World Cup 2022

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

27 minutes ago, roverandout said:

Belgium really are poor. Take out de bruyne and this team is so mediocre 

There’s a good article in yesterdays paper on DeBruyne. The interviewer asks him outright. - Can Belgium win the World Cup ? “  He says - “ No, we’re too old “.

[RoverDom]

33 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

don't think that Southgate has lost lots of goodwill in that I don't think he had much to begin with, I think the majority of England supporters (impossible to quantify I admit) don't rate Southgate and would prefer someone else in charge.

And I don't get why. He's not a sexy name but he's our most successful manager in tournament football since we won it. He's got a squad of England players who want to play for England and actually look interested in it which was a big complaint for years. We don't have a good crop of defenders to chose from yet had one of the best defences at the last euros.  

 

That said there comes a time in football where things come to an end and it's time for a change. We'll see what he does at this tournament then reassess. 

[roverandout]

Belgium will never have a generation as good as this. 4 years ago they had incredible depth now they rely on average players from smaller clubs and leagues. Belgium is a tiny country so unlike the big nations England spain France Germany Etc it will be hard to rebuild.  

[matt83]

Belgium are another team who have subscribed to pointless possession walking football.

If there’s a country out there who goes rogue and proudly embraces the long ball I’ll support them all day long as a neutral. 

[roverandout]

They try to play the Spain tikataka style whilst not having anyone anywhere near the level of silva xavi busquets xabi alonso iniesta.  Obviously de bruyne is the exception 

[simongarnerisgod]

16 minutes ago, matt83 said:

Belgium are another team who have subscribed to pointless possession walking football.

If there’s a country out there who goes rogue and proudly embraces the long ball I’ll support them all day long as a neutral. 

it`ll enrage the media,the jester hat wearing fan t***s and the morons who think football was invented in 1992😉remember when pulis had delap flinging  massive throws into the box,the above lot basically accused him of cheating and playing anti football,myself,i thought it was great,bring back ale house football and big centre forwards who like bullying defenders!!!!!!!!!

[RoversTilliDie]

19 hours ago, matt83 said:

You say you wouldn’t class them as underdogs but how many of their squad would get into ours? Adams maybe Pulisic probably no one else and yet in spite of that they deserved all 3 points. In the grand scheme of things I highly doubt drawing with the usa will affect qualification (as top) one iota. But not to beat the usa, who admittedly aren’t as shit as usual, is still embarrassing in the same way not beating Scotland was embarrassing. 

I have just got the sangrai in seeing Rovers are in Spain next week. Don't forget the Germans once lost to minnows in the past and went on to lift the World Cup.

[roversfan99]

56 minutes ago, RoverDom said:

And I don't get why. He's not a sexy name but he's our most successful manager in tournament football since we won it. He's got a squad of England players who want to play for England and actually look interested in it which was a big complaint for years. We don't have a good crop of defenders to chose from yet had one of the best defences at the last euros.  

 

That said there comes a time in football where things come to an end and it's time for a change. We'll see what he does at this tournament then reassess. 

I don't think that it is anything to do with being a sexy name. Ultimately if he had left prior to this World Cup, then you would have to rate his tenure as a success. 

But as I said, international knockout tournaments are not necessarily going to conjure up the best team as the winner, as they are massively reliant on luck, if it was a league then every team obviously plays each other home and away but Southgate has had incredible fortune in the draws that we have had.

We have flair players that have only really emerged in the last couple of years, but their international form and how they are used is not comparable by a man who is very pragmatic to the point of not getting the best from his players. If we played a big nation in the knockout rounds, I would not trust Southgate to be tactically savvy enough to win a game having scored early, nor would I have faith in him to turn a game that we were losing in. 

It is a good foundation to have a squad that seemingly enjoy playing for their countries, but that alone won't overcome top sides.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

Canada, 1-0.

 

[roverandout]

7 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I don't think that it is anything to do with being a sexy name. Ultimately if he had left prior to this World Cup, then you would have to rate his tenure as a success. 

But as I said, international knockout tournaments are not necessarily going to conjure up the best team as the winner, as they are massively reliant on luck, if it was a league then every team obviously plays each other home and away but Southgate has had incredible fortune in the draws that we have had.

