The World Cup Thread

Which paper is producing the best World Cup wall chart this year , any thoughts ?

We seem to actually be playing something closer to three at the back, a midfield diamond with wingbacks, and 1 up front.

More like this:

-----------------GK-----------------

-------CB-------CB-------CB-------

WB-------------DM-------------WB

--------CM--------------CM--------

-----------------AM----------------

-----------------ST-----------------

with the CM's given instructions to tuck in and drop deep when defending and one of them to go wider when attacking while the other makes runs into the box.

It's actually quite interesting from a tactical perspective, and theoretically should be much harder to break down than playing 1 DM alone should suggest.

Anyone putting together a fantasy team on FIFA.com? I quite enjoyed Tadic's price of 8.5. For comparison: Isco 8.5, Firmino 8.5, Salah 8.5, Iniesta 8.0...

Which paper is producing the best World Cup wall chart this year , any thoughts ?

Daily Mail had a beauty yesterday. Am I the only middle aged man that still gets excited about a World Cup wall chart?

Daily Mail had a beauty yesterday. Am I the only middle aged man that still gets excited about a World Cup wall chart? [emoji3]

Johny is avid DM reader I’m sure.

Anyone putting together a fantasy team on FIFA.com? I quite enjoyed Tadic's price of 8.5. For comparison: Isco 8.5, Firmino 8.5, Salah 8.5, Iniesta 8.0...

Might have something to do with the fact he scored 4 and set up 7 of Serbia's goals in qualifying. He either scored or assisted over half their goals.

Anyone putting together a fantasy team on FIFA.com? I quite enjoyed Tadic's price of 8.5. For comparison: Isco 8.5, Firmino 8.5, Salah 8.5, Iniesta 8.0...

Yup - I have one. Are you going to set up a SaintsWeb league or am I? Or is there one already? There was a big one for the regular EPL season.

I would join one if there is!

Worry that VAR is going to be horrible. Already it seems in no way going to be limited to clear and obvious errors.

Worry that VAR is going to be horrible. Already it seems in no way going to be limited to clear and obvious errors.

Worry that VAR is going to be horrible. Already it seems in no way going to be limited to clear and obvious errors.

Being reported linesmen have been told to ignore marginal offsides too now !?

Being reported linesmen have been told to ignore marginal offsides too now !?

That happened in the A League final in Australia. Result was a goal in the 9th minute with 3 players offside - but the VAR broke. The protocol didn't allow them to look at the Broadcasters clear pictures so the whole Nation knew it was offside, but not the officials. The game finished 1-0 with the winners having parked the bus for the rest of the game. Total and utter disaster. Hawkeye I think it was. Glasseye more like.

Being reported linesmen have been told to ignore marginal offsides too now !?

It makes sense to let the attack continue then rule the goal out if offside than stop a perfectly good attack only to find out it should have carried on.

Good to know the VAR will be wearing full referee kit in his little room.

Being reported linesmen have been told to ignore marginal offsides too now !?

The reasoning behind that makes sense, it is explained in this article...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44459554

Two questions;

1) I am doing my predictor for the work comp, is it likely that Russia will cheat their way to the cup, or am I just a sheep to the anti-Russia propaganda?

2) The kids at my Mrs preschool are collecting world cup stickers, what (current) Saints players can I tell her to look out for?

FWIW my predictor has England being knocked out by Japan... C'Mon Yoshida.

The reasoning behind that makes sense, it is explained in this article...

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44459554

No amount of reasoning will get through to the Luddites.

Spain sack Lopetegui.

Spain sack Lopetegui.

What a mess!

I wonder if Russian agents will successfully spike everyone else's half-time drinks with performance enhancing drugs to get them all eliminated so that Russia win the cup by default?

Spain sack Lopetegui.

Comical decision. He may not have consulted the Spanish FA - but that smacks of a stupid knee-jerk reaction without giving it a lot of thought.

I wonder if Russian agents will successfully spike everyone else's half-time drinks with performance enhancing drugs to get them all eliminated so that Russia win the cup by default?

Think thats my only hope of a work sweepstake win...!

Spain sack Lopetegui.

They could be in a whole paella trouble now.

Comical decision. He may not have consulted the Spanish FA - but that smacks of a stupid knee-jerk reaction without giving it a lot of thought.

Would it be to do with the Barca players in the national team?

So the next world cup goes to Mexico, Canada and USA. Bit of a f**k you to the fans, trying to get between Vancouver, NYC and Mexico City to watch games.

So the next world cup goes to Mexico, Canada and USA. Bit of a f**k you to the fans, trying to get between Vancouver, NYC and Mexico City to watch games.

So do all three qualify?

So the next world cup goes to Mexico, Canada and USA. Bit of a f**k you to the fans, trying to get between Vancouver, NYC and Mexico City to watch games.

Perhaps they'll keep all groups in one smaller region to reduce travelling.

Perhaps they'll keep all groups in one smaller region to reduce travelling.

You'd think so but that would be enforceable once you get to the knockouts and the winners of the Mexican group are playing the runners up on the New England group etc.

It's like Poland/Ukraine 2012 on an even larger scale and getting from Donnet'sk to Wroclaw was bad enough.

So the next world cup goes to Mexico, Canada and USA. Bit of a f**k you to the fans, trying to get between Vancouver, NYC and Mexico City to watch games.

I get your point but Vancouver won’t be hosting any games- they pulled out of the bid.

Quite right too. After all, it's been six world cups since USA hosted one.

Quite right too. After all, it's been six world cups since USA hosted one.

Plus Mexico will have hosted it 3 times since England were last hosts.

Incidentally this will be 3 World Cups Mexico has hosted since we last had one, not to mention USA's second. Surely we're due one next, even if it's UK and Ireland or something.

