The Footie Thread

[Orikoru]

Agree.

Success is last 4.

QF's should be achievable for England but it does depend on how the chips fall with regard the knockout draws.

Scotland will do well to make top 2 in their group...Morocco and Brazil are both better teams...but they should proceed as one of the best 3rd placed teams but are then likely to come up against a group winner...so last 16 would be a huge achievement.

This is a bit of fun, you can either enter your own score predictions and see how things pan out or let the system "simulate" results....the simulation isn't just throwing random scores at matches.....play it enough times and you see "predictable" patterns (though there are a few "shocks" thrown in that are unlikely to happen....but hey....we all remember Senegal beating France in 2002 and Cameroon doing over Argentina in 1990...so who am I to really say what is likely/unlikely....any way...as i said, its a bit of fun...

FIFA World Cup 2026 Simulator | Predict Tournament Results

Interactive FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament simulator with 48 teams. Predict every match, track group standings, and simulate the knockout bracket.

www.profootballnetwork.com

I went through this and I have us meeting Brazil in the Quarter-Finals - which could be a loss, but if we win, then Argentina in the semis. Would be tough to get through those two in order to face France in the final.

 

[clubchamp98]

No idea how they do things in Brazil. But I'm pretty sure kids still play football on the beaches. I'm pretty sure Cunha still plays a bit on the beaches when he goes back on holiday, think he mentioned it in an interview

There you go then.

He’s not a bad player.

 

[Rlburnside]

Let’s be honest guys, go back on here or google it and we’ll see the same moans and complaints we get before every tournament.

I genuinely can’t remember us ever playing well in build up fixtures.

For a team that relies on one player apparently we really don’t have a bad record in recent tournaments.

Quarter finals are a must for me, semi’s or final, anything can happen.

If you go back on here and google you will find Kane getting slated and should be dropped, even getting called a donkey.
Now he’s the messiah

I think the starting 11 will play better and should create more chances, we have some decent attacking players. It’s not all doom and gloom.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

It helped in 1966!

All the best Brazilian players used to say the learned to play on the beach!
Uneven surfaces help your ball control
Maybe it’s why Brazil are not what they were and most other countries.

1966

 

[PaulMdj]

Think it’s more iPads and phones.

When’s the last time you saw a bunch of kids playing footy in the park outside the organised teams.?
Never by me and I go through the park most days.

I wonder if Italy has a similar problem.

Saw kids in the park near me yesterday when I was out walking the dog.

Maybe it’s the area you live nearby, but up here in the NE I often see kids playing footy in the parks or grassed areas around the houses.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

It helped in 1966!

All the best Brazilian players used to say the learned to play on the beach!
Uneven surfaces help your ball control
Maybe it’s why Brazil are not what they were and most other countries.

So did the lack of goal line technology!

You don’t need uneven surfaces to practice ball control. Half the issue is clubs don’t let kids develop naturally and make mistakes. From to young and age they’re teaching possession based football and patterns of play.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I went through this and I have us meeting Brazil in the Quarter-Finals - which could be a loss, but if we win, then Argentina in the semis. Would be tough to get through those two in order to face France in the final.

Brazil came 5th in their World Cup qualifying. So much awe of Brazil is historical. There is no reason to fear them, or Argentina. They wont fear us either to be fair but we shouldn't build them up based on past history

 

[Neilds]

Kids shouldn't be playing in organised leagues until they are about 11 or 12 imo. Teach them the basic skills (which a lot seem to lack) and not have them playing matches

 

[Orikoru]

Brazil came 5th in their World Cup qualifying. So much awe of Brazil is historical. There is no reason to fear them, or Argentina. They wont fear us either to be fair but we shouldn't build them up based on past history

I agree Brazil have one of their poorest sides to date, but I usually expect England to just not turn up as soon as they face one of the bigger nations.

 

[arnieboy]

Kids shouldn't be playing in organised leagues until they are about 11 or 12 imo. Teach them the basic skills (which a lot seem to lack) and not have them playing matches

My 7 year old grandson plays for a local club with teams from 6 to 16. I go to most of his matches and although the coaches shout instructions the kids just enjoy running around, doing Palmer/Ronaldo celebrations and wanting to be player of the match. Long may it continue.

 

[4LEX]

I can see us getting to the final but France are on another level to us these days, we really missed the boat in 18, 20, 22 and 24. To not win anything over that period was shocking and making two finals was a poor return.

