Live Match Discussion 2024/25

[Elephant Pyjamas]

The British are always arrogant about football tournaments.

The Nations League, ACON, this now, the World Cup in its inception.

Just the way "we" are.

 

[Kenny]

I love the fact the likes of Auckland get this opportunity. They are part timers and those who have got time off to be there are sharing a pitch with some of the greatest in the world (and Bruno Lage). Even though they are getting done over easily, still an amazing experience.

From an elite tournament side of things, not so great though if all you get is easy wins.

Summary: I like it and don't like it at the same time

 

[Tredman]

The British are always arrogant about football tournaments.

The Nations League, ACON, this now, the World Cup in its inception.

Just the way "we" are.

Compare this embarrassing money laundering nonsense to the AfCoN or World Cup in itself is arrogant.

 

[jd1981]

Auckland have won Oceania the last four years running. Not the greatest dynasty ever given it’s almost entirely amateur clubs, like Auckland are, but per the setup they earned the right to be there. And you’re never ever ever getting me on board with any region getting less than 1 guaranteed spot in the WC or CWC or whatever else BS they cook up.

The idea of a tool manufacturing manager playing against Bayern fucking Munich is one of the most romantic stories sport can produce, IMV.

I think we agree on a clash of ideology around this.
I just think you cant label a tournament elite level when you’ve got a team on -16 GD after 2 matches.
I agree on being inclusive but the balance between that and diminishing the quality can’t be overlooked.
Secondly this is not a noble idea from Infantino to spread the love of Football it’s another big money grab coming at players welfare expense.
Whilst it’s a nice romantic story have an amateur coming up against the best it’s also a kick in the teeth to numerous professionals worldwide who don’t get this opportunity based on where they play.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Compare this embarrassing money laundering nonsense to the AfCoN or World Cup in itself is arrogant.

Perhaps, but I think my general point is fair, no?

We turn our noses up at football around the world all the time.

 

[BillyDee]

If it's shit football, then yeah.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

If it's shit football, then yeah.

That's the arrogance though isn't it?

Back in the day we didn't get involved in the World Cup, people get sniffy about the Nations League now too.

 

[jd1981]

The British are always arrogant about football tournaments.

The Nations League, ACON, this now, the World Cup in its inception.

Just the way "we" are.

Passing judgement on things that happened 90+ years ago by today’s morals.
You can label it arrogant for what the FA decided to do in the 1930’s. Also consider the logistics of sending a team to Uruguay in 1930 from Europe, also consider the cost and the fact it was the start of the Great Depression. A big ask to commit to an inaugural tournament.
If there’s such apathy and arrogance towards the nations league how come England pretty much have sold out every home game they’ve ever played in it? Not many across Europe can boast that.

 

[Alan]

I think we agree on a clash of ideology around this.
I just think you cant label a tournament elite level when you’ve got a team on -16 GD after 2 matches.
I agree on being inclusive but the balance between that and diminishing the quality can’t be overlooked.
Secondly this is not a noble idea from Infantino to spread the love of Football it’s another big money grab coming at players welfare expense.
Whilst it’s a nice romantic story have an amateur coming up against the best it’s also a kick in the teeth to numerous professionals worldwide who don’t get this opportunity based on where they play.

Whilst I do find this to be something I can sympathize with, on balance I think it’s fair to say that professional footballers in general will have more and better opportunities in the sport than players for an amateur club out of NZ whose annual revenue wouldn’t have paid half a season of Sarabia’s wages.

The argument in favor of the big boys that I really can’t assail is fixture congestion. These summer tourneys must be fucking exhausting and reduce the offseason to, what, as little as a couple of weeks? That is untenable to me, for certain.

Also want to apologize for my tone yesterday. Wasn’t called for.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Oh come on, other European countries attended. And we didn't bother in 34 or 38 either.

It was largely arrogance and this still permeates, the reaction to how Portugal celebrated their Nations League win the other week was again sniffy.

It's institutionalised in many.

