Round of 16

[TheBigIguana]

Oh, I think it does. Very adequately. It's a festival of football and all that - and it's lovely for the smaller countries to have their moment - but most of these matches are largely meaningless in an historic context. They should be - and in the past were - qualifiers. Leave the finals tournament to the best 8-16 sides who have made it through.

In the past, qualifiers used to have meaning. England v. Denmark 1983 was an historic qualifier, for example. These were huge games because the prize was big and the standard high. One place to fight over. Now, they have to invent the Nations League to give countries like England something to do when smaller nations are fighting for some Nations League route to the big show during qualification. It's a farce. They have destroyed the qualification competition and the finals tournament - and all for money.

I realise this is an old man shaking his fist at the clouds rant, but it's no less true for all of that.

Qualification has always been lesser than major tournaments and personally I feel there is no good reason to make less tournament games for the sake of qualifiers that will still be largely worse.

 

[summerisle]

That's just modern football in general.

Risk averse players and managers in the main.

 

[davids]

I feel like people are expecting things he’s not going to do. He’s done very well so far.

Watched him closely today, doesn't close down doesn't look to run into space to make angles. Every pass is sideways. If I supported a CL team who were in for him I'd not be happy.

 

[FrenchDarrenBent]

Passing and walking and walking and passing. Belgians look like they have tickets booked for Mallorca

 

[carolinablue232]

Kante be touched that lad.

Stepped directly into his path…Even he knew it was a foul.

 

[Martin Alvito]

Super-strong tackle from Hernandez.

 

[LinekersLegs]

Great tackle

 

[Obes]

Goal-saving tackle in all likelihood.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Watched him closely today, doesn't close down doesn't look to run into space to make angles. Every pass is sideways. If I supported a CL team who were in for him I'd not be happy.

Im not going to cut up clips of all these being wrong, but they’re all pretty much wrong today. Especially the not running into space one.

 

[Drico]

Qualification has always been lesser than major tournaments and personally I feel there is no good reason to make less tournament games for the sake of qualifiers that will still be largely worse.

Because the function of qualifers should be to cull the herd: survival of the fittest.

I'm not arguing for reducing the number of tournament games for the sake of the qualifiers, though the diminution of the qualifiers is a function of increasing the number of tournament games. I'm arguing that the finals tournament should be a showcase of distilled quality - not a free for all where the likes of Scotland can turn up, be patronised for being a great bunch of lads, and then humiliated on a world stage.

They had no business here - and they weren't alone.

But hey, each to their own. Let's hope we get some classic matches from here on in.

 

[Papa Shango]

Risk averse players and managers in the main.

Pretty much. The amount of times a player could shoot and make himself a hero but instead play a crap ball to the edge of the box does my head in. Nobody seems to be able to cross a ball properly these days either.

There is a lack of mavericks and players who can think for themselves. Too busy thinking about what they should be doing rather than just doing it.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Because the function of qualifers should be to cull the herd: survival of the fittest.

I'm not arguing for reducing the number of tournament games for the sake of the qualifiers, though the diminution of the qualifiers is a function of increasing the number of tournament games. I'm arguing that the finals tournament should be a showcase of distilled quality - not a free for all where the likes of Scotland can turn up, be patronised for being a great bunch of lads, and then humiliated on a world stage.

They had no business here - and they weren't alone.

But hey, each to their own. Let's hope we get some classic matches from here on in.

I don’t get why having the cull be the actual tournament is in any way a problem. The bar should really just be how many teams fit while still having it be semi-competitive and with Slovenia and Georgia advancing we’re fine on that one.

 

[carolinablue232]

Belgium back to their normal shape. Good move imo. KDB freed up a bit hopefully.

 

[devogue]

so boring

 

[LinekersLegs]