World Cup 2022 thread (football only)

[southside]

25 minutes ago, downendcity said:

I'm sure I read this morning that Messi has said that the WC final will be his last international.

I think he owns an apartment in Miami, so quite possible he could finish his club career with Golden Balls.

"he could finish his club career with Golden Balls" 

Or he might join the club that Beckham owns

[pillred]

1 hour ago, AshtonGreat said:

His catchphrase was ‘Seven’ wasn’t it?

That was another one, I used poetic licence he actually used to say "it's a ten from Len"

[AshtonGreat]

5 minutes ago, pillred said:

That was another one, I used poetic licence he actually used to say "it's a ten from Len"

Oh haha. Your Strictly knowledge is better than mine

[pillred]

13 hours ago, Rob k said:

I still don’t forgive them for 86 so for me it’s now anyone but them

Or the Falklands, that's the reason I want them to lose they cost us a lot of brave men defending them and for that out of the French or them much as I have no love for the French either they are the lesser of two evils for me.

Just now, AshtonGreat said:

Oh haha. Your Strictly knowledge is better than mine

Happy wife happy life :laugh:.

[archie andrews]

1 minute ago, pillred said:

Or the Falklands, that's the reason I want them to lose they cost us a lot of brave men defending them and for that out of the French or them much as I have no love for the French either they are the lesser of two evils for me.

Lets hope morrocco win it then.... 

[downendcity]

37 minutes ago, southside said:

"he could finish his club career with Golden Balls" 

Or he might join the club that Beckham owns

[pillred]

28 minutes ago, archie andrews said:

Lets hope morrocco win it then.... 

Wouldn't that be amazing, let's hope they do a Leicester city and surprise us all.

[downendcity]

36 minutes ago, archie andrews said:

Lets hope morrocco win it then.... 

 

6 minutes ago, pillred said:

Wouldn't that be amazing, let's hope they do a Leicester city and surprise us all.

It would take the gloss off of the "Messi's world cup" narrative, wouldn't it?

[Unan]

19 hours ago, The Bard said:

Eriksen was an absolute bluffer. 

Unable to deal with players who questioned him (Mcmanaman, Southgate) and allowed the Man Utd players to rule the roost leading to a divided dressing room.

 

How Beckham ended up captain was more due to public popularity than leadership skills. 

 

Erikksen was happy to be paid millions for about 40 days work a year. Our useless FA and media fawning over him.

 

Southgate has done a markedly better job with lesser players whilst putting up with all sorts of shit from outside.  

Virtually all the criticism Southgate receives is myopic and without any context. Context being our performances in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016. That's the shit show he took over from. 

 

Just because he isn't as bad as the total rubbish we've had over the past 20 years does not make him good, though. Admittedly, the track record doesn't suggest that the FA would appoint a better manager.

[Mr Popodopolous]

55 minutes ago, Marcus Aurelius said:

Just because he isn't as bad as the total rubbish we've had over the past 20 years does not make him good, though. Admittedly, the track record doesn't suggest that the FA would appoint a better manager.

It's not just 20 years of ups and downs tbh. What is a 'better' manager btw  in a general sense. Capello's club record was very good indeed but at tournament t with us he made notable errors, tournament 2 he may have learned from these and had weaned us off 4-4-2 (a setup that was his fault btw) at last!

Think in Spring 2011 a midfield of Parker-Lampard-Wilshere was showing some promise- Parker was that bit of glue. As we know, Wilshere was injured by then and Capello walked due to Terry gate.

Him aside, the whole 20 years thing, so much longer.

Euro 2000 anyone?

How about 1992- group stage and longish ball game and 1994- did not qualify.

1988- Group stage again.

Two tournaments, both World Cups for which we did not even qualify again 1970s..

On the flipside 1996, 1990- 1998 we were unlucky as we were in 1986.

Real mixed bag going back decades. Know less without looking about 1982, 1984 etc. Probably did okay but nothing outstanding?

Edited December 14, 2022 by Mr Popodopolous

[Unan]

5 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

It's not just 20 years of ups and downs tbh. What is a 'better' manager btw  in a general sense. Capello's club record was very good indeed but at tournament t with us he made notable errors, tournament 2 he may have lent from and had weaned us off 4-4-2 at last!

Think in Sprng 2011 a midfieod of Parker-Lampard-Wilshere was show8nf some promise- Parker wad thst bit of glue. As we know, Wilshere was injured by then and Capello walked due to Terry gate.

Him aside, the whole 20 years thing, so much longer.

Euro 2000 anyone?

How about 1992- group stage and longish ball game and 1994- did not qualify.

