The ONLY World Cup thread (merged)

[Topside Northbank]

The pool of players to choose from playing in the PL be it England the rest of the home nations and Ireland who should for a few on here be reminded are not British has got smaller and smaller.The hope for England is some success at under 17 and under 20 level,this however in the money laden PL brings it's drawbacks technical flaws aside,young players rewarded with large contracts without ever doing anything to warrant those rewards breeds a different sort of problem imo.

International football has always been for me very secondary to Arsenal and not being particularly patriotic either I guess does make me laugh as every 2 years people become interested in the national side.

This world cup England have done well because they have beaten teams who are around their level in Colombia and Sweden,talk of draws etc this has been overlooked Croatia and England was a 50/50 game for me and if you don't take your chances when on top and the other team does well sayonara.

[xisstential]

Would love to see Croatia win as they have come through three 120 minute matches on the bounce...that really takes some doing seeing as England were out on their feet after having a fairly easy win in their previous against Sweden. Having said that though, France had a much tougher route to the final and probably deserve it.

Read some great posts on here about Southgate & this England side....I can understand the Johnny come lately's, the media and the glory hunters spouting their nonsensical hype but a lot of football fans on here should really know better. England had an incredibly lucky draw and tbh still made heavy weather of it (9 of their 12 goals from set pieces) and as somebody rightly pointed out on here, should they lose the third place play off, it means they played 7, won three, lost three, drew one. A new dawn????

Anyway...let the season begin and the brand new Arsenal start strutting their stuff

[Topside Northbank]

I have watched most of games and on RTE and a couple on BBC 1,we have ITV but it is on a freeview TV upstairs and some of the coverage has been decent some totally embarrassing.The use of women pundits and presenters has become ridiculous.

Maybe some of the Irish lads would of seen the Irish woman on the RTE panel a couple of Sundays ago I didn't catch her name she couldn't actually talk her voice had gone . I particularly enjoyed Eamon Dunphy's view on the aptly named Eric Dier 'truly woeful player' . I certainly enjoy listening to Dietmar Hamann he certainly doesn't pull his punches and is scathing especially of Klopp at Liverpool and his record of losing in finals I digress but very honest in his appraisal of international football and makes some very decent points in the main,decent pundit.

BBC has become a joke PC world gone wrong

I was abroad for the Colombia and Sweden games cut a long story short bought a TV card so I could watch the matches in my apartment no chance would I go out and watch England games in a bar in Spain,no thanks.

Well I watched the semi final on ITV upstairs the other night as the missus was downstairs doing the washing after our holiday and didn't want to get in her way,plus the washing machine is slightly loud

My god it was the worst coverage of any game I had seen on any of the three platforms I had viewed.Who gives a flying fuck about no mark celebrities wishing England well with 'it's coming home' messages I didn't know who most of them were

To cap it off some woman roving reporter who obviously had no fucking clue about football asking for fan score predictions it was comically bad.

The only woman reporters I have seen on the coverage with a clue on any of the three were Jacqui Oatley and Gabby Logan who at least come across as being bought up on the game.

[Topside Northbank]

Would love to see Croatia win as they have come through three 120 minute matches on the bounce...that really takes some doing seeing as England were out on their feet after having a fairly easy win in their previous against Sweden. Having said that though, France had a much tougher route to the final and probably deserve it.

Read some great posts on here about Southgate & this England side....I can understand the Johnny come lately's, the media and the glory hunters spouting their nonsensical hype but a lot of football fans on here should really know better. England had an incredibly lucky draw and tbh still made heavy weather of it (9 of their 12 goals from set pieces) and as somebody rightly pointed out on here, should they lose the third place play off, it means they played 7, won three, lost three, drew one. A new dawn????

Anyway...let the season begin and the brand new Arsenal start strutting their stuff

Yep return to real football Croatia winning would be nice as I will win a few quid as I have them in the local sweepstake some money as runner up already

Bet one Croatian is feeling very silly this past week step forward Nikola Kalinic sent home from the world cup after refusing to come on as a sub in their first game,chance to play in the biggest game in your career and winning the biggest prize,what a c...

[DB10GOONER]

Would love to see Croatia win as they have come through three 120 minute matches on the bounce...that really takes some doing seeing as England were out on their feet after having a fairly easy win in their previous against Sweden. Having said that though, France had a much tougher route to the final and probably deserve it.

