He's solving problems he creates though. He was terrible against Ireland for example and then he scores 2 goals to win 2-1. But if someone else was playing anyway and the team was better, they'd probably beat Ireland at home by at least 2-1 anyway. That was constantly the case I felt last season for club and country. This season is different. He's not even solving problems he creates.
Favourites to win World Cup?
- Thread starter Swordsman
- Start date
Brazil are probably the favorites. Argentina second and then maybe France (lots of injuries, but still stacked and a super easy group too). If there's a round 2 Argentina VS France again however, i do favor Argentina this time. I can see Argentina going all the way.
Netherlands will also do well i feel. Good squad with the exception of a GK and a world class striker. They also have a very doable path to the QF's.
Belgium to disappoint.
Netherlands will also do well i feel. Good squad with the exception of a GK and a world class striker. They also have a very doable path to the QF's.
Belgium to disappoint.
I think Argentina will win. Their form is excellent, and Messi is coming into form at the right time.
I think Brazil will do well too. Depending on how the draw falls, it could be those 2 in the final.
I think Brazil will do well too. Depending on how the draw falls, it could be those 2 in the final.
Can I at least get to keep my eye brows ?
You might not believe me but this was pretty much what I told my friends today discussing the WC
- Germany
- Netherlands
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Spain
- France
- Portugal
- England
- Belgium
- Denmark
- Croatia
Tier 1 - elite coaches who dominate, very good squads barring injuries
- Germany
- Netherlands
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Spain (elite coach, squad lacking a bit)
- France
- Portugal
- England
- Belgium
- Denmark
- Croatia
Kind of surprised at how many are underrating Germany and Netherlands. They're the only 2 who are coached by very good coaches who dominate games, and have the squads to dominate. Flick would be an in demand coach at elite club level which is rare, and Van Gaal used to be that but is elite for International level. Easily the top 2 for me. Spain with Enrique have that as well, but they lack attackers. Argentina and Brazil play struggle ball kind of from what I can tell, but better than the European struggle ball sides.
It's a very different Germany. They were predictably shit the last 2 tournaments, because Low had long outstayed his welcome. Just as Southgate has, just how Fernando Santos has, just like Deschamps has. They were a clear flop candidate before, just like England, Portugal and France are now.
Current Germany and current Netherlands are the only 2 sides with elite coaches who play dominant football, and have the players to back it up. Spain as well but they lack attackers. So those 3 for me have to be favourites and they'll dominate every game.
Can I at least get to keep my eye brows ?
No sorry all your hair means all your hair
@Swordsman
No sorry all your hair means all your hair
To spice things up even more, I suggest you do not use shave, use plucking instead
On Scholes's interview with Gary Neville the other week they said international teams don't seem as strong as they were when they were playing. Argentina 94-2006 for example always looked great on paper.
I look at the teams going into the WC and don't see anything special. France won the last one and were mostly just solid, Italy deservedly won the Euros but the names don't compare to what Italy had in the 90s & 00s. What do people think about this? Is it just getting older that's done this? Grew up on 90s football so may be mythologizing that era, and the 2000s, a bit too much.
And curious about older posters, perhaps they felt the same way but looked at teams from the 90s and 00s and thought the level had gone down. Who knows?
I look at the teams going into the WC and don't see anything special. France won the last one and were mostly just solid, Italy deservedly won the Euros but the names don't compare to what Italy had in the 90s & 00s. What do people think about this? Is it just getting older that's done this? Grew up on 90s football so may be mythologizing that era, and the 2000s, a bit too much.
And curious about older posters, perhaps they felt the same way but looked at teams from the 90s and 00s and thought the level had gone down. Who knows?
What I'd most like is Argentina v England at some stage in the knockouts. Would be a shame if we never saw Messi in this match at a World Cup.
And what about people's dark horse pick? Perhaps the USA will have a good run - I think they will have a good WC soon - and it could be a decent draw for the teams emerging from Group B.
