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:

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

[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:

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

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. :nono:

[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. :harold:

[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. :harold:

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. :D

[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 :D

That’ll be a beheading for someone.

[Shindig]

Off to a great start. :D

[Ian]

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

That goalkeeping. :drool:

[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. :D

[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?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

VAR saving the scummers.

[Ben]

Lol that's bent.

[igor_balis]

Well offside that

[Giggles]

:lol: this is going to be as corrupt as fuck.

[Baz]

Well, well, well…

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Is this the first World Cup with this VAR bollocks?

No, Russia had it.

[Ian]

Was that meant to be for offside? Because if so that's an incredibly bent decision.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Presumably it's on the first phase of three where the keeper's up with him, but surely the keeper is by definition also behind the ball at that point?

Insane decision.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

They've paid to win the whole tournament.

[Spikey M]

They're barely even pretending to be legit anymore.

[Dquincy]

"A lil shake and bake".

Enjoying Dion's commentary.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Regardless of that particular bit of desperate corruption, Qatar look absolutely miles off the pace here.

[Manc]

The BBC really missing a trick by not having JP on the opener.

[Giggles]

Regardless of that particular bit of desperate corruption, Qatar look absolutely miles off the pace here.

1-0 win with 4 disallowed Ecuadorean goals.

[Lewis]

Mark Lawrenson would have been great at this tournament.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Qatari keeper looks very flappy.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Why has it taken that long to show us the "evidence"? :sherlock:

[Giggles]

Have I missed another change in how offside works?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I wonder how VAR takes this penalty away.

[Dquincy]

Qatari keeper looks very flappy.
He's a mess. Could get messy this.

[Waffdon]

Should be a red card surely. Doesn’t attempt to play the ball at all lol

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Enner Valencia :cool:

[igor_balis]

Isn't that VAR replay going from when the player received the ball rather than when it was passed?

[Jimmy Floyd]

+1 for Dion Dublin's commentary. Doesn't take football/himself deadly seriously.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Isn't that VAR replay going from when the player received the ball rather than when it was passed?

It's presumably going from when he touched it up in the air away from the keeper, thus 'passing' it to the guy who then hooked it across goal. It's a complete nonsense decision though.

[Waffdon]

Kind of glad they’ve not sent the ‘keeper off though. Looks like he’ll give away plenty goals

[Spikey M]

Kind of glad they’ve not sent the ‘keeper off though. Looks like he’ll give away plenty goals

Makes you wonder how bad the back up must be though.

[Shindig]

They had six months of uninterrupted training for this.

[Jimmy Floyd]

This is like a training game. Imagine what a top side would do to them.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Men against boys.

[Shindig]

Given how crucial goal difference will be, everyone needs to batter this lot. I can see the Dutch and Senegal destroying them.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That's a quality header.

[Spikey M]

They're going to say Offside.

[Waffdon]

I love players who just do well for their country and don’t bother at club level.

[Waffdon]

That’s a properly good header. Some power he generated

[Jimmy Floyd]

This ref is an absolute master of the rapid fire yellow card. Thinking time: 0.003 seconds.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Doesn't look good for Valencia which is a shame.

[Dquincy]

Loving Dion Dublin's commentary.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Almoez was about a yard offside for that header, look forward to how they'd have ruled it onside.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That header :harold:

[Don]

So they've shown why the goal was ruled offside using state of the art technology with minimal delay and the gammons are lolling at the Arabs? phonics

Ecuador :drool: they should dismiss Senegal and trouble Dutch too.

[Ben]

The officiating team is Italian. Try harder.

[Don]

1594375358467690496

Typical gammon :D

[Jimmy Floyd]

If you're already this worked up, I'm not looking forward to your posts when we get to the rainbow armbands and knee-taking tomorrow.

[Shindig]

And then Reece and Mount are gonna kiss.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

And then Allah will weep.

[Offshore Toon]

I can't wait for the highlight video of Arab fails next month.

[Spikey M]

Was it The Saint that got banned for a Euro's / World Cup once for the sake of his own mental health?

[Spikey M]

1594375358467690496

Typical gammon :D

He's not even white you fanny.

[Offshore Toon]

Can't have been Saint.

[Spikey M]

Lewis can you check the database?

[Ben]

Dion Dublin needs to commentate every game.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Sarmiento's facial structure should give the 100% heterosexual stadium a stern test.

