All things Football (soccer) related

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Oops. Sorry, Warspite1. Didn't mean to derail this thread yet again. Shouldn't you lot be talking about that exciting third place match coming up really soon?

[&o]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Oops. Sorry, Warspite1. Didn't mean to derail this thread yet again. Shouldn't you lot be talking about that exciting third place match coming up really soon?

warspite1

No, no, please don't apologise. I love reading about the Harlem New Jersey Generals an' stuff. It's erm..... really... interesting.... no really, I mean genuinely....[>:]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: shunwick

ORIGINAL: loki100

Well for those feeling bereft of football today, your annual reminder that the first qualifying rounds of the Europa league have started ... which of course brings the annual competition among Scottish clubs to be the knocked out before August.

And since we are slowly returning to reality, can I just point out that Braintree are currently sixth in the National League and in a playoff place. [:)]


Best wishes,
Steve

warspite1

Ah reality. There really is no need for descending into that pit of despair, woe and angst....

The season has not even started yet and White Hart Lane looks like a building site - what are they doing to the old ground? I thought they were just building an extension to Mrs Miggins Pie Shop in the old West Stand, but they seem to be to doing a bit more than that and they haven't even got a pitch anymore. That's a rum do. There's trouble ahead there. I mean they've already had to rip out 15,000 seats because they weren't up to standard. I hope they didn't get O'Reilly and his men to do the building works - that would only end in tears, just ask Basil Fawlty.

And speaking of trouble. As said, even before a ball has been kicked we are already in a relegation scrap with the likes of Southampton, Watford, West Ham and Wolves. Arsenal have bought 37 players already and even Manchester City - you know the club that poor Guardiola insists have no money [8|] - have managed to scrape around down the back of the sofa and found £70m for Mahrez. Phew I bet that's a relief to him. No doubt there won't be any more major signings in view of poor City's current financial blight (according to Guardiola) - and I'm sure the Middle Eastern owners don't want to be placed at a pecuniary disadvantage by forking out millions more on Jorginho and co will they?

It's going to be a long hard season - Championship here we come [:(]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: loki100

well for those feeling bereft of football today, your annual reminder that the first qualifying rounds of the Europa league have started ... which of course brings the annual competition among Scottish clubs to be the knocked out before August.

However, we may have to wait till the next round for such events last year. Suspect that Hibs have the beating of the champions of the Faroese league (though as it is Hibs best not to assume too much) and I fear that Rangers will fail to provide glee for 65% of the city of Glasgow by being knocked out so early as they managed last year.

warspite1

Mmmm I don't think Hibernian were reading the script. 6 (Six) goals by a Scottish team (especially one from Edinburgh) in European competition?? I mean what is that all about? Did the opposition leave early to ensure they got their flight back to Torshavn International?

But at least the performance of Rangers was more in keeping with Scottish football at this stage....scraping a 2-0 with a 92nd minute penalty.

All joking aside its a sad state of affairs all round....

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: shunwick

.....can I just point out that Braintree are currently sixth in the National League and in a playoff place. [:)]

warspite1

National League? Pffft - the National League South is where its at this year [;)]

Two local rivals and of course Devon's finest... [:D]

C'mon you Wings and Gulls [8D]

[Jagdtiger14]

I was rooting for England to win, even though my wife is Swedish. Too bad!

As a very great man recently said about England in The Sun newspaper interview (I love that paper): "You don't hear the word England as much as you should. I think England is a beautiful name."

Too bad we wont hear it as World Cup Champions. Maybe they should have worn their white jersey's?

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Jagdtiger14

Too bad we wont hear it as World Cup Champions. Maybe they should have worn their white jersey's?

warsite1

Que?

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: Jagdtiger14

I was rooting for England to win, even though my wife is Swedish. Too bad!

As a very great man recently said about England in The Sun newspaper interview (I love that paper): "You don't hear the word England as much as you should. I think England is a beautiful name."

Too bad we wont hear it as World Cup Champions. Maybe they should have worn their white jersey's?

why do you decide that a usually good natured thread about football would be enhanced by bringing in your own political views? And, as warspite1 notes above ... as usual - you are completely wrong about the facts.

The problem with your post is it invites a response as to the nature of this 'great man' and the newspaper you so love and neither will enhance this thread one little bit.

If you want a thread to discuss Trump's visit to the UK suggest you start one, I equally suspect it will be closed off immediately (and rightly), so would appreciate you not hi-jacking this one ... which works very well.

[rico21]

This thread deals with football and only football, for one simple reason, make football great again.[:D]

[VPaulus]

@Jagdtiger14,

We note that you had a tendency to derail threads with politics. We do not allow discussions of politics on the forums, as they tend to incite arguments. We have previously warned you of this before, so consider this your final warning. If you derail threads by pushing your own agenda again then we will have to take further action against. This is a friendly post about football and we would like to see it remain so. Again, please no politics on the forum.

There are many forums and message boards online which do accept the discussion of politics, so please use these and not our game forums for this.

[shunwick]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: shunwick

.....can I just point out that Braintree are currently sixth in the National League and in a playoff place. [:)]

warspite1

National League? Pffft - the National League South is where its at this year [;)]

Two local rivals and of course Devon's finest... [:D]

C'mon you Wings and Gulls [8D]

If there is any justice in this world, Dartford deserve to win the National League South this season. They were the outstanding team last season, failed to win the title by a 93rd minute goal in the last league game of the season, and then beaten in the Playoff Final by Braintree on penalties. Oh yes, I want the Football Gods to smile on Dartford this season if only to assuage my guilt for celebrating while Dartford hearts were breaking.

