5 minutes ago, dermott said:

Harsh.

Maybe. I just feel they lack a bit of the dynamic cutting edge. The thirst for goals perhaps? Maybe they’re so confident in their ball retention that they don’t think they need three goals to win?

12 minutes ago, Snedger said:

Maybe. I just feel they lack a bit of the dynamic cutting edge. The thirst for goals perhaps? Maybe they’re so confident in their ball retention that they don’t think they need three goals to win?

They faff around too much around the box. Torres has looked more dangerous every time he comes on. I’d start him.

Well, I can seen these fairly boring Spanish team beating France - but they won't beat England and so. . . .all we have to do is beat the Norwegians (and that game we should win and it should be like a premiership game) and then beat the Argies (if FiFA are willing to let Messi lose at that point).

Edited July 10Jul 10 by TheCeleryKing

To any LOTR fans, this is pretty funny....

18 hours ago, dermott said:

Holds 70,000. Looks like it should be more.

I have felt the same about many of their stadiums, they look incredible and I always think the capacity looks as if should be much larger than it is.

18 hours ago, dermott said:

They faff around too much around the box. Torres has looked more dangerous every time he comes on. I’d start him.

18 hours ago, dermott said:

They faff around too much around the box. Torres has looked more dangerous every time he comes on. I’d start him.

They kept passing even IN the box and kept funneling the ball out wide right to Lamal (?) who was pretty ineffective all game.

However, I've never thought they are any more boring than anyone else. Unlike almost everyone I know I loved Barca and Spain's football when they were at their best.

Possession football rightly gets a bad name when other sides thought that players aimlessly passing to each other and avoiding risk was something that was similar to how Barca and Spain utilised possession.. It isn't.

I'm sick of watching it going on all over the place, it's destroying the game and seems to be an obsession all over the world.

19 hours ago, BewareoftheDrog said:

Also the reason the UK won't be holding another World Cup tournament for a good few years yet

Morocco are one of the hosts for the next World Cup.

And the home nations have got the next Euros

19 hours ago, dermott said:

Holds 70,000. Looks like it should be more.

Maybe our American investors are waiting for taxpayers to fund a new stadium for us before they commit to it ?😂

"Sports stadium deals hand even more taxpayer money to billionaires

Kevin Hardy, Stateline.org

Mon, Jan 12, 2026

Jan. 12—When Washington, D.C., agreed to hand over billions in land and tax breaks for a new Commanders football stadium, experts thought it would long remain an outlier in sweetheart deals for sports teams.

But just months later, attention turned to Kansas, where officials in December announced plans to fund 60% of a new stadium for the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs. The state committed to spending up to $1.8 billion — the largest-ever professional sports subsidy."

Billionaire owners demanding tax funding for a new Stadium... and getting it.

Gov. Kathy Hochul's decision to fork over taxpayer money to build a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills drew renewed scorn – after the NFL team's billionaire owners sold a minority stake for a massive profit, The Post has learned.   

Hochul, a Buffalo native, had agreed in 2022 to provide $600 million in state funding – with Erie Country tossing in an additional $250 million – for the privately-owned stadium after Bills owner Terry Pegula threatened to leave Western New York. 

51 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

Morocco are one of the hosts for the next World Cup.

And the home nations have got the next Euros

51 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

Morocco are one of the hosts for the next World Cup.

And the home nations have got the next Euros

Didn't realise that. Cheers. That World Cup 2030 looks like a logistical nightmare. Spain Portugal and Morocco!! The great and good will be telling us not to make too many plane journeys. Again!!!

1 hour ago, The Rising Sun said:

Billionaire owners demanding tax funding for a new Stadium... and getting it.

Gov. Kathy Hochul's decision to fork over taxpayer money to build a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills drew renewed scorn – after the NFL team's billionaire owners sold a minority stake for a massive profit, The Post has learned.   

Hochul, a Buffalo native, had agreed in 2022 to provide $600 million in state funding – with Erie Country tossing in an additional $250 million – for the privately-owned stadium after Bills owner Terry Pegula threatened to leave Western New York. 

