World Cup 2022 thread (football only)

[WessexPest]

1 hour ago, downendcity said:

Their footballing decendents......

 

 

Sorry Wessex. I thought you said combovers!

 

Thanks for

i. The Laugh

ii. Reminding me why I wholeheartedly embrace my baldness. 

[ExiledAjax]

8 hours ago, Sir Colby-Tit said:

The trouble is a UK team would probably have to have Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish players in it to keep everyone happy, and then we'd be shit.

But it wouldn't be thought of like that. You'd just be drawing from the full pool of 70million British Citizens (plus others who qualify) rather than the pool of 60million "English", 5million "Scots" or 3million "Welsh". It would be no different to drawing players from Yorkshire, Kent or Warwickshire for the England team. Yes they're culturally distinct, but there's no need to "keep people happy".

You'd also no longer have the Welsh FA sniffing around the best English players who happen to have a great aunt in Caernarfon, and you'd have the whole nation under one FA, with a restructured League system, and all with one goal.

It might in time also help us to move away from the mediaeval notion of the four "countries" and towards a sensible, and properly United Kingdom. But that's for the politics forum, so I'll leave it there.

 

Big day for Australia today. Hopefully the Mighty Socceroos can do the Danes and get through.

Edited November 30, 2022 by ExiledAjax

[BigTone]

7 hours ago, pillred said:

Not sure whether Holland or Senegal would be any easier having watched both games. I suppose it depends on which England turn up , have you ever thought that watching city seems to mirror our national team you never know which team will turn up?

I certainly see similarities in the inconsistencies of them both.

[The Bard]

10 hours ago, Northern Red said:

I've seen many comments from Man Utd fans about how watching the Dutch is triggering their PTSD from his time in charge of them.

Bunch of knobs. They actually won a trophy with him in charge

[BCFC11]

Media still banging on about this so say amazing Welsh support, Red Wall my ass, more like piss stained ropey old fence.

[RedLionLad]

How the hell does one player who played 45 minutes and only got to touch the ball seven times get all the attention, even with his team finishing bottom of the group and most likely heading home on a plane this morning?

[Port Said Red]

1 minute ago, RedLionLad said:

How the hell does one player who played 45 minutes and only got to touch the ball seven times get all the attention, even with his team finishing bottom of the group and most likely heading home on a plane this morning?

I thought he was shocking all tournament, one penalty does not make a great player. I thought Ramsey was poor too, and spent the game going around kicking people, in an attempt to show "passion".

Kieffer Moore was shown to be nowhere near international quality along with many of their squad. 

[Open End Numb Legs]

Any sympathy I might have had towards the Welsh team disappeared when watching that video from 2016 where they celebrated England getting knocked out.

Ian Rush spoke well after the game, didn't try to bluff anything away, saw the game for what it was.

Well done to the Welsh fans who were there to genuinely support their team, I have no time for the 'Anyone But England' lot and their unbalanced view of the world.

[The Gasbuster]

8 hours ago, bearded_red said:

Fair play, what a genuine waste of time Wales are is.

FTFY

[Talk Of The Town]

Bloody hell

Bbc breakfast are flogging the sympathy Welsh story to death.

yes they’re a small nation but the Welsh team put in such a poor showing over the tournament.

 

[The Gasbuster]

10 hours ago, Malago said:

Surprised no one’s started the Norwegian commentator's rant, obviously adapted for tonight’s purposes.

Dylan Thomas, Shirley Bassey, The Manic Street Preachers, Neil Kinnock, Gladys from Hi De Hi, Tony Pulis……….

"David Lloyd George, Tom Jones, Neil Kinnock, Michael Sheen, Catherine Jenkins, bloke and his wife two doors down, Anthony Hopkins, Richard Burton, annoying loudmouth *** down the pub, Max Boyce...... Max Boyce, can you hear me ??!! Your boyos took one hell of a beating !!!"

[MarcusX]

12 hours ago, Bris Red said:

We do tournament football really well under Southgate, the man knows how to grind out and get results at this level.

Would not bet against us getting to at least the semi’s again.

Yep, I don't care if we're "exciting" and go out and smash teams. Results are all that matters, yes he makes mistakes but we're worlds apart from the England team of 2016.

Also, has any team really been that exciting yet? Spain's first game (but you could argue ours too) France perhaps have been the "best" so far across 2 games.

