The on topic thread

[TubbsFarquhar]

Quite true! Nearly, but not quite in 2002. If they weren't getting in then, they would be waiting a long time to do so. Liberia is pretty much a legit minnow. Only in Weah's time did they actually make the Cup of Nations, and even then, it was only twice (remembering that AFCON is every 2 years).

Gabon I feel like could be on the very edge. But as you said, 2022 is PEA's last chance.

I guess that's one plus about African qualifying, there seems to be more chance for the lesser lights to qualify. Unlike in Europe. Best had no chance (I feel sorry for David Healy), Giggs was in the wrong generation, and Hyypia... hoo boy... poor, poor Finland.

Guess who's failed to qualify for the WC despite 18 attempts? That's right, Finland. Only Luxembourg have had more failed attempts with 20. I guess if Iceland's rise in football has taught us is that it can maybe give hope for poor Finland who remain the only Nordic nation to not appear at a major tournament (not including the Faroes as they aren't an independent nation).

Going back to Africa though, one thing that makes me wonder is why East Africa is so weak compared to West Africa? With big populations and, despite still being developing countries, have countries that are more prosperous than the likes of Senegal and Cote D'Ivoire. Yet, even with Wanyama, Kenya probably won't get close. The only saving grace there is Uganda who finished second in their qualifying group behind Egypt (they beat them at home!)

 

[Fryer Tuck]

Guess who's failed to qualify for the WC despite 18 attempts? That's right, Finland. Only Luxembourg have had more failed attempts with 20. I guess if Iceland's rise in football has taught us is that it can maybe give hope for poor Finland who remain the only Nordic nation to not appear at a major tournament (not including the Faroes as they aren't an independent nation).

Going back to Africa though, one thing that makes me wonder is why East Africa is so weak compared to West Africa? With big populations and, despite still being developing countries, have countries that are more prosperous than the likes of Senegal and Cote D'Ivoire. Yet, even with Wanyama, Kenya probably won't get close. The only saving grace there is Uganda who finished second in their qualifying group behind Egypt (they beat them at home!)

Doesn't help that Iceland were in the same group as Finland, who scored 9 points, and gave Kosovo their first point. Never qualified for a World Cup, or a Euro, in fact, couldn't even beat the Baltics. Iceland's rise should give hope to all the minnows in Europe. You can do it with the right mindset, tactics, and coaching... also, that reminds me that Hodgeson of all people made them into a top 30 nation. Go figure that one out. (They did go out of the top 100 once he left.)

The same reason as Finland, there's just a greater focus on other sports, especially athletics. Heck, I think cricket is more popular in Kenya than football by a bit. It doesn't help that corruption is rife in those East African nations, which has stalled many a East African nation.

But let's face it, what would you rather be? Part of a mediocre soccer team, or the proud owner of a shiny gold medal (or marathon prize money)? No wonder why they love their long distance events. Kenya, Ethiopia, and the like. Heck, I think you'd find most Commonwealth nations prefer rugby over soccer. With the lack of interest of being 2nd rate footballers, there's not much on the development front (like coaches and adequate facilities for football) that would get the interested ones out to Europe, which also means only the most determined will have to make their way there, meaning you'll lose a lot of talent. It's not an easy path without the support required to get there.

Corruption, interest in other sports, and a lack of opportunity, resulting in a loss of talent, and well, a lack of results.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Sanity prevails. A NYE London Derby was always madness.

 

[Sozabarus]

Mark Clattenburg on the infamous MD36. What a guy.

 

[moomba]

No surprise with Clattenburg. A bloke that could have been a good ref if he did something simple like just apply the rules.

 

[RossFC]

Established1870 what the hell is going on with your mob? A Sunderland fan pulled his pants down and took a deuce on his seat in public during a game.

 

[Established1870]

Established1870 what the hell is going on with your mob? A Sunderland fan pulled his pants down and took a deuce on his seat in public during a game.

A certain Boro supporter has also brought this to my attention (****ing Mooch). Police came out an hour ago and said that he didn't take a shit on his seat. He was severely drunk though, so he still got arrested. Embarrassing but seems to be bigger than what it's made out to be (although a fan sitting down with his pants down is something you don't see every day).

 

[RossFC]

A certain Boro supporter has also brought this to my attention (******* Mooch). Police came out an hour ago and said that he didn't take a shit on his seat. He was severely drunk though, so he still got arrested. Embarrassing but seems to be bigger than what it's made out to be (although a fan sitting down with his pants down is something you don't see every day).

