World Cup 2026

[LiberalCommunist]

2 hours ago, Stripey McStripe Shirt said:

Red card for covering your mouth is the most stupid of stupid rules.

If you have something to say, let it be said. If its something you don't want a wider audience catching, perhaps keep it to yourself.

It's probably the least annoying new rule for me. 

[Challenger]

6 hours ago, SNSUN said:

Emma Hayes has been upgraded from chalk to magnetic dots. You couldn't make it up. 

Much prefer the chalkboard, reminds me of Sharon down the ferret and firkin writing up the specials board for the week.

[Lord Duckhunter]

30 minutes ago, Challenger said:

Much prefer the chalkboard, reminds me of Sharon down the ferret and firkin writing up the specials board for the week.

What’s got missed in all the debate about the set is her actual pony analysis. I only saw the England one, as I mute her now, but that was tactics for dummies, yet you’ve got a load of “footy” type nods saying how insightful it was.
 

Dear god, the full back knocks it back to the keeper, when they press the keeper, he plays into into a midfielder who knocks it to the full back who is now free. Fuck me, genius, I’ve watched Wessex League teams do this, let alone countless repeats of Baz to Downs then to full back under Lego. A lot of teams don’t even press the keeper in that scenario anyway.

And she’s getting paid to spout this condescending pony, free from criticism because you can’t think she’s a pony merchant, it has to be a sexist thing. She’s the Lego head of the birds game, I would say if she was made of  chocolate she’d eat herself, but I’d probably be accused of fat shaming.

[LiberalCommunist]

sted 2 hours ago

  4 hours ago, Stripey McStripe Shirt said:

Red card for covering your mouth is the most stupid of stupid rules.

If you have something to say, let it be said. If its something you don't want a wider audience catching, perhaps keep it to yourself.

It's probably the least annoying new rule for me. 

----------------------------------------------------------

 

The biggest problem with this is, in the next couple of days we are going to see the same situation, and the ref will not produce a red card. Also, there will be players weaponizing it to try and gain an advantage, when the rule was put in to presumably try and stop discreet abusive behaviour towards an opposing player.

Almiron didn't look to be in a aggressive stance. It all looked fairly harmless, but its a new pot hole to avoid now. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

1 hour ago, Challenger said:

Much prefer the chalkboard, reminds me of Sharon down the ferret and firkin writing up the specials board for the week.

Awww. I preferred the chalkboard over the tech used by the likes of Neville over on Sky. Simple message conveyed through a simple medium.

Where they went wrong was overthinking how they could place the board in a studio setting. And settling on the idea of looking like a kitchen.

I've only caught 2 snippets of Hayes' tactical insights. One on a double press and one of positioning for passing moves. LD is right that there's nothing new there. But, unless commentary and presenting has improved by miles since I last saw any, that would have been the most insightful bit of any of the programmes.

They've never moved from "Most talented 11. Just put them on the pitch". She looks like a genius, compared to the dumplings around her.

Bit of a shame to see the push back has led to a change. But more because they didn't dump the kitchen with it.

[Window Cleaner]

11 hours ago, macca155 said:

Bloody hell this Morocco side is good, I wonder how long they can play at this pace. No wonder Brazil struggled.

As for Scotland ...... desperate 

Morocco played (and won if you believe some) about 4 months ago, can't but help. They have good players but when they come up against a really good side who've played a few games we'll see what happens, depends if they finish first or second in their group, I suspect that will depend on how many Brazil put past Scotland.

If they're second in their group could be against whoever loses between Netherlands and Sweden in their match. Not an easy tie that.

 

Edited yesterday at 09:37 by Window Cleaner

[badgerx16]

8 hours ago, Stripey McStripe Shirt said:

Over 60 attempts on goal over 2 games for Turkey.

0 goals.

Turkiye, the new Middlesborough.

[Dark Munster]

1 hour ago, badgerx16 said:

Turkiye, the new Middlesborough.

Reinstated to the knockouts?

[LiberalCommunist]

Mute button activated. 

[Lord Duckhunter]

Oh FFS, what’s all this fucking mass walking to the ground. It’s as bad as those twats who chuck beer around in those noddy fan zones. 

[Gloucester Saint]

Good goal by the Dutch inside 5 minutes by Brobbey. Of Sunderland who are good at player recruitment. Gyokeres nearly equalises straight away.

[Gloucester Saint]

And again. Sweden look overwhelmed, 

[benjii]

Dutch fans giving the drinks a good boo. 

[Gloucester Saint]

14 minutes ago, benjii said:

Dutch fans giving the drinks a good boo. 

They did, but I think they’ve helped boost the intensity of attacking/counter-attacking through many of the games.

[benjii]

The directors / cameramen seem to have massively upped their game when it comes to showing flange, over the last 24 hours or so.

[SNSUN]

5 minutes ago, benjii said:

The directors / cameramen seem to have massively upped their game when it comes to showing flange, over the last 24 hours or so.

