The World Cup Thread (5 Viewers)

Covstu

Well-Known Member
Yeah, but I'm more benevolent than you. ;o)

Was just thinking if L1 and 2 games went ahead, they may not clash exactly with WC games, but a league game could finish at 5 and then a WC game could kick off at 5 or 6 and then fans with a distance to travel and especially long distance away fans would never get back home in time for games. Wouldn't that result in lower crowds while the tournament was on?

Think the only solution is to postpone all football league games.
Wonder what time the kick offs will be?
 

Johnnythespider

Well-Known Member
No I’m not one of these to ‘discount’ pens at all, just fact he had after the Tunisia game a ‘poor’ World Cup imo for a side that got to the semis, there main man was missing for the KO’s in open play.
He was playing deeper than I would have liked in the KO's, I put that down to Southgate TBH.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Just checked. December is usually an average high of 24 and a low of 17. That should be fine, so you would think the same kick-off times as Russia.

Noticeable though that the World Cup is pretty much always 4 weeks (Russia 14th June to 15th July, Brazil 12th June to 13th July, South Africa 11th June to 10th July, Germany 9th June to 9th July), but this Qatar one is just over 3 weeks, so almost 1 week less (21st November to 18th December). They must be cramming more games in early on.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
I heard 2026, but could maybe do it for Qatar.

Maybe don't have qualifying at all and just invite every single nation to the tournament. Perfect!
 

Covstu

Well-Known Member
Is it 2 hour dif? Guess same as this one? Unless it’s still too warm for the earlier ko?
Yes that’s was I was worried about but I guess it should be okay in winter otherwise they wouldn’t have done it. It’s a more condensed tournament also given the winter disruption. Still mixed about it given the domestic fixtures but time will tell I guess
 

wingy

Well-Known Member
Referee has apparently been awarded Man of the Match for France.
Is that based on the pen?
I didn't see the game
Too busy but heard Shearer droning on about it, ref didn't give it but In a Prem game on a Saturday would be calling for it.
It's one I'd normally say to close for him to avoid but although maybe inadvertant his arm moved to meet the ball.
 

I_Saw_Shaw_Score

Well-Known Member
How many teams will there be?
Whether the 2022 World Cup will be a 32-team event or expand to 48 sides is still to be decided.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said that Qatar can insist on keeping a 32-team format, though he admitted towards the end of Russia 2018 that he was "pretty sure that all options will be on the table."

Hassan Al Thawadi, head of Qatar's World Cup 2022 committee, said: "It will be a common decision taken between FIFA and Qatar and we are now studying the feasibility of expanding it to a 48-team World Cup. However, all preparations are on the basis of 32 teams."

Were the number of teams to increase, so would the likelihood of Qatar sharing hosting duties in the region.
 

CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member
Have we really though?

I suggest you go to Youtube and take a look at some of our WC games from the past (90's maybe). We had way better players then in almost every position. The only 'progress' we've made is instead of good players we already knew about, we now have a few good players who were relatively unknown before. Can you honestly say we have anyone of the quality of Scholes, Shearer, Sheringham or Owen? Even players like Gerrard, Lampard and Beckham were better than this lot is ever going to be

I think in this tournament we benefited from the relative degrading of the opposing teams. Italy and Holland never even qualified, so that took away two teams that would normally beat us. Germany, Spain, and Argentina are way past their best. Add the fact that we were in a weak group and then had a relatively easy path to the semis. As soon as we came up against a top team, all the old failings became apparent.

Yet it was a golden chance to win it. But I don't expect that to happen again for a long, long time.

Normally beat us? In March we beat Holland (the worst team I have seen us play in the last year including Scotland and Malta) and drew with Italy.
 

CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member
I personally think Croatia 8/10 times beat England and France 19/20 beat England

Last two friendlies against France have resulted in a 2-0 win and a 3-2 loss. The semi was the first time we'd played Croatia for 9 years so no real history on that one. I'd agree to an extent though. Both sides are better than us. If we played each of them 10 times it'd probably end up W3, L5, D2.
 

CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member
What’s the format for qualifying for Euro 2020 ?

Regular qualifying next year from March-November (no friendlies). The Nations League makes it complicated. Pretty much means that one each from the 1st (Spain, England, France etc), 2nd, 3rd and 4th (San Marino, Luxembourg, Gibraltar) 25% in the Uefa rankings will get a place in the tournament. The tournament itself is spread across the continent. We could end up playing 4 games at Wembley, 2 games at Hampden and I think the other 1 could be in Dublin. Meanwhile I think it's possible for some others to play in Baku one day and Bilbao a few days later. If Scotland qualify we are guaranteed to be in their group. The whole thing is a stupid idea and hopefully it isn't used again.
 