And what about people's dark horse pick? Perhaps the USA will have a good run - I think they will have a good WC soon - and it could be a decent draw for the teams emerging from Group B.
To win it, a NT will need a good squad (where deffence = midfield > attack), a good coach, a good fixture and being on a good run.
That would discard Brazil and Spain (terrible fixtures), England (coach), Netherlands (squad) and Germany, France and Portugal (momentum). It looks really good to Argentina on paper. Beware of teams like Uruguay or Senegal that could do really good runs.
Argentina - Spain/Brazil and England/France - Germany as semifinals is a real possibility tough.
That would discard Brazil and Spain (terrible fixtures), England (coach), Netherlands (squad) and Germany, France and Portugal (momentum). It looks really good to Argentina on paper. Beware of teams like Uruguay or Senegal that could do really good runs.
Argentina - Spain/Brazil and England/France - Germany as semifinals is a real possibility tough.
France and Brazil favourites. Not massively though it's quite open. All big European teams and Argentina can have a shot.
Qatar probably do a South Korea 2002... Can go far with 12 players pretty much every match.
Qatar probably do a South Korea 2002... Can go far with 12 players pretty much every match.
Its more of the gap being closed by the less known international teams, where most managers are tactically versatile and the overall quality of the players improving. It already started in the late 90s, early 2000s with Bulgaria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Greece etc starting to compete but it is only recently we see more teams like Austria, Malta, Macedonia, Georgia starting to have players of this type of quality.
Spoiler alert! Argentina beat France in the final!
32
1. Argentina beat Brazil
2. France beat Germany
2
1. Argentina beat France
32
- Netherlands
- Senegal
- England
- USA
- Argentina
- Poland
- France
- Denmark
- Spain
- Germany
- Belgium
- Croatia
- Brazil
- Serbia
- Uruguay
- Portugal
- Netherlands beat USA
- Argentina beat Denmark
- Spain beat Croatia
- Brazil beat Portugal
- England beat Senegal
- France beat Poland
- Germany beat Belgium
- Uruguay beat Serbia
- Argentina beat Netherlands
- Brazil beat Spain
- France beat England
- Germany beat Uruguay
1. Argentina beat Brazil
2. France beat Germany
2
1. Argentina beat France
France will get knocked out in the group's /last 16
I think this world cup doesn't have a team that stands out from other contenders. I have 10-12 contenders who can win this world cup because I think it is hard to guess the real winner in this world cup. Maybe we can see some big surprises, who knows. It's a pretty close world cup in terms of big teams' quality.
My top 3
1 Argentina - a rejuvenated team, full of spirit and believe. Reminiscent of Italy that won the European Championship unexpectedly (but not for me). Messi clearly will be good, he also dominate Argentina's Copa victory. Big favorites imo
2 Spain - superb team spirit, insanely talented midfield, maybe lacking options up front but I think they will play most teams of the park on technique
3 Brazil - purely based on their talented frontline, lots of options, good team spirit
Biggest disappointments
1 France - huge squad, no apparent team spirit, lots of injuries
2 England - expectations will be big after the EC but they have a very overrated squad. Defensively underwhelming, offensively seriously overrated
3 Belgium - they were the nr 1 ranked team for many years and I believe they're still 2nd in the standings but their squad is too thin, the Belgian pass and fans will undoubtably create unrealistic expectations (again)
1 Argentina - a rejuvenated team, full of spirit and believe. Reminiscent of Italy that won the European Championship unexpectedly (but not for me). Messi clearly will be good, he also dominate Argentina's Copa victory. Big favorites imo
2 Spain - superb team spirit, insanely talented midfield, maybe lacking options up front but I think they will play most teams of the park on technique
3 Brazil - purely based on their talented frontline, lots of options, good team spirit
Biggest disappointments
1 France - huge squad, no apparent team spirit, lots of injuries
2 England - expectations will be big after the EC but they have a very overrated squad. Defensively underwhelming, offensively seriously overrated
3 Belgium - they were the nr 1 ranked team for many years and I believe they're still 2nd in the standings but their squad is too thin, the Belgian pass and fans will undoubtably create unrealistic expectations (again)
Does anyone think that it will be like 2002 in the sense that there will be lots of shock results because it is being played in a new and unfamiliar place?
