The Footie Thread

[Neilds]

Ok, what’s a better way to measure them? Bear in mind, if you start to give points per goal based on which country they were scored against it becomes a subjective not definitive metric…

Cricket rankings seem to do it successfully. If you score 100 in a match against a lower team - West Indies or Ireland for example (sorry to the Irish!) when the team scores 700-5 declared, you get less points than if you get (for example) 70 against Australia or India at full strength in a match where only a couple of players get over 40 runs and the pitch is favouring the bowlers.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

I think it becomes subjective whatever. Do people actually think Depay is a better striker than Van Basten or RVN? The numbers alone don't tell the whole story, only part of it. It's why we shouldn't get overly excited by some of the statistics that get thrown out now. Caps won, goals scored, the numbers are different now to previous times

Think that prob sums it up these days , players are getting a lot of caps and a lot of goals it’s skewing records

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Farnham Town vs Sutton Utd FA Cup match was live on BBC on Saturday. Weird seeing the place on TV with a full house. And tough losing the equalizer deep into added time - though the difference in standard of player was very evident across the park.

No matter - replay coming up. Will be interesting to see what support the Town takes to Sutton as the success of the club is only last handful of years and so most of the support is very new to the club. From 50 and their dogs 10 years ago to 600-1000 quite regularly. A lot of Farnham folk go as it's a fun thing to do on a Saturday at 3pm - it's inexpensive; its slap bang in town so easy to get to, pint and eats before or after, and a great and enthusiastic atmosphere with a lot of kids going along to watch and support their (now) successful and progressing wee local town team.

 

[nickjdavis]

Surely it's up to the players to get the fans to play their part, not the other way round.

3-0 up in 20 minutes....I'd say the players were doing just that. The fans sat back and lapped it up like they were watching Croquet in the grounds of Buckingham Palace.

 

[Neilds]

Faroe Islands have just won 3 matches on the bounce, latest one against the Czech Republic. They can still qualify for the WC finals playoffs but need to beat Croatia who are currently unbeaten and hope Gibraltar beat the Czechs which is highly unlikely.

 

[Bazz]

32 years since Holland Vs England in Rotterdam, just seen the foul by Koeman on Platt again...do I not like that.

 

[4LEX]

I have to disagree about the away fans being better. Not saying they don't have a lot of great away fans either.

Going away with Northern Irish fans is like nothing I have witnessed before. The atmosphere is incredible, from when they arrive in the country, until when they get home. They have fantastic banter with opposition fans, and it always ends up in hugs and hand shakes rather than fists and thrown tables.

I had an English mate who went to see England away last year, he is the one guy I know who travels. He said loads of England fans travel, and simply go to fight each other. Not even to fight the home national fans. We've had a few English buddies come on Northern Ireland trips, and it is safe to say they are in awe of how we support our team, and how we embrace every second we are away.

So, I don't disagree about England having lots of great, passionate and good natured away fans. But, if we are talking generally, I would strongly disagree that they are the "best in the world"

That's fair enough. Scotland and both of the Ireland's do have fantastic away support and I'd list them among the worlds best too.

I just feel for England, it's the numbers. Consistantly over 10,000 applications for each away game, no matter the location.

There was a lot more inter club troubles with England back in the 90's and 00's. The England games in Manchester were really quite sinister and you had to be very careful in the city centre. These days most of the lads are younger and know each other, so that sort of stuff isn't accepted. Of course after a lot of booze sometimes things kick off but it's no worse than Cardiff v Swansea at Wales games.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Gazza was on talksport this morning

He was never the most eloquent of people when speaking and that seems to have got worse but you can get the gist of his stories and you can tell he just loved to play the sport and enjoy it

He was spot on about wanting to see more players enjoying themselves on the pitch

Still staggering that Hoddle didn’t take him to France in 98

 

[Arthur Wedge]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1977816670271164877

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1977816670271164877

Gives me an excellent excuse to wear my new Cape Verde football shirt next summer

 

[nickjdavis]

Watching the NI v Germany game. not wishing to take anything from Northern Ireland but this has to be one of the wurst German teams in living memory....devoid of any true creativity. I reckon the 2018 team would beat them.

Also it seems Sweden's qualification is currently in its death throes.

 

[Golfmmad]

Watching the NI v Germany game. not wishing to take anything from Northern Ireland but this has to be one of the wurst German teams in living memory....devoid of any true creativity. I reckon the 2018 team would beat them.

Also it seems Sweden's qualification is currently in its death throes.

I started watching it but after the goal it was just boring. Switched over to Police Interceptors and now Blue Lights.

 

[Pin-seeker]

Gives me an excellent excuse to wear my new Cape Verde football shirt next summer

Have you been to Cape Verde?

 

[IanM]

Nor Iron getting the rough end of the decisions in this game

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Have you been to Cape Verde?

No saw some dodgy geezer selling them out the back of a van in Peckham so bought one
Also offered me a Liverpool shirt but I didn’t wanna stock up on toilet roll

 

[nickjdavis]

I started watching it but after the goal it was just boring. Switched over to Police Interceptors and now Blue Lights.

Its livened up in the 2nd half....Germany should be 2 up but the funniest thing is the comments from the Northern Irish commentary team at the referees decision making. Sure he's given some decisions against NI but the outrage shown by the commentary team is hilarious.

Northern Ireland now, if not quite knocking on the door are certainly trying to force their way into the front garden. Germany do look vulnerable defensively...better teams would have taken them apart at the back.

 

[Swango1980]

Germany are terrible for a so called big nation.

Fair play to NI, working hard and have looked competitive, which is good for a team made up of mostly lower league players. But the biggest issue with that is often lacking the quality to convert a chance or two.

 

[Slime]

Watching the NI v Germany game. not wishing to take anything from Northern Ireland but this has to be one of the wurst German teams in living memory....devoid of any true creativity. I reckon the 2018 team would beat them.

Also it seems Sweden's qualification is currently in its death throes.

I see what you did there.

 

[Swango1980]

2 minutes added time. Don't think I've seen such a low amount of added time in the second half in the last 20 years

 

[nickjdavis]

I see what you did there.

I was going to say Wirtz German team, as the man himself was having a stinker....but I went with the more obvious and predictable.