World Cup 2018

[littlebabyjesus]

Quarter finals for England, I reckon. That's a pretty lucky draw.

 

[butchersapron]

No luck involved. Planning.

 

[Steel Icarus]

Quarter finals for England, I reckon. That's a pretty lucky draw.

I think it's clear that over the last few tournaments England can be relied upon to perform well under expectations.

 

[Steel Icarus]

And this wc there will be enough time for the commentators use the "It's not really the World Cup until Brazil play their first game" having skipped it last time out.

 

[Silas Loom]

Still should have been boycotted, of course.

 

[Steel Icarus]

Still should have been boycotted, of course.

Politics threads ------------------------------------------->

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I think it's clear that over the last few tournaments England can be relied upon to perform well under expectations.

In that case, I expect them to win. It's the only logical position to take.

 

[ska invita]

Full schedule up now
Groups & Schedule - World Cup - Football - BBC Sport

 

[ska invita]

After Groups Stage England play either top or second team from Group H which is the weakest of the groups IMO. Win that game and should take us to the QFs. Really good draw for England

 

[not-bono-ever]

Kaliningrad as well. Watch yer selves there - it’s a bit Wild West

 

[planetgeli]

That's a belting draw for England

Words waiting to come back and haunt.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Just got off the service desk.

It could have been far worse.

Although probably just means our failure to progress will be all the more embarrassing.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Full schedule up now
Groups & Schedule - World Cup - Football - BBC Sport

Ooh, it's properly on, now

And group games all outside of core work hours

 

[1927]

 

[nuffsaid]

Genius

 

[Lord Camomile]

Full schedule up now
Groups & Schedule - World Cup - Football - BBC Sport

I was just idly looking through the groups, and aside from Spain v Portugal there aren't really any matches that jump out as ones to watch in the group stages.

Maybe Argentina v Iceland, for the potential lols

 

[Badgers]

I still believe

 

[Lord Camomile]

Non-Mail (NY Times) source

 

[Badgers]

 

[Lord Camomile]

So, very randomly I found myself moderating a panel in the Arcitc circle last week, as you do...

Anyway, it was in Norway, but very close to the Russian border (for context of who may have been in the audience). At one point I asked people to raise their hand if they usually watch the World Cup, then lower it if they planned to boycott the Russia World Cup, and then again if they planned to boycott the Qatar World Cup. A lot more people seem to be boycotting the latter than the former (out of this scientific study of about 20 people, many of whom might have been Russian ).

Veracity of anecdotal polls aside, does feel like there's more objection to Qatar than Russia, on a number of levels.

 

[pocketscience]

England squad announcement tomorrow.
first casualty:
Joe Hart left out of England’s World Cup squad by Gareth Southgate

The Manchester City goalkeeper, who has spent the season on loan at West Ham, was told on Monday in a phone-call from Southgate that he would not be travelling to a fifth major finals despite the national manager having considered the 31-year-old his first-choice for much of his tenure. Hart won his 75th and most recent cap against Brazil in November, but Jordan Pickford and Jack Butland started the friendlies in March and have now usurped him in the pecking order.

bit Hartless from Southgate - but I like it

 

[skyscraper101]

Hart is useless. I fully approve.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Hart is useless. I fully approve.

England are so rubbish these days we can't even manage a good controversial omission.

 

[skyscraper101]

England are so rubbish these days we can't even manage a good controversial omission.

England are so rubbish these days we don't even have a late season metatarsal injury, followed by a full page cut out of the foot in The Sun to worship.

 

[The Octagon]

England are so rubbish these days we don't even have a late season metatarsal injury, followed by a full page cut out of the foot in The Sun to worship.

Oxlade-Chamberlain was the sacrificial lamb this time around, fingers crossed him and Gomez are the only ones.

Squad announced today, Wilshere not making the cut either it seems.

Late entry perhaps for Shelvey or Loftus-Cheek, maybe chuck Sessegnon in for column inches, we haven't ruined a promising young kid with high expectations for a while

Otherwise, I quite like the way Southgate is doing things, get the squad named without having some poor bastards hanging on in hope, and he looks to be picking on form to fit a system, rather than big names for the sake of it.

 

[The Octagon]

Here it is:

Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope.

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Gary Cahill, Fabian Delph, Phil Jones, Harry Maguire, Danny Rose, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, Ashley Young.

Midfielders: Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Jesse Lingard, Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Forwards: Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling, Jamie Vardy, Danny Welbeck.

Stand-by: Tom Heaton, James Tarkowski, Lewis Cook, Jake Livemore and Adam Lallana.

Nothing too surprising.

It's coming home

 

[The Octagon]

Also, some of the comments on the BBC feed

Dan: I honestly wish the worst on England for excluding Wilshere, disgusting, appalling management of the lowest calibre. Southgate has actually been sucked in to media’s agenda against Wilshere and Arsenal

 

[Teaboy]

That's a lot of full backs.

I think Cahill can consider himself very lucky.

 

[tommers]

Here it is:

Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope.

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Gary Cahill, Fabian Delph, Phil Jones, Harry Maguire, Danny Rose, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, Ashley Young.

Midfielders: Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Jesse Lingard, Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Forwards: Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling, Jamie Vardy, Danny Welbeck.

Stand-by: Tom Heaton, James Tarkowski, Lewis Cook, Jake Livemore and Adam Lallana.

Nothing too surprising.

It's coming home

That reminds me a bit of when I go shopping and I get loads of nice things and then when I get home I realise I can't make a meal out of them.


I mean who are our central defenders? Stones, Maguire, Cahill or Jones? We've got two midfielders who aren't really attackers & Loftus-Cheek.

Something like: Butland, Walker, Rose, Stones, Cahill, Dier, Henderson, Dele Alli, Kane, Sterling & Rashford? That's a lot of attackers but otherwise.... Loftus-Cheek.

I like the inclusion of youth players but he's sort of forgotten to get the potatoes.

 

[Teaboy]

Yeah, agreed. Its another dogs dinner of a squad for a major tournament.