Not gonna read too much into the games this week but hopefully it'll be the end of trying to play too many central attackers. No team can function with Foden, Rodgers and Palmer in it. We look a much better team with balance and pace out side. I would leave Foden at home, just the sight of him in an England shirt angers me. Top club player but he's done almost nothing for years for England. Just slows the game down, gives the ball away and runs around like a headless chicken. His record of 4 goals in nearly 50 games is something you'd expect from a centre back. In fact Harry Maguire has a better attacking output....let that sink in

Only Rashford and Hall really did anything to impress me. One thing's for sure, if Kane gets injured we'll be in big trouble.

 

[Orikoru]

No team can function with Foden, Rodgers and Foden in it. We look a much better team with balance and pace out side. I would leave Foden at home,

Which one?

 

[Tashyboy]

Sorry mate, how can young players not be helped by playing with, at the time, the best in the world?
Surely that would be a great place to be in?

I get they may struggle with game time, ie, what I think is happening with Foden and the likes, but surely the standard would be immense.

But Foden trained with the world’s best and is now struggling to perform even when he has game time. The bit I quoted about young Italians now struggling was from The piece on bbc not my thoughts.
What it did say was that for 3 years Italy u 21,s dominated European football. Them Players went onto being the best Italian generation.

 

[PaulMdj]

I can see us getting to the final but France are on another level to us these days, we really missed the boat in 18, 20, 22 and 24. To not win anything over that period was shocking and making two finals was a poor return.

Not gonna read too much into the games this week but hopefully it'll be the end of trying to play too many central attackers. No team can function with Foden, Rodgers and Foden in it. We look a much better team with balance and pace out side. I would leave Foden at home, just the sight of him in an England shirt angers me. Top club player but he's done almost nothing for years for England. Just slows the game down, gives the ball away and runs around like a headless chicken. His record of 4 goals in nearly 50 games is something you'd expect from a centre back. In fact Harry Maguire has a better attacking output....let that sink in

Only Rashford and Hall really did anything to impress me. One thing's for sure, if Kane gets injured we'll be in big trouble.

I know saying Foden twice is a mistake, but last night watching him was very confusing, he’d get the ball, either take someone on and pass it or pass it straightaway and then move round the corner or dart between players almost expecting a return pass, a few times when he did this he got frustrated when the ball never came.

It’s almost as if he expects the ball back everytime and the players to know were he’ll be, like he’s on a different level or planet and as you say he ends up looking like a headless chicken or he needs a clone.

Sadly he’s had these sort of games at City and I reckon it’s part of why he’s lost his place.

He needs a run of games in any side and be told to go back to playing simple Football.

 

[Tashyboy]

Saw kids in the park near me yesterday when I was out walking the dog.

Maybe it’s the area you live nearby, but up here in the NE I often see kids playing footy in the parks or grassed areas around the houses.

I think football in the north east is a religion. Plus in the northeast on my travels. I have never seen so many open grassland spaces

 

[PaulMdj]

But Foden trained with the world’s best and is now struggling to perform even when he has game time. The bit I quoted about young Italians now struggling was from The piece on bbc not my thoughts.
What it did say was that for 3 years Italy u 21,s dominated European football. Them Players went onto being the best Italian generation.

Foden is an enigma mate, he has previously looked absolutely world class, but has lost his form, the reasons maybe simple or complicated, maybe his shortfalls went unnoticed in such a good side as City were, but when City, or England, have struggled he’s been unable to step up.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

My 7 year old grandson plays for a local club with teams from 6 to 16. I go to most of his matches and although the coaches shout instructions the kids just enjoy running around, doing Palmer/Ronaldo celebrations and wanting to be player of the match. Long may it continue.

Yep - see it regularly on a Saturday and Sunday on the local playing fields

That’s why kids aren’t having kickabouts because now you have teams all through the ages for all

 

[AmandaJR]

Crikey. Just seen that Portugal made 11 subs in their 2-0 win against USA. They made 10.

 

[Skytot]

Chelsea finances: Blues record pre-tax loss of £262.4m - the biggest in Premier League history

Chelsea announce a Premier League‑record pre‑tax loss of £262m for the 2024‑25 season.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Further mockery of World Cup qualifying for teams like Italy to be annoyed at. Sweden failed to win any of their six qualifiers for the tournament and finished bottom of Group B with a very negative goal difference, but qualified for the play-offs thanks to their UEFA Nations League ranking.

Yet Italy win 6 out of 8 games and have to go through play offs and lose out. Same could be said for the other home nations as well.

I know people will say well that’s how it goes etc but it makes a mockery of having a decent qualifying campaign if someone can get through in the Nations league which is garbage.