Yay! International week! (feat. u17 world cup) [5/10 - 10/10]

Thursday 5/10

Asia

13:30 - Syria - Australia

Europe

17:00 - Azerbaijan - Czech Republic
17:00 - Armenia - Poland
19:45 - Northern Ireland - Germany
19:45 - San Marino - Norway
19:45 - Montenegro - Denmark
19:45 - Romania - Kazakhstan
19:45 - England - Slovenia
19:45 - Malta - Lithuania
19:45 - Scotland - Slovakia

South America

21:00 - Bolivia - Brazil
22:00 - Venezuela - Uruguay
00:30 (fri) - Colombia - Paraguay
00:30 (fri) - Chile - Ecuador
00:30 (fri) - Argentina - Peru

Friday 6/10

Europe

17:00 - Georgia - Wales
19:45 - Austria - Serbia
19:45 - Republic of Ir… - Moldova
19:45 - Italy - FYR Macedonia
19:45 - Liechtenstein - Israel
19:45 - Spain - Albania
19:45 - Croatia - Finland
19:45 - Turkey - Iceland
19:45 - Kosovo - Ukraine

Africa

20:00 - Mali - Côte d'Ivoire

Saturday 7/10

Africa

14:00 - South Africa - Burkina Faso
14:00 - Uganda - Ghana
17:00 - Nigeria - Zambia
17:00 - Cameroon - Algeria
18:00 - Guinea - Tunisia
18:00 - Libya - Congo DR
18:30 - Cape Verde Islands - Senegal
20:00 - Morocco - Gabon

Europe

17:00 - Sweden - Luxembourg
17:00 - Faroe Islands - Latvia
17:00 - Bosnia-Herzegovina - Belgium
17:00 - Gibraltar - Estonia
19:45 - Belarus - Netherlands
19:45 - Bulgaria - France
19:45 - Andorra - Portugal
19:45 - Switzerland - Hungary
19:45 - Cyprus - Greece

North America

00:35 (sun) - United States - Panama
02:30 (sun) - Mexico - Trinidad and Tobago
03:00 (sun) - Costa Rica - Honduras

Sunday 8/10

Africa

18:00 - Egypt - Congo

Europe

17:00 - Denmark - Romania
17:00 - Kazakhstan - Armenia
17:00 - Poland - Montenegro
17:00 - Lithuania - England
17:00 - Slovakia - Malta
17:00 - Slovenia - Scotland
19:45 - Czech Republic - San Marino
19:45 - Germany - Azerbaijan
19:45 - Norway - Northern Ireland

Monday 9/10

Europe

19:45 - Moldova - Austria
19:45 - Serbia - Georgia
19:45 - Wales - Republic of Ireland
19:45 - Albania - Italy
19:45 - FYR Macedonia - Liechtenstein
19:45 - Israel - Spain
19:45 - Finland - Turkey
19:45 - Ukraine - Croatia
19:45 - Iceland - Kosovo

Tuesday 10/10

19:45 - France - Belarus
19:45 - Luxembourg - Bulgaria
19:45 - Netherlands - Sweden
19:45 - Hungary - Faroe Islands
19:45 - Latvia - Andorra
19:45 - Portugal - Switzerland
19:45 - Belgium - Cyprus
19:45 - Estonia - Bosnia-Herzegovina
19:45 - Greece - Gibraltar

South America

00:30 (wed) - Paraguay - Venezuela
00:30 (wed) - Brazil - Chile
00:30 (wed) - Ecuador - Argentina
00:30 (wed) - Peru - Colombia
00:30 (wed) - Uruguay - Bolivia

North America

01:00 (wed) - Trinidad and Tobago - United States
01:00 (wed) - Honduras - Mexico
01:00 (wed) - Panama - Costa Rica

U17 world cup groups are here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_FIFA_U-17_World_Cup

They feature the delights of India (hosts), New Caledonia, and Niger. The last one, in 2015, was really enjoyable, though I gather this is being held at the tail end of monsoon season which seems a tad questionable.

Tuesday 10/10

2019 AFC Asian Cup Qualifier

19:00 - Vietnam - Cambodia

The African group featuring Burkina Faso, Senegal, Cape Verde and South Africa is an absolute mess.

We get to play-off for the right to lose to Honduras. Good times.

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

The African group featuring Burkina Faso, Senegal, Cape Verde and South Africa is an absolute mess.

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I'd love to see Cape Verde at the World Cup.

I don't really know how they do it, their squad is a mish-mash of utter shite from the Portuguese second division with journeyman 32 year olds, all with silly names like Gary Rodrigues and 'Nhuck'.

Probably something to be said for keeping the same band of inadequates together at international level so it has a club feel. Northern Ireland have done the same.

I swear we had one of these two weeks ago.

3-4 weeks ago, I would have thought.

I don't get the moaning about these, there are about 4 in a 9 month season and at this point in the qualification cycle there are more games of interest than you'd get on an average club weekend.

I guess we could be like baseball and play every day with 80 man squads.

I like them too. This one should be particularly good because there is potential for plenty of lolling at Chile, Holland, Scotland, Australia etc

We certainly don't need an international weekend to lol at Scotland.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/footb...res-tv-rights/

The 'Big Six' should piss off. They're using the bullshit BCCI argument that because they produce more revenue they should therefore be paid more money. That's not how economics works.

I love how the hunt for greed makes them forget competition is why companies are willing to pay so much for the game.

Apparently Everton, Leicester and West Ham are voting with the six. Are they mental or do they just want to be in the good books to get crap loan players?

Isn't that basically how the domestic revenues are already split? People ought to be more concerned about Tottenham thinking they are part of some 'Big Six'.

Poor old Everton were in the 'Big Five' when we last did this in 1990. What went wrong?

The MASSIVE Two (City and United): 50% of the revenue
The Big Three (Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool): 30% of the revenue
The Zionist Entity (Tottenham): None of the revenue
The 'Big Clubs' (Everton, Newcastle, West Ham): 15% of the revenue
The Shit (Everyone else): 5% of the revenue
Sunderland (Sunderland): Whatever the Shit teams receive, paid for by the Zionist Entity

They've (and I'm not joking here, this is the official language) "Unanimously agreed to disagree" and will shelve the thing for their next meeting.

lol, as soon as Sir Henry Winter did a twitter THREAD about it this morning it was always doomed to fail.

Jupp Heynckes is back at Bayern until the end of the season. If he wins the Champions' League... :drool:

Jupp totally donning Pep :drool:

What happened to that Dortmund guy? I guess they're gonna get that young guy in next year then.

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Originally Posted by Lewis

Jupp Heynckes is back at Bayern until the end of the season. If he wins the Champions' League... :drool:

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:cool: Man’s a machine.

Look Who's Back.

Aussie Aussie Aussie are playing Syria. Their first XI looks absolutely putrid, and Tim Cahill is still on the bench. Nevertheless, Robbie Kruse has just given them the lead.

To cheer us up in this time of need (International Football... gross) here's some good ol' Peter Reid in his new book

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‘I had been asked to take charge of an England legends team which played Germany at Reading’s Madejski Stadium in May 2006,’ Reid writes.‘One of my players was a certain Boris Johnson. As most people have now realised, Johnson is – as Nick Clegg once referred to him – a mop-haired buffoon but the people of Liverpool had already come to that conclusion, having been on the receiving end of his brand of politics.

‘Regardless of the reason why the game was taking place, I knew I wasn’t going to be in a charitable mood towards him.

‘As soon as he walked into the dressing room I went for him.

‘”Hello Peter, Boris Johnson, pleased to meet you,” he said. I wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries, though.

‘“I’ve been meaning to have a word with you, you t**t; having a go at Scousers, who the f**k do you think you are?”

‘You could hear a pin drop and the likes of John Barnes, Richard Ashcroft, Nigel Benn and Sean Bean were all open-mouthed. I could tell he couldn’t work out whether I was pulling his leg because he was half-smirking and half-shocked but I wasn’t messing.

‘“You are a f**king disgrace,” I said, and the tirade continued. He s**t himself.”

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Love that. A swearing-induced victory for the Proper Football Man, complete with quadruple name drop from the worlds of football, boxing, music and film respectively.

It was actually Simon Heffer who wrote it (plus it was true), so lol at ol' monkey head.

Iranian referee doing Syria a solid there with that penalty decision.

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Originally Posted by Lewis

It was actually Simon Heffer who wrote it (plus it was true), so lol at ol' monkey head.

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That bit's in there, I just pasted the funny bits.

Commentator on the Poland game has just responded to Lewandowski scoring a hat trick by constructing an argument for Harry Kane being better than him.

Another couple of years of that northy shitebag :face:

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Joe Hart lol

Good take, this

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I've just seen that Sturridge is on the bench.... how? Are we really that lacking in talent?

Obviously.

I was trying to think of someone I'd call up instead, but couldn't.

I've cracked it.

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During a run of good form in September 2017, Crouch said in a television interview that he was not officially retired from international football.

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There's just been a boy of about six on the build up program to the Scotland game talking about how Slovakia play a high press and Scotland should hit them on the counter.

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Originally Posted by Giggles

Another couple of years of that northy shitebag :face:

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I’m shocked they’ve done this before we wrap the qualifiers up.

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Originally Posted by John

There's just been a boy of about six on the build up program to the Scotland game talking about how Slovakia play a high press and Scotland should hit them on the counter.

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Reg?

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/footb...n-Richard-Keys

Not sure if this is the right place to post this. There have been rumours that Sunderland might have been looking to move part of their setup to London, and now Richard Keys has suggested it as a genuine possibility.

Sunderland fans with mixed feelings from what I've read.

Darren Anderton: Kanes almost as good as Messi.

What. :D

Levy must be creaming himself with all this. He'll end up paying for a quarter of the stadium with him.

Red card to the mak.

Can't wait to see how Scotland cock this up.

Have I really just watched Kyle Walker have a pop at goal from a well placed free kick 23 yards out?

Wembley should probably stop hosting helmetball games.

Scotland so negative at home to ten man Slovakia. Basically Griffiths against five defenders at all times.

Scotland just aren't much good. James Forrest makes my eyes bleed.

England are so, so wank.

Meanwhile, the jocks are playing in pink at home, so there's that.

