Day 5: Switzerland vs Cameroon | Uruguay vs South Korea | Portugal vs Ghana | Brazil vs Serbia

Sly

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Portugal is going to be horrible defending, that lineup has no balance at all. No Leao too, crazy the shit that you do to fit in Ronaldo. Hope Ghana cause an upset
Are you kidding? This was expected. We are managed by the biggest coward in world football. Nothing will change until Fernando Santos is sacked and Jorge Mendes loses his influence in the FA.
 

V.O.

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What the feck is that Portugal team? Their midfield is Neves and four AMs :lol:

All of Dalot, Palhinha and Leao have every right to be fecking fuming at being on the bench. Are most international managers just idiots?
 

fallengt

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Imagine waiting for 4 years for World cup and they are happy with these 0-0s
Jebus.
 

RoyH1

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All these low scoring games are giving me Italia 90 flashbacks minus Nessum Dorma
 

the_cliff

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Are you kidding? This was expected. We are managed by the biggest coward in world football. Nothing will change until Fernando Santos is sacked and Jorge Mendes loses his influence in the FA.
There's no pace in the 11, I was expecting Leao to start. Isn't he usually a starter ?
 

RobinLFC

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What the feck is that Portugal team? Their midfield is Neves and four AMs :lol:

All of Dalot, Palhinha and Leao have every right to be fecking fuming at being on the bench. Are most international managers just idiots?
You think he should start ahead of Cancelo?
 

Sly

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There's no pace in the 11, I was expecting Leao to start. Isn't he usually a starter ?
No. I would start him but Fernando Santos prefers stability and Leão loses too many balls. Combine that with Fernandes and obviously the cnut won't start him. He prefers predictable and safe to creativity and attacking mentality
 

VorZakone

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Robert Lewandowski
Kylian Mbappe
Harry Kane
Darwin Nunez
Gabriel Jesus
Dusan Vlhaovic
Lautaro Martinez
Nunez is not a top striker. Vlahovic has to prove more. Lautaro also not a top striker.

And Mbappe isn't a striker if you ask me.

Basically we need many more strikers at the level of Benzema and Lewandowski.
 

antohan

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Nunez playing exactly the way he does for Pool.
Every time something was shaping up I found myself actively hoping the ball didn't find him.

I'm stuck with him, but imagine feeling like that about a striker you went out and chose to spunk your transfer budget on. :eek:
 

huyn

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I'm pretty happy with the result. I think on paper Portugal and Uruguay are superior, we were bound to fight for 3rd with Ghana as it's a tough group, so drawing against Uruguay is a decent result. I like the way we played, even though we struggle at creating chances. What I didn't like was the diving, way too much of it, often with no reason, they need to cut that bs. Need to win against Ghana and draw against Portugal to go through.
 

TheNewEra

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They just said there were no recorded shots on target in the Uruguay vs South Korea (FIFAs official stats). The lowest of the century in a major tournament
 

Sly

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Why is everyone surprised with the Portugal lineup? This is classic Fernando Santos.

He only changes when things go really bad which is our typical big tournament start. That's why I'm not touching this match betting wise
 

bosnian_red

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Are you kidding? This was expected. We are managed by the biggest coward in world football. Nothing will change until Fernando Santos is sacked and Jorge Mendes loses his influence in the FA.
It's honestly sad to see so many potential great footballing countries managed by absolute jokers. Portugal with a proper manager could easily have the most complete starting 11. No way that Nunes and Leao should be left out.
 

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It's honestly sad to see so many potential great footballing countries managed by absolute jokers. Portugal with a proper manager could easily have the most complete starting 11. No way that Nunes and Leao should be left out.
is foreign coach no no for great footballing countries (europe and south america) ? I only see Africa or Asian team being managed by foreigner.

once upon a time England was managed by foreign coaches (not much success though)
 

Sly

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It's honestly sad to see so many potential great footballing countries managed by absolute jokers. Portugal with a proper manager could easily have the most complete starting 11. No way that Nunes and Leao should be left out.
It's strange to feel hate for a manager that won an Euro and a Nations League but that's how I honestly feel.

Portugal hasn't had a winning start since the 2006 World Cup where we beat Angola 1-0 in a scrappy affair. Beware of betting.
 

bosnian_red

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is foreign coach no no for great footballing countries (europe and south america) ? I only see Africa or Asian team being managed by foreigner.

once upon a time England was managed by foreign coaches (not much success though)
It's just that the majority of top coaches prefer club football, and the very few times that they want to manage a national team, it's to be their own national team. Luis Enrique, Flick, Mancini, Van Gaal, etc. They can get top club jobs. So they'd only pass on that to manage their own country.
 

bosnian_red

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It's strange to feel hate for a manager that won an Euro and a Nations League but that's how I honestly feel.

Portugal hasn't had a winning start since the 2006 World Cup where we beat Angola 1-0 in a scrappy affair. Beware of betting.
Its a case of you won the euro's despite your manager, he didn't help you on the way to it really. It was a necessary system in 2016 as the team wasn't good, so fair enough, but since then... you need a proactive manager to take advantage of the players you have.
 

Swordsman

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It's just that the majority of top coaches prefer club football, and the very few times that they want to manage a national team, it's to be their own national team. Luis Enrique, Flick, Mancini, Van Gaal, etc. They can get top club jobs. So they'd only pass on that to manage their own country.
Klopp next germany coach ?
 

Sly

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Bernardo Silva underwhelming performance coming up. Not completely his fault since Santos never plays him in his natural position but he never reaches City status in our National team.

Also let's see if Felix lives up to the fanboys pressure. Never had a decent performance for Portugal in an oficial competition. Most overrated player in our squad. But the focus will be on a 37 year old Ronaldo who already did his fair share for Portugal.

Will gladly be wrong but doubt it.
 

Dumbstar

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Every time something was shaping up I found myself actively hoping the ball didn't find him.

I'm stuck with him, but imagine feeling like that about a striker you went out and chose to spunk your transfer budget on. :eek:
I'm hoping for a miserable Uruguay performance in this world cup so Nunez can come home very early. Hopefully in two games time! Then we can happily relax with our transfer budget 'disaster '.

Come On Darwin!! Score... Zero Goals!!! :D:cool:
 

Sly

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Nah, Cancelo on the left.
No way. Raphael Guerreiro is always a top performer in our National team. Dalot will have his chance because he deserves it but the right back choice is correct
 

RobinLFC

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Nah, Cancelo on the left.
So he should start at the expense of Guerreiro who's been a regular starter under Fernando Santos and has international tournament experience, while Dalot has had only what now, 4 or 5 months of above average / good play at United? Or was he already good last season?

I don't think you'll hear many arguments about Dalot not starting outside of Utd fans to be honest.
 

V.O.

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No way. Raphael Guerreiro is always a top performer in our National team. Dalot will have his chance because he deserves it but the right back choice is correct
Fair enough then. I don't watch much Dortmund, but their defence always seems pretty dodgy in recent times so I'd assumed Guerreiro was a contributor to that.

I think Leao has the biggest gripe at being excluded, but I guess it's just the result of shoehorning Ronaldo in at all costs.