Absolute different market though… teams will just relocate without the money to somewhere that will give it to them.

See the Rams, Chargers, Raiders all upping and going. Look at the current Bears situation (the relocating not the fact they still suck)!

America is a rule unto itself and just doesn’t apply well to the UK for sports unfortunately.

1 hour ago, The Rising Sun said:

Billionaire owners demanding tax funding for a new Stadium... and getting it.

Gov. Kathy Hochul's decision to fork over taxpayer money to build a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills drew renewed scorn – after the NFL team's billionaire owners sold a minority stake for a massive profit, The Post has learned.   

Hochul, a Buffalo native, had agreed in 2022 to provide $600 million in state funding – with Erie Country tossing in an additional $250 million – for the privately-owned stadium after Bills owner Terry Pegula threatened to leave Western New York. 

Not unusual in the NFL. Billionaire owners hold local governments to ransom. Build a new stadium or we‘ll relocate. Build a new stadium and we will relocate. Been happening for decades.

21 hours ago, BewareoftheDrog said:

Also the reason the UK won't be holding another World Cup tournament for a good few years yet

Spain, Portugal and Morocco have the next world cup, and between them, I can only find 9 stadiums that hold over 60k fans. The UK has 7. If the UK did a joint bid, we can surpass that number, especially seeing as by the time the 2038 World Cup is here, a lot of stadiums would have expanded.

25 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

Spain, Portugal and Morocco have the next world cup, and between them, I can only find 9 stadiums that hold over 60k fans. The UK has 7. If the UK did a joint bid, we can surpass that number, especially seeing as by the time the 2038 World Cup is here, a lot of stadiums would have expanded.

They have better looking women. . . .but by 2038 maybe the UK could come up with better looking women?

We got the Euros. Euro 2028 will be co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland from June 9 to July 9, 2028. Northern Ireland will not host any matches. Not sure which stadiums. What are the stadiums for the Euros 2028?

49 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

Spain, Portugal and Morocco have the next world cup, and between them, I can only find 9 stadiums that hold over 60k fans. The UK has 7. If the UK did a joint bid, we can surpass that number, especially seeing as by the time the 2038 World Cup is here, a lot of stadiums would have expanded.

On the bright side hopefully we wont have to endure at least some of weather delays, hydration breaks, countdowns to kick offs, half time entertainment and the use of the word soccer.

Tonights starting line up....

England XI: Pickford; Konsa, Guehi, Stones, O'Reilly; Anderson, Rice, Bellingham; Madueke, Gordon, Kane.

not sure if its confirmed yet.

.

Is there some unknown ailment with Saka, Eze & Rashford? Cos why the f**k is Noncey Madueke anywhere near this lineup 🤮

1 minute ago, The Boehly Babes said:

Is there some unknown ailment with Saka, Eze & Rashford? Cos why the f**k is Noncey Madueke anywhere near this lineup 🤮

very surprising that he starts hes hardly put in an impressive performance in this tournament, in fact his decision making looks as suspect as ever.

4 minutes ago, OTL said:

very surprising that he starts hes hardly put in an impressive performance in this tournament, in fact his decision making looks as suspect as ever.

He’s the worst of the available wingers, there can’t even be an argument he helps our defensively ‘cos he’s lazy as sh*t.

Baffled. Other than that… Come on England!

13 minutes ago, The Boehly Babes said:

Is there some unknown ailment with Saka, Eze & Rashford? Cos why the f**k is Noncey Madueke anywhere near this lineup 🤮

Apparently, Saka has had an issue with his Achilles since before the world cup. Eze and Rashford are left sided players. Madueke should never have been called up though, he doesn't do anything.

37 minutes ago, The Boehly Babes said:

He’s the worst of the available wingers, there can’t even be an argument he helps our defensively ‘cos he’s lazy as sh*t.

Baffled. Other than that… Come on England!

It’s Madueke or Saka and Saka is still nursing the hamstring issue he had when picked in the squad.

We’ll be two up before half time. I think Norway are being well overestimated.

Madueke’s end product still non-existent then.

Edited July 11Jul 11 by Munkunku

So who is everybody supporting?