12 hours ago, ExiledAjax said:

I appreciate the respect.

But it is silly that we have four FAs and four teams for one sovereign state. Might as well let Spain enter a Spanish team, a Basque team and a Catalan team, or let Bavaria, Prussia, Hanover and Swabia all form an FA and get involved.

I'll leave it there and let everyone enjoy the 3-0, but it's a stupid, divisive, archaic system.

I know it's off topic but genuine question, why a UK team and not a GB team like the Olympics? I believe NI athletes can choose between GB or Eire (dont know the history behind that allowance though)

12 hours ago, Sheltons Army said:

Alex Scott would be starting  for the Taffs 

The pundit? Probably just as good to be honest

[Robbored]

11 minutes ago, Open End Numb Legs said:

Any sympathy I might have had towards the Welsh team disappeared when watching that video from 2016 where they celebrated England getting knocked out.

Ian Rush spoke well after the game, didn't try to bluff anything away, saw the game for what it was.

Well done to the Welsh fans who were there to genuinely support their team, I have no time for the 'Anyone But England' lot and their unbalanced view of the world.

The Jocks are by far the worst for crowing over any poor England result. The Welsh aren’t anywhere near as bad. I actually wanted them to finish second in the group but losing to Iran scuppered that.

[Red-Robbo]

2 minutes ago, Robbored said:

The Jocks are by far the worst for crowing over any poor England result. The Welsh aren’t anywhere near as bad. I actually wanted them to finish second in the group but losing to Iran scuppered that.

 

Me too. I have Welsh relatives who have wished England well for the rest of the campaign. Most are switched on enough to realise that merely making the finals was their team's achievement. 

Maybe it's because I grew up well to the south of Bristol, but I don't share this loathing of all things Welsh that some Bristolians seem to have. There's a hell of a lot of Bristolians with Welsh surnames, suggesting quite a lot of south Walesians came over and were Anglicised in the past. 

[Open End Numb Legs]

Rush made a point after the game that Wales need the older players to guide their next generation through the next Euros campaign.

We've all seen teams that have a good era then fade when a few stars leave the team. Page has a job on his hands I think. He says they are still on the upward slope, carry on the momentum etc. but it feels to me more like it could go downhill for a while.

[Port Said Red]

10 minutes ago, Open End Numb Legs said:

Rush made a point after the game that Wales need the older players to guide their next generation through the next Euros campaign.

We've all seen teams that have a good era then fade when a few stars leave the team. Page has a job on his hands I think. He says they are still on the upward slope, carry on the momentum etc. but it feels to me more like it could go downhill for a while.

Yes the problem in that is they have old, players, not older players. By that I mean, they would find it easier bringing through some U23 players if Bale etc were in their late 20's. Of course they may have all just been out of form at the same time, but the old guard looked incapable of leading through a next generation to me.

[Midred]

10 hours ago, cidercity1987 said:

Local or National?

Radio 4 .

[MarcusX]

If you'd offered me before the tournament 7 points, 9 goals scored and 2 clean sheets I'd have bit your hand off, so to speak

I think the nerves only crept in for most because we played the supposed weakest team first, then a fairly drab 0-0 in the middle leaving us a showdown that's effectively a derby and anything can happen in those.

I didn't want to go into the Wales game needing a result, and although we didn't really need anything out of the game (other than avoid a 4 goal turnover) it felt like we needed a performance to get our belief back.

If we'd played Wales first, then Iran and finished with a 0-0 having already qualified I think the mood would have been quite different. Instead it was shades of 2020 where we drew in the middle and needed a result in the last game.

We should beat Senegal, then it's likely France or Argentina which will be tough but we've got a chance. The Semi actually looks "easier" then

 

[W-S-M Seagull]

19 minutes ago, Red-Robbo said:

 

Me too. I have Welsh relatives who have wished England well for the rest of the campaign. Most are switched on enough to realise that merely making the finals was their team's achievement. 

Maybe it's because I grew up well to the south of Bristol, but I don't share this loathing of all things Welsh that some Bristolians seem to have. There's a hell of a lot of Bristolians with Welsh surnames, suggesting quite a lot of south Walesians came over and were Anglicised in the past. 

