Todays games - the World Cup edition.

[CelebrityWolf]

not paid that much attention to xg but it does seem quite a clever analytic.

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

Because tRex Pickford should have saved the first and Maguire should have been stronger on the second. Both were preventable goals. Our pen was the easiest chance we had percentage wise for xg. You score 4 out of 5 min. We just spannered the second pen

You can't blame Pickford for that, he's at full stretch.

Given the proximity of our defenders to the French striker you'd like to think it would be dealt with. A shame it was Giroud, who for some bizarre reason comes in for a lot of flack. Personally I think he's brilliant. Possibly the finest example of that kind of forward currently playing.

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

OK, you're getting a bit silly now. Set pieces are won in open play, I think most people will be able to work that out! Frank's point was that we might win more set pieces (in open play) and have chances from them. I'm not even sure I agree, it was just that you chose to call his point 'ridiculous'.

You really need to think harder about xG. It doesn't tell you how many goals you're going to score, it tells you about the chances to score you've created. So if you underperform relative to xG you're like Wolves, crap at finishing. If you smash one in from 25 yards then you didn't make a great chance, but you hit a great shot.

So Xg tells you if it was a tap in or not. Helpful.

Are you Frank's big brother or something? Racing to defend him lol.

 

[WasStefan]

No its owned by IAG so is BA

Which is majority owned by BA.

 

[manchesterwolf17]

Apologies if it's been asked on another page, but where do we think Morocco winning the World Cup would rank in terms of miraculous footballing achievements?

I think it'd be second only to Leicester winning the Premier League.

 

[Sussex Wolf]

Apologies if it's been asked on another page, but where do we think Morocco winning the World Cup would rank in terms of miraculous footballing achievements?

I think it'd be second only to Leicester winning the Premier League.

I think it might even eclipse that!

 

[manchesterwolf17]

I think it might even eclipse that!

I think there's an argument for it.

 

[VancouverWolf]

Apologies if it's been asked on another page, but where do we think Morocco winning the World Cup would rank in terms of miraculous footballing achievements?

I think it'd be second only to Leicester winning the Premier League.

If that happens, you’ll have a multitude of descriptions from newspapers from all over the planet to choose from. …and for a day or two……headlines for a month.

I‘m not watching the games but must admit that I am very tempted to watch them vs France. If I knew in advance that they’d beat France, my resolve might break.

 

[manchesterwolf17]

If that happens, you’ll have a multitude of descriptions from all over the planet to choose from. …and for a day or two……headlines for a month.

I‘m not watching the games but must admit that I am very tempted to watch them vs France. If I knew in advance that they’d beat France, my resolve might break.

I've a feeling Croatia will beat Argentina. Probably on penalties.

Finding it incredibly difficult to find an argument for Morocco beating France, as much as I really, really hope they do.

 

[VancouverWolf]

I've a feeling Croatia will beat Argentina. Probably on penalties.

Finding it incredibly difficult to find an argument for Morocco beating France, as much as I really, really hope they do.

I think Croatia just might beat Argentina. Without Messi, I think Croatia would beat them 6/10 games with a few draws thrown in.
However, Messi can still win games.

 

[CelebrityWolf]

I honeslty think some of the arguments today are a little daft. At the end of the day France set the bar pretty high last night, sadly it just wasn't high enough for Harry Kane....

 

[CelebrityWolf]

I've a feeling Croatia will beat Argentina. Probably on penalties.

Finding it incredibly difficult to find an argument for Morocco beating France, as much as I really, really hope they do.

Yeah, Argies Croatia will be close for sure. Could go either way, Croatia no mugs with tournament football. France are in the final, zero chance Morocco do it again against a side with so many dangers. I really hope it is an Argentina France final.

 

[JadeWolf]

I've a feeling Croatia will beat Argentina. Probably on penalties.

Finding it incredibly difficult to find an argument for Morocco beating France, as much as I really, really hope they do.

Have the same two teams ever played in back to back World Cup finals?

 

[Wolf 82]

I honeslty think some of the arguments today are a little daft. At the end of the day France set the bar pretty high last night, sadly it just wasn't high enough for Harry Kane....

Decent joke tbf. Even though I am still feeling pretty salty about it..

Watched the game in a pub in South London last night.. ended up being two Wolves fans from Dudley behind me.. always fun to meet fellow Wolfs around

 

[Wolf 82]

Have the same two teams ever played in back to back World Cup finals?

Germany and Argentina 86 and 90?

