The Road to Russia 2018

[jd1981]

They are more or less out if they dont win tonight
We could afford a draw against them.
All for them to do when they play England.
that will suit us.

Yep play on the break or a high press up the field will suit England just fine.

 

[Alan]

Should be the best 16 teams. Imo.
Europe and South America would suffice.

Bollocks to that. Every region should be represented at that stage and rightly so. If they aren't up to scratch then it will be found out on the pitch.

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[PuntsWolf]

I think you'd be surprised how tough some of those matches can be, especially away. Don't think there's much to choose between the Caribbean nations and Euro minnows like Lithuania, Luxembourg, etc.

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Well regardless of the quality, the issue is CONCACAFs KO pre qualifying. Obviously that isn't going to help them. Whereas a round robin where they play 4 games against roughly equal opposition would help them.

 

[arklowolf]

Bollocks to that. Every region should be represented at that stage and rightly so. If they aren't up to scratch then it will be found out on the pitch.

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As it has been. Time and time again.
Unfairly weighted in the weaker countries favour in qualifying.
Unfairly weighted in the weaker countries favour in where and when the tournament is held.
All for greed to the detriment of the sport.
Bribery, corruption, greed.
Barely worth watching if youre into football.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

There won't, Europe is only 2/3 places more. Just means more second places teams will go through. There is an element of be careful of what you wish for on here. We get decent groups because we keep comfortably winning them, we have been lucky for the last few tournaments with the second and third seeds we draw.

And then we get found out when the serious stuff starts.

 

[Tony Towner]

And then we get found out when the serious stuff starts.

Nothing changes then, is ever thus

 

[arklowolf]

Scots have scored. Deservedly so. Keeper might have done better.
Makes the group a bit more interesting i suppose.

 

[jd1981]

The CONCACAF qualifying has been a peice of piss for the likes of Mexico and the USA for years meaning it's almost a given that they always qualify.
Compare that to European qualifiers where you end up with a group containing Spain and Italy and only 1 guaranteed to go through.
I'd argue the second tier of European nations get a far rougher deal than any other region.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

Nothing changes then, is ever thus

At least we won the tournament in 1966, though we did not have to go through the qualifying stages in that tournament...

 

[Alan]

Well regardless of the quality, the issue is CONCACAFs KO pre qualifying. Obviously that isn't going to help them. Whereas a round robin where they play 4 games against roughly equal opposition would help them.

We can at least certainly agree that CONCACAF needs some serious reworking. The Caribbean nations are exceptionally fucked over in the current format, and almost everyone here agrees that the Hexagonal makes almost no sense.

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[jd1981]

how many countries would that involve? Surely you could pool everyone together in three separate groups with top side in each progressing?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Danny Blind sacked.

 

[Alan]

how many countries would that involve? Surely you could pool everyone together in three separate groups with top side in each progressing?

Is this directed at me?

 

[jd1981]

Is this directed at me?

Yes

 

[Jinky]

Didn't watch the England game yesterday as I was driving back from a day at the New Forest - against my better judgement, it's the first England international I've not watched 'live' in years. Doesn't sound like I missed much. In fact, having seen ITV's God awful highlights last night, it seems they may have struggled to find anything of note to show (other than the goals and Sterling missing from a couple of yards out).

What has Ross Barkley got to do to get a run in the team? Surely he'd have been the better player to put in the position Ox started in? Against a team packing the defensive areas of the pitch, you need someone with the skill and willing ability to run at the defence.

Where we'll have the ball for large periods, I'd be playing Lallana, Barkley and Alli ahead of one defensive midfielder (Dier).

 

[Lord Knows]

Have never been a Gareth Southgate fan but was impressed the way he set up his England side these past two games. Playing off five lines yesterday the players showed an intelligent movement between the lines and a knowledge of each others position so there was little bunching on one line. All in all a stepping stone towards developing a system of play based on good passing and movement. Well done Gareth.

 

[Johnny75]

Have never been a Gareth Southgate fan but was impressed the way he set up his England side these past two games. Playing off five lines yesterday the players showed an intelligent movement between the lines and a knowledge of each others position so there was little bunching on one line. All in all a stepping stone towards developing a system of play based on good passing and movement. Well done Gareth.

I'd largely go with this but you have to remember it was Lithuania and not Italy. There was no plan B when Lithuania dropped deep. However, we won and won comfortably which is Southgate's primary objective.

 

[Lord Knows]

I'd largely go with this but you have to remember it was Lithuania and not Italy. There was no plan B when Lithuania dropped deep. However, we won and won comfortably which is Southgate's primary objective.

I think its a learning curve with a work in progress at the moment, hopefully more fully developed when it comes to tournament football against the top nations. I thought the players had half a mind on what they had been working on in training which made their movements slightly predictable rather than instinctive.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Those who didn't see the City vs Monaco CL games, try to catch France vs Spain tonight on ITV4 because Kylian Mbappé is starting. Closest I've seen to Thierry Henry.

 

[slink]

Those who didn't see the City vs Monaco CL games, try to catch France vs Spain tonight on ITV4 because Kylian Mbappé is starting. Closest I've seen to Thierry Henry.

He's better at this stage of his career than Henry was, going to be interesting to see how long he stays at Monaco and how he progresses.