I love Wales. I have many friends that are Welsh. They don't ever stop talking tho mind but they are all quite funny. One of my best friends lives in Merthyr and he is so passionate about his homeland and I admire that. 

I appreciate the Welsh identity and culture. As an Englishman, I'm somewhat quite envious of that. 

Wales is right on our doorsteps and is a beautiful country (Newport aside) Pembrokeshire being my favourite place in Wales. With there now not being any bridge tolls then it's never been easier to visit Wales. Anyone would be quite foolish to not enjoy Wales simply because of their small minded loathing of all things Welsh. 

I would be all for them building a bridge between Cardiff and Weston to make it even easier to visit there would sort out a lot of the traffic problems on the M4. 

When it's us Vs Cardiff then the rivalry is intense however as they are a British country, I'd much rather they would have progressed. 

 

[And Its Smith]

34 minutes ago, MarcusX said:

If you'd offered me before the tournament 7 points, 9 goals scored and 2 clean sheets I'd have bit your hand off, so to speak

I think the nerves only crept in for most because we played the supposed weakest team first, then a fairly drab 0-0 in the middle leaving us a showdown that's effectively a derby and anything can happen in those.

I didn't want to go into the Wales game needing a result, and although we didn't really need anything out of the game (other than avoid a 4 goal turnover) it felt like we needed a performance to get our belief back.

If we'd played Wales first, then Iran and finished with a 0-0 having already qualified I think the mood would have been quite different. Instead it was shades of 2020 where we drew in the middle and needed a result in the last game.

We should beat Senegal, then it's likely France or Argentina which will be tough but we've got a chance. The Semi actually looks "easier" then

 

Anyone who watched Wales v Iran shouldn’t have been nervous before last night. I said 4-0 as realised how shocking Wales are.  Passion is all well and good but the vast majority of the time that gulf in class will show. 

[And Its Smith]

26 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

I love Wales. I have many friends that are Welsh. They don't ever stop talking tho mind but they are all quite funny. One of my best friends lives in Merthyr and he is so passionate about his homeland and I admire that. 

I appreciate the Welsh identity and culture. As an Englishman, I'm somewhat quite envious of that. 

Wales is right on our doorsteps and is a beautiful country (Newport aside) Pembrokeshire being my favourite place in Wales. With there now not being any bridge tolls then it's never been easier to visit Wales. Anyone would be quite foolish to not enjoy Wales simply because of their small minded loathing of all things Welsh. 

I would be all for them building a bridge between Cardiff and Weston to make it even easier to visit there would sort out a lot of the traffic problems on the M4. 

When it's us Vs Cardiff then the rivalry is intense however as they are a British country, I'd much rather they would have progressed. 

 

Couldn’t agree more. My family and I holiday in Wales every year, this year 5 times for a total of about 20 odd days.  So many beautiful places to see and Welsh people are lovely.  

[chinapig]

49 minutes ago, Open End Numb Legs said:

Rush made a point after the game that Wales need the older players to guide their next generation through the next Euros campaign.

I'm always sceptical of this argument. Southgate had the sense and the nerve to drop Rooney and rebuild from there with younger players. Rooney would have been a drag on progress not an inspiration. For Rooney read Bale.

[Nuno Gomes]

Interesting stats on passing. Good to see England at the top even with their long range efforts  

https://fbref.com/en/comps/1/passing/World-Cup-Stats

[And Its Smith]

3 minutes ago, chinapig said:

I'm always sceptical of this argument. Southgate had the sense and the nerve to drop Rooney and rebuild from there with younger players. Rooney would have been a drag on progress not an inspiration. For Rooney read Bale.

Absolutely. The best thing wales can do is axe anyone over 30 and rebuild.  If you replace the minutes of Allen, Bale and Ramsey in this World Cup with players like Johnson, Wilson, Cabango and Thomas they certainly wouldn’t have done any worse and more that likely a lot better. 

[AshtonGreat]

2 minutes ago, And Its Smith said:

Absolutely. The best thing wales can do is axe anyone over 30 and rebuild.  If you replace the minutes of Allen, Bale and Ramsey in this World Cup with players like Johnson, Wilson, Cabango and Thomas they certainly wouldn’t have done any worse and more that likely a lot better. 

I think you always have to put Bale in your team if he's fit. He's their only world-class player and, pardon the pun, he's bailed them out time and time again. 