[benjii]

Just now, SNSUN said:

Dirty git!

Mods!!!

[bpsaint]

Some stadium this. Fuck knows why they never thought to put a retractable roof on Wembley.

Turkey must be pig sick being eliminated already, utterly dominated both their games apart from the only stat that matters.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

51 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Good goal by the Dutch inside 5 minutes by Brobbey. Of Sunderland who are good at player recruitment. Gyokeres nearly equalises straight away.

That's funny. I was just shopping for a pot for the Starmer thread in Brobbey's of Sunderland. Good, traditional pottery.

[Gloucester Saint]

2 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

That's funny. I was just shopping for a pot for the Starmer thread in Brobbey's of Sunderland. Good, traditional pottery.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr_Blobby

[Holmes_and_Watson]

13 minutes ago, benjii said:

Dirty git!

Mods!!!

Yeah! Keep that, and the oil lubricated flange pictures that follow, in the secret subforum that benji doesn't have access to, where they belong.

[Window Cleaner]

Sweden are catastrophic, Isaac gives the ball away and sets up the ditch 4th goal.

[Baird of the land]

Dutch defence is going to stop them going deep in the tournament.

[SNSUN]

Such is my luck I had the game on at work but missed every single one of those 6 goals. I'll have to watch the highlights. Good game next. 

[whelk]

2 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Oh FFS, what’s all this fucking mass walking to the ground. It’s as bad as those twats who chuck beer around in those noddy fan zones. 

Everything seems to annoy you. Surprised you bother to watch and don’t just get on with the ironing.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

40 minutes ago, whelk said:

Everything seems to annoy you. Surprised you bother to watch and don’t just get on with the ironing.

"chicks work" no doubt. 🙂

[31cc]

38 minutes in, and it's Germany 0, Ivory Coast 1  🙂

[Saint_clark]

This Ivory Coast side are really entertaining to watch. 

[Badger]

15 minutes ago, 31cc said:

38 minutes in, and it's Germany 0, Ivory Coast 1  🙂

Cote D’Ivoire please, show some respect.

Pretentious bollocks. 

[Badger]

“Ivory Coast”. Credit Ian Wright and Neville for giving it in ‘old money’.

 

[Saint_clark]

12 minutes ago, Badger said:

Cote D’Ivoire please, show some respect.

Pretentious bollocks. 

Indeed, like demanding other nations say England when their language has it different (Inglaterra for example). People are allowed to use their own language even when referring to other countries.

[Window Cleaner]

28 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

This Ivory Coast side are really entertaining to watch. 

And the germans look as if they might be a bit lightweight against robust teams who play good football 

[AlexLaw76]

4 minutes ago, Window Cleaner said:

And the germans look as if they might be a bit lightweight against robust teams who play good football 

Quite something when the Germans go into a World Cup with a player like Havertz as their main striker - garbage

[Saint_clark]

1 minute ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Quite something when the Germans go into a World Cup with a player like Havertz as their main striker - garbage

Remember how terrifying they were with Klose up front. Wouldn't fear them at all now.

[AlexLaw76]

What a terrible touch from the Ivorian...why take the touch anyway 

[whelk]

Never write off Deutschland

[Gloucester Saint]

Germany doing German things…

[HnycS]

Calling @ErwinK1961 how do you feel about that win? Will the Dutch go all the way?

[Jonnyboy]

4 hours ago, benjii said:

The directors / cameramen seem to have massively upped their game when it comes to showing flange, over the last 24 hours or so.

I think I'm on the wrong channel

[Turkish]

25 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

What a terrible touch from the Ivorian...why take the touch anyway 

The lack of diversity in the Ivory Coast team is worrying. It’s not what we want to see in 2026

[Turkish]

19 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Germany doing German things…

Diversity wins as always 

[SNSUN]

Quite an entertaining game this, Ecuador with the best chances but Curacao tough to break down and counter attack well. Only a matter of time for Ecuador you'd think but the Curacao keeper has done ok. 

[SNSUN]

59 minutes and Curacao should have scored! Three attempts in one! 

[SNSUN]

An entertaining goalless draw, Ecuador couldn't score but the Curacao keeper was good.

[USaintA]

Curacao keeper equalled the record number of saves (15 I think they said) in one World Cup match.

[benjii]

Tunisia need a new manager.

[benjii]

Sugawara has a nice face.

[SWLondon Saint]

2 hours ago, benjii said:

Sugawara has a nice face.

Hopefully that'll persuade someone to pay the 'World cup premium' to take him off our hands 😆 

[Sarnia Cherie]

11 hours ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Quite something when the Germans go into a World Cup with a player like Havertz as their main striker - garbage

Germany's great teams have been a distant memory for a while now.

[Lord Duckhunter]

Proper pundits, who knew their stuff and a top presenter. No wokies, or diversity hires….Brian Moore, The Doog, Big Jack, Big Mal, Cloughie & Peter Sutcliffe. Great days….