[-james-]

Sarimento? Come on ffs.

[Manc]

Good God this is dull.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Sarimento? Come on ffs.

That and 'Prekado' for Preciado have annoyed me a lot. English people have a ridiculous tin ear for these things.

[Jimmy Floyd]

If this finishes 2-0 Ecuador may live to regret not setting a higher goal difference target for Senegal/Holland. Been very South American 'see it out lads' in the second half.

[igor_balis]

Yeah this is absolutely gash

[Giggles]

Ecuador are complete dogshit too.

[niko_cee]

I assumed what looked like vast swathes of empty seats were just all the folk in 'traditional garb' but actually, looking closer, there are a lot of empty seats [although mostly red not white].

[Jimmy Floyd]

I assumed what looked like vast swathes of empty seats were just all the folk in 'traditional garb' but actually, looking closer, there are a lot of empty seats [although mostly red not white].

The journos there are saying that half the crowd just didn't come back for the second half.

[Lewis]

Lewis can you check the database?

I seem to remember The Saint being banned for one, presumably Euro 2008, but I think 'Cryola' (aka 'Cry Failola') just did it because he was a fanny.

[Offshore Toon]

I'd totally forgotten about Fry. Did his game ever amount to anything? I remember he gave me it for free but I never got round to playing it.

[igor_balis]

The journos there are saying that half the crowd just didn't come back for the second half.

Looks like it. Well, I was fairly excited for the world cup despite everything but I'm not so sure now.

[Lewis]

Boyd chinned him for titting up Noogle and he cried off the board.

[Pepe]

I watched the second half of that. Might as well not have played it considering the interest the two teams showed.

[niko_cee]

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

Wasn't it to do with the African Confederation requesting it be moved, although for why I don't know.

[ScousePig]

Boyd chinned him for titting up Noogle and he cried off the board.

Didn't they all piss off to some uber board?

[Lewis]

I'm not sure she was that much of a bike to fill a forum.

[Offshore Toon]

He's still active on rllmuk apparently. Doesn't DS go on there? Maybe we should do a board invasion.

[Baz]

He's still active on rllmuk apparently. Doesn't DS go on there? Maybe we should do a board invasion.

Yeah, and wullie.

[Giggles]

That’s not a bad looking forum.

[Shindig]

My old account still works.

[Jimmy Floyd]

This thing is swirling around the culture war plughole already. Tomorrow is going to be a nightmare. Either Kane wears the armband and the Arabs all start fizzing with rage (they're on the edge as it is - they really needed a better result earlier), or he doesn't wear the armband and has pussied out and let everybody down. Either option has a terrible outcome.

Then I heard Rob Page outright say that Wales will be wearing the armband, so that'll start it all over again.

There's been too much trying to have it both ways. I will never visit a country with Sharia law, even if they offer me £100,000, and that isn't even a slightly hard decision. Maybe it's harder if you're not a deviant, I don't know. That Brits flock to the UAE mystifies me. Alex Scott (who, in fairness, cops it on twitter at all times, because men despise having women involved in men's football) saying that boycott was the 'easy option' is complete bollocks, unfortunately. Boycotting was clearly the hard option, because no significant football or media figure (that I know of) has done it.

UEFA, or the worthwhile UEFA nations, should have mass-boycotted the tournament about ten years ago, and then it just wouldn't have taken place.

[Don]

Habibi, the Arabs couldn't care less about the score tonight. There's only one demographic that are getting themselves worked up over the nonsense surrounding this and it ain't the ones with the clean bumholes.

[Offshore Toon]

Let's face it, we've all bottled boycotting.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

It would have been too easy to do.

[niko_cee]

Have I just read right that England's game is in a 12000 seater stadium?

I know their team is League 2 level, but are most of the facilities as well?

[Shindig]

45,000 according to Wikipedia.

[niko_cee]

Ah, fair enough. Think I misread where they had been training and assumed they were training in the stadium the day before the match.

[-james-]

Pickford; Trippier, Stones, Maguire, Shaw; Bellingham, Rice; Saka, Mount, Sterling; Kane

Bit attacking for my liking really.

[Don]

Unfortunately, if my sources are correct, Azmoun is not being risked, Ghoddos and our main DM Ezatolahi is benched and it looks like a defensive yet slightly untested XI. But the king likes these surprise selections and has rarely made any errors.

