The Rounded Keeper - FPL Pub Talk & Matchday Banter 25/26

[forestfan]

It appears the “holders open up” tradition only ran from 1974 to 2002. Mexico went in first as hosts in 1970.

The four tournament openers from 1966 to 1978 didn’t feature a single goal

And Mexico-South Africa isn’t the first repeat, as the Mexicans kicked things off and lost (4-0 and 5-0) to Brazil in consecutive tournaments in the 1950s!

[blahblah]

The Algeria REVENGE match against Austria had totally passed me by

Can they get Germany in the KO

[forestfan]

We've got a few match-ups with history in there. England-Croatia, Scotland-Morocco, Algeria-Austria, Mexico-SA...

[blahblah]

The balls don't seem to running properly; passes seem to lose pace really quickly hopefully this isn't the same issue that popped Amad's(?) a few years at Merlife?

[maxi123]

Good luck to South Africa as I chose for the race! They were hosts 16 years ago, so probably could draw or win the Mexico game!

[Malrom]

Raul from Fulham to Wolves for free !

That's a bit surprising for me. I know he played for them earlier

[blahblah]

Bound to start, and they probably have cash after the fire sale and the parachute payment.

They've got a few at the WC, and a couple should progress.

[forestfan]

McKenna leaves Ipswich, apparently not for another job. Must have been very disillusioned at the available transfer funds for this summer.

[blahblah]

Or Ashton inviting FarAge in for a load of publicity.

Good on him for going

[forestfan]

Who’s the most Brexity replacement they could appoint?

[blahblah]

Pullis, he blamed the EU for something totally irrelevant

[forestfan]

Ian Holloway’s quite right-wing, I seem to remember…

[maxi123]

Well, from this point of view Wolves will strive to get back in PL,so Raul could shine.

P.S. Brexit topic seems long one, isn't it?

Let's make a poll about top goalscorer of the WC2026!

[blahblah]

Ian Holloway’s quite right-wing, I seem to remember…

Actually it might have been him

[forestfan]

Anyway, up for a crack at Derby’s record? Promoted teams who lose their manager rarely thrive…

[blahblah]

From what I saw all 3 were SHITE, and surprisingly so. That's kinda disappointing given how much Europe has been affecting Prem performance and a good relegation battle could have happened, but I can't see it with these 3.

Soton were the best this year, and by quite a distance tbh.

[forestfan]

From what I saw all 3 were SHITE, and surprisingly so. That's kinda disappointing given how much Europe has been affecting Prem performance and a good relegation battle could have happened, but I can't see it with these 3.

Soton were the best this year, and by quite a distance tbh.

Shows what a good spy can do…

There’s an opening for someone if they can grab it. Bournemouth, Brentford, Palace and Sunderland have Thursday nights to contend with, two of those have to deal with a new manager and another with second season syndrome and the fact they massively outperformed the stats last season. If we lose two or three key players it’s going to be a struggle even without another four-manager season. Leeds, too, might fall short of last season’s efforts. Fulham have also lost their boss. So that’s seven potential non-promoted strugglers before we even mention Spurs

[blahblah]

Spurs will be fine and could well be in the CL scrap with Chelsea and Newcastle.having an MU season, although all 3 will top 40 matches, shirley. But the ripple down will happen from them finishing higher.

Btw Bournemouth also only had 40 last season, so that's at least 2 playing at least another 25%.

Given all that, your B team will be enough to stay up

[forestfan]

Without MGW we’d have been in the Wolves/Burnley zone though. Lose him as well as Anderson (and any of the regular back four) and we could really struggle unless last season’s acquisitions belatedly prove themselves.

[blahblah]

I thought lil Omari did OK. What happened to Ndoye? He was doing ok to well?

Do you still have Sangare? I thought he was doing well until the injury.

[forestfan]

I thought lil Omari did OK. What happened to Ndoye? He was doing ok to well?

Do you still have Sangare? I thought he was doing well until the injury.

Yeah Sangare was coming back towards the end, we’re not too badly off in CM which is why I think Anderson, despite his quality, is someone we can just about get by without.

Omari was the least bad of the newer attacking signings, which isn’t saying a lot… Ndoye started quite well then lost his way, McAtee was anonymous and as for Bakwa, anonymous would have been an improvement! Admittedly they were often the Thursday night squad so hard to find a rhythm but without MGW there was often absolutely zero spark or creativity in attacking areas.

[blahblah]

Raul from Fulham to Wolves for free !

That's a bit surprising for me. I know he played for them earlier

And a new manager for Wolves - yet to be appointed

[Malrom]

Raul from Fulham to Wolves for free !

That's a bit surprising for me. I know he played for them earlier

And a new manager for Wolves - yet to be appointed

Very patient Wolves

[forestfan]

I was amazed to discover the Czechs haven’t qualified since 2006, Turkey since 2002 and Austria since way back in 1998

Probably because they’re all regular Euros qualifiers so we’re used to seeing them at major tournaments. Shows how tough the European qualification still is, though.

[blahblah]

Haiti and DR Congo since 74

[forestfan]

Haiti and DR Congo since 74

Well yeah, but no thoughts of them possibly having qualified more recently…

Longest active waits (other than those never qualified or no longer in existence):
Cuba, Indonesia (then known as Dutch East Indies) - 1938
Israel - 1970
El Salvador, Kuwait - 1982
Hungary, Northern Ireland - 1986
UAE - 1990
Bolivia - 1994
Bulgaria, Romania, Jamaica - 1998 (again, surprised at the first two!)

Maybe some of those will be at Sporocco-Argeguay 2030…

[itslikebrandnew]

Hillarious that Rob Edwards has been sacked. Had he not of screwed over Boro and stayed with them he'd probably be in the premier league with them.

[forestfan]

Hillarious that Rob Edwards has been sacked. Had he not of screwed over Boro and stayed with them he'd probably be in the premier league with them.

Yeah, and they probably appointed him for the Championship anyway, which makes it even more strange. Not Portuguese enough for them, perhaps.

He’ll probably show up at Ipswich now.

[itslikebrandnew]

I thought lil Omari did OK. What happened to Ndoye? He was doing ok to well?

Do you still have Sangare? I thought he was doing well until the injury.

Yeah Sangare was coming back towards the end, we’re not too badly off in CM which is why I think Anderson, despite his quality, is someone we can just about get by without.

Omari was the least bad of the newer attacking signings, which isn’t saying a lot… Ndoye started quite well then lost his way, McAtee was anonymous and as for Bakwa, anonymous would have been an improvement! Admittedly they were often the Thursday night squad so hard to find a rhythm but without MGW there was often absolutely zero spark or creativity in attacking areas.

I thought Bakwa was just beginning to find his feet right at the end of the season.

[forestfan]

I thought lil Omari did OK. What happened to Ndoye? He was doing ok to well?

Do you still have Sangare? I thought he was doing well until the injury.

Yeah Sangare was coming back towards the end, we’re not too badly off in CM which is why I think Anderson, despite his quality, is someone we can just about get by without.

Omari was the least bad of the newer attacking signings, which isn’t saying a lot… Ndoye started quite well then lost his way, McAtee was anonymous and as for Bakwa, anonymous would have been an improvement! Admittedly they were often the Thursday night squad so hard to find a rhythm but without MGW there was often absolutely zero spark or creativity in attacking areas.

I thought Bakwa was just beginning to find his feet right at the end of the season.

Yeah, he had a couple of moments towards the end. We’ll need to see a lot more from him though.

Anyway, Pizza Crouch has gone along with Boly and two reserve keepers.