mcguffin
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Posts posted by mcguffin
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1 hour ago, SamP said:
No caring who wins tonight. Hope it's a good game again.
👍
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This is a good preview of tonight's game. The Moroccan fans could play a big part.
Frank LeBoeuf stating that France really need to score early. First 15-20 mins could be interesting (Can see Griezmann looking for Dembele and Mbappe at every opportunity).
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19 minutes ago, Bzzzz said:
Hope Morocco beat France tonight, don't want England being beaten by the eventual winners.
😀I do like your attention to detail.
Looking forward to the Morocco vs France game, should be a cracker. I can't decide who to support (like them both). But in terms of atmosphere/fans, a Morocco vs Argentina final would be something else! -
8 hours ago, stocky said:
From 1967-1986 there was a Scot playing in a European final every year except 2. ( Can't remember which exact 2( mid 70's)
Might be 66-87. Still a remarkable stat. And shows how far we have dropped.
Yes it is a remarkable stat. As for how far we've dropped. Maybe part of it is that other nations have just got better? Croatia didn't even exist as a nation back then. Look at Morocco now. Look at the remarkable progress of the likes of Denmark, Iceland, Japan. And for the future, watchout now for the likes of North Macedonia, USA, Canada and Mexico.
To get back to the topic of the thread. I feel we need to step back a wee bit from the idea that we are some kind of great football nation just looking for the magic key to reawaken our brilliance. We're not. (Leave that line of thinking to our rich and super-confident neighbours down south). We're a small European nation lacking the national confidence to even to run our own affairs. We need to look at other small European nations and learn from them. And Croatia is certainly one of the small European nations we can look to emuate, at least in terms of football. -
Going to be a real challenge now for Croatia. Fingers crossed for them.
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7 hours ago, dan cake said:
531 arrests in this country for football related incidents since the World Cup began
In Scotland? 😬
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17 minutes ago, Orraloon said:
If Morocco don't offer any more than England did, then France will be very happy.
This is a good analysis of Morocco. I think France will have their work cutout. That said, with Griezmann and Giroud (with Mbappe playing the same scary decoy role as in the Quater-Final), they might be the only team so far who might unlock the amazing Moroccan defence?
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7 minutes ago, dan cake said:
Agree with you on Saka, hooked because he’d taken one kick to many. The French were booting him all over the place
To be fair to France, they were taking a few heavy challenges too, but tended to stay on their feet better (Giroud and Griezmann in particular). it paid off: two goals from open play.
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27 minutes ago, daviebee said:
They're hyping this Bellingham character for all they're worth at the moment. He certainly looks a good player although the USA ran circles round him. All the hype reminds me of someone else not that long ago. Dele Alli was his name. Currently residing in the "where is he now" file to use a Spinal Tapism.
Does seem a really great young player. But there is certainly some hype. Which is fair enough (the media have to write/say something positive occassionally?).
I do wonder if the media in other comparably 'big footballing' nations hype their young stars to the same extent?: E.g. if we take France. Tchouameni is still only 22 (and his opening goal for France last night was quality). Mbappe only 23 (and already has a World Cup Winner's medal in his pocket), Camavinga only 20 (and played in last years Champion's league final on the winning side). Do 'L'Equipe' and other French outlets hype them up? I expect they do? Would be interesting to know.
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22 minutes ago, SamP said:
Nobody in my experience with schools. We just played 5's over the top of it.
I agree. I hated basketball at school. However, this would be an interesting thought experiment. Take Scotland's football squad, and say Croatia (or Serbia's) national squad and ask them to play games against each other in a tournament of the following sports: Basketball, handball, water-polo, volleyball, futsal. Who do you think would win? And why?
Then at the end of all that play a game of 11-a-side football. And ask the same question?
https://www.whoateallthepies.tv/videos/258263/inter-milan-winger-ivan-perisic-makes-professional-beach-volleyball-debut-photos-video.html
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29 minutes ago, Hertsscot said:
I get the feeling that even the Welsh and Irish are more actively in sport than we are, thinking about rugby teams as well as football. Ireland I think has a younger population so might be an explanation. Success is also important as it breeds further success.
good points. Lots of food for thought.
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57 minutes ago, SamP said:
you can't change a countries culture.
You may be right SamP. In which case, we may as well give up now. 😒
Alternatively we can take a look at how countries of a similar size (or smaller, take the Faroes) conduct themselves. Croatia, Iceland, Denmark. Lots of models out there. And I suspect it really is something a bit deeper than the make up of their football associations. They've somehow, I don't know how, made sport an integral part of people's lives. They eat better, they exercise better, they govern themselves better. And from that, they get greater rewards, in multiiple sports (look at Finland and Slovakia in Ice Hockey), than you'd expect for such small countries.
Just my view of course. -
51 minutes ago, SamP said:
The SFA need cleared out root and branch and new methods brought in and learn from the emerging countries and the likes of Croatia.
I agree. But it's a deeper problem than just the SFA. Let me repost what I wrote on the Croatia thread:
QuoteI just get this hunch that Eastern European countries (at least the more southerly ones with good weather) just are more into sport, all sports, from a very young age. Take a look a Hungary, pumping England home and away in the Nation's league. (And countries such as Croatia, Hungary and Serbia are good at other sports too: men and women's handball, waterpolo, basketball, fencing, canoeing...the list is a long one).
