Qatar Hero - The World Cup 2022 thread

[Loafer]

Love it how in every game they've made a point of saying how they are really over estimating every attendance and then saying all the stadiums are 3/4s full

[Zip]

Bale has been absolutely pants ……. and scores

Talksport radio twitter account asking if he`s the greatest British player of all time? fucking hell I knows it`s been a long day but they need to lay off the juice.

How many other British player have five Champions League winners medals, 109 International caps and 41 International goals etc etc.
He is right up there.

[Conservative_dad]

Bale has been absolutely pants ……. and scores

Talksport radio twitter account asking if he`s the greatest British player of all time? fucking hell I knows it`s been a long day but they need to lay off the juice.

How many other British player have five Champions League winners medals, 109 International caps and 41 International goals etc etc.
He is right up there.

You lot have Giggsy as well...think only Man Utd and Liverpool have more trophies than him

[Mr Angry]

Sorry, but simply winning things as part of a team doesn't make you the greatest British player of all time (did Bale even come on during the last Real Madrid Champions League win?) ; there is only one person with that accolade - George Best.

[Winston Biscuit]

ICH

[Loafer]

Sorry, but simply winning things as part of a team doesn't make you the greatest British player of all time (did Bale even come on during the last Real Madrid Champions League win?) ; there is only one person with that accolade - George Best.

What a ridiculous comment

If we want to be really technical about it, Kevin Keegan is the only 2 time Ballon Dor winner

Or Michael Owen who won in 2001

[Zip]

Sorry, but simply winning things as part of a team doesn't make you the greatest British player of all time (did Bale even come on during the last Real Madrid Champions League win?) ; there is only one person with that accolade - George Best.

What did Best do on the world stage?

[YorkshireRoyal99]

There's always a weakness with every side and when your CB's include Maguire, Dier, Stones, Coady and White, you're going to be vulnerable in that area as they are all fairly average defenders really with a mistake in them. It's obvious going forward is our strength, that's what we should be playing to, doing so we should go far in the tournament.

I think most sides have some sort of weakness, there doesn't appear to be any stand-out sides. Even the favourites like Brazil and Argentina aren't great defensively and are pretty ordinary in that area. France are quite well rounded, but probably look weakest in midfield out of anywhere.

I definitely think it will be quite open, maybe half a dozen sides believing they have more than a decent chance of winning it this time.

I think that’s a bit harsh on White this season

I do think he's the best out of all mentioned, but I wouldn't say he's great either himself. Having a good season though in fairness and hopefully it stays that way as we are crying out for an actual good CB really.

[Sutekh]

Bale has been absolutely pants ……. and scores

Talksport radio twitter account asking if he`s the greatest British player of all time? fucking hell I knows it`s been a long day but they need to lay off the juice.

How many other British player have five Champions League winners medals, 109 International caps and 41 International goals etc etc.
He is right up there.

He is a terrific quality player but not, I think, the greatest British player unless you add qualifiers about who has won the most at the highest level which isn’t necessarily the same thing. Personally I’d rather watch Best or Greaves or Gasgoigne in their prime. You also hit the usual problems of how do you compare, say, Kenny Dalglish, with a modern day player or even someone like Duncan Edwards as the game has changed so much. Would a modern day player have achieved as much if they were around in the 1950s or 60s and conversely could a player from those times have made so much more out of having a career in these times.

The game was harder back in the day as the clubs themselves were on a more level playing field so it was harder to win consistently in many leagues, also there were more meaningful games then which if they were messed up then bang went the chance to win something for another year - unlike today where it’s a case of “you cocked it up but come and have another go”.

Finally how do you compare a player like Bale with a central defender or goalkeeper, how exactly can you say Bale is better than Banks or Moore is nor as good as Jeremy Charles. Therefore it is largely an impossible question to answer. Better questions to ask are “what is an all time British XI for the 21st century or for the last half of the 20th century” etc.

[Zip]

Talksport radio twitter account asking if he`s the greatest British player of all time? fucking hell I knows it`s been a long day but they need to lay off the juice.

How many other British player have five Champions League winners medals, 109 International caps and 41 International goals etc etc.
He is right up there.

He is a terrific quality player but not, I think, the greatest British player unless you add qualifiers about who has won the most at the highest level which isn’t necessarily the same thing. Personally I’d rather watch Best or Greaves or Gasgoigne in their prime. You also hit the usual problems of how do you compare, say, Kenny Dalglish, with a modern day player or even someone like Duncan Edwards as the game has changed so much. Would a modern day player have achieved as much if they were around in the 1950s or 60s and conversely could a player from those times have made so much more out of having a career in these times.

