World Cup 2022

[PunkStep]

This one had Harry Maguire trying to do stepovers instead!

[RIDDUM_N_STYLE]

2 hours ago, SpiritOfTheForest said:

Eye bleeding shite? That's what that game felt like. USA were good but England brought absolutely nothing. I was looking forward to sitting down to a Friday night game but yeah, that was pish from an entertainment point of view. Maybe it's because the last 2 World Cups were so fun but this one seems like it's had a ton of 0-0s already. 

Tonight’s game was the fifth, there were only two in the whole of Russia 2018, I put most of them down to being in an early slot but the England game was a typical Southgate preservation shit show so who knows

[Mr_Danger]

I know it’s probably one of those things that the partial observer criticises him for and the Spurs fans go mad because he’s developed his game with it but why the fuck is Harry Kane hanging around in wide positions and midfield when the ball goes in to the box? You can sort of understand him doing it at Spurs where he’s taken it upon himself to be the creator as well as scorer but at internationalisation level, with a squad of players including TAA, Foden, Grealish, Trippier etc surely he can leave the creativity to someone else.

[air_raid]

11 hours ago, Gus Mears said:

That was worse than the game against the United States from the 2010 World Cup.

Was it worse than the one against Algeria?

Not directed to Gus particularly but far too much emphasis is being placed on the performance in a group game which was hardly do or die. The last two games are now a straight shootout for 2nd between a team with 2pts and a team with 3, and England finish against an abject Wales side. The group stage is only ever a “job done” situation, and danger failure to qualify would hinge on losing to Wales and even not coming top to secure an apparently easier game (with either Senegal or Ecuador most likely) would need either losing to Wales, Iran to beat the colonists and England draw with Wales, or an England draw with Wales if USA!USA!USA! win the flag match by four or more goals and eclipse Englands goal difference or match it but score more than them. E.g 5-0 would be enough to top the group, 4-0 wouldn’t, 6-2 would only be enough if England’s draw with Wales would be 0-0.

Besides… it’s the group stage. The Dutch lost to the Soviet Union in the groups in Euro 88 then beat them in the final. Argentina lost their opener in 90 then made the final. Spain lost to the Swiss in 2010 and won the World Cup. Portugal needed a goal in the other game to haul themselves out of the group as one of the best 3RD place teams in 2016 then won the bastard tournament. I need to stress again ; just get the job done. The group stage is just like August/September of the Premier League season and people are judging the squad based on that 11s first two games together. Only by the knockouts do managers get their idea of who’s sharp and who isn’t, what’s working and what needs to change. Calm down everyone.

 

 

[Browser Brady]

might be rose coloured glasses but i do remember the 2018 World Cup to be a belter. 
 

 

[SuperBacon]

3 hours ago, Mr_Danger said:

I know it’s probably one of those things that the partial observer criticises him for and the Spurs fans go mad because he’s developed his game with it but why the fuck is Harry Kane hanging around in wide positions and midfield when the ball goes in to the box? You can sort of understand him doing it at Spurs where he’s taken it upon himself to be the creator as well as scorer but at internationalisation level, with a squad of players including TAA, Foden, Grealish, Trippier etc surely he can leave the creativity to someone else.

I can see why this annoys people (obviously watching it be one of the key parts of his game every week means I love it) but to be fair to him, there was absolutely zero creativity last night so he probably felt he had to. And he provided 2x assists in the first game.

I don't have stats to prove it but he probably had as many "line breaking bullshits" or whatever you want to call them as the creative lot. Saka and Sterling were woeful and it highlighted the worst in both of their games.

Kane was crap* as well and what really annoyed me is he seemed to be looking for very, very small fouls to win free kicks rather than advance the play ("HAHA WE'VE BEEN TELLING YOU THAT FOR YEARS BACON!!!")

Whether this is intentional to get the team up the pitch and reset, I don't know, but I'd rather you pass or dribble rather than win a free kick on the touchline 10 yards inside your half mate.

Don't think he's had a shot on target yet either. He should've buried that header at the end.

21 minutes ago, Browser Brady said:

might be rose coloured glasses but i do remember the 2018 World Cup to be a belter. 
 

 

It WAS a belter.

6 days in, and plenty to go, but this one has by and large been utter shit.

*Screenshot this, as it won't be happening again.

[Frankie Crisp]

Looks like the organisers of the Tunisia Vs. Australia game accessed @air_raid’s account during the caching issue and are now actively winding him up.

Not watching it, but clocked it on the telly when I was out having my brekkie to make this a hat-trick.

[air_raid]

4 minutes ago, Frankie Crisp said:

Not watching it, but clocked it on the telly when I was out having my brekkie to make this a hat-trick.

Makes sense. Brekkie over footy.

[PunkStep]

2 hours ago, air_raid said:

The group stage is only ever a “job done” situation,

Exactly that, agree with your post. It's just the group stages. Nobody steamrollers the group stages and then goes on to win the tournament anyway, do they? I can't recall the last time that happened. But Twitter was awash with #SouthgateOut last night. Good grief. 

1 hour ago, Browser Brady said:

might be rose coloured glasses but i do remember the 2018 World Cup to be a belter. 

2014 and 2018 were brilliant World Cups, so much better than the previous few World Cups. This has been OK so far, not as bad as 2010 or 2002.

1 hour ago, SuperBacon said:

"HAHA WE'VE BEEN TELLING YOU THAT FOR YEARS BACON!

Haven't seen any tunnelling from him this tournament yet though.

But definitely a valid point re Kane having to drop deep as there was no creativity. Kane should not be that much deeper than Mount than he was at times last night, which says more about Mount's performance in my view. Bellingham having an off day didn't help and Declan Rice was too pedestrian. 

[air_raid]

To be fair, I think he might give two or all of Rashford, Foden and Grealish the nod against Wales knowing he can bring Kane etc on after an hour if the result is still in doubt. I wouldn’t be against a change of shape and Foden in for Mount either. But then, I was the knob that thought he should find a formation to get Mount, Foden and Grealish all on the pitch at the same time. Which he did against Scotland, which worked out wonderfully. 0-0.

[SuperBacon]

This sounds well worth a watch on BBC Four later. Documentary on the 1998 game between the USA and Iran.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b7jh9d

[Version1.0]

Straaaayyyyyaaaaaa!

Only their third ever World Cup win (Japan 2006, Serbia 2010).

[Keith Houchen]

42 minutes ago, SuperBacon said:

This sounds well worth a watch on BBC Four later. Documentary on the 1998 game between the USA and Iran.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b7jh9d

I remember one at the time with Nick Hancock. His wife is Iranian and he followed the fans and their stories. He got well into it and goes mental during the game. 

[Tommy!]

3 hours ago, Keith Houchen said:

I remember one at the time with Nick Hancock. His wife is Iranian and he followed the fans and their stories. He got well into it and goes mental during the game. 

The outsiders. 

I know this because it was still knocking about the discount bin in woolworths when they went under, along side Barry Welsh is coming: the cream. 

[air_raid]

With Bale gracing a World Cup and scoring and Lewandowski finally scoring in a World Cup today, along with it probably being the last World Cup for Messi and definitely for Ronaldo, it’s feeling like a real “end of chapter” for this generation of stars. Mbappe of course being one of the new ones, looking brilliant having already won one World Cup and scored in the final at such a young age.