Football Thread 23-24: Part 3: End of an Era - Auf Wiedersehen, Jürgen

[Kankurette]

Vincent Kompany will be slapping his players in Portuguese restaurants by the end of next season. While shouting 'YOU FOOKIN NOB'ED' in his weird Belgian/Manc accent.

[boki]

RONALADO statue has competition.

Is somehow possible

[Kankurette]

So the usual suspects are shitting themselves over a fucking multicoloured cross? Including Starmer? I mean, fucking hell, guys, it's not like there's a cost of living crisis or a genocide going on or anything!

[Senior Baiano]

I heard that they were changing the colour of the cross from red to a kente cloth pattern. Because of woke.

[Gurke and Hare]

The funniest bit of this flag shagging fuckwittery is the knobhead I saw a clip of saying that messing with flags shows that someone "doesn't understand football fans" as though grounds aren't full of messed with flags.

[dr beat]

We were watching the Wales game last night and my OH said the dragon on the new Wales shirt is wrong.

[Kankurette]

The funniest bit of this flag shagging fuckwittery is the knobhead I saw a clip of saying that messing with flags shows that someone "doesn't understand football fans" as though grounds aren't full of messed with flags.

I'd say putting your football club's name on an England flag counts as messing with it.

[the hum]

Clearly far more controversial is Scotland's new one looking like the Sweden's away top circa Italia '90.

[the hum]

Who incidentally have just demonstrated they're made of glass. That's now 18 goals conceded in 6 games. Our Euros are going to be a couple of first halves of decent, technically good, even entertaining football, and finishing bottom of the group with a hefty negative goal difference. That Spain win might as well have been a lifetime ago.

[Clatty McCutcheon]

If I'm clutching at straws it only really went to shit - and it really did go to shit defensively - after all the subs came on. I've only seen the highlights but Scotland looked OK with the first-choice XI on the pitch and created (but missed) loads of chances, particularly at the start of the second half. But, yeah, lightweight up front, leaky at the back and lacking squad depth isn't too encouraging...

The level of performance seemed to fluctuate from a level that should see off Hungary and/or Switzerland and real wooden-spoon level stuff.

[the hum]

If nothing else it should put to bed the myth that we have strength in depth. You're looking tops at about 13/14 dependables (with anything interchangeable being all in midfield), with a smattering of really good in amongst that. Beyond that the quality drops off alarmingly. Lewis Ferguson, irrespective of what he's doing in Serie A, does not look up to it, and it's now dawning on me why he gets so few starts.

If Hickey is fit again in time and none of the other core 4 or 5 get crocked then maybe there's a chance. But otherwise...

[shoulders]

Palma player Dennis Man, née Menace.

[Theoretical Dentist]

Andorra managed a 1-1 draw with South Africa, which seems like a good result for them, although I know nowt about African football.

South Africa got to the AFCON semi-finals a few weeks ago so it does seem good for Andorra. But this match was part of a new competition, the FIFA Series, which is why it was played in Algeria, and I don't know how seriously South Africa or anyone else is taking it.

This year's edition is being described as a pilot and they're planning to expand it and/or feature bigger teams in later years. This year there are a few quite big teams like Egypt, Algeria and Croatia, although Egypt and Algeria are in it partly because they're hosting groups. But I think there will always be quite a lot of Andorra-tier teams because the part of the point of the competition is to give those teams more opportunities to play teams at a similar level from other continents.

[BlodwynPig]

South Africa got to the AFCON semi-finals a few weeks ago so it does seem good for Andorra. But this match was part of a new competition, the FIFA Series, which is why it was played in Algeria, and I don't know how seriously South Africa or anyone else is taking it.

This year's edition is being described as a pilot and they're planning to expand it and/or feature bigger teams in later years. This year there are a few quite big teams like Egypt, Algeria and Croatia, although Egypt and Algeria are in it partly because they're hosting groups. But I think there will always be quite a lot of Andorra-tier teams because the part of the point of the competition is to give those teams more opportunities to play teams at a similar level from other continents.

Look forward to Scotland vs Vanuatu next time around then

[Joe Oakes]

So the usual suspects are shitting themselves over a fucking multicoloured cross? Including Starmer? I mean, fucking hell, guys, it's not like there's a cost of living crisis or a genocide going on or anything!

My problem with the flag redesign is the shape, not the colour.

How are we supposed to crucify a Christian properly on that, will just look silly with the feet dangling free. Boycott Nike.

[Kankurette]

I'm sure the Romans had ways.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Saw this on Facebook. Proud to be Engl!

[Arbiter]

The England shirt should just be the St George's cross front and back. Unironically. It would look cool and a good reminder to other countries about what they're gonna get if they mess with us.

[DrGreggles]

Saw some hilarious responses on that Nike tweet:

"My Dad didn't fight the Nazis so you could change the flag colour on our football shirt"

Not specifically, no.

"It's not up to you what colour it is"

Yes, it is - they're literally the kit designer.

"The only colours allowed are red, white and blue, like on the flag"

Blue?!

"This is racism"

No it isn't.

[Kankurette]

Christ, if only the worst thing the English had to worry about in WW2 were football shirts.

[DrGreggles]

Christ, if only the worst thing the English had to worry about in WW2 were football shirts.

Future football shirts!

[Captain Z]

a good reminder to other countries about what they're gonna get if they mess with us.

Cross?

[Psybro]

The players have made their feelings about this chromatic aberration quite clear tonight, and more power to them.

[Kankurette]

Well, Brazil do have a very colourful kit.

[confettiinmyhair]

Endrick is a crap Brazilian name.

[Kankurette]

I miss the days when the team had players called things like Bernard and Cuthbert.

[shoulders]

One of the fastest goals going

[shoulders]

Endrick is a crap Brazilian name.

Today's Brasilians should be called Chomsky and Antman.

[DrGreggles]

The downturn in exotic Brazilian names can be directly linked to Fred.

[Kankurette]

Future Brazilian team: Ken, Stanley, Bob, Bobinho, Frank, Bert, Albert, Cliff, Pú, Pú Jr., Barnimagrão, Cuthberto, Dibble and Grubinho.