 

[CelebrityWolf]

Have the same two teams ever played in back to back World Cup finals?

Yes, 86 and 90 with Germany and Argentina

 

[Wolf 82]

Yeah, Argies Croatia will be close for sure. Could go either way, Croatia no mugs with tournament football. France are in the final, zero chance Morocco do it again against a side with so many dangers. I really hope it is an Argentina France final.

I think France, and us had we won, have too many different threats for Morocco to deal with.. Portugal and Spain can be combatted by sitting deep and a little luck.. but as France showed yesterday, they only need a few half chances

 

[Frank Lincoln]

Have the same two teams ever played in back to back World Cup finals?

Yes and no.

In 1986 Argentina best West Germany, but due to the unification in Germany, in 1990 Germany beat Argentina.

It depends if West Germany and Germany are considered the same country in terms of football.

 

[Lou Pine]

Yes and no.

In 1982 Argentina best West Germany, but due to the unification in Germany, in 1986 Germany beat Argentina.

It depends if West Germany and Germany are considered the same country in terms of football.

Argentina beat West Germany in ‘86 and West Germany beat Argentina in ‘90. The Berlin Wall had come down by the time the tournament began but the team that qualified and played at Italia ‘90 were still West Germany.

In ‘82 Italy beat the West Germans.

 

[CelebrityWolf]

I hope Saiss is fit for the semi.

 

[Frank Lincoln]

Argentina beat West Germany in ‘86 and West Germany beat Argentina in ‘90. The Berlin Wall had come down by the time the tournament began but the team that qualified and played at Italia ‘90 were still West Germany.

In ‘82 Italy beat the West Germans.

Sorry my mistake. Always happy to be corrected. I presumed that because the wall had come down, the football team had dropped the 'West' from its name.

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

Apologies if it's been asked on another page, but where do we think Morocco winning the World Cup would rank in terms of miraculous footballing achievements?

I think it'd be second only to Leicester winning the Premier League.

It tops Leicester for me. It's the World Cup. It would be up there with the amateur US ice hockey team beaing the star studded USSR at the 1980 Winter Olympics.

 

[Lou Pine]

Sorry my mistake. Always happy to be corrected. I presumed that because the wall had come down, the football team had dropped the 'West' from its name.

There’s an excellent 3-part documentary on Italia 90 on Sky, they deal with the reunification of Germany being a backdrop to the West German team’s campaign. It also gives a fascinating account of the Yugoslav camp during the tournament before their nation was torn apart.

Plus the bonus of plenty of footage of Bully in an England shirt!

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

Apologies if it's been asked on another page, but where do we think Morocco winning the World Cup would rank in terms of miraculous footballing achievements?

I think it'd be second only to Leicester winning the Premier League.

I don't think it's anywhere near Leicester in terms of being a miracle.

They have players who play for Sevilla x2 (including the best keeper in La Liga as voted), Fiorentina, West Ham, Besiktas, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, PSG.

Admittedly some are injured now so it gets better if they keep doing it without more of them.

However, this is a good team.

In terms of a story it would be close to Leicester but I think their achievement over 38 games will always be far greater.

 

[CelebrityWolf]

Apologies if it's been asked on another page, but where do we think Morocco winning the World Cup would rank in terms of miraculous footballing achievements?

I think it'd be second only to Leicester winning the Premier League.

Bigger for me. An African side had NEVER reached the SFs so for one to win it would be incredible.

Just weighing it up, Leicester were probably 7-8th best team in the country going into the season. Morocco were probably around the 16-20 mark for this world cup.

 

[manchesterwolf17]

I don't think it's anywhere near Leicester in terms of being a miracle.

They have players who play for Sevilla x2 (including the best keeper in La Liga as voted), Fiorentina, West Ham, Besiktas, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, PSG.

Admittedly some are injured now so it gets better if they keep doing it without more of them.

However, this is a good team.

In terms of a story it would be close to Leicester but I think their achievement over 38 games will always be far greater.

I agree, I don't think what Leicester achieved will ever be surpassed in our lifetime.

Notts Forest winning two consecutive European Cups in straight knockout systems is right up there as well.

 

[manchesterwolf17]

Bigger for me. An African side had NEVER reached the SFs so for one to win it would be incredible.

Just weighing it up, Leicester were probably 7-8th best team in the country going into the season. Morocco were probably around the 16-20 mark for this world cup.

Not sure that's true about Leicester. They were bottom at Xmas the previous season, and stayed up with a great run at the end. A momentum they carried on to a ludicrous degree. Many people thought they were relegation candidates when Ranieri took over.

