The Road to Russia 2018

[darlowolf64]

Must... not... take... the bait...

:fished:


opcorn:

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Well, you have been. Averaging just over a point. Every chance you'll finish behind world superstars Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama and STILL have a chance of qualifying.

 

[Alan]

It's not so much that the US haven't been awful as it is that I feel CONCACAF, especially away matches to places like Panama and Honduras, are sorely underestimated by people outside the region.

 

[Johnny75]

It's not so much that the US haven't been awful as it is that I feel CONCACAF, especially away matches to places like Panama and Honduras, are sorely underestimated by people outside the region.

We have some really tough away games to go to in Estonia, Lithuania, Malta, Andorra, Gibraltar........ absolute mind fucks for England.

 

[jd1981]

We have some really tough away games to go to in Estonia, Lithuania, Malta, Andorra, Gibraltar........ absolute mind $#@!s for England.

Yes but you don't get all of them in one group, European and African World Cup qualifying is the most brutal.
Having Spain and Italy in the same group for starters, I've said before it's almost a given now that mexico will be at every World Cup when reality is they're no better than a good proportion of European sides.

 

[Alan]

If it weren't for Costa Rica's run to the semis in 2014 I think CONCACAF would probably have lost a half a spot at least for the 2022 cycle. Unless they do expand the World Cup which, for the record, I am vehemently not in favor of.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Are we really saying Panama are a good team now?

They have a defender who plays in the top Slovak division, a striker in the Swiss top flight and a handful of low end MLS players.

 

[AndyWolves]

Are we really saying Panama are a good team now?

They have a defender who plays in the top Slovak division, a striker in the Swiss top flight and a handful of low end MLS players.

Well I'll eat my hat!!

 

[Alan]

Are we really saying Panama are a good team now?

They have a defender who plays in the top Slovak division, a striker in the Swiss top flight and a handful of low end MLS players.

They're okay.

It's the conditions playing away to those teams that is underestimated.

Playing Honduras at the WC Finals is a completely different beast to playing them in San Pedro Sula, for example.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

It's no picnic playing say, Ukraine away in November which plenty of teams have had to do over the years. Ukraine are shit btw.

 

[Kenny]

It's no picnic playing say, Ukraine away in November which plenty of teams have had to do over the years. Ukraine are shit btw.

I hope our current squad avoid getting into Europe then. Poor petals apparently wouldn't cope with Barnsley so christ knows what would happen to them in the Ukraine

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I hope our current squad avoid getting into Europe then. Poor petals apparently wouldn't cope with Barnsley so christ knows what would happen to them in the Ukraine

Baz has played in Poland, he'll be ok. Just need 10 new players.

 

[Alan]

I agree but I'd say you have to really be involved with CONCACAF throughout the cycle to really get what I mean. Away matches in CONCACAF are probably the most bizarre experiences a team can have.

Of course it doesn't help that the US is not hugely talented nor well coached. Omar Gonzalez continuing to get called up, FFS.

 

[BillyDee]

The sooner we get into a tiered system like say the Davis Cup or other sports World Cups and end this farcical qualification system the better. Then we might actually have the best teams at the World Cup, and fuck their geographical spread.

 

[jd1981]

I'm all for spreading the game around but not to a point where the finals are downgraded as a spectacle, this will be more of issue when it's raised to 48 teams and more sides from Asia and poor CONCACAF sides who simply shouldn't be at that level.
Middle ranking European sides get punished by geography not the fact that they're any worse than the likes of Iran, Saudi Arabia and Honduras.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

If the rankings don't change too much as a result of the October fixtures (and they shouldn't) then there's a decent chance Norn Iron will be seeded for the playoffs. That would currently give them a tie against Iceland, Sweden, Bosnia or Montenegro.

Wales are now ranked above England despite the fact that they probably won't qualify (from a shit group) and we will.

Poland are ranked 6th FFS. Poland!

 

[jd1981]

Shows the rankings are a complete turd fest I remember England went up to 4th not long after the 2010 debacle.

 

[b3h]

Had to Google Norn Iron not gunna lie

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

England squad to face Slovenia and Lithuania:

Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Jack Butland (Stoke City), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Aaron Cresswell (West Ham United), Jermain Defoe (AFC Bournemouth), Fabian Delph (Manchester City), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Fraser Forster (Southampton), Joe Hart (West Ham United, on loan from Manchester City), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Michael Keane (Everton), Jesse Lingard (Manchester United), Jake Livermore (West Bromwich Albion), Harry Maguire (Leicester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Liverpool), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), John Stones (Manchester City), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Kieran Trippier (Tottenham Hotspur), Kyle Walker (Manchester City).

What is his thing with Livermore, seriously. He's genuinely terrible. A shit version of 08/09 Karl Henry.

Lingard has done bugger all to deserve a spot either.

Four keepers again!

 

[YoungWolf]

Livermore is incredible, I'm not sure he even gets in Albion's best XI!

Southgate is coming across quite weird now. He started off saying the right things and seemed like he would be quite flexible but he won't drop Hart, he's hardly playing Stones, he can't get the front players to work effectively despite that being our strongest area. We are just gearing towards another crap tournament where we will say the same things again afterwards and fuck all will be learnt.

I'm still really struggling to see a solution in midfield unless Wilshere suddenly returns to what he should have been, which just isn't happening. Dier I think is solid enough but he needs better quality next to him, as Dembele is a great combination of combative and creativity (something Wilshere really should have been). Henderson ain't that and he is the fucking captain.