We have flair players that have only really emerged in the last couple of years, but their international form and how they are used is not comparable by a man who is very pragmatic to the point of not getting the best from his players. If we played a big nation in the knockout rounds, I would not trust Southgate to be tactically savvy enough to win a game having scored early, nor would I have faith in him to turn a game that we were losing in. 

It is a good foundation to have a squad that seemingly enjoy playing for their countries, but that alone won't overcome top sides.

I keep hearing we've had lucky draws. These haven't been walks in the park. We've had to play some tough sides.  I agree with alot of what u say. We have enough quality to make at least another semi final but then Southgate gets out thought.  Though unlike the previous world cup alot of big nations look like spent forces other than the likes of France Spain Brazil. Even England have made a better start than some

Edited November 27, 2022 by roverandout

[Ianrally]

The thing with tournament football you can never rule anyone out at the group stage. 
min 1990 Argentina progressed to the last 16 only by being one of the best 3rd. place finishers in the group stages, yet they went on to the final. It’s something to bear in mind with this latest tournament. 

[simongarnerisgod]

stupid fifa rule no1000,don`t put your flag up when it`s offside,carry on for 3 minutes till the ball is in the net,only then put the flag up👿

croatia to slow in the build up against the energetic canadians,who are mopping everything up

[Mike E]

4 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

stupid fifa rule no1000,don`t put your flag up when it`s offside,carry on for 3 minutes till the ball is in the net,only then put the flag up👿

croatia to slow in the build up against the energetic canadians,who are mopping everything up

Our exact problem on Fri vs USA

[RoverDom]

11 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

stupid fifa rule no1000,don`t put your flag up when it`s offside,carry on for 3 minutes till the ball is in the net,only then put the flag up

Especially in this world cup with all the technology. The linesmen are essentually pointless, the tech can do it all with precision and instantaneously. It should / could  be an alert to the ref like goal line technology

[Ianrally]

Croatia aren’t playing walking football now though. 

[roversfan99]

16 minutes ago, roverandout said:

I keep hearing we've had lucky draws. These haven't been walks in the park. We've had to play some tough sides.  I agree with alot of what u say. We have enough quality to make at least another semi final but then Southgate gets out thought.  Though unlike the previous world cup alot of big nations look like spent forces other than the likes of France Spain Brazil. Even England have made a better start than some

They haven't been walks in the park but equally we have had favourable draws. We firstly had Colombia who were missing their best player at the time and are far from one of the World's elite even though they have some handy players, and we only just got there via penalties. We then had Sweden who were really average and then we met our match in Croatia who themselves were possibly at the peak of their powers but were still not a France, Brazil or Belgium. It was our inability to beat Belgium that saw us fortunately get onto a much weaker half of the draw in what was an otherwise very poor group.

Go forward 2 years when many of the games were in England, comfortable enough group, then the toughest knockout draw we have probably had under Southgate. It was a Germany in transition but it was a really good win, had we gone a goal up early or a goal down obviously it may have been different and either of those situations would not leave me with much optimism in Southgate. Then we got a very easy quarter final and then the most favourable semi finalist, a Denmark side missing their best player and it took a dodgy penalty to win that.

So yeah, we definitely have had favourable draws in the last 2 tournaments. Our record under Southgate is good against lower opposition, my fear/expectation is that when we come across one of 5 or 6 heavyweights, our game management would let us down. France have been consistent throughout Deschamps' tenure, he is quite pragmatic and sometimes picks more safety first choices but they always seem in control of the big games.

[roversfan99]

Canada are a strange side, full of energy and good to watch but so tactically naive.

[simongarnerisgod]

3 minutes ago, Ianrally said:

Croatia aren’t playing walking football now though. 

stepped on the gas and look really slick,that first goal was from a pass that foden and grealish are good at

[J*B]

I’m assuming the Canadian team would most get work permits based on being in the commonwealth? If so, we should try and sign most of them. 

[Ossydave]

I feel as though there's gonna be mass disappointment when foden doesn't play the next game. It's akin to jdt with Dack, manager knows best and won't bow to the fans opinion. 