Strachan is clueless. T

I bet they're not as shit as England. It's a genuine disgrace that we've got a group as shit as this. We need to drop down the rankings and start drawing stinkers.

https://i.imgur.com/1X4zMUq.png

This has to be the worst England squad of my life time. Jordan Henderson and John Stones would be in the Championship if they were foreign. Joe Hart is broken, he can’t be repaired and Sterling remains the new Aaron Lennon. Load of shit.

I wonder when the last time was I genuinely enjoyed an England game.

Hoddle: you don't want to play in the hole, you want to ARRIVE in the hole.

:D

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Originally Posted by Ian

I wonder when the last time was I genuinely enjoyed an England game.

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Beating Wales at the World Cup. Before that, I have no idea. They care less than I do.

I enjoyed the Wales result, I don't know that I actually enjoyed the game.

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Originally Posted by Magic

Hoddle: you don't want to play in the hole, you want to ARRIVE in the hole.

:D

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Yep, I enjoyed that a lot too.

I remember being devastated after we went out to Portugal in 2006. It's hard to believe that I actually cared so much. I couldn't give a shit thesedays.

'Post-Rooney England' mate.

Ten man Slovaks looking the more likely at Hampden. Scotland aren’t just bad, they aren’t even having a go it seems. Odd.

Sterling has been atrocious in possession tonight. He manages to get caught every time he receives the ball.

That is a cracking effort from Cesar to block that.

I've seen concrete breeze blocks more creative than Matt Phillips.

Can I start a mass 'if that Sterling goal against Italy was real' movement where that team would have won it. That was sucha likeable team.

Those were comfortably the slowest step overs ever performed from Phillips.

Bannan looks like Leigh Griffiths but drawn by someone slightly more competent.

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

I've seen concrete breeze blocks more creative than Matt Phillips.

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One of those players who takes seeing him in real life to assess. Huge technique. Not good enough for England but a good sign of the quality the league can create if they actually play.

It's quite amazing how bad this lot are.

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I don’t know how to make twitter links show up, but seriously. Fucking bin this prick.

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Originally Posted by John

Those were comfortably the slowest step overs ever performed from Phillips.

Bannan looks like Leigh Griffiths but drawn by someone slightly more competent.

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They both look like Matt Groening characters.

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Originally Posted by SvN

I remember being devastated after we went out to Portugal in 2006. It's hard to believe that I actually cared so much. I couldn't give a shit thesedays.

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And now I see Hendo ready for war, Theo good as before, Harry certain to score. And Phil Jones gurning...

Don't think so. Scotland getting majorly superkeepered now.

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Originally Posted by CJay

Sterling has been atrocious in possession tonight. He manages to get caught every time he receives the ball.

That is a cracking effort from Cesar to block that.

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I gather he's in good nick for City but I don't think I remember him doing a single good thing for England ever. Maybe that Italy shot if you want to count that as good for pained nostalgia value, He might actually have been alright in that game on the whole. By England standards, at least.

Sterling is amazing to watch in an England shirt.

Him running the ball out was perfect timing for this discussion.

Ikechi Anya? I'm better than Ikechi Anya.

Hope they'll bring out a DVD of this game.

I was just pondering whether it's been a downward trajectory with England for my entire watching life.

I don't really remember Euro 88, so Italia 90 is the starting point. I know we didn't qualify for the next one, but with that possible caveat it probably has been. When was the last time England genuinely played well in a meaningful game? 2001?

Joe Hart going into the history books over Banks and Seaman is a disgrace.

Anya is about as good an impact sub as Scotland have because he's quick.

The Slovakian goalkeeper needs to be getting tested for every drug going after the game.

England are hilarious. I'm not sure it's possible to stop then being shite at this point.

Thank me later, Ikechi.

Wahey!

And whilst I can appreciate the Henderson hate, what the fuck does Eric Dier do in the world of professional football? His sole purpose seems to be popping up at the near post from set pieces (which, granted, may be important seeing as no one can kick a ball past that point) and having the occasional biff from a freekick (baton now passed to Kyle what the fuck Walker). He's just awful, even more so when you have to make the game.

What has to happen now? Do they have to win in Slovenia? Do we need to let one in at Wembley for a trollfest?

Up pops Anya to set up the winner.

Sneaky little kick on Weiss there from Griffiths. At some point people are going to realise the entire Celtic side are properly snide cunts.

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Originally Posted by Kikó

England are hilarious. I'm not sure it's possible to stop then being shite at this point.

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For large swathes this has been one of the worst games I've ever seen.

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

And whilst I can appreciate the Henderson hate, what the fuck does Eric Dier do in the world of professional football? His sole purpose seems to be popping up at the near post from set pieces (which, granted, may be important seeing as no one can kick a ball past that point) and having the occasional biff from a freekick (baton now passed to Kyle what the fuck Walker). He's just awful, even more so when you have to make the game.

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He's got knowledge of the forrin game.

How many more games?

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Originally Posted by Magic

How many more games?

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Next week then playoffs.

Fucking lol.

What a man

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Originally Posted by John

Anya is about as good an impact sub as Scotland have because he's quick.

The Slovakian goalkeeper needs to be getting tested for every drug going after the game.

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Is it Tim-Flowers-off-his-tits-on-adrenaline levels after that clean sheet against whoever it was?

They're not even stepping out of third gear. All I can think is that they don't give a shit.

Where's the fucking tempo? They're meant to be top rate footballers. What's the point in pissing about taking ten seconds and waiting for all the other players to get marked? Its fucking stupid and I can't see any reason for it other than not giving a shit, not wanting to risk getting injured and it hampering their club season.

I'd rather have an England team of championship or league one players who are giving it absolutely everything than this half arsed shower of shite. At least that'd be something to be proud of.

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

What has to happen now? Do they have to win in Slovenia? Do we need to let one in at Wembley for a trollfest?

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Whoever wins in Slovenia gets second place. If it's a draw then Slovakia qualify (presuming they can make their way past Malta).

Late goal specialists. Sign of champions.

England V Scotland final.

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Originally Posted by Ian

Is it Tim-Flowers-off-his-tits-on-adrenaline levels after that clean sheet against whoever it was?

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He's made about six world class saves, maybe three of them from within the six yard box.

Kane is literally the only reason to watch England at the moment.

Ah, I see it's still quite tricky to get through. This the heroic part of the heroic failure.

Oh, England scored. It's basically a dead rubber for Slovenia then.

Best get the wee suitcases out then.

Do Scotland have any chance of beating Slovenia away? I suppose Slovenia basically have nothing to play for, which may change things, but even then it seems unlikely.

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Ah, I see it's still quite tricky to get through. This the heroic part of the heroic failure.

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I'll say a drubbing by BiH in the playoffs is the failure.

Need Scotland to get second place and then draw Portugal or someone for the biggest bet ever.

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Originally Posted by John

Up pops Anya to set up the winner.

Sneaky little kick on Weiss there from Griffiths. At some point people are going to realise the entire Celtic side are properly snide cunts.

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The mass booing when Weiss came on would indicate it’s not just a Celtic thing.

Scotland v Northern Ireland playoff, what could possibly go wrong.

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Originally Posted by CJay

Do Scotland have any chance of beating Slovenia away? I suppose Slovenia basically have nothing to play for, which may change things, but even then it seems unlikely.

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I believe Georgia were competing in a dead rubber ten years ago and fielded a load of toddlers that still beat Scotland 2-0.

I'd assume nothing.

That England performance was a load of utter rot and we're getting fucked out of the group stages if we draw more than one competent team. And maybe even if we don;t.

Fair play to Ian Wright post-match there, for correctly calling us out on the absolute shower of shite that we are.

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Originally Posted by phonics

Can I start a mass 'if that Sterling goal against Italy was real' movement where that team would have won it. That was sucha likeable team.

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TTH meetup that was. We went crazy for 5 seconds.

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

I was just pondering whether it's been a downward trajectory with England for my entire watching life.

I don't really remember Euro 88, so Italia 90 is the starting point. I know we didn't qualify for the next one, but with that possible caveat it probably has been. When was the last time England genuinely played well in a meaningful game? 2001?

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Euro 92? I would do my best forget about it too.

1 goal in 3 games :drool:

I wasn't around for Italia 90, but I've always had a suspicion we were absolute wank and fluked our way into the semis via an unbelievably kind draw. Christ knows what Germany were up to nearly fucking the semi.

Argentina in 2002 feels like the last one I came away from thinking they did a good job. Maybe Denmark in the second round.

Italia 90 sounds like a wobble. Squeaking past the Belgians and the Cameroonians. I think it's a very English mentality. Even in '66 we nearly shat it.

Venezuela's first choice goalie is a 5'11 19 year old called Wuilker Fariñez. I reckon he'd be an upgrade if he signed for Liverpool or West Ham.

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

I wasn't around for Italia 90, but I've always had a suspicion we were absolute wank and fluked our way into the semis via an unbelievably kind draw. Christ knows what Germany were up to nearly fucking the semi.

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Around as in born or aware?

We were dreadful against Belgium, and not much better against Cameroon (and perhaps the less said about the group stage the better) but it's all relative. Euro '96 is remembered as some wave of alcohol fueled jock ruining abandon, but it was really far from it. We were poor against Roy fucking Hodgson's Switzerland and robbed Spain in what must be one of the biggest sporting injustices of all time, but we battered the Dutch and Gazza scored that goal, so all was forgiven, and forgotten. '98 was pretty poor, but there was hope (Owen) and injustice (Beckham), 2000 dreadful after the best opening 10 minutes of a tournment ever. 2002 was meh, although I suppose, along with the next Euros is the closest we've come to thinking "hmmm, maybe". But here I am, rambling on. You're probably right, there haven't been any halcyon days since it all went wrong in 1970.

I was two years old.

Everything post 2006 has been absolutely free of any kind of hope or positivity. I'm not sure what it is. Probably the last links to pre-92 football being broken and this being an entirely gravy train-formed generation.

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Originally Posted by dino

Venezuela's first choice goalie is a 5'11 19 year old called Wuilker Fariñez. I reckon he'd be an upgrade if he signed for Liverpool or West Ham.

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According to FIFA 18 he's a wonderkid who plays for Barcelona

I maintain that we could/would have won 2008 with a proper manager.