To win it the way they did as well. By 10 points, losing just 3 games all campaign. Incredible.

Found this from an article before the season began:

LEICESTER. Best odds: 5,000-1. Relegation: 3-1.

Having engineered the great escape to end all great escapes last season, manager Nigel Pearson was rewarded with the sack this summer for events which took place off the pitch. New boss Claudio Ranieri has something to prove after flopping in his last job as manager of Greece but the Foxes will also be hit by the departure of midfielder Esteban Cambiasso who played so well for them last year. Teams in their second season in the Premier League are often vulnerable, and the 3-1 for Leicester being relegated looks tempting.

 

[Wolf 82]

I would say purely on a scale of difficulty, that what Leicester achieved is greater.. to do it over 38 games is incredible, unthinkable really.. that Leicester team wasn’t respected like the Leicester of 2 seasons ago going into the season.

However, on a global significance scale, Morocco winning the World Cup would be talked about for decades all around the world.

 

[Asthmatic Wolf]

There’s an excellent 3-part documentary on Italia 90 on Sky, they deal with the reunification of Germany being a backdrop to the West German team’s campaign. It also gives a fascinating account of the Yugoslav camp during the tournament before their nation was torn apart.

Plus the bonus of plenty of footage of Bully in an England shirt!

The Yugoslav manager was a legend he died a couple of days after filming iirc

Really well made doc. And genuinely I saw a player take down a ball on his chest and smash it in from 18 yards and thought ‘who the **** was that’ - and it was Bully. Made me proud .

 

[Asthmatic Wolf]

I would say purely on a scale of difficulty, that what Leicester achieved is greater.. to do it over 38 games is incredible, unthinkable really.. that Leicester team wasn’t respected like the Leicester of 2 seasons ago going into the season.

However, on a global significance scale, Morocco winning the World Cup would be talked about for decades all around the world.

I agree, also Morocco have a good team! They’ve got a number of CL players from PSG, Chelsea and Bayern as well as other top clubs.

What they are doing is amazing but S Korea also got to the semis.

The counter argument is that their run has involved and would involve beating so many top teams that it may actually exceed the achievement. Also politically and culturally it would be unparalleled.

 

[Wolf 82]

Just imagine seeing Romain Saiss lifting that trophy.. unbelievable

 

[VancouverWolf]

I hope Saiss is fit for the semi.

mashiyat allah……( god willing). Hey, if it helps send good Karma to Saisse, ok.

 

[waggys left foot]

Internationally Greece winning the Euros was pretty jaw-dropping.

 

[Asthmatic Wolf]

Just imagine seeing Romain Saiss lifting that trophy.. unbelievable

Actually it would be ****ing infuriating!!

Shi out!! (Nobody’s said that for a while)

 

[manchesterwolf17]

Given the way they play and defend I think they'd have a real chance against Croatia or Argentina.

Sadly, France have guile, pace and the option to go direct. It will be too much for them.

So hope I'm wrong.

 

[CelebrityWolf]

Most clearances this world cup.

Romain Saiss with 57

 

[CelebrityWolf]

Shots......shots on target for the SF

France 76.....30
Agentina 72.....32
Croatia 52......20
Morocco 36........13

 

[George AlooGobi]

There’s an excellent 3-part documentary on Italia 90 on Sky, they deal with the reunification of Germany being a backdrop to the West German team’s campaign. It also gives a fascinating account of the Yugoslav camp during the tournament before their nation was torn apart.

Plus the bonus of plenty of footage of Bully in an England shirt!

Worth watching just for Toto Schillaci's wig

 

[waggys left foot]

I see Southgate is "conflicted" about continuing .He has done an outstanding job picking us up after the Iceland ✓Euros 2016 debacle.So turning us into genuine contenders is a massive achievement.

However I hope he stands down - the only advance in this world cup was to pick Bellingham but only a blind Villa supporter wouldnt have found room for him.Imo he needed to find a system to accommodate greasy and he was way too cautious for that.His loyalty to Sterling was another blind spot.

I would also have picked Ramsdale over Pickford.

Defensively he had a weak hand to play -a major priority for the next four years.

So give him his knighthood and let's move on (staying with an English manager is a given).

Come on Morocco.

 

[GuzzWolf]

I agree. We played very well in this tournament. Even tonight. Only criticism tonight was bringing Sterling on, who has been poor this tournament and had just returned from England.

A bizarre decision and now Southgate must go imho