I was in two minds about if I should start this one, but there’s hardly anything else to talk about and we know it’s going to dominate.
I have some very strong political views, but this is not the place and it’s a football site, simple. I’d like to think we can keep it Villa related, but that’s hardly going to happen, given our poor showing.
Let’s lay down a couple of rules, as much as it grieves me to dictate how anyone comments on here;
There can be no racism, as much as anyone might think the locals have called this wrong.
Likewise, there can be no talk of sex.
I’m massively annoyed about this WC, as it seems it’s been taken over by politics.
The fool who is in charge of that corrupt outfit that is FIFA has only made things worse, to my mind.
But I’d discourage any mention of him.
You can mention him if you want, but I’d be more interested to know what you think of Southgate’s squad.
FWIW, I think we’ll be knocked out at the quarters.
I just don’t think our players have the bottle to win anything.
And Argentina will win the cup.
Mainly because they just don’t do politically correct.
Shoot, I’m venturing into what’s not allowed, already.
I appreciate it’s tricky.
UTV.
Comments
420 responses to “The world cup thread: We know how it is, so keep it footy only”
Wales 0-2 Iran.
Oh dear, how sad, never mind.
I didn’t watch it, but it sounded like a very decent game. Very tense, apparently.
As long as you’re not Welsh, of course.
It’s looking a bit bleak for them, but England need to beat the US first, as a defeat to the Welsh, while doubtful, is always possible!
Didn’t watch it, just kept up to date via the online BBC text; sounded like Hennessey lost his head there…
Did a Schumacher mate.
Now that I do remember!
He should have done 4 years for assault, disgusting behaviour.
Loved that French side Rocheteau – Tigana – Platini – Six (remember his cameo performance for us?)
Great side.
That France team was one of the all-time greats, as I remember them.
Seen them player’s for the last 3 years , they haven’t improved much have they .the way we play we’ll see them with beards next.,
Come On Mexico!!!!!
Sorry Emi!
This is the most hilarious game!! So much acting!!!!
“Centuwion, thwow him to the floor.”
😂😂
Terrible ain’t it mate?
)-:
The UK duplicitous?…Hmmmmm…
Anyway, the Wales v Iran game was a corker. To be honest Wales were not good. Iran were cracking. Had some super Iranian friends over the years. Lovely people. Awful govt. Bit like us really!
Dutch match showed they aren’t much of a threat. Really love Van Gaal though. Hope his treatment is a success.
Log burner going, cats and dog asleep. Beer in hand. Feet up on the sofa. TV on.
COME ON ENGERLUND!!!!!!
So far it’s been a painful half-hour watching England; zero creativity and suspect at the back.
Normal service has been resumed ☹️
“The Southgate Method”
Lol
Told you they were our bogey team.
Canada, what a load of Donkeys and to think they get a free start in the next world cup ,yes it’s in the USA but two host nations .
Too many holes in our defence !! We have new players like Stone, Maguire, Shore, bad luck that Mount . I wonder if we might play a footballer at any time ..
Kieran Trippier’s having an absolute mare
None of them are doing much better
But I (for some totally irrational reason) can’t stand the geezer.😁
Is it just me or do these WC pitches seem very narrow?
I wish someone will tell that twat Southgate that game was crying out for a footballer, Foden Grealish both was needed not that selfish idiot Steeling along with Saka, they cut through us with footballers and its time for coaching clubs to bring back football not athletes with one two pass . That game was a disgrace to a country that brought football to the world.
I’ve just watched an American player carve our defence wide open playing football, i know Southgate didn’t play football so he refuses to use any ..
England remind of us under you know who.
A good bunch of players with a clueless, shite manager.
It would have been more entertaining if I’d sat in front of our tumble-dryer for a 90-minute cotton-dry session.
So I’m sat at the bar and the game is on – after 20 minutes we decided a rum tasting session was more exciting.
Who won 🙂
0-0 to the US (a morale victory for the Septics, we were woeful, that is unless you listen to big noses version of events).
Bar
Rum
Sunshine
Barbados
Better option hitch 👍☹️
See the interview?
We played out well from the back?
Excuse the f¥ck me Gareth but did you see the same game as me?
Oh, yes. The constant sideways passing between the back-4: must have taken up almost 45 minutes across the game…
(I might have nodded-off for a bit during all that.)