I think the timing will play a bigger role. There's barely a week between many leagues going on break and the tournament starting, when usually there's a fairly long time for teams to prepare and train together.
Looking at the groups, I'm not sure there will be too many early surprises although some are tricky. I could see Brazil's group being one of those. Surely one of the tournament favourites but playing against Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon in that order, Brazil could quickly feel the pressure if Serbia gets a result.
Spain or Netherlands I reckon
I also like the look of the Netherlands.
One thing that people haven’t taken into account yet is the fact that the “left side” of the bracket gets an extra day of rest before the final compared to the “right side”.
Football these days is becoming more about pressing, athleticism and fitness. An extra day of rest before a final can be worth gold. The last two World Cup finals have both been won by the team which had the extra day of rest.
Assuming that the favourites win their group:
Argentina, Brazil, Netherlands are on the side of the bracket that will get an extra day of rest
England, France and Portugal are on the side that will get one less day of rest.
Germany vs Spain there isn’t a clear favourite for who will top the group.
Football these days is becoming more about pressing, athleticism and fitness. An extra day of rest before a final can be worth gold. The last two World Cup finals have both been won by the team which had the extra day of rest.
Assuming that the favourites win their group:
Argentina, Brazil, Netherlands are on the side of the bracket that will get an extra day of rest
England, France and Portugal are on the side that will get one less day of rest.
Germany vs Spain there isn’t a clear favourite for who will top the group.
Brazil are favourites. The depth of their squad is frightening.
I have to say though that no team with pre-tournamnet odds as long as the Dutch currently have has won the WC in the last 40 years.
I'm also not ruling out England. New king, new non-white Prime Minister, who's to say we won't get a hat-trick of occurrences that the vast majority of us have never seen before?
Shock results have been happening in all world cups since 1990. South Korea reaching the semis and Greece winning Euro 2004 after the 2002 world cup showed that the gap between the traditional internation powerhouses and the rest of the countries was reducing.
I wont say it is due to climate or timezone adjustment. Germany, Brazil, Turkey, England, Denmark, Sweden etc had no issues in the 2002 world cup.
That world cup is well known for having a large number of upsets and surprise results. Please don't try to tell me that it is not. I don't know if Qatar will be the same (maybe not) but I was asking the question.
I think people underestimate the influence a strong manager has on a team. For this reason, I make England heavy favourites.
Yes - I agree that this one will have many surprises...between the timing and the fact no team(S) are really dominant, but most importantly I think the climate-based impacts will be underrated. Especially for the Colder European countries. Surely it won't be easy to acclimatise to 30 degree conditions.
As for who/which countries will adapt best, I'm not sure - thoughts?
based of just player quality:
1. France
2. Brazil
3. Portugal
There are too many unkwown variables currently to make a definitive call on the winner. I feel like injuries will be a key factor. You have to peak at the right time and even then there are no guarantees.
1. France
2. Brazil
3. Portugal
There are too many unkwown variables currently to make a definitive call on the winner. I feel like injuries will be a key factor. You have to peak at the right time and even then there are no guarantees.
Good question. I have no idea as everyone plays in Europe now anyway.
A new nation to win it would be nice, it's been since France' win in '98 a new player had joined the World Cup table. My guess, Spain.
I fancy Denmark, with our very own prince in midfield, to suprise a few people. Very organised and defensively strong, which is key in tournaments...something which we Englanders need to get our head around, with all the baying for playing 5 or 6 attackers at once...
Brazil for me. Strong in almost every area, although missing the high numbers of undisputed world class players that they had in the past.
True but the outright favourites (in terms of odds) rarely win.
Netherlands squad is really not that good. If they can't win it with the holy trinity back in 2014. I just don't see how this squad managed to surpass.
Trying to do another Euro 92 ?
Any team with a United player to win please.