Re: The C4C Football Thread
Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2021 10:07 am
Agreed.Noel Mc wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 10:00 pm Best day of international football I've watched.
Tomorrow probably gonna be a bit duff in comparison.
A group for contestants and lovers of the Channel 4 game show 'Countdown'.
https://www.c4countdown.co.uk/
Agreed.Noel Mc wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 10:00 pm Best day of international football I've watched.
Tomorrow probably gonna be a bit duff in comparison.
L'oisleatch McGraw wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 9:32 pm Looks like the dream fixture may be closer than we think...
Are England set to go out to the Germans on penos as soon as the Round of 16?!
Wonderful!
The tension must come from having a vested interest (being English or German). From my perspective, the game was just incredibly boring. It didn't have a fraction of the excitement of yesterday.Marc Meakin wrote: Tue Jun 29, 2021 2:27 pmJust as tense without the quality.
Ukraine for another upset

I do still read C4C you know.
I think this was just to be expected. It's probably not a coincidence that the two last-16 games with the best teams on paper (Bel - Por and Eng - Ger) were the least exciting games, the highest level of football just seems to be like that. And with their half of the draw opening up, today's game definitely felt like it took on a greater importance akin to a semi-final.Noel Mc wrote: Tue Jun 29, 2021 7:33 pm
The tension must come from having a vested interest (being English or German). From my perspective, the game was just incredibly boring. It didn't have a fraction of the excitement of yesterday.

You really are desperate for England to go out on a penalty shootoutL'oisleatch McGraw wrote: Wed Jun 30, 2021 9:47 pm
Having gotten just 50% on my Last 16 predictions (CZE/SPA/DEN/ITA correct), here are my predictions for the quarterfinals:-
SPAIN beats Switzerland (3-1)
ITALY beats Belgium (2-0)
DENMARK beats* Czechia (2-2)
UKRAINE beats* England (1-1)
*All tied results are the final scorelines of games that then go on the be settled in a penalty shootout.
I was thinking the same.Marc Meakin wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 7:14 am You really are desperate for England to go out on a penalty shootout
He should sign for Fulham, he would have the opportunity to score 100 goals a season.Marc Meakin wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 11:08 am Messj is a free agent.
Do you think he could handle the Premier League or do you think he will go to PSG to link up with Mbappe and maybe even Ronaldo?
I doubt if any world class footballers would want to end their careers at FulhamRhys Benjamin wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 1:00 pmHe should sign for Fulham, he would have the opportunity to score 100 goals a season.Marc Meakin wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 11:08 am Messj is a free agent.
Do you think he could handle the Premier League or do you think he will go to PSG to link up with Mbappe and maybe even Ronaldo?
And a nice house in SW6 to boot.
Isn't everyone?!Marc Meakin wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 7:14 am You really are desperate for England to go out on a penalty shootout
Berbatov.Marc Meakin wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 3:02 pmI doubt if any world class footballers would want to end their careers at FulhamRhys Benjamin wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 1:00 pmHe should sign for Fulham, he would have the opportunity to score 100 goals a season.Marc Meakin wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 11:08 am Messj is a free agent.
Do you think he could handle the Premier League or do you think he will go to PSG to link up with Mbappe and maybe even Ronaldo?
And a nice house in SW6 to boot.![]()
I put the smiley face on because I am old enough to remember Bobby Moore and George Best playing at Fulham before playing in AmericaRhys Benjamin wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 11:03 pmBerbatov.Marc Meakin wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 3:02 pmI doubt if any world class footballers would want to end their careers at FulhamRhys Benjamin wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 1:00 pm
He should sign for Fulham, he would have the opportunity to score 100 goals a season.
And a nice house in SW6 to boot.![]()
There are at leadt 3 plucky underdogs.L'oisleatch McGraw wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 9:09 pmIsn't everyone?!Marc Meakin wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 7:14 am You really are desperate for England to go out on a penalty shootout![]()
It is a time-honoured tradition in the finals of international football tourneys. You have to have a massive favourite eliminated, there's gotta be a plucky underdog that gets to the semi-finals (and at the Euros - sometimes even goes on to win the whole thing!), and you have to have a much fancied England team go out, having played better in the 90 mins, on penalties (preferably to the Germans). These are the elements you need in place for a truly great tournament.
