World Cup 2022

[Darrenbot]

Didn't watch the semi finals,just couldn't get up for them after England's exit.Should be a good final so will watch that,France have the better team but it'll probably feel like an Argentina home game,i think it'll go to extra time and wouldn't count out a Penalty shootout to decide the winner

[roverandout]

France are the benchmark.  4 finals in last 7 tournaments.  We haven't come close to 1 in last 50 odd years. Yes two semi finals which we were outplayed In both

[jim mk2]

Griezmann has played better and more influential in this World Cup than Messi. His transformation from striker to midfield playmaker has been remarkable. Argentina would not have got through to the final without dubious refereeing decisions.

It gauls me to say it, but Allez Les Blues on Sunday

[roverandout]

Maddison would have been the perfect link player Griezmann style this world cup but southgate stubbornes refused to use him. Another stick to beat southgate with 

 

 

[simongarnerisgod]

14 minutes ago, roverandout said:

France are the benchmark.  4 finals in last 7 tournaments.  We haven't come close to 1 in last 50 odd years. Yes two semi finals which we were outplayed In both

got to disagree with you there,1990 we matched the best german side ever and 2018 it was very even,only for the fact in 2018 we had as we have now 2 poor centre backs we`de have reached the final

[jim mk2]

2 minutes ago, roverandout said:

Maddison would have been the perfect link player Griezmann style this world cup but southgate stubbornes refused to use him. Another stick to beat southgate with 

 

 

Maddison wasn't fit and probably shouldn't have been there. Having said that, it's unlikely he would have played much anyway. Southgate prefers his favoured midfield plodders - you know who they are

[jim mk2]

1 minute ago, simongarnerisgod said:

got to disagree with you there,1990 we matched the best german side ever and 2018 it was very even,only for the fact in 2018 we had as we have now 2 poor centre backs we`de have reached the final

Bobby Robson's 1990 team would have been worthy finalists - England were unlucky. But that seems to be a theme with England - something always seems to go wrong and failure seems inevitable

[Oldgregg86]

6 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Modric is still the best passer of the ball in the game.

De bruyne is for me

[joey_big_nose]

6 minutes ago, Oldgregg86 said:

De bruyne is for me

Terrible at this world cup though...

[Silas]

17 minutes ago, roverandout said:

 Another stick to beat southgate with 

How many you got? Fill a golf bag? 

Which one is the driver? Big Bertha?

I'm going with timing of substitutions. 

[Darrenbot]

13 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

Bobby Robson's 1990 team would have been worthy finalists - England were unlucky. But that seems to be a theme with England - something always seems to go wrong and failure seems inevitable

With a better GK we might have won that world cup.Shilton was well past his best and got nowhere near their pens.

[roverandout]

37 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

got to disagree with you there,1990 we matched the best german side ever and 2018 it was very even,only for the fact in 2018 we had as we have now 2 poor centre backs we`de have reached the final

I was being disingenuous with the 1990 team. I'm just pissed off with a catalogue of failures 

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, roverandout said:

Maddison would have been the perfect link player Griezmann style this world cup but southgate stubbornes refused to use him. Another stick to beat southgate with 

 

 

Maddison is a good player but certainly not comparable to Griezmann who is outstanding.

[Oldgregg86]

7 hours ago, joey_big_nose said:

Terrible at this world cup though...

Yeah but watch him next week for city 

[roverandout]

7 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Maddison is a good player but certainly not comparable to Griezmann who is outstanding.

Outstanding at this tournament but pretty crap at club level 

[RoverDom]

I too find the fangirling coverage of Messi to be cringeworthy. Clearly a superstar of a player capable of things no other player is but the coverage is over the top to the point that I also want France to win it.

Things that have wound me up

1. Striker scored a goal, it was a great first touch and a decent finish with the outside of the boot. The first thing the commentator does is talk about Messi and the assist. Fair enough talk about the assist but to not even mention the goalscorer is disrespectful 

2. Tries something that doesn't quite work. E.g. he dribbled past 2 players and then got tackled "joy to watch"

3. Does something that even I could pull off "is there anyone else like him" - yes literally everyone. 

 

[roverandout]

1 hour ago, roverandout said:

Outstanding at this tournament but pretty crap at club level 

On the maddison thing again.  No one would have known how good he could have Been at this tournament because he wasn't given a chance.  Maddison could have been 'outstanding '

[jim mk2]

It’s now known as the “Messi World Cup” according to some in the media. Pass the sick bag

France v Argentina in the final is like Burnley v Preston. You don’t want either of them to win. Is a 0-0 bore fest with all the players sent off possible please?

 

Edited December 15, 2022 by jim mk2

[G Somerset Rover]

Jeez. Can you just have an anti Argentina/Messi thread created for yourself Jim?

Edited December 15, 2022 by Gavlar Somerset Rover!

[Darrenbot]

1 hour ago, roverandout said:

On the maddison thing again.  No one would have known how good he could have Been at this tournament because he wasn't given a chance.  Maddison could have been 'outstanding '

One of the best players in the league at Leicester,give him a chance at a City or a Liverpool and he'll show how good he can be.Southgate has got away with no criticism with not playing him because all the journalists are arsekissing him as they don't want the access that he gives to the team taken away if he is replaced.He was fit to play by the end of the group stage so the he wasn't fit enough line doesn't hold up

[smiller14]

20 hours ago, bluebruce said:

So Modric can't pass like him?

Good point! 'Not many' would have been more appropriate - although nobody touches his assist numbers in the last decade (although appreciate assists are weighted against players who sit deeper and often aren't credited officially with the assist).

I still think Messi edges it for vision, some of his passes in the final third are sublime and always perfectly weighted. It's been a privilege watching him and Modric all tournament; the latter absolutely bossed it vs Brazil, at 37 he was head and shoulders above everyone else. 

[smiller14]

4 hours ago, RoverDom said:

I too find the fangirling coverage of Messi to be cringeworthy. Clearly a superstar of a player capable of things no other player is but the coverage is over the top to the point that I also want France to win it.

Things that have wound me up

1. Striker scored a goal, it was a great first touch and a decent finish with the outside of the boot. The first thing the commentator does is talk about Messi and the assist. Fair enough talk about the assist but to not even mention the goalscorer is disrespectful 

2. Tries something that doesn't quite work. E.g. he dribbled past 2 players and then got tackled "joy to watch"

3. Does something that even I could pull off "is there anyone else like him" - yes literally everyone. 

 

Agree media have gone over the top. He has been superb but think the BBC/ITV pundits have been swept away by the romanticism of it being his last World Cup, as well as it being a rare glimpse of him on those channels. 

That being said, there have been some moments that have been absolutely out of this world. The assists vs Holland and Croatia both top drawer, and whilst it was only Australia, that performance was amazing. 

The coverage is a bit odd - whilst I appreciate it's a domestic TV channel, I was surprised with them discussing Southgate's future at half time during an engrossing semi final. 

[Mattyblue]

Part of it is because outside World Cups the BBC/ITV pundits and commentators never get to do games with him playing, ergo they seem to be a little starstruck.

[RoverDom]

14 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Part of it is because outside World Cups the BBC/ITV pundits and commentators never get to do games with him playing, ergo they seem to be a little starstruck.

Linekar and Ferdinand were two of the worst offenders and they do champions league coverage

[Mattyblue]

I’m thinking more of your Guy Mowbray, Martin Keown types on comms.