It's more than that Ned! They've been atrocious for decades. This really is something else.
(maybe you are right and it is just that, still though)
― lbi's life of limitless european glamour (Le Bateau Ivre), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 19:38 (six years ago) link
I think a lot of it is playing with no expectations behind them. The pressure is totally off. Everyone, in Russia and abroad, had written them off as hopeless.
― Wag1 Shree Rajneesh (ShariVari), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 19:39 (six years ago) link
xpost No I know they've been rotten, but first they got an even rottener team to beat, then they got a side with a recovering star, plus some good luck to start their goal run. It all helps.
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 19:40 (six years ago) link
You are both otm, Shari Vari and Ned.
Football wise, Russia for me is the surprise of the WC so far. They're really sinking their teeth into this, in an attacking way.
― lbi's life of limitless european glamour (Le Bateau Ivre), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 19:49 (six years ago) link
Dzyuba was excellent
― lbi's life of limitless european glamour (Le Bateau Ivre), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 19:51 (six years ago) link
Russia up till now are the WCs best playing team
you fancy them to win it then?
― ogmor, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 19:56 (six years ago) link
Enjoying the extent to which the BBC are blatantly willing Egypt to win this.
If anything is designed to get you supporting Russia...
― We can be herpes (Tom D.), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 19:57 (six years ago) link
No chance, they'll collapse sooner rather than later. But they *have* been playing the (imo) best, most attacking football. xp
― lbi's life of limitless european glamour (Le Bateau Ivre), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 19:58 (six years ago) link
ya but they played saudi arabia and egypt
― 21st savagery fox (m bison), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 20:00 (six years ago) link
Argentina played IcelandGermany played MexicoBrazil played Suisse
Point being?
― lbi's life of limitless european glamour (Le Bateau Ivre), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 20:02 (six years ago) link
A Brazil 2014 scenario where they get all the way to the semis and then annihilated in front of Putin would be sweet.
― We can be herpes (Tom D.), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 20:03 (six years ago) link
russia have played against saudi arabia and egypt on the counter and taken their chances
― ogmor, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 20:05 (six years ago) link
yeah, didn't see today but first game was least convincing 5-0 i can ever remember.
― Roberto Spiralli, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 20:07 (six years ago) link
just saw the 2nd SEN goal a second time and larfed non-stop all over again
― mark s, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 20:09 (six years ago) link
Argentina, Brazil, Ingerland, hell even Belgium all should have 5-0's in their first matches. But they didn't. Lame to discredit Russia bcz "KSA & Egypt" tbh.
― lbi's life of limitless european glamour (Le Bateau Ivre), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 20:09 (six years ago) link
You do know that I have played in these games right? https://t.co/dyzvsH9Olp— Alan Shearer (@alanshearer) June 18, 2018
― mark s, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 20:12 (six years ago) link
fuck me, when you are supposed take sides with complete cunt over another complete cunt!
― calzino, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 20:13 (six years ago) link
If Shearer's involved, it's not that hard. Shearer is the cunt.
― lbi's life of limitless european glamour (Le Bateau Ivre), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 20:15 (six years ago) link
argentina couldn't really create any chances against an absurdly densely-packed iceland team, lots of other good teams have dominated possession and squandered lots of chances against better opposition. russia have exceeded extremely low expectations and look to have the best morale in the tournament, but in terms of the football they've played there's no reason to think russia would have done better in any of those games
― ogmor, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 20:20 (six years ago) link
― lbi's life of limitless european glamour (Le Bateau Ivre), 19. juni 2018 22:09 (twenty-three minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I can agree that Russia is better than all these teams, but low bar.
― Frederik B, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 20:39 (six years ago) link
Low bar, but low bar is quintessential WC.
― lbi's life of limitless european glamour (Le Bateau Ivre), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 20:41 (six years ago) link
Three epics from Pat Nevin during the 5Live commentary on that last game, all Salah rated.
When Russia went three up, he insisted Egypt take Salah off immediately because they weren't going to score 4 so "out of respect for Liverpool" they should do everything to avoid further injury to him.
Egypt's penalty "clearly was outside of the box so should have only been a free kick" BUT Salah is such a talented player when fit that "morally it was the right thing to do and that's why the referee gave it."
He then suggested Salah was hiding behind his 'injury' (his scare quotes) to mask a sudden drop in form because "I played against the CIS once with a broken leg, so professionals just grit their teeth and get on with it."
