2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)

We look the match for them again now we've decided to be.

I mean tbh we look a good deal better than these lads when we want.

a veritable festival of the defensive arts

fucking get in Murphy!

Oops

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeWNQR5nRDE

Ah here how much better is it than watching a trap team away tbf

Oh christ

Take that, all considered

Best tackle all night from.dunphy on whelan there. Ouch.

after the early goal they were pretty formless and too deep most of the time, but at least they showed up in the 2nd half

After quinn came on he harried them well.

Finishes four nil in Cardiff after Bale penalty deep into injury time.

this ireland team scoring an early goal is a fairly concerning event.

p great result though - it took a while, perhaps due to the need to undo trapp's cultural lobotomy, but mon has really built a team with bottle. and bottle is all irish teams really have.

We have our bottle back, but we were hardly shamed technically out there. Disagree with the tenor of the analysis from rte here, we have as good a set of players from midfield as weve done since the halcyon days of Matty holland

Why did we only start playing after we went behind? Same old Ireland

Hendricks only player with a bit of guile. Stating the obvious but what is the point of glen whelan. I dont see much of him in the prem but he cant be so utterly useless for stoke

Old argument. Surrounded by better players.

Brady, hendrick, long, coleman all well fit to play a bit, and I don't think we'd mind the balance ito numbers if they were allowed or encouraged to.

Look, a draws a good result particularly with that ref. We didn't deserve more, although imo it was there for the taking.

hourihane, egan, o'dowda better than what's being put out there

Hurling has spoiled my footy for good. Semi-watching the sinking of the titanic called Lolland. Lovely chip by Berg puts Holland 1-0 down against Sweden.

Janssen is "alright" though, in case anyone wonders.

The Blind leading the Blind

Exactly. Blind Jr.'s cowardly man-bun not scoring any sympathy points either. Blind sr. can just fuck off imho.

Spas Delev, who has scored nine times in his last seventy-eight appearances in Polish and Bulgarian domestic football, and never before at international level, managed it twice in fifteen minutes vs the Netherlands.

Only good thing abt this shambles is Danny Blind will be butchered in the press. He's such a fucking tool and I hate him so so much.

He selects a 17 yo who's only played a hand full of games for Ajax. He lets him debut in a way too tricky and uneasy match, the poor guy makes an error leading to a goal. By halftime Blind throws him under the bus by keeping him in the dresser. Way to destroy a young player, man.

Something is rotten in the state of Holland! Seems to be no decent young talent coming out of their lately which is surprising

Blind out. Bless.

There's lots of talent Michael B, it's just mistreated, misjudged and misguided by layers and layers of incompetence within the association.

I guess you could say Danny was blind to the teams deficiencies
(•_•)
( •_•)>⌐■-■
(⌐■_■)

Meanwhile, Scotland still in it. I would've taken a loss rather than that horrific legbreak Coleman endured on Friday

Yes, thank the Lord for that useless bawbag, Chris Martin.

I'm not ready to post itt yet

Ban wales

Too fuckin' right, what's a principality doing in the World Cup anyway?

I'm not ready to post itt yet

Ban wales

Coleman injury could've been avoided if the ref had the nerve to send Bale off earlier

this is a proper ding-dong

ireland making a lot of bad & stupid decisions tho

deems what do u make of christie, i quite like him

Same

This is vg compared to last match btw

Good contest good atmosphere

Woof

switched over to watch iceland/ukraine

iceland should be four up

ukraine are as bad as i've ever seen a non-minnow

james mcclean with the worst decision to shoot i think i've ever seen there

I like Christie and he linked up well with Brady in the 1st half but his delivery stinks

Brady was brilliant. Different level to every other Irish player.

Sadly the Socceroos are leading in their qualifier play-off so the prospect of the US having to play Syria to get to Russia is receding before our eyes.

Well in the football at least.

Late equaliser keeping the dream alive.

Darren Fletcher and Barry Bannan? I ask you!

I've got both scotland and chile on the brink today. got a feeling neither will make the finals (well scotland definitely won't tbh)

Not if Strachan has anything to do with it.

he's a thrawn body

slovakia red card yaaaaaaaaas

Ref's a homer.

My gut feel is that Colombia are comfortably the best team in that group but we'll find out.

colombia didn't look great getting beaten by SK the other day. that's definitely the most curious, I've not seen senegal play at all

How are Eng fucking thia up? I don't know but I'll enjoy finding out.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DP-RCM-X4AMgiVV.jpg

Love this pic; so many possible explanations for what might be happening here; most of them are more plausible than "this is the draw for the world cup 2018".

why are they in area 51

The general lack of legit good teams (four, maybe) should make this pretty even and interesting, I think.

Has anyone got tickets / plans to go?

I've not seen senegal play at all

Mane, Balde Keita, Sow and Niang up front, Koullibaly at the back - definitely wouldn’t bet on Colombia in their current form.

Russia could well be out of this after the first round; I can see Egypt and Uruguay ending above them.

Here's hoping.

I'm sure their fans will accept it with passive equanimity

Russia’s main problem, apart from Igor Akinfeev, is that they are incredibly boring but if they can click I think they should probably finish above Egypt.

Craig Bellamy
8/11
Tony Pulis
3/1
Ryan Giggs
11/2
Osian Roberts
8/1
Carl Robinson
10/1
Thierry Henry
18/1
Kit Symons
20/1
Rob Page
22/1
Dean Saunders
25/1
John Hartson
25/1

What a shitty shortlist for next Wales manager, wouldn't want any of these near a league one club.

standard Ryan Giggs hilarity:"Of course I'm interested," 44-year-old Giggs told Sky Sports.

"I've not spoken to anyone at the moment but I'd definitely be interested.

Thierry Henry!!

A bit like Giggs in that he wants to be an engine driver with an engine driver hat when he grows up, although obv Giggs is the extreme case,

Giggs very much the Full Kit Wanker of the management world. He carries a sheepskin coat, a pint of wine and a wound-down car window with him everywhere he goes these days.

and yet strangely never goes towards lower tier clubs where he might have an actual chance of being given an experimental chance

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/feb/01/russia-world-cup-locusts-pitch-damage-officials-fear

most of the world cup kits are v disappointing, boring and a bit 90s-blocky. I quite like japan & argentina's kits, and belgium's is good:

http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/adidas-new-kit-belgium.png

but the new nigeria kit is an instant classic

https://images.cdn.fourfourtwo.com/sites/fourfourtwo.com/files/styles/image_landscape/public/nike-news-football-soccer-nigeria-national-team-kit-12_original.jpg?itok=OAZj29nj

agree on all 4!

the away kits for portugal, france and croatia too

obvs the german 1990 nod too

oh that portugal away kit is nice and seems quite portuguese to me. the german kit is also deutsch as hell, not bad http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Leroy+Sane+Germany+Adidas+Present+New+Kit+PDmLLEODQtvl.jpg

These are all pretty nice, Nigeria especially. I like the French one too:

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C9nKP5NwspU/Wg3J6dfXvXI/AAAAAAABXPU/BlohnWUwZa00lHmXd-AaG_vFh8vLHVRKACLcBGAs/s550/france-2018-world-cup-kit-2.jpg

A lot of retro styling going on.

Ooh, new Spain and Germany away kits leaked today - very nice

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6aqVNBd-X3Q/WoHZD2UTDYI/AAAAAAABbGM/Btf2ce0pa0wZzs8j2LZYAJKhb6KWwEB4QCLcBGAs/s1600/adidas-germany-2018-world-cup-away-kit-2.jpg