@itwasjustbanter It’s such a pathetic argument anyway, but even more so when you understand *why* kick offs are later this tournament, and that’s to avoid the heat of the daytime.
If games kicked off earlier, no down the scummy media would moan about the conditions
England have never topped their group at WCs in the Americas…
1950 (Brazil) - 2nd to Spain
1962 (Chile) - 2nd to Hungary
1970 (Mexico) - 2nd to Brazil
1978 (Argentina) - DNQ
1986 (Mexico) - 2nd to Morocco
1994 (USA) - DNQ
2014 (Brazil) - 4th to Costa Rica / Uruguay / Italy
😬
@Watson_SLdn This is a bucket list stadium, mate.
Your point about provincial cities is valid though. Absolute scenes had we been drawn to play in Monterrey
@Watson_SLdn Terrible campaign. Lost in Stockholm in the opening game, drew in Poland and Bulgaria and at home to Sweden and Bulgaria. Only beat Poland (h in Keegan’s first game) and Luxembourg (h and a) before the Scotland playoff - which we only just managed!
Then lost 2/3 at the Euros 😢
@Watson_SLdn I believe that was the actual reason given, tbh. Baring in mind it was back when qualifying was over two years, it meant two years of friendlies, and the feeling was it left teams underprepared.
Ironically, more champions have struggled since the change than beforehand 🤣
1998 World Cup 🌍🏆
Round of 16
🇦🇷Argentina vs England🏴
Michael Owen Magic✨🪄
David Beckham Sent Off❌
Diego Simeone CHEAT😡
Sol Campbell ROBBED🤬
England’s penalty heartbreak💔
@CraigTrudgill Obviously I’m saying that with a huge caveat *because* of the lack or replays and English commentary, but bad luck in World Cups sadly isn’t a recent thing
@CraigTrudgill Back in 1958, the rules were different. We finished on the same points as the USSR in the group so had a play off to determine who went through.
We had a goal disallowed (the footage I saw didn’t have replays & had foreign commentary) but I couldn’t see what was wrong. Lost 1-0
@CraigTrudgill@oro7777777 That goal *marked* a comeback - 3 minutes earlier, it was 2-0, to go to 2-2 in 3 minutes against an inexperienced German side, I believe had it stood we’d have won the game.
The scoreline reflects badly but 3 of Germany’s goals that day were on the break.
@talentspotter23 2016 was a poor tournament. Other than a handful of individual moments (Payet v Romania, Iceland beating England), the only saving grace of the tournament (unless you are Portuguese) was Wales’ run, they were the most exciting team to watch that tournament by some way
@talentspotter23@ahad_hussain786 I went to every England game that tournament except Ukraine (travel prohibited at the time, game was in Rome) and watched every other game on tv (live or catch up)
England were the second best team in the tournament in terms of play, behind Italy. Certainly not “terrorism”
Don’t agree with this at all. So the “big” teams get yet another advantage to qualify when they miss out on direct qualifying
Playoffs should just be a random draw with no seeding and first out the hat get home advantage 🏴🍺