World Cup 2018 - Discussion Thread.

I agree that there are a number of teams like Belgium that have a possibility - I have taken a punt at 11-1 odds as I generally think their all round ability is class. Of all the outsiders, Tunisia are capable of inflicting damage. I am looking forward and hope it is entertaining.

 

Belgium is a very interesting pick. If their two main creative cats can fire then it'll make them hard to play against. Only real weakness is Lukaku who doesn't have the best finishing and or lived up to his potential.

 

That France team though..

------------------------Lloris-------------------------
Sidibe------Umtiti----------Varane------Mendy
---------------Nzonzi--------Kante-----------------
-------------------Pogba/Tolisso--------------------
---Dembele-----Griezmann-------Mbappe-----

Bench: Blaise Matuidi, Fekir, Lemar, Benjamin Pavard, Rami, Areola.

They could afford to leave the likes of Martial, Benzema,Coman, Rabiot, Kondogbia etc.. at home. Pretty deep talent pool.

 

They do have a powerhouse team, but seem a little light in the creative department. But then again, with all that pace and power in their team, they can just batter teams into submission. Interesting to see them leave Benzema home, he is a great anchor up front and would allow other attacking players in. I think they missed a trick there which would have been a viable plan B. Have they left Giroud too?

 

Well I guess the forward players Dembele, Mbappe and Griezmann are pretty creative on their own but yeah their midfield is all about power/athleticsm.

Giroud is in the squad - will give them a decent plan B.

 

I agree, the front three can create and score but there isn't anyone in midfield that can pull the strings and is a natural playmaker, unless Pogba is that man but he is very direct.

 

Whenever I see CBs from Barcelona or real Madrid in an International team I am skeptical. They are just are not tested week in week out like other teams.

They have Kante, but apart from him, they are a very aggressive team. If they have a weakness it is their defense, if they come up against a good attacking team. At that point it will be a shoot out.

 

Sometimes Toledo I really wonder about you. You say the craziest things.

You mean like Ramos (World Cup Winner), Puyol (World Cup Winner), Pique (World Cup Winner), Thuram (World Cup Winner) Roberto Carlos (World Cup Winner), Cannavaro (Real Madrid).. I could go on and on.

If they are playing for Real or Barca they are more than likely TOP quality.

 

Brazil, Germany or France... In that order

 

A dire first game of the tournament. They are thinking of increasing the amount of teams entering the World Cup, why? Only thing i can think about is making money, it sure as hell isn't to improve the quality. You have a team like Holland out but a crap team like Saudi Arabia playing in the tournament opener. What a waste of time.

Saudi Arabia is ranked 67th and Russia 70th in the FIFA world rankings.

 

Was a poor game but I expected worse.

Golovin looked like the only real quality player on the pitch.

 

Portugal Spain was an awesome game.

Spain typically strong in possession but Portugle are super scrappy and always looked dangerous. Ronaldo scoring a hatrick.

Have to say I thought William Carvalho looked decent.

 

How is Mark Lawrenson still allowed to commentate?

He's soo ****ing miserable!!

France team doesn't look right. Not playing well at all.

 

Just hours before he and his home country Portugal open their 2018 FIFA World Cup run against Spain, Cristiano Ronaldo was handed a suspended two-year prison term and a €18.8 million EUR (approximately $21.8 million USD) fine for tax evasion.

What is wrong with these guys? Soo both Messi and Ronaldo have been found guilty of multi-million pound tax fraud.

 

This Nigeria v Croatia game is awful. Nigeria is so ****e it's painful to watch, hope Argentina hammer them next and send them home early. Super Eagles? More like Dead Pigeons.

 

Simple mate, they are football players not accountants. They pay people to handle this sort of thing and have to trust them.

 

Milikovic - Savic is TOP class. He's going to be one of the Worlds best players in a few years.

If Yugoslavia was still an actual country they would have a ****ing good team.

Best players from Croatia, Serbia & Bosina/Macedonia.

Kolarov(Serb) Matic (Serb) Milenković (Serb), Ivanovic(Serb), Milinkovic-Savic(Serb), Modric (Cro) Rakitic (Cro), Lovren (Cro), Mandzukic (Cro), Perisic (Cro),Begovic (Bos),Kolasinac (Bos),Jovetic(Bos),Dzeko (Bos)

 

Will never be world class with a surname like that. Needs to change his name to something like Ivan Drago or Obsidian Cull

 

Best game of the tournament so far Mexico beating Germany. Maximum respect for playing without fear and some cracking football. If they had one top striker they would have beaten them by 2 or 3. Germany wasn't bad Mexico did the business.

 

Iwobi and Ozil were both pretty awful (along with the whole German team), Xhaka did alright but there were better players in the Swiss team