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”
Terrible penalty by our old boy for Ghana. I’d drop any player who doesbthat stupid run up.
As Gareth Southgate’s mum famously said, ‘Why didn’t you just whack it’?
So Jack could be back??
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/aston-villa-jack-grealish-transfer-25661174
Jack and we’ll have Foden too please!
“B’ham Live” has run dozens of non-stories during the WC, with nothing else to write about.
This is another one.
(& no, I don’t want Grealish back)
I tend to agree with Ardent on this one.
Even if MancC are prepared to sell him to make room for Bellingham they would want a serious proportion of the money they paid for him and that would make no sense in terms of Villas spend in developing the existing squad.
But then who can predict anything in football?
Yeah. Jack back would turn us into a sideshow.
Grealish was outstanding for us in the Championship: but that is now some time ago, and we’ve moved on into a far more competitive league.
In the PL we (briefly) became the JG Show – until many teams figured out that stopping Grealish meant that Villa were lost.
As ManCs (& England) have decided, he’s a luxury player, not one that either Pep or Southgate want to build a team around. If he came back I could see us taking an ‘easy option’ (deliberately or not) & reverting to everything revolving around him.
Not really sure what to say;
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/world-news/pele-moved-end-life-care-25667083
Badger – without wishing to go into details there’s something not quite right with the reports in the Brazilian press.
I think, on balance, I would be inclined to listen to what his family are saying.
Sad, but a life very well lived. He can only be celebrated.
The rumours that ManC are prepared to sell Grealish to fund the acquisition of Bellingham suggest that Grealish’s acquisition at £100m was a move drive by a statement of wealth rather than a need for the player. What has happened since tends to support that theory.
Grealish may now find himself like a ship afloat with no direction.
No identity, no one can afford him and no clear role. He may have made a massive mistake moving to ManC despite the tin ware he’s collected.
I suggest that he may need to go abroad in the next stage of his career – but he may also find his star waning in the months to come.
Sad really!
However, what might work is the sale of Coutinho and a loan move by Villa for Grealish – would that work? I know it goes everything I’ve posted previously?
*goes against
Football is a game that uses people. Big rewards for the few but Citeh’s owners don’t care about Grealish. We did.
He could reprise the role he plays at Citeh at Villa as long as it doesn’t revert back to just having one plan. Would Emery put up with the circus though? And what wage is he on?
On another note anyone fed up with the fawning by the BBC over Messi. Nauseating 🤢. He had a good match against an average team. Their winning goal was via a catastrophic goalie error…
Looking at reports on Grealish. He was signed for £100m and had a 6 year contract. Come the end of this season he will have completed 2 years. I believe the transfer costs is split over the length if the contract. This means he would be worth £68m? Plus wages.
Can Villa afford this?
Should Villa make a move to re-sign him?
Interesting days ahead.
Correct Sid – for accounting purposes (FFP) the fee paid is amortised over the length of the contract whilst the total of the fee received goes straight to the bottom line.
Hence the £100m received for Grealish was a massive help to Villa with FFP.
Grealish – as played by Man C and England – is stuck out on the left wing where a pass to him can be clearly ‘read’ by opponents before it happens. So when Jack gets the ball he cannot go round the outside of the fullback who has closed him down. Usually Jack returns the pass. The idea of all this is to create as large a gap as possible between the fullback and the next defender in the rearguard.
If England expected Jack to score goals himself or deliver dangerous crosses they would play him on the right wing and probably with Wilson. When you play a one-two with Wilson, he gives you the ball back. No other England player does.
Watching this French v Pole match and is just me or does the stadium sound like an half empty swimming baths?
They should think about the accustics when they build these places.
BBC coverage is just so bad imo, the woman totally lack luster & DD is such a dull bloke.
Would I want Jack back ? Yes because he’s the only ball player in the Premier league and mangers don’t want ball players only athletes, I like skilled football players and Man City made Jack look average and parked him on the bench ,he wouldn’t worry he’s getting paid , Newcastle will pick him up I would like him brought home just for his skills and one of our own .
I wish they’d stop blowing Senegal’s trumpet.
If we can’t beat these, it will serve us right.
And Southgate needs to go.
He does.
This is like watching Villa under SG, you worta want them to lose just to get rid of.
Sad but true.
We’re doing a pretty poor job of it so far!
