the main reason why Football globally has got even bigger. There is no need to make changes to the club or international format, it will diminish the quality which imo has already showed at the World Cup this year.

Said it on another thread before and got shouted down about the implications but I still firmly believe its about time all the top National federations in Europe come together and breakaway from FIFA. They are hell bent on ruining the sport for money

Really? Gvardiol is what 8/9 inches taller than Messi who runs at full speed with the ball at his feet and just pushes him aside like its nothing. He's been doing this sort of stuff consistently his whole career.

Unbelievable

Messi has stepped up big time today

The players they've produced and the Tournaments they have won would suggest they definitely are a Footballing superpower. We're not on their level, sadly. We're probably more similar to Denmark than France and that's the sad truth.

Anything can happen really. Who would have predicted Goncalo Ramos would be the striker for Portugal to get a hat trick at this World Cup

Yep. Said this before a few weeks ago. As for last night, the game was crying out for some of England's more unpredictable players to come on and do something different (Grealish, Maddison, Trent) but they were ignored really. Instead the safe options in Mount and Sterling were brought on. I do wonder if the FA are in Southgate's ear about using players who are playing abroad? Because I also find it hard to believe that the likes of Coady and Mings have regularly got picked over the likes of Tomori and Smalling.

Absolutely. McManaman for example was a massive hit for Real Madrid and should have had much more England caps. Paul Ince came back a much better international player for England after his spell at Inter Milan in my opinion. Even if you look at Chris Smalling, who has been exceptional for Roma in the last year or so and I think Southgate might have missed a trick there with his experience in the squad. There just aren't enough English players who go and play abroad in my opinion still. Is it to do with the language? Do our players feel that Europe is the other side of the World as we are just an island? Or do the players just not want to test themselves abroad?

The French have majorly benefitted from its best players playing abroad and getting a taste of different styles of football. Before 1998 a Major World Cup win seemed beyond them unlike Germany or Italy. The French have adopted the old Italian style of winning matches without necessarily having to dominate the other side, this is on the back of most of their players in the 90s playing in Serie A and the influence that the Italian game gave the French players that played there. Ever since France have generally (apart from Domenech era) been hard to beat and very defensive which in major tournaments tends to take you a long way.