2018 World Football Cup - discussion

[Hughie]

The 2018 World Football Cup commences on the 14th of June in Russia through to the 15th of July. Feel free to post your thoughts on the competition. You are welcome to participate in our own competition to see who gains the most points with their predictions on who gets through the preliminary round - a nice prize awaits. See here

[brian f]

I want Iceland to win it

[michaelm]

I know the prediction's topic is just a wee bit of fun, but I've let my head rule my heart a bit by picking mostly favourite's - who don't by the way, always deliver the goods. So would actually be quite happy to see a few so called underdogs sneak through to the knockout stages.

One thing's for sure though. Before a ball is kicked in earnest, a salivating media pack from south of the border will already be making assumptions and having discussions live on air in the tv studio as to who will make the most suitable opponent's for them in the semi-final's.

[Meg]

One thing's for sure though. Before a ball is kicked in earnest, a salivating media pack from south of the border will already be making assumptions and having discussions live on air in the tv studio as to who will make the most suitable opponent's for them in the semi-final's.

We had a lovely German couple visiting a couple of weeks ago and the guy posed the question - what does an Englishman do when he has just won the World Cup ....

Spoiler

He switches off his XBox and goes to bed

Oh dear....

[michaelm]

We had a lovely German couple visiting a couple of weeks ago and the guy posed the question - what does an Englishman do when he has just won the World Cup ....

Spoiler

He switches off his XBox and goes to bed

Oh dear....

And here was me thinking German folk never had a sense of humour.

I better not say too much about England, as after failure after failure at the business end of these big tournament's they must be due a wee run at some point or other - even if just down to the law of averages.
Might stake a fiver on them at the Bookies, as I can't really lose. If they win I win the money, and if they lose I get to smirk (again) at the sour faces and petted lip's of the arrogant tv football presenter's and pundit's mentioned earlier.
There's method in my madness.

[creamolafoam]

BBC v ITV World Cup pundits:
Beeb
Lineker ( like an excited puppy), no from me
Logan, passable
Shearer, meh
Lampard, ok
Keown, meh
Ferdinand, insightful, like
Zabaletta, unknown quantity
Drogba, ditto
Alex Scott, ok
P. Neville, yawn fest
Klinsmann, need a German in studio to keep the English lads in check
Murphy, like
Jenas, ok.
ITV
Pougatch, holds the show together well
Oatley, ok
Giggs, ok
Bilic, like
Wright, will be weeping when England get knocked out, a like just for that
Eni Aluko, fair enough
Clattenburg, will be good to from a refs point of view
Dixon, don’t mind
Keane, the best out there, brutally honest as always
O’ Neill, like
Evra, unknown quantity
Larsson, great players don’t make good pundits, voice would send you to sleep
G. Neville, knows his stuff

[exile]

BBC v ITV World Cup pundits:
Beeb
Lineker ( like an excited puppy), no from me
Logan, passable
Shearer, meh
Lampard, ok
Keown, meh
Ferdinand, insightful, like
Zabaletta, unknown quantity
Drogba, ditto
Alex Scott, ok
P. Neville, yawn fest
Klinsmann, need a German in studio to keep the English lads in check
Murphy, like
Jenas, ok.
ITV
Pougatch, holds the show together well
Oatley, ok
Giggs, ok
Bilic, like
Wright, will be weeping when England get knocked out, a like just for that
Eni Aluko, fair enough
Clattenburg, will be good to from a refs point of view
Dixon, don’t mind
Keane, the best out there, brutally honest as always
O’ Neill, like
Evra, unknown quantity
Larsson, great players don’t make good pundits, voice would send you to sleep
G. Neville, knows his stuff

Frank Lampard is a real rarity among professional footballers in that he went exclusively to private school. He's also supposed to have a very high IQ.

[glenshena]

Italy are shockingly out of the world cup but in with a chance at the Roland Garros Tennis tournament. -- after 40 years a Sicilian is in the semi finals beating Djonivic. Well done Ceccinato.

[michaelm]

Keane, the best out there, brutally honest as always.

Larsson, great players don’t make good pundits, voice would send you to sleep.

G. Neville, knows his stuff.

creamolafoam .. never contradict yourself twice in quick succession.

Frank Lampard is a real rarity among professional footballers in that he went exclusively to private school. He's also supposed to have a very high IQ.

Not quite sure what his education etc has to do with football exile, but yeah, Lampard does come across as a fairly intelligent and knowledgeable guy.

[creamolafoam]

Apologies. Let me make it clearer. Great players don’t always make good pundits. Larsson being the pundit in question.A voice that would send you to

[michaelm]

Just what I thought, you forgot to use the word "always" in your sentence.

Some tv sport's pundit's are all up front and extrovert - but for me the slightly more reserved one's often make the most informative and enlightening comment's.
Thankfully, sport's programme maker's these day's are smart enough to know that it's necessary to have a decent mix of differing personalities in any studio presentation.

[exile]

Frank Lampard is a real rarity among professional footballers in that he went exclusively to private school. He's also supposed to have a very high IQ.

Not quite sure what his education etc has to do with football exile, but yeah, Lampard does come across as a fairly intelligent and knowledgeable guy.

Michaelm, the point I don't think I made very well is that the private school system, in England in particular, is well known for promoting every sport under the sun except football. These days, I'm glad to say, there are now lots of boys from working-class backgrounds playing at the highest level in what was traditionally middle-class rugby, but it almost never happens in reverse with football.