The World Cup Thread

41 minutes ago, Saint Garrett said:

Bonkers that they haven't lost for something like 30 games. They looked woeful. Can't believe the couldnt get in behind that Saudi team. but fair play to them, they did a job on them. 
Interesting !

 

Perhaps the Argies had some brown envelopes that Equador were promised 😄

52 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Terrible result for equality 😢

Excellent result for football equality perhaps 

At least the fat junkie isn’t around to threaten to kill the Argie manager. 
 

22 minutes ago, Raging Bull said:

At least the fat junkie isn’t around to threaten to kill the Argie manager. 
 

Greatest player ever

10 minutes ago, Killers Knee said:

Greatest player ever

Surely that would be MLT?

I'm in Australia. Andy Townsend is the commentator.

It sounds like the crowd and him are being generated like on FIFA etc.

If love to think otherwise, but the noise seems so generic.

1 hour ago, East Kent Saint said:

Excellent result for football equality perhaps 

Why did we want Qatar to lose because they ban homosexuals but wanted Saudi Arabia to win even though they ban homosexuals? This virtue signalling is very difficult to keep up with 🤔🤷🏼‍♂️

8 minutes ago, sydney_saint said:

And yet you are the one who continues to post constantly about it? 🤷‍♂️

Everytime you put the frigging telly on, he’s wearing a love armbands, they’re not wearing their shirts etc etc 

2 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Maybe if someone could give some decent answers I wouldn’t have too?

Probably cos no one can be bothered anymore going through the tedious and futile exercise of engaging with you. 

Tunisia have Mouez Hassen on the bench, nice throwback to the bench of the Puel era

Not sure if it has been asked before, but who receives the payment for Bednarek being at the WC, us or Villa?

What payment,   from who ?

Clubs get a payment of c £8.5k a day for players at WC,

11 minutes ago, angelman said:

Clubs get a payment of c £8.5k a day for players at WC,

Why?

5 minutes ago, jawillwill said:

Why?

A fifa ruling, they share a pot of money with fifa club members and clubs get a fee per day per player for the length of time a player is at the World Cup, starts just before and finishes when the players country gets knocked out. 

Why? A sweetener for having it mid season.

Does anyone know if Bednarek went on strike for Villa prior to this tournament? 😅

1 hour ago, angelman said:

Clubs get a payment of c £8.5k a day for players at WC,

Massive boost to Portsmouth then having a couple of players there

So 8.5k x 25 players x 24 teams x 7 is £36million for first week. A lot but peanuts in terms of FIFA coffers 

Blimey Mexico v Poland is a  hard watch only watched the last 20 mins, just so bitty, Snipers in the floodlights picking off both sides with aplomb - the amount of “injury” time likely to be played full time should be around Thursday lunchtime. 😳🤪

For once I agree with FIFA. If there are 10 minutes of stoppages/time wasting then add 10 minutes of stoppage time. Certainly a way to combat time wasting.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63710986

I wonder if stuck a fiver on 0-0 for each game you make a profit

13 minutes ago, Dark Munster said:

For once I agree with FIFA. If there are 10 minutes of stoppages/time wasting then add 10 minutes of stoppage time. Certainly a way to combat time wasting.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63710986

Blimey only 7 minutes added in the end - think the ref thought "I've had enough of this rolling about, given that neither team look like scoring before next Tuesday lets think of a number just to make it look like I have done my job" .......................... flipping glad I was working for most of that.

Crikey mucker, bonzer goal.

Well that was fun whilst it lasted. Can't fault our effort. One of the most limited sides we have sent to WC but we are giving it a go.

Southampton St George flag spotted behind the goal 

The French looked decent. Going to take some stopping

12 minutes ago, Turkish said:

The French looked decent. Going to take some stopping

We'll meet them in the quarters (unless Southgate is worse than i think). We've got very little chance if we demonstrate the defensive nous displayed vs Iran.

France seem very strong from front to back, and Mbappe looks a cut above anyone else I've seen so far. His acceleration from standing over 5-10 yards is just phenomenal. He can make space against pretty much anyone.

3 minutes ago, verlaine1979 said:

France seem very strong from front to back, and Mbappe looks a cut above anyone else I've seen so far. His acceleration from standing over 5-10 yards is just phenomenal. He can make space against pretty much anyone.

Yep. It'll take a special team to beat them. My pick for the winners.