I'm getting fuck all sleep tonight.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

1-0 Iran.

[Disco]

If the revolution happens mid-tournament do they change the flag and anthem? Quiz question in the making right there.

[Don]

Would be pretty funny to see, for sure.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/LGBT_Flag_of_England.svg/1280px-LGBT_Flag_of_England.svg.png

[Jimmy Floyd]

Conquered by a load of gay boys in 330 BC and never been a force since. It must hurt.

[Lewis]

The state religion.

[Yevrah]

This thing is swirling around the culture war plughole already. Tomorrow is going to be a nightmare. Either Kane wears the armband and the Arabs all start fizzing with rage (they're on the edge as it is - they really needed a better result earlier), or he doesn't wear the armband and has pussied out and let everybody down. Either option has a terrible outcome.

Then I heard Rob Page outright say that Wales will be wearing the armband, so that'll start it all over again.

There's been too much trying to have it both ways. I will never visit a country with Sharia law, even if they offer me £100,000, and that isn't even a slightly hard decision. Maybe it's harder if you're not a deviant, I don't know. That Brits flock to the UAE mystifies me. Alex Scott (who, in fairness, cops it on twitter at all times, because men despise having women involved in men's football) saying that boycott was the 'easy option' is complete bollocks, unfortunately. Boycotting was clearly the hard option, because no significant football or media figure (that I know of) has done it.

UEFA, or the worthwhile UEFA nations, should have mass-boycotted the tournament about ten years ago, and then it just wouldn't have taken place.

It needed one big nation to leave and the whole thing would have folded like a house of cards, which, to be fair to Scott wouldn’t have been that hard.

What happened instead was a shit tonne of virtue signalling and fuck all else. The most meaningful thing anyone has done in opposition to this utter disgrace is shred ten grand. A truly sad state of affairs all round.

[John Arne]

I still find it astonishing that we are here in the first place. A reminder that 2 members of FIFA's ExCo were banned PRIOR to the vote for corruption. It was basically known (proven??) by around 2014 that it was fixed, yet FIFA decided to plough ahead and just kinda ignore that slightly pertinent fact.

[7om]

Unfortunately, if my sources are correct, Azmoun is not being risked, Ghoddos and our main DM Ezatolahi is benched and it looks like a defensive yet slightly untested XI. But the king likes these surprise selections and has rarely made any errors.

I'm getting fuck all sleep tonight.

Hopefully you go full blown psychosis and forget your login to this place.

[John Arne]

Unfortunately, if my sources are correct, Azmoun is not being risked, Ghoddos and our main DM Ezatolahi is benched and it looks like a defensive yet slightly untested XI. But the king likes these surprise selections and has rarely made any errors.

I'm getting fuck all sleep tonight.

Ezatolahi has to be up their in the most syllables per letters count.

[Ben]

Pickford; Trippier, Stones, Maguire, Shaw; Bellingham, Rice; Saka, Mount, Sterling; Kane

Bit attacking for my liking really.

Is that genuine? Stones, Maguire, Shaw is stuff of nightmares.

[John Arne]

That back 4 is frightening. At least, at least he isn't going 5 at the back and 2 holding midfielders.

[Luke Emia]

This thing is swirling around the culture war plughole already. Tomorrow is going to be a nightmare. Either Kane wears the armband and the Arabs all start fizzing with rage (they're on the edge as it is - they really needed a better result earlier), or he doesn't wear the armband and has pussied out and let everybody down. Either option has a terrible outcome.

Then I heard Rob Page outright say that Wales will be wearing the armband, so that'll start it all over again.

There's been too much trying to have it both ways. I will never visit a country with Sharia law, even if they offer me £100,000, and that isn't even a slightly hard decision. Maybe it's harder if you're not a deviant, I don't know. That Brits flock to the UAE mystifies me. Alex Scott (who, in fairness, cops it on twitter at all times, because men despise having women involved in men's football) saying that boycott was the 'easy option' is complete bollocks, unfortunately. Boycotting was clearly the hard option, because no significant football or media figure (that I know of) has done it.

UEFA, or the worthwhile UEFA nations, should have mass-boycotted the tournament about ten years ago, and then it just wouldn't have taken place.

