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Post by thevoid on Sept 11, 2023 16:31:08 GMT
Might as well have Delia ref it anyway
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Post by thevoid on Sept 11, 2023 15:10:23 GMT
Every manager should be under pressure to get results. I don't understand why AN is getting a relatively easy ride. For me its the manager merry go round. We've had Rowett and Jones and MON. When is the last time in the past 6 years we have gone on a really good run and won 4 in a row. I've started to think it doesn't matter who the manager is we seem to be cursed to stay in the championship for eternity. Im not in love with Alex Niell at all, but im really not sure any manager could do any better at Stoke at this time. Sounds completely defeatist I know. Maybe if we looked abroad for the next manager it could change. This season will be mid table under any British manager I feel. Forget four in a row, how many times have we won three in a row in the last seven years?
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Post by thevoid on Sept 11, 2023 15:08:29 GMT
The Plate would be a good idea as Scotland, Japan, Fiji, Italy, Samoa, Georgia etc would have more to play for than simply trying to get out of the group whereas Chile, Namibia etc could target getting into that. If Scotland end up third this time then arguably can't say whether it's been a good or bad tournament and basically down to how we've played v South Africa and Ireland. However, if there was the Plate and we finished third then got papped out in the semis of that then could argue it's been a bad tournament or if we got to the final a good tournament. They need to make the REC have a promotion playoff into the 6 nations as Georgia have won it 7 out of the last 8 years - doing them nothing pumping Spain and Germany in that then having a decider v Romania. The disparity is mental - sure heard Chile have had two games all year and Fiji have had 12 internationals since the last WC in comparison to Wales in the mid-30s. you definitly need secondary competitions for the emerging nations. italy finishing 5th or 6th every year does nothing for them apart from the coffers of their rfu the aspiration should not be qualifying for a world cup and getting thrashed by south africa scotland might even win somthing Romania were fairly decent in the 90s (I think they beat Scotland at some point) but lack of exposure to the top sides has seen them decline. There has to be a multi level 6 Nations, you could have several leagues with one promotion and relegation in each- similar to the Nations League in football.
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Post by thevoid on Sept 11, 2023 13:11:18 GMT
Between France and England for me. Spain and Italy have still work to do in the groups too before even thinking about the tournament. If Spain slip up away at Norway our group's back to a three horse race especially if we do our usual fucking it up in Georgia routine. You'll be fine
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Post by thevoid on Sept 11, 2023 13:09:18 GMT
I know the gap between games tends to be longer than football for obvious reasons but having a World Cup tournament where there's no group games for 3 days running seems to be a bit of a momentum killer. Be better to have one less game at the weekend and have at least one game every evening surely? Scotland now have no game for TWO WEEKS It’s farcical for a tournament that should be fast flowing to hold interest Having 5 teams in the groups is daft, it means one team is without a game each round
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Post by thevoid on Sept 11, 2023 10:14:13 GMT
You just know Germany will regroup and win something before we do, just like they did after 2002
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Post by thevoid on Sept 11, 2023 6:01:53 GMT
And that performance is why England will never win anything under Southgate You can't judge international managers on that alone though. Certainly not an England one Why not? This is the best group of players we've had in years, and one of the best in Europe. Do you think the French in 1998-2000 should have just thought 'sod it, we've only won the Euros in 1984, let's not try and do better'?
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Post by thevoid on Sept 11, 2023 5:58:13 GMT
But that negative mindset has cost England in previous competitions. If Southgate would have gone more attacking-based in the Euros final we would have won. Unfortunately, England have a manager who is too scared to lose instead of being too brave to win. Croatia was on him but Italy wasn't. He was too late making subs against aging Italian legs. When he did, we finally caused them some problems. He's always left it late reading the game and making substitutions
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Post by thevoid on Sept 11, 2023 5:53:39 GMT
I'd be surprised if a Prem team came in for him, or at least a decent one anyway. I guess it depends how you define 'decent'? Palace, Wolves, Fulham etc. would all be interested I'd wager. And there's the rub. None of those clubs are expected to challenge for trophies (and one he used to play for). Now imagine if he and Deschamps stood down on the same day, I'd imagine there would be a completely different standard of club after his services.
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Post by thevoid on Sept 11, 2023 5:51:15 GMT
The FA are happy with never winning or they would not put up with a second rate manager like Southgate It's a problem in English sport, not just football. The rugby union side are also obsessed with appointing managers who play conservatively
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Post by thevoid on Sept 10, 2023 19:20:42 GMT
What a second try by Fiji
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Post by thevoid on Sept 10, 2023 10:01:43 GMT
And that performance is why England will never win anything under Southgate
For the sake of argument, if he left the job tomorrow, how many elite clubs would be in for him? I can't imagine many fans would be clamouring for him either.
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Post by thevoid on Sept 10, 2023 9:10:09 GMT
watching The Bear on Disney. Completely in love with it, but it can be a stressful watch. based around a chef in a busy kitchen, so it's shouty and I think for one episode there must have been a maximum of 10 seconds where there wasn't noise If you like that you may enjoy Boiling Point with Stephen Graham. It's a film not a series though
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Post by thevoid on Sept 10, 2023 9:07:49 GMT
Incredible performance 😄 The boy Ford has a right foot like a magic wand, just brilliant. I like to imagine lots of the supporters of the other home nations have punted big on the Argies and were spending their 'winnings' after 5 minutes 😂 Ha, yeah! Got to admit, though, I thought we'd lose before the game started and even more so when down to 14 for so long. Think those first half dgs were a master stroke. I remember the Saffers pinging five DGs against us in the '99 QF.
