The Road To The Desert: World Cup 2022 Qualification

[Banjo]

I watched the last 20 minutes of the N Ireland - Italy game, top entertainment by comparison with shooting fish in a barrel in San Marino.

Yeah I switched to the Scotland v Denmark game instead in order to watch an actual competition.

 

[darlowolf64]

I watched the last 20 minutes of the N Ireland - Italy game, top entertainment by comparison with shooting fish in a barrel in San Marino.

NI fans singing "you're just a shit San Marino" at Euro Champions Italy a highlight

 

[Jolemai]

I'd only just tuned into 5Live extra at the time. Heard the "goal" and the boos.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Netherlands still have a job to do tonight. If they lose at home to Norway (minus Haaland, which helps them out significantly) and Turkey win in Montenegro (they should) then they're out. They have no Nations League fallback, it's all over if that happens.

 

[Alan]

I wonder what it's like to be a San Marino international.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Pretty decent I imagine. You're nothing more than a decent amateur player (they would 100% lose to any Conference North/South team under the normal run of things) and you get to play against some of the best players in the world, travel all over the place as well to cities you'd never normally get to see. Doesn't matter if you lose, everyone knows you're going to lose.

Beats watching Masterchef with your spare time.

 

[Alan]

Good points you raise, but damn. Shipping 10 goals has got to make 90 minutes feel like a long ass time.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I'd like to know how and when they decide to sack a manager...

 

[Derby Wolf]

Pretty decent I imagine. You're nothing more than a decent amateur player (they would 100% lose to any Conference North/South team under the normal run of things) and you get to play against some of the best players in the world, travel all over the place as well to cities you'd never normally get to see. Doesn't matter if you lose, everyone knows you're going to lose.

Beats watching Masterchef with your spare time.

Like Jack Price electing for Colorado instead of League One to a lesser extent. Wouldn't have played against Ibrahimovic on a cold night in Oldham.

 

[Sniffer]

Netherlands still have a job to do tonight. If they lose at home to Norway (minus Haaland, which helps them out significantly) and Turkey win in Montenegro (they should) then they're out. They have no Nations League fallback, it's all over if that happens.

Not sure if Louis Van Gaal will be on the bench. He had a accident at the weekend.
They should have wrapped it in Montenegro having been 2 up with 8 minutes to play.

 

[Alan]

Like Jack Price electing for Colorado instead of League One to a lesser extent. Wouldn't have played against Ibrahimovic on a cold night in Oldham.

This analogy doesn't make any sense at all to me.

I really don't want to fight over MLS but that's just a low blow.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I don't think it's a dig against MLS, that's just a miles better professional life for Jack (providing he settled down, which he has) than he could ever make in England. Like it's better as a Sammarinese to play against Harry Kane (even if you do concede 10) than to not bother, assuming you had the ability to make the team in the first place.

Returning to the wider point, the scales are ridiculous. Statistically, if Wolves had a policy of only picking players who were born within the metropolitan borough of Wolverhampton, they'd have a nearly 10x better chance of forming a decent team than San Marino have. In reality it'd be an even better chance than that as you'd get a better youth grounding in football terms if you grew up here.

 

[Alan]

Cheers for the context, guys.

Always happy to get Jack back on people's minds. They might make a statue of him (and his beard) in Colorado. He's really a talisman of that club's improvement over the last couple of seasons.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Fairly confident my lot are going to get a reet gubbing tonight. Thankfully Nations League means we have a playoff assured.

 

[Tony Towner]

This analogy doesn't make any sense at all to me.

I really don't want to fight over MLS but that's just a low blow.

You are right Alan, it's a load of bollocks. Oldham are in League 2

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Looks like no Boly at the World Cup, Cameroon are knocking Ivory Coast out as it stands.

 

[Tony Towner]

Our big January signing just scored

 

[Banjo]

Moore and Ramsey double swoop in January

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Moore and Ramsey double swoop in January

Bobby and Alf? I mean it'd be a tight call...

Belgium have missed their peak, they are now where England were in 2008 (without cocking it up quite so much. I mean it's been 15 years and my brain still can't compute that Steve McClaren was actually given the England job)

 

[Banjo]

Yep, Belgium have pissed away 5 or so great years. It'll keep happening whilst international teams can't attract the best managers.