The Football/Soccer Thread

formby said:
Why oh dear? There's no shame in losing against a good team, and Belgium, are a good team.
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Makes me think that England just had an easy group to begin with and that the team is not as good as the English media made them to be. If they had met a "good" team earlier on they would have been out sooner.
After all, these players play in the most expensive league in the world, so you can expect a bit more quality.
However, same needs to be said about several players of the German team.
 
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Scherensammler said:
Makes me think that England just had an easy group to begin with and that the team is not as good as the English media made them to be. If they had met a "good" team earlier on they would have been out sooner.
After all, these players play in the most expensive league in the world, so you can expect a bit more quality.
However, same needs to be said about several players of the German team.
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They had an easy path. That's for sure. France and Belgium went through much tougher teams to get to the semifinal.

The press always bigs up England in every tournament. They overachieved. They only crushed Panama and that was a squad of MLS starters and/or bench MLS players.
 
Scherensammler said:
Makes me think that England just had an easy group to begin with and that the team is not as good as the English media made them to be. If they had met a "good" team earlier on they would have been out sooner.
After all, these players play in the most expensive league in the world, so you can expect a bit more quality.
However, same needs to be said about several players of the German team.
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Expectations were low going into the WC and most people were surprised that they got as far as they did, and the luck of the draw played a big part in that.

The British media are experts at bigging things up so that they can pull them down later, hence creating their own news story.

As for the Premiership, it works against the development of a strong national teama s I hinted at in an earlier post.
 
formby said:
Expectations were low going into the WC and most people were surprised that they got as far as they did, and the luck of the draw played a big part in that.

The British media are experts at bigging things up so that they can pull them down later, hence creating their own news story.

As for the Premiership, it works against the development of a strong national teama s I hinted at in an earlier post.
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Opposite thing in Germany! High expectations before the WC, building up a lot of pressure. I'm surprised Germany has as many players at that skill level. Most of the Bundesliga is made up of foreign players, though a lot more low key than the Premier league. Second tier, if you like.
And given all the cash-grab tournaments the top teams have to play, at the end of a season the top players are pretty worn out.
Then, of course, there is the politically wanted multicultural aspect in Western European FAs, which backfired this time for the German team when Özil and Gündogan posed next to Erdogan during his election campaign to gain votes in Germany from the Turkish community (which is a big one, BTW).
 
Scherensammler said:
Opposite thing in Germany! High expectations before the WC, building up a lot of pressure. I'm surprised Germany has as many players at that skill level. Most of the Bundesliga is made up of foreign players, though a lot more low key than the Premier league. Second tier, if you like.
And given all the cash-grab tournaments the top teams have to play, at the end of a season the top players are pretty worn out.
Then, of course, there is the politically wanted multicultural aspect in Western European FAs, which backfired this time for the German team when Özil and Gündogan posed next to Erdogan during his election campaign to gain votes in Germany from the Turkish community (which is a big one, BTW).
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The expectations amongst my German work colleagues were high for a repeat. I had to remind them of the less than convincing qualification and friendlies leading up to the tournament. Germany had (has?) a good pipeline of players. In the last World Cup, they had the senior statesmen (Klose, Mertesacker, Schweinsteiger, Lahm) and you had players in their prime (Hummels, Mueller) and then younger ones on the bench (Goetze) ready to trickle in. It would be a shame to blow that up. Spain didn't after crashing out.

Özil was doing what he did for Arsenal all season. Disappears for periods at a time with the occasional flash of excellence and then a wave of mediocrity. I'm not sure political beliefs changed any of that trend.
 
Fwiffo said:
Özil was doing what he did for Arsenal all season. Disappears for periods at a time with the occasional flash of excellence and then a wave of mediocrity. I'm not sure political beliefs changed any of that trend.
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You're describing exactly his doing in the Mannschaft! Some good days, but mostly mediocre ones.
One of the token "integrated" foreigners with migration background. I think that is why he made it into the team in the first place.
Affirmative action, if you like. So Özil and Gündogan posing with Erdogan was a slap in the face to those, who always claim how well "integrated" the Turks in Germany are.

Fwiffo said:
Germany had (has?) a good pipeline of players. In the last World Cup, they had the senior statesmen (Klose, Mertesacker, Schweinsteiger, Lahm) and you had players in their prime (Hummels, Mueller) and then younger ones on the bench (Goetze) ready to trickle in.
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Many of the older ones have retired/ moved on, the ones that were in their prime 4 years back are now too old or simply out of form.
It doesn't help that Löw has his favourites he puts in the team, no matter what, even when they didn't play well all season in their clubs.
The problem with having so many foreign players in your league is that they take up key positions in their teams. Most of them are strikers or forward mid-fielders, and I think that's where England and Germany have problems.
Last WC you had players like Lahm and Schweinsteiger who were great at assisting their strikers, but most of all motivating their team. This time, there was only Özil in the centre, and it's easy to take him out.
Anyhow, they need to sort it out for both teams. Hopefully the Euro 2020 will be better.
 
Is that the Fresh Prince Big Willie at the half time of the World Cup? Isn’t he 50 now?
 
I only started watching after the half. Croatia's manager better make some adjustments on the left. They are getting murdered there. Letting Pogba take two shots unmolested is inviting trouble.
 
Rambo said:
France gonna take it home
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How many goalkeeper calamities have there been this tournament? Everyone seems to think they are the next Manuel Neuer and are good with the ball at their feet, take penalties and head into goal on last gasp plays.

