Football in January 2022

[Jimmy Floyd]

Two-legged ties in general will be gone within ten years (execs mistaken idea that attention spans are less - they aren't) which will be a great shame.

[Spoonsky]

That would seem to go against the dominant "moar football" logic. On the other hand it is fully in line with the actually dominant "ruin everything good" logic which seems to have governed every decision in football for the last decade.

[Jimmy Floyd]

They'll do moar football but it'll be one game at a time. The fucking Swiss system or whatever it is, exhibit A.

[-james-]

What's wrong with the Swiss system? Apart from it being called the Swiss system.

[Giggles]

What is the Swiss system?

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's a system, and it's Swiss.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss-system_tournament

https://i.ibb.co/f9RvYrj/swiss.png (https://imgbb.com/)

Not deemed worthy of use by any major sport until this point, but maybe Magic: The Gathering had it right all along.

[Waffdon]

That Spurs midfield made Saul transform back to 2016

[Giggles]

I had looked it up there after and it sounds completely shite.

[-james-]

Something being new and not immediately digestible doesn't make it shite.

It's just a way of deciding who plays who. You'll barely notice it's there when they start using it.

[John Arne]

Do people in England actually talk like this now?


https://youtu.be/8hCpvgpMj1s

[Giggles]

Sounds like a Taz or Sincere post.

[Spikey M]

Do people in England actually talk like this now?


https://youtu.be/8hCpvgpMj1s

Yep. All of us. Jimmy is the biggest roadman.

[John Arne]

:) Does not surprise me.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I believe 'fam' is short for 'family'.

[Giggles]

'Mans' is long for 'men'. I'm not 100% sure but I think 'mandem' is even longer for 'man'.

[John Arne]

I believe 'fam' is short for 'family'.

Tru dat.

[Jimmy Floyd]

'Mans' is long for 'men'. I'm not 100% sure but I think 'mandem' is even longer for 'man'.

Mandem is a reversal of 'dem man', or in the common tongue, 'those men'.

[Giggles]

Makes perfect sense blud.

[Don]

The fear in the minds of the white man who has been left behind.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Until I see an entire mandem in the meat aisle at Waitrose, buying all the good stuff, I shall not feel under threat.

[Giggles]

Looting one maybe.

[CJay]

Anyone seen a good preview of the AFCON yet? Looking to educate myself. Sierra Leone (feat. Steven Caulker) and Comoros - how did they manage to get in?

[Don]

Ditto. I'm hoping to get balls deep into it. Egypt will have my heavy backing thanks to Quieroz but there's big names littered around the squads. Ivory Coast look like an exciting side (probably lacking defenders/goalie).

[Manc]

Have Sky got full coverage? A monthly pass may be explored if so.

[Ian]

https://www.live-footballontv.com/african-cup-of-nations-on-tv.html

Seems so.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Anyone seen a good preview of the AFCON yet? Looking to educate myself. Sierra Leone (feat. Steven Caulker) and Comoros - how did they manage to get in?

Depth in Africa goes to about 14/15 teams, below that it's a total crapshoot. SL ousted Benin and Lesotho to qualify.

I'm big into Mali, Algeria and to some extent Cameroon. Downers: Ivory Coast, Morocco, Ghana. Unsure: Nigeria, Senegal.

As always the key is to ignore the ratio of famous names in the squad and look at whether their coach has historically had a clue, and how they've performed in recent meaningful games (in this case WCQ).

[CJay]

https://www.live-footballontv.com/african-cup-of-nations-on-tv.html

Seems so.

Guinea - Malawi on Sky Sports Premier League. Fantastic. And the 'Main Event' later that evening of Comoros - Gabon.

BBC allegedly have 10 games, but that site only shows them having the semis and final.

[Ian]

Hold on, none of these teams are managed by Herve Renard? I'm out.

[Jimmy Floyd]

BBC tend to put Nigeria or Ghana on if they do anything.

I fucking love teams like Malawi. You start the tournament knowing zero about them. Absolute banana skin away from home in World Cup qualifiers, otherwise utterly hopeless. Usually have the following players:

- eccentric bald goalkeeper
- ancient seven foot centre half who can barely move
- 'highly rated' creative midfielder who never gets any further than UAE/Greece/Sweden
- implausibly skinny winger with a shit first touch and brightly coloured hair
- beanpole centre forward, dead behind the eyes
- bustling substitute forward half the height of the beanpole, who looks far more dangerous than anyone they started with

[Manc]

Mali available at 25/1. Choo choo.