He then got in an argument with Mark Chapman, insisting Russia were actually shit (and not a team that had scored 8 goals) because no EPL team were linked with Dzyuba yet and he couldn't predict any that would be.
― Bimlo Horsewagon became Wheelbarrow Horseflesh (aldo), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 21:23 (six years ago) link
Pat Nevin is just so bad!! I really need to know his ILM sock name before I die!
― calzino, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 21:33 (six years ago) link
It definitely rankles with these clowns that so many of the Russian players not only still play in Russian but don't show much interest in playing in England.
― We can be herpes (Tom D.), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 21:43 (six years ago) link
One of these twats the other day seemed incredulous that some of Brazil's players had progressed beyond pissing about on a beach in flip-flops. Some of these arseholes actually get paid as well.
― calzino, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 21:56 (six years ago) link
I quoted that one upthread, couldn't believe it
― The Savic Detectives (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 22:01 (six years ago) link
tbf i had a similar, selfish thought
― gbx, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 22:11 (six years ago) link
xp i think i meant the opposite of immutable earlier lol. maybe malleable was what i meant. like, built of a de facto cultural rather than a consistent logic applied to situations throughout.
@daragh: i am not a kyle walker or england fan. i thought they were extremely hard done by on the decisions yesterday. i don't think they are particularly good at all, as minutes 45-80 showed yesterday, but i thought their last 5/10 minutes yesterday was commendable; compare with Russia/Slovakia/Iceland 2016, Algeria/USA 2010, entire 2014 campaign
looking forward to actually be able to watch more midweek games now
― in twelve parts (lamonti), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 22:57 (six years ago) link
fair enough. the kane wrestling was a shocker def
― tired culché (darraghmac), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 23:04 (six years ago) link
srsly tho how bad must egypt be when not even mo salah can drag them any higher than 3rd
― tired culché (darraghmac), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 23:05 (six years ago) link
°=°
― tired culché (darraghmac), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 23:06 (six years ago) link
Has anyone in this thread made any straight up calls as to who is going to win this thing yet?
― I'd Rather Kecak (NickB), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 23:13 (six years ago) link
Think it’s time for people to put up now
― I'd Rather Kecak (NickB), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 23:14 (six years ago) link
............
france
― tired culché (darraghmac), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 23:20 (six years ago) link
je regrette tous
je pense que je regrette spelling it with an s nest-ce que pas trevorre
― tired culché (darraghmac), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 23:22 (six years ago) link
after the first round I'm sticking with my pre tournament rankings at least for the top 10 or so, so: spain
― ogmor, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 23:31 (six years ago) link
yeah I’m feeling spain too tbh, though a belgium win would be great and not beyond the bounds of possibility
― I'd Rather Kecak (NickB), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 23:42 (six years ago) link
Denmark
― Frederik B, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 23:44 (six years ago) link
Such bias
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 23:46 (six years ago) link
Well, y'know, with a little bit of luck...
― Frederik B, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 23:48 (six years ago) link
Brazil will actually win but willing to bet on BEL
― gbx, Wednesday, 20 June 2018 00:53 (six years ago) link
Spain ftw
― The Savic Detectives (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 01:05 (six years ago) link
Russia is winning this thing and the trophy will violate the rights of everybody in the stadium
― fuck the NRA (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 01:33 (six years ago) link
Can we start talking about how the russians are fixing matches/the world cup
― F# A# (∞), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 01:52 (six years ago) link
Senegal ftw
― xyzzzz__, Wednesday, 20 June 2018 06:34 (six years ago) link
If russia come up against spain that's them done for sure. Portugal however, I'd give em a chance. And no-one in groups c or d has looked shit hot yet... heh, nah, not going to happen. They'll get a narrow defeat in the second round and be pleased with it i expect. Contra Jonathan Pearce who seems to have a real hard on for putin, the success or otherwise of the russian team will have zero political effect on presidential popularity or anything else.
― A Warning to the Karius (Bananaman Begins), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 08:40 (six years ago) link
lol @ pat nevin, the thinking man's footballer. Liverpool shd have not player Salah in champions league final out of respect 4 egypt imo, he was always likely to get roughed up
― A Warning to the Karius (Bananaman Begins), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 10:51 (six years ago) link
not played
― A Warning to the Karius (Bananaman Begins), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 10:52 (six years ago) link
sticking with Germany to retain
― nashwan, Wednesday, 20 June 2018 11:53 (six years ago) link