Football 2025-26

[pink_triangle]

17 hours ago, Comfy Bean said:

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.

You looked pretty ropey defensively against both Greece and Denmark. As I told you previously I think Wrexham have a centre back that is an upgrade on what you have at centre back at the moment. 

[charlierc]

Wales v Northern Ireland would be quite the game to watch for a place at the World Cup... Assuming Northern Ireland don't get a thumping from Italy beforehand. 

[pink_triangle]

8 hours 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 personally don’t see the any huge disadvantage to the tournament. The eventual winner won’t feel any worse because the average team was lower. If people don’t want to watch the group games then they can watch something else.

[pink_triangle]

4 hours ago, thetime said:

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. 

It’s a stupid format as wales went into the groups knowing they could lose every game 5-0 and still almost guaranteed a play off. San Marino played a game where they would benefit more from losing than winning.

[pink_triangle]

1 hour ago, Skip997 said:

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 

I don’t feel international football should be just about what the big nations want. I imagine as a SanMarino player you would rather play England or France than Andorra.

[lost]

Doesn't make much sense to me. I remember Hungary relegating England in the nations league and appear to be in a strong group (B) with the Netherlands and Germany. Sweden are in I and Romania J. Wouldn't Hungary be better off dropping down the leagues?

 

The way I thought it worked is you would count all the way down from group A to find the teams that have not qualified and hand the places to the highest ranked ones?

[balti-pie]

As a follower of a smaller international team, to whom just qualifying for a tournament is a right result, i think that any chance to open it up to more diverse qualifiers is great and only to be encouraged. The world does not need an absolute snorefest of the same old faces boring us to tears - England have been borderline unwatchable at various parts of the last twenty years. Longer! On that note, thanks to Italy and Sweden for being crap 😄 i hope neither get through the playoffs. 

 

I read somewhere earlier that Italy have only won one World Cup game in the 19 years since they won the whole shebang in 2006 - without googling can anyone say who they beat? 

 

 

[pink_triangle]

3 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

As a follower of a smaller international team, to whom just qualifying for a tournament is a right result, i think that any chance to open it up to more diverse qualifiers is great and only to be encouraged. The world does not need an absolute snorefest of the same old faces boring us to tears - England have been borderline unwatchable at various parts of the last twenty years. Longer! On that note, thanks to Italy and Sweden for being crap 😄 i hope neither get through the playoffs. 

 

I read somewhere earlier that Italy have only won one World Cup game in the 19 years since they won the whole shebang in 2006 - without googling can anyone say who they beat? 

 

 

Didn’t they beat England that year Uruguay and Costa Rica were in the group or have i remembered wrong.😑 

[balti-pie]

18 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

Didn’t they beat England that year Uruguay and Costa Rica were in the group or have i remembered wrong.😑 

They did! a 2-1 win vs england in 2014. Balotelli scored the winner, and i think it was that game where the Sterling shot from 25 yards went narrowly wide after 2 mins but everyone in the pub celebrated like mad til they realised it didnt go in 😁😄

 

It blows my mind that its their only win since winning the whole shebang ffs - winless and out in the first round in 2010, out in the group stage in 2014, didnt make 2018 or 2022, relying on a playoff to get to 2026. And yet they've won a Euros in the meantime! 

[pink_triangle]

1 hour ago, charlierc said:

Wales v Northern Ireland would be quite the game to watch for a place at the World Cup... Assuming Northern Ireland don't get a thumping from Italy beforehand. 

I remember Wales v Northern Ireland being a complete stinker in Euro 2016 first knockout round. I am still hoping that Northern Ireland can do wales a favour and knock Italy out, but Bosnia is no easy game.

[kaosmark2]

1 hour ago, pink_triangle said:

It’s a stupid format as wales went into the groups knowing they could lose every game 5-0 and still almost guaranteed a play off. San Marino played a game where they would benefit more from losing than winning.

What???

