Football 2025-26

[charlierc]

8 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

It's one of those decisions where if it goes against your team in either way you feel aggrieved. But most clubs just let their fans (and maybe manager) moan for a few days then get on with it.

I mean, I'm still pouting about the Tiote screamer against Man City in 2014 that got canned due to Gouffran being somewhere vaguely near Joe Hart. Not as badly as Alan Pardew calling Pellegrini a f**king old c-bomb, but still.

 

(I don't know if I can actually write the c-bomb, but still)

 

It may well also be that the international break also helps people ruminate on it tbf given it's a week of no action. Something which you wonder how that will play next year when the international break becomes a 2 week one with national teams playing 4 games rather than the current two games in a week.

 

Football fans like keeping receipts though, eh? Feels like a comforting narrative to say that this individual particular referee is a biased bloke who never gives you anything.

[kaosmark2]

40 minutes ago, charlierc said:

I mean, I'm still pouting about the Tiote screamer against Man City in 2014 that got canned due to Gouffran being somewhere vaguely near Joe Hart. Not as badly as Alan Pardew calling Pellegrini a f**king old c-bomb, but still.

 

(I don't know if I can actually write the c-bomb, but still)

 

It may well also be that the international break also helps people ruminate on it tbf given it's a week of no action. Something which you wonder how that will play next year when the international break becomes a 2 week one with national teams playing 4 games rather than the current two games in a week.

 

Football fans like keeping receipts though, eh? Feels like a comforting narrative to say that this individual particular referee is a biased bloke who never gives you anything.

Oh yeah, the fans will pout and sulk and remember. But most clubs usually move on.

[charlierc]

Ronaldo getting sent off as Ireland beat Portugal to keep alive their hopes of automatic World Cup qualification is a sentence I really didn't expect. Crikey. 

[balti-pie]

Lovely for Ireland to do what they typically do, which is pull a result out of the bag against someone really good late in the group to give us some false hope, before some sort of decision absolutely shags us in the last game (away at Hungary, alas) and we get to blame the refs instead of our own incompetence in losing to Armenia 😄 

 

This is basically every qualifying group these days, the conspiracy theorists are well aboard the roundabout! 

 

Still though, that aside - great performance and result 

[charlierc]

22 hours ago, balti-pie said:

Lovely for Ireland to do what they typically do, which is pull a result out of the bag against someone really good late in the group to give us some false hope, before some sort of decision absolutely shags us in the last game (away at Hungary, alas) and we get to blame the refs instead of our own incompetence in losing to Armenia 😄 

 

This is basically every qualifying group these days, the conspiracy theorists are well aboard the roundabout! 

 

Still though, that aside - great performance and result 

Hungary v Ireland sounds like it'll be quite the big game tomorrow tbf. Could be quite an interesting watch. And I know that Ireland's record is patchy, but hey - why not be optimistic? Friend of mine who supports them certainly is optimistic it'll be ok. Hungary have decent players and are capable of handing out a spanking on their day though, so will be interesting either way.

 

Certainly moreso than Albania v England, especially as Thursday's results mean Albania have qualified for the play-offs and Serbia cannot catch them even by beating Latvia tomorrow. Which, given the local tension there, I can imagine they are only mildly gloating about.

[charlierc]

On 14/11/2025 at 10:42, balti-pie said:

Lovely for Ireland to do what they typically do, which is pull a result out of the bag against someone really good late in the group to give us some false hope, before some sort of decision absolutely shags us in the last game (away at Hungary, alas) and we get to blame the refs instead of our own incompetence in losing to Armenia 😄 

 

This is basically every qualifying group these days, the conspiracy theorists are well aboard the roundabout! 

 

Still though, that aside - great performance and result 

You very much got something else last night then.

 

I watched it and the conclusion was quite something. Also impressive stuff by Troy Parrott to go from struggling on loan at Preston to coming in when it mattered most last night.

[balti-pie]

3 hours ago, charlierc said:

You very much got something else last night then.

 

I watched it and the conclusion was quite something. Also impressive stuff by Troy Parrott to go from struggling on loan at Preston to coming in when it mattered most last night.

you said i should be optimistic, which i cant ever be! supporting both Tottenham and Ireland i oscillate between sickening defeat and defeat while enjoying a lovely day out regardless 😄 magnificent scenes yesterday though, if we can harness a bit more of that and get a reasonable draw then we might even qualify, which would be our first WC since 2002, and tournament since 2016. Just getting there is a brilliant result! 

