Freelance sub-editor, writer & copywriter, Wales fan and former FourFourTwo managing editor (so I talk a lot of football). RTs ≠ endorsements. SFA OK, yma o hyd
This is a thread about how UEFA's draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers might end up being...not 'fixed', but 'managed' – and it isn't deliberate. I think it could be uneven just because they've accidentally painted themselves into a corner by revamping the Nations League again.
Surely we’ve reached the stage where the lowest ranked nations should play amongst themselves to qualify for the right to play at this level. It’s become absurd.
@FIFAWorldCup
Liverpool have the most points of any team in 2nd at this stage of a PL season. Chelsea have the most points of any team in 3rd; Arsenal, the most of any in 4th; Spurs, the most of any in 5th; Bournemouth & Watford (!), the most of any in 6th & 7th. The weak are getting weaker...
I hate ‘you could not make it up’ and the idea that footballers are thick is lazy, BUT, just to reiterate, Harry Arter thinks Jeremy Corbyn is Boris Johnson.
The last ever 32-team World Cup is signing off with something that’s never happened before in a 32-team World Cup: not a single side winning all of its games in the group stage. The last time that happened was at USA 94.
It's just insulting. Seriously – insulting. Nobody with this little interest in knowing what they're discussing, as a supposed expert, should be allowed to receive payment for sharing their ignorance. He was exactly the same for the Nations League draw. He's lazy and it's not on.
Danny Mills talking about the Blades on Sky Sports News: "Not the most glamorous of clubs. It's not the most glamorous way of playing. They might play a little bit direct at times."
How's about zip it ya melt, when you don't have an absolute clue. 🤐🙄
#sufc
#twitterblades
I’m enjoying Aaron Lennon and Gary Cahill choosing to retire at this precise time, as if they were just holding out one last hope for a World Cup call-up
My wife makes a good point: FIFA have to approve all kits before the tournament.
So, unless Belgium sneakily added it since (which they didn’t), FIFA either missed it or are now panicking because the hosts are throwing a shit fit, as we saw with armbands and beer in the stadium
FIFA have told Belgium to remove the word 'Love' from their away kit, which also includes rainbow trim.
Belgium say they will wear their red kit for all group-stage games and deal with the situation if they go through.
Plan A: "We'll play a back three to mask our full-back deficiency and get the centre-backs starting attacks, with Carrasco giving Hazard room to come inside and De Bruyne operating deeper to draw markers out of position"
Plan B: "Holy shit – we're, like, a foot taller than them"
People who reply to any tweet praising Manchester City with ‘yeah but £££’ must be great company. “How ace is the new Marvel film?!” “Yeah, well, with THAT budget it should be.” “Scientists have made a robot with human emotions!” “Yeah, well, with their funding I expect no less.”
The holy trinity of Manchester City European exits: Guardiola overthinking it; refereeing/VAR controversy; and individual errors (within a minute of each other)
Not a single League Two game on Sky today, despite it being the final day of the season and there being a winner-takes-all de facto playoff for automatic promotion, as well as five teams going for the final playoff place and Notts County fighting to avoid an historic relegation.
Here it is. The big one. Every player to score a Premier League goal in 2019.
Anyone who names 250 in the 20-minute time frame (I can't make it any longer) earns my respect, which I'm sure is very important to you.
Central midfielder and fraud Paul Pogba with his 20th Premier League goal or assist of 2018, four more than anyone else in his position, also becoming one of only five players in 2018 to reach double figures for goals and assists (10 apiece).
"And so, as you can see, our Euro 2020 bonanza will see teams play group games in only two venues each, to reduce travel. Here, Group A is red, Group B green, Group C orange, Group D blue, Group E brown, Group F purple. Any questions? Yes, you from Group A."
"You fucking what?"
This may be the worst tweet I’ve ever seen. It combines club oneupmanship with entitlement, a lack of awareness and self-awareness, insensitivity to dead clubs and more, and that’s before you get to the reasoning and the use of the word ‘torture’ in this context of all contexts.