[simongarnerisgod]

9 minutes ago, J*B said:

I’m assuming the Canadian team would most get work permits based on being in the commonwealth? If so, we should try and sign most of them. 

id`e love to have that big lad davies at ewood,granted he plays for bayern munich so it`s pretty unlikely🤥

[chaddyrovers]

6 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I can’t see how you think France were struggling. They beat a durable Denmark side yesterday without really getting out of second gear. They’ll always score goals with Mbappe, Giroud and Dembele up front. Greizman is pulling the strings in midfield. 

Cos, I thought they were poor in the quality of their play and players didn't perform as well as they can, but they got the result. 

6 hours ago, goozburger said:

This has to be the worst half an hour of football I've ever watched from professional football players.

Didn't watch the game but reports are it was dull game. Morocco got a well deserved win today over Belgium. I have been impressed by Canada quality 

5 hours ago, K-Hod said:

(I’m sure someone will be along to say Southgate isn’t holding us back as he had delivered a semi final and a final in the last two tournaments. But, if you watched the final last year and didn’t think Southgate held us back in that match, I cant help you).

Better results in tournaments in over 22 years and understand how international football should be played unless coaches like Eriksson and Capello who didn't have a clue in tournaments and did hold us back with a very talent players who should have got us to at least semi-final but didn't at all. Give me Southgate every day of the week and twice on Sunday over Eriksson and Capello

3 hours ago, K-Hod said:

Absolutely no idea what that Morocco goal was disallowed for.

Prime example of if the ref had a mic and explained his decision, we would at least get an explanation….

I totally agree and something that FIFA should be bringing in asap and aswell as Premier League is proper communication with fans about the decision reach by VAR. 

[chaddyrovers]

2 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

I don't think that Southgate has lost lots of goodwill in that I don't think he had much to begin with, I think the majority of England supporters (impossible to quantify I admit) don't rate Southgate and would prefer someone else in charge.

I think Southgate has plenty of goodwill with fans. I'm happy with Southgate in charge and I hope he bring the world cup home. 

2 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

I also have never felt that he is the man to get the best out of our better attacking players, notably Phil Foden who Pep Guardiola and a blank chequebook still trusts implicitly to start and perform in the very big games, he is a special talent and should be the main man yet he is so far down the pecking order with a poorer manager who simply cannot get the best from him.

Foden would be in my team instead of Saka. I said that before the first game and my opinion hasn't change either despite Saka's 2 goals against Iran. 

[Darrenbot]

Canada have looked decent in their 2 games,they just lack  a fox in the box to finish of the chances.

[roversfan99]

8 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Cos, I thought they were poor in the quality of their play and players didn't perform as well as they can, but they got the result. 

Didn't watch the game but reports are it was dull game. Morocco got a well deserved win today over Belgium. I have been impressed by Canada quality 

Better results in tournaments in over 22 years and understand how international football should be played unless coaches like Eriksson and Capello who didn't have a clue in tournaments and did hold us back with a very talent players who should have got us to at least semi-final but didn't at all. Give me Southgate every day of the week and twice on Sunday over Eriksson and Capello

I totally agree and something that FIFA should be bringing in asap and aswell as Premier League is proper communication with fans about the decision reach by VAR. 

You do this weird thing whereby you repeatedly compare to Eriksson and Capello, as if they prove as a rule that foreign managers shouldn't be considered. They are 2 individuals who underachieved, not one person has suggested getting either back.

It would be like me saying that Hodgson was a success because at least he qualified unlike McLaren, why is your benchmark that of an underachiever?

2 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

I think Southgate has plenty of goodwill with fans. I'm happy with Southgate in charge and I hope he bring the world cup home. 

Foden would be in my team instead of Saka. I said that before the first game and my opinion hasn't change either despite Saka's 2 goals against Iran. 

I very strongly disagree, ultimately there is no way of proving either way but I know not one single person who rates Southgate and that impression is further strengthened by anything I read about Southgate as a manager.

If he had anything about him, Foden would already be a well established key member of our first 11, not someone we turn to when others underperform. Saka has also been performing at a level well in excess of either Sterling or Mount for a long while.