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Post by thevoid on Sept 9, 2023 20:53:17 GMT
Argentina playing into our hands now. Well done England, some pride restored and the toughest group game won with some ease
Argies have been shockingly bad given their recent form.
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Post by thevoid on Sept 9, 2023 20:38:53 GMT
This is as comfortable a win as you will ever see. It means England will top the group and play a 2nd placed team in the QF's. Well Samoa will be a test but whatever happens tonight we certainly can't say we're on the receiving end of biased refereeing. It's just nice to see the other team giving constant penalties away.
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Post by thevoid on Sept 9, 2023 20:28:50 GMT
Who are the team a man down here?
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Post by thevoid on Sept 9, 2023 20:01:38 GMT
Sensible approach, keep the scoreboard ticking over when you're down to 14 men.
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Post by thevoid on Sept 9, 2023 19:27:08 GMT
Bore-wick's excuse in already
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Post by thevoid on Sept 9, 2023 19:14:12 GMT
Looks like the usual bollocks from England already
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Post by thevoid on Sept 9, 2023 14:35:58 GMT
I'm still a UK resident though I spend significant periods in Spain. The one thing I miss is proper ale pulled off a beer engine. I'm not that well traveled, never left Europe but I've never been anywhere else where it even comes close. I'm like you baconburger but the considerable time I've spent on the continent was in Portugal. (I don't travel now - too old and frail.) I'm strange in that I've never had a hankering for other parts of the world other than Europe. I'm not knocking other parts of the world but it just doesn't appeal to me. I class myself as a European. That's why I was so pissed off with Brexit. I feel the same way about London as I do the rest of the world. Been there hundreds of times but it has no interest to me. Maybe I should have got out more in the past but I don't feel an ounce of remorse that I didn't. And there's only one place I consider to be 'wom' and that's when I'm back in my home town of Stoke. OS. Guess what- you're still European.
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Post by thevoid on Sept 9, 2023 10:11:38 GMT
I would like to think he is expendable with Ricky, Jared and John running things. Can Jared recruit head coaches too? It remains to be seen whether that’s actually how it’ll work though doesn’t it? It’s how it should work, but given Ricky is AN’s man there’s no guarantee it’s not a package deal. Would you quit an extremely well paid job because your mate had left?
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Post by thevoid on Sept 9, 2023 10:08:16 GMT
Don't get the hate for Southgate. We've got a 100% record so far in this qualifying campaign, in a tricky group - and people still moan their bag off. His record in major tournaments reads: SF, F, QF. On top of that we reached the SF of the Nation's League in 2019. A reminder that in the tournaments before he joined, we'd just lost to Iceland in 2016 and failed to make it out of the group stages in 2014. I'm just not sure he has the mentality to get a team over the line and win something, which- given the players we have now- is a potential waste. I'm also not convinced he can outfox one of the top nations/managers at the business end of a tournament
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Post by thevoid on Sept 9, 2023 9:24:07 GMT
This bloke must be absolutely brilliant in interviews He was part of Fergie’s United youth set up with Beckham, Scholes, Giggs etc wasn’t he? I imagine he has some friends in very high places. Great for a reference or two. More clubs than a pack of cards, that bloke
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Post by thevoid on Sept 8, 2023 21:52:27 GMT
NZ look distinctly average
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Post by thevoid on Sept 7, 2023 15:04:43 GMT
I'd prefer it not go ahead if its only a 3500 capacity, bit of a damp squib. You can get 1500 at Victoria Hall and regent, 2500 at Keele su. Would want something around 10k mark like motoroint(Nottingham) first direct (Leeds) utilita arenas in brum, sheff and Newcastle. Get some big name artists here, comedians, get the darts here, bloody robot wars. with N-U-L, S-O-T, and the moorlands, it's well over 500k population, build it and they will come. Just like plenty on here have travelled miles for a gig, other from further away would come here. We're not as big as any of those cities. And tbh, I don't think we could make such a place financially viable if we're having to basically bribe people to come here. A lot of people living here won't set foot in Hanley anyway. People don't set foot in Hanley because there's bugger all there
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Post by thevoid on Sept 7, 2023 9:52:58 GMT
Oh well, I'm sure Hanley will get another vape store, bookies or charity shop soon
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Post by thevoid on Sept 6, 2023 18:37:53 GMT
No Harry Kane PT 2 here Fergie played v Gibraltar so has played in a competitive game . He might wish he hadn't come tomorrow night though I’ve heard his English cat has been talking to the FA…. I didn't realise Walthamstow was in Ireland
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Post by thevoid on Sept 6, 2023 15:11:45 GMT
It'll be a long time before blokes gather round the water cooler to chat about the latest goings on in the WSL I just don't have the time or inclination to bother with it. After Stoke, the Prem, Champs League, Top European leagues, other sports.... where do you then fit in womens football. Maybe women will take to it in a big way and it will be able to sustain itself in the future. I just don't see many blokes investing much interest in it when there are already so much high quality mens football about. I wonder how many females would start attending women's games as opposed to men's games? There are probably quite a few females who have supported their (men's) team for years. I'm not sure if the WSL will ever shrug off it's perception of being the BDO to the Premier League's PDC. I also think that a successful England ladies team attracts a few bandwagon jumpers when the tournament's on, but most of those will gravitate back to their favourite men's team after. A bit like the Olympics, where everyone suddenly become cycling or rowing fanatics for a fortnight. How many pop down to their nearest velodrome after the games are over?
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Post by thevoid on Sept 6, 2023 13:41:49 GMT
Aliens. It's a war film in space
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