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 World Cup Qualifying |
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 Aug 29 2016, 06:43 PM
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#21
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 BuzzJack Enthusiast
Joined: 26 April 2015
Posts: 796 User: 21,783 
 
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Re: African discussion. Algeria is indeed the continent's finest right now. The core of Brahimi, Feghouli, Slimani, and Soudani are all in their prime. That match vs. Germany in 2014 shows that they were coming into their own. I'd be disappointed if they didn't make the QF in 2018. Egypt seems to be getting their act together right now, but they always find a way to muck it up in WC qualifying. They've even been messing up ACON campaigns lately and they used to at least dominate that. (However they recently ousted Nigeria from the latest ACON and qualified over them.) I'm hoping Cape Verde Islands finally take that next step, and a group with Burkina Faso/Senegal/South Africa is beatable on paper. Burkina Faso has been going downhill since their surprising 2013 ACON runner-up showing, South Africa can beat a Ghana one day and lose to a Botswana the next, and Senegal has been looking good lately but hasn't been really tested.
From the five groups I'd put money on: Tunisia, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Ghana I'd rather see: Tunisia, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Cape Verde Islands, Egypt |
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Aug 30 2016, 09:23 AM
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#22
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 4 October 2014
Posts: 5,610 User: 21,265
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As an interesting aside, if the expected nations qualify for the tournament the seeds for the finals draw would currently be:
Russia (hosts) Germany (holders) Argentina Belgium Chile Colombia France Portugal leaving the likes of Brazil, England, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Uruguay all unseeded. That means some wicked potential for Groups of death in there! 2014 arguably had three of them (B, D and G) which created a cup-tie feel for the group stages. |
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Sep 4 2016, 10:59 AM
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#23
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 19 December 2015
Posts: 20,102 User: 22,776
 
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What are our predictions for today, then? There's two ways it could go for me, we'll either scrape a 1-0 win via a penalty or smash them 4-0.
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Sep 4 2016, 11:03 AM
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#24
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 4 November 2013
Posts: 30,497 User: 20,053
   
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0-0. Euros remastered.
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Sep 4 2016, 04:03 PM
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#25
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 19 December 2015
Posts: 20,102 User: 22,776
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Teams-
Slovakia: Kozacik, Pekarik, Skrtel, Durica, Hubocan, Mak, Gregus, Pecovsky, Hamsik, Svento, Duris. Subs: Novota, Gyomber, Kubik, Kiss, Povazanec, Pich, Sylvestr, Pauschek, Stetina, Dubravka. England: Hart, Walker, Cahill, Stones, Rose, Henderson, Dier, Sterling, Rooney, Lallana, Kane. Subs: Heaton, Smalling, Walcott, Sturridge, Jagielka, Clyne, Drinkwater, Vardy, Alli, Antonio, McCarthy. Would have liked a few more risks, and for Alli and Vardy to start, oh well. Can't win them all. |
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Sep 4 2016, 04:16 PM
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#26
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pop goes the world...
Joined: 23 September 2006
Posts: 8,701 User: 1,426
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I'm going to be a contrarian here, and go Slovakia 3-2 England....
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Sep 4 2016, 04:26 PM
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#27
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i'm massive
Joined: 7 March 2006
Posts: 15,998 User: 41
    
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QUOTE(bigwiglaf @ Sep 4 2016, 05:16 PM)  I'm going to be a contrarian here, and go Slovakia 3-2 England.... I don't think anyone would be at all surprised by that. |
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Sep 4 2016, 04:34 PM
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#28
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Infamy Infamy they all got it in for me
Joined: 5 March 2006
Posts: 129,133 User: 2
   
