Didn't take Lacazette ?!
World Cup 2018 - General discussion
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Three attackers in reserve sounds odd (actually 4/5 with Ben Yedder/Sissoko). Nice to see Zouma on the reserve list though.
Bit shocked that Laporte didn't even make the reserve list. He declared himself for France.
Even if he's coming back from injury, not taking Coman is so stupid 
Rabiot left out for Nzonzi is a surprise.
Lacazette will have to wait for Giroud to finish his international career to have a chance.
Rabiot left out for Nzonzi is a surprise.
Lacazette will have to wait for Giroud to finish his international career to have a chance.
Deschamps really doesn't like him for whatever reason.
Giroud is better.
Also now he has left Spain he surely can't jump ship to them now. Problem he has is France keep finding young CB's. So he will constantly get overlooked.
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No Nani?
No Ruben Neves for Portugal? And those CB are just awful lot. Maybe more awful than England's.
https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/martial-payet-lacazette-coman-out-france-squad
That's just an embarrassment of riches.
That's just an embarrassment of riches.
No Neves 
That's an absolute joke, really. It's not as if Portugal have the squad to justify the omission.
That's an absolute joke, really. It's not as if Portugal have the squad to justify the omission.Gary Lineker has spoken and our discussion is obsolete
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Harsh on Neves.
Neves paying for a transfer to a second tier league?
WTF. Nani was in as of a couple of days ago.
That was the first provisional squad list.
He was in the preliminary squad. They cut it to 23 today.
How can you take Giroud and Thuavin and leave out Lacazette and Martial? And is Benzema still being frozen out or has he retired from internationals? If not he should be there as well.
This can be the making of smalling I see. How he reacts will make or break him.
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If Danilo wasn't injured Neves had 0 chance of making it. People here are acting like it's a massive shock but that's not the case, it was between him and Manuel Fernandes who also had a pretty good year. He most likely should have made it since I have no idea how we'll setup a midfield if William gets injured but it's hardly unfair. I'm a lot more surprised that Semedo and Andre Gomes didn't go.No Neves
Neves is a very specific type of player, not very fast and athletic but he's a Xabi Alonso type who dictates the tempo and we don't really play like that. We play a 4-4-2 but our wide players like to play inside a lot, Manuel Fernandes can play both in the middle or in that wide role. He reminds me a lot of Maniche (if people here remember him, I'm sure @KirkDuyt does), not sure how many minutes he'll get but he could be very important.
Not maybe. There's about 20 different english centrebacks that would start for Portugal.
We won't be able to defend and we won't be able to play out from the back if teams press us
Rolando has played regular minutes for Marseille. How the hell is Bruno Alves going ahead of him? He was bad for us when he could actually run...
I don't think he can even play 90 minutes of football without needing a hip replacement these days. I don't like criticizing these things because with so many options it's impossible to make decisions everyone agrees with but the only reason Alves is going is to be the mascot of the team, it's a slap in the face to other players.
Also, pretty nice of us to not call up Eder so other countries have a chance.
I don't think he can even play 90 minutes of football without needing a hip replacement these days. I don't like criticizing these things because with so many options it's impossible to make decisions everyone agrees with but the only reason Alves is going is to be the mascot of the team, it's a slap in the face to other players.
Also, pretty nice of us to not call up Eder so other countries have a chance.
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Never mind all that....is Wass going to make your squad. 11 caps since 2011 despite playing really well in Spain last few years.
Why would they? Lacazette didn't make euro 2016 squad despite his 20 + goals for Lyon. Been limited most of this season for Arsenal until late goal rush. Griezmann, Mbappe and Giroud as super sub can do the last shoulder of defender job.
Those cut from Portugal squad....Rolando, Luis Neto, Antunes, Nelson Semedo (that one surprises me), Joao Cancelo, Andre Gomes, Ruben Neves, Sergio Oliveria, Nani, Eder, Rony lopes and Paulinho.