2 minutes ago, egg said:

Yep. It'll take a special team to beat them. My pick for the winners.

Never write off the Germans 

3 minutes ago, egg said:

Yep. It'll take a special team to beat them. My pick for the winners.

Just now, whelk said:

Never write off the Germans 

Forget all that, it's coming the fuck home.

5 hours ago, Dark Munster said:

For once I agree with FIFA. If there are 10 minutes of stoppages/time wasting then add 10 minutes of stoppage time. Certainly a way to combat time wasting.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63710986

Somebody, don't know who (FIFA/refs/managers/clubs?) proposed that football moves to 60 minutes with the ball in play, 'Somebody else' turned this down.

Apparently the PL averages 55 mins with the ball in play, some leagues average 45 mins.

Central timing and 60 minutes of action is something I could get behind.

10 minutes ago, sandwichsaint said:

Somebody, don't know who (FIFA/refs/managers/clubs?) proposed that football moves to 60 minutes with the ball in play, 'Somebody else' turned this down.

Apparently the PL averages 55 mins with the ball in play, some leagues average 45 mins.

Central timing and 60 minutes of action is something I could get behind.

Absolutely, been saying this for years. Along with in play, on field physio treatment, outside the penalty area to cut down on fake injuries and play acting.

I agree, a central clock and a set time would make sense, but until that rule change I support these extra minutes.
The champions league final was a joke - I reckon we got about 3 mins of football in the 2nd half of extra time with all the ‘injuries’ suffered by Madrid players (one cb alone went down 3 times).

Anything that discourages the practice of pretending to be injured to waste time should be supported IMHO

21 hours ago, FarehamSaintJames said:

Last Week Tonight? Great show

Harry Kane now a major injury concern.

Just as well we only brought 2 strikers, with the other having a brilliant clean bill on health himself!

Maddisons dodgy too and he took JWP's place.

The ex-Saints battle we've all been waiting for this morning as Boufal's Morocco take on the mighty Lovren's Croatia

1 hour ago, Fabrice Fernandes no.1 fan said:

The ex-Saints battle we've all been waiting for this morning as Boufal's Morocco take on the mighty Lovren's Croatia

Yeah, just heard the words Dejan Lovren in the commentary. Didn't realise he was still a thing.

1 hour ago, rooney said:

Maddisons dodgy too and he took JWP's place.

JWP never had a place to take, 

2 minutes ago, cloggy saint said:

JWP never had a place to take, 

And even if he did it was Henderson and Phillips who took it 

11 hours ago, sandwichsaint said:

Somebody, don't know who (FIFA/refs/managers/clubs?) proposed that football moves to 60 minutes with the ball in play, 'Somebody else' turned this down.

Apparently the PL averages 55 mins with the ball in play, some leagues average 45 mins.

Central timing and 60 minutes of action is something I could get behind.

It was the Players Union who rejected it, which is a shame, seems like FIFA are determined they play for something like the time they are paid for.

1 hour ago, Fabrice Fernandes no.1 fan said:

The ex-Saints battle we've all been waiting for this morning as Boufal's Morocco take on the mighty Lovren's Croatia

When egos clash!

Boufal the first player dragged off when they can’t score. Where’ve I seen that before?

59 minutes ago, whelk said:

And even if he did it was Henderson and Phillips who took it 

Southgate said it was Henderson and Bellingham who JWP was competing with really, and he was "just behind". 

Southgate said: “With James, he is really competing profile-wise with Bellingham and Henderson, maybe to a lesser degree (Conor) Gallagher.

“I don’t see him in the same profile at (Declan) Rice or (Kalvin) Phillips, they are different types of players.

“He is just behind those guys, frankly. It’s as simple as that.

17 hours ago, whelk said:

I wonder if stuck a fiver on 0-0 for each game you make a profit

Took my own advice on this Croatia match. 3rd nil nil from nine games

Tip for anyone betting on 0-0 always bet on first goal scorer as ‘none’ not the correct score. Always same odds as 0-0 but also get paid if 1-0 if goal scored is an OG

Looking forward to watching Yoshida again. Much respect for the guy.

9 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Looking forward to watching Yoshida again. Much respect for the guy.

For some reason I had it in my head that he'd retired and was now an ambassador or something.

5 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

For some reason I had it in my head that he'd retired and was now an ambassador or something.

I think he did something for Saints Foundation whilst he was with us, not sure what though.