We need a total culture change in Scotland. Get all kids playing sport. Competitive sports in school as well as in clubs. Provide them with good coaching in whatever sport they fancy and a place to play. -
Putting the craziness of the finals being in Qatar to one side. This World Cup has been one of the better tournaments. And in terms of all-round team performance, I think the four best teams are left. That doesn't always happen. If they've got any energy levels left, we're in for a couple of cracking semi-finals!
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8 minutes ago, ParisInAKilt said:
Depends how you define it, it’s a term probably overused these days
Yes you are right. I was meaning that teams like Croatia and Morocco, who have very good, but not so famous players (with the exception of maybe an aging Modric?) can beat a team stuffed full with megastars (e.g. Brazil and Portugal)
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2 minutes ago, Hertsscot said:
I'm not sure, most of the players will be around for the next Euros, Foden, Saka and Bellingham will be round for a while. England have been fairly fortunate with injuries but Reece James is a decent player and is young. Not sure that Morocco have any world class players but they're through to the semi finals, so maybe there's some hope for us!
I honestly think Morocco, on their current form, would easily beat us. I'd wager they would beat England too. As would Croatia. I think this World Cup is showing that being a 'world class player' isn't all it's cracked up to be?
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22 minutes ago, Hertsscot said:
England could have won, some diabolical defending from the French letting England back into the game.
Speaking of poor defending, the attempt to cut out Griezmann's cross was pretty half-hearted I thought? But what a cross it was, picking out Giroud amongst a crowd of white shirts. One of France's few good moments in the second half:
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When the game was 1-1, it crossed my mind that Morocco would fancy their chances against either of these teams.
Wouldn't mind seeing a Croatia vs Morocco final to be honest. -
3 hours ago, Clyde1998 said:
I'd heard of him before the World Cup; plays for Dinamo Zagreb. He's good enough to play for an upper level club in England, Spain, Germany or Italy; I actually don't know why he's still in the Croatian league, aside from his personal choice.
Thanks Clyde1998 for the info. That's interesting. He seems top quality. Looking forward to seeing him and his team mates in the Semi-final!
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28 minutes ago, vanderark14 said:
Its impossible to watch the punditry during an international tournament. The BBC and ITV turn everything into a discussion about England. I didn't tune in to Argentina v The Netherlands to hear what Jordan Henderson had for Breakfast or listen to Harry Kane try to string a sentence together.
very good point!
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1 hour ago, vanderark14 said:
Ignore him Malcolm is clearly the type of person who soaks up main stream coverage of absolutely everything from football to politics. Im staying well clear of all football media till 3pm when Portugal Play Morocco then I'll be done with football for the day.
So far I've heard - Pickford is better than Loris🤣, Mbappe should be concerned about Walker🤣 The Battle between Kane and Loris could decide the whole tournament🤣 Bellingham being compared to (insert any world legend here)🤣 England have a better team 🤣
There will be a few scots who believe the above because all we get is wall to wall coverage of the overrated EPL, The England National side and now the WSL and Womens England team.
Thanks vanderark14. I particularly like your "Im staying well clear of all football media till 3pm when Portugal Play Morocco then I'll be done with football for the day." I might follow in your footsteps 👍😀
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1 hour ago, Malcolm said:
i really don’t think that. I don’t see much between any of the teams outside of France. Tonight is obviously a big test for England, but if they come through that then they are very serious contenders. A win tonight would be no more surprising than Croatia knocking out Brazil imo.Following the mainstream coverage, I get the impression England is really the favourites. Yer typical interview, yer typical news paper article always starts with the same question: "Can we stop Mbappe?" The answer is always "Yes, Kyle Walker bla bla bla". Then onto the gushing praise of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Harry Kane and all the rest of them. And how much better the English midfield is than the makeweight French once ("Griezeman, Tchouameni, Rabiot...pffft")
And they may be right? But I really think this French team can come good on the night.
Allez les bleus! -
19 minutes ago, Barney Rubble said:
Croatia - a country many of us couldn't have located on a map before 1992.
Since then, they've shown us how to achieve at major football tournaments and then some. That's the Scotland I aspire to.
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3 hours ago, Ally Bongo said:
Without a shadow of a doubt the majority is down to coaching with a sprinkling of fierce Nationalistic pride
Apparently their goalie, Livakovic, plays in the tiny Croatian league. I'd never heard of him before this tournament. Today he was phenomenal. And they've got similarly high-quality players all over the park.
I just get this hunch that Eastern European countries (at least the more southerly ones with good weather) just are more into sport, all sports, from a very young age. Take a look a Hungary, pumping England home and away in the Nation's league. (And countries such as Croatia, Hungary and Serbia are good at other sports too: men and women's handball, waterpolo, basketball, fencing, canoeing...the list is a long one).
We need a total culture change in Scotland. Get all kids playing sport. Competitive sports in school as well as in clubs. Provide them with good coaching in whatever sport they fancy and a place to play. (Just my view, sorry for the rant).
Qatar 2022 World Cup Finals
in Football related - Discussion of non TA football
Posted
I agree on both points. Two games left. If Croatia and Morocco can scrape together 11 fit players each to start the match, I think this can be a great match.
Hopefully the final should be quite good too. (Though I see some analysts are predicting a 'tactical battle'. Hope it's not 0-0 after extra time followed by penalties. 🤞)