 

I don't tend to pay much attention to international qualifiers generally until the final phase of checking if there's any funny teams missing out (lol Italy potentially), but if there's situations like that it's just stupid.

 

It's why I don't like "best x place team" situations for tables.

[charlierc]

1 hour ago, kaosmark2 said:

What???

 

I don't tend to pay much attention to international qualifiers generally until the final phase of checking if there's any funny teams missing out (lol Italy potentially), but if there's situations like that it's just stupid.

 

It's why I don't like "best x place team" situations for tables.

Yeah to make the Nations League mean something, UEFA say performance in that can get you into the playoffs if you don't qualify. Sweden is the biggest outlier because their Nations League performance was so good while their WC qualifying record was atrocious.

 

I'm not sure how much I back them to beat Ukraine and then Poland or Albania though.

[thetime]

6 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Yeah to make the Nations League mean something, UEFA say performance in that can get you into the playoffs if you don't qualify. Sweden is the biggest outlier because their Nations League performance was so good while their WC qualifying record was atrocious.

 

I'm not sure how much I back them to beat Ukraine and then Poland or Albania though.

 

Looking at the Swedish squad, its not very well balanced. A few superstars like Isak, Gyokeres and Elanga. Then Lindelof on his last legs, with the main bulk playing in leagues not at the top level. 

[thetime]

Champions league going to paramount TV, another subscription if you want all the tv football.

 

Miss the days when Sky had it all. 

 

[charlierc]

1 hour ago, thetime said:

Champions league going to paramount TV, another subscription if you want all the tv football.

 

Miss the days when Sky had it all. 

 

There are two odd things to note with it. First is that Paramount+ is currently free with Sky Movies, so we have to see if that's going to be stopped (it probably will as there's always money to be made somewhere, plus I'm guessing Sky are partnering with HBO Max when that belatedly gets launched in the UK with the new Harry Potter TV series). Second is that Paramount is currently trying to buy Warner Bros Discovery, which owns BT/TNT. So if that happens (and it may be touch and go given there's currently a bidding war for it), does it get combined into one big sporting network?

[charlierc]

3 hours ago, pink_triangle said:

I remember Wales v Northern Ireland being a complete stinker in Euro 2016 first knockout round. I am still hoping that Northern Ireland can do wales a favour and knock Italy out, but Bosnia is no easy game.

Oh yeah I forgot about that disaster. 

 

Bosnia could've been at the World Cup tbf - they were competitive in the draw with Austria. So yeah, they won't be push overs.

[charlierc]

12 hours ago, Andre91 said:

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. 

New Caledonia have a difficult ask tbf - Jamaica and then DR Congo won't be easy. But yes, there is something to like about a lot of nations either going for the first time ever or at least for the first time in a very long time like both Norway and Scotland are doing (first time since 1998 for both).

 

Though perhaps the gripe is more philosophical with things like the potential overload of such a chunky group stage or the fact ticket prices are so stupidly priced. I can do with Infantino seemingly trying to be Trump's best friend and turning up in the White House every week, let alone the talk he might let Trump get to move games if the planned cities aren't Trumpy enough, which when first floated seemed like logistically difficult bollocks.

[charlierc]

1 hour ago, thetime said:

Champions league going to paramount TV, another subscription if you want all the tv football.

 

Miss the days when Sky had it all. 

 

Sky have just announced they've won the Europa League and Europa Conference League rights.

 

Surprised as I thought the rights for all 3 UEFA competitions were in one bundle.

 

Also, Amazon Prime gets to show one game a week. Surely it would be worth them showing more than one, no?

 

But yeah I'm aware there's a ton of fragmentation on this sh*t. Disney+ show the Women's CL and some La Liga now, getting us even further away from the "Sky for yer football" days.

Edited November 20, 2025 by charlierc

[Neil]

7 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Sky have just announced they've won the Europa League and Europa Conference League rights.

 

Surprised as I thought the rights for all 3 UEFA competitions were in one bundle.

