Football

[12CSVT]

I'm surprise this result didn't pop up on here yesterday.

Salford City 0-1 Hyde

After going 18 months without away win it now two wins in two for Hyde United.

Blimey, at this rate, Hyde will end up with more points than Fort William did last season

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Blimey, at this rate, Hyde will end up with more points than Fort William did last season

Steady on, young sir, do not forget that Fort William had a very good second part to last season, winning 8 league matches and from their 34 games played, they actually amassed 27 points.
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Latest FIFA rankings

Wales...................9th
England...............10th
Scotland..............31st
Northern Ireland...41st
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European Championship...Qualifying Group Stage

Netherlands 0...Iceland 1

Iceland followed up their 2-0 home win against the Netherlands in Reykjavic with a gritty 1-0 away win last night to lead their group with 18 points from 7 matches. The Netherlands are only third in the group, with just 10 points from their 7 matches.

 

[richw]

Wales will go minimum 4th in the world rankings if they beat Israel in the next game. If Germany or Belgium don't win they can go 2nd or 3rd!

 

[Minilad]

Wales will go minimum 4th in the world rankings if they beat Israel in the next game. If Germany or Belgium don't win they can go 2nd or 3rd!

No disrespect to Wales here. But that just shows how flawed these rankings are

 

[bb21]

Wales 4th?! hock:

Pinch me. Pinch me now.

 

[richw]

No disrespect to Wales here. But that just shows how flawed these rankings are

On the other hand they are the form team in Europe. most clean sheets out of all European qualifying teams. Potentially they could well be up there. They've taken 4 points from Belgium who were ranked 2nd for a long time.

 

[Minilad]

On the other hand they are the form team in Europe. most clean sheets out of all European qualifying teams. Potentially they could well be up there. They've taken 4 points from Belgium who were ranked 2nd for a long time.

Which, in itself, shows the rankings to be skewed. I have always thought of Belgium as the exact opposite of the whole being better than the sum of it's parts. They have some wonderful players but are a dull team to watch IMO.
Put it this way if Wales are ranked 4th would you expect them to reach the semi final of a World Cup should it be played today. Not a chance in hell. They have had a great run for sure and it will be great to see them in a finals but they are nowhere near the top 10 in world football.

All in my opinion of course

 

[bb21]

I didn't think clean sheets mattered. All that mattered was win-lose-draw, difference in rankings between the two teams, and the category the match falls in.

 

[richw]

I didn't think clean sheets mattered. All that mattered was win-lose-draw, difference in rankings between the two teams, and the category the match falls in.

The good thing with a clean sheet is... you cant lose with one!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

But that just shows how flawed these rankings are

Bhutan are ranked 209th in the world and I would definitely say there is absolutely nothing whatsoever wrong with their ranking, as proved by this week's World Cup Qualifying (Asian pool- Group "C") result.....

Qatar 15...Bhutan 0

 

[lazydragon]

Which, in itself, shows the rankings to be skewed. I have always thought of Belgium as the exact opposite of the whole being better than the sum of it's parts. They have some wonderful players but are a dull team to watch IMO.
Put it this way if Wales are ranked 4th would you expect them to reach the semi final of a World Cup should it be played today. Not a chance in hell. They have had a great run for sure and it will be great to see them in a finals but they are nowhere near the top 10 in world football.

All in my opinion of course

Ask any Welsh fan, do we genuinely deserve the title of being second, third or fourth best team in the world .... probably not. However, when it comes to form teams in the world, then there a possibility we might deserve to be put up there.

Nonetheless, having got back from Cyprus a couple of hours ago, it's not the ranking that matters. Qualifying for our first tournament since 1958 is only three points away, with Israel (home), Bosnia (away) and Andorra (home) as the remaining three games. After the three or four close calls since I started following football around 25 years ago, I genuinely never thought it would happen.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Ask any Welsh fan, do we genuinely deserve the title of being second, third or fourth best team in the world .... probably not. However, when it comes to form teams in the world, then there a possibility we might deserve to be put up there.

Nonetheless, having got back from Cyprus a couple of hours ago, it's not the ranking that matters. Qualifying for our first tournament since 1958 is only three points away, with Israel (home), Bosnia (away) and Andorra (home) as the remaining three games. After the three or four close calls since I started following football around 25 years ago, I genuinely never thought it would happen.

I think it's fair to say that Chris Coleman will never need to pay for another pint of Brain's in his life!

 

[richw]

I think it's fair to say that Chris Coleman will never need to pay for another pint of Brain's in his life!

My welsh Friend keeps repeating that it's Gary Speed looking down.

It's not been mentioned but Northern Ireland are on the brink of qualification to their first European championship as well. They need to beat Hungary in Dublin in their next game to be assured qualification.

 

[Butts]

My welsh Friend keeps repeating that it's Gary Speed looking down.

It's not been mentioned but Northern Ireland are on the brink of qualification to their first European championship as well. They need to beat Hungary in Dublin in their next game to be assured qualification.

And the "tartan elephant in the room" -

A disgrace !!!

 

[Minilad]

Ask any Welsh fan, do we genuinely deserve the title of being second, third or fourth best team in the world .... probably not. However, when it comes to form teams in the world, then there a possibility we might deserve to be put up there.

Nonetheless, having got back from Cyprus a couple of hours ago, it's not the ranking that matters. Qualifying for our first tournament since 1958 is only three points away, with Israel (home), Bosnia (away) and Andorra (home) as the remaining three games. After the three or four close calls since I started following football around 25 years ago, I genuinely never thought it would happen.