[Don]

Save your money, their last talent was Kanoute ffs.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Hold on, none of these teams are managed by Herve Renard? I'm out.

Yeah it's going to be weird watching an AFCON without him.

[Lewis]

I believe 'fam' is short for 'family'.

https://i.imgur.com/uRF4LPk.png

[SincereTheRebel]

The goalkeepers are usually mad. Fully mad.

[Waffdon]

Ivory Coast’s midfield and attack looks pretty mega as far as African nations go. That’s assuming Kessie, Sangare, Cornet, Zaha and Haller are all in the squad anyway.

[Jimmy Floyd]

From the BBC site. I don't know what movie poster this is, but I would watch it.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/D1E2/production/_122603735_microsoftteams-image.png

[Don]

Scalp/Off

[Lewis]

Sean Dyche isn't even bald the idiot.

[Ian]

From the BBC site. I don't know what movie poster this is, but I would watch it.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/D1E2/production/_122603735_microsoftteams-image.png

It's the reboot of Face/Off.

[Spikey M]

I can't believe nobody else thought of that.

[Kikó]

From the BBC site. I don't know what movie poster this is, but I would watch it.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/D1E2/production/_122603735_microsoftteams-image.png

Bald/off.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Has anyone else spotted that they're both bald?

[Ian]

Who are?

[ScousePig]

I can only see a pile of dust.

[igor_balis]

https://youtu.be/RBlRmwRVBpM

[CJay]

Coutinho to Villa. :drool:

[Baz]

Coutinho to Villa. :drool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p15DIfTLUAY

[Baz]

https://i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk/incoming/article25879334.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/1_FIfGtlTWQAECnHD.jpg

:lol:

[Manc]

What's funny?

[Baz]

What's funny?

What’s he pointing at?

[Spikey M]

Your mum.

[mo]

Maybe he just really likes that sponsor.

[Waffdon]

How on earth has Benjamin Mendy managed to get released on bail if he’s been in jail since august?

[Baz]

How on earth has Benjamin Mendy managed to get released on bail if he’s been in jail since august?

Hmm.


The France international appeared alongside his co-defendant Louis Saha Matturie, 40, of Edwin Court, Eccles,.:sherlock:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He's not THE Louis Saha.

[Ian]

How on earth has Benjamin Mendy managed to get released on bail if he’s been in jail since august?

It seems weird to me that with that especially with that many charges they'd let you out.

If they're hoping he's not thick enough to assault somebody else while awaiting trial somebody should remind them he thought he was going to the prison VIP wing.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Get him in the squad against Swindon tonight.

[Waffdon]

1479471342307221505

[mo]

Was not expecting quite such a strong line up from City tonight. If we can keep them to 4 goals I’ll be happy, but suspect we could be annihilated tonight.

[Waffdon]

Some covid outbreak eh

[Gray Fox]

Mike Ashley buying Derby. That poor club.

[Shindig]

"You've done a fantastic job, Wayne. Get out."

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

The Swindon lot are slugs.

[Shindig]

Seeing a side shown up for fannying about at the back is enjoyable.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Shit penalty by Gabriel Jesus.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Man City fans are so small time.

[mo]

Happy with that. Had 4-1 in my head as an acceptable score. Couple of moments to cheer with the pen save and goal. Thought Kaine Kesler-Hayden (on loan from Villa) had a great game. City clearly could have moved through the gears and scored a few more. Grateful they didn’t.

[Manc]

Olise and Eze both on the pitch. :drool:

[-james-]

Just been on his Wikipedia page, Olise has has a youth cap for France and has been in a Nigeria squad. England really need to dig their claws in in the next window.

[Don]

Wilder showing he's a true management great, the guy deserves to be at the top or at least in Eddie Howie territory by now.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That's a lovely finish from Olise.

[Shindig]

We're getting superkeepered. :D

[Giggles]

That Lincoln goal was lovely.

[Shindig]

They've deserved that. We're just not strong enough at the back. We've looked knackered in the second half.