Gazolba

Well-Known Member
How many teams will there be?
Whether the 2022 World Cup will be a 32-team event or expand to 48 sides is still to be decided.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said that Qatar can insist on keeping a 32-team format, though he admitted towards the end of Russia 2018 that he was "pretty sure that all options will be on the table."

Hassan Al Thawadi, head of Qatar's World Cup 2022 committee, said: "It will be a common decision taken between FIFA and Qatar and we are now studying the feasibility of expanding it to a 48-team World Cup. However, all preparations are on the basis of 32 teams."

<snip>
All options will be on the table, but what options will be under the table?
 

CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member
They were friendlies. I was talking about competetive matches in tournaments. Friendlies never feature the strongest teams a nation can put out.

Ok, in that case in our last competitive fixture against Holland we smashed them 4-1.
 

CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member
All options will be on the table, but what options will be under the table?

I wouldn’t put anything past those cretins. 48 teams is as bad as 24 in the Euros. 32 is enough but if they needed to increase it, it should’ve been 40 with 8 groups of 5 and increase squads a bit to compensate for the reduced recovery time in between games.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Last two friendlies against France have resulted in a 2-0 win and a 3-2 loss. The semi was the first time we'd played Croatia for 9 years so no real history on that one. I'd agree to an extent though. Both sides are better than us. If we played each of them 10 times it'd probably end up W3, L5, D2.
Yep, agree with that.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Watching the replay
Never a free kick for the first .
Of course not. It was Griezmann. He's just as bad as Neymar.

About time the authorities gave him a 6 match ban. His first thought is more than often than not to dive and/or feign injury too.

I saw straight away in real time that it wasn't a foul. Ref was fooled though. VAR should have identified it and I would like to see an instant red card. That would stop the cheating little git.
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Normally beat us? In March we beat Holland (the worst team I have seen us play in the last year including Scotland and Malta) and drew with Italy.

Holland have declined even faster than we have, Italy's blip in qualifying is a bit harder to explain though. The point being made is undeniable though, man for man we are much weaker than we were 10 years ago and on paper this is the worst team in my meagre 28 year existence. The main difference being that this summer we seemed to give a shit as a team which allowed us past average opposition.
 

CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member
Holland have declined even faster than we have, Italy's blip in qualifying is a bit harder to explain though. The point being made is undeniable though, man for man we are much weaker than we were 10 years ago and on paper this is the worst team in my meagre 28 year existence. The main difference being that this summer we seemed to give a shit as a team which allowed us past average opposition.

Oddly someone from the team from back then said this team was better than the one he was in back in October.
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Their domestic league is full of foreigners, sound familar? It's all downhill once that happens, unless your home-grown players move abroad.
In the not too distant future, the England team will feature players from the Championship.

If we had our best players in La Liga or Serie A I'd be quite happy and think it would strengthen our quality of play. As it is nobody is doing that and our pool of quality players is shrinking year on year despite being a football mad nation with a league overflowing with cash. At least this time the players seemed to give a fuck.
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Oddly someone from the team from back then said this team was better than the one he was in back in October.

2006 starting XI against Portugal:

Robinson
G Neville
Terry
Ferdinand
A Cole
Hargreaves
Beckham
Gerrard
Lampard
J Cole
Rooney

2018 starting XI against Croatia:

Pickford
Walker
Stones
Maguire
Trippier
Young
Alli
Henderson
Lingard
Sterling
Kane

Sorry CJ it isn't even close.
 

ccfchoi87

Well-Known Member
Can't stand him because of all his cheating antics.

Each to their own, plenty of city players do the same. England were bad for it too.
I actually thought it was a foul in the build up to the first goal, it was the offside that was the problem. France were way too good throughout the tournament regardless of 'cheating' as you put it.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Each to their own, plenty of city players do the same. England were bad for it too.
I actually thought it was a foul in the build up to the first goal, it was the offside that was the problem. France were way too good throughout the tournament regardless of 'cheating' as you put it.
There were plenty of players cheating, but Neymar and Griezmann are excessively over the top with it and so far so that it has become ridiculous.

I remember Griezmann against Arsenal and if he wasn't diving he was feigning injury. No place for it in football and I am just as critical if England or City players do it, but Neymar and Griezmann are in a league of their own.

Hate it. All that's wrong with football. :(
 

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