World Cup 2018 Qualifiers

[Valerie 10,014]

3 hours ago, Huttsey said:

With no hint of irony, Fred Grim has taken over as interim coach!

Yes, a highly successful goalkeeping coach with an unfortunate name...

Louis van Gaal's name is being touted once again, and so is Henk ten Cate's... remember him? You're so lucky if you don't.

[Tibbers 384]

Messi's 4-match ban. What do you think? Too harsh or just the right amount.

 

 

[Stim 7,896]

7 minutes ago, Tibbers said:

Messi's 4-match ban. What do you think? Too harsh or just the right amount.

Stupid harsh. And they announced his ban like 6 hours before kickoff or something stupid like that. Incompetence all round. There were reports they didn't even notify the AFA before tweeting it.

[offside 749]

43 minutes ago, Stim said:

Stupid harsh. And they announced his ban like 6 hours before kickoff or something stupid like that. Incompetence all round. There were reports they didn't even notify the AFA before tweeting it.

According to lip readers, he made a comment about the referee's mother's c**t. He then refused to shake hands at the end of the game. 

South American referees take more abuse than European referees, if that can be imagined. They've been trying to cut down on it. The timing however was a disgrace. It should have been done after the game so that Argentina had time to appeal, the Argentinian team had time to practice with a new lineup, and the Bolivian team had time to prepare to play against a different than expected lineup. The referee didn't even say anything about it in his post-match report. The Chilean federation filed the protest presumably to weaken Argentina's chances of qualifying as the CONMEBOL competition is extremely close. That, plus the fact that the video went on the internet for all to see, compelled FIFA to act. 

Speaking of the CONMEBOL qualifiers, the games are fantastic. I much prefer the chaotic South American style over the ultra planned European style. If only the faking wasn't so over the top. 

There's a good chance at least one of Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, or Colombia will miss out. You don't have games like Germany against San Marino or whatever. Each game could go both ways.

Bolivia, for example, are one of the weakest teams in the league, but they are dangerous at home because of the altitude. The altitude of La Paz is higher than the highest point in Austria, Germany, and all but a small handful of European countries. It is more than 3 times the altitude of Ben Nevis. 

[offside 749]

On 3/26/2017 at 13:38, kiwi1691 said:

The Belgium FA haven't got a lot of money and Martinez is cheap.

Wilmots was paid around €750k. For comparison, €5 million for Hodgson, €4.6 million for Conte, €2 million for Deschamps, and €1 million for Martin O'Neill. 

Martinez also has a decent record in cups. 

The KVBA job search was kind of amusing. They posted it like any regular job announcement on their website with an address to mail applications and person to contact for questions. No minimum required experience was listed.  

I wonder how many applications they got from fans as either a joke or because the fans genuinely thought they could do better - which they may well have. 

[charierre 5,246]

England v Scotland. This used to be a fixture that was one of the highlights of the season. Great atmosphere and a feisty affair. Hoping this match doesn't disappoint. Fancy 2-0 England but the Scots usually turn up at Hampden.

[Floyd25 2,760]

It shows you how far England have fallen, this game used to be huge, now not many give a f**k. International football in general isn't as important, England particularly, have not given us fans any hope in decades. 

[Floyd25 2,760]

Gareth Southgate makes his strikers take corners.....

[coco 11,896]

[charierre 5,246]

Get in. Thank f**k we failed in getting  Craig Gordon as our no2.

[coco 11,896]

One thing Scotland fans can rely on, their goalkeepers.

[charierre 5,246]

We've tucked this one up.

[coco 11,896]

Just now, charierre said:

We've tucked this one up.

[axman2526 2,859]

Lol wild celebrations in Scotland tonight. 

[jack h 727]

thank f**k for that!

[Scott Harris 22,755]

England under performing doesn't even surprise me anymore. English footballers have to be some of the biggest chokers in world football. It's been going on for decades now. Not a single one of those England players have played as well as they have for their clubs this season.

[Floyd25 2,760]

Great finale, awful football for most of the game, I forgot how sh*te England are. 

[Chelsbear 7,947]

2 poor sides,  Scotland we know are terrible but England with the likes of Kane, Ali and Co should be much better than that. 

[Scott Harris 22,755]

1 minute ago, Floyd25 said:

Great finale, awful football for most of the game, I forgot how sh*te England are. 

Every time i watch England now, i remind myself how sh*t we are before kick off. That way i won't be so disappointed if we lose.

[EdinburghBlue 6,108]

5 minutes ago, Chelsbear said:

2 poor sides,  Scotland we know are terrible but England with the likes of Kane, Ali and Co should be much better than that. 

Feel sick, first goal we let in was awful keeping from Gordon & the second one was terrible defending.

 

It feels like we got beat. Same old Scotland.

[Floyd25 2,760]

10 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

Every time i watch England now, i remind myself how sh*t we are before kick off. That way i won't be so disappointed if we lose.

Good idea, I usually think it's England, it'll be sh*t, but underneath I have this hope that for once England turn up and play brilliantly, which happens once in a blue moon.

[Zeta 12,509]

England never cease to make me laugh at how crap they are. They're not even in the top 20 in the world these days, maybe not even top 30.

[coco 11,896]

Prolonged England careers for Hodgson and Southgate, either side of Big Sam's fortnight in charge, and England are SO FAR behind the top International teams it is quiet extraordinary that the UK Government is not pushing along the FA reforms it has threatened to do. Suppose they are busy at the moment with all these elections and EU talks.

[Strider6003 2,375]

Yet just imagine the pleasure when England do finally win something and for us old time Chelsea fans we know 24 years can seem like an eternity yet when the trophies come you forget about the pain (mostly).

 

[undertow 2,642]

Well at least you didn't lose to bloody Andorra...