FIFA 2022 World Cup Group stage: Sponsored by Bud

[Ian]

Not sure what's to be gained by having a thread per round is when we already have a monthly thread that is just for The Football but whatever, people like threads so here it is.

Starts on the 20th of the month, last group game is on the second when groups G and H wrap up.

Looking at it now England's group is an interesting one in as much as they'd all be team that normally scream "enormous group stage cock-up" but you don't normally have three of those in the one group. In reality I suspect it'll just be three supremely boring games, though if somebody does take the lead against us it'd be interesting to see what, if anything, Southgate does.

[Ian]

Also this is very naff:

[niko_cee]

Oh god.

That absolutely cannot become the widely used version.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I think it's quite a fun draw, this time around, except the France group, and even that could be livened up by a traditional French implosion.

Not sure how much of it I'll be able to watch, mind. Daytime games are hopeless.

[Waffdon]

Normally I’d agree but in the WFH ages it’s absolutely glorious.

[Yevrah]

All the teams we face are in the top 20, right?

We should beat all of them regardless (7 points minimum), but then we do have a muppet in charge so fuck knows.

[Yevrah]

Normally I’d agree but in the WFH ages it’s absolutely glorious.

The hit to GDP is going to be a sight to behold.

[Spikey M]

Also this is very naff:

I don't know how David Baddiel manages to continue becoming more and more loathsome. It's some effort.

[SvN]

Jesus Christ, that new 3 Lions is up there with the worst.

[Yevrah]

Indeed. And if you’re evoking the Women then there’s no need for the song at all as it’s only x months of hurt.

[Yevrah]

Having now watched it I see they’ve removed that line entirely. So tragic.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm not even going to click on it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Normally I’d agree but in the WFH ages it’s absolutely glorious.

As if by divine intervention, since my last post I've been given a move to a desk where no one can see my screen, so we are rocking, at least for the beeb games.

[niko_cee]

I'm not even going to click on it.

This is the wise option.

[Giggles]

About 5 teams should pull out tomorrow and really fuck shit up.

[Baz]

As if by divine intervention, since my last post I've been given a move to a desk where no one can see my screen, so we are rocking, at least for the beeb games.

Imagine if you were promised this and then some old cunt who openly does no work then moved to the desk instead and declared it their own. Rather than being able to rant about it on TTH and people mourn for your loss, instead everyone will bring it up constantly and remind you of how sweet it could have been.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Maybe because I didn't ask for it, but was given it voluntarily by the bosses after quietly earning their trust over a five year period.

[Shindig]

I'm only possibly missing 10 games all tournament. I've got an unobstructed view of the office TV but I hate following games that way.

[Giggles]

I actually don’t care what I see in this one before the quarters. I’ll listen to pods about it on the road.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Does anyone know why the opener was brought forward a day? Holland-Senegal would have been far better.

[Lewis]

I don't know how David Baddiel manages to continue becoming more and more loathsome. It's some effort.

'Celebrity Jew David Baddiel', to give him his current name.

[Spikey M]

'Celebrity Jew David Baddiel', to give him his current name.

Fond memories of him taking offence at non-Jewish Spurs fans using the term "yid", whilst shrugging off that they adopted the name after having it shouted at them by fans of his own club (along side the hissing and songs about concentration camps).

He had Matt Lucas of all people piping up as well.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Can anyone else hear what sounds like spoons clattering in the BBC studio?

[igor_balis]

Can anyone else hear what sounds like spoons clattering in the BBC studio?

Yeah, glad you mentioned it cus i thought I was losing it.

[Waffdon]

Is the Qatar team just like the Japanese rugby team?

[Jimmy Floyd]

They're doing a very good job with this early coverage actually, if only so we are not exposed to the horrendous opening ceremony that is going on in the background.

[igor_balis]

Wow it's absolutely pumping in the Al Bidda fan park

[Lewis]

Fond memories of him taking offence at non-Jewish Spurs fans using the term "yid", whilst shrugging off that they adopted the name after having it shouted at them by fans of his own club (along side the hissing and songs about concentration camps).

He had Matt Lucas of all people piping up as well.

Starts having a MELTDOWN because he thinks the full crowd is chanting 'Jew, are ya?' at him.

[igor_balis]

Baddiel is such a wanker. I hate how him and his mates have deliberately conflated actual abuse with any non-celebrity having the temerity to say they think they're rubbish on twitter. It's all VILE TROLLING. Also refuses to apologise for blacking up.

[Waffdon]

I thought I’d get a break from Kenny Dalgliesh’s daughter. Fuck me, she’s terrible. Can’t even speak properly or say the name ‘Ian’.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Does she say "Lan"?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Surely they're not doing a VT on England 1-0 Ecuador, one of the worst ever World Cup games.

[Don]

Ecuador should win this fairly easily given they have about 10kg of muscle mass advantage per player. I'll watch the opening mins to make sure the home advantage doesn't alter things too much before unloading on Ecuador.

[Waffdon]

Does she say "Lan"?

Honestly, yes. I’ve just realised I was watching some ‘extras’ pish. Alan Shearer to the rescue

[Spikey M]

Jesus, there's more atmosphere in space.

[Jimmy Floyd]

All my worst fears about this tournament have been realised here. Ecuador in all yellow.

[Lewis]

Did the same bloke write every South American anthem?

[Spikey M]

No idea, buy I'm pretty sure a deaf lad wrote the Qatari one. It's barely recognisable as a tune.

[Shindig]

The Qatari journalist on 5 live got very defensive about calling their line-up naturalised. Look at them white lads.

[Jimmy Floyd]

They probably won't have a concept of naturalised in the same way that we do, half the country is probably 'naturalised' in some way.

[Giggles]

The countdown

That’ll be a beheading for someone.

[Shindig]

Off to a great start.

[Ian]

I've got a lot of respect for them being just immediately hoofing it up to the striker after the kickoff.

That goalkeeping.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Enner Valencia is a bit of a beast.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Jeez, I had no idea how much I was going to celebrate that goal. Up off the sofa.

[Dquincy]

Oh dear.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

This is going to be a fisting and it's going to be glorious.

[igor_balis]

Hahah

[Jimmy Floyd]

VAR with machetes to their throats.

That was not offside. Sorry.

[Giggles]

Is this the first World Cup with this VAR bollocks?