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Originally Posted by Raoul Duke

According to FIFA 18 he's a wonderkid who plays for Barcelona

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He's looked really good whenever I've seen him. Be interesting to see whether being a short arse prevents him doing well.

Didn't stop Andy Goram being two of our best ever goalkeepers.

Peru :cool:

Argentina are proper rank. Held at home to Peru and didn't really deserve to win at all. 16 goals in 17 games is all sorts of lol.

Wednesday looks fun:

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

Pesky South American defences forgetting to roll over and have their belly tickled by The Little Magician. Not cool, guys.

Hogan and Maguire made the finalised cutdown for tonight, though I'd be very surprised if either seen any action.

That group table is tight as fuck.

You have to assume Paraguay will make their way to 27, as will one of Peru/Colombia, which means Chile must get something in Brazil, and Argentina have to win or they're not going. How the fuck is their goalscoring record so bad with that personnel?

I can't imagine Ecuador won't allow the Argies to win, mind.

I dunno. Ecuador have a spot to play for. Peru making it would be awesome. There's so few teams in that continent I haven't seen before on a world stage.

Brazil will surely let Chile win.

5th place is no guarantee either, I can't see the Argie backline dealing with Chris Wood's hold-up play.

Jupp Heynckes is back at Bayern.

Woodburn on the bench seems like madness. He's the one player who could provide a bit of magic in place of Bale.

If there's a nation that's been mis-managed to a level worse than England in recent times it's Argentina.

Few surprises, might as well at this stage but it's very un-O'Neill.

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Scott Hogan wasn't biding his time before declaring. Yeah of course.

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Originally Posted by Yevrah

If there's a nation that's been mis-managed to a level worse than England in recent times it's Argentina.

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2010 was the only real disgrace. The rest of it was just certain BOTTLERS BOTTLING IT.

Shane Long has 1 goal in 42 appearances? I think calling him average was being kind.

Is Semedo likely to be a regular for Barca?

Another former Benfica player :(

My FM legend :drool:

Won a Ballon from right back.

Iceland are going to win their group. Pretty incredible.

Finland, I fucking love you.

Scandimania.

That Finland result is amazing. As is Iceland getting three points away to Turkey.

I assume that Kosovo is unlikely to cause them any problems? I haven't seen them play before, but they seem rubbish from their results. Should be straightforward for Iceland to emerge out of a really tough group.

I feel like Italy should win their play-off, but I really hope they don't draw Croatia. Or Portugal, if they're in the pot (and I hope they are).

Croatia have properly shat the bed. Fair play to Iceland though, pretty sure they would be the smallest ever qualifiers by population.

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Croatia have properly shat the bed. Fair play to Iceland though, pretty sure they would be the smallest ever qualifiers by population.

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I know they are. I put up a Trivia question on minimum populations to qualify for the World Cup a while back, and I can still remember it. They beat out T&T pretty easily, who are the current smallest.

It's baffling that they're such a small country, to be honest. They have a comparatively huge cultural footprint.

They do?

Cold countries are always surprisingly underpopulated, and, by and large the opposite applies to hot ones. Australia being the outlier in that regard.

Only because we put the buggers there.

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Originally Posted by ItalAussie

I know they are. I put up a Trivia question on minimum populations to qualify for the World Cup a while back, and I can still remember it. They beat out T&T pretty easily, who are the current smallest.

It's baffling that they're such a small country, to be honest. They have a comparatively huge cultural footprint.

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Sri Lankan cricket all comes from two schools. Small is sometimes better than big. See also: Chinese football.

Curious to hear more about Iceland's cultural footprint.

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Originally Posted by Pepe

Curious to hear more about Iceland's cultural footprint.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z5aPaDwAkU

http://cooleststop.com/img/2017-07/1-1499734607.jpeg

https://tvaraj.files.wordpress.com/2...ixgood-com.jpg

Also Magnus Magnusson and Okay Amigo.

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Originally Posted by Pepe

Curious to hear more about Iceland's cultural footprint.

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They have 300,000 people in their entirety, and I can name at least five of them. That's significant for a country so small.

That's probably five more, say, Macedonians, Guatemalans or Bahraini than I can name.

Also Hafthor 'The Mountain' Bjornsson, fresh from having an actual MELTDOWN at World's Strongest Man and standing accused of filling half his exes in.

It's quite possible that unless Scotland win in Slovenia, that group won't get a playoff spot anyway. As I see it, the three most probable groups for that are:

a) Scotland's group where as I said Scotland essentially have to win
b) Croatia's group where there essentially needs to be a winner in the Ukraine-Croatia match
c) Greece's group where it's a bit more complex due to the possible combinations of Greece and Bosnia results.

Scotland have to win anyway because Slovakia are playing Malta and will overtake them, so it changes nothing for them.

Wales/Ireland are contenders surely if they draw or maybe if Ireland win.

Not a hope in hell we're beating Wales but they're the only one of the four I'd like to see do well so hopefully they don't get locked out in 2nd.

Floyd's Northampton are getting a pasting at home. They've conceded five in the second half.

I see your lot are on RTE2 live now @CJay.

That stadium is so brilliantly shit :drool:

One of the softest penalties in recent memory, 1-0 Sweden.

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Scotland have to win anyway because Slovakia are playing Malta and will overtake them, so it changes nothing for them.

Wales/Ireland are contenders surely if they draw or maybe if Ireland win.

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My point in regards to Scotland's group is that if Scotland don't win, Slovakia gets 2nd but they're very likely to be out of the playoffs (only 12 points in the playoff table - although they do have a pretty strong goal difference).

As for Wales I just sort of gave them the win anyway.

2-0. Come on and destroy them now so we are clear of the Dutch.

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Scotland have to win anyway because Slovakia are playing Malta and will overtake them, so it changes nothing for them.

Wales/Ireland are contenders surely if they draw or maybe if Ireland win.

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Slovakia are out. The Malta results get wiped from the board for all teams.

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Originally Posted by Adamski

Slovakia are out. The Malta results get wiped from the board for all teams.

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They're not out but they do need other results to go their way.

Ah yeah it’s Slovenia that are out. They shouldn’t be allowed in the same group. Too confusing.

Belgium need to get their fucking act together.

Thanks Belgium

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Originally Posted by Giggles

I see your lot are on RTE2 live now @CJay.

That stadium is so brilliantly shit :drool:

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:drool:

“They’re Just driving the ball forward aimlessly”, the commentator says in a shocked voice. :D Forgot how bad our style of football is.

The pitch looks barely playable.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adamski

Ah yeah it’s Slovenia that are out. They shouldn’t be allowed in the same group. Too confusing.

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After much consideration I really don't think either should be allowed at all.

7. :jayjay:

Luxembourg at home was 'a potentially tricky fixture' says the man on Sky. I wonder what an easy fixture looks like if a home game against a country barely big enough to put a side out isn't it.

It would have a whiff of someone trying to convince everyone a late season game between Stoke and Swansea was worth watching if there wasn't eighty minutes on the clock.

I've watched this game throughout. Sweden could be at least 20-0 up by now. If it doesn't finish at least 10 they've had a shitter.

Tunisia a goal down in Guinea. Please bottle it you miserable cunts.

That Bosnia-Belgium game though.

How have I missed the Faroe Islands getting nine points in their group?

The group was piss. I presume they're fifth seeds and Latvia must be one of the worst fourth seeds. I just watched them against Latvia and they were the better side. Beat Greece don't you know.

Douze points from Cyprus to Greece tonight. :drool:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dino

The group was piss. I presume they're fifth seeds and Latvia must be one of the worst fourth seeds. I just watched them against Latvia and they were the better side. Beat Greece don't you know.

---

Twice even. What a disaster of a qualifier that one was.

A glorious 1-0 shit off in Nicosia.

I feel we're going to draw. Which would all but mean we're out as even if we outscored Bosnia in the last game (we're up against Gibraltar at home) we'd be dead last in the playoff table.

Just seen that the Dutch need to win by 6 goals away in Belarus to even make the playoffs.

Ta ta clog munchers :harold:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Byron

Just seen that the Dutch need to win by 6 goals away in Belarus to even make the playoffs.

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Why's that?

Because Sweden thrashed Luxembourg 8-0.

EDIT: Just seen that France need to beat Bulgaria as well, so the gloating is a little early but still.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Byron

Because Sweden thrashed Luxembourg 8-0.

EDIT: Just seen that France need to beat Bulgaria as well, so the gloating is a little early but still.

---

Sweden are on a +19 GD and the Dutch are on +5. And there's also another match to be played, where France are against Belarus at home.

Well then I'm just a mess.

Still though, your gloating is correct. They're essentially out barring extreme circumstances.

Anyone watching the French game? How they looking?

That was pretty decent by Mitroglou for our equaliser:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y6aHD7_-_8

He's been consistently good for club and country for quite some time now.

I've been watching the Dutch game since just before the Belarus equaliser and by fuck are they shit.

The points they've gotten this campaign is actually quite flattering.

Here they've been relying on the 33 year old Robben to run their attack. Without him they're nothing and you know you're in trouble when Ryan pissing Babel is on the other flank.

Jesus, Belarus have just had 3 golden chances in a row starting from a free kick.

If Belarus had anyone who was decent at finishing they could have put 4 or 5 past the Dutchies.

Well we did it (or rather Belgium did it for us). Now we need one of Wales/Scotland not to win, a draw in the Ukraine-Croatia match or Northern Ireland to lose by 2 or more at Norway.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by John

Luxembourg at home was 'a potentially tricky fixture' says the man on Sky. I wonder what an easy fixture looks like if a home game against a country barely big enough to put a side out.

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Was it Luxembourg or Liechtenstein who, in one of their very few military excursions, managed to come back with more soldiers than they started with?

I feel like it might have been the latter but it could be either in spirit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ian

Was it Luxembourg or Liechtenstein who, in one of their very few military excursions, managed to come back with more soldiers than they started with?

I feel like it might have been the latter but it could be either in spirit.

---

Lichtenstein.

Went with 80, came back with 81.

How ‘how?

They went to defend the Austrian/Lichtenstein in 1886 with Italian. Some say that an Italian 'friend' came with them and some say an Austrian solider looking for work (they disbanded the army right after so well in, lad) came back.

Isn't it more likely they just hadn't counted them properly?

If you’re looking for a deserter, then the Italian option is all you need.