I’m sure it made the posession stats look good though.
As they say AV “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”
I wish someone will tell that twat Southgate that game was crying out for a footballer, Foden Grealish both was needed not that selfish idiot Steeling along with Saka, they cut through us with footballers and its time for coaching clubs to bring back football not athletes with one two pass . That game was a disgrace to a country that brought football to the world.
Bill Saka is one player I really don’t get.
Fodden or Grealish or Rashford all day.
I think Southgate comes from the same brand of non football managers as no idea Stevie G – but they do fancy themselves!
I think it’s the style of ‘management’ typified by the likes of Howard Wilkinson, Steve Mclaren and Sven, when Southgate & SG were around the England team as players…
Badger, posts seem to be added in the wrong place quite often. Summat wrong???
I’ve had that Bum Bum, found it to be a reply up the post that I missed earlier. ,had to repost .
Hmm, I’ve noticed replies in odd places, but not sure why it’s happening.
I’ll have to think about it.
Thanks for letting me know chaps
Meanwhile, Belgium get exactly what they deserved against Morocco – zilch.
They’re totally past their peak.
My post jumped twenty five post up .
The Scottish FA making moves on reducing heading of the ball. Welcome but not enough. I love a good headed goal or clearance, but the time has come to BAN heading in football, period. As Cloughie used to say, football should be played on the ground. Apart from the aesthetic benefits, there is now enough evidence to prove benefits to players’ future health. It’s not as radical as you might think. Football without heading would be an even more beautiful game.
Ban heading – ban tackles – ban football. There are those who would seek to ban anything they don’t agree with and use social media as their conduit.
The beginning of a very slippery slope – mark my words!
Fair point, Hitch, but it’s a very general one. My point is only about heading a football and it’s not that I ‘don’t agree’ with heading. There is clear EVIDENCE that it turns what used to be strong, athletic men into cabbages. Do you think it’s worth it? Should this evidence be ignored? Would football still not be an amazing game without it?
BFR – my comment was somewhat influenced by a significant intake of exceptionally good rum 🙂
The debate goes wider than football though – rugby for instance appears to have a much bigger problem. Should we ban boxing or maybe just punches to the head – wouldn’t bother me because I don’t like it
There is a big difference between the balls that footballers like Geoff Astle headed and the modern lightweight balls that don’t become like lumps of rock when sodden with water as the old leather balls did.
What is the evidence? Is the incidence of dementia in professional footballers any greater than that generally seen in the population – I honestly don’t know?
The debate will rumble on.
Depends upon the evidence you are reading BFR
https://www.nicswell.co.uk/health-news/no-proof-heading-footballs-causes-brain-damage
Thanks for this, RSS. It is, however, contradictory. I quote: “Discussing the study’s findings, lead researcher Dr Michael Lipton said: “Our study provides compelling preliminary evidence that brain changes resembling mild traumatic brain injury are associated with frequently heading a soccer ball [football] over many years.””
I could do with some of Hitch’s quality rum!
Think what we have to look at is when did the weight of the ball change, they are not the ball I played with as a young footballer in the fifties, a case ball that was like heading a cannonball and God it knocked you senseless, the age of players getting ill are after years of playing with what ball ?. Just an observational thought .
Agree with you and Hitch. I can remember the old leather case balls ( & what was all that greasy stuff we used to have to put on them…?) which would easily knock you flat-out if you were standing in the wall and someone decided to fire it straight at you!
It should come down to evidence, and the first part would logically be “Is the incidence of dementia in professional footballers any greater than that generally seen in the population?”
Statistically Swimming,cycling and running are 2nd – 3rd and 4th most dangerous sports, should they also be banned??
No one suggested banning football, RSS. And it depends what the ‘dangers’ are. As an example, if running on A roads results in a disproportionate number of runners being splattered by lorries, then banning running on A roads is sensible, not banning running.
I appreciate that anything that poses a risk to health and life can’t logically be banned (Hitch’s rum would have to be on that list). But where adjustments can be made to mediate or eliminate the risk, surely, that can’t be a bad thing? Anyway, you know me. I’ll argue either way until the proverbial cows come home. So let’s agree to disagree.