Read some great posts on here about Southgate & this England side....I can understand the Johnny come lately's, the media and the glory hunters spouting their nonsensical hype but a lot of football fans on here should really know better. England had an incredibly lucky draw and tbh still made heavy weather of it (9 of their 12 goals from set pieces) and as somebody rightly pointed out on here, should they lose the third place play off, it means they played 7, won three, lost three, drew one. A new dawn????

Anyway...let the season begin and the brand new Arsenal start strutting their stuff

Yep return to real football Croatia winning would be nice as I will win a few quid as I have them in the local sweepstake some money as runner up already

Bet one Croatian is feeling very silly this past week step forward Nikola Kalinic sent home from the world cup after refusing to come on as a sub in their first game,chance to play in the biggest game in your career and winning the biggest prize,what a c...

WTF?

Really? How did I miss that story?

What a prize prick. Hopefully he will never get asked to play for his country again and hopefully if they win it they won't give the entitled cùnt a medal. I wonder if he would be due one though if he was part of the squad but got sent home?

Anyone know?

[Jock Gooner]

Would love to see Croatia win as they have come through three 120 minute matches on the bounce...that really takes some doing seeing as England were out on their feet after having a fairly easy win in their previous against Sweden. Having said that though, France had a much tougher route to the final and probably deserve it.

Read some great posts on here about Southgate & this England side....I can understand the Johnny come lately's, the media and the glory hunters spouting their nonsensical hype but a lot of football fans on here should really know better. England had an incredibly lucky draw and tbh still made heavy weather of it (9 of their 12 goals from set pieces) and as somebody rightly pointed out on here, should they lose the third place play off, it means they played 7, won three, lost three, drew one. A new dawn????

Anyway...let the season begin and the brand new Arsenal start strutting their stuff

Yep return to real football Croatia winning would be nice as I will win a few quid as I have them in the local sweepstake some money as runner up already

Bet one Croatian is feeling very silly this past week step forward Nikola Kalinic sent home from the world cup after refusing to come on as a sub in their first game,chance to play in the biggest game in your career and winning the biggest prize,what a c...

WTF?

Really? How did I miss that story?

What a prize prick. Hopefully he will never get asked to play for his country again and hopefully if they win it they won't give the entitled cùnt a medal. I wonder if he would be due one though if he was part of the squad but got sent home?

Anyone know?

It's had a fair bit of coverage over here, he plays for Milan so really should know better. I think it will be a decision for the Croatian FA as to whether he gets a medal or not and the odds have got to be that he gets fuck all which is what he deserves.

[augie]

Most of the players that have started every game for england, start again today - is that cos they want to win the game badly, or is it as I suspect, a lack of confidence in the squad depth ?

[GranadaJoe]

Remembering the abuse Lee Dixon got, how is it that we've never heard a chorus of, "If Dier can play for England, so can I"?

[LeftfootlegendGooner]

Most of the players that have started every game for england, start again today - is that cos they want to win the game badly, or is it as I suspect, a lack of confidence in the squad depth ?

5 changes that is almost half the team

[GoonerMuzz]

I have watched most of games and on RTE and a couple on BBC 1,we have ITV but it is on a freeview TV upstairs and some of the coverage has been decent some totally embarrassing.The use of women pundits and presenters has become ridiculous.

Maybe some of the Irish lads would of seen the Irish woman on the RTE panel a couple of Sundays ago I didn't catch her name she couldn't actually talk her voice had gone . I particularly enjoyed Eamon Dunphy's view on the aptly named Eric Dier 'truly woeful player' . I certainly enjoy listening to Dietmar Hamann he certainly doesn't pull his punches and is scathing especially of Klopp at Liverpool and his record of losing in finals I digress but very honest in his appraisal of international football and makes some very decent points in the main,decent pundit.

BBC has become a joke PC world gone wrong

I was abroad for the Colombia and Sweden games cut a long story short bought a TV card so I could watch the matches in my apartment no chance would I go out and watch England games in a bar in Spain,no thanks.

Well I watched the semi final on ITV upstairs the other night as the missus was downstairs doing the washing after our holiday and didn't want to get in her way,plus the washing machine is slightly loud

My god it was the worst coverage of any game I had seen on any of the three platforms I had viewed.Who gives a flying fuck about no mark celebrities wishing England well with 'it's coming home' messages I didn't know who most of them were

To cap it off some woman roving reporter who obviously had no fucking clue about football asking for fan score predictions it was comically bad.