The Italian mate is the one that is most quoted (they were watching over the border alongside the Italian army) but a miscount is still more plausible. Or just someone decided to march back with them for a bit before going home.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

After much consideration I really don't think either should be allowed at all.

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Go visit Slovenia and still say that, I dare you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Yevrah

Isn't it more likely they just hadn't counted them properly?

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Most stories have a more pleasing explanation.

When it doesn't matter sometimes it's just nicer to believe the fiction.

England have just been unlucky and we're going to win the World Cup.

Morocco will go to the Ivory Coast for the last round needing a point to qualify (Ivory Coast go through with a win). On one hand I like Ivory Coast, but on the other hand the Morocco manager is this man and the World Cup needs him:

Toggle Spoiler

https://thesefootballtimes.files.wor...erverenard.jpg

Would it be fair to say that Renard is the only Frenchman you like?

https://twitter.com/arnoldcommajon/s...17609127088130

:cool:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Byron

Would it be fair to say that Renard is the only Frenchman you like?

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Him, N'golo Kanté, and Victor Dubuisson. The three musketeers.

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

:holland:

Scotland going with two strikers. What is happening? Shame Barry Bannan and fkn James McArthur are playing.

Scotland (v. Slovenia): Gordon, Berra, Mulgrew, Robertson, Tierney, McArthur, Darren Fletcher, Bannan, Martin, Griffiths, Phillips.

England (v. Lithuania): Butland; Keane, Stones, Maguire; Trippier, Henderson, Winks, Cresswell; Alli, Rashford, Kane

:sherlock:

Come on Scotland, I believe in your failure!

No shocks Oblak hasn’t conceded a home goal in qualifying. Boy is a fucking colossus freak. He’s the best Buffon.

Someone needs to lynch James McArthur.

Horrible game.

Which one? Because both are absolute garbage.

Griffiths is a great international striker in the mould of Pauleta or someone.

What a player he is. A wand of a left foot, as they say x

As you were, LG x

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Byron

Which one? Because both are absolute garbage.

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I'd the Scotland one on but the NFL has started now at least.

I went to Carlisle vs Exeter yesterday afternoon, and I was one of the lucky thousand or two who got to witness the monumental battle between Clint Hill and Jayden Stockley.

Exeter won 1-0, they’ve got a few decent players and were good value for the victory. Their goalkeeper, with the first name Christy (Pym), was the MOTM.

I feel as though every England game I watch is the most boring game I have ever seen.

Scotland went so fucking deep as soon as they scored (and took it to the corner flag at the end of the first half). You'll never last doing that unless you're a Mourinho siege team.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewis

I feel as though every England game I watch is the most boring game I have ever seen.

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Yup - they are completely joyless. It’s horrid.

Lithuanian defender puts his arm on “Dele’s” shoulder and he goes down like a sack of shit :face:

How the fuck is James McArthur on this pitch

Hopefully this means Strachan finally leaves. Most likely not. Another loss to a team with nothing to play for :D

This second half from Scotland one of the most gutless displays you could ever wish to see. Don't buy the 'heartbreak', they're cowards.

I mean "with nothing to play" is not very relevant for mediocre teams in the international scene. They have to play for coefficients and it's not like there's any incentive to rest players or anything.

England beat Chile in the U17 World Cup earlier, 4-0.

Not sure if there should be a World Cup for such a young age group.

Fucking Scotland :nono:

Slovenia absolutely losing their shit North African style here. Literally any country on the Med is a hive of hotheaded wankers.

The ref is a total penis as well, I think he just flashed the yellow at a series of random people because he'd lost the plot, then realised about two minutes later that one of them had already been booked.

How has the referee only added an extra minute?

lol

:cheer:

Watch us lose the playoff now.

They fucked that in the ridiculous 1-1 draw at home to Lithuania this time last year.

And that draw against us gave them hope. :harold:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adramelch

:cheer:

Watch us lose the playoff now.

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I hope in this single day of lolling at Scotland you will have experienced just a small taster of the glory of what it is to be an Englishman.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewis

And that draw against us gave them hope. :harold:

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0-3 against Lithuania, if anything. Losing in the 93rd minute fucked them.

Does Scotland equalising still mean the huns are into the playoffs before they play Norway tonight?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Giggles

Does Scotland equalising still mean the huns are into the playoffs before they play Norway tonight?

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Yes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Yes.

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Useless Scottish cunts.

Even if they hadn't equalised it would mean that. As long as Scotland didn't win they were through.

EDIT: Never mind, missed the "still".

I'm more invested in Scotland's efforts these days than I have been in England's for a while. At least it's interesting.

God that was shit. Chris Martin is fucking dire.

I didn't watch England tonight, but 71% possession and only 4 shots on target?

Fuck that must have been grim.

It's a shame because I think this England squad actually has potential. Gareth Southgate is a disaster. I didn't watch tonight but I hope he sticks with 3-4-3 though. Much better on paper.

Scotland gonna a Scotland.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dino

It's a shame because I think this England squad actually has potential. Gareth Southgate is a disaster. I didn't watch tonight but I hope he sticks with 3-4-3 though. Much better on paper.

---

I would sack him right now and get someone even slightly competent in. He is clearly a decent training ground man and a ghastly tactician. Steve McClaren would have got the same record in this group, poor bloke.

But you guys have such a poor squad and poor mentality right?

Sorry I've been listening to talkshit.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41546717

Fair play, this is the sort of absolute raving bullshit I would come out with in the same situation.

"Maybe we get big women and men together and see what we can do."

Can't believe they've let Magic manage the Scotland team.

Quote:

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"Genetically, we are behind," said Strachan. "In the last campaign we were the second smallest, apart from Spain.

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Hmmm.

I was agreeing with him until I realised he meant height. I thought he meant technically we are shite, then he says we are as good as anybody LOL.

It's a cultural thing and financial these days.

I'm not going to profess to be an expert on how things roll in the glens, but I've heard it said that kids just don't play football anymore. If you think from the 60s to the sort of early 90s they had an incredible production line of players and coaches.

It's the same with the Dutch. If anything they've gone even further off the cliff than the jocks.

I'm leaving for Cardiff shortly. This is going to be awesome. :cool:

Cymru am byth!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

I'm not going to profess to be an expert on how things roll in the glens, but I've heard it said that kids just don't play football anymore. If you think from the 60s to the sort of early 90s they had an incredible production line of players and coaches.

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It is. The standard is appalling, especially when you speak to the older guys that have been there done that. It isn't rose tinted glasses either as we all know. Apparently the only saving grace is women's football seems to be getting better at a youth level. Hooray!

Was Scotland the favourite to qualify over Slovakia or what?

No, Slovakia have Hamsik who is a million times better than all our players put together. I think we probably should have finished below Slovenia as well.

The regulars at Alex's Fergusons pub accounted for about eighty per cent of the national football knowledge, and they must all be dead now.

I mean I understand being disappointed especially since it was in your hands in the last game, but it feels like a bit of overreaction.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adramelch

I mean I understand being disappointed especially since it was in your hands in the last game, but it feels like a bit of overreaction.

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I guess it's just total disappointment, yet again, and we were totally spoilt until the late 90s given the size of our nation. We've also seen Wales do really well at an international tournament.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adramelch

Was Scotland the favourite to qualify over Slovakia or what?

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No but this is Britain and our teams have a sense that we should be winning, regardless of the actual quality available.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

No but this is Britain and our teams have a sense that we should be winning, regardless of the actual quality available*.

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*doesn't apply in England's case, whereby we are told that the players are THE BEST IN THE WORLD on a weekly basis, until they pull on an England shirt and apparently become third-rate Slavic level.

One auto and two playoff is decent enough going for Britain. You'd call it par.

Almost thought you were bundling the Republic in with GB then until I adjusted for natural pessimism.

I don't really get the Strachan hate. He's just led them to the best campaign in a decade, and it's hardly a golden generation.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dino

I don't really get the Strachan hate. He's just led them to the best campaign in a decade, and it's hardly a golden generation.

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It was absolutely fucking dreadful barring the past 4 games really. Look at some sides that have fucking atrocious players, far worse than us, that can qualify and have decent tournaments. It's all about the coaching, management and tactics.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

Almost thought you were bundling the Republic in with GB then until I adjusted for natural pessimism.

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:D definitely not.

We were never qualifying if we left it to this game needing a result as there's not a hope this side can go away and win a game vs equal-ish opposition. The 3 group games before Moldova are the reason this team will rightly be sitting at home. The only really low point is that they've given that dinosaur another contract anyway.

If the Wales game ends 1-1 and the Croatia game ends 2-2 and the ref doesn't have a breakdown, Wales will finish 3rd due to cumulative yellow cards.

The Ukraine v Croatia game fascinates me. Either will qualify with a win, and has an outside chance of automatic if Iceland somehow fuck up, but a draw will (to >95% probability) eliminate both. If it's 0-0 with say 10 minutes to go are they going to both go 2-3-5 and hail mary it forward?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

The Ukraine v Croatia game fascinates me. Either will qualify with a win, and has an outside chance of automatic if Iceland somehow fuck up, but a draw will (to >95% probability) eliminate both. If it's 0-0 with say 10 minutes to go are they going to both go 2-3-5 and hail mary it forward?

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Sounds like that's the one I'm watching.

I've never been so nervous before a game in my life.

Funnily enough I just went on the main Icelandic daily newspaper website to see just how HYPED they are. Sure enough, they speak of little else:

Toggle Spoiler

https://i.imgur.com/m9XFaUb.jpg

Don’t know whether to go Wales/Ireland or Ukraine/Croatia. The latter will be a better game but feel oddly investing in Ireland’s campaign from listening to Second Captains for however many years.

Ireland to win 2-0.

I'll be on the British match, will have enough ghoulish post-Soviet stadium vibes in my life next summer.

Can’t pass up a chance to see Daryl Murphy in action. I will be standing up for The Boys In Green.

Ukraine Croatia for me if anyone is showing it, sounds set up to be good

Any decent players on show in that south slav derby?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Magic

Any decent players on show in that south slav derby?

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A Modric who is very vocal about the current manager being shit perhaps? Potential scenes if they lose.

Is Shevchenko still with Ukraine?

It's on fucking red button though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Giggles

Is Shevchenko still with Ukraine?

