SEE YOU! A brand spanking new modern fitba thread 2021/22

Well The Dragger didn't play tonight, but a lot of the big names were out there.

Northern Ireland had the better chances.

 

He had two, TWO chances.

His second one NEEDED to hit the back of the net.

He either hits it harder and scores, or he squares it for the tap in.

He did neither.

Prior to that he did the full back and tried to square it but it was got cut out.

 

It's messed up.

It USED to be the top 2 go through.

That was when there was like 10 countries in Europe.

Now there's all this new bullshit.


Finish 2nd but score more goals than the other team that finished 9th and IF they played in a yellow jersey with blue socks.........you're out.

FFS.

 

You know, I think one of the things which made that early 2010's Barcelona so good was their willingness to square it when somebody else was in a better position. So many times these days I see teams with quality players and the striker goes for goal rather than passing to a team mate who is completely free. The commentators always say something like "well that's a striker's mentality" bla bla bla. It seems so simple and obvious but in this era of superstars it can be the difference between winning and losing.

 

Ireland did it last night where there were options to square it.

The only time you should take it on is IF you suspect the other guy might be offside.

In Washingtons case, there were guys on the line, so that was never an option.

 

On the other end it seemed a desperation from frustration. Hammer that fucken thing in!

They were eerily good at nullifying strikers. All it takes is one chance, but when they've been starved for them they're usually going to be less "clinical". The commentators often lament those missed opportunities as if they were sitters.

 

You know what it is though, so many times I'm watching Premier League or Champions League these days...and I'm never going to say I know better than these guys, but I think a guy is going to score, he misses, and then I watch the replay and when it's in slow motion I ALWAYS see a player (that I didn't spot in real time) who is wide open. Every single time. I don't blame the fella who shot, I would have in the same position, but that really was the difference between that Barcelona side and the rest. It seems so bloody simple but it was all about the team and who was better placed to put the ball in the net.

 

Horrible atmosphere in Holland tonight. No fans, house-techno blaring around the stadium, hanging mist around the stadium.

Shit.

 

Canada shocked Mexico 2-1 in WC qualifiers.

However this was the pitch before they cleaned it.



I'm thinking the Mexicans didn't find it to be optimal.

 

Don't really care about soccer, but its incredibly funny and embarrassing that canada beats mexico. Sport is barely an afterthought here, while its the national sport over there

 

Meh, while that's true it's not really that big of a deal. This not even in the top 100 upsets in football history. Just one game and the conditions appeared to have slightly favored one side. It's just something to enjoy for a minute.

 

Mexico are weird. They're a football-mad nation but they've just never been that good, ever.

 

Fair play to Canada though, I've been keeping up with the North American qualifiers through my friends in the US, I got them into the sport through taking them to QPR Matches so they're quite accustomed to abject disappointment.

 

Yeah they're like a quality gatekeeper in boxing. They've beat or seriously tested almost everybody at one point or another but no threat to win a WC. They've even hosted it twice and 1/4 finals was still the limit.

 

Yeah, apart from the last world Cup where they beat Germany, I've always got the sense they're just there to give someone a tough game that they end up losing. Even when they've gone 1-0 up in a knockout game I just expect them to lose 2-1 and they inevitably do.

 

Pretty much. They've played not too badly against Brazil. Even defeated a pretty strong side in the confederation cup finals. Not a major trophy but i think they only one they've won outside of CONCACAF.

In the group stages at WC's they beat or drew Brazil, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and France and some other heavyweights. Once it gets to the knockout rounds though they've always faltered.

 

They need CLEN and then they will DOMINATE

QPR won tonight.

Luton Tahn are a shadow of what they used to be.

 

5.15 ko, plenty drinking time, so should be a good atmosphere. Should be good assuming i get thru customs. SELLIK

 

Could be worse. You could be a Leicester fan.

 

Man U got their asses kicked today.

I subscribed to Peacock, so I now get all EPL games.

 

I think olly might go now..

 

Job done vs Arse.

Is Olly still there?

Stevie G with the win today.

 

This is bad news. Need him to stay on a bit more

 

Yassss WE LOVE THE JUNGLE TEAM

https://twitter.com/celticlisboaa/status/1462131719323238403?s=21

 

Barcelona looked lackluster against an Espanyol team that deserved a draw IMO. Xavi has his work cut out for him. I question if the fan base will be patient.

For my money, Barca is overrun by a bunch of players that simply do not fit the style of play that made FC Barcelona and Spain national team such a dominant force in those 2007-2012 years.

Their only chance of getting a to that is to dig into their youth talent pool instead of buying expensive foreign players with big names.

My two cents.

 

I couldn't honestly comment but it's now 10 years since they were at their very very best and they've lost all those players and they've even lost some of the guys they replaced them with, like Mascherano and Suarez.

There doesn't appear to have been any building or structure

They've gone and got Xavi back but that's like United signing Ole or Ronaldo. It's not just going to be like old times.

Plus they owe a loaaaad of money.

 

I think Olly is gone now. Its apparently a question of exit terms.

 

To borrow a poker phrase they've been on tilt ever since Neymar went for the highest transfer fee in history. For them it wasn't just a loss of a player, but the loss of prestige. They couldn't accept losing a marquee player on a transfer. They're so used to being the side that buys other plays and who everyone wants to play for. Neymar leaving shattered their egos.

 

So why sell him?.

 

He had a release clause that they didn't think anybody could afford or would pay. Then came along PSG. They tried fighting it but the cheque came through and they had no legal recourse.