 

Also, Amazon Prime gets to show one game a week. Surely it would be worth them showing more than one, no?

 

But yeah I'm aware there's a ton of fragmentation on this sh*t. Disney+ show the Women's CL and some La Liga now, getting us even further away from the "Sky for yer football" days.

bbc are reporting - Paramount to show Champions League games in UK from 2027

[charlierc]

2 minutes ago, Neil said:

bbc are reporting - Paramount to show Champions League games in UK from 2027

Yeah I'm aware.

 

But I thought when this was announced all 3 of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League had been won by Paramount+, keeping them all on one service like they currently are as all 3 are shown by TNT. And yet, here we are with it in fact being a splitting of the rights with Sky taking the Europa League and Europa Conference thing.

 

Almost like ye olden days when I remember Newcastle's UEFA Cup games in 2004/05 and 2006/07 being shown on Channel 5.

Edited November 20, 2025 by charlierc

[pink_triangle]

4 hours ago, balti-pie said:

They did! a 2-1 win vs england in 2014. Balotelli scored the winner, and i think it was that game where the Sterling shot from 25 yards went narrowly wide after 2 mins but everyone in the pub celebrated like mad til they realised it didnt go in 😁😄

 

It blows my mind that its their only win since winning the whole shebang ffs - winless and out in the first round in 2010, out in the group stage in 2014, didnt make 2018 or 2022, relying on a playoff to get to 2026. And yet they've won a Euros in the meantime! 

I still maintain England failing to win that final against a mediocre opponent  with a one goal head start is one of the biggest bottle jobs in recent international football.

[Comfy Bean]

6 hours ago, pink_triangle said:

You looked pretty ropey defensively against both Greece and Denmark. As I told you previously I think Wrexham have a centre back that is an upgrade on what you have at centre back at the moment. 

Yeah I’m not against him coming in but Clarke is nothing if not loyal. 

 

Robertson playing less games for Liverpool will maybe help him as he’ll start at left back. Hickey looks a player on the right but he needs to stay fit. The keeper should be fit again soon but the centre halves could be up for grabs.

 

midfield we’ve got decent options but

It feels like decades since we’ve had a decent goal scorer and unlikely to find one before June.

 

3 tournaments now for Clarke. Time to get out of the first round group hopefully.

[balti-pie]

14 hours ago, pink_triangle said:

I still maintain England failing to win that final against a mediocre opponent  with a one goal head start is one of the biggest bottle jobs in recent international football.

As a sort-of neutral (irish, but live in England),  i really couldnt decide if i wanted England to win that game or not because yeah, i'd like for my mates to be really happy, but then ugh - England winning a tournament and all my mates being happy seems like a sickening prospect. so i was really divided and i had no idea what i wanted to happen ahead of the final.

 

Then Shaw put England 1-0 up and i thought oh god - they might win this. hideous. I knew then that i'm a small-minded bitter type who actively wishes for the downfall of others 😄 and i actively enjoyed the Chiellini stuff on Saka, that was actual laugh out loud bad guy hilarity! 

[charlierc]

14 hours ago, pink_triangle said:

I still maintain England failing to win that final against a mediocre opponent  with a one goal head start is one of the biggest bottle jobs in recent international football.

I don't know about biggest but in retrospect, yes, to go 1-0 up in a minute and not win against a team who later that way fell in the World Cup playoffs to North Macedonia was a bit of a stinger. Even if Donnarumma was excellent in the shootout, penalties can be like an elaborate coin flip and Italy were on a long unbeaten run at the time, it's not hard to look back on it as a what might have been and think they could've been more proactive in seeking at least one more goal. But it is what it is. It was certainly more excusable to lose to Spain last year as they're very good and England were fairly competitive in that final. 

[Skip997]

5 hours ago, balti-pie said:

As a sort-of neutral (irish, but live in England),  

I’m Irish, also living in England, and I’m 100% “anyone but England”.