Mother Father kindly disregard this letter 😂😂
🙂
Bellingham
What a F∆¢€ing player this kid is (and midlander to boot) 😁
2-0. Oh ye of little faith.
Shame Bellingham is a bluenose! Lol!!!
Don’t forget Senegal are a much, much better team than the USA, Poland, or Australia.
Then he arose, scored a 3rd and a 4th and there was a great calm.
😂😁🤣
The French will be a very different proposition but 🤞
(Could it be coming home?)
Sshhh! You’ll jinx us!!! 🤣
Lol
We have enough up front and midfield but the centre backs are Achilles imo but hey ho maybe, just maybe 🏆🤞😁
Finally, a comfortable game at last.
As I suggested though, Senegal are pretty poor and offered nothing.
That was actually a decent performance, albeit it boring for the first half hour and I found myself thinking how, when we’re in such a nice position, our subs give us loads of very good quality depth, especially in the attacking midfield area.
I also found myself thinking that I have serious doubts about us against France. But I watched them earlier and wasn’t particularly impressed.
Yes, they’re decent going forward, but we’re possibly better and they looked as dodgy as us at the back. Poland were no great shakes, yet they had at least a couple of very clear cut chances.
I’m quite looking forward to that game and if we can actually break the habit of a near lifetime and beat a decent side, I actually we have as much chance as anyone.
Certainly, if I was the manager of the other quarter finalists, I’d be thinking we need to be wary of England.
But no doubt I’m building myself up for disappointment again.
As I’m typing this, I’m listening to the player’s interviews and they all sound pretty intelligent lads, which is good.
And apparently they’re an incredibly tight nit group too.
The way they worked for each other seemed to back that up too.
Maybe, just maybe????
Me too mate and I don’t think we’re that far off the finished article but (and it’s a big but) will big nose have the tactical nous to take this all the way??
🏆🤞👍😁
That’s probably my biggest doubt.
I don’t rate him in the slightest.
But I’m fairly sure Sir Alf also wasn’t liked in 1966.
It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if I proved to be wrong about horseface 🙂
But the difference is sir Alf won the title with unfancied Ipswich proving his worth.
Big nose on the other hand did an absolute wank job at Middlesbrough.
Chalk & cheese mate (never mentioned in the same breath).
But I’m just about old enough to remember that Ramsay was only a popular ‘hero’ for the 4 years after 1966. Once England had gone out of the 1970 WC (which with my rose-timted specs on, I always remember as one of the greatest WC’s of all time), the press turned on him as a ‘has-been’…
By the time he left the England job, he’d become a bit of a cartoon villain as far as the red-tops were concerned.
The French have one aim only and that’s to score. (Stating the obvious). They can’t man mark our goalscorers as they come from everywhere. If we can shackle M-Bop, we have a damned good chance. This will be the tie of the tournament.
Say it quietly, but we may just do it this time around…
Hence mate why he’s got Walker in there ( cause even now he’s f**king rapid).
🏆🤞😁
Have too admit when the team was announced I thought bloody hell Henderson Saka but was I wrong . Well done the team France to Me is not a worry they can be beat.
One swallow doesn’t a summer make!
For a period of 10 mins or so before we scored, Senegal looked the more likely to score and it took a combination of poor finishing and a great save by Pickford to deny them a goal and had Senegal gone ahead …….
After the goal by Henderson we looked a different team.
If we give France too much respect or sit back like we did today for the first 30 odd minutes then we’ll get punished. Giroud and Mbappe are top class strikers and won’t waste chances.
Far too early to be bigging ourselves up!
I don’t think it’s a case of bigging us up Hitch.
It’s more that nobody has stood out to me and I think the winners will just be that team that gets on a roll.
Do I think that could be us?
While unlikely, I’d say it’s also very, very possible.
Kane finding his scoring boots at the right time.
Bellingham looking like a proper midfielder, it’s all coming together at the right time.
The French are a massive hurdle but get over that and who knows?
🤞🏆👍😁
Argentina looked rather impressive the other night!
Don’t get me wrong – even though I detest Southgate I’d love us to win the tin cup but ……
I thought the Aussies made Argentina look average. Messi had a good game but not an awesome game. Southgate will have learned from the Euros final that sometimes the best defence is attack. Our stats are by far the best at this WC and we faced one of the strongest group tunners up out there.
Gonna be a beltee of a gamenon Saturday night. Get the beers in!!!!!