[Waffdon]

Barnsley/Barrow looks like great fun. The magic of the FA Cup is truly back with lots of upsets.

[Shindig]

Tee hee, Reading fans trying to start shit with their own bench.

[Giggles]

Outside Newcastle, where are the big shocks?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Kidderminster, Boreham Wood, Hartlepool all through beating sides 2/3 divisions higher.

[Waffdon]

Cracking amount of goals/games for the highlights later on as well as the aforementioned shocks.

[Shindig]

2nd defeat on the bounce for Gateshead. It's all gone wrong.


Lifelong Newcastle fan and need to get Howe out now before he ruins club. This is final straw , which will be clear he can't handle big club and it's obvious. Let's have Shearer to end of season.

:D

[Waffdon]

Never realised Gavin Gunning played for Chesterfield. This could be a right laugh. The biggest lunatic you will ever come across. He once got injured running out of a local bookies. Loved to randomly give away corners (to help his bank account). Also once picked up the ball and walked off the pitch.

[Shindig]

Start as you mean to go on, Rafa.

[Waffdon]

Everton :lol:

[ScousePig]

Did nobody watch the mighty Sunderland versus the mighty Wycombe Roverers?

[Giggles]

Did nobody watch the mighty Sunderland versus the mighty Wycombe Roverers?

I watched some of it.

[ScousePig]

It was a super game.

[Shindig]

That was lovely.

[Waffdon]

It was a super game.

Ross Stewart to win Scotland the World Cup

[Giggles]

Ross Stewart to win Scotland the World Cup

At what?

[ScousePig]

Ross Stewart to win Scotland the World Cup

I'd like to see him in the Championship, obviously preferably with us. His all round game is beyond League One, he just needs to continue to improve his finishing.

[Waffdon]

At what?

Darts probably

[niko_cee]

I hadn't realised there were no replays in this anymore [which sort of makes sense of the league cup rescheduling as I was wondering what would have happened had either team been involved in a replay]. Is that a permanent thing?

[Shindig]

I would've said it was a pandemic thing but then Gateshead had a replay last month. Big Premiership punishing smaller clubs from big money replays.

[phonics]

Third round and up have no replays. Lower league team should be able to choose home or away with no replays imo.

[Giggles]

First out of the hat at home. Should be no advantages for being shite.

[phonics]

Birmingham just brought on 'Jobe Bellingham'. Does the family just struggle with names?

[Andy]

I hadn't realised there were no replays in this anymore [which sort of makes sense of the league cup rescheduling as I was wondering what would have happened had either team been involved in a replay]. Is that a permanent thing?

They got rid of the 3rd and 4th round replays to free up some space for all the postponed games.

[phonics]

https://i.imgur.com/xzqBc1H.png

Maybe the most patronising thing I've ever seen?

[Manc]

Kevin Friend with an absoutley bonkers call. Refereeing has really gone to the dogs.

[Manc]

Outrageous save from Begovic.

[CJay]

Love when Match of the Day uses their regional radio commentators on the FA Cup highlights. Some lovely excited stuff from BBC Wherever’s man on the Hartlepool game.

BBC Radio Cumbria getting a good feature on the Barrow game too.

[Waffdon]

The Middlesbrough game couldn’t hide their bias either I noticed earlier :D

[Shindig]

Aye, the Boro lot are good value for that.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgpA0S2Ciqo

[Don]

Someone tell me ITV had a choice and decided to show Yarmolenko vs Charlie Cresswell over us or Spurs.

[Spikey M]

They love to bang on about THE MAGIC OF THE CUP but they'll pick a match between 2 disinterested Premier League teams every time.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The unwritten rule seems to be they only televise giant killing type games if the lower league side is at home, at least in these rounds.

[Lewis]

You need 1) a rinky-dink home ground; 2) room for lol comparisons between the cost of one starting XI vs the other; and ideally 3) some players who have other jobs that the commentators can subtly belittle.

[Shindig]

Or some tenuous link to the club they're playing, "He idolised Steve Claridge as a boy and now he gets to emulate him."

[Don]

Our team :D Shrewsbury 14/1 is tasty.

[Shindig]

Charlton against Norwich could be tricky.

[Baz]

Our team :D Shrewsbury 14/1 is tasty.

:eyemouth:

[Baz]

Number 82 seems to think he has Milner level cardio. Gonna be dead by half time if he’s not careful.

