FIFA World Cup 2018 - Russia

[Bullitt]

Originally Posted by CouncilSpectre

24 out of 55 teams qualify for Euro 2020 - something will have gone majorly wrong if we aren’t there come the finals.

This is the first time in living memory where there’s a genuine opportunity for all the home nations to qualify.

Whilst England have undoubtedly exceeded expectations in this WC, some real talents have emerged that most England fans didn’t see coming. Whilst the likes of Stones and Deke Alli have long been heralded as future stars of the side, no one really expected the likes of Maguire, Trippier or Pickford to make such a mark. Personally I’m looking forward to seeing who else Southgate can get up to that kind of level from our youth ranks. He’s got another two years before Euro 2020, to add to this current group. There’s no one from the current squad that won’t be around in two years time, so it will largely be this group+.

Plenty for England fans to be optimistic about - of course there’s Germany, France, Spain, Otaly, Portugal etc who will all be there for the Euros as well, but coming into this tournament there weren’t many folks who would have believed that we had a hope in hell of being anywhere near any of them. Now, we’re in with a shout and the footballing apocalypse that threatened the England national team in the aftermath of the demise of the golden generation clearly isn’t happening.

Coming after the catastrophic failures of the last WC, and the last Euros, even though we’ve had a nice slice of fortune in Russia, there are undeniable signs of improvement, both in and off the pitch

I’m not a fan of the Euros like the World Cup although it has become a better tournament than it used to be with the inclusion of more countries.
I think the decision to play games over Europe is an interesting thing.....and the World Cup is going to follow suit.

[CouncilSpectre]

Originally Posted by Bullitt

I’m not a fan of the Euros like the World Cup although it has become a better tournament than it used to be with the inclusion of more countries.
I think the decision to play games over Europe is an interesting thing.....and the World Cup is going to follow suit.

I think I like the first change more than the second.

Increasing the number of teams for the last Euros worked really well, and it was great to see teams like Northern Ireland, Wales and Iceland not only qualify, but then raise their games when they got there and had great tournaments.

The only issue I have with staging a tournament over multiple countries is that I hope it doesn't lose a bit of identity. You remember back to the World Cups of yesteryear and everyone (who was alive and old enough) remembers Mexico '86, or Italia '90 - I'm not exactly sure what we'll call tournaments spread over multiple countries. Co-hosting is bad enough, but while Japan/Korea '02 is a bit of a mouthful, it's do-able at least! I'll probably change my mind when it comes around and we're getting plenty of games at Wembley

[Bullitt]

Originally Posted by CouncilSpectre

I think I like the first change more than the second.

Increasing the number of teams for the last Euros worked really well, and it was great to see teams like Northern Ireland, Wales and Iceland not only qualify, but then raise their games when they got there and had great tournaments.

The only issue I have with staging a tournament over multiple countries is that I hope it doesn't lose a bit of identity. You remember back to the World Cups of yesteryear and everyone (who was alive and old enough) remembers Mexico '86, or Italia '90 - I'm not exactly sure what we'll call tournaments spread over multiple countries. Co-hosting is bad enough, but while Japan/Korea '02 is a bit of a mouthful, it's do-able at least! I'll probably change my mind when it comes around and we're getting plenty of games at Wembley

Yes I would agree that I prefer the more teams thing than spread over countries but as you say,it will be great for fans of different nations to go see big games of football in one summer.

Back to the bigger Euros,it can only be a good thing to have more countries included.
I remember Denmark winning in 92,won a single game in the group stage and qualified for the semis.

[CouncilSpectre]

48 teams in WC 2026:

12 x groups of 4 with 32 going into the second round.

Means we're back to the 'best third placed teams' going through scenario.

Hopefully, that will allow teams to play with a bit more freedom in the group stages, as a single win will likely be good enough to get through to the knockout stages.

[Bullitt]

I think the next one in Qatar is a joke.
God help all the women in the run up to Xmas that year when all their men are stuck in front of the box.