1988- Group stage again.

Two tournaments, both World Cups for which we did not even qualify again 1970s..

On the flipside 1996, 1990- 1998 we were unlucky as we were in 1986.

Real mixed bag going back decades. Know less without looking about 1982, 1984 etc. Probably did okay but nothing outstanding?

Agreed, it is longer, I was just using the time span the prior poster quoted. I also agree, "What is a good manager?". I think a lot of the context that is missed here is that England have, arguably at least, the best pool of talent in the world right now, and a considerable amount of other teams are very weak compared to their basslines. I'm (somewhat) young, so I can't comment on specific tournaments, but I don't remember a time when we've been so strong, and most other teams have been so weak. I don't think you can use x tournament to show that we are doing well/not too bad/should be grateful, the variables are considerably different. Although I do agree that you can use these tournaments to show the FA are, or at least have been, consistently a load of tosh!

Edited December 14, 2022 by Marcus Aurelius

[PHILINFRANCE]

There has been a lot of mention, and justifiably so, of Argentina’s wonderful support, but Morocco’s has also been very impressive.

Unfortunately, it is being reported locally (France) that some 2,000 fans armed with Royal Maroc air tickets and match tickets, both provided free by the King and the Moroccan football federation, are not being allowed to travel as they haven’t had time to obtain the entry visa to allow them entry to Qatar, so the flights have been cancelled.

What an absolute farce.

Edited December 14, 2022 by PHILINFRANCE

[italian dave]

1 hour ago, archie andrews said:

Let’s hope morrocco win it then.... 

What?? No chance! In the early 1700s they stole hundreds of British slaves and imprisoned brave British seamen sent to rescue them. 

True to the ‘never forget…never forgive’ approach makes them a no no too I’m afraid. 

[SecretSam]

2 hours ago, pillred said:

Or the Falklands, that's the reason I want them to lose they cost us a lot of brave men defending them and for that out of the French or them much as I have no love for the French either they are the lesser of two evils for me.

Happy wife happy life :laugh:.

I think the Argies lost a few as well...and we didn't need to lose anyone, there was a diplomatic solution in progress, but Thatcher wanted the war to boost her popularity. At the time, almost no-one knew where the Falklands were. 

According to someone in the RAF that I used to know who was posted there, the locals in the Falklands hate the military who are there, and treat them like crap. Frankly, I think the Argentinians are welcome to the pointless rocks, and their ungrateful inhabitants. We'll take the saving on defence spending.

[Maltshoveller]

10 minutes ago, SecretSam said:

I think the Argies lost a few as well...and we didn't need to lose anyone, there was a diplomatic solution in progress, but Thatcher wanted the war to boost her popularity. At the time, almost no-one knew where the Falklands were. 

According to someone in the RAF that I used to know who was posted there, the locals in the Falklands hate the military who are there, and treat them like crap. Frankly, I think the Argentinians are welcome to the pointless rocks, and their ungrateful inhabitants. We'll take the saving on defence spending.

Pointless Rock !!!!!!

There is oil under that rock 

Why do you think we went 8000miles to save it 

[EstoniaTallinnRed]

1 hour ago, Maltshoveller said:

Pointless Rock !!!!!!

There is oil under that rock 

Why do you think we went 8000miles to save it 

The largest of these is the Sea Lion oil field, which is estimated to hold the equivalent of 1.7 billion barrels of oil, of which about 580 million barrels are thought to be recoverable (Rockhopper, 2021. (2021).Mar 15, 2022

[BigTone]

2 hours ago, SecretSam said:

I think the Argies lost a few as well...and we didn't need to lose anyone, there was a diplomatic solution in progress, but Thatcher wanted the war to boost her popularity. At the time, almost no-one knew where the Falklands were. 

According to someone in the RAF that I used to know who was posted there, the locals in the Falklands hate the military who are there, and treat them like crap. Frankly, I think the Argentinians are welcome to the pointless rocks, and their ungrateful inhabitants. We'll take the saving on defence spending.

Oh dear

[RedRock]

5 hours ago, italian dave said:

What?? No chance! In the early 1700s they stole hundreds of British slaves and imprisoned brave British seamen sent to rescue them. 

True to the ‘never forget…never forgive’ approach makes them a no no too I’m afraid. 

Hang on though …. while many of our South Coast towns were raided by the Africans and English slaves taken, the French had ‘a go’ too - more out of ‘spite’ - and trashed Teignmouth more than once. The 1690 raid being the last ever foreign invasion on British mainland soil. We’ve even kept their ‘balls in the wall’ to prove it. 

So down here on the coast we’ve chips on both shoulders… and the finest chips they are too. 
 