[niko_cee]

A goal made in the academy says the BBC livetext. Didn't they poach Gordon from Derby quite recently?

[niko_cee]

Also, I thought the Palace game yesterday (well their first goal, I didn't really watch the match all that much) was a great advert for a non-VAR world. A great goal which VAR would have scrubbed off for an entirely unimportant offside in the build-up to the goal.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Similarly, West Ham just scored a goal which would definitely have been chalked off by the Premier League VAR, but the FA Cup VAR seemed just to think fuck it, let's allow it.

[-james-]

I'm interested to hear the logic involved in allowing that goal. On what planet is he not interfering with play?

[John Arne]

Ibou Traore... Sorry... Konate having a bit of a wobbly one again.

[Jimmy Floyd]

TV graphics have Burkina Faso going with a 2-4-4 formation. Maybe this is the next great evolution in football tactics, dreamed up in the scrublands outside Ouagadougou.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

What a shocking tackle that is by Steeve Yago.

He should have walked for that.

[Jimmy Floyd]

And only 30 seconds into tournament before the first Benjamin Massing-esque studs up assault. It's good to be back :drool:

[Kikó]

That tackle is absolute dynamite.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIrCFv7XIAQK3iB?format=jpg

[Giggles]

Is this African thing getting way much more coverage than previously? My Twitter feed is full of it.

[Don]

Having to watch this on Arab TV so someone please explain, have they got their 80% capacity? (It looks close) And are they all supposedly double-vaxxed?

[Don]

Is this African thing getting way much more coverage than previously? My Twitter feed is full of it.

BLM made it fashionable innit, look at the Kikos stroking one out over it. Asian Cup will go by without a single mention.

[Kikó]

I'm in love with the Burkina Faso keeper kit and the keeper himself.

[Spikey M]

What timing that is.

[Giggles]

BLM made it fashionable innit, look at the Kikos stroking one out over it. Asian Cup will go by without a single mention.

There does indeed seem to be a lot of that. RTE are wanking themselves silly here about what it means to our African ‘community’. Not enough to actually show any of it, but they can feel warm and fuzzy at least.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Afcon >>>>>> the Asian Cup. You don't see goalkeepers in yellow-green-green charging out of their goal for no reason after 9 minutes in the latter.

[Kikó]

Isn't the Asian cup usually at silly hours?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Onana :harold:

[Kikó]

Can't wait to tweet about this to my metro liberal comrades

[Don]

Giggles, you need to get behind it if you want your boys to hold on to these beastly Nigerians you're farming over there.

Don't give me that AFCON is better quality/KO hours are better, nonsense, both don't hold up to scrutiny. Tbf it's probably for the best, I'd blow a fuse (or something more substantial, yes Giggles) if I had to deal with this level of condescension.

[Danny]

https://mixture.gg/v/61db086a1ca54

The Magic of the (African Nations) Cup

[Spikey M]

The Asian Cup is great fun. It's like that old Fifa cheat where you could turn all the players in to midgets.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Giggles, you need to get behind it if you want your boys to hold on to these beastly Nigerians you're farming over there.

Don't give me that AFCON is better quality/KO hours are better, nonsense, both don't hold up to scrutiny. Tbf it's probably for the best, I'd blow a fuse (or something more substantial, yes Giggles) if I had to deal with this level of condescension.

'Quality' is not the point. It's just way different to the over-calculated shite that 99% of football now is, and refreshing for it.

FA Cup the same, actually, or at least some ties.

[Don]

'Quality' is not the point. It's just way different to the over-calculated shite that 99% of football now is, and refreshing for it.

FA Cup the same, actually, or at least some ties.

I.e. a lower standard of football.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

VAR has to give that penalty.

[Kikó]

Not surprised taz is on the wrong side of history again.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

They stretchered Tapsoba off there and he instantly got off and was asking to go back on the pitch.

[Jimmy Floyd]

This half has had it all. Hot-headed North African refereeing, shocking tackles, goalkeeping disasters, a vastly over-staffed team of stretcher bearers, and of course a penalty dispatched with aplomb into the back of the net.

[Don]

Haha look at the big muscly creatures running around after the ball.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Another shit attempt at a tackle.