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He is 41, so... no.

Yarmolenko is decent enough.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Max Power

Can’t pass up a chance to see Daryl Murphy in action. I will be standing up for The Boys In Green.

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The Irish fans were absolutely mental in France so TBIG qualifying would be a good thing I think. They'd certainly bring the party.

How many Irish bars are there in Kaliningrad?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bernanke

He is 41, so... no.

Yarmolenko is decent enough.

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Was he not manager?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Giggles

Was he not manager?

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Huh, had completely missed that. Yep, still there.

Shevchenko quit the Ukraine job to take up politics post-Crimea but his party lost and got back in after the last guy was binned. Klitschko is still Mayor of Kiev though.

Just found out the Wales Ireland game is on Sky, what a shitter. I've now got a box that does basic Freeview but it doesn't do any of the local stuff so no BBC Cyrmu for me.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by phonics

Just found out the Wales Ireland game is on Sky, what a shitter. I've now got a box that does basic Freeview but it doesn't do any of the local stuff so no BBC Cyrmu for me.

---

Doesn't pick up any of the Irish channels does it? It's on RTÉ2.

Midfield is the main difference in the game in Cardiff. There's not one Irish player in that area even half the player Ramsey and Allen are.

They're bigger than Joe Allen though, which means they're better.

Jeff Hendrick is a very solid cm. completely under rated.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Foe

Jeff Hendrick is a very solid cm. completely under rated.

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He's been dire any time he's lined out since the European Championships. Brady in midfield is dogshit too, plus another night of being subjected to the worst set pieces you'll ever see. Arter has never had a good game for us and fuck know where McLean is playing but he'll most likely get sent off.

At least Irelands greatest living sportsman is still there and still has the armband. He can't play football though.

"Sing the Welsh anthem like you never sang it before."

Okay and then turn off the music while your at it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Giggles

At least Irelands greatest living sportsman is still there and still has the armband. He can't play football though.

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I don't know who that is, but I hope it's Daryl Murphy, what a bloke.

Thank God they turned the music off, should be done for all anthems. Will probably get a FIFA fine for being off-brand though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Thank God they turned the music off, should be done for all anthems. Will probably get a FIFA fine for being off-brand though.

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That would be quite something for the spanish anthem.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adramelch

That would be quite something for the spanish anthem.

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The Spanish anthem is horse shit in comparison to the Welsh one though. The latter is the only reason to tune into 2 minutes of rugby coverage.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Giggles

The Spanish anthem is horse shit in comparison to the Welsh one though. The latter is the only reason to tune into 2 minutes of rugby coverage.

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My point was that the Spanish anthem has no actual lyrics. Granted I'm not watching the game so I might have misunderstood the whole thing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Samadini

I don't know who that is, but I hope it's Daryl Murphy, what a bloke.

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He's going to have a long and lonesome night trying to flick hoofed clearances to nobody.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Adramelch

My point was that the Spanish anthem has no actual lyrics. Granted I'm not watching the game so I might have misunderstood the whole thing.

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No, my bad actually. I was thinking of that flouncy Italian one.

I'm not sure what part of 'must win' Ireland don't understand.

They are probably hoping that Serbia fuck up somewhere before going all out.

Direland looking awful.

They were even worse than this against Georgia :D

I got lambasted in work today for saying they were certain to lose. It's like I'm the only cunt who has ever watched them before.

How's that 2 year contract doing? :harold:

To be fair I'm not sure there's a single talented Irish footballer at the moment other than Hoolahan who is old and lightweight.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

To be fair I'm not sure there's a single talented Irish footballer at the moment other than Hoolahan who is old and lightweight.

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They're bad in the grand scheme of world soccer but they're nowhere near as bad as O'Neill thinks according to the setup. Christ, even Dundalk and Cork City can hold on to a ball for more than ten seconds in a Europa League game.

This should be top of Championship vs bottom of Championship but it looks like Championship vs National League South, and it's not the first time it's looked like that by a long way.

Hoofball will win the day. :drool:

How did Allen end up hurt there?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Giggles

How did Allen end up hurt there?

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Got smashed in the face by Meylers hip.

Have Ireland realized that they need to win to go through? Surely there's something a bit more proactive than... this. Not that Wales are looking great. Though 95% of footballers would benefit from having the amount of self-confidence that Robson-Kanu has. Absolute shite but tries to control a ball like he's Messi.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by phonics

Got smashed in the face by Meylers hip.

Have Ireland realized that they need to win to go through? Surely there's something a bit more proactive than... this.

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It's all O'Neill knows.

Iceland winning.
@Amigo

If it was a cup game it'd be a great gameplan but don't Wales go through with this result?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by phonics

If it was a cup game it'd be a great gameplan but don't Wales go through with this result?

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Are Serbia out now then? Any live updated second place table?

Serbia - 19
~~~~~~~~~~
Wales - 18
~~~~~~~~~~
ROI - 17

...as it stands.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bernanke

Are Serbia out now then? Any live updated second place table?

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Serbia are top.

And Serbia are at the very least in the playoffs unless they somehow lose to Georgia.

Teams don't get points from the bottom team? What. :D

Oh, in my mind Wales were up for some reason.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bernanke

Are Serbia out now then? Any live updated second place table?

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I didn't realise Serbia was still in play. I was just referring to the Playoffs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Magic

Teams don't get points from the bottom team? What. :D

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Because some groups have more teams than others, I believe.

Edit- Nope, seems they are all 6 teams. I'm sure that used to be the reason, bit off that it's still the case.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Magic

Teams don't get points from the bottom team? What. :D

---

There's not an even amount of teams in each group.

What a bizarre load of shit.

Isn't it 6 in each?

Wiki says it is.

They actually don't as Kosovo were added after the original draw, but they kept the top 5 rule anyway. Probably fair as there's a big difference between Gibraltar/San Marino and whoever is the best of the bottom pot.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Magic

Teams don't get points from the bottom team? What. :D

---

Used to be like that because not all groups had 6 teams, but I'm not sure why it's still a thing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

They actually don't as Kosovo were added after the original draw, but they kept the top 5 rule anyway. Probably fair as there's a big difference between Gibraltar/San Marino and whoever is the best of the bottom pot.

---

Yeah but there's also a difference between getting say Spain and Italy in the same group instead of Poland and Denmark.

I'd rather they have 4 groups of 6 and 6 groups of 5 and all 10 second placed teams get to play in the playoffs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Giggles

There's not an even amount of teams in each group.

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Jesus so this was the reason fair enough but now it's even and they've kept the rule?

Do they remove the points at the end? I don't even...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Magic

Do they remove the points at the end? I don't even...

---

It's only for the playoff table. They just calculate it without taking those results in mind.