It's the same as the racism problem. There are easy ways to fix it just no one has the balls to. In European competition if your fans are racist once you get a stadium ban for 1 game, 2nd time no fucking around you are kicked out of the competition. Same in the league once you get a stadium ban, second time you get a full season of no fans. The clubs would soon be able to fix the problems then like you say Europe and North America could have sorted this by just boycotting years ago but decided not to.

[niko_cee]

FIFA says no to THE ARMBAND.

Potential booking for all wearers.

:happycry:

Kane should wear two and then walk off in protest.

[Giggles]

No doubt we'll hear from all concerned that the easy thing to do would have been wear it.

[niko_cee]

:D

Is this where the yanks have been shrewd and incorporated it into their badge? Rainbow [away] kits obviously would have been the way forward, thinking about it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

You wouldn't have been allowed 'political symbols' (that someone doesn't agree with, natch - the name of every country is a political symbol) on an away kit.

[John Arne]

Aren't the US colours just all random colours.... including black. They even bottled that.

[Shindig]

https://www.instagram.com/p/ClMn6txLh-X/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=ffaf123b-8d8c-47d4-b223-d3e7b389adec

Right on cue, Serge Gnabry as Mickey Mouse.

[Don]

It's the same as the racism problem. There are easy ways to fix it just no one has the balls to. In European competition if your fans are racist once you get a stadium ban for 1 game, 2nd time no fucking around you are kicked out of the competition. Same in the league once you get a stadium ban, second time you get a full season of no fans. The clubs would soon be able to fix the problems then like you say Europe and North America could have sorted this by just boycotting years ago but decided not to.

Poor England wouldn't see the light of day in a major tournament and that's before you think of opposition fans going undercover to harm others. All in all, awful idea.

[Luke Emia]

Poor England wouldn't see the light of day in a major tournament and that's before you think of opposition fans going undercover to harm others. All in all, awful idea.

I see no issue with that. England fans have been some of the worst for it in terms of general behaviour which always makes this hand wringing somewhat ridiculous.

[niko_cee]

And the FAs have caved.

Good show lads.

I hope Gareth at least has a rainbow waistcoat.

[Ben]

Pathetic.

[niko_cee]

At the end of the day, we've come here to win a football tournament . . .

Good to see our political grandstanding is at the same level as our major tournament performance.

[Waffdon]

That’s some bottle job and it’s not even kicked off yet. Just doing it for the publicity like every other country.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Very disappointing.

[Giggles]

That was all too easy. Chicken shits.

[Baz]

Who’d have thought England could get even less likeable.

[niko_cee]

So we've done the beer, we've done the rainbow iconography [interesting to see how that's policed on fans], what's next? Hot dogs?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Seb Vettel put the rainbow on his helmet in Saudi Arabia ffs. At this point it's the Qataris playing games.

[Giggles]

Seb Vettel put the rainbow on his helmet in Saudi Arabia ffs. At this point it's the Qataris playing games.

It's all flexing and they're going to get away with it all. I'm not even sure a team would be allowed to fuck off if one decided to at this stage.

[Lofty]

Of course they will get away with it, it's too late for anyone to do anything about it now. They just accepted all our demands and now fuck them off at the 11th hour, showing their real power. Not unlike the Saudi takeover of Newcastle, a lot of teams are compromised on the sly with political deals so couldn't pull out if they wanted to.

[Yevrah]

Seb Vettel put the rainbow on his helmet in Saudi Arabia ffs. At this point it's the Qataris playing games.

Has to be said, they are nailing the fuck out of it. The power of the brown envelope lives on.

[Jimmy Floyd]

As was pointed out on I think the Guardian, or whatever I was listening to last night, FIFA's relationship with Qatar as hosts seems to be completely different to FIFA's relationship with all previous hosts (where FIFA basically call the shots and take over the country for the duration of the tournament).

The Qataris have paid good money for this in bungs and want their money's worth in full.

[Yevrah]

Yep. I remember reading the list of conditions hosting this thing normally comes with a while back and the Qataris seem to have managed to cross out a fuck load of it.

[Luke Emia]

If anything comes from this hopefully it will be proving to FIFA that you can't allow host to use the World Cup for sportswashing purposes. Because if you go to these authoritarian states things like this whereby the rules are changed at the last minute will happen and once one country gets away with it they will all think that they can. The Bud thing being a prime example no one would have given a shit if 12 years ago Qatar had said there won't be any sales in the venues but the fact that they are changing the rules now should be warning to any sports governing body.