BFR – ban rum – even diabetics can drink it as all the sugar is distilled out – a fact I learned from my good friend who’s diabetic, 83 years old and can drink me under the table!
I’m not a great believer in the ‘nanny state’ approach. People should be left to make their own decisions based on the premise (actually Premise is a great designer rim – but I digress) that they are fully informed.
*designer rum -;)
I was kidding about the rum, Hitch! 🙂
As for the ‘nanny state’, I’m one of the most rebellious anti-state people I know (I do my wife’s head in, as I’m sure you can imagine!).
The ‘people should be left to make their own decisions’ argument is great and I fully agree with that. The problem with that is many people are stupid. And their actions impact on other people, who are less stupid. Anyway, we’ve veered away from the footy again. Congratulations to Mr Southgate and his squad for successfully and pretty effortlessly qualifying for the knock-out stages of the WC!
You could make an argument BFR, that MRI scans of 37 amateur players is hardly compelling evidence?
Is such a small restricted study worthy of the media coverage it recieved?
Or maybe someone sees a funding opportunity?
Dubin was the grease in them days and remember how you tied the lace up ..
Dubin – wonder whether anyone still uses that!
On my leather walking boots
There was a tin of Wren’s Dubbin in our family shoeshine box, which lasted there 20 years before I realised there was nothing left on which I could use it. Using Dubbin to waterproof street shoes, made it difficult to get a shine back.
So, on a completely different tack, – congrats to Villa women for their 1-0 victory over Durham – Rachel Daly again on target
See we’ve managed to avoid ManUre in the FAC 3rd round, just for once.
Got Stevenage instead
We might actually make round 4 this season without trying to tempt fate.
Aston Villa will host Stevenage in the Third Round of the Emirates FA Cup. 🏆
Borefest or Goalfest tonight???
I’m already bored 😴
It’s like watching paint dry – but less interesting.
Shit so am I , im fed up of making players play the one two game, bring back football i say ! Players that go and create not fx*king robots .
In moderation. I’m bored ..
Southgate = Gerrard = dull football / no tactical nous
Their defence is that it’s all about the winning, which is certainly a big consideration but not everything. Remember boring Arsenal and their 1-0 wins…Even Spuds fans are complaining and they’re 4th!
We’re a bunch of moaning gits aren’t we…
Anyway, I for one think this WC has been entertaining! Sod you all!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Still weird to think Christmas Day will have passed by the time Villa play next…
No way was that an Argie penalty. Justice served!!!
Agree Bum Bum – why wasn’t the camera view looking directly at the goal used? It seemed to me that it showed the GK got his fingertips to the ball.
Sometimes in tournament play you have to take a draw to win a point. I’ve coached in the US for over 20 years and I completely understand why Gareth was happy with a point against the US. We have the best record in the qualifiers and England supporters still moan and boo their own team. Sad really…
Poland have been awful. Guaranteed to go out next round…if they make it. One more conceded or one Mexico goal and they’re out.
Congrats to Matty Cash. One more game then home. No way they’ll beat France. And Emi too!
Brilliant Japan!!! Shame Costa Rica couldn’t hold on and knock Spain out too!
Bye bye Germany!!
Yea well done Matty, some players go their whole careers and never get anywhere near a Lionel Messi shirt.
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Aston Villa will face Brighton & Hove Albion in a second mid-season fixture confirmed for the Club’s trip to Dubai.
Villa will come up against the Seagulls on Thursday, December 8 (ko 1pm GMT) in a behind-closed-doors encounter in the Middle East.
It comes after the Club last week announced Unai Emery’s side will also face Chelsea on Sunday, December 11 (ko 2.10pm GMT) at Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi, coming as part of a week-long training camp during the break in domestic action.
Both fixtures against Brighton and Chelsea will be shown live on VillaTV, with all proceeds going to charity.
Villa supporters based in the UK and Ireland will be able to watch full live match coverage and all proceeds will be donated to Aston & Nechells Foodbank.
The Foodbank provides vital food and hygiene products to support people in crisis, operating from three sites in the B6, B7 and B8 areas of Birmingham, with the volunteer-run project serving an increasing number of people in need.
Fans can purchase a match pass for each fixture and make a donation of either 99p, £2.49 or £4.99 towards an incredible cause in the local