It Could Get A Bit Messi In Here - The Football Thread.

[Joe Mac]

switzerland is usually the team that has one surprise win in the knock-out stages in them ( often on penalties) . usually not go much farther but they are normally not an easy match-up, so i could see italy or spain struggling against them

Yeah they did the French in a crazy game last euros to be fair!

 

[Jan]

Group D

This. Austria is probably as strong as they never were before. They completetly outplayed germany last year in a 4-1 ( which was flattering for germany) and just beat turkey 6-1 . Rangnick has made them a really strong team if they can keep that up, i could see either france or netherlands struggle against them

 

[Jan]

Germany, Belgium and Italy would probably in the next group down from that for me.

Belgium have this tendency to win their group at these competitions with a hoal ratio of 15-2 to then go out early in the knock-outs

 

[Joe Mac]

Belgium have this tendency to win their group at these competitions with a hoal ratio of 15-2 to then go out early in the knock-outs

Yeah which is why I’d have them somewhere in the 5th to 8th favourites range. They have the players, but lots of them are older now, and with the exception of 2018 they’ve bottled tournaments in the past.

 

[Jonathan Y]

When is that?

Early 2025 is my guess. Like a year from now. Maybe a little longer

The frightening thing for France is the defence. They must have 7 or 8 international quality centre halves in an era when they aren’t as an abundant as they were in the past. And Mbappe can win any tight game in an instant.

I think I’d put England behind them and above the rest because the squad is so strong and there are a lot of players either breaking through or at a nice age. Rice, Mainoo, Bellingham behind Saka Kane and Foden looks tasty. It’s the defence that would worry me with them and why I’d put them behind France.

And Deschamps says Saliba isn't the guy at the moment lol says he's not highly favored. Crazy to me. Albeit some bias

 

[Joe Mac]

Early 2025 is my guess. Like a year from now. Maybe a little longer

And Deschamps says Saliba isn't the guy at the moment lol says he's not highly favored. Crazy to me. Albeit some bias

Yeah I get that from your point of view but just go and click on their last couple of squads and count the centre halves. It’s genuinely nuts!

 

[HAIMtime]

I'm just looking for another miracle Italy run. A new manager for this cycle, no more Chiellini, Bonucci, Insigne, etc, so not likely lol.
They have no business making the final this time around, but I'll still be pulling for them.

 

[wokeupnew]

I'm just looking for another miracle Italy run. A new manager for this cycle, no more Chiellini, Bonucci, Insigne, etc, so not likely lol.
They have no business making the final this time around, but I'll still be pulling for them.

View attachment 198815

Vicario should be starting over Donnarumma

 

[HAIMtime]

Vicario should be starting over Donnarumma

Yup, 100000%
Donnarumma is nowhere near as good with his feet as he needs to be. No real improvement on that in his 9 years as a pro.

 

[wokeupnew]

Yup, 100000%
Donnarumma is nowhere near as good with his feet as he needs to be. No real improvement on that in his 9 years as a pro.

Vic has a 100% clean sheet rate with Italy and Donnarumma does not. The choice is clear!

 

[Thackeraye]

Scotland were honking in those 2 friendlies, which has got us all a bit worried. No decent players up front, and the worry is that if McGinn and McTominay get leggy at the end of the season we are in trouble. We can beat Spain at our best, so if we are on it we can make Group A interesting. Still happy we are making the tournament again.

 

[Thackeraye]

Better news for my second international team - the Men Matildas are comfortably through to the next stage of World Cup qualifiers!

 

[Joe Mac]

 

[I’m Just Ken]

All the players look like Maradona

 

[Joe Mac]

All the players look like Maradona

The computing power of the snes and mega drive! I had the dos version on 3 floppy discs!

 

[I’m Just Ken]

The computing power of the snes and mega drive! I had the dos version on 3 floppy discs!

I loved the MD(Genesis)! Especially the CD add on.

Video games have come a long way.

 

[Jonathan Y]

I had Fifa World Cup 2002 on the PC and thought it was the greatest thing ever made at the time. Brazil was a cheat code tho

 

[mdmost]

Every goal was a bicycle kick.

Xabi Alonso is supposedly staying at Bayer next season. Good for them and him. Also great if Bayern has to wait. They can enjoy feeling what it feels like to not win the league for once.

 

[Joe Mac]

I had Fifa World Cup 2002 on the PC and thought it was the greatest thing ever made at the time. Brazil was a cheat code tho

FIFA Road to World Cup 98, was mix of the 98 game and the World Cup qualifiers and tournament, was wild. Beckham on the cover, Song 2 as the soundtrack and we used to ban Ronaldo being signed by anyone because he could score from anywhere at any time!

With that first FIFA if you were playing up the pitch as soon as you got on the half way line on the right wing just hit cross and shoot together and you’d lob the keeper every time…

 

[wokeupnew]

Every goal was a bicycle kick.

Xabi Alonso is supposedly staying at Bayer next season. Good for them and him. Also great if Bayern has to wait. They can enjoy feeling what it feels like to not win the league for once.

This is probably the best decision for his career. Liverpool were probably the best option compared to Bayern or Madrid, however. They’d give him more time and leeway than the other two. But he’s still a very new top level coach. He only took over at Leverkusen halfway through last season and has tons of time to get a bigger job somewhere later.