[Ben]

Infantino is all in on this shit, the brown envelope is massive. Next one will be in occupied Ukraine.

[Yevrah]

Oh and on the sportswashing front, which never sat well with me as an explanation for all of this shit, someone pointed out to me that instead of that they’re using every means at their disposal to maintain their standing in the World as they know full well once the oil runs out they’ll be utterly irrelevant. Makes much more sense, to me anyway.

[Spikey M]

My interest in this World Cup was already at an all time low, but this shit is sucking any remaining sense of joy out of this. The game is gone. Politics and business have finally ruined it.

[Don]

Fuckers were dishing out bans and fines for Palestinian flags for decades but now look at the tears. Chin up, lads.

[Ben]

Palestine are worthy of support, Qatar aren't.

[Don]

That medicine sure is bitter but get it down you, it'll all be fine.

[Dquincy]

1-0 Iran.
I forgot it's that time of year where Mahow tries to convince everyone (and himself) that he's not English.

[-james-]

Giving that terrible new Baddiel & Skinner song its tenth spin already. Let's do this. :drool:

[SvN]

I forgot it's that time of year where Mahow tries to convince everyone (and himself) that he's not English.

Best post you've ever made.

[Jimmy Floyd]

We just need an early goal and we'll be fine. If no early goal, it'll be a horrible grind.

[Yevrah]

I’m going for an eye bleeding 0-0, with some quite excellent shithousery from the Iranians.

[Giggles]

England will wallop the useless cunts.

[-james-]

1594661189677621248

[Jimmy Floyd]

Justice for Jude's second L.

[randomlegend]

The person responsible for teams being listed in squad number rather than position order deserves to be sent to Doha dressed all in rainbow with a kilo of cocaine in their anus.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I forgot it's that time of year where Mahow tries to convince everyone (and himself) that he's not English.
I'm English but I don't support the English football team and all the dickheads in it.

[Don]

Shearer with "It would have made a huge statement" is today's candidate for lol punditry. And Gary absolutely seething at everything is nice too.

[Dquincy]

Shearer with "It would have made a huge statement" is today's candidate for lol punditry. And Gary absolutely seething at everything is nice too.
It's virtual signaling at it's best. Ultimately it means nothing so may as well just get on with it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm English but I don't support the English football team and all the dickheads in it.

Which people in it are dickheads?

[randomlegend]

It's virtual signaling at it's best. Ultimately it means nothing so may as well just get on with it.

Yeah these lot need knocking off their peddle stools.

[Dquincy]

Yeah these lot need knocking off their peddle stools.

Oops.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Gareth is spineless.

[Yevrah]

The phrase virtue signalling is often overused and nearly as bad as “woke” and “gammon”, but in this case I can’t think of any other way that better describes what’s happened/happening.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Which people in it are dickheads?

Admittedly this squad for the tournament is a little light on them.

[Dquincy]

The phrase virtue signalling is often overused and nearly as bad as “woke” and “gammon”, but in this case I can’t think of any other way that better describes what’s happened/happening.
At least Alex Scott is wearing the One Love armband. Makes all the difference.

[Don]

The useless bitch picked up the armband out the bin and wore it pitchside :D

[Spikey M]

Has she been yellow carded?

[Jimmy Floyd]

I have to say, I'm not big on rainbow flags and all that kind of stuff, it's so easy to do without having to back it up. Joe Root saying to Shannon Gabriel on the pitch 'there's nothing wrong with being gay' was 100x more powerful than any symbol.

Of course, on the flip side, if the Qataris are going to scream and cry like little girls at the idea of some men wearing multi-coloured armbands while in their country, then they are no better and probably far worse.

[Ben]

I've turned off the build up. I'll switch on at 12:59. Can't cope with Mark Chapman musing whether the seats being far away from pitch like the London Stadium will be the fine margin that plunges us into trouble against fucking Iran.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Seems to be utter chaos outside the ground with the ticket scanners not working.

[Spikey M]

That'll be the scousers again.

[Giggles]

I'm English but I don't support the English football team and all the dickheads in it.

Then you wouldn’t support any team.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Then you wouldn’t support any team.

Why wouldn't I?

[Giggles]

Why wouldn't I?

Because they’re all full of dickheads.

