Thread: FIFA World CUP Russia 2018

Originally Posted by Chittychangchang

Dream on

The final 23-man squad?

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Jack Butland, Nick Pope
Defenders: Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Ryan Bertrand, Danny Rose, Eric Dier, John Stones, Phil Jones, Harry Maguire
Midfielders: Jordan Henderson, Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Dele Alli, Adam Lallana, Raheem Sterling, Jesse Lingard, Fabian Delph, Ashley Young

Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford

No one stands out as a leader with talent in that lot. Maybe 2022 then .....

Lee Dixon was lamenting the absence of Jack Wilshere last night, which just about sums up the talent pool.

A talent pool which of necessity has that dimwitted dwarf at the shallow end.

TBF the very average Southgate seems to have cleared out a lot of the dead wood and placed his faith in some pretty average, malleable youngsters.
He has been rewarded with mediocrity.

There will be no British referee at the World Cup this summer for the first time since 1938.
Fifa has chosen 36 officials for the tournament in Russia but none from England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Mark Clattenburg was the only Briton on Fifa's long list of officials, collated in summer 2016, from which it would choose the final selection for Russia.
But he left his job with the Premier League and forfeited his place.
Clattenburg, who took charge of the Euro 2016 final when Portugal overcame hosts France, quit his job as a top-flight official in February 2017 to become Saudi Arabia's new head of referees.
The Football Association did ask world governing body Fifa to replace him with another official but it rejected the request.
There are also no British officials among the 63 assistant referees selected, while video assistant referees (VAR) will be chosen from the pool of officials at the tournament.
VAR is being used at the World Cup for the first time.
The World Cup did not take place for 12 years after 1938 because of World War Two, and since it resumed in 1950 there has been at least one English referee at each tournament.
England's Howard Webb was Britain's sole representative at the last two World Cups in 2010 and 2014.
He took charge of the 2010 final when Spain beat the Netherlands in South Africa.
In terms of Fifa's international list, the Football Association and referees' association PGMOL work together to put forward their choices.
The final decision is taken by the FA Referees' Committee and they nominated Martin Atkinson, Stuart Attwell, Robert Madley, Michael Oliver, Craig Pawson, Anthony Taylor and Paul Tierney for 2018.
Criticism of Premier League referees

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been a vociferous critic of Premier League referees this season and said they "don't work enough".
He also said some referees are living in the "dark ages" with the way they treat players and described disputed refereeing decisions against his side as "concerning coincidences".
The Frenchman was also given a three-game touchline ban and fined £40,000 for his behaviour in referee Mike Dean's changing room after a 1-1 draw at West Brom in which the Baggies were awarded a controversial late penalty.
Atkinson was accused of making a "fundamental error" by former Stoke manager Mark Hughes, while Manchester City recently askedto meet the body responsible for Premier League referees - the PGMOL - to discuss their concern at tackles being made against them.

Originally Posted by david44

To be fair you can only pick what's available.

To be honest they have really good players for a first 11, perhaps behind only Spain and Germany. They don't have a consistent keeper that picks himself, and the same with the center backs, they're either too injury prone or just on the cusp of being automatics.


With neither Italy nor any other Home-Nations qualified, I'll be wishing them well. Hopefully to make the final.



Just hopefully not winning it.

That's the spirit, mate...

Thai football fans will be allowed to watch all matches in the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia live on free TV, the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) confirmed on Friday.
The broadcasts will be shown on at least two channels: one operated by TrueVisions and also on Amarin TV.

TrueVisions is part of the Charoen Pokphand Group conglomerate controlled by the Chearavanont family. Amarin TV is controlled by the billionaire Sirivadanabhakdi family, which has major interests in food and beverage businesses and real estate among others.

Nine major local companies have agreed to jointly pay 1.4 billion baht to acquire the rights to show the tournament on Thai stations.
Russia will stage football's biggest showcase from June 14 to July 15. Thirty teams will take part, playing 64 matches in all in 11 cities across the country.
The nine sponsors are King Power Group, CP Group, Kasikornbank, BTS, Gulf Energy Development, PTT Global Chemical, Bangchak Corp and Carabao Dang.

Bangchak and Carabao have agreed to pay 50 million baht each, PTTGC 100 million, and the other six sponsors 200 million baht each, according to sources familiar with the agreement.

A regulation of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) requires that live major sporting events such as the World Cup and Olympics must be aired on free TV only. Finding sponsors willing to foot the bill for expensive broadcast rights for these events is often an arduous process.

The SAT plans a news conference on Monday to outline details of the broadcast schedule and sign contracts with the nine sponsors.
An industry source said that Advanced Info Service, the country's largest mobile operator, also wanted to be a sponsor but there was some resistance to allowing it to join the others. Further details were not known.

Originally Posted by david44

An industry source said that Advanced Info Service, the country's largest mobile operator, also wanted to be a sponsor but there was some resistance to allowing it to join the others. Further details were not known.

I wonder if that's True.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

I wonder if that's True.

Indeed I'm sure the aherm "bookies " are revving up

...will Russian drug cheats have their own world cup?...There's certainly enough of them...

Originally Posted by tomcat

...will Russian drug cheats have their own world cup?...There's certainly enough of them...

PB is organizing meanwhile Gareth Southgate will name the England hopefuls today, I 'll not name and shame, leave that to the England fans,

Rumour has it Lbothe Terry Rent Darby and Luigi MacMultinick dropped
after the "incdent' in the showers

The Three Lions boss has already decided to leave Arsenal's Jack Wilshere and Manchester City's Joe Hart at home with other high profile names set to miss out on Russia as well. Title-winner Fabian Delph is set for a surprise call-up, however, with Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold and Crystal Palace's Ruben Loftus-Cheek tipped to join him.

Our cub reporter will be along soon

Originally Posted by david44

PB is organizing meanwhile Gareth Southgate will name the England hopefuls today, I 'll not name and shame, leave that to the England fans,

Rumour has it Lbothe Terry Rent Darby and Luigi MacMultinick dropped
after the "incdent' in the showers

The Three Lions boss has already decided to leave Arsenal's Jack Wilshere and Manchester City's Joe Hart at home with other high profile names set to miss out on Russia as well. Title-winner Fabian Delph is set for a surprise call-up, however, with Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold and Crystal Palace's Ruben Loftus-Cheek tipped to join him.

Our cub reporter will be along soon

They'll struggle to get outta group play even when a weak G would seemingly allow them to.
Groupings were selected as a conspiratorial face-saving campaign.

How embarrassing for the English side as to be expected.

Originally Posted by HuangLao

They'll struggle to get outta group play even when a weak G would seemingly allow them to.

your star spangled slip is showing Jeff

Originally Posted by dillinger

your star spangled slip is showing jeff

is wang low a seppo from the avatar i assumed he was mongol

Originally Posted by david44

is wang low a seppo from the avatar i assumed he was mongol

Thai Yai, actually....

What use are wingers anyway.

Originally Posted by Luigi

What use are wingers anyway.

About as much use as Stones.

Originally Posted by David48atTD

the advice is to treat the woman in front of you as if she is someone of value," it said.

Heh...Written by a man or woman?...

OK, boys; let's go make a withdrawal.

USA added*^

Originally Posted by David48atTD

the advice is to treat the woman in front of you as if she is someone of value,"

Hang on hang on, I'm writing this down.