Did Santos ever play any young players when he managed the Portuguese big three? I find it bizarre he hasn't found space in the squad for some of Semedo, Neves, Rony Lopes etc. Surely you can take them for tournament experience and then they'll all be ready for euro 2020 when half the squad will be too old.
Get the feeling some of these have been called up for a farewell tournament, Bruno Alves hardly played at Rangers recently.
Given Portugal have got Spain first (so similar to getting thrashed by Germany first game in 2014) I can honestly see Portugal going out in the groups as Morocco have got decent looking team.
Did Santos ever play any young players when he managed the Portuguese big three? I find it bizarre he hasn't found space in the squad for some of Semedo, Neves, Rony Lopes etc. Surely you can take them for tournament experience and then they'll all be ready for euro 2020 when half the squad will be too old.
Get the feeling some of these have been called up for a farewell tournament, Bruno Alves hardly played at Rangers recently.
Given Portugal have got Spain first (so similar to getting thrashed by Germany first game in 2014) I can honestly see Portugal going out in the groups as Morocco have got decent looking team.
I dont know what Santos thinking to still bring Bruno Alves Fonte and Pepe. Dont you have any younger CB there?If Danilo wasn't injured Neves had 0 chance of making it. People here are acting like it's a massive shock but that's not the case, it was between him and Manuel Fernandes who also had a pretty good year. He most likely should have made it since I have no idea how we'll setup a midfield if William gets injured but it's hardly unfair. I'm a lot more surprised that Semedo and Andre Gomes didn't go.
Neves is a very specific type of player, not very fast and athletic but he's a Xabi Alonso type who dictates the tempo and we don't really play like that. We play a 4-4-2 but our wide players like to play inside a lot, Manuel Fernandes can play both in the middle or in that wide role. He reminds me a lot of Maniche (if people here remember him, I'm sure @KirkDuyt does), not sure how many minutes he'll get but he could be very important.
Not maybe. There's about 20 different english centrebacks that would start for Portugal.
We won't be able to defend and we won't be able to play out from the back if teams press us
No Nani. 
Has he not played well lately?
Has he not played well lately?
Not just Morocco, Iran has also been doing very well. We're in a more dangerous situation than most people realize, I think. We'll lose the first game against Spain as we always start tournaments poorly then even 4 points in the next 2 games can mean we get knocked out. Usually we tend to pull through in these moments but it's not going to be easy. There are plenty of question marks around the team and our friendlies in March didn't help.
Santos doesn't really have anything against young players, Renato got his chance in the Euros for example. Rony has been great but he'll be properly integrated in the qualification for the Euros. We have other good options there. Neves should have arguably made it but I can see why he didn't and Semedo has a lot of competition for that spot.
Cedric was always going as he's been good for us, between Semedo and Ricardo Pereira it could have gone either way but Semedo was terrible in the Confederations Cup so I think that's what made the difference. We still had Cancelo for right back too.
French squad a little weird. Would have thought Rabiot and Laporte make it.
Not too surprised that Giroud makes it in over Lacazette, even though I rate Lacazette much higher than Giroud.
Wenger went out of his way to guarantee Giroud playing time (to Lacazette and Arsenal's detriment) then sold him to Chelsea when he wanted even more game time.
Not too surprised that Giroud makes it in over Lacazette, even though I rate Lacazette much higher than Giroud.
Wenger went out of his way to guarantee Giroud playing time (to Lacazette and Arsenal's detriment) then sold him to Chelsea when he wanted even more game time.
Ruben Dias who also got called up but that's pretty much it. This is probably Pepe's last tournament too, we're screwed.
He has barely played, lots of fitness issues in the past years. Played just 626 minutes in the whole season for Lazio. I still think we could have used his experience and that he could have risen to the occasion but players like Guedes or Gelson have been doing better.No Nani.
Has he not played well lately?
What is up with that french squad? 6 CBs and just 2 FBs?