[Spikey M]

I do love a Man Utd fan objecting to thr idea of supporting a team - including Man Utd players - on dickhead grounds. :D

Also, Monghow, you preciously claimed it was because some England fans had told you that you weren't English at some point, didn't you?

Pick a reason lad.

[Dquincy]

Mahow, let's seize this opportunity for you to return to the English supporting bosom. Then we can forget this ever happened.

[-james-]

Big Mase definitely sung Queen there.

[Spikey M]

Was that Iran player taking the knee or doing his shoelaces?

[randomlegend]

Ref's bottled that.

[thommo]

Good to see VAR is a fucking shambles on an international level as well as in the Prem.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

1594657948525289473

Unsurprisingly the cash Joe shredded was fake.

[Giggles]

That looked sore. Not a hope they're not both concussed.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He's surely coming off.

[Yevrah]

I really like Joe Lycett, but can no one see anything through?

[Giggles]

It's got him the publicity he craved. That's the only thing that mattered.

[randomlegend]

Allah must be an England fan.

[John Arne]

I really like Joe Lycett, but can no one see anything through?

Yup. When did people forget what proper protesting was about? Every fucker is bottling it.

[-james-]

He's clearly out to lunch.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Yet again football shows they don't give a fuck about concussions.

[Dquincy]

Inspiring. :D

1594669513777197057

[Giggles]

Rain balls in on top of the fool now.

[Waffdon]

Why are they acting like it’s a concussion though? It’s clearly his nose that got fucked up.

Size of his nose now. Offft :D

[Dquincy]

Yet again football shows they don't give a fuck about concussions.

Hope he flaps one into the goal now.

[randomlegend]

Yet again football shows they don't give a fuck about concussions.

Nah, don't buy this. If that was Pickford the England doctors would've made him come off. It's the dodgy Iranian doctors at fault.

[7om]

His nose is about three foot long with the swelling.

[Ben]

Shoot on sight for the next few minutes. He'll get pulled soon enough.

[Lofty]

Maybe this is Iran's gameplan :D

[-james-]

He's out for the tournament now isn't he? Probably why they insisted on giving it a go.

[Giggles]

I flicked to another tab for a second. Did he drop or get another clout?

[7om]

Infantino: I feel concussed

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I flicked to another tab for a second. Did he drop or get another clout?

Dropped.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Is this a time-wasting exercise or what?

[Ben]

Infantino: I feel concussed

:D

[randomlegend]

There should be about 15 minutes added time.

[thommo]

He could barely stand up. Absolute shambles that there isn't an independent medic because you knew the Iranian team wanted him to stay on.

[Spikey M]

Infantino: I feel concussed

:lol:

[Ben]

His mates slapping him round the chops probably didn't help.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Nah, don't buy this. If that was Pickford the England doctors would've made him come off. It's the dodgy Iranian doctors at fault.

It's still happening in the Premier League.

Robin Koch was earlier this year.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Great vote of confidence in this new lad.

[phonics]

Some blokes just walked out of the pub because he’s ‘sick of these woke footballers falling over and taking an hour to get up’ presumably referring to the goalie?

[Alex]

Infantino: I feel concussed

:D

[Ben]

He wasn't very woke when he went off.

[Dquincy]

Did the stadium announcer just announce the booking. That's different.

This game is going to be a shitfest.

[-james-]

Who's decided that possession stats are now a 3-way stat?

[Ben]

xPossession.

[John Arne]

How on earth Sterling starts ahead of Foden, Grealish and Maddison I'll never know.

[Giggles]

I was wondering that one yesterday. What are they actually counting as the third one?

[Ben]

This 2nd of 4 keepers looks ropey. Top class shithousery from the Iranians already, we need a goal pretty quick otherwise we'll get unstuck against this.

[Waffdon]

Referee loves a 5m dash towards where the foul is made.

Jenas needs stoned to death

[Giggles]

How on earth Sterling starts ahead of Foden, Grealish and Maddison I'll never know.

Long tournament and you're playing Iran. That's probably why Maguire is getting his Make A Wish moment too.

[Ben]

Jenas needs stoned to death

I miss Dion already.

[-james-]

I was wondering that one yesterday. What are they actually counting as the third one?

"In contest"

[Waffdon]

Playing Sterling and Mount against a ‘low block’ is quite lol