The game was harder back in the day as the clubs themselves were on a more level playing field so it was harder to win consistently in many leagues, also there were more meaningful games then which if they were messed up then bang went the chance to win something for another year - unlike today where it’s a case of “you cocked it up but come and have another go”.

Finally how do you compare a player like Bale with a central defender or goalkeeper, how exactly can you say Bale is better than Banks or Moore is nor as good as Jeremy Charles. Therefore it is largely an impossible question to answer. Better questions to ask are “what is an all time British XI for the 21st century or for the last half of the 20th century” etc.

Fair comments although you mean John Charles. The point about how can you judge a keeper or a centre back with a forward is entirely valid.

What I would say about Bale is that for years he pretty much carried his country and without him Wales would not have qualified for any of the three tournaments they have reached. That's huge and I don't think any other British player has matched that. Then you add in all the goals he scored for Madrid including in major finals and I struggle to think of another player who can beat that.

[Orion1871]

Sorry, but simply winning things as part of a team doesn't make you the greatest British player of all time (did Bale even come on during the last Real Madrid Champions League win?) ; there is only one person with that accolade - George Best.

Not only that but, outside of the not insignificant matter of finals, he hasn't scored a CL knockout round goal since his first season at Real Madrid.

[Brum Royal]

There's always a weakness with every side and when your CB's include Maguire, Dier, Stones, Coady and White, you're going to be vulnerable in that area as they are all fairly average defenders really with a mistake in them. It's obvious going forward is our strength, that's what we should be playing to, doing so we should go far in the tournament.

I think most sides have some sort of weakness, there doesn't appear to be any stand-out sides. Even the favourites like Brazil and Argentina aren't great defensively and are pretty ordinary in that area. France are quite well rounded, but probably look weakest in midfield out of anywhere.

I definitely think it will be quite open, maybe half a dozen sides believing they have more than a decent chance of winning it this time.

I think that’s a bit harsh on White this season

I do think he's the best out of all mentioned, but I wouldn't say he's great either himself. Having a good season though in fairness and hopefully it stays that way as we are crying out for an actual good CB really.

Oh for the halcyon days of having to pick two centre backs from Carragher, Campbell, Ferdinand, Southgate in 2002, with Ashley Cole and GNev as the full backs.

Stick that back 4 behind this front 6 and you'd have a serious contender.

[South Coast Royal]

I think that’s a bit harsh on White this season

I do think he's the best out of all mentioned, but I wouldn't say he's great either himself. Having a good season though in fairness and hopefully it stays that way as we are crying out for an actual good CB really.

Oh for the halcyon days of having to pick two centre backs from Carragher, Campbell, Ferdinand, Southgate in 2002, with Ashley Cole and GNev as the full backs.

Stick that back 4 behind this front 6 and you'd have a serious contender.

I agree but looking at all of the squads I think there is no team with a great defence this time.

[bcubed]

So another penalty
This time to Argentina

If the pre tournament directive was to clamp down on shirt pulling etc in the area how the oxf*rd was the Maguire incident not a penalty?

[Silver Fox]

A bit Devil's Advocatey but the defender put his arms round Maguire who then threw himself to the ground, the other pens have involved actual shirt pulling. Obviously the nation's view wasn't helped by Jenas reacting hysterically to the incident

[Orion1871]

So another penalty
This time to Argentina

If the pre tournament directive was to clamp down on shirt pulling etc in the area how the oxf*rd was the Maguire incident not a penalty?

Because at the start of that incident Maguire had his arm around the shoulder of the Iranian and they were both tussling. It was a penalty imo but the Iran penalty and the Argentine one were completely one sided.

[genome]

Sam Matterface and Lee Dixon at 10am. Christ

[bcubed]

So another penalty
This time to Argentina

If the pre tournament directive was to clamp down on shirt pulling etc in the area how the oxf*rd was the Maguire incident not a penalty?

Because at the start of that incident Maguire had his arm around the shoulder of the Iranian and they were both tussling. It was a penalty imo but the Iran penalty and the Argentine one were completely one sided.

I would say all 3 were normal penalty area incidents. They could go unnoticed and frequently do in the Championship for example. But FIFA have decided to clamp down on this. Having done that I think all 3 should be pens.

[From Despair To Where?]

That Martinez goal did not look offside, unless you're counting his fringe.

[Hendo]

Sam Matterface and Lee Dixon at 10am. Christ

Glad I'm in the office today, tbh.