Troy has done himself a lot of good by going overseas at a lower level (is the top division in the Netherlands a lower level? dunno) and playing week in, week out - i dont know if he'll take the Gyokeres route by not really nailing it in England, going to a lesser lighted european league and then come roaring back for £££, or if he'll find his level and stay at it. All i know is: first irishman to score an away hattrick is quite the stat. legendary

[charlierc]

45 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

you said i should be optimistic, which i cant ever be! supporting both Tottenham and Ireland i oscillate between sickening defeat and defeat while enjoying a lovely day out regardless 😄 magnificent scenes yesterday though, if we can harness a bit more of that and get a reasonable draw then we might even qualify, which would be our first WC since 2002, and tournament since 2016. Just getting there is a brilliant result! 

Troy has done himself a lot of good by going overseas at a lower level (is the top division in the Netherlands a lower level? dunno) and playing week in, week out - i dont know if he'll take the Gyokeres route by not really nailing it in England, going to a lesser lighted european league and then come roaring back for £££, or if he'll find his level and stay at it. All i know is: first irishman to score an away hattrick is quite the stat. legendary

Well yeah - you've had plenty of reason for your football teams to let ya down, but isn't the reason that people keep coming back to football the hope that this time is the time it all works out? Dramatically or otherwise? I suspect there'll be similar such tensions tomorrow when Scotland play Denmark.

 

But yeah, as a road to winning that play-off place, a 96th minute winner in a packed raucous stadium in front of a team on their own drought from the World Cup but who've been dangerous in recent years is an impressive way to do it. And aye saw that stat about Parrott, which is quite extraordinary. I don't know what his future holds tbf - heard a suggestion that if he were to leave AZ, he might stay in mainland Europe and move to Serie A or La Liga instead of the PL. But that's future Parrott's worry, no?

[Skip997]

On 12/11/2025 at 11:19, kaosmark2 said:

It's one of those decisions where if it goes against your team in either way you feel aggrieved. But most clubs just let their fans (and maybe manager) moan for a few days then get on with it.

All of the following teams have made official complaints about referee/VAR decisions: Fulham, Man City (who even tried to sue), Brighton, Newcastle and Liverpool.

 

The Liverpool hate on this forum is both illogical and ridiculous 

[thetime]

Awesome Scotland.

 

From the National anthem, to Mctominay and the last 20.

 

As I have said before, not into international football. Best game of the season for me.

 

Scotland even survived a Scouse f**k up. 😀

 

Edited November 18, 2025 by thetime

[charlierc]

I thought the Ireland game the other day had brilliant late drama but well played Scotland. That pair of strikes in injury time really did have a lot to admire. 

 

To think at one point I thought they'd have cause for cursing their luck as I really didn't think it was a penalty for Denmark. But hey. It's in the past now. 

 

England v Scotland in Mexico City next summer then? 

[pink_triangle]

16 minutes ago, charlierc said:

I thought the Ireland game the other day had brilliant late drama but well played Scotland. That pair of strikes in injury time really did have a lot to admire. 

 

To think at one point I thought they'd have cause for cursing their luck as I really didn't think it was a penalty for Denmark. But hey. It's in the past now. 

 

England v Scotland in Mexico City next summer then? 

Nothing like a halfway line goal to finish it off! It’s amazing to go from losing at Greece to World Cup qualification. I don’t think Scotland would have won any of the other groups, but fair play for them for taking advantage. I think the Scottish fans will add something to the World Cup and a 48 team World Cup has to be their best chance of finally breaking the group stage curse!

 

Wales finally scoring some goals and a home play off will help. I just think there are better teams in that play offs so we will need some good luck to advance.  I don’t know if Scottish fans will feel different but as a Welsh fan I hated drawing England in the last World Cup. I felt we got the most boring draw ever and then stank out the tournament!

 

 

[charlierc]

Kinda remarkable to see somebody even more improbable than Scotland make it to the World Cup: ‘An impossibility made possible’: how tiny Curaçao made World Cup history | World Cup 2026 | The Guardian

 

I know North American qualifying isn't quite as competitive as European (or even African or Asian) qualifying, but a tiny island with a population smaller than Milton Keynes, Ipswich, York or Southend making it to the World Cup is quite the feat.

 

Be even more something if they make it and Italy don't, such has been the Azzurri's recent return of play-off debacles.