One fullback injured and your game becomes lopsided, two fullbacks injured and your attacking play will look like it was coached by Mourinho
Also, I don‘t understand the formation. You need 442 for Griezmann, but Kante and Pogba 2-man-midfield is bound to fail. No protection in front of the defence.
Benzema hasn't played for France since 2015...
Don't understand all this Lacazette fascination all of a sudden, he didn't make France 2016 squad when he was in much better shape for Lyon. Giroud always gets called up.
You can tell the posters on this thread who last watched international football in 2014.
But to be fair, why would you ever watch other countries' national teams apart from in a few games in WC and EC.Some international football is quite good....South American qualifiers are brilliant and better than many domestic games which isn't surprising with most of the best players in the world in that zone and the competitiveness to get those 5 spots.
Hence my amusement at most on here saying what an amazing attack Argentina have when for last 18 months I've been watching Icardi, Dybala, Di Maria and Higuain hitting post/keeper's backside/their brother in Row F when through one-on-one.
Haha why are Portuguese so defeatist?
This squad will do exactly what Portugal does best. Surprise.
This is a 7 game tournament.
Pepe is solid enough to compete at the highest level still, as evidenced by his Besiktas season, and Ruben Dias is a top-rated starting center back for Benfica.
Fonte and Bruno Alves do what Bruno Alves did perfectly in the semi-final against Wales at Euro 2016 just two years ago. Provide EXPERIENCED cover, when needed.
Because this a World Cup. And that experience is key.
That squad is so stacked that Barcelona players, a starting one including that in Nelson Semedo, couldn't make the squad.
Experience coupled with dangerous youth like Goncalo Guedes, Bernardo Silva, Gelson Martins, etc. etc. with others like William Carvalho and Raphael Guerreiro.
Young guys who already played crucial parts in the conquest of a European Championship.
If you don't rate this squad you're either unreasonably pessimistic or don't watch much football.
Portugal will show Euro 2016 was no fluke. Because this time, their team will be significantly better.
And they'll have CRISTIANO RONALDO.
Is it not possible to debate a point in a mature way without resorting to this?
Please tell me what was immature about that post. And if you could also tell me what was wrong about what was written, that'd be great too.
I'm a new poster and that passed Mod approval, please point out the issue m8.
Cheers
For this World Cup, I rate this squad as capable of getting to the quarters but it's also capable of getting knocked out in the group stages like it happened in 2014. William has had a terrible season, Guerreiro has played 15 games all season due to injuries and most of them from the bench. They can either show up at their best or they can massively disappoint but these are question marks and they're good reasons to be worried. I have no idea how Moutinho's been doing so I'm not sure how our midfield will look. Joao Mario has had a bad 2 years, the Fernandes are question marks, Renato Sanches is done, Danilo who was in great form got injured..
Bruno Alves and Fonte are 2 years older and they won't offer any defensive stability no matter how experienced they are. Semedo didn't make it because we're stacked at right back, the rest of the squad definitely isn't stacked.
In theory, Gonçalo Guedes, Gelson and Bernardo Silva should bring a whole new dimension to our attack but if you've watched our games that hasn't really been the case. A 34 year old Quaresma has been outperforming all of them. Andre Silva is our starting striker and he's scored 2 league goals for Milan all season.
It's impossible to predict but I do think we could easily end up being knocked out in the group stages. In 2014, we lost 4-0 to Germany in the first game. Then 4 points from the other 2 games meant we were eliminated. Now we're playing Spain in the first game and something similar to that could easily happen. I'd be more confident if we were playing Spain in our third game.
There are obviously a lot of positives to the squad too and I also believe that if things go right we're capable of reaching the quarters and create a lot of problems to whatever team we play. I'm not a pessimist, I'm just pointing out the reasons I'm worried. I think we're going to have a good World Cup and I do believe in this group of players but it's important to have realistic expectations. People see Morocco and Iran and think we will make it out of the group but I know this team well enough to know we don't do anything easily.
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