[Kikó]

That was such a stupid lunge.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Haha look at the big muscly creatures running around after the ball.

Don't worry, one day someone will give your kind a slice of the victim pie, maybe when they stop being a terrorist state.

[Don]

Tonal shift in last 3 posts :sherlock:

[Lewis]

This half has had it all. Hot-headed North African refereeing, shocking tackles, goalkeeping disasters, a vastly over-staffed team of stretcher bearers, and of course a penalty dispatched with aplomb into the back of the net.

This is like when a corporation tries to be twee.

[Lewis]

'For the pygmies, the slavers... The up-all-night night ravers...'

[Jimmy Floyd]

Down all the years it never ceases to amuse me how frustrated some of you get about the idea of other people watching black people play football.

[Giggles]

Don't worry, one day someone will give your kind a slice of the victim pie, maybe when they stop being a terrorist state.

That was unexpected. ‘Your kind’ sounds more me than the laid back musings of Floyd.

[Jimmy Floyd]

That was unexpected. ‘Your kind’ sounds more me than the laid back musings of Floyd.

I think I've still got a few in hand on him when it comes to that sort of thing.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

The initial pass by Aboubakar was far too late.

VAR also took far too long to deal with it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I thought he was onside on the pass but Aboubakar was offside when the guy took the shot, which I think is why it took VAR centuries but they eventually got it right, as did the linesman.

[-james-]

I'm just tuning in. What were the penalty decisions like? I see they were awarded to the host nation after they went a goal down.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm just tuning in. What were the penalty decisions like? I see they were awarded to the host nation after they went a goal down.

Both absolute 10/10 stone wallers, but it's definitely something to look out for. There will be a lot of VAR penalties in this event.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That's 3-1 if Aboubakar passes there.

[Lofty]

Tavares subbed off after 35 minutes of shockers :D

[Lofty]

Forest could easily win this.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Brennan Johnson looks like some player.

[Spikey M]

In what world is that not a backpass? :lol:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Arsenal :lol:

[Spikey M]

Beautiful stuff.

[Lofty]

All the second stringers looked absolutely terrible, the first team stars not much better. The silver lining is surely we will sign some midfielders ASAP.

[Spikey M]

Lewis Grabban has the shittest beard I've ever seen.

[phonics]

Deserved for dressing up like Spurs.

[Lewis]

Getting murdered in their bent little knife crime kit lmao.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

And there's the first red of the tournament.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Roy Keane's punditry is so lol. 'They didn't turn up here and say: we're Arsenal Football Club'. No wonder that lot all failed as managers.

[Pepe]

VAR will ruin that tournament.

[Spikey M]

Deserved for dressing up like Spurs.

These jokes don't really work when they've been better or on a par with you for atleast 5 years.

[Pepe]

This game is complete dogshit. Where is the Asian Cup?

[Jimmy Floyd]

This game is much like Turkmenistan v India would be at a similar stage, the difference between the two is about 4 nations can win the Asian Cup whereas about 12 can win this.

[Pepe]

Hugo Sanchez would be proud.

[Don]

This game is much like Turkmenistan v India would be at a similar stage, the difference between the two is about 4 nations can win the Asian Cup whereas about 12 can win this.

Asian Cup - 17 Tournaments, 9 unique winners.
BLM Justice Cup - 32 Tournaments, 14 unique winners.

Stick to wanking over the goalkeepers' kits.

[phonics]

These jokes don't really work when they've been better or on a par with you for atleast 5 years.

The standards in ‘better or on par with you’ compare despite them winning absolutely nothing and Arsenal winning 2 Cups kind of proves my point. Clubs at its lowest ebb since the 1980s and still more successful.

[Boydy]

Arsenal must have been too tired after their midweek game.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Asian Cup - 17 Tournaments, 9 unique winners.
BLM Justice Cup - 32 Tournaments, 14 unique winners.

Stick to wanking over the goalkeepers' kits.

Doing some pretty creative accounting there to count Israel and lean on randomers winning it 40 years ago. Last 6 Afcons, 6 different winners, 10 finalists.

I just find it fascinating how riled up you get about me putting a couple of posts in indicating my enjoyment of a particular game. Proper tears rolling down cheeks stuff.

[phonics]

Arsenal must have been too tired after their midweek game.