France deserving of this 20 years later. They took a bit of a detour with that one disastrous campaign when the players revolted in South Africa but have been improving with every tournament. Pogba's stock may go up before he disappears in the lineup for United again.
 
What's up with Griezmann's finger tattoos? Looks like a degenerate white trash prisoner.
 
Reality always wins over multiculturalist propagandastaffel. It'll make the hangover much harder.

Most bizarre and entertaining final I've ever seen in a WC. Croatians were the best but the French-African team had the destiny with her. It's fair to recognize the exceptional management of Deschamps who managed to transcend a bunch of mediocre players (Griezmann was average all the tournament along, 0 goal for Giroud but a super midfielder fighting spirit, 0 crosses for the wingers, best midfielder, aka Kanté, completely off topic) into an unbeatable team with no game style (defending at all cost and counter-attacking) but with an incredible efficacy: 5 shots, 4 goals. Very Italian.

To conquer without risk is to triumph without glory.
 
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I've watched Giroud throughout his Arsenal spell. He's doing what Olivier Giroud does. At least he's consistent that way.
 
Fwiffo said:
I've watched Giroud throughout his Arsenal spell. He's doing what Olivier Giroud does. At least he's consistent that way.
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Giroud is technically limited but is a good scorer. The problem is he is a fox in the box and hasn't been served many times by his partners during the tournament in the goal zone, at the exception of France-Belgium. It has no importance since Deschamps plan was to transform the team into a pure defensive and counter-attacking block (4-5-1). He soon understood his team lacked technical talent and was unable to play the game of Germany or Spain. Giroud and Griezmann played mostly as defensive midfielders and only Mbappé was dedicated to counter-attack. Ugly but victorious strategy. Deschamps is the true winner of this WC.
 
Smalto is milking this title like crazy. I'm sure his (French) blue suits made the difference.



"In Mother Russia only Putin gets an umbrella"!

france-v-croatia-fifa-world-cup-2018-final-luzhniki-stadium-9-752x501.jpg
 
That was one torrential downpour. Anyone follow Serie A Juventus? Is there actually a place for Ronaldo, Higuain and Mandzukic altogether?
 
Scherensammler said:
Smalto is milking this title like crazy. I'm sure his (French) blue suits made the difference.



"In Mother Russia only Putin gets an umbrella"!

france-v-croatia-fifa-world-cup-2018-final-luzhniki-stadium-9-752x501.jpg
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Ymmv
However
Handing out umbrellas is the task of the heads’ of states security. The russians did their job, the croatians and french less so
 
Brentford kick off Championship season with a 5 1 thrashing of Rotherham.

Worrying that Championship games are now being spread over several days. Reliable Saturday three pm kick offs was one of the attractions of the league. That and the fact that success was not all sewn up by a handful of clubs.
 
Kingstonian said:
Brentford kick off Championship season with a 5 1 thrashing of Rotherham.

Worrying that Championship games are now being spread over several days. Reliable Saturday three pm kick offs was one of the attractions of the league. That and the fact that success was not all sewn up by a handful of clubs.
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In Championship? How is that possible? You would get promoted then.

Chelsea only getting one shot on City. Hope that's not another foregone conclusion.
 
Fwiffo said:
In Championship? How is that possible? You would get promoted then.
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Championship is not as predictable as the Premier League. So teams like Huddersfield get promoted and clubs that spend money, like Derby, have so far been unable to get back to the top flight.
 
Kingstonian said:
Championship is not as predictable as the Premier League. So teams like Huddersfield get promoted and clubs that spend money, like Derby, have so far been unable to get back to the top flight.
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Oh I get it, clubs that have endless pockets but never get results.
 
Fwiffo said:
It looked like he still had it from the World Cup.
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Yes he did play well, was not so great in Mexico in the season prior but have high hopes for him here.

He's got a venture capital fund with Will Smith of all people. There's a chance Mathieu Flamini could be out here as well, and he's made a motser from his biomass by product company.
 
doghouse said:
Hey Fwiffo Fwiffo .

Arsenal sucks.
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To be honest I haven't watched them since the Europa semi-final. I did see the Wenger farewell speech at Emirates, but that was just the speech. I didn't even bother to see the game.

I suspect it will get worse before they get better. And better means contention for fourth in the table. They might even have to go through a season and another manager before reaching there.

Opening day of the Premiership used to be a day at the pub for me.
 
Brentford playing well. Undefeated in three games. Reasonable ticket prices. Kick off at sensible times.

Going to Fulham v Burnley on Sunday. Booked originally for Saturday 3pm. Then they moved the game....
 
Fulham 4 Burnley 2. Excellent game. Fulham excellent going forward but defence looked fragile. Burnley not as solid as we have come to expect. Playing European football may have taken the edge off them.
 
Kingstonian said:
Clint Dempsey retires from football. Hard working player.
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I rated him highly when he was with Fulham. When he came back State side he was a bit of a prima donna dick in MLS. He actually had close to a season off because of a suspected heart condition in 2016.
 
Brentford 2 Nottingham Forest 1.

Justice eventually done. Forest were a nasty, cheating side. Referee was useless. Twelve cards in the match. Forest manager Karanka seems to specialise in ‘defensive’ sides who push the rules to the limit.

Nice walk through the park in the sunshine afterwards. A couple of beers in The Magpie, then on to Express Tavern, then home via Wetherspoon in time for Match of the Day.

Brentford fifth in the table. Play off places.
 
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