I've not looked at the options, but surely there should be one with an Anchor on it to represent their Naval roots? "Come on you Anchors" Or "Anchors, Anchors, Anchors"
Croatia played one of the best matches for some time. Greece are not what they used to be, but they are always hard to score against and no one remembers when was the last time they've conceded 4 goals. The new manager, Zlatko Dalic, is maybe not a well known in Europe, but he's had a good career to date mainly in Middle East where he made a good name for himself. But his best feature though is that he's not Ante Cacic, inexperienced and inept puppet who had no business managing the stars of Real Madrid and Barcelona, but he had the backing of no one bar the Croatian football association, which was another thing held against, as they are corrupted to the bone. This croatian side should be comfortably first in a group consisting of Iceland, Ukraine and Turey amongst others, but Cacic got the team of stars looking like headless chicken at home against the likes of Finland. His sacking lifted the team and Dalic gave them the freedom to express their qualities and as a consequence the team looked reinvigorated and won the cucial match away in Ukraine and now steamrolled Greece. The 4:1 win in Zagreb probably already decided the tie, it's really difficult to imagine that Greece is capable of scoring 3 goals or more. The world cup in Russia will be the last chance for this talented generation to make a memorable result. With Modric, Rakitic, Perisic, Mandzukic, Kalinic and others the team has a combination of technique, flair, pace, power and guile as few other teams and with a good guiding hand could achieve something of note. Defence is a weak point though, it has some solid defenders but none really word class.
I like your team and the new manager might add a bit of unknown factor. Just been looking at the seeding and it's not split by Europe/America/Africa+Rest of world any more, and Croatia will probably pot 3 . (good/bad news, you can get drawn against Serbia).
Perhaps no longer a Srna, Simic or Tudor but I think Vida and Vrsaljko are pretty good. Croatia should be competitive but Iceland, like yourselves 15 years ago, have a golden generation so finishing second is not shameful.
Incidentally did anyone read this about Graham Potter doing an excellent job on the continent and in the Europa League: https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...ostersund--europa-league-premier-league-clubs Does anyone remember him playing for us, I don't!
Will be interesting to see with the new format if the groups are more balanced and if the higher seeds will get further.
Don't know when it is going to be transmitted, but I will be interested to watch the documentary, presented by Alan Shearer, about dementia, and the way it has directly affected footballers of the past. Remembering Jeff Astle, of course. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41902953
Had dinner here in Sarf Efrica with a chap called Steve Mills (I got quite excited when I heard that my old colleague’s partner was an ex pro footballer called that, but he isn’t the same one - he was on books of Man City as a junior and played for England schoolboys with one Frannie Benali - or so he told me). We were chatting about Saints and he asked if I remembered John Beresford. The name rang a bell (I’ve just looked him up and he played for us in the 80s) so I said I thought so. Well he’s big mates with “Bez” and “Bez” picked up an MBE for charity work from Prince William today. Another ex Saint honoured - when does Frannie get noticed?
You have to be nominated for honours...but anyone can do that. Names aren't grabbed from the air, but based on names submitted by individuals or groups. Bet Google will tell you how.
I hope you mentioned that. People become honoured because other notables nominate them. I suppose one could start a petition to get Franny noticed. Or have a word in MLT's ear. I don't go along with the honours system, but we live in this world and so for Franny NOT to be honoured, is ridiculous. And btw, he's not finished. I hear he's planning on doing something again fairly soon.
I thought about nominating Frannie after the Big Walk, but never got round to it. So it’s all my fault I suppose...