 

[Alan]

Funny to have "the FA" pop up in a discussion about football arrogance...

 

[prawnking]

Oh come on, other European countries attended. And we didn't bother in 34 or 38 either.

It was largely arrogance and this still permeates, the reaction to how Portugal celebrated their Nations League win the other week was again sniffy.

It's institutionalised in many.

You're saying 'we' a lot, but reading between the lines I'm guessing you don't consider yourself to possess the same flaws as so many of your countrymen...?

 

[jd1981]

Oh come on, other European countries attended. And we didn't bother in 34 or 38 either.

It was largely arrogance and this still permeates, the reaction to how Portugal celebrated their Nations League win the other week was again sniffy.

It's institutionalised in many.

4 did in 1930, look at the format in 1934 & 1938 also. Straight knockouts, games weren’t on tv etc
Not committing to an early international tournament when you have your home internationals at that time doesn’t seem a shocking decision.
Again we’re looking at from a 2025 perspective.
If you want to accuse the FA of arrogance it’s how they’ve still not changed their name to the English Fa or EFA for short.

 

[Alan]

You're saying 'we' a lot, but reading between the lines I'm guessing you don't consider yourself to possess the same flaws as so many of your countrymen...?

A statement about macro-culture is not necessarily a statement about every individual (micro/nano-culture) within it tbf.

If it were, I'd have a certain red hat to run out and grab.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

You're saying 'we' a lot, but reading between the lines I'm guessing you don't consider yourself to possess the same flaws as so many of your countrymen...?

Did I look down my nose at Portugal when they won the Nations League for the way they celebrated? No.

Do I cringe every time I hear that we must have an English national team manager, or that we invented football and that has some bearing on things now. Yes.

 

[basher]

I don't see it as arrogance to be critical of the CWC, it's more apathy.

And that apathy wasn't peculiar to the UK, it was the same apathy that permeated through to the broadcasters... no one was interested.

The only reason there is a broadcaster is due to Saudi pumping $1 billion in to DAZN, the exact same figure that DAZN paid for the broadcast rights, which bizarrely coincided with Saudi being awarded the World Cup for 2034

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

You're saying 'we' a lot, but reading between the lines I'm guessing you don't consider yourself to possess the same flaws as so many of your countrymen...?

But what is your actual question?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I have no issue with a club world cup tournament to include all the continental champions. And a couple of other sides to make it up to 8 sides. An absolute maximum should be 16 sides, and that would be pushing it.

This thing is colossal. Too big. The timing is appalling. And I can't see anywhere else in the schedule to fit in such a behemoth.

Boxing Day football isn't happening directly because of this. There are 38 matches and have to be 34 weekends and 4 mid-weeks in the English season. As there are a minimum of four weeks needed between the end of this and the start of the season, and also the world cup at the other end of the season, then 27th December is the only option allowed, you can't extend by a week either side to get the requisite 34-4 split, so it was no boxing day or fuck the FA Cup even more. There will be some matches moved by the TV gods but a full boxing day schedule should be sacrosanct in English football and this has borked it.

Plus the next week will show why USA in high summer is going to be as crap weather wise for a tournament as it was in 1994 and will be in 2026. But that is another argument.

All the European teams are going to be less than full beans at this, because otherwise they are at high risk of a bombscare start to the important stuff with injuries and fatigue.

The scheduling is frankly an abomination.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Another thing that has probably been cut partly because of this is FA cup replays.

(Pad beat me)

 

[Tredman]

I don't see it as arrogance to be critical of the CWC, it's more apathy.

And that apathy wasn't peculiar to the UK, it was the same apathy that permeated through to the broadcasters... no one was interested.

The only reason there is a broadcaster is due to Saudi pumping $1 billion in to DAZN, the exact same figure that DAZN paid for the broadcast rights, which bizarrely coincided with Saudi being awarded the World Cup for 2034

That’s all it is, it demeans people to play in or watch such a blatantly corrupt piece of nonsense.