GD Pts
Portugal 26 24
Italy 12 21
Denmark 12 20
Sweden 19 19
N.Ireland 11 19
Wales 8 18
Slovakia 10 18
Croatia 9 18
~~~~~~~
Greece 7 16

That's what I got.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_F...A_Second_Round

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Adramelch

It's only for the playoff table. They just calculate it without taking those results in mind.

---

:thbup:

Well that's full of lol.

It's been like that for as long as I remember, I don't know why people are suddenly finding out (apart from the 6 teams in all groups thing that Jim explained).

Because my team have never qualified or been in the play offs lololol (for nearly 20 years).

:D

I really want Ukraine/Croatia to score so Wales can't shit their way in with a 0-0.

I guess it must be tough to not come from a nation as technically gifted at football as Greece. @Magic

Wales have woken up.

This has a 90 minute one nil written all over it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Adramelch

I guess it must be tough to not come from a nation as technically gifted at football as Greece. @Magic

---

We had one of the best sides in the world and managed to go out after the group stages. We'll never win anything.

View Tweet

Woof.

Holy shite. :D

Absolute scenes there

Well, isn't that a right shame.

Ashley Williams. Shock.

Watch how deep they'll drop now. If you haven't watched this lot much then it'll be an eye opener.

McClean is a hero. What a goal.

How deep can we drop now?

Cheering on a shock Georgia goal now.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Giggles

Watch how deep they'll drop now. If you haven't watched this lot much then it'll be an eye opener.

---

:D

Someone check on Serbia.

There match looks much worse than this one.

That Allen injury absolutely crucial.

Slovakia out as things stand.

Croatia :drool:

Wales need 2.

Serbia are on full troll mode.

Georgia nearly had a chance to poke one in.

What sweet nonsense are Serbia up to still being 0-0.

Iceland home and dry :drool:

You can't hold out for 25 minutes this deep. Never learn.

Up the Ra. Ireland’s two centre halves are very decent, they’ll always somewhat be in contention in games.

Glenn fucking Whelan :face:

I do like Murphy. He has the head of a lad that would be always down the local and never got married or a job, but is guaranteed to be great craic every weekend if you go in.

Has Murphy just been booked for being kicked in the face?

Aaron Ramsey is going to score the winner here, the twat.

Serbs 1-0.

Woodburn has more spark than the rest of Wales combined. Jonny Williams is tragic in every respect.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Woodburn has more spark than the rest of Wales combined. Jonny Williams is tragic in every respect.

---

I thought Williams has looked fiesty enough since he came on.

Ireland have gone full Tunisia here. Only sometimes works.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Giggles

I thought Williams has looked fiesty enough since he came on.

---

Same. You can't help but discard Jim's opinions on the home nations due to his imperialist views.

Hopefully Wales score in the 93rd to put them both out.

Wales have a good centrehalf. I think he’s called Ashley Williams. Everton should sign him.

Shane Duffy’s jump is a thing of beauty.

This is what happens when a team's on-pitch leader is Aaron Ramsey.

That free kick. :D

Captain banned. :D

What the fuck was Meyler doing there?

Great news if the I just don't want to go to work song will not be heard in Russia.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Jonny Williams is tragic in every respect.

---

I was going to ask if he actually plays professionally at club level. I don't think I've ever seen him outside of a Wales shirt and he's so bad, and yet so enthusiastic. He's absolutely everywhere, fucking everything up. Palace apparently.

Meyler’s an idiot.

What’s the seeding for the playoffs?

James McLean might be my favourite player in existence.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CJay

Meyler’s an idiot.

What’s the seeding for the playoffs?

---

Portugal, Italy, Denmark or Sweden. Good luck.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Magic

Teams don't get points from the bottom team? What. :D

---

Reminds me of when Turkey got a bunch of improbable results to go their way - including needing Kazakhstan to beat Latvia away and jump from sixth to fifth (they had good results against Kazakhstan, but dropped points against Latvia) - to lift them into the automatic third place qualifying spot before Euro 2012.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Waffdon

James McLean might be my favourite player in existence.

---

His passion and work rate is a shining example to any young player of how to make the most of your limited ability. Pity about his dirty side.

At least we won't have to put up with that song in another major tournament.

Following on from Lewis' comment that every England game seems to be the worst game ever, I can only imagine how bad it would be if they played Ireland. Dear god.

Dunphy with egg on his face re: needing Wes Hoolahan. :drool:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CJay

His passion and work rate is a shining example to any young player of how to make the most of your limited ability. Pity about his dirty side.

---

The pure seethe he brings is also another great reason. Some boy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CJay

His passion and work rate is a shining example to any young player of how to make the most of your limited ability. Pity about his dirty side.

---

He also hates the Queen.

That's for Seamus.

How the fuck they managed it I don't know.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Giggles

That's for Seamus.

How the fuck they managed it I don't know.

---

O'Neill's genius clearly.

Is there any daft limitations about who can draw who? I only ask because I want an all-Ireland carnage.

From what I saw, which was a bit of the first half and then from about 55 minutes on, Wales were awful.

Quite why they refused to play the ball out to Gunter when he was constantly in acres of space was baffling. Ramsey is such an odd player. Swings wildly from quite brilliant the really rather dreadful.

Shane Duffy is a colossus.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Portugal, Italy, Denmark or Sweden. Good luck.

---

Guardian says NI are seeded at the minute? If Sweden win tomorrow does that change things?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CJay

Guardian says NI are seeded at the minute? If Sweden win tomorrow does that change things?

---

It'll be from the next rankings so it's all a bit fluid overall. NI lost their two games in that time so it doesn't bode well I guess.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Adramelch

It'll be from the next rankings so it's all a bit fluid overall. NI lost their two games in that time so it doesn't bode well I guess.

---

Does it? I thought it would go on that 2nd place table they compile to find which one misses out.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Giggles

Does it? I thought it would go on that 2nd place table they compile to find which one misses out.

---

We're talking about the seeding in the playoffs. Who goes to the playoffs is decided by that table, yeah.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by niko_cee

From what I saw, which was a bit of the first half and then from about 55 minutes on, Wales were awful.

Quite why they refused to play the ball out to Gunter when he was constantly in acres of space was baffling. Ramsey is such an odd player. Swings wildly from quite brilliant the really rather dreadful.

Shane Duffy is a colossus.

---

I must admit that I didn't last long but from what I saw Ramsey was really, really, between the centre backs, deep which is never his game. He has a massive touch of the Gerrards about needing to do everything and without Bale it's fucked them tbh.

Our main newspaper claims it's already set with Switzerland/Portugal, Italy, Denmark, Croatia being seeded. Are they correct?

Switzerland/Portugal, Italy and Croatia are dead certs. Then it should be Denmark unless Sweden win tomorrow? Difficult to say.

So have we all just accepted now that Iceland are a properly good European side? Crazy achievements over the last 6/7 years.

Who else is watching Gary Neville's Soccerbox?

Dunphy: "Where would we be without Londonderry?" :D

He's just referred to himself in the third person.

I saw it advertised and decided I didn't want to know. Name in the title and everything.

What a fucking team.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bernanke

Our main newspaper claims it's already set with Switzerland/Portugal, Italy, Denmark, Croatia being seeded. Are they correct?

---

I kind of don't have the highest hopes here. We've done a bit too well recently and it's all quite set up for being kicked the fuck out by Ronaldo & co again.

But that's all down to Portugal not kicking the shit out of the Swiss at home. The other four are beatable. Italy is Verratti and four 40-year old Juve-defenders.

Just noticed that while Germany is the only team to win ALL of their 10 games, they don't have a single player in the Top 15 goalscorers (or; that has scored over 5 goals).

Beast Team :cool:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bernanke

But that's all down to Portugal not kicking the shit out of the Swiss at home. The other four are beatable. Italy is Verratti and four 40-year old Juve-defenders.

---

Italy would kill us. Immobile and Insigne are the sort of players who are always more dangerous than they should be to us.
Also Italians don't age like the rest of the world, as we all know.

It would be the same with Croatia. Perisic and Mandzukic would both have the game of their lives against us.

I think we'd struggle with Switzerland as well, as we typically stuggle with teams considered more or less on "our" level (the Swiss are better really, but yeah).


Even Denmark, who we could beat, are bound for a Karma-revenge type of game since we knocked them out last time so emphatically.

Anyone know the population of Iceland? Asking for a friend.

Aussies 0-1 down already :D

Live: http://spybuzz.net/bein11.php

Saw the equaliser hitting the net as I opened the stream.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by John Arne

Anyone know the population of Iceland? Asking for a friend.

---

340k I think.

1-1.

Cahill.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bernanke

340k I think.

---

Could you do me a favour and keep reminding me every 30 minutes? Cheers.

The winner of this plays Panama/Honduras. What a conceptual four way shit-off that is.

Could probably do without Honduras at the finals this time if I'm honest.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

The winner of this plays Panama/Honduras. What a conceptual four way shit-off that is.

Could probably do without Honduras at the finals this time if I'm honest.

---

Or the US.

Here's a stream for Australia-Syria http://tructiepbongda.com/vong-loai-...ria-10-10.html

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by John Arne

Or the US.

---

I'm working on the assumption they're getting a point in Trinidad.

I see Blas Perez is still in the Panama squad at the age of 92. Mon them.

It's on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVsEHxgJ2zk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SvN

It's on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVsEHxgJ2zk

---

:(

https://gyazo.com/36fe70f8632eecc156c860afc4082dcb.png

I love that Tim Cahill is still around heading balls in from set pieces. One of lifes constants.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by John Arne

Could you do me a favour and keep reminding me every 30 minutes? Cheers.

---

They have a population of about 340k.

Egypt and Saudi already in the tournament, Tunisia to follow, please Lord spare me yet another Arab team playing for free kicks and timewasting for 90 minutes.

It's really unsettling watching football without the score/time at the top.

Do away goals count in this tie?

After Extra Time they do.

Australia going out would be wondrous.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by John Arne

:(

https://gyazo.com/36fe70f8632eecc156c860afc4082dcb.png

---

Change 'tube' to 'pak' in the URL any time you get that.

Syria look abysmal, and Australia are totally toothless. For all of their possession they've created fuck all. It's like watching van Gaal's United at their worst.

Agreed, it's fucking terrible all round.

Syria are a carbon copy of every shit Middle Eastern team. Barrelling centre forward who probably gets 40 a season in their local league, vaguely creative winger with slightly risqué personal grooming for a conservative country, timewasting goalkeeper, and 8 other identikit hard-running mental cases. This has late Australian winner and Syrian red card(s) written all over it.

Wait, is the keeper wearing trousers? Even better.

Syria will win 2-0 on penalties, quite clearly.

No ones wants another Middle Eastern team stinking up the World Cup surely.

Stoping the game for cramp :face: Drag him off the fucking pitch.

They're reining it in a bit because the score is 1-1. I dread to think what scenes we will witness if Syria go ahead.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Queenslander

No ones wants another Middle Eastern team stinking up the World Cup surely.

---

Ye because your lads have been a revelation every time.

1. I can't believe we let these wasters score against us.

2. I can't believe our toothless forwards managed to score one.

Everyone's so ponderous. It's like watching a hall of Greek statues gradually shift due to continental drift.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Adramelch

Ye because your lads have been a revelation every time.

---

Not defending us at all we dont deserve to go to the World Cup.