[RedRock]

41 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

I love Wales. I have many friends that are Welsh. They don't ever stop talking tho mind but they are all quite funny. One of my best friends lives in Merthyr and he is so passionate about his homeland and I admire that. 

I appreciate the Welsh identity and culture. As an Englishman, I'm somewhat quite envious of that. 

Wales is right on our doorsteps and is a beautiful country (Newport aside) Pembrokeshire being my favourite place in Wales. With there now not being any bridge tolls then it's never been easier to visit Wales. Anyone would be quite foolish to not enjoy Wales simply because of their small minded loathing of all things Welsh. 

I would be all for them building a bridge between Cardiff and Weston to make it even easier to visit there would sort out a lot of the traffic problems on the M4. 

When it's us Vs Cardiff then the rivalry is intense however as they are a British country, I'd much rather they would have progressed. 

 

Newport aside….. I’ll raise you Ebbw Vale, or was it Merthyr Tydfil? …. can’t remember which but I’ve tried to erase the place from my memory as I went for an interview in one of those places and was so depressed by the place even I was stunned at the crap answers I gave to the interviewees. It was such a bad interview they blocked my claim for travel expenses!

Having said that, I do admire the Welsh people in many ways and have even learnt basic Welsh out of respect for when I visit ( as imo all should do when visiting another Country with a different language … still struggling with Brummie mind).

 

[And Its Smith]

7 minutes ago, AshtonGreat said:

I think you always have to put Bale in your team if he's fit. He's their only world-class player and, pardon the pun, he's bailed them out time and time again. 

He’s barely played football for months and it showed so I would say he wasn’t match fit. Obviously was going to play in this World Cup but from here he needs to be dropped. 

[Super]

3 minutes ago, RedRock said:

Newport aside….. I’ll raise you Ebbw Vale, or was it Merthyr Tydfil? …. can’t remember which but I’ve tried to erase the place from my memory as I went for an interview in one of those places and was so depressed by the place even I was stunned at the crap answers I gave to the interviewees. It was such a bad interview they blocked my claim for travel expenses!

Having said that, I do admire the Welsh people in many ways and have even learnt basic Welsh out of respect for when I visit ( as imo all should do when visiting another Country with a different language … still struggling with Brummie mind).

 

I'll raise you Port Talbot.

[Davefevs]

15 minutes ago, And Its Smith said:

Anyone who watched Wales v Iran shouldn’t have been nervous before last night. I said 4-0 as realised how shocking Wales are.  Passion is all well and good but the vast majority of the time that gulf in class will show. 

But on the same premise, anyone who watched Wales v USA second half, might think that they’re capable of soaking up a bit of pressure and scoring from a set piece or a bit of magic from Bale.  How many of us were sat there last night at 45 mins, going into first half injury time with Conor Roberts, ball in hand level with our penalty area, about to take a long throw, thinking Wales might create something here, and for all our control, we could go in at h-t 0-1?  I did.  Although he didn’t hurl it into the area, they did create from it.

I agree that class tends to win out overall, but you are talking bigger sample sizes than one game!

FWIW I wasn’t nervous, never been so relaxed, because the objective was to get out of the group…and we weren’t gonna lose by 4 goals, so we’d achieved goal no1.  But would I have been surprised by a 0-0?  Nope.  Or even Wales getting dominated but scoring some show?  Nope.  

[cidercity1987]

3 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

But on the same premise, anyone who watched Wales v USA second half, might think that they’re capable of soaking up a bit of pressure and scoring from a set piece or a bit of magic from Bale.  How many of us were sat there last night at 45 mins, going into first half injury time with Conor Roberts, ball in hand level with our penalty area, about to take a long throw, thinking Wales might create something here, and for all our control, we could go in at h-t 0-1?  I did.  Although he didn’t hurl it into the area, they did create from it.

I agree that class tends to win out overall, but you are talking bigger sample sizes than one game!

FWIW I wasn’t nervous, never been so relaxed, because the objective was to get out of the group…and we weren’t gonna lose by 4 goals, so we’d achieved goal no1.  But would I have been surprised by a 0-0?  Nope.  Or even Wales getting dominated but scoring some show?  Nope.  

How are you gonna cope big D with the sample size of one in the knock outs?

Absolutely take your point through which is why I didn't understand the hissy fits after the USA draw