World Cup 2018 countdown!!!!

[Memphis]

Who's doing Panini then?

I've been drawn in by some proper hardcore Panini nerds at work. One bloke has got them going back the late 60's. Apparently it costs £700 to complete it. I'm not having that.

Anyway. Really looking forward to the World cup, especially the early umpteen games a day lark.

England, no expectations but they really ought to be looking at last 8 if fixtures pan out the way they 'should'

The usual suspects to be there or there abouts.

[TitoFan]

Well, surely the scheduling gods had a soft spot for England this time around as they put you in with Panama and Tunisia.

I took a page out of my fantasy football prep routine and looked at some rankings from different orgs. Each by themselves are probably about as wrong as you or I, but consensus rankings are usually pretty dependable, IMO.

England's ranked a consistent 9th by 3 out of the 4 orgs I looked at (Mirror, CBS Sports, Sporting Life). The Guardian is a bit more pessimistic and ranks England 13th.

Still.... Panama has rankings of (gasp) 31st, 28th, 23rd, and 28th again). Tunisia is ranked 29th, 31st, 25th, and The Guardian didn't even bother ranking them.

Also, interestingly enough, Colombia, England's likely opponent in the round of 16, is ranked lower than England by all four orgs (though admittedly not by much).


So let's see. I understand the pessimism but who knows?



I myself would like to see Brazil win and pull away from Germany in all-time Cups.

[Drago]

Without a doubt the least hyped worldcup I can remember (with england in it).

I used to book the days off England were playing and the day after, but i couldn't even tell you who they are playing (until I read this thread) or when they are playing.

In fact I have virtually stopped watching football now, Im sick of the diving. Its hard to watch a sport with so called men throwing themselves on the floor and cheating when in Boxing you hide your injuries. I honestly think if your rolling around on the floor you should be stretchered off as if your that badly hurt/injured you shouldn't be able to play. That would stop the cheating b'stards straight away.

[Master]

Rankings mean very little in tournament football especially the world cup. The best team wins the competition unlike European Championship where you get Portugal, Greece and Denmark winning it.

England do well and have a high ranking until they get to the tournament where they get exposure.

I have always thought we were going to win since 1982. Gave up after a dismal 2010 in South Africa.

Losing to Iceland and that dick goalkeeper Hart was a kick in the balls I needed to remind me we are poor.

Last time they were giving out free panini books in the city centre. No way am I forking out £700 to complete a book.

[smashup]

The one thing England have got in there favour for once is there's no real egos like TKO mentioned and we have a really young squad but that could work against us as much as for us.

I've been driven mad by England so many times over the years that i don't get my hopes up at all anymore.

Hope the Russians put on a decent show and like all World Cups the group stages always produce some classic matches and new unknown stars are born.

Like i said on paper Belgium should piss it but it'll be the same pedigree teams in the Semi finals with maybe one surprise.

Fucking German cunts more than likely win it.

[Master]

Belgium are not going to win and the only reason we rate them is because they have so many premier league players.

England may even beat them.

[Beanz]

Me and the Mrs have a whole rack of England shirts but have totally lost touch with the Premiership being so over run with imports. I will watch the team that represents the city I was born in but have no interest in teams that have screwed over their own supporters. I have no idea who half the players are, in fact maybe actually none for the first time and Blatter, Qatar etc just makes a mockery of the whole fricking thing. I still have my England 5 Germany 1 mug but it has faded so much it is virtually unreadable and that kind of sums up my feeling for this tournament. The Mrs and grand kids will fill in the fixture pullout poster, we will stick the flags up and i will watch and try and get behind them but I can't help feeling cynical after so many years of it.


Then we will meet Portugal or Germany and some diva will feign injury to have a penalty awarded against us and i will jump out of my seat and scream loads of xenophobic rubbish at the TV and run out of the house/pub and into the street and embarrass the whole family by screaming 'Fucking yes.. have it' if our keeper saves it.



Who is our keeper anyway?

[DenilsonTheReturn]

I can remember the date. It was 1994 on July 4th. USA independence day. America hosted their first world cup and they played Brazil in the last 16. Brazil had a man sent off in the first half. So for around 70 mins USA had a man extra.

The ultimate nightmare could happen

USA beating Brazil. I don't think I could have watched football (or Soccer as they call it) again.

Brazil even a man down still beat them. I often wonder how football would have turned out had USA beat Brazil that day. A country like the USA that does not take soccer 100% seriously (to the same extent that they do basket ball, baseball, pro-football or ice hockey) beating Brazil. A country where football is everything. I can't even put it into words how much of a disgrace that would have been.

It would have been like McGregor beating Mayweather.

As to this World Cup. You NEVER get surprise winners of the World Cup. In fact you NEVER get surprise finalists at the world cup.

I like France to win it. I just think they are peaking at the right time. I could be wrong. Brazil have an awesome side. Germany....are well....Germany. Argentina ? They have the best player in Messi and with him they could go far, even if the team is average. And I have not even talked about Spain, Belgium or Portugal. England ? Don't make me laugh

[TitoFan]

Damn, this is all so sad...........


Imagine then if lightning strikes and England wins the World Cup. Not only will England implode and sink into the ocean from the massive party, but this forum will short-circuit and boxing will cease to exist for months. It'll crash daily, and I won't be able to get in except between 3 and 4 am BST.

[Gandalf]

Me and the Mrs have a whole rack of England shirts but have totally lost touch with the Premiership being so over run with imports. I will watch the team that represents the city I was born in but have no interest in teams that have screwed over their own supporters. I have no idea who half the players are, in fact maybe actually none for the first time and Blatter, Qatar etc just makes a mockery of the whole fricking thing. I still have my England 5 Germany 1 mug but it has faded so much it is virtually unreadable and that kind of sums up my feeling for this tournament. The Mrs and grand kids will fill in the fixture pullout poster, we will stick the flags up and i will watch and try and get behind them but I can't help feeling cynical after so many years of it.


Then we will meet Portugal or Germany and some diva will feign injury to have a penalty awarded against us and i will jump out of my seat and scream loads of xenophobic rubbish at the TV and run out of the house/pub and into the street and embarrass the whole family by screaming 'Fucking yes.. have it' if our keeper saves it.



Who is our keeper anyway?

You don't sound like a patriot speaking like that.