If anything it seemed like the opposite. Killed any momentum we might have had. Like when teams play kids in a cup match and then lose a bunch of the spin.

[Don]

3 of the last 4 AC winners (including the last 2) were first-time winners. Not a single one in the last 4 AFCONs. Telling.

I was watching the game and posting about it as well. I tickle some balls and next thing I know you're blasting out full racism so potent it had Giggles PM-ing Phonics.

[Lewis]

He was PMing me earlier for 'Paki jokes' he could use on you. I told him you were white now and he went off in a strop.

[niko_cee]

The Asian Cup ranks on a par with women's football.

[Giggles]

You’ve definitely found that button Don. I was beginning to think he was the only one here that didn’t have one.

[Pepe]

Is this the magic of the cup?

[Jimmy Floyd]

The Pongo (now in an old people's home retweeting SNP propaganda between injections) used to give me the same stuff when I posted about Afcons getting on for 15 years ago, there's obviously something about me enjoying it that people find frustrating.

[Lewis]

The Pongo was STAUNCH as fuck. No chance.

[phonics]

1480278399507652609

I’m shocked

[Gray Fox]

Yeah but Trent was positive so completely justified imo.

[Don]

Once again, what do you think was our thinking? That we might be able to delay it enough to have Salah, Mane and Keita back for the 2nd leg? That Nat Phillips and Harvey Elliot might be back? That we'd be well rested for Shrewsbury and instead be in worse shape for Palace away?

[phonics]

That you wanted a week off and could beat Shrewsbury with children.

[ScousePig]

Covid has conveniently ceased to be an issue during FA Cup weekend. And we have Wigan's owner claiming we should extend the season to allow them to catch up.

[Gray Fox]

It's because the FA told everyone to get on with it.

[ScousePig]

Indeed.

[Baz]

Lewis Grabban has the shittest beard I've ever seen.Is it just me or does it feel like he's been around forever. Apparently he's only 33.

[Spikey M]

Is it just me or does it feel like he's been around forever. Apparently he's only 33.

James Milner is somehow not in his 60's. I've just had to accept that I don't understand time.

[Manc]

I'm yet to see the highlights, but I'm presuming Jose has exploded?

[ScousePig]

I played cricket against Milner when we were 16 so I've always been right with his age, but I thought Grabban was getting on when he played for us in the Championship which must be four years ago now.

[Gray Fox]

If you want to feel old, Shaun Wright-Phillips' son made his debut for Stoke today.

[Shindig]

Kind of annoyed his surname's not triple-barrelled. D'Margio, though. Wow.

[Spikey M]

Kind of annoyed his surname's not triple-barrelled. D'Margio, though. Wow.

The "he doesn't look anything like you" line (said to Ian) got a lol.

I don't think he was joking either.

[John Arne]

:)

1480408876155797506

[niko_cee]

1480278399507652609

I’m shocked

Aren't false positives actually really unlikely?

Christ knows what they are playing at though, getting the game called off for no real reason makes no sense.

[randomlegend]

:)

1480408876155797506

Is this more Japanese High School Championship shenanigans? Best thing to happen to the sport in ages.

[Manc]

Pumped for Morocco v Ghana.

[John Arne]

Is this more Japanese High School Championship shenanigans? Best thing to happen to the sport in ages.

It is. And, I believe it is the final, too.

[Don]

Sensational game between tournament favourites Senegal and Zimbabwe here.

[niko_cee]

That number 20 of theirs has had some right comedy touches.

[CJay]

This has been brutal.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

It's been an absolute shitter.

[Pepe]

Even the second rate Concacaf teams are better than this garbage.

[Pepe]

Those names though. :D

[Jimmy Floyd]

Admiral Muskwe, the old sea captain himself.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

lol ofc Senegal get a penalty at the death.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

This game is looking like the last one.

[Don]

Don't fret, Asian Cup will be starting next sumner.

And just to prevent my inbox looking like the scene of the sequel to Babe: Pig in the City with all the gammons demanding I write previews and betting tips, rest assured, I'll start a thread.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That was a quality finish.

[Pen]

Looked decent, but surely the keeper should’ve done a bit better. Not necessarily save it, but a good keeper would have.

[Giggles]

First time in my life I’ve ever heard of Comoros. What was their empire name?

