Right - forgetting the bent bidding process and the conditions of the migrant workers building the stadiums - does anybody else agree that a Nov/Dec competition has the potential to be ace?

 

Firstly because it will take up most of the traditional Christmas bullshit season so we'll all be talking about football and not festivities. Secondly just for the novelty factor. And thirdly because we can see whether or not our well worn excuse about our players being tired stands up to scrutiny.

argentina for me,  portugal as outsiders

fair few big names going to miss through injury

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12098/12730747/world-cup-2022-injured-premier-league-stars-ruled-out-or-doubts-to-make-it-to-the-tournament-in-qatar

Genuinely struggling to have the faintest enthusiasm for this. I couldn't even tell you when it all begins.

Obviously if, & it's a sizeable 'if' England start looking the part I may build up a bit but even that will be muted.

Wrong region, wrong country, wrong time of year. Corruption to get it, corruption to allot it and more things wrong with the place than right.

Costs to get there and to be there ludicrous.

.... & that's before I sit, mouth agape, when they announce the squad.

The World Cup as a whole needs restructuring and do away with this x number of temas from each continent.

Still have seeded pots, but make the groups global, so that teams aren't just playing each other all the time.

30 groups of 7, top 2 qualify for the play-off round where a group winner plays a runner-up, drawn at random in a 2-legged play-off giving 30 WC teams, add the hosts and the holders and you've got your 32 teams.

So top seeds would be FIFA's 1-30 ranked, then 31-60 and so on.  Thus, a group could contain seeds 1, 31, 61, 91, 121, 151, 181 for example...
Brazil
Costa Rica
Ghana
Benin
Niger
Andorra
Chad

How often have you done travel packages to Chad?

Could be a whole new market there!

1 hour ago, SatanGreavsie said:

Things is, when they had the one in Japan/Korea back in 2002 it seemed an odd choice. But there was some logic behind it in that with a combined area twice the UK and a population >3 times it was possible to hope for a legacy. And given the players that have come out of them, and the continued tv interest that no doubt bolsters PL coffers, you could argue it kind of worked.

Qatar is half the size of Wales, and the population (nationals, not fast-buck earning ex-pats or disposable immigrant labour) is about that of Cardiff. So in effect it's like a WC taking place in South Wales. Not even a combo of Max Boyce, Plaid Cymru national executive and the Eisteddfod organising committee would advocate that! And that's before all the other issues.

The next one is continent-wide and I don't see why that shouldn't continue.

 

Spot on. Saw a thing with the area transferred on to a map of Yorkshire and most games would be in Leeds with the exception of one venue that I think touches Bradford.

 

 

Like all tournaments at club and international level now it's got far too big and when it goes to 48 teams there aren't many countries that are going to be able to host it in future without co-hosting. I don't mind that now and again but I do think tournaments have more of an identity when one place hosts it.

48 teams is a joke, more difficult to get knocked than progress from the groups. 32 for WC and 16 for Euros was fine. But then I'm sure it was argued 16 and 8 was perfect back in the day too.

I'm rambling as I'm in a meeting that's nothing to do with me, but I've got absolutely no excitement for this WC at all. The timing, the host, the background, the teams, nothing.

And I bet on the main television camera view you won't be able to tell whether the footage was from this world cup, 18, 14, 10 or 06. They all look the same now!

Anyway bye

Edited November 1, 20223 yr by Marc505

1 hour ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

How often have you done travel packages to Chad?

Could be a whole new market there!

Indeed.

New Zealand Away on a winter midweek would sort the men from the boys

10 minutes ago, Traf said:

Indeed.

New Zealand Away on a winter midweek would sort the men from the boys

I've done a day trip to Azerbaijan for a England game, 11hrs flying there n back, hardly NZ though

2 hours ago, L/H White said:

fair few big names going to miss through injury

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12098/12730747/world-cup-2022-injured-premier-league-stars-ruled-out-or-doubts-to-make-it-to-the-tournament-in-qatar

I've had £10 on France but not so confident after reading that 

1 minute ago, Zico said:

I've had £10 on France but not so confident after reading that 

Brazil or the Argies must be due one

3 hours ago, SatanGreavsie said:

The next one is continent-wide and I don't see why that shouldn't continue.

 

If this means another tournament like Euro 2020, where it's hosted in various capital citues then IAMOUT.

International tournaments are at their best when all countries and their supporters are based in just one country.

5 minutes ago, L/H White said:

Brazil or the Argies must be due one

By that token, so are we!

It is certainly a quiet build up, and the enthusiasm isn't great, but will still get behind them.