We don’t hold grudges or nations responsible for historical events though … and will be fully supporting the ref for these last two World Cup matches.
 

[RedRock]

3 hours ago, EstoniaTallinnRed said:

The largest of these is the Sea Lion oil field, which is estimated to hold the equivalent of 1.7 billion barrels of oil, of which about 580 million barrels are thought to be recoverable (Rockhopper, 2021. (2021).Mar 15, 2022

That wouldn’t be the same Rockhopper with shares valued at 500p sometime back and are now trading less than 10p? Not sure I’d be putting too much weight on their analysis tbh if it’s the same Company. 

[italian dave]

20 hours ago, downendcity said:

Sort of similar to when Nicky Maynard scored "that" goal at QPR.

Not only one of the best I've seen by a City player, but one of the best I've ever seen, for pure individual skill and brilliance, but there was little to no wider coverage of the goal at the time. Many City fans commented that, had the goal been scored by Messi, Ronaldo or Rooney, we'd never hear the end of it. As it happens, Rooney scored his famous overhead goal against City at around the same time and, as we all well know,  it received wall to wall coverage and euphoric praise from commentators and pundits alike.

Yes Messi is one of the greatest of all time, but why, when he has played in the world cup, do commentators voices raise a couple of tones and decibels whenever he touches the ball? You sense they have a notebook full of hyperbole, ready to  be used whenever the great man produces a moment of brilliance and can equally sense their disappointment when that fails to materialise, or, heaven forbid, the opposition do something spectacular - like beat Argentina!

On a similar basis, and regarding the commentators " wankfest" syndrome. In one of Brazil's group matches I was doing some work, so was listening to, rather than watching, the tv coverage. I could clearly hear the commentators enthusing energetically while Brazil had possession, but then the sound went. Then the sound came back to yet another almost verbal orgasm while Brazil attacked, only for the sound to disappear. I thought it was an intermittent fault with the tv, but when I watched for a while, I realised that the commentators were giving it full beans while Brazil had the ball, but fell virtually silent, with little to say,  while the opposition were in possession!

Perhaps we just have to accept that this is a by product of the culture of celebrity we now live with, albeit, unlike the z listers with no talent  or achievements, that pass for celebs these days, Messi actually has talent, skill and brilliance in abundance and is deserving of his status as one of the greatest players of all time.

 

Did Ferdinand just say that Mbappe had been recorded as running at 45kmh? That would make him significantly quicker than Usain Bolt! 

[AppyDAZE]

Game over.

 

 

 

Edited December 14, 2022 by AppyDAZE

[Malago]

25 minutes ago, italian dave said:

Did Ferdinand just say that Mbappe had been recorded as running at 45kmh? That would make him significantly quicker than Usain Bolt! 

Faster than a lot of racehorses as well, certainly faster than the ones I tend to back.

[BigTone]

28 minutes ago, AppyDAZE said:

Game over.

 

 

 

Sorry Appy but you are suffering from premature adjudication 

[Davefevs]

33 minutes ago, italian dave said:

Did Ferdinand just say that Mbappe had been recorded as running at 45kmh? That would make him significantly quicker than Usain Bolt! 

6 minutes ago, Malago said:

Faster than a lot of racehorses as well, certainly faster than the ones I tend to back.

Indeed.

https://www.britannica.com/story/how-fast-is-the-worlds-fastest-human

I remember two of my drunk mates trying to set off a 30mph speed camera one night.  Didn’t have the heart to tell them!

[BigTone]

7 minutes ago, Malago said:

Faster than a lot of racehorses as well, certainly faster than the ones I tend to back.

Last one I backed came in at 25 to 1. Problem was the race started at 11:00

[1960maaan]

Am I missing something, how did Boufal get booked for being kicked, all be it accidentally. I've seen Pens given for less **

 

 

 

 

**
Not for us BTW

[BigTone]

In all honesty Morocco are putting up a fight

[The Hustler]

6 hours ago, SecretSam said:

I think the Argies lost a few as well...and we didn't need to lose anyone, there was a diplomatic solution in progress, but Thatcher wanted the war to boost her popularity. At the time, almost no-one knew where the Falklands were. 

According to someone in the RAF that I used to know who was posted there, the locals in the Falklands hate the military who are there, and treat them like crap. Frankly, I think the Argentinians are welcome to the pointless rocks, and their ungrateful inhabitants. We'll take the saving on defence spending.

[DolmanGaz]

still don't understand why not a pen to morocco... rewound it several times.

[BigTone]

FFS

Morocco very much in this.

Edited December 14, 2022 by BigTone