[andyrhodes24]

6 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Kinda remarkable to see somebody even more improbable than Scotland make it to the World Cup: ‘An impossibility made possible’: how tiny Curaçao made World Cup history | World Cup 2026 | The Guardian

 

I know North American qualifying isn't quite as competitive as European (or even African or Asian) qualifying, but a tiny island with a population smaller than Milton Keynes, Ipswich, York or Southend making it to the World Cup is quite the feat.

 

Be even more something if they make it and Italy don't, such has been the Azzurri's recent return of play-off debacles.

Does the 48-team format dilute the quality of the tournament for the neutral or does it add to the magic that Curacao, Jordan, Uzbekistan are there? Good they’re there but they’ll all be the whipping boys.

[Comfy Bean]

22 hours ago, pink_triangle said:

Nothing like a halfway line goal to finish it off! It’s amazing to go from losing at Greece to World Cup qualification. I don’t think Scotland would have won any of the other groups, but fair play for them for taking advantage. I think the Scottish fans will add something to the World Cup and a 48 team World Cup has to be their best chance of finally breaking the group stage curse!

 

Wales finally scoring some goals and a home play off will help. I just think there are better teams in that play offs so we will need some good luck to advance.  I don’t know if Scottish fans will feel different but as a Welsh fan I hated drawing England in the last World Cup. I felt we got the most boring draw ever and then stank out the tournament!

 

 

Absolutely incredible scenes last night. We were rotten while winning the last 2 games at Hampden and got so lucky at the weekend when Denmark dropped 2 points at home.

 

The game when Griffiths scored the 2 late free kicks was mad with folk falling over seats etc and last night was worse….in a good way 😂🥳

 

Agree about not drawing England. Overshadows everything else, plus we’d lose. Had a wee sneaky look at flights today but will wait till the draw. For Germany we booked cheap flights to Berlin way before the draw but that could go horribly for next year.

[kaosmark2]

5 hours ago, charlierc said:

Kinda remarkable to see somebody even more improbable than Scotland make it to the World Cup: ‘An impossibility made possible’: how tiny Curaçao made World Cup history | World Cup 2026 | The Guardian

 

I know North American qualifying isn't quite as competitive as European (or even African or Asian) qualifying, but a tiny island with a population smaller than Milton Keynes, Ipswich, York or Southend making it to the World Cup is quite the feat.

 

Be even more something if they make it and Italy don't, such has been the Azzurri's recent return of play-off debacles.

Quite funny how McLaren failed to get Jamaica through without the 3 strongest teams in the federation involved as well.

[kaosmark2]

4 hours ago, andyrhodes24 said:

Does the 48-team format dilute the quality of the tournament for the neutral or does it add to the magic that Curacao, Jordan, Uzbekistan are there? Good they’re there but they’ll all be the whipping boys.

Well we'll see won't we? I was expecting the Qatar world cup to be sh*t with the winter edition but it ended up being one of the better ones lately.

 

My scepticism is more about the group formatting than the number of teams. "best 8/12 3rd place teams" is convoluted and annoying and I'm more suspicious of that ruining it than the actual total number of teams. 

[charlierc]

12 hours ago, andyrhodes24 said:

Does the 48-team format dilute the quality of the tournament for the neutral or does it add to the magic that Curacao, Jordan, Uzbekistan are there? Good they’re there but they’ll all be the whipping boys.

Well we can only really wait to see what happens in practice but there is definitely that concern. You'd like to hope they'll be competitive but I'm aware of the massive funding imbalance there is to the budgets that have created teams with star players in Europe and South America. 

 

My instincts are that the group stage is going to feel quite bloated anyway given there are so many extra games just to only knock out a small number of teams with the rule of best third places also advancing. 

[charlierc]

7 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

Quite funny how McLaren failed to get Jamaica through without the 3 strongest teams in the federation involved as well.

I'm puzzled why he felt the need to resign immediately after the Curacao draw given Jamaica will still have a chance in the playoffs. 

 

How different it would've been too given they were given a penalty for a foul on Isaac Hayden (another Newcastle connection) only for var to take it away. 

[andyrhodes24]

7 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

Well we'll see won't we? I was expecting the Qatar world cup to be sh*t with the winter edition but it ended up being one of the better ones lately.

 

My scepticism is more about the group formatting than the number of teams. "best 8/12 3rd place teams" is convoluted and annoying and I'm more suspicious of that ruining it than the actual total number of teams. 

 

5 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Well we can only really wait to see what happens in practice but there is definitely that concern. You'd like to hope they'll be competitive but I'm aware of the massive funding imbalance there is to the budgets that have created teams with star players in Europe and South America. 