2 hours ago, Marc505 said:

Like all tournaments at club and international level now it's got far too big and when it goes to 48 teams there aren't many countries that are going to be able to host it in future without co-hosting. I don't mind that now and again but I do think tournaments have more of an identity when one place hosts it.

48 teams is a joke, more difficult to get knocked than progress from the groups. 32 for WC and 16 for Euros was fine. But then I'm sure it was argued 16 and 8 was perfect back in the day too.

I'm rambling as I'm in a meeting that's nothing to do with me, but I've got absolutely no excitement for this WC at all. The timing, the host, the background, the teams, nothing.

And I bet on the main television camera view you won't be able to tell whether the footage was from this world cup, 18, 14, 10 or 06. They all look the same now!

Agree with all of that.

On that last bit, its true if we see footage of World Cups in 58, 62, 66, 70, 74, 78, 82 I bet most of us could make a decent stab at which one it is just from a clip of any random game.  The kits, the stadiums, the hairstyles, the type of ball, the commentators, the way they celebrate, even the weather.  Is it me or do they just all roll into one now.

I don't think I could be less interested if I tried.

At present, I'd rather watch us play a PL U-21 team in the Papa John.

Fleetwood sold out. In +5 from Hindley. 
 

Mutley x

36 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Agree with all of that.

On that last bit, its true if we see footage of World Cups in 58, 62, 66, 70, 74, 78, 82 I bet most of us could make a decent stab at which one it is just from a clip of any random game.  The kits, the stadiums, the hairstyles, the type of ball, the commentators, the way they celebrate, even the weather.  Is it me or do they just all roll into one now.

Totally agree, just from the graphics used by the broadcaster or the colour of everything or even the goal nets you could tell!

I think FIFA and UEFA have brought in standardised infrastructure for tournaments in last 20 years or so where its the same standards of stadium, the same ad boards the same goal posts and netting the same logos and fonts everywhere so it always looks identikit now.

For people actually attending obviously the cities and countries are all different but anything "TV facing" you could be watching any tournament anywhere

Bland.

51 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Agree with all of that.

On that last bit, its true if we see footage of World Cups in 58, 62, 66, 70, 74, 78, 82 I bet most of us could make a decent stab at which one it is just from a clip of any random game.  The kits, the stadiums, the hairstyles, the type of ball, the commentators, the way they celebrate, even the weather.  Is it me or do they just all roll into one now.

I think it's also down to how much football is on TV these days too.  In World Cups we used to see amazing players we'd only ever heard of, or in some cases never even heard of.  That simply doesn't happen any more.

1 hour ago, DazBob said:

I think it's also down to how much football is on TV these days too.  In World Cups we used to see amazing players we'd only ever heard of, or in some cases never even heard of.  That simply doesn't happen any more.

Good point that. City , Real Madrid and Bayern would probably be favourites if competing and see them on blanket coverage of CL

10 hours ago, tomski said:

 

watching that Italia 90 documentary and its widely acknowledged that ‘the football nation’ of Italy made that tournament. 

 

Watching that now, seen it all before but I bloody love a World Cup/Euros retrospective documentary or book. Massive memories of summers gone by every time you think of any tournament.

Not this time, but Germany 24 will more than make up for it.

 

Edit - That busted up old stadium they're using for moody shots is Rotherham's old ground ain't it? It's still there just falling back to nature by the looks

Edited November 1, 20223 yr by Marc505

8 hours ago, Breightmet Boy said:

I've done a day trip to Azerbaijan for a England game, 11hrs flying there n back, hardly NZ though

We went to that one, red hot for the under 21's game and biblical for the senior team the day after

1 hour ago, Marc505 said:

Watching that now, seen it all before but I bloody love a World Cup/Euros retrospective documentary or book. Massive memories of summers gone by every time you think of any tournament.

Not this time, but Germany 24 will more than make up for it.

 

Edit - That busted up old stadium they're using for moody shots is Rotherham's old ground ain't it? It's still there just falling back to nature by the looks

Yep. Someone amateur plays on it now. Weird.

Fancy Germany but gonna try and do it through work!!!!!

9 minutes ago, tomski said:

Yep. Someone amateur plays on it now. Weird.

Fancy Germany but gonna try and do it through work!!!!!

I watched some urban explorers do a video from there didn't realise its all just still there crumbling away, very strange.

I mean surely meetings could be arranged in the likes or Munich, Dusseldorf and Hamburg?! 😃

1 minute ago, Marc505 said:

I watched some urban explorers do a video from there didn't realise its all just still there crumbling away, very strange.

I mean surely meetings could be arranged in the likes or Munich, Dusseldorf and Hamburg?! 😃

Sounds a good plan. I’ve been putting the ground working. It gives me some goals to aim for!!!