[CouncilSpectre]

Taking it to new areas of the world, to open up football is one thing, but the fact that they were then forced to move it in the calendar, after voting, shows that either FIFA didn't care (probably just thinking of the $$$s) or genuinely hadn't thought about it until they'd already awarded it to Qatar.

Either way, I'm not looking forward to it. Our players don't do well with the heat.....

[MegatronG1]

I think the lack of quality gameplay time for Marcus Rashford was shocking. He should have had much more, the same with Loftus Cheek.

[Bullitt]

Originally Posted by CouncilSpectre

Taking it to new areas of the world, to open up football is one thing, but the fact that they were then forced to move it in the calendar, after voting, shows that either FIFA didn't care (probably just thinking of the $$$s) or genuinely hadn't thought about it until they'd already awarded it to Qatar.

Either way, I'm not looking forward to it. Our players don't do well with the heat.....

Corruption and Blatter go hand in hand.
I’m sure with the endless money thrown at it the Arabs will make it a spectacle but there is so much of it I disagree with.

Yeah the temps will certainly suit a South American country or the likes.

[tob]

Going to be strange watching the next World Cup in December.

[Bullitt]

Originally Posted by tob

Going to be strange watching the next World Cup in December.

Very strange....money talks eh?

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Bullitt

None.....Boy it sure is hard getting through that skull of yours.

So you dont have a country of origin? Are you alien? Or you are not a footy fan? What makes you think you are qualified to comment on other countries misfortunes or otherwise? Its all rather odd.

[tob]

Originally Posted by Bullitt

Very strange....money talks eh?

Sure does mate.

[CouncilSpectre]

Originally Posted by tob

Going to be strange watching the next World Cup in December.

Great, crushing disappointment just in time for Christmas!

[tob]

Originally Posted by CouncilSpectre

Great, crushing disappointment just in time for Christmas!

But you still get Christmas Presents.

[Bullitt]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

So you dont have a country of origin? Are you alien? Or you are not a footy fan? What makes you think you are qualified to comment on other countries misfortunes or otherwise? Its all rather odd.

I’d say you’re rather odd.
That bath and takeaway was a bit of a waste last night,all that big build up to be let down.
Of course I have a country of origin but I also lived in an other for a big part of my life.
I’m a sports fan,I enjoy watching most sports.

I enjoy American Football but have never lived in the U.S.....am I not allowed to comment in that section about games I have watched on T.V?
Am I not able to talk about Wimbledon in the tennis thread?Your logic is absurd.

I know football,as I said before,I played it for long enough,that qualifies me to comment on games I have enjoyed watching on the box.

[CouncilSpectre]

Originally Posted by tob

But you still get Christmas Presents.

Probably a "Qatar 2022: The England Story" Blu ray after we've just been knocked out on penalties by Timbuktoo.....

[Bullitt]

Originally Posted by CouncilSpectre

Probably a "Qatar 2022: The England Story" Blu ray after we've just been knocked out on penalties by Timbuktoo.....

Isn’t it a pity everyone in this thread hasn’t a sense of humour?

[Martoto]

Originally Posted by CouncilSpectre

Probably a "Qatar 2022: The England Story" Blu ray after we've just been knocked out on penalties by Timbuktoo.....

Unfortunately for Timbuctoo, they've unwittingly leaked their line up a bit early. Could be a chance for England to capitalise on.

[Show spoiler]

[CV19]

Originally Posted by Bullitt

Corruption and Blatter go hand in hand.

Ain't that the truth.

Holding the World Cup in November/December is going to be a bit weird as we associate these tournaments taking place in summer; and frankly I struggle to understand how Qatar has been awarded the WC this time round (no disrespect to Qatar I must add), but when it comes to FIFA - as you say, money talks.

[Martoto]

I'll just leave this here.

[Show spoiler]

(Rashford was offside so it wouldn't have counted anyway.)