World Cup 2018 - Discussion Thread.

Group A
1. Russia
2. Saudi Arabia
3. Egypt
4. Uruguay

Group B
1. Portugal
2. Spain
3. Morocco
4. Iran

Group C
1. France
2. Australia
3. Peru
4. Denmark

Group D
1. Argentina
2. Iceland
3. Croatia
4. Nigeria

Group E
1. Brazil
2. Switzerland
3. Costa Rica
4. Serbia

Group F
1. Germany
2. Mexico
3. Sweden
4. South Korea

Group G
1. Belgium
2. Panama
3. Tunisia
4. England

Group H
1. Poland
2. Senegal
3. Colombia
4. Japan

The World Cup will be held from June 14 to July 15, 2018 in 11 cities: Moscow, Kaliningrad, Saint Petersburg, Volgograd, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Saransk, Rostov-on-Don, Sochi and Ekaterinburg.

 

Looking at the squads I would actually say France actually have the best side.
The sheer quantity of talent is ridiculous.

Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris, Steve Mandanda, Alphonse Areola.

Defenders: Djibril Sidibe, Benjamin Pavard, Adil Rami, Raphael Varane, Samuel Umtiti, Presnel Kimpembe, Benjamin Mendy, Lucas Hernandez.

Midfielders: Paul Pogba, Blaise Matuidi, Corentin Tolisso, N'Golo Kante, Steven Nzonzi.

Forwards: Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele, Florian Thauvin, Thomas Lemar, Nabil Fekir.

Soo much talent.. and it's crazy to think they left Benzema, Lacazette, Kondogbia behind.(personally would have taken Kondigbia over Matuidi)

On the subject of France Im a little annoyed we let Debuchy leave. Any good manager would have kept him. He has played exceptionally well since leaving Arsenal and is back as first choice RB for France.. Meanwhile Bellerin has been inconsistent for Arsenal. A top manager would have kept both and played whoever was performing better - Wenger seemed allergic to this kind of competition though.

 

First choice for France yet not made their world cup squad?

 

Ah I didn't realise he hadn't made the squad. Reports prior to the official selection where saying he would going.

 

And to question your use of the word "exceptional" to describe him since leaving us... you also know he's only played 10 games since leaving us for a team who finished 7th with a negative goal difference?

He also hasn't played for France for three years.

Not one of your best posts it has ever to be said.

 

He was excellent mate. Put in some quality performances. St Etienne may have finished 7th but their second half of the Season was big improvement on their first. Debuchy was a key reason for that.
In all he made 12 appearances since arriving at St Etienne. Scoring 5 goals and winning the POTM award for February.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/apr/03/mathieu-debuchy-arsenal-france-st-etienne-newcastle
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/former-arsenal-man-mathieu-debuchy-12372766
https://talksport.com/football/prem...ntly-abroad-including-debuchy-paulinho-and-ex

 

Was he? How many of those random ligue 1 games did you watch? And your national team comment...?

 

Not many! how about yourself?.Im sure you watched every game. How about you just Google Debuchy and see what the general consensus is about his last 5-6 months at St Etienne.

Maybe you should consider posting anything insightful or even interesting rather than your normal unnecessary cynical derailing.

This thread about the World Cup. He's not in (I thought he was) - I therefore have no inclination to talk about it any further.

 

Well, I think full-backs were one of the biggest problems in Wenger's system. They were practically the only ones who provide width and they were always pushed a long way forward. It meant that when the other team breaks we were very vulnerable to the counterattack. They receive very little support from the player ahead of them, and they are somehow expected to cover behind the CBs and mark the wingers. Not only that but we often picked our full-backs for their attacking and not their defending.

I think other teams caught onto the system and attacked us wide, putting in a lot of crosses, and exposing our CBs far too much. Monreal was considered one of our best players this year but he isn't that good of a defender, which is why he struggles to get in the Spanish side. Debuchy is probably a fine defender in any normal team, but he didn't work in Wenger's system, a bit like Kolasinac doesn't.

If you watched the CL final Marcelo was a long way up all night, but he rarely got ahead of Ronaldo on the left who also played very wide. He also defended very wide and the ball out to the winger for Liverpool was not available all night. On the other hand Klopps team (very similar system to Wenger) gave Madrid space on the wing all night, and their defence looked like ****. The CBs were performing heroics all night.

I think we are going to see a whole lot of changes in the system and every player is going to have to deal with a new dynamic. Whether you thought Dubuchy was bad or good, better or worse than Bellerin, isn't going to count for much, because I think full-back in particular is a position that is going to be very different under Emery.

 

Back on topic - I fancy Spain or France to win it.
Germany will make the semis as usual and England will go out as usual at the first knockout stage.

i have hired a villa in Tenerife for me and 7 mates, going 18th to 25th June so will see first 2 England games, and will be home in time to watch us get ****ed by Belgium.

It will be epic.

 

Yep. France are my favourites but Spain are a pretty close second. Germany always gonna be a threat too.
Nice!

 

I think we might get an upset this year. I don't think the stars from Brazil, Germany, Spain or France have done that much, or are as dominant domestically as they have been in World Cups in the past.

I think Russia as hosts should get a mention, and I think Belgium, Poland, Argentina, Uruguay, and even England can dream. There isn't really a group of death for any of the real hopefuls, so a good result and a penalty shoot out win in the knockout stages and suddenly it all becomes real.

 

Are there really any outstanding teams this year? Yes you have talented players in France but are they really better than everyone else, like Spain were years ago?

But I'd still go with one of the favourites.

 

Well bookies seem all over the place on this.

Many have France and Spain as favourites. Although Brazil are ALOT of oddsmakers favourites despite the fact they have a fairly mediocre side.

Argentina and Belgium have good sides too - but I just cant see them putting it together. (much as I would like to see Messi lift a World Cup).
There's alot of good young players in the England side - but Southgate basically picked a team that has barely played together. Omitting alot of the regulars.

I would still put my money on France or Spain though.

 

Dat Guy Wellbeck scored again for England.
He actually has decent record at International.

If only he could have the same kind of goals to games ratio for Arsenal.

 

If he stays maybe the new manager can change things? Sometimes a fresh start can be good.

 

Maybe - he just never improved technically. He's such good athlete but just never really pushed on to the next level - who knows maybe Emery will get more out of him.

 

Brazil to win.

Peru to surprise people.

 

Belgium......

 

Have they ever performed to a level that they Should? Very good players but they can never seem to get it together. One of the most compete sides in the world but often flatter to deceive.

There are quite a few teams that can win it on paper but no one is looking particularly great. Plenty of great players on show and I'm hoping it'll live up to it but it'll probably be boring and unexciting.