I don't think we've ever played Dortmund, or at least I can't remember playing them. A good draw for that reason.
I don't think we've ever played Dortmund, or at least I can't remember playing them. A good draw for that reason.
Real Madrid? Ah shite.
For similar reasons as Jimmy really, I don't recall playing Real Madrid so good draw.
Argentine "Cup of Champions" game ended with 10 players sent off
Last edited by randomlegend; 07-11-2022 at 11:33 AM.
Liverpool to do Real.
United - Barcelona.
Inevitable when we failed to qualify in first.
Liverpool are usually a bit shit in the last 16 but maybe they've cleared their bad run already this season. Real are owed a good beating. Shame City ducked PSG but good to see that at least one of the financially super dominant fucners will be heading out (Bayern also in this category).
It's the best draw we could've got, really.
I can't decide whether I love or hate Real shithousing their way to glory year after year so I'll support the winner of this one.
Definitely try and get to the Barcelona game.
What a don. Shame it’s an own goal
I had money on the home side.
I see they’re reporting Reece James will be back by the end of the month potentially. Wonder how long he will be out for after he rushes back and Southgate throws him into the team.
England taking an injured Reece James to the World Cup an then hoping he regains fitness will be a new low.
Man, Joelinton should've had Fred's spot.
Yeah, but with 'star players' not some poxy rightback when we already have loads of others.
We need him for our FA Cup win and 2nd place.
@Shinners obvs
Don't throw me in with the dregs of Dundonian society. That said, wing backs are the star players now, in any team. Well, most teams.
On your previous point, I really feel there's some room for a team that actually knows each other and hasn't been battered by European injuries to make a deep SHOCK run a la 2002. Qatar the obvious one, but I'm sure there are others.
Yeah, Kevin De Bruyne and Alien Inge Haaland, classic wingbacks.
Is there a decent team going [other than Chelsea] who's best player is a full back?
I'll rephrase it (since wingbacks don't fit the star player mould) - wing backs are what make a lot of the best teams work. See Liverpool when they were all-conquering vs Liverpool now.
Also Man Utd and Malacia.
Whilst I take your point, isn't it equally the case that the best teams work by having good players performing important roles in all areas of the pitch? Using Liverpool as the example their fullbacks remain the same [albeit perhaps underperforming] but their midfield and attack have suffered loss of personnel in recent seasons, particularly from the all important 'work-rate' perspective [Wijnaldum's departure much underappreciated].
Reece James is what Alves was to Sevilla and somewhat Barcelona in his prime. Ran games from right back. He is wasted for England though and never looks all that great. Better off with Trippier and Shaw.
At least Manc understands.
If real life football was FM23 we would all be saying that wing backs are overpowered, I don't think there's any getting around that. Liverpool proved you don't even need a midfield by playing pensioners there. Just shove 3 forwards up top and make the wing backs run a marathon backwards and forwards twice a week.
The Germans ruined football with their relentless pressing. Energy > ability
I was watching a random German game at the weekend (Werder Bremen v Schalke) and the headless chicken nature of it was remarkable. Everything at 100mph without the technical quality to go with it.
It's genuinely the same at the lower levels I'm playing at as well. There's a complete lack of effort defensively. We lost our last game 8-1 (after beating teams 7-0 twice and 9-2 in previous weeks).
Actually the technical ability is very good but no one can be arsed defending.
Yeah, I mean they're all good players, but it's so much harder to execute with the necessary precision when you're trying to do everything at a full sprint for the whole 90 minutes.
Mané off injured, 'mon a mass spate of injuries further ruining the World Cup [also handily plays into operation easy draw for GSB again].
When we lose 4-1 to Qatar in the round of sixteen we won't be laughing.
I've just looked up the Qatar national team squad expecting a lot of paid imports. They've adopted a few Sudanese lads for unknown reasons and a Portuguese defender called "Ro-Ro" but other than that they're surprisingly Qatari. If they even score a goal in the groups I'm calling match fixing.
James Justin just got stretchered off for Leicester. The door for James Tavernier to start against Iran is almost open.
Bath City v Dulwich Hamlet game was abandoned tonight. Sounds like the defender has given the opposition player a push on the way out of play which has sent him head first into the advertising hoardings. Only problem is they're just signs put up on a concrete wall.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63564102
That's pretty special, to be fair. Memories that'll last a lifetime, etc.
Reece James out of the World Cup.
Have some of that Wigan
Unbelievable scenes at the Mike Ashley Arena.
Apparently he was there last night, his team checking out the £20m worth of maintenance needed on a 17 year old stadium and I assume he was just enjoying the total of two shots on target in the entire game.
James Maddison not making the squad but Kalvin Phillips doing so would be lulz.
I don't think Maddison will be in the squad. Not like he's going to get loads of (/any) minutes if he is and Southgate is hardly going to take him for his bantz.
These are presumably nailed on:
Pickford
Ramsdale
Pope
Trippier
Trent
Shaw
Walker
Maguire
Stones
Dier
White
Coady
Rice
Bellingham
Mount
Henderson
Saka
Foden
Grealish
Kane
Sterling
Rashford
Which leaves five spaces. Serious lack of left sided defenders there, so maybe Tomori/DAN BURN to round them out?
Phillips probably goes. Maybe Maddison, or JWP/RLC?
Then a Kane backup. You surely only need one, but he'll probably take two of Toney, Wilson and Abraham.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engl..._football_team
Looking at the 27 man squad on there:
Pickford for Hendo
Cross James off
Ben White for Chilwell
Phillips for Tomori
Wilson for Toney
Grealish for Bowen
To take Maddy would need you to drop a real danger-man like Guehi/Coady/JWP so I can't see it.
Toney probably won't go because of all the betting stuff right?
Maddison is the most productive midfielder numbers wise over the last year or so by far isn't he?