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Its like watching paint to dry, never seen such a boring match, I keep on nodding off, I reckon the final score will be Slovakia 2 England 0
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Sep 4 2016, 04:49 PM
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#29
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i'm massive
Joined: 7 March 2006
Posts: 15,998 User: 41
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I've had a system for watching England for about 10 years now. It's called background TV. Works well for me.
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Sep 4 2016, 04:56 PM
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#30
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 19 December 2015
Posts: 20,102 User: 22,776
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Painfully mediocre. Little to be even remotely excited about and if I'm honest I can't see us getting anything from this. Very disappointing but our completely lack of attacking output is admittedly partially down to Slovakia's ever-consistent defensive set up. We've been the better side, although that statement comes in the sense that we've still been awful - Slovakia have just been worse than us. When we have managed to break into their final third for more than a few milliseconds, we've lacked ANY creativity or drive to actually get a shot on goal - almost as if we're deliberately running ourselves into no space and passing like a Sunday league side.
For me it's just a predictable case of 'same old, same old' - same old players and same old output. We need to be playing Alli, Vardy, Drinkwater - all players that have been proven to have some creative ability and bring a sense of confidence to the side, because with this starting 11 there is no chance of us scoring anything that isn't a penalty or a complete fluke. I'm not going to be a generic England fan and say 'Big Sam out', but on the back of an incredibly poor game against Iceland, you would at least LIKE to think we'd have learnt from our mistakes?! I'll just hope that he makes the correct substitutes and we at least somewhat get our act together, because considering the fact Big Sam has seemed very confident about the future of the England side under his reign, I'm struggling to see any change from the horrors we witnessed in France. Extremely poor, but there is still time for improvement and I won't lose ALL hope just yet. |
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Sep 4 2016, 05:04 PM
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#31
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 4 November 2013
Posts: 30,497 User: 20,053
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England are possibly the worst team in world football to watch...
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Sep 4 2016, 05:16 PM
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#32
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 19 December 2015
Posts: 20,102 User: 22,776
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Martin Skrtel just got sent off, and I'm very disappointed at the fact he found it funny.
We still look essentially sub-par, however we have improved (even if only slightly) on the performance in the first half - but there is still a hell of a lot of work to be done and if we want to top the group we're going to need to improve. This post has been edited by mdh: Sep 4 2016, 05:17 PM |
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Sep 4 2016, 05:57 PM
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#33
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 4 November 2013
Posts: 30,497 User: 20,053
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That was about as Allardyce as it gets...
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Sep 4 2016, 05:57 PM
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#34
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 19 December 2015
Posts: 20,102 User: 22,776
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QUOTE(mdh @ Sep 4 2016, 11:59 AM) What are our predictions for today, then? There's two ways it could go for me, we'll either scrape a 1-0 win Called it  Never been so happy so see us score, have to laugh at the fact we're acting as though we've won the World Cup :,) Small milestones etc. In all honesty, we have looked a lot better in the second half, not half as good as we need to be though. Glad to get the result - it's always nice to win in dramatic fashion but in reality there's a LOT of improvement necessary. In the first half especially we were very poor and work needs to be done in terms of our attacking set up - we looked sloppy in a lot of instances today. Oh well, what's the betting we'll fluke our way to ten wins out of ten? 
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Sep 4 2016, 05:58 PM
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#35
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Infamy Infamy they all got it in for me
Joined: 5 March 2006
Posts: 129,133 User: 2
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Poor performance overall though, got lucky in the end, they could have played better with their opposition down to 10 men
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Sep 4 2016, 05:58 PM
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#36
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 WINTER IS COMING
Joined: 7 March 2006
Posts: 45,594 User: 88
   
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Terrible game, nice to see we're picking up right where we left off from the Euros.
Struggling to see how so many good players can be so average when they play for England. |
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Sep 4 2016, 06:10 PM
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#37
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 BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 13 April 2007
Posts: 36,647 User: 3,272
    
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I can't remember the last time I could say I enjoyed an England game, but that was even worse than normal. Apart from a brief (approx one minute) spell towards the end, there was a total lack of urgency from England and zero creativity.
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Sep 4 2016, 06:32 PM
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#38
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 It's still will be the return of the Mack 4eva
Joined: 1 February 2011
Posts: 53,575 User: 12,915
   
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A very drab game where England were lucky as anything. Full credit to Slovakia for their dogged defence. Another abject same old England performance.
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Sep 4 2016, 07:21 PM
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#39
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 7 March 2006
Posts: 13,207 User: 66
 
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England very lucky. However it will take more than luck to win this group and do well at the World Cup.
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Sep 4 2016, 08:30 PM
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#40
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Infamy Infamy they all got it in for me
Joined: 5 March 2006
Posts: 129,133 User: 2
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Their next match is against Malta they should win there, Scotland already scored a couple.
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