Thought the same as you – it’s all or nothing for Argentina based on Messi; I think he’s a footballing genius but even he can’t make up for the other 9 rather average outfielders all of the time.
SK’s vulnerabilities being exploited by Brasil. No love for the modern Brasil teams really. Not since the halcyon days of Ronaldinho and Ronaldo. Ever since then they just seem a bit cheaty…Despise Neymar.
The Koreans started the game defending suicidially; Brasil are good, but not as outstanding as the team you mention (or my favourites – the 1970 one).
I don’t see any standouts but that’s usually the way in the WC or Euros. I don’t fear anyone but I think our record so far will genuinely concern other teams. Our goals come from everywhere! A great squad whatever some may say. The France game could be a showstopper. Possible game of the tournament. As i said before, i think GS will have learned fro the Euros final that you have to be up for the fight. It’s a boxing match. Keep prancing around the ring and yr gonna eventually get a left hook where it hurts. We have to get in there first.
Agree with your last comment Bum Bum – first goal is going to be massive
Felix at £86 mill, anyone?
He certainly looked good tonight and apparently we’re favourites to get him. Marca have said we’re definitely in the frame and have even started negotiations.
I’m not sure myself and doubt there’s anything in that story.
So Brazil and Portugal look pretty good then.
Anyone want to play last 4 predictions?
I’m going with Brazil, Argentina, Portugal and France.
Portugal scoring six and Spain going out to Morocco although Spain are a very young side.
Hard to argue with that prediction Badger – the usual favourites!
We just don’t have the the ability (balls?) to go any further.
yep, balls Hitch.
Talking of which, anybody know why they’re lighter than the already light ones we use in the Prem?
They’ll be like beach balls soon.
Badger you’ve gone for the safe bets!
I’m not usually an optimist when it comes to England in tournaments – but I wouldn’t be completely surprised if we actually manage to sneak past France…
Yes, the safe bets indeed.
But here’s one for you.
If we do manage to beat France (and I too, think it’s very possible), we’ll also get to the final.
I don’t see the Felix move happening.
Simply because we’re nowhere near offering any player like that what they all want – European football – in the near-future.
Croatia – (Brazil’s Samba Boys had a bye in the last round)
Netherlands – (Cheating South Americans have only got one player)
Portugal – (Morocco have climbed their Everest)
England – (Wishful thinking on my part)
Trust you to be contrarian lol.
Although I’d be quite happy to see that.
Au contraire Badger.
(-:
8/1 Croatia got be worth a punt on a two horse race?
I don’t think Croatia have the fire power, and secondly strange decisions go Brazil’s way in WC.
Brazil
Netherlands
France
Portugal
Absolutely OLL but they are savvy and maybe planing a Morocco?
OLL you’re not wrong with the Refs favouring Brazil
Well 3 out of 3 of the teams going home so far. Can France complete the duff selection whitewash?
Aston Villa will be offered Leicester City and Denmark centre-back Jannik Vestergaard, 30, during the January transfer window.
From the BBC, sounds a done deal.
I find these sorts of deals quite depressing.
There’s just very little future in them and they just do the young lads out of opportunities.
On a free, I assume?
It’s just on the “Gossip” page – hardly sounds like real news to me , let alone a ‘done deal’ ?
Why would we want yet another centre-back, especially a 30 year-old?
Is he any good?
Given Leicester’s record from set pieces I’d guess the answers is no?
(-:
Reported on BBC gossip page but actually was from an article in Football Insider which is the biggest load of garbage going.
Won’t happen – we already have enough CB’s at his level and with Carlos due back in the New Year, a CB will not be priority on January.
Reckon we’ll be prioritising a wide player in January
They were two weeks ahead of the game with the SG sacking.
😂
But the article in question said he’d already been sacked – which he hadn’t – so not accurate but I suppose technically they can claim an exclusive. Well they would, wouldn’t they.
I don’t it was really a shot in the dark mate, everyone knew it was coming. They (FI) simply made up some fictional “Exclusive”.
Ah – my point exactly RSS
Michael Oliver’s
performance is an embarrassing, biased disgrace.
Booiom!
Get innn!!!
Samba boys can dance all the way back Rio 😁😂😅🤣
lol. What a game though. Congrats to Croatia – they really play as a team. That’s what it takes to win these games, grit, guile and teamwork.
Croatia were absolutely top draw, organized, cool under pressure, fantastic on the ball, loved it.
That right back ( no 22) was motm imo, what a player.