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World Cup Qualifying General Talk


maqroll

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A Welshman will always tell you that Wales is a Rugby Union country first and a Football country second. Could it be that their best athletes tend to gravitate towards egg chasing? Winning the six nations seems a higher priority for the Welsh psyche than qualifying for the World Cup.

That's a very valid point. In a comparison of countries with small populations and where one of them is successful at another sport, it's a valid excuse that they don't have enough to go around.

 

What sport are the Scots good at, though?

Besides heroin, binge drinking, and deep-frying?

 

 

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I think most teams want to play England. Despite what some of you want to believe England are not poor (though they are not in the Brazil, Germany or Spain class). Because how big the Premier League is most countries would like their country to play against England in the World Cup I think.

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England's trouble is most teams go up against them expecting to be playing a team as strong as the Premier League is, and England aren't that strong. So teams end up overestimating them and getting better results against them as a consequence. The success of the Premier League has doomed England on two counts. Teams think you're that good at the same time as the foreign players in the Premier League are ensuring that you won't be. Double-edged sword or wha?

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I think England are actually similar to the home nations with a better calibre of player in that they are happier in the underdog role and struggling to beat lesser teams. 

 

If put them in a simple group like 2010 they were always going to struggle but in 2002 they were in one of toughest groups and won it

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Nigerian goalkeeper reckons they can win the world cup. That's all the proof I need. House re-mortgaged. I'm gonna be so frickin' rich.

 

 

When Jamaica got to the World Cup in 1998 their manager at the time, a Brazilian fella called Rene Simoes, said he thought they could win it at a pre tournament press conference.  After a few moments where I presume every journalist in the room laughed their heads off, somebody asked him why he thought that especially considering they were in such a tough group (they had Argentina and a bang-in-form Croatia with Davor Suker at the peak of his powers) to which he gave the most amazing answer which has stuck with me to this day. 

 

He said he would be happy to be proved wrong, but he goes into every game thinking he can win it and if you extend that to it's logical conclusion then his players could win the world cup. He said if he didn't think his team had a chance of winning any game they played in then he wouldn't be a football manager.  Boundless optimism maybe, but it's an attitude I am glad exists. 

Edited by The_Rev
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Yeah I agree and I suppose it's the difference between being involved and being a fan. They have to believe they have a chance in every game as I would if I was them, whereas as fans we have the luxury of scoffing at the thought of Nigerian world champions :)

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I think England are actually similar to the home nations with a better calibre of player in that they are happier in the underdog role and struggling to beat lesser teams. 

 

If put them in a simple group like 2010 they were always going to struggle but in 2002 they were in one of toughest groups and won it

Dunno about that. I think we were just poor in 2010 in general. If we had been in a group like were in 2002 in 2010 then we would've been slaughtered.

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I think England are actually similar to the home nations with a better calibre of player in that they are happier in the underdog role and struggling to beat lesser teams. 

 

If put them in a simple group like 2010 they were always going to struggle but in 2002 they were in one of toughest groups and won it

Dunno about that. I think we were just poor in 2010 in general. If we had been in a group like were in 2002 in 2010 then we would've been slaughtered.

 

 

What was the problem then, Hodgson wasn't in charge at that tournament. God forbid it might be because the England squad isn't as good as it was hyped up to be as per usual.....

 

Australia are another one these nations that just don't move on old players quick enough, that and the young players aren't that good. England would be delighted to get them as 4th seeds as I think it would be a comfortable win.

 

 

What time is the draw on Fri 6th dec?

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