Road to Russia 2018

[Tangles]

Tuned into the England game as its a long weekend. How is Hart still the national keeper? Lol

 

[Furball]

I don't like wanting England to win.

 

[grecian]

Southgate was a really weird choice, has he ever had a job he didn't bomb? His record is so much worse than (e.g.) Howe that there will probably never be a time at which immediately firing him and getting someone competent in isn't an obviously good move. Players probably find his training sessions a bit embarrassing when they're used to working with Pochettino or Klopp.

I think the squad is OK. Enough to work with that a manager who knew what they were doing could build a competitive English outfit.

Other news, Isco is incredible.

I think at first it was "oh **** it give him the job, no-one good will want it, and at least he knows the players". This was kinda my thinking too, but it ended pretty much as soon as he started making demands, before he got the job, long contract and the like.

It's at this stage if I had been head of the FA (what a great thing that would be), I'd have said, "take a one-year contract at slightly more than you are already on, for this job you're hugely under-qualified for to fill the hole whilst we're in turmoil,or sling your bloody hook, and we'll get in a manager who has won something, even if it's the Unibond Premier as he's more qualified in winning than you."

Oh forget all that, we've equalised, we're going to win the World Cup, yay us.

 

[Furball]

That would have been an incredible goal.

 

[Furball]

Do the commentators know what pressing is? Praising England for great pressing whilst Slovakia are cutting England to ribbons with one touch football one of the most bizarre pieces of commentary I've heard.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Dele Alli with some nice middle finger action towards the ref. Wonder how long he'll banned.

 

[Uppercut]

Norn Iron are so good. Won our last five games with an aggregate score of 13-0, four years unbeaten at home and would be on course for a best runner up finish if Portugal weren't given a total prank-group. Pretty amazing that Michael O'Neill hasn't been poached too. England would be genuine WC contenders after a year or two with him in charge.

 

[Uppercut]

Alli's finger is going down great with the French, apparently that ref is widely despised.

 

[DanJamson]

No chance Isco is better than Iniesta.

He's a better goalscorer.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

He's a better goalscorer.

Dele Ali better than Iniesta confirmed.

 

[DanJamson]

Dele Ali better than Iniesta confirmed.

strawman confirmed

 

[wpdavid]

Alli's finger is going down great with the French, apparently that ref is widely despised.

Apparently he claims it was directed at Kyle Walker, which would have been justifiable, even if I don't believe a word of it.

Silly boy. Naturally one or two of the pundits were suggesting that side of his nature is part of what makes him the player he is, maybe because every decent player over the years has had the same short fuse as Ali.

Still, at least Southgate now knows that Rashford is a better player than Sterling.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Norn Iron are so good. Won our last five games with an aggregate score of 13-0, four years unbeaten at home and would be on course for a best runner up finish if Portugal weren't given a total prank-group. Pretty amazing that Michael O'Neill hasn't been poached too. England would be genuine WC contenders after a year or two with him in charge.

Yep they've cruised to second in their group. Portugal's group is hilarious, when the Faroe Islands are the 3rd worst team it is pretty special. 6 easy wins guaranteed.

 

[Furball]

Norn Iron are so good. Won our last five games with an aggregate score of 13-0, four years unbeaten at home and would be on course for a best runner up finish if Portugal weren't given a total prank-group. Pretty amazing that Michael O'Neill hasn't been poached too. England would be genuine WC contenders after a year or two with him in charge.

We should have poached him instead of giving Strachan a new deal.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

considering renouncing all ties to Norway

 

[Lillian Thomson]

It's all going as expected. England will qualify and be **** when we get to the tournament. A couple of the other home nations will make the play-offs, get the toughest possible draw and not qualify.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

FIFA have ordered a match involving South Africa to be replayed because the ref gave an incorrect penalty decision. I'm sure there's more to it than I can be bothered to look into, but it's seems to set a dangerous precedent.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Sounds like more than one decision?

https://twitter.com/RobHarris/status/905511362251685890

 

[Spark]

It also sounds like he has a distinctly sketchy record wrt "odd" decisions https://apnews.com/362e08ee6f0a4833b45369df82202a06

His antics in an African Cup of Nations qualifier last year also were suspect. He allowed the game between Congo and Angola to continue for two minutes longer than the injury time displayed before awarding a disputed penalty to Angola. He blew for full time straight after Angola scored from the spot.

eyes emojis

 

[Lillian Thomson]

They need to do something about the South America v Oceania play off when they increase the tournament to 186 teams. Argentina v New Zealand is a possible. It's different standards of football.