Official World Cup 2022 Thread

[4D]

I couldn't give a fuck who wins it, got no favourites out of those four. Won't be watching the remaining games.

[Nemo]

I couldn't give a fuck who wins it, got no favourites out of those four. Won't be watching the remaining games.

You don't think it'd be fucking brilliant to see Morocco win it?

[Steak supper]

I will be watching to the end - you get precious few world cups in your lifetime

[Jimmy HaveHave]

You don't think it'd be fucking brilliant to see Morocco win it?

I do just to see Mbappé in tears.

[4D]

You don't think it'd be fucking brilliant to see Morocco win it?

Nope

[Batch]

so frustrating fucking close.

Story of England in most of our lifetimes really.

[Steak supper]

 I hope that Kane doesn't get a load of grief and abuse on social media for missing that penalty

[Wobbly Bob]

It's a knockout competition & the better team on the night doesn't always go through.

Did the hard part in keeping Mbappe quiet but defending a bulk standard cross & header from a centre forward situation should be bread & butter.

No reason for Kane to beat himself up over the penalty.
After the group stage England games should be televised by both BBC & ITV which might lift that particular curse.

Would love to see an African team win it.

[Stef Troll]

England need a new manager.

In WC 2018 they had an absolute dream draw to the final but mucked it up in the semis.

In the euros it was a home tournament (bar one game). Nearly won on penalties but came unstuck against the only decent team they played.

In this current World Cup they got knocked out against the first decent team they played.

Personally I think England should have won at least one of these last 3 tournaments.

If Southgate managed in the prem he would be lucky to get a job at a mid table team like Palace.

[Qunk]

Feel for Harry Kane. England performed well throughout the tournament, they can be proud of themselves.

Behind Morocco now

[TheDukeOfBanbury]

Football all about opinions.
I struggled once again to reason with Southgate’s substitutions.

We actually shaded that game last night, you would have put money on Kane scoring that penalty, or at least hitting the target.
Need to write that off and Swindon’s performance with immediate effect.

[Matchworn Shirts]

I wouldn't want Argentina to win it, their behaviour over the years has been quite frankly appalling.
Plus they act like they have won it as many times as Brazil, when the reality is as many times as bloody Uruguay

[Posh Red]

I hope that Kane doesn't get a load of grief and abuse on social media for missing that penalty

He’ll be fine, he isn’t black so the twitter gestapo will find someone else to blame.

[Nemo]

If Southgate managed in the prem he would be lucky to get a job at a mid table team like Palace.

I see this a lot. Bearing in mind in the very recent past, Chelsea have been managed by Frank Lampard and Man Utd by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, I don't think you can say that. He doesn't get the Liverpool or Man City jobs of course, but the rest of the Prem are a lot more idiosyncratic in their appointments. Luis Enrique or Hanse Flick is the closest thing to an elite coach at Spain, and neither of those went very well in this tournament.

It also works the other way - most brilliant club managers simply wouldn't take an international job these days. Hence the managers around doing international jobs are generally either older guys in their last job (van Gaal at Netherlands, Tite with Brazil) or were appointed without much club pedigree behind them but a long playing career (Scaloni for Argentina).

Also interesting that managerial turnover at international level is pretty low compared to club football - Tite was appointed in 2016, Dalic in 2017, Deschamps in 2012, Scaloni 2018. The standout in the semis is the Moroccan coach Regragui, who was only appointed earlier this year after the last coach fell out with a few players.

Personally I think Southgate has shown that he's progressed as a coach as much as the team has - he's not brilliant, but there are so few brilliant coaches out there and I can't see that any of them would take the England job.

[Qunk]

I wouldn't want Argentina to win it, their behaviour over the years has been quite frankly appalling.
Plus they act like they have won it as many times as Brazil, when the reality is as many times as bloody Uruguay

I was sure Uruguay had only won it once. But then I checked and discovered I was wrong.

Story for the grandkids, that.