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Italy
Nov 13, 2017 21:45:09 GMT
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Post by concretebob on Nov 13, 2017 21:45:09 GMT
Not at a World Cup for the first time since 1958.
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Italy
Nov 13, 2017 21:57:46 GMT
Post by Gary Baldi on Nov 13, 2017 21:57:46 GMT
Oh what a shame!
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Italy
Nov 13, 2017 22:11:38 GMT
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Post by concretebob on Nov 13, 2017 22:11:38 GMT
Handed some of their own defensive medicine by Sweden tonight it would seem.
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Italy
Nov 13, 2017 22:12:00 GMT
Post by foley on Nov 13, 2017 22:12:00 GMT
Well however poor England are we have gone further than Italy, The Netherlands and Scotland ...
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Italy
Nov 13, 2017 22:20:40 GMT
Post by tonyw on Nov 13, 2017 22:20:40 GMT
No Italy, No Netherlands, No USA (OK, so they're not the same threat as the other two but they've been at every WC since '86 and have made the knockouts as many times as England have since '90).
Going to have a bit of a different look in 2018. First time more than one of the traditional powerhouses have missed out since England and France both spannered it up in '94.
With regards Italy specifically - this basically happened because their World Ranking dropped so low that they ended up in qualifying Pot 2. Then they drew Spain in the group, and then they ended up in a playoff that they've lost because their forwards are inept. On the one hand, that's a consequence of them being pretty unspectacular in qualifying for major tournaments and going out at the group stage the past two World Cups. On the other, it's a consequence of the FIFA rankings being absolutely mental and having Wales installed somehow as a #1 seed before their great run at the Euros, as well as the mighty Romania who finished a distant 4th in their group.
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Italy
Nov 13, 2017 22:31:05 GMT
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Post by holdsteady on Nov 13, 2017 22:31:05 GMT
Bit of a shame really, I like to see all of the big nations there, especially with it being a 32 team World Cup and the team going instead being a very dull Swedish team, at least Italy have flashes of brilliance in with the tedium.
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Italy
Nov 13, 2017 22:36:10 GMT
Post by foley on Nov 13, 2017 22:36:10 GMT
Bit of a shame really, I like to see all of the big nations there, especially with it being a 32 team World Cup and the team going instead being a very dull Swedish team, at least Italy have flashes of brilliance in with the tedium. Italy are not there as they don't deserve to be. As Tony said their forwards are inept. Little sympathy really.
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Italy
Nov 13, 2017 22:49:08 GMT
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Post by ox4eva on Nov 13, 2017 22:49:08 GMT
Taking the usual England performance out of the equation I have not really enjoyed a world cup as a footballing spectacle for years.
Be great to think this tournament will be different, but I bet it won't.
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Italy
Nov 14, 2017 7:09:22 GMT
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Post by concretebob on Nov 14, 2017 7:09:22 GMT
Bit of a shame really, I like to see all of the big nations there, especially with it being a 32 team World Cup and the team going instead being a very dull Swedish team, at least Italy have flashes of brilliance in with the tedium. Sweden may be dull, but they still beat Italy over two legs. It's France's tournament to lose IMO.
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Italy
Nov 14, 2017 7:16:55 GMT
Post by horseman on Nov 14, 2017 7:16:55 GMT
They drew with either Albania or Macedonia in their Group and i am sure given a choice they would have chosen and thought be capable of beating any of the play off sides so they only have themselves to blame..
The world cup is just like the Champions League, bar the odd game is very dull until the knockout stages and once you get to the final Negativity often sets in again for fear of losing.
With 32 teams this time cannot see why it cannot be a straight knockout competition, if you want more opportunity for considered lesser countries to be there then why persist with a stage managed draw.
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Italy
Nov 14, 2017 8:13:53 GMT
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Post by holdsteady on Nov 14, 2017 8:13:53 GMT
Bit of a shame really, I like to see all of the big nations there, especially with it being a 32 team World Cup and the team going instead being a very dull Swedish team, at least Italy have flashes of brilliance in with the tedium. Sweden may be dull, but they still beat Italy over two legs. It's France's tournament to lose IMO. They had one shot on target, 25% of the ball and managed 116 completed passes, Sweden got there by parking the bus in one of the most negative performances I have seen. I like to see a side at least try to play a bit of football before I say they deserve to win. Thats the problem with the modern game, people have become fooled by ultra negative coaches into accepting the boring shite that a majority of them now play, it's supposed to be entertainment, been one good game in the play offs so far while the other 5 have had a massive 2 goals, no wonder international football is struggling. The plus side for me is that having watched the play offs you realise that, in the wider perspective of international football, England, with a bit of luck in their side could have a decent World Cup, because the standard isn't that great. It's obviously a fair way behind the champions league, but I would say it's also a distance behind the best European leagues, la liga, the premier league, perhaps even the bundesliga and serie A.
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Italy
Nov 14, 2017 8:30:24 GMT
Post by mcf86 on Nov 14, 2017 8:30:24 GMT
If England's chances of having a 'decent' World cup are improved because 'the standard isn't great' certain teams have failed to get there, the weather, dodgy Russian linesmen, or by pure luck - I'd settle for that!!