You'd think so but that would be enforceable once you get to the knockouts and the winners of the Mexican group are playing the runners up on the New England group etc.

 

It's like Poland/Ukraine 2012 on an even larger scale and getting from Donnet'sk to Wroclaw was bad enough.

From sportsnet: "The “United Bid” calls for the U.S. to host 60 matches, including all games from the quarter-finals through to the final. Canada and Mexico would each host 10 games."

48 team finals with 16 groups of 3.

I imagine they will regionalise it.

Incidentally this will be 3 World Cups Mexico has hosted since we last had one, not to mention USA's second. Surely we're due one next, even if it's UK and Ireland or something.

Now with FIFA doing their very best to dilute the product even further and increase their $$$ UK would be too small to host 48 teams and their officials, journalists and fans. Might have to be a Northern Europe bid.

Incidentally this will be 3 World Cups Mexico has hosted since we last had one, not to mention USA's second. Surely we're due one next, even if it's UK and Ireland or something.

There's a joint Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay bid, and strong rumours that UEFA will jointly back an England bid too. Financially, any bid from England (maybe with added stadiums in Wales and Scotland) would make FIFA more of a profit, and that's what they will probably base their decision on.

16 venues too, so I reckon there's a strong chance St Mary's would be included as one of the stadiums.

There's a joint Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay bid, and strong rumours that UEFA will jointly back an England bid too. Financially, any bid from England (maybe with added stadiums in Wales and Scotland) would make FIFA more of a profit, and that's what they will probably base their decision on.

 

16 venues too, so I reckon there's a strong chance St Mary's would be included as one of the stadiums.

I reckon the certainties would be:

Wembley

Mill.

Celtic/Hampden

O/T

Anfield

SJP

Villa

Elland Road

Stadium of Light

Windsor Park

Aviva (Dublin)

Then 5 more from any number of places. At a guess I'd go with

City Ground (Notts)

Riverside

King Power

St Mary's

Tynecastle

I reckon the certainties would be:

 

Wembley

Mill.

Celtic/Hampden

O/T

Anfield

SJP

Villa

Elland Road

Stadium of Light

Windsor Park

Aviva (Dublin)

 

Then 5 more from any number of places. At a guess I'd go with

City Ground (Notts)

Riverside

King Power

St Mary's

Tynecastle

Ibrox?

Murrayfield?

Goodison?

Ethiad?

Emirates?

Ibrox?

Murrayfield?

Goodison?

Ethiad?

Emirates?

I thought there was some rule about having only one venue in each city? Good shout on Murrayfield though, if the egg chasers let them borrow it.

Bristol too?

Bristol too?

Ashton gate isn't that big, although I've just remembered Hillsborough, that'll probably be there.

Ashton gate isn't that big, although I've just remembered Hillsborough, that'll probably be there.

It has the capacity for an expansion, it was going to be on the last failed bid by England

I thought there was some rule about having only one venue in each city? Good shout on Murrayfield though, if the egg chasers let them borrow it.

Ah I see your reasoning. Mind you SJP and SoL are probably closer together than some of the London venues (although obv not in same city). *awaits MLG to come by with an official measurement*

Spain sack Lopetegui.

Hierro takes over...

http://www.skysports.com/amp/football/news/12024/11403470/fernando-hierro-takes-over-as-spain-boss-for-world-cup

If we did bid to be a World Cup host city, I would say our main competitors would be Brighton. But their lack of airport would probably hurt them.

I think the fact that we're in the Premier League now and Les Reed has connections with the FA might see us included.

If we did bid to be a World Cup host city, I would say our main competitors would be Brighton. But their lack of airport would probably hurt them.

 

I think the fact that we're in the Premier League now and Les Reed has connections with the FA might see us included.

Dunno. Henry and former AC Milan players will be backing Fratton all the way, it's up there with the Nou Camp don't you know...

I thought host stadiums had to have minimum 40k seats? A quick wiki search tells me that there's 16 stadiums currently above 40k but that includes 5 in London - not sure we'd be allowed more than one in London and that would be Wembley (assuming it's still a football stadium by then!).

Either way, I'd be well up for an England/UK-based World Cup. Rake in that EU visa money!

From sportsnet: "The “United Bid” calls for the U.S. to host 60 matches, including all games from the quarter-finals through to the final. Canada and Mexico would each host 10 games."

 

48 team finals with 16 groups of 3.

 

I imagine they will regionalise it.

Not 12 groups of 4?

From sportsnet: "The “United Bid” calls for the U.S. to host 60 matches, including all games from the quarter-finals through to the final. Canada and Mexico would each host 10 games."

 

48 team finals with 16 groups of 3.

 

I imagine they will regionalise it.

From CBC News: "But even though the bid has been accepted, it doesn't mean Canada is guaranteed 10 games in those three cities come 2026. Canada's allotment could be reduced as the FIFA council — a 30-plus-member board overseen by Gianni Infantino, the president of soccer's world governing body — has the final say on the number of games each country gets and the specific locations."

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/worldcup/world-cup-2026-canada-1.4703883

Not 12 groups of 4?

Nope. The plan is to have top 2 qualify from each group, have a round of 32, then 16, quarters, semis, final.

From CBC News: "But even though the bid has been accepted, it doesn't mean Canada is guaranteed 10 games in those three cities come 2026. Canada's allotment could be reduced as the FIFA council — a 30-plus-member board overseen by Gianni Infantino, the president of soccer's world governing body — has the final say on the number of games each country gets and the specific locations."

 

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/worldcup/world-cup-2026-canada-1.4703883

Ah OK. Thanks! Hope we get at least 10 though.