 

My instincts are that the group stage is going to feel quite bloated anyway given there are so many extra games just to only knock out a small number of teams with the rule of best third places also advancing. 

I hope the magic of it is there, Qatar was class but at the moment I do feel like it’s extra games for the sake of revenue.

 

Games at Euro 2024 between some of the random nations were ace, Turkey vs Georgia game of the tournament for me but that had the geopolitical and cultural rivalry element as well.

 

Just hope we can see enough of it this side of the pond and that the heat won’t mean we kick off in the middle of the night BST.

Edited November 20, 2025 by andyrhodes24

[Andre91]

12 hours ago, andyrhodes24 said:

Does the 48-team format dilute the quality of the tournament for the neutral or does it add to the magic that Curacao, Jordan, Uzbekistan are there? Good they’re there but they’ll all be the whipping boys.

I was talking about this with a mate at work yesterday. As you’ve said, a lot of these smaller nations will get hammered but I absolutely love that so many nations who would never have had a chance to reach the big stage are going to get their moment. For those players and staff, their friends, family and fans, it’s going to be a highlight of their lives. Very, very cool seeing countries like Curaçao, Cape Verde, Jordan and Haiti getting to the WC. We might even have New Caledonia at the tournament! It’s going to be a truly global tournament. 

Edited November 20, 2025 by Andre91

[thetime]

The play offs seem a bit odd, with the likes of Sweden and Romania knowing they still have a play off game. Even though Sweden finished bottom of there group with 2 draws, through the nations league. 

[kaosmark2]

4 hours ago, andyrhodes24 said:

 

I hope the magic of it is there, Qatar was class but at the moment I do feel like it’s extra games for the sake of revenue.

 

Games at Euro 2024 between some of the random nations were ace, Turkey vs Georgia game of the tournament for me but that had the geopolitical and cultural rivalry element as well.

 

Just hope we can see enough of it this side of the pond and that the heat won’t mean we kick off in the middle of the night BST.

I mean, I dislike the term "random nations", but over the last 25 years, my favourite world cup games have usually been between strong teams from outside Europe from different continents. Columbia vs Japan in 2018 for example. African, South American, and Asian teams do play a distinct style of football, and a lot of these 2nd/3rd tier teams are brilliant to watch. Similar with a lot of African countries. And last time Italy qualified they lost to NZ in an excellent game.

 

I don't tend to watch potential tournament winners until the group stage ends unless it's one of Argentina/Brazil vs a European giant. I'm interested in cross-continental games with different playstyles. Honestly, the distinct style/pace of press between Europe, Africa, and South America is great to see contest each other (I haven't watched enough Asian teams to see a pattern).

[andyrhodes24]

1 minute ago, kaosmark2 said:

I mean, I dislike the term "random nations", but over the last 25 years, my favourite world cup games have usually been between strong teams from outside Europe from different continents. Columbia vs Japan in 2018 for example. African, South American, and Asian teams do play a distinct style of football, and a lot of these 2nd/3rd tier teams are brilliant to watch. Similar with a lot of African countries. And last time Italy qualified they lost to NZ in an excellent game.

 

I don't tend to watch potential tournament winners until the group stage ends unless it's one of Argentina/Brazil vs a European giant. I'm interested in cross-continental games with different playstyles. Honestly, the distinct style/pace of press between Europe, Africa, and South America is great to see contest each other (I haven't watched enough Asian teams to see a pattern).

You know I mean the underdogs and dark horses. Major tournaments would be boring if it was the big boys playing each other all the time.

 

Turkey vs Georgia had that bit of needle, Japan and Morocco’s games at the 2022 World Cup were inspiring, and it’ll be interesting to see if the US, Mexico or even Canada can do something this time. It’s all well and good having Jordan etc at this World Cup but it won’t be any fun if they’re on the wrong end of three routine pastings. Like South Africa and Qatar in recent times bar the odd group game.

[Skip997]

19 hours ago, andyrhodes24 said:

Does the 48-team format dilute the quality of the tournament for the neutral or does it add to the magic that Curacao, Jordan, Uzbekistan are there? Good they’re there but they’ll all be the whipping boys.

Massively. There’s also a problem with qualifying groups, there should be a pre qualifying stage to filter out the poorest teams. This would make things much more interesting and stop nonsense like England playing the international equivalent of 2nd division teams. What’s the fun when you know there’s no jeopardy.

 

48 teams is far too many