So far we have:-
1. Massive favourite out early = FRANCE
2. Plucky underdog overperforming = UKRAINE?
3. England out on penos = in the QF?!
And of course you have to speculate on who the new Pearce / Southgate / Batty / Vassel / Lampard / Cole will be...

Very nearly what I was going to postGavin Chipper wrote: Sat Jul 03, 2021 9:15 pm I predict that Eoin will predict an England loss on penalties in the semi-finals.
It's all relative. England have a very decent squad but there's been an element of luck in others being affected by injury (Belgium) and in-fighting (France). None of the teams left in the tournament are close to the level of Spain in 2012 or France in 2000, but whoever wins probably won't be the worst team to have won it, either.Marc Meakin wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 4:04 pm Are England that good or are the rest of Europe mediocre?
Yep. This is one of the reasons people like it when yis lose. The shitty media reaction. Gabriel Clarke kept asking players when was the last time England scored 4 in a knockout game, the answer being the final in 66 and you could see how uncomfortable the players were. It just heaps on the pressure. You've only reached the semis. Take it one game at a time.Phil H wrote: Mon Jul 05, 2021 12:35 pmIt's all relative. England have a very decent squad but there's been an element of luck in others being affected by injury (Belgium) and in-fighting (France). None of the teams left in the tournament are close to the level of Spain in 2012 or France in 2000, but whoever wins probably won't be the worst team to have won it, either.Marc Meakin wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 4:04 pm Are England that good or are the rest of Europe mediocre?
I do find a lot of the comments since Saturday frustratingly premature - it's entirely possible that England could still lose to Denmark, and in that event your question wouldn't make that much sense.
I didn't even realise I thought this, until you articulated it for me!Mark James wrote: Mon Jul 05, 2021 12:50 pm Southgate has been fantastic though. If they do go on to win, as annoying as it would be, I'd be chuffed for him.
Obviously I'm no expert in football but I did watch some of Euro 2000 and were France even the best team in that? I felt the Netherlands were. They lost to Italy in a 1 in a million statistical fluke in a game they dominated, and France didn't look that much better than Italy in the final.Phil H wrote: Mon Jul 05, 2021 12:35 pmNone of the teams left in the tournament are close to the level of Spain in 2012 or France in 2000
I mean, I think the point stands either way. But to answer directly - I don't know if I remember well enough to be dogmatic about it, but I thought France, Netherlands and Portugal were the three best teams and was glad Italy didn't win overall. France edged Portugal in the semi-final; Netherlands had an impressive tournament and I'd have liked to see them win, but penalties are a part of football and that turned out to be their downfall.Gavin Chipper wrote: Mon Jul 05, 2021 2:06 pmObviously I'm no expert in football but I did watch some of Euro 2000 and were France even the best team in that? I felt the Netherlands were. They lost to Italy in a 1 in a million statistical fluke in a game they dominated, and France didn't look that much better than Italy in the final.Phil H wrote: Mon Jul 05, 2021 12:35 pmNone of the teams left in the tournament are close to the level of Spain in 2012 or France in 2000
The Netherlands also beat France earlier on, but that was arguably not that relevant.

Is this some kind of reverse psychology picking an easy England win because you secretly want penaltiesL'oisleatch McGraw wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 6:23 pm SEMI-FINAL predictions!!!
ITALY............. 3:1 .........Spain
ENGLAND........ 5:0 .....Denmark
Is it coming home?
Well it's gonna be at Wembley till Sunday...
![]()
Yeah, he thinks the Gods of fate base how the future will turn out on his own predictions.Marc Meakin wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 6:25 pmIs this some kind of reverse psychology picking an easy England win because you secretly want penaltiesL'oisleatch McGraw wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 6:23 pm SEMI-FINAL predictions!!!
ITALY............. 3:1 .........Spain
ENGLAND........ 5:0 .....Denmark
Is it coming home?
Well it's gonna be at Wembley till Sunday...
![]()
![]()
*URGE TO KILL - RISING...*Marc Meakin wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 11:33 pm You could put a positive spin on an England win.
One in 13 players are of Irish decent.
Your most successful manager was an Englishman.