A majority of the playoffs is sort of a "pick your poison" affair in regards to which team you prefer really.

I suspect the CONCACAF team will get through. I hope it's Panama.

Australia were pretty good at the last one but in a horrid group. This group of players looks awful apart from Mooy though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Adramelch

Ye because your lads have been a revelation every time.

---

Hey, we were super fun last time around. That game against the Netherlands was a cracker.

We're not any good, but all our tournament appearances have been entertaining at least.

These "hlighlights" :D. One of them was the Australian goalkeeper catching a Syrian cross, unchallenged.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Australia were pretty good at the last one but in a horrid group. This group of players looks awful apart from Mooy though.

---

I really rate Rogic. He'll mature well.

EDIT: And Trent Sainsbury, who is a really good defender. That's basically it thought. Ryan's solid in goals normally.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

This has late Australian winner and Syrian red card(s) written all over it.

---

1 out of 2.

Syrian red card. A million years to walk off the pitch. Jimmy closer to predicting the outcome precisely. :D

Also, why are you guys watching this? Like, I know why I'm interested, but I can't imagine any neutral seeing this on the schedule and saying "Yes! That's what I want to spend the next two hours watching!".

I can't imagine it being fun at all. :D

Aussie commentator on my feed has just pulled a right Warne-ism... "Syria down to 10 men... they'll work even harder, and this will make it perhaps even more difficult for Australia now".

Perhaps, they should play with 10 men every game, to help themselves.

https://i.imgur.com/HvDL7Gq.png


This has been floating around for a while, but I really need some answers.

Is it just the angle the picture is taken from? Is there information I'm missing? Fucking lol.

The thing about this batch of players is that the ones who are worth a damn (Mooy, Rogic, Sainsbury, Ryan) will all go around again in four years time. So knocking them out of their comfort zone by a failed qualification campaign might not be the worst thing in the long term. Still sucks though.

What are your thoughts on Ange? @ItalAussie

Hi there, Middle Eastern time-wasting. You haven't been missed.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Queenslander

What are your thoughts on Ange? @ItalAussie

---

Don't know really. He's not particularly creative or adaptable. We could probably do better, but we could also get a lunatic who ruins everything.

I do enjoy that Australia has collectively decided to ignore Syrian players who go down "injured". If you want to be down a man, go for it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ItalAussie

I do enjoy that Australia has collectively decided to ignore Syrian players who go down "injured". If you want to be down a man, go for it.

---

I should be used to Middle Eastern time wasting by now but it still winds me up more than ever.

Our corners have been diabolically bad.

I thought he'd given a penalty for a second there.

That was a penalty. He 100% cynically played for it, but definitely a penalty nonetheless.

Ref throws us a solid with the intercept. :D

We have precisely one plan that has any effectiveness, and it's that. :D

EDIT: Now they need to score, which will be fun. Have at it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by phonics

I love that Tim Cahill is still around heading balls in from set pieces. One of lifes constants.

---

What a man.

What shit. We sit through all this shite and don't even get penalties.

We should give them a taste of their own time-wasting, for a laugh. :nodd:

100% going in. This is definitely how it's going down.

EDIT: Ooof. That was well-struck.

Jesus fucking Christ. There was some power on that.

I was sure that was in. Fucking hell.

I'll accept this if it means Argentina not qualifying. Mon Ecuador.

The only more Arab way they could have lost that was if they now submit a claim that Australia fielded an ineligible player.

Hell of a free kick though. If that'd gone in, I wouldn't have begrudged them.

(Is a thing that's easy to say when your team won)

I've just looked up Omar Al Somah and he literally does score 40 a season. Get him to defect.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

I've just looked up Omar Al Somah and he literally does score 40 a season. Get him to defect.

---

He did. He refused to play for the National team for 2 years because he felt it was a sign of support for Assad.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by phonics

He did. He refused to play for the National team for 2 years because he felt it was a sign of support for Assad.

---

He should be banned 4 lyf.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Magic

He should be banned 4 lyf.

---

You should too for this post alone.

Bruce Arena challenges "European hotshots to come over here in our CONCACAF qualifying and really get a taste of this"...

https://www.facebook.com/ESPNFC/vide...9394058970082/

Does anyone know if the South American slate of games is on telly anywhere?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Does anyone know if the South American slate of games is on telly anywhere?

---

Bein Sports are showing all the games - so they'll be plenty of streams around. You may have to put up with #BANTZ with Keys & Gray, though......

I've got money on Chile.

Priced at 5 considering that Brazil have qualified and a loss to Chile ensures that Argentina has one less spot to fight for? Obscene.

I mean, if Argentina win they're guaranteed at least a playoff spot, aren't they? So if someone keeps Argentina from qualifying, it'll be themselves (and they've done a pretty good job at it).

Themselves and Shane Smeltz.

Can we play you every week...

Toggle Spoiler

https://gyazo.com/e10b1bed8f5949aaa0687e2cdd1123a2.jpg

Mané's died on international duty.

:face:

Meanwhile, Iran U17 4-0 Germany U17 in the U17WC. 10 minutes to go.

Any of these worth watching tonight?

Clearly Greece vs Gibraltar. Nailbiter.

Portugal-Switzerland will decide who tops the group. The Dutch vs Sweden might also be good fun although there's nothing on the line.

Also apparently Luxembourg are 1 goal up against Bulgaria 3 minutes in, so there's that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Adramelch

Clearly Greece vs Gibraltar. Nailbiter.

Portugal-Switzerland will decide who tops the group. The Dutch vs Sweden might also be good fun although there's nothing on the line.

---

Winner in the latter will end up in top seeded for that new Euro Qual-structure after the WC, so some on the line at least.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bernanke

Winner in the latter will end up in top seeded for that new Euro Qual-structure after the WC, so some on the line at least.

---

I mean, every international match has something on the line in that sense.

Is that the Nations League thing? Still have absolutely no idea what that entails.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Giggles

Is that the Nations League thing? Still have absolutely no idea what that entails.

---

20 of the 24 spots will be given by the regular process anyway. Only 4 of them will be through the Nations League. That one will be a league structure with 4 divisions with each division getting one qualification spot (which means that some shit teams will qualify regardless).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Adramelch

I mean, every international match has something on the line in that sense.

---

That... doesn't make any sense. This is the last relevant game ahead of that, with both teams having a chance to get it. Then there's clearly something on the line as opposed to when Portugal faces Costa Rica in a friendly.

That sounds nuts. Would it not be better to drop down if you were borderline then?

When are these played anyway? As part of the qualifiers or additional games?

This Turkish ref has been instructed to ensure Ronaldo qualifies. Never been more sure of anything in my life.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Giggles

That sounds nuts. Would it not be better to drop down if you were borderline then?

When are these played anyway? As part of the qualifiers or additional games?

---

Additional games. It'll be an annual thing as far as I understand. Also presumably the qualification spot won't be decided by league position but additional play-offs within the league (without the teams that have already qualified).

Those leagues will also be subdivided into smaller groups. It's a mess.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Giggles

That sounds nuts. Would it not be better to drop down if you were borderline then?

When are these played anyway? As part of the qualifiers or additional games?

---

They are supposed to replace the regularly scheduled friendlies to some extent.

Quote:

---

The first tournament is due to commence in September 2018, after the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and the winner will be decided in June 2019.

---

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018%E...Nations_League

Well that's that then. They're gonna Fernando Santos the rest of the game. What a legend that man is.

Just 5 more for the Dutch then?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sir Andy Mahowry

Just 5 more for the Dutch then?

---

Easy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sir Andy Mahowry

Just 5 more for the Dutch then?

---

I would have been genuinely worried had they gone 3-0 up by halftime. I've seen way too many Robben Munich games where they score 7+ to handle the second half in that case.

Portugal have some really good players. They could go quite far again. Two genuine goal threats in Andre Silva and Ronaldo.

The weird thing about this is if the Swiss win their playoff (or pull this back) they will be number 1 seeded at the actual tournament.

Sky co-comm openly berating the referee, he knows.

Andre Silva is quality but in a game with a less obviously bent referee he'd have been off the park before he scored that goal.

Cakir can surely never be given another major game again after this. It's like watching an African game with some bloke on it for 200 green ones. Every decision is bad and pro-Portugal.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Sky co-comm openly berating the referee, he knows.

---

After that last Swiss foul he sounds about ready to go Drogba v Barcelona at the end of the game.

He just called him out for being one sided, you never hear Sky commentators do that.

Of course they want Portugal through. Switzerland have never been involved in a single decent game of football.

Apart from that one when they bantered off Peak Spain in the World Cup.

Oh yeah, scoring with the one attack they had all month.

Deciding the seeding pots ignores the group points and just goes off FIFA rankings? If so that’s dumb.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Baz

Deciding the seeding pots ignores the group points and just goes off FIFA rankings? If so that’s dumb.

---

Yeah it is pretty stupid. That table that decides who doesn't make it out of the 2nd placed teams should be used. Top 4 seeded.

It just so happens that in this case they coincide.

Ecuador in front inside a minute :lol:

Lulling them into a false sense of security.

Proper Championship goal that. Love it.

This could be a stormer. Argies still look a rabble despite Messi.

That was a bit of a classic Mark Hughes-esque 'If anything we scored too early, Geoff'.

Argentina won't win, that altitude is a killer.

Oof, liquid football. Messi is dragging them through single handedly.

Messi stepping up big time but there's more goals in this you feel...

I'm watching Peru, great shout.

Bolivia just gone 1-0 up at the seaest of levels in Montevideo, cripes.

USA sinking without trace in Trinidad. This would be one of the great blowouts.

Chile are gonna miss out I think. Two down and a winner for either Peru or Paraguay and they are gone. Shame, an entertaining side usually in tournaments.

Peru v New Zealand. The Gap Yah derby.

Oh my word. Panamania running wild in the 90th minute.

Fucking hell, the yanks are dead.

Imagine a country of that size, economic power and footballing infrastructure getting knocked out by Trinidad and fucking Panama.

Wait a second, the US didn't qualify? :harold:

How I wish I followed football right now. If only Argentina had missed out too, that would be like a dream come true.

Losing to Trinidad, fuckin' hell. :harold:

Nobody knows or cares here. Football's gonna go back underground i'd assume

Im pretty sure our coach just quit.

That is one of the all-time boilovers. Makes our flapping seem almost pedestrian. Almost.

What a day.

:|

Honduras' equaliser for 2-2 was a rebound off the back of Ochoa's head. :D

EDIT: And Panama got a goal that didn't actually cross the line. Oh my.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ItalAussie

Honduras' equaliser for 2-2 was a rebound off the back of Ochoa's head. :D

EDIT: And Panama got a goal that didn't actually cross the line. Oh my.

---

Ange will quit next month.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Max Power

Chile are gonna miss out I think. Two down and a winner for either Peru or Paraguay and they are gone. Shame, an entertaining side usually in tournaments.

---

Chile have been absolutely stinking lately and don't deserve a spot. Chuffed for Peru, hope they make it.

Messi dragging Argentina through and the Yanks out in the most impossible series of events. What a night.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Queenslander

Ange will quit next month.

---

I just saw that. I'm not sure who I'd want to replace him, to be honest. I wonder if Tony Popovic would consider bailing early. :D

Messi. :drool: Wish I’d been able to catch some of last night’s action. Panama and Peru (potentially) at the World Cup is crazy.

