France for me, just to stop this weird Messi love in.
The Final: Argentina vs France
- Thread starter Samid
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
Then you can dislike the Mbappe love in
What's your paypal brethren? Let me put some money on your books
I don't think people overestimate them. They just know how to win these games and have the tools to do so. And international opponents are a bit wank these days.
I think the France team too just has more experience on the international scene which helps
Personally I think they have more quality around the pitch. Then they know how to win these games. But most importantly they are more complete. They have physicality and pace which Argentina lacks. They can pass it but also cross it for headed goals which Argentina doesn't have. They have defenders who suit a high line and can recover from bad positions if needed, Argentina don't - none of their CBs or fullbacks are quick enough. If it was a genuinely top class opponent ala Germant 2014 or Spain 2010 I wouldn't pick France but over this Argentina side? Anyday.
Argentina will win it with that defense ...
Would like Argentina to win it
Brazil got to three in a row - 1994-2002.
I was more into the style of play. Doesn't care about possession, absorb pressure, and fatal counter attack. The way they play is insanely similar.
But ya, since France has actually taken football serious (Clairefontaine in the late 80s), they have become very competitive.
Yeah that's a really cool and accurate fact if you pretend the period between 1994 and 2002 didn't happen.
Aaaah French arrogance. Gotta love it.
France have a great track but my goodness can Argentina feast on that defense
why? The debate was over back in 2015 anyway
France played one good team in n the knockouts and got outplayed
It will be pretty even match I think but, with as much love Messi has been getting, so many wanting Argentina to win just for him rather than it being about Argentina and the refs seeming to oblige that in games, see the advantage to Argentina in the calls. On flip side Mbappe got kicked the hell out today without getting the calls - which I for me was bit of karma with the way he laughed at the Kane miss, Argentina will be able to do the same to slow him down.
Deschamps needs to go for the early goal and if they get that, think they'll win it because they do not have the backs to cope with Mbappe and Dembele on the break like England and Morocco did.
Deschamps needs to go for the early goal and if they get that, think they'll win it because they do not have the backs to cope with Mbappe and Dembele on the break like England and Morocco did.
I think there will only be one winner out of this game.
Brave shout
I want Messi to lift that cup.
Should feck Ronaldo over even more.
Should feck Ronaldo over even more.
Whatever happens, history will be made.
If Argentina win, Messi pretty much cements his place as the GOAT in my humble opinion.
If France win, Mbappe would have won 2 world cups by age 23 having played a pivotal part in both. Pele-esque influence.
If Argentina win, Messi pretty much cements his place as the GOAT in my humble opinion.
If France win, Mbappe would have won 2 world cups by age 23 having played a pivotal part in both. Pele-esque influence.
Lautaro to come off the bench and score the winner.
Again with this laugh about Kane miss
Do you know how stupid this sounds ? How else was he supposed to react ? He wasn't laughing at Kane directly btwIf Argentina play like vs Croatia, it will be at least be a close match.
But they really have nothing comparable to Mbappe. He tore Argentina apart so easily last time - and he was a worse player then, playing in the wrong position (RW)! There's very little you can do vs that combination of pace, power, and finishing. The only silver lining is that he seems to be slightly quiet in the last 2 matches - I think not having Pogba hitting long passes hurts him, even if it helps the rest of the team.
But they really have nothing comparable to Mbappe. He tore Argentina apart so easily last time - and he was a worse player then, playing in the wrong position (RW)! There's very little you can do vs that combination of pace, power, and finishing. The only silver lining is that he seems to be slightly quiet in the last 2 matches - I think not having Pogba hitting long passes hurts him, even if it helps the rest of the team.
I wonder if Scaloni will play 5-3-2 like against the Dutch to essentially double team Mbappe with Romero and the wingback. It seems like his approach is to try to nullify what the other team does well and then hope Messi is the tiebreaker, and it's worked well so far apart from against the Saudis and Australians, who were both just looking to survive (understandably).
Or he could see Griezmann as the main man and I guess flood the midfield, though risking a proper diamond seems unlikely.
France's weakness is probably their midfield 2's creative passing, so they could just play 4-3-3 with Alvarez out left, Messi as a false 9 and then not sure who on the right. I guess De Paul, with Paredes in midfield sitting and marking Griezmann for an hour until his legs are gone.
Been impressed with Scaloni, he's nullified Van Gaal and the Croatians well and the team has an obviously strong spirit of brotherhood. Could see a big La Liga side going for him if he's basically Unai Emery but a better man manager.