The only woman reporters I have seen on the coverage with a clue on any of the three were Jacqui Oatley and Gabby Logan who at least come across as being bought up on the game.

A tad harsh mate, a ladies got to make a living in this world you know, who are we to criticise...... i'm fairly sure some posters on here know those ladies fairly well

I do agree though they are the only two i have time for listening too although Alex Scott has been ok at times too, the rest of the representative female pundits have been woeful..... as an aside just been flicking channels and it seems when it comes to commenting pre-match on the womans Wimbledon final it is a female only affair, not very equal is it.

[augie]

Most of the players that have started every game for england, start again today - is that cos they want to win the game badly, or is it as I suspect, a lack of confidence in the squad depth ?

5 changes that is almost half the team

But they are the same players that have been brought on as subs too - leaving aside the group game against belgium, there must be 6 or 7 players that have seen no game time

[Topside Northbank]

The RTE coverage today of the most pointless game in football the 3/4 th playoff game has been absolutely some of the best TV I have seen covering football in years epic stuff.

The panel is made up of three comedians that do world cup sketches over here the Martin O'Neill and Eamon Dunphy impersonators hats off to RTE 2.

Some of the stuff may be able to be found online at some point brilliant

[northbank123]

Really enjoyed watching Lukaku today. Epitome of a flat track bully - filled his boots against two shit sides in first two games and looks like being no goals since then.

Twice he has been put clean through on goal with great slide-rule passes and he has hilariously miscontrolled both.

What a fucking waste of £75m. To think they could probably have signed Kane for £10-20m more.

[goonersid]

Really enjoyed watching Lukaku today. Epitome of a flat track bully - filled his boots against two shit sides in first two games and looks like being no goals since then.

Twice he has been put clean through on goal with great slide-rule passes and he has hilariously miscontrolled both.

What a fucking waste of £75m. To think they could probably have signed Kane for £10-20m more.

Yeah and Kane has been brilliant today and scored all his goals against the best in the competition, Tunisia, Panama and a fuckin pen against Columbia

[Topside Northbank]

I have watched most of games and on RTE and a couple on BBC 1,we have ITV but it is on a freeview TV upstairs and some of the coverage has been decent some totally embarrassing.The use of women pundits and presenters has become ridiculous.

Maybe some of the Irish lads would of seen the Irish woman on the RTE panel a couple of Sundays ago I didn't catch her name she couldn't actually talk her voice had gone . I particularly enjoyed Eamon Dunphy's view on the aptly named Eric Dier 'truly woeful player' . I certainly enjoy listening to Dietmar Hamann he certainly doesn't pull his punches and is scathing especially of Klopp at Liverpool and his record of losing in finals I digress but very honest in his appraisal of international football and makes some very decent points in the main,decent pundit.

BBC has become a joke PC world gone wrong

I was abroad for the Colombia and Sweden games cut a long story short bought a TV card so I could watch the matches in my apartment no chance would I go out and watch England games in a bar in Spain,no thanks.

Well I watched the semi final on ITV upstairs the other night as the missus was downstairs doing the washing after our holiday and didn't want to get in her way,plus the washing machine is slightly loud

My god it was the worst coverage of any game I had seen on any of the three platforms I had viewed.Who gives a flying fuck about no mark celebrities wishing England well with 'it's coming home' messages I didn't know who most of them were

To cap it off some woman roving reporter who obviously had no fucking clue about football asking for fan score predictions it was comically bad.

The only woman reporters I have seen on the coverage with a clue on any of the three were Jacqui Oatley and Gabby Logan who at least come across as being bought up on the game.

A tad harsh mate, a ladies got to make a living in this world you know, who are we to criticise...... i'm fairly sure some posters on here know those ladies fairly well

I do agree though they are the only two i have time for listening too although Alex Scott has been ok at times too, the rest of the representative female pundits have been woeful..... as an aside just been flicking channels and it seems when it comes to commenting pre-match on the womans Wimbledon final it is a female only affair, not very equal is it.

yep walked into that one.

Don't watch tennis especially Wimbledon,it is the epitome of middle and upper class British system that I despise for two weeks every year those people especially love tennis and those same people are the same sort that suddenly start jumping on the football bandwagon especially the 2 year England circle of interest.

Anyway in these days of gender pay equality how come the men play 5 sets and the women only 3 what is the pay for the winners of both men and women pro rata are the women overpaid,no idea