[Waffdon]

https://twitter.com/lyanco/status/1480568850274045952

Read the thread :D

[Pen]

First time in my life I’ve ever heard of Comoros. What was their empire name?

South Ireland.

[Giggles]

South Ireland.

Corkomoros?

[niko_cee]

Obviously not a fan of Pointless.

[Spikey M]

First time in my life I’ve ever heard of Comoros. What was their empire name?

"French Comoros". It's a tiny island between Africa and Madagascar, I'd never heard of it either.

[-james-]

It seems quite odd that the Venn diagram of people who go on a website like this one and people who have heard of every country is not a circle.

[Giggles]

"French Comoros". It's a tiny island between Africa and Madagascar, I'd never heard of it either.

French was fairly likely alright. I was sure it would have had another name though as you think in a lifetime you’d have heard of them all at some stage.

[Giggles]

Obviously not a fan of Pointless.

It’s heading on a year since I had BBC but that’s one show I do miss. House of games too.

[Pen]

Corkomoros?

They were under the French until 1975.

Didn’t see their previous name, but this came up: ” The Comoros, with an estimated gross domestic product (GDP) per capita income of about $700, is among the world's poorest and least developed nations”. I don’t know why, but I’m surprised by that.

[niko_cee]

I only mentioned it as in my mind Comoros was one of those places up there with the Turks and Caicos as a go to 'never heard of it' place answer when the questioned required such a thing. The name always slightly reminds me of Sodom and Gomorrah.

[Giggles]

In fairness pointless is probably the reason I know the Turks and Caicos.

[Spikey M]

French was fairly likely alright. I was sure it would have had another name though as you think in a lifetime you’d have heard of them all at some stage.

French Comoros is all I could find. There's a few other islands around it, so maybe they had a more recognisable collective name. Or it was all lumped in with Madagascar. Fuck knows. The Wiki page defeated me.

[Manc]

Villa playing some lovely stuff.

[Ian]

We're entirely incapable of holding onto the ball to take the pressure off a bit when teams are pinning us back.

[Lewis]

Yeah, all the tactics wankers analysing United at the minute seem to miss the fact they can't string five passes together under pressure.

[Ian]

There was a moment there where we had the ball, it went out to Shaw who cut inside and had Fred and McTominay in loads of space in the middle but he elected to shuffle it back to Varane, so Villa press up to pressure the defence and suddenly Fred and McTominay are galloping about trying to find more space for somebody to pass to them, all because they sometimes won't take anything other than the very easiest pass which means a backwards one.

[Lewis]

And if it does get over half-way Greenwood or Rashford get their heads down and run into somebody.

[Shindig]

Are Villa just hounding after our transfer targets? Coutinho and now Digne.

[randomlegend]

I can't understand how - in the age of stat wankery - the use of the "fire it straight into the wall 99 times and once into the top corner" freekick technique is still so alarmingly widespread.

[randomlegend]

Maybe my perspective is just skewed by David Beckham, but I swear there are WAY less direct freekick goals than their used to be all round.

[Kikó]

United are really really awful out of possession. Teams can just pick their way through at ease. My working assumption is we carry Rashford, Greenwood and Fernandes in defence which makes it easy for the opposition to just work the ball through the defence.

[Waffdon]

Rashford is grim

[Manc]

This has Villa on penalties all over it.

[-james-]

United are really really awful out of possession. Teams can just pick their way through at ease. My working assumption is we carry Rashford, Greenwood and Fernandes in defence which makes it easy for the opposition to just work the ball through the defence.

Nah bro it's the coach.

[Kikó]

Nah bro it's the coach.

Not sure if srs

[niko_cee]

At least 'Ralf' seems to have picked up the good fortune baton from Ole. From the bit I saw they were getting absolutely battered and yet still Villa conspired to do everything but score. United's press is a thing to behold.

[Pen]

The Comoros game was pretty shit. Sudan v Guinea-Bissau tomorrow will hopefully be more entertaining.

[randomlegend]

I'm not suggesting I'm convinced it's all going to work out, but isn't every team absolute wank when they first get a PRESSING manager?

[niko_cee]

Dunno, is Tuchel a pressing manager?

[Ian]

Aaand there it is.

[Yevrah]

VAR WINNING again.

[niko_cee]

Working hard to try and disallow this.

[Lewis]

Good decision referee.