Some of your best ever players were English
You was once ruled by the English![]()
As a former school goalkeeper ican say from experience that if you watch the ball not the player you should always go the right way but the penalty taker should still always score.Gavin Chipper wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 7:43 am Also, why is a penalty always considered really good if it goes in and shit if it doesn't? It's never "Shit penalty, lucky to score with that" or "Good penalty but the keeper was just fucking awesome there".
*are still
That was deliberate, albeit a misunderstanding. The stadium announcer said "Miss Diana Ross", and so that's what she did.Marc Meakin wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 9:41 amStill beggars belief when a player misses the target completely.
Ala Miss Diana Ross
Messi might finally win a major trophy with his countryNoel Mc wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 9:42 am*are still
Copa America Final in Saturday night - Brazil v Argentina![]()
Noel Mc wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 9:42 am*are still
850 years of hurt (approx)
Copa America Final in Saturday night - Brazil v Argentina![]()
I'm surprised he's never won it. Surely there's far fewer potential winners in South America than Europe. No South American team other than Brazil or Argentina have won the World Cup since 1950, or even made the final.Marc Meakin wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 12:30 pmMessi might finally win a major trophy with his countryNoel Mc wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 9:42 am*are still
Copa America Final in Saturday night - Brazil v Argentina![]()
Tou cant deny the World cup is more prestigious, it beggars belief that the year Italy won the Euros only 4 teams qualified and Italy won their semifinal against USSR aet by the toss of a coin.Gavin Chipper wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 7:41 am I wonder at what point people will realise that although it takes basically the same amount of effort to win the Euros as the World Cup, it's still not the big prize. Whatever happens, it will still be 55 years and counting.
But this is kind of the point. Still all the hard work to win but without the World Cup at the end of it. Just some regional championship.Marc Meakin wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 1:05 pm However nowadays you could argue that the Euros have more quality teams seeing as apart from Brazil, Argentina and maybe Columbia mist of the worlds top 20 ranked sides are from Europe
The group stages of the Euros are considerably easier. The fact you can get out of your group with 3 points is dumb. Portugal won the whole thing last time with 3 draws in the group stage.Gavin Chipper wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 7:41 am I wonder at what point people will realise that although it takes basically the same amount of effort to win the Euros as the World Cup, it's still not the big prize. Whatever happens, it will still be 55 years and counting.
You can get out of your group in a world cup with 3 points, and it's not super unusual. Denmark were second in their group with three points this Euros. You can teeeeeeeechnically get out of the group with 1 point in the new Euros format, although it would require three separate groups to have two teams that draw with each other and both lose the other two games, so would pretty much never happen in practice.Noel Mc wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 1:51 pmThe group stages of the Euros are considerably easier. The fact you can get out of your group with 3 points is dumb. Portugal won the whole thing last time with 3 draws in the group stage.Gavin Chipper wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 7:41 am I wonder at what point people will realise that although it takes basically the same amount of effort to win the Euros as the World Cup, it's still not the big prize. Whatever happens, it will still be 55 years and counting.
True. I suppose the ridiculousness of it is that you can be assured of qualification so much earlier. It's probably not so much the number of points, so much the 3rd place rule in particular.Thomas Carey wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 4:38 pmYou can get out of your group in a world cup with 3 points, and it's not super unusual. Denmark were second in their group with three points this Euros. You can teeeeeeeechnically get out of the group with 1 point in the new Euros format, although it would require three separate groups to have two teams that draw with each other and both lose the other two games, so would pretty much never happen in practice.Noel Mc wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 1:51 pmThe group stages of the Euros are considerably easier. The fact you can get out of your group with 3 points is dumb. Portugal won the whole thing last time with 3 draws in the group stage.Gavin Chipper wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 7:41 am I wonder at what point people will realise that although it takes basically the same amount of effort to win the Euros as the World Cup, it's still not the big prize. Whatever happens, it will still be 55 years and counting.
and two balls on the pitch literally a foot apart at one point.Mark James wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 9:49 pm Shocking decision. Two balls on the pitch and a blatant dive.
I think the ref was addressing the stonewall penalty earlier on Harry Kane.that he didnt even check.Noel Mc wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 9:54 pmand two balls on the pitch literally a foot apart at one point.Mark James wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 9:49 pm Shocking decision. Two balls on the pitch and a blatant dive.