Best wishes,
Steve

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: shunwick

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: shunwick

.....can I just point out that Braintree are currently sixth in the National League and in a playoff place. [:)]

warspite1

National League? Pffft - the National League South is where its at this year [;)]

Two local rivals and of course Devon's finest... [:D]

C'mon you Wings and Gulls [8D]

If there is any justice in this world, Dartford deserve to win the National League South this season. They were the outstanding team last season, failed to win the title by a 93rd minute goal in the last league game of the season, and then beaten in the Playoff Final by Braintree on penalties. Oh yes, I want the Football Gods to smile on Dartford this season if only to assuage my guilt for celebrating while Dartford hearts were breaking.

Best wishes,
Steve

warspite1

Football can be so cruel.....

[shunwick]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: shunwick

ORIGINAL: warspite1

warspite1

National League? Pffft - the National League South is where its at this year [;)]

Two local rivals and of course Devon's finest... [:D]

C'mon you Wings and Gulls [8D]

If there is any justice in this world, Dartford deserve to win the National League South this season. They were the outstanding team last season, failed to win the title by a 93rd minute goal in the last league game of the season, and then beaten in the Playoff Final by Braintree on penalties. Oh yes, I want the Football Gods to smile on Dartford this season if only to assuage my guilt for celebrating while Dartford hearts were breaking.

Best wishes,
Steve

warspite1

Football can be so cruel.....

Old age is also cruel. Braintree beat Dartford 1-0 in the Playoff Semi-Final. It was Hampton & Richmond we defeated on penalties in the final. That does not change my good wishes to Dartford for this season because the reason I misremembered was that my overall feeling at the time was Dartford deserved this more than Braintree. Dartford, who lost out on automatic promotion on goal difference thanks to that 93rd minute goal, finished 17 points ahead of Braintree back in sixth place.

Best wishes,
Steve

[shunwick]

So the World Cup's third and fourth place match.

Belgium v England.

Hugely important game for both teams since it will define their World Cup performances. Belgium lost their semi-final because they froze in the spotlight. They will be desperate to win the 3rd & 4th place match to prove that they are a team that could easily have qualified for the World Cup Final. England need to win the game to prove that their Semi-final appearance was not only due to luck of the easy-half of the draw and they have something about them that allows them play on equal terms to the best teams in the world.

It is quite unusual for a 3rd and 4th place match to have so much hanging on the performance and the result.

Best wishes,
Steve

[shunwick]

Third and Fourth Place Match

Belgium 2 England 0. Belgium didn't do enough to look like genuine World Cup contenders. England, yes were lucky to get to the semi-final thanks to the easy path they had to get there. England managed to scare Belgium on a couple of occasions, Belgium always looked a threat every time they got the ball and scored two good goals to seal their victory. The future looks bright for Belgium but not so much for England.

Best wishes,
Steve

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: shunwick

Third and Fourth Place Match

Belgium 2 England 0. Belgium didn't do enough to look like genuine World Cup contenders. England, yes were lucky to get to the semi-final thanks to the easy path they had to get there. England managed to scare Belgium on a couple of occasions, Belgium always looked a threat every time they got the ball and scored two good goals to seal their victory. The future looks bright for Belgium but not so much for England.

Best wishes,
Steve

think you are being a wee bit (understandably) pessimistic. The core of that Belgian side is in their late 20s/early 30s, so will be good at the next Euro Championships but I'd suspect this is their last world cup (as a group). This seems to be very much the view being reported in the Flemish press.

Having said that, I think this England side are a lot like Spurs at the moment - almost there but not quite and its not immediately obvious what to do about the few gaps/shortfalls?

[shunwick]

ORIGINAL: loki100

ORIGINAL: shunwick

Third and Fourth Place Match

Belgium 2 England 0. Belgium didn't do enough to look like genuine World Cup contenders. England, yes were lucky to get to the semi-final thanks to the easy path they had to get there. England managed to scare Belgium on a couple of occasions, Belgium always looked a threat every time they got the ball and scored two good goals to seal their victory. The future looks bright for Belgium but not so much for England.

Best wishes,
Steve

think you are being a wee bit (understandably) pessimistic. The core of that Belgian side is in their late 20s/early 30s, so will be good at the next Euro Championships but I'd suspect this is their last world cup (as a group). This seems to be very much the view being reported in the Flemish press.

Having said that, I think this England side are a lot like Spurs at the moment - almost there but not quite and its not immediately obvious what to do about the few gaps/shortfalls?

It is the future that has me pessimistic. This England squad is very nearly all the English players that are available from the Premier League. Some of them can't even get regular games with the their clubs. We have a few talented youngsters coming through from under 17 and under 20s but it is unlikely that they will ever get game time in the top flight. The National Pool is ever diminishing.

Best wishes,
Steve

[rico21]

Alea jacta est [:D]

[shunwick]

The World Cup Final

France 4 Croatia 2. It was a story of almost constant Croatian pressure but they were unable to create enough quality chances and goals against a hard working and tidy France. France may not have the most possession but were certainly able to make the most of the possession they had. Another hugely enjoyable game to watch, fitting since, overall, this has been one of the most entertaining World Cup tournaments I have watched. France will go home as World Champions, and Croatia can go home with their heads held high.

Best wishes,
Steve

[UP844]

ORIGINAL: rico21

Alea jacta est [:D]

Allez les Bleus!!! [&o][&o][&o]