Such a shame Argentina got through but I didn't realise they only had to beat Ecuador, so them not qualifying was probably blown out of proportion and was never in doubt.

The presenter is loving it :D

View Tweet

I imagine Gianni Infantino waking up now is like when we all woke up to a Trump victory, but without the lols. Didn't even bother bunging the refs by the looks of it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ItalAussie

I just saw that. I'm not sure who I'd want to replace him, to be honest. I wonder if Tony Popovic would consider bailing early. :D

---

I wonder if Batistuta is keen?

Harry Kewell's doing a great job at Crawley, and by great I mean he's about 19th in League Two.

Yikes that is still puts him the top 5 I reckon.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Giggles

Such a shame Argentina got through but I didn't realise they only had to beat Ecuador, so them not qualifying was probably blown out of proportion and was never in doubt.

---

Hadn’t won in Quito since 2001, altitude, on a stinking run of form, one man team, behind after 49 seconds... there was definitely a real sense they were going to blow it. Before last night they had scored 16 goals in 17 games. For reference, only Bolivia scored less goals than Argentina.

Hopefully Sampaoli can get them going with a bit more time this summer.

Conceding early was great news for them as it took out the option of the 'Oh, we'll nick it in the second half' 0-0 disaster which has befallen them previously. As soon as you go a goal down and the task is brutally clear, players (or a player) of that quality will complete it 90% of the time. In those circumstances, I mean. I'm not saying 90% of 1-0 leads end in defeat.

This is the pot situation for the finals:

1
Russia
Brazil
Portugal
Argentina
Belgium
France
Germany
Poland

2
England
Spain
Mexico
Uruguay
Colombia
(Peru)
(Italy)
(a.n. other)

Everyone will want Poland and then Russia, presumably.

I hope England get a proper team. We haven't played Argentina in ages, let's have 'em.

We will get the most boring possible group, as we always do. Slovakia sadly haven't made it, so it'll probably be:

Poland
England
Tunisia
Saudi Arabia

Probably drawing 0-0 with Tunisia on the last day to squeeze through on goal difference.

USA :harold:

Really hope that Peru make it.

We will actually have a 50% or greater chance of getting Brazil or Argentina, because there are 4 South American teams (inc Mexico) who will have to be drawn against European teams.

Actually that's a lie as Mexico are CONCACAF. Still, Brazil/Argentina are the most likely draws for us.

Trying to think of a dream group for Iceland.

I've only got one team so far and it's England.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

This is the pot situation for the finals:

1
Russia
Brazil
Portugal
Argentina
Belgium
France
Germany
Poland

2
England
Spain
Mexico
Uruguay
Colombia
(Peru)
(Italy)
(a.n. other)

Everyone will want Poland and then Russia, presumably.

---

Did they change the seeding rules?

Used to be:

Pot 1: 8 highest seeded teams
Pot 2: Africa and rest of South America
Pot 3: Asia/Oceania and North America
Pot 4: Rest of Europe

Typically Pot 4 is more than 8 teams so the remaining teams are randomly drawn into Pot 2 (which is the one lacking).

Yeah it's now 4 pots, albeit with the same continent separation as before, i.e. you can't have two from the same continent in a group except for Europe.

Should help avoid the completely bullshit groups to an extent I guess.

I see England have made it into League A of the UEFA Nations League. A proud moment for English football.

Poor old Scotland dumped in League C.

Apparently 7 out of the 21 players of the Nigerian U17 team happened to be born on the 1st of January. :D

Italy, Spain, and England are going to get groups of death by default, surely.

Also, how did Spain drop down into Pot 2?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ItalAussie

Italy, Spain, and England are going to get groups of death by default, surely.

Also, how did Spain drop down into Pot 2?

---

Their abysmal performance in the World Cup/Euro can't have helped. It's more so the fact that those rankings are complete bullshit of course.

Playing high profile friendlies for cash is the best way to make your ranking shit. A darling strategy of the English FA.

I don't know if this is true but supposedly Chile got eliminated because they complained about Bolivia fielding an ineligible player to get the result overturned. It gave them 2 more points after the game ended 0-0 but it also gave Peru 3 more points because they lost to Bolivia. If that's true it's brilliant.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Browning

I don't know if this is true but supposedly Chile got eliminated because they complained about Bolivia fielding an ineligible player to get the result overturned. It gave them 2 more points after the game ended 0-0 but it also gave Peru 3 more points because they lost to Bolivia. If that's true it's brilliant.

---

The points thing is correct. Whether it was Chile that claimed the ineligibility thing or someone else I don't know though.

I can't think of many teams I'd fancy England against. Maybe Denmark/Sweden, Ireland, Panama, Tunisia or OFC sides.

We never beat Sweden.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Playing high profile friendlies for cash is the best way to make your ranking shit. A darling strategy of the English FA.

---

The opposite of the Wales-Poland approach, I see.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lewis

We never beat Sweden.

---

You did in 2012. 2-3-2-record since 2000.

I like the post-Zlatan team that's being built though, we're just in dire need of strikers who aren't 32+ and shit. Joel Asoro, Alexander Isak, Carlos Strandberg all need to start playing regularly after the WC.

Emil Forsberg beat De Bruynes assist record in Bundesliga last season, and he's still improving. :cool:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bernanke

You did in 2012. 2-3-2-record since 2000.

I like the post-Zlatan team that's being built though, we're just in dire need of strikers who aren't 32+ and shit. Joel Asoro, Alexander Isak, Carlos Strandberg all need to start playing regularly after the WC.

Emil Forsberg beat De Bruynes assist record in Bundesliga last season, and he's still improving. :cool:

---

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...7/0uZU2dZw.jpg

He's such a don.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Adramelch

Apparently 7 out of the 21 players of the Nigerian U17 team happened to be born on the 1st of January. :D

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Apparently an exact birthday isn’t that important in some/many African countries. 1.1.birthyear is just something they get assigned. A friend of mine has worked in a asylum seekers center (there’s another word for that I’m sure) and there’s a ton of people with that birthday. Same with kids from some countries that I have taught.

Same with horses.

Something something Lukaku song.

The Lukaku song appears to have opened up a whole world of what you can and can't call black players. I saw Jonathan Liew and commentator Rob Palmer, both of whom I like, having a barney on twitter about the latter referring to some Portuguese black player as 'a monster in midfield'.

If that's the level we've reached then maybe it's not best to talk about black players at all.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

The Lukaku song appears to have opened up a whole world of what you can and can't call black players. I saw Jonathan Liew and commentator Rob Palmer, both of whom I like, having a barney on twitter about the latter referring to some Portuguese black player as 'a monster in midfield'.

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This has actually been going on a while. The Tuesday Club back when they used to do it had Tayo Popoola talk about a game he played called 'Beast or Unit' and he'd list off a bunch of players and the correlation between the black player being the beast and the white guy the unit was weirdly uncanny.

It's been bubbling underneath but you'll definitely start to see pundits being accused of subconscious bias when the likes of Lukaku, Pogba etc. are discussed on physical attributes rather than technical ones

I used to slate them years ago for referring to Yaya Touré as various great plains fauna when he burst out of midfield. Never heard that about Frank Lampard.

They hardly did it in the same way though did they. 'Yaya' used to bumble through players like an elephant trying to stamp on a mouse.

The US rant MELTDOWN is quite something.

Calls for the entire US soccer setup (including the FA) to be revamped from top to bottom apparently.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pleb

The US rant MELTDOWN is quite something.

Calls for the entire US soccer setup (including the FA) to be revamped from top to bottom apparently.

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Should happen. The players are pretty shit but the FA is a next level joke

They should get Sam in. He'll sort it.

Strachan has gone.

David Moyes surely? Although Malky Mackay is genuinely the betting favourite.

They obviously want to explore this genetic deficiencies theory.

Great, can't wait for the next worthless, clueless cunt to fuck up any hope we have of making a shit side worthwhile and at least good value or worth a cheeky bet.

Does the bet have to be cheeky?

It does if you don't want 'problem gambler' to come up in a divorce hearing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Giggles

Does the bet have to be cheeky?

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Of course it does. Like cheeky line or cheeky sesh. It deflects from admittance of a serious problem by lightening it up.
@Waffdon

Inb4 cheeky divorce.

Big Sam was quoted on talkSPORT (Jim White) saying he’d be in for it if Strachan went. :cool: If he got Scotland to the World Cup I’d support them.

He’s only 9/2 so not worth a bet. If N Ireland fail in the playoffs load up on Mikey O’Neill at 10/1, mind. Free money, surely.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Magic

Of course it does. Like cheeky line or cheeky sesh. It deflects from admittance of a serious problem by lightening it up.
@Waffdon

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Cheeky Nando’s to cure.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Magic

Of course it does. Like cheeky line or cheeky sesh. It deflects from admittance of a serious problem by lightening it up.
@Waffdon

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Ferry tomorrow?

Skint bruv. I like your frequent attempts to court me, though.

One of these days. You need a wingman x

A newly single thirty year old dad hanging around with a teenager sniffing his way to a heart attack sounds like a terrible idea anyway. You'd both end up on the eccies for a week.

21 in a few months, John Boy. What a day that will be.

Pills are an absolute no go, by the way.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

21 in a few months, John Boy. What a day that will be.

Pills are an absolute no go, by the way.

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Just wait until Magic lands with a bag of them.

Pill culture in the UK is fuckin wild. Its part of a greater underbelly i've found

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

21 in a few months, John Boy. What a day that will be.

Pills are an absolute no go, by the way.

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Why? Infinitely better than coke. Coke is shit actually.

Pills are better than coke. Mainly because one usually contains some mdma and the other rat poison.

I'm on my way to Newport now for the sesh fwiw.

Council stuff I’ll give you, but not 2/1 or Puro. Anyway, I’m affit after getting home at 5am last Friday morning before work at 8am. That wasn’t fun.

As if you're snorting pure ya Diddy. :D

On the fentanyl aye?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Magic

As if you're snorting pure ya Diddy. :D

On the fentanyl aye?

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Hit the DMs, Son.

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps...351994_ni1.jpg

Just read that Jadon Sancho was recalled from the U17 World Cup... Must be pretty gutting to have to leave a World Cup halfway though. He played tonight for Dortmund U19's, but still isn't expected to feature for the first team yet.

Under 17 World Cup is ticking along nicely. Semi-finals this week.

Brazil v England (25/10 1700)
Mali v Spain (25/10 20:00)

I was somewhat surprised to notice that the Mali U17 squad actually contains players that look about 17, with one notable exception... number 15 looks like he's about 33, and he had a fairly tough life.

http://s1.firstpost.in/wp-content/up...i-U-17-825.jpg

Darren Randolph (Middlesbrough), Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday), Rob Elliot (Newcastle United), Colin Doyle (Bradford City)

Cyrus Christie (Middlesbrough), Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Paul McShane (Reading), Richard Keogh (Derby County), Shane Duffy (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ciaran Clark (Newcastle United), John O'Shea (Sunderland), Kevin Long, Stephen Ward (Burnley)

Aiden McGeady (Sunderland), Daryl Horgan, Alan Browne (Preston North End), Glenn Whelan, Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), Harry Arter (Bournemouth), James McCarthy (Everton), Robbie Brady, Jeff Hendrick (Burnley), Eunan O'Kane (Leeds United), David Meyler (Hull City), Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City), Callum O'Dowda (Bristol City), Jonny Hayes (Celtic), James McClean (West Bromwich Albion)

Shane Long (Southampton), Daryl Murphy (Nottingham Forest), David McGoldrick (Ipswich Town), Sean Maguire (Preston North End), Scott Hogan (Aston Villa), Aiden O'Brien (Millwall)


I just missed out myself.