Absolutely. The big achievement is qualification. Probably something most welsh fans thought they would never see. A brilliant achievement by all concerned

 

[lazydragon]

I'd love to see a situation where the Scots, Northern Irish and the Republic of Ireland fans are in France to share a few pints with us. I'd even have a bottle of bitter ale (for the explanation, see the Max Boyce song "Hymns and Arias" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0RDadPheNQ) for any English fans I meet.

Honestly though, I think it'll be one of Scotland or the Republic, as Germany and Poland are both in a strong position. I think the Northern Irish will have enough to get in.

England should go through tonight, but if they don't put five or six past San Marino it'll be a bit of a disappointment.

 

[Donny Dave]

Blackpool, who can't get a win from anywhere, let alone on their travels, somehow survive to claim a 1-0 win here at Scunthorpe ....

I'm going to find a very large hole and hide for a week ....

 

[Whistler40145]

I'm a happy man, about time Blackpool had a win.

 

[familyguy99]

Well done to Blackpool on they first away win in 17 months.

Oldham 1-2 Bradford

Oldham unbeaten league run come to end and have to say Bradford probably deserve they win, we also had Forte sent off which I didn't see it but believe he head-butt Bradford player.

Since Johnson left us to join Barnsley Oldham have only won three times in 25 matches and we not scored more than 1 goal (parfrom 2-2 draw against Sheff Utd back in April) since 3-0 win against Rochdale on 24th March.

Given how poor our final third have been I can't see that ^^ changing anytime.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

My welsh Friend keeps repeating that it's Gary Speed looking down.

It's not been mentioned but Northern Ireland are on the brink of qualification to their first European championship as well. They need to beat Hungary in Dublin* in their next game to be assured qualification.

*Belfast, surely?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

There was a televised match on ITV at 1700 tonight, that I only watched until half-time. The words "creative midfield genius" that the media love to banter was nowhere to be seen. The two goals were a penalty and an own goal. I wonder if ITV had actually scripted that first-half as it was like watching a play from the 1960's where the Dog and Duck were playing the Flying Horse in a Sunday league match...
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Rothes are really an amateur club. The decent junior sides up here, who are poor compared to the junior sides in the central belt and Ayshire beat them. It does make you wonder why they don't step down a couple of levels.

I suppose that explains today's result....

Rothes 0...Fort William 3

 

[Drogba11CFC]

Mangotsfield United 2...Winchester City 2 (Brice 2, Powell 82; Flooks 71, Barrons 86)

Despite the referee giving every decision against them, Winchester City escaped Mangotsfield with a point to keep them in fourth place. The most glaring were: a perfectly good goal chalked off in the tenth minute, a stonewall penalty denied in the second half and a foul not given in the build up to Mangotsfield's second. One of Winchester City's players pointed the foul out to the referee, who simply said that he hadn't seen it, smiled, and ran off.

 

[richw]

*Belfast, surely?

Yeah that's the place

Leyton orients unbeaten start was brought to an abrupt end, with a 4-0 loss at Exeter City.

 

[Kite159]

Isn't it time the likes of San Marino have to do pre qualification to reduce the number of no hopers?

 

[jon0844]

We need them, so we can win and then believe we will win the whole tournament.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Isn't it time the likes of San Marino have to do pre qualification to reduce the number of no hopers?

Did you see my recent posting on this thread that gave the result of the Qatar v Bhutan World Cup qualifying match?
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We need them, so we can win and then believe we will win the whole tournament.

Wasn't it eye-opening (in the first 45 minutes that I managed to watch before turning over to watch a far more interesting programme) to see how English "creative" midfield players () managed to show their silky skills, fast inter-passing and devastating through ball passing against so-called lesser-skilled opponents such as San Marino....or NOT as was the case.

For those with a real appreciation of such correct application of such skills, one only had to remember the clinical dissection of the Brazilian defence by Germany in the first 30 minutes of the last World Cup semi-final.

 

[Minilad]

Isn't it time the likes of San Marino have to do pre qualification to reduce the number of no hopers?

But if they do that how will Rooney score the majority of his goals

 

[backontrack]

Rothes 0...Fort William 3

England's next mammoth qualifying challenge...England vs Rothes.

Too easy (for Rothes, that is).

 

[Kite159]

Did you see my recent posting on this thread that gave the result of the Qatar v Bhutan World Cup qualifying match?
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.

Didn't Australia once beat some low ranking team something silly like 36-0?


It's a bit like a part-time Sunday pub team taking on Chelsea, although the rate Chelsea are playing at the moment, the part-timers would probably win

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Isn't it time the likes of San Marino have to do pre qualification to reduce the number of no hopers?

But where do you draw the line? If Wales with a population of under 2million can qualify, it's feasible that the likes of Malta could get lucky with more than one talented individual coming along at the same time...

But if they do that how will Rooney score the majority of his goals

There was a comparison in the "i" newspaper on Saturday of where Rooney and Charlton had scored their goals, in friendlies/competitive games, and against whom. I can't recall the figures but given that Charlton scored hat-tricks against the likes of USA in the '60s, there's not much to choose between the two...

As for Scotland and their troubles, it hasn't escaped my notice that a certain Jordan Rhodes hasn't found favour with Strachan, in spite of having scored at least 20 goals in each of the last six seasons, with a total of 40 in his last full season with Huddersfield Town. Regardless of the level these goals are scored at, such a record would lead a player to walk into pretty much any team in Europe IMO...