World Cup 2022 - Qatar.

Ælita

It's not long to go. I think it's a farce that it is being held in Qatar. However, it is... right before Xmas.

Who is your money on? Does anyone even care? Will it be the most useless WC ever?

I always look forward to the WC. It's a bit of a diversion. this time I ain't really. Are you or will you?

Paradigm Shifter

Kinda lost interest in patriotic sport tbh. I think 2016 did that, but it may have started earlier.

Qatar obvs had kind of slave labour thing going on too.

dm_boozefreek

How many beheadings do you think will happen during the world cup? Or should I say how many beheadings will happen that are covered up?

polomint

Worst rated player in each match will be beheaded...

Ælita

That Grealish won't get thru a match then. Inca style. 2016? What happened then. Iceland beating England was it?. I was there watching it with a bunch of them if it was. Triffic, but don't blame ya.

Yeah, it's a disgrace it being held there. I guess it's all gonna be a wash out.

Paradigm Shifter

Pretty sure the World Cup has been held in America which also has the death penalty (a bit less theatrical maybe). Would you prefer to be beheaded, electrocuted or lethal injectioned? Of course if they make a mistake you can get a posthumous pardon though (and you are GUARANTEED to go to heaven since god knows you were innocent).

merman

I optimistically put the fixtures into my iPhone calendar, but given how badly England are doing recently I might not bother.

Maroc's Other Projection

Yeah, I’m not overly excited about it.

Oh, for the halcyon days of Mexico ‘86 and Italia ‘90 :((

Alessandro Grussu

Well since Italy failed to qualify for the second time in a row, I'll be supporting Japan as I did in 2016. I am also glad to see Canada again after their (not so great actually) debut in Mexico '86.

Gwyn

As a Canadian-born with a Welsh father (hence my Welsh name) I'm especially excited that Canada have qualified for the first time in 36 years and Wales in over 50 years!

Unfortunately, I don't expect much from them - Canada are one of the lowest ranked teams, although they did beat USA and Mexico in qualification - and Wales aren't the team they were a few years ago when they got to the semi-finals of Euro-16.

But it will be fun watching them enjoy the experience!

Gareth Southgate needs to let his young talented players off the leash and not set them up to play so cautiously. They're just not good enough at it and concede goals anyway. So let them play their natural attacking game and hope they score more than they let in! :D

Vampyre

Alessandro Grussu wrote: »

Well since Italy failed to qualify for the second time in a row, I'll be supporting Japan as I did in 2016. I am also glad to see Canada again after their (not so great actually) debut in Mexico '86.

I am still flabbergasted Italy have screwed up two World Cup qualifiers in a row, especially as deserved Euro winners in between.

Alessandro Grussu

Vampyre wrote: »

I am still flabbergasted Italy have screwed up two World Cup qualifiers in a row, especially as deserved Euro winners in between.

Don't tell me, it's nothing short of a national tragedy X_X

Vampyre

To be fair, we did the same in the 1970s. Winners in 1966, QF in 1970, didn't qualify in 74 or 78. We had arguably a better squad in 74 and 78 than in 1966.

Ælita

I hear Denmark has opted for an all black 3rd kit in protest of some 1000s lives lost in the building of the infrastructure and also will tone down the normal kit. Can see how this is gonna go now.

Got to have Italia in a WC. Just ain't the same. Spain I find kinda boring quite often, but never Italy.

Vampyre

Italy were a breath of fresh air in Euro 2020 - they were fantastic and deserved winners. To be fair Spain were too if they could have found a proper goal scorer. It's why I put them faves to win the WC - I have a feeling they're gonna gel and annihilate everyone. ESP v ENG final I have a feeling about.

Ælita

What England.. I don't see why they couldn't. I know they are trying a continental style, and although boring as hell at times. it's probably what ya gotta do if you wanna win something. Sweden has played that system for years and it's brought results above expected. Sometimes I just wanna see them play old British style lump it forward. I don't know if it's possible but I am gonna go for BRA v POR. I haven't enjoyed Brazil for decades but I'm thinking they got it together recently and the climate will favour them. Portugal with or without Ronaldo have impressed too. super crop of players now. I'm still not enamoured of Spain. They don't have those quality defenders they used to have, who could elbow themself and roll about quite well. Not so sure now. The modern game of almost non contact does suit them however. 15 years ago, Germany or someone would just kick them aside,, but that's not allowed now.

Vampyre

I like to believe that England have led us into a false sense of insecurity over the last five matches :-) The players don't give a rat's arse about the Nations League and I for one don't blame them.

Pound for pound the England squad is up there with any other team and the sheer amount of superb young players we have coming through the system is frightening for the rest of the world. But... you could say the same for Belgium over the last ten years and they are serial chokers. The next decade should be interesting though as more of these young talents come through. If only we had Haaland - he was born in Leeds after all :-)

As much as I admire what Southgate has achieved I think he's fallen into the trap that all England managers eventually fall into - they pick players on reputation rather than form. MacGuire has been awful for club and country since the Euros but he's constantly picked. On the other hand two of England's most creative players (Maddision and Trent) just can't get into the team. Trent would walk into just about every other national team - he's not the only creative wing back to be not that good at defending (Roberto Carlos and Cafu for example) - so I don't buy the argument that he can't defend in the slightest.