Not holding out too much optimism though tbh, that particular emotion? has been jumped on too many times with England.
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Italy
Nov 14, 2017 8:49:26 GMT
Post by foley on Nov 14, 2017 8:49:26 GMT
Sweden may be dull, but they still beat Italy over two legs. It's France's tournament to lose IMO. They had one shot on target, 25% of the ball and managed 116 completed passes, Sweden got there by parking the bus in one of the most negative performances I have seen. I like to see a side at least try to play a bit of football before I say they deserve to win. Thats the problem with the modern game, people have become fooled by ultra negative coaches into accepting the boring shite that a majority of them now play, it's supposed to be entertainment, been one good game in the play offs so far while the other 5 have had a massive 2 goals, no wonder international football is struggling. The plus side for me is that having watched the play offs you realise that, in the wider perspective of international football, England, with a bit of luck in their side could have a decent World Cup, because the standard isn't that great. It's obviously a fair way behind the champions league, but I would say it's also a distance behind the best European leagues, la liga, the premier league, perhaps even the bundesliga and serie A. I think that other than the PL, the other leagues have excellent top sides but the bottom half are pretty average. So there are some extremely average sides in La Liga, Serie A and especially.
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Italy
Nov 14, 2017 8:52:19 GMT
Post by foley on Nov 14, 2017 8:52:19 GMT
Bit of a shame really, I like to see all of the big nations there, especially with it being a 32 team World Cup and the team going instead being a very dull Swedish team, at least Italy have flashes of brilliance in with the tedium. Sweden may be dull, but they still beat Italy over two legs. It's France's tournament to lose IMO. Really? I reckon that Germany will be favouries by a distance. Sure France have some very good players (as do Belgium), but I would always bet on Germany to beat France who often fail to equal the sum of the parts (unlike Germany).
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Italy
Nov 14, 2017 8:56:53 GMT
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Post by concretebob on Nov 14, 2017 8:56:53 GMT
Sweden may be dull, but they still beat Italy over two legs. It's France's tournament to lose IMO. Really? I reckon that Germany will be favouries by a distance. Sure France have some very good players (as do Belgium), but I would always bet on Germany to beat France who often fail to equal the sum of the parts (unlike Germany). Just my opinion. France have an extremely solid midfield and probably one of the best strikers in the world up front. Guess France being away from home won't help them though.
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Post by tonyw on Nov 14, 2017 17:57:22 GMT
The world cup is just like the Champions League, bar the odd game is very dull until the knockout stages and once you get to the final Negativity often sets in again for fear of losing. With 32 teams this time cannot see why it cannot be a straight knockout competition, if you want more opportunity for considered lesser countries to be there then why persist with a stage managed draw. Have to say, I think the exact opposite is true. I love the World Cup group stages. The minnows rubbing shoulders with the traditional giants; colour, noise & craziness in the stands; upsets & new stars being made; crazy math as you try and work out all the qualifying permutations; and, often, goals galore as the three game structure allows teams to play with a bit of freedom at the beginning, and then forces them to play with desperation at the end - they went in in 2014 at an average of almost three per game. Then you get to the knockout stages and every team gets hyper-conservative and plays not to lose. The goals and entertainment dry up. And half the games get decided by the penalty lottery. Hell, there was only one even slightly memorable game in the 2014 World Cup knockout stages - and that was the Germany-Brazil semi-final evisceration. (and even with those eight goals, and with over half the matches going to extra time, there were barely more than two goals scored per game once the knockouts started) I'm going to do what I normally do next summer - obsess and immerse myself as completely as possible in the group stages; then take it or leave it when they get to the knockouts.....
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Post by tonyw on Nov 14, 2017 18:06:02 GMT
If England's chances of having a 'decent' World cup are improved because 'the standard isn't great' certain teams have failed to get there, the weather, dodgy Russian linesmen, or by pure luck - I'd settle for that!! Not holding out too much optimism though tbh, that particular emotion? has been jumped on too many times with England. Depends on the draw, I reckon. England are alright, and the equal or superior of at least two thirds of the teams in the competition. We'll be in Pot 2, but if we get Poland or Russia (both #1 seeds) and a couple of the weaker Asian/African/Central American sides, I reckon we'd fancy our chances of getting to the quarters. If we end up in another group of death like last time with, say, Brazil, Serbia & Nigeria then we're toast.
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Italy
Nov 14, 2017 20:42:09 GMT
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Post by Marked Ox on Nov 14, 2017 20:42:09 GMT
I just hope Southgate sticks with some of these young players he's recently picked ahead of the usual suspects like Henderson.
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Italy
Nov 14, 2017 21:22:36 GMT
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foley likes this
Post by unification on Nov 14, 2017 21:22:36 GMT
Denmark heading to the WC instead of the Irish.
Plenty of blonde honeys for the cameramen to pick out for the filler shots for the finals what with both Sweden and Denmark both in attendance.
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