I saw it on twitter, everything that is out of the ordinary circulates on there.

 

[largebus]

Mark Clattenburg on the infamous MD36. What a guy.

So if they (correctly) had finished with 8 men people wouldn't say that they choked.
Alrighty then

 

[go you pups]

IIRC if Dembele had of been sent off at HT for what he did then we may have parked the bus with a 2-0 lead and a more focused approach may have been taken in the 2nd half.

Anyways, we were never going to catch Leicester, lost the title the week we had West Ham and Arsenal when destiny was in our own hands two months prior.

 

[moomba]

You also look at consequences of not sending a player off. Didn't happen here but imagine if they scored the winner in the next game when they should have been suspended.

What if the game involved a relegation candidate.

Rank stupidity.

 

[Cruyff14]

Mark Clattenburg on the infamous MD36. What a guy.

What a ****.

 

[Thistle]

Mark Clattenburg on the infamous MD36. What a guy.

Both teams received record fines for "failing to control their players" during that game ffs

 

[Art Vandelay_]

So if they (correctly) had finished with 8 men people wouldn't say that they choked.
Alrighty then

How does one choke something they never had control of? We failed to reign in Leicester. Hard to choke a league title you never led.

We did go full FIFA mode and try and hack as many Chavs as we could though.

 

[Zidane98]

How does one choke something they never had control of? We failed to reign in Leicester. Hard to choke a league title you never led.

We did go full FIFA mode and try and hack as many Chavs as we could though.

The league title was in your hands prior to the West Ham game. You just needed more points than Leicester for the remainder of the season. That's a massive choke and the whole club showed it on MD36 where you want down kicking, screaming and scratching like a bunch of girls.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

The league title was in your hands prior to the West Ham game. You just needed more points than Leicester for the remainder of the season. That's a massive choke and the whole club showed it on MD36 where you want down kicking, screaming and scratching like a bunch of girls.

Long bow given it’d only have gone level. More specifically to that game at Chelsea it’s patently false.

 

[largebus]

We did go full FIFA mode and try and hack as many Chavs as we could though.

Shit we're not gonna win this boys, we'll injure as many players as we can

Didn't Dele Alli try to break someone's leg when they were losing the europa league tie?

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Shit we're not gonna win this boys, we'll injure as many players as we can

Didn't Dele Alli try to break someone's leg when they were losing the europa league tie?

Lost the ball and made a rash challenge to try and win it back. Reaching hard to say he intended to break his leg. Served his time for it as he should have.

 

[spookism]

A certain Boro supporter has also brought this to my attention (******* Mooch). Police came out an hour ago and said that he didn't take a shit on his seat. He was severely drunk though, so he still got arrested. Embarrassing but seems to be bigger than what it's made out to be (although a fan sitting down with his pants down is something you don't see every day).

Apparently he was 17, drank 12 pints and had only eaten 2 Advent Chocolates for the day.

 

[jd2010]

Do people actually think refs haven't done what Clattenburg admitted before?

He didn't want the story to be about a red card so he extended his leniency giving out yellow cards. I reckon a lot of refs bottle it and make decisions based on what the papers will say the next day

 

[SM]

Even just watching ref watch and the ref on there said that Darlow on Morata wasn't a pen because they wouldn't pay a pen for something like that because of the 'consequences of the decision'. WTF?

 

[jd2010]

It's the age old big club bias debate again

 

[Bojan KantKick]

how? Spurs would have forfeited 3-0 without Battenburg.

 

[jd2010]

how? Spurs would have forfeited 3-0 without Battenburg.

Is that in reference to my comment?

I was replying to SM and the Morata call.

Refs definitely make decisions with fear of what will be made of it in the press. Big clubs have more fans which in turn effects the scale of the story the next day which is effecting their decision making at times.

If our game was Southampton vs Everton there'd have been red cards for sure. An away penalty claim in a Burnley vs Bournemouth game is easier to give than in Man C vs Arsenal. It's just human nature

 

[Bojan KantKick]

Is that in reference to my comment?

I was replying to SM and the Morata call.

Refs definitely make decisions with fear of what will be made of it in the press. Big clubs have more fans which in turn effects the scale of the story the next day which is effecting their decision making at times.

If our game was Southampton vs Everton there'd have been red cards for sure. An away penalty claim in a Burnley vs Bournemouth game is easier to give than in Man C vs Arsenal. It's just human nature

oh fair enough. a few spurs mates are trying to blame Battenburg for not winning that chelsea game. Thought you were doing the same.