Or he could see Griezmann as the main man and I guess flood the midfield, though risking a proper diamond seems unlikely.
France's weakness is probably their midfield 2's creative passing, so they could just play 4-3-3 with Alvarez out left, Messi as a false 9 and then not sure who on the right. I guess De Paul, with Paredes in midfield sitting and marking Griezmann for an hour until his legs are gone.
Been impressed with Scaloni, he's nullified Van Gaal and the Croatians well and the team has an obviously strong spirit of brotherhood. Could see a big La Liga side going for him if he's basically Unai Emery but a better man manager.
He'll be on a quicker hook in the final I think, whether it's for Coman or Kolo Muani.
Yeah if you look at it as:
Rabiot/Fofana vs Messi
VS
Molina vs Mbappe
you'd back the French all day long. Neither midfielder is great, but they have the physical qualities and defensive aptitude to potentially do an okay job on Messi, whereas Scaloni might have to go to 5 at the back (so Romero is closer to Mbappe, which he is both up for and also a solid bet to commit a penalty on) or just task De Paul with helping Molina all game. Weirdly, it would make sense to just play Lautaro as a 9 so as to use Alvarez out left and then De Paul can try to stop passes into Mbappe on the right in a defensive role, while Fernandes deals with Griezmann and Mac Allister can get on Tchouameni or Rabiot/Fofana and leave the other free and just hope they don't hurt you like Tchouameni did against England.
Heart says Argentina, head says France.
He was quiet because teams are doubling up on him which in return frees space for his other teammates. He was the one who started the move for the first goal against England. France's two goals against Morocco came from rebounds of his shots. France are also happy to relinquish possession under Deschamps and then hit you on the break, although they're more than capable to keep the ball whenever they feel like it. So he sees less of the ball.
A lot here underestimate Deschamps' tactical nous and experience. He's very pragmatic, and results oriented. He played and was very successful at Juventus when the Serie A was the reference. The France team that won the WC in 1998 (Deschamps was then captain) and managed by Jacquet since 1993, was built first and foremost on a very strong defense and hard working midfield. It was all about winning, aesthetics were an afterthought. Almost an antithesis of the glorious teams of 1982, 1984 and 1986. Jacquet got absolutely murdered by the french press for his new defensive approach after the Euro 1996 and cutting loose the likes of Cantona and Ginola while bringing in his own men (Deschamps, Blanc, Zidane), until he proved everyone wrong. The french success on the international scene in the last 25 years, and them becoming the juggernaut we know today, started with him and the radical change in the philosophy of how France should play football. That and the insane amount of work they put in their youth academies in the last thirty years or so. Deschamps is following his steps, imo.
He also had to deal with half of his starters missing and still lead his team to a second final in a row without really breaking a sweat. Granted he has an insane squad depth and a lot of the traditional powerhouses are either in decline or in transition, it is no mean feat. Argentina have really their work cut out for them and need to pull out the game of their life. And score first.
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This
On the 2nd goal there is 3 defenders on him and another waiting and focused on him
Kolo Muani only has one defender on him
Let’s say someone like Giroud would have had the ball. There would have been only one defender and another in backup behind
I don't want France to retain it, even if four of our players are (or were) part of this WC squad.
I really don't want Argentina to win it, some of their players are hard to like, so that leaves me with France.
A bit ironic since their laugh onomatopoeia is in your nickname.
France favorite for me, they're effective, done it all and can hurt you at will it seems. Then again Argentina has its strenght, one of which is pure will and desire to go all the way plus having Messi of course.
Well there can't be two.
This.
Otamendi who regularly kicks the ball at downed (often immediately fouled) opponents and acts like a tough guy, Martinez the keeper, De Paul, Mac Allister, Di Maria, Romero.
They have a lot of cnuts on that team.
This, yeah.
Want France to win. Apart from Licha and Alvarez the Argentinian team is full of cnuts.
The first goal is 70% Griezmann. Mbappe blasts the ball into a body of defenders that inadvertently deflects into the path of Theo to fire home. Nothing intentional or special about what he did in that play. I’m not trying to downplay him, he’s unquestionably their biggest threat but I wouldn’t give him most of the credit for that goal.
I may be subjective but Argentina win wasnt so impressive, they pounced on our mistakes, we shot ourselves in the foot and controlled the game in the 2nd half. I found their games vs Poland and Mexico better. Saying that France is not so much better, I find them as a favorite but its close margins.
Surprising too considering how sublime he’s been for Barca recently. Everything seemingly runs through him for them. If he was half as good as his club self, France would be unstoppable.