Enner Valencia has had one of the most eventful first halves a footballer can ever have experienced. Scored the first goal of the World Cup, had it disallowed, won a penalty, scored the first goal of the World Cup again, scored the second as well, went off injured, came back on.
My God, this Norwich team is fun. If possible, they seem to be playing with even more confidence than they did in the Championship. A 21-year-old centre-back just dribbling through a Chelsea midfield, for goodness' sake. They're going to concede a lot of goals but godspeed, lads.
Hang on, ‘Fletch’, Everton signed Dominic Calvert-Lewin for a couple of mill from Sheffield United when he was 19 years old and had played a few dozen first-team games for various teams. “He’s come through the academy system here” is a little bit generous to Everton’s academy.
Sarri leaves Chelsea after 11 months in which he inherited an ill-suited squad and immediately won the Europa League, secured Champions League qualification twice over and took them from fifth to third behind two indisputably better teams, the embarrassing failure that he is.
Key battles: Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona) vs Joe Morrell (Luton Reserves), and Kylian Mbappé (Ligue 1) vs Chris Gunter (League One).
Right, straight into these
I can’t believe this. Huddersfield have been denied two definite penalties, in a game they’re losing by one goal, WHEN THERE IS VIDEO ASSISTANCE IN USE.
This is the question that needs asking immediately and, if necessary, repeatedly. “Mr Johnson, is it now OK for people to travel across the country and infect others if they believe this is required for ‘the best form of childcare‘?”
Full and unequivocal backing for Cummings from the PM. “He has acted responsibly and legally and with integrity”. No details or justification beyond childcare. Boris Johnson has effectively staked his job on that of his adviser. Anyone else can now assume they can do what he did.
I’m a relatively gregarious guy, at least compared to the majority of serial killers, but there is nothing worse than having to discuss football with non-football-interested strangers after your team has lost.
@_dantheman10
@JoeBrewinFFT
I’m not serious enough to tweet this ‘proper’, but I do sometimes think that if even one of Kante, Vardy, Mahrez or (for another reason) Schmeichel had been out for any length of time, Leicester would’ve finished about 7th. Nine players featuring in 35+/38 games is extraordinary.
On Sunday 13 October, Wales will be play in the Rugby World Cup at 9.15am and a crucial Euro 2020 qualifier against Croatia at 7.45pm, in what scientists are calling an alarmingly long day of drinking.
We need to stop kidding ourselves that Piers Morgan has had some sort of Damascus moment. He’s a worm who watches the way the wind is blowing. Take the extra pressure he puts on the Government gladly, but with a pinch of salt. Don’t forget who he is.
If Arsenal fans are singing, “2-1 to the referee”, then what even is the point in trying? Both of Gabriel’s bookings were right. The City penalty was a penalty. The one legitimate complaint Arsenal have is an unawarded penalty at 0-0 and they took the lead after that. Sick of it.
I actually tried, but the map listing farms in need of help covers only England, not Wales - instead, you have to fill in all of your details and apply (affecting future employment status) in the hope of maybe getting something random. So that was that. Cheers, Prince of Wales.
"If we are to harvest British fruit and vegetables this year, we need an army of people to help."
The Prince of Wales has shared a message in support of the
#PickForBritain
campaign. 🍓🍏🍅
@DefraGovUK
Third-choice goalkeepers of the Big Six:
Caoimhin Kelleher (academy)
Scott Carson (loan)
Sergio Romero (free)
Matt Macey (£100,000)
Paulo Gazzaniga (£2,500,000)
Kepa Arrizabalaga (£71,000,000)
Egypt have played in eight AfCoN finals, and are on course to having kept a clean sheet in seven of them. Two goals conceded in 780 minutes, or 13 hours of football. You boring (but effective) bastards.
So, that’s 11 goals and 2 assists in 921 Premier League minutes, or a goal contribution every 71 minutes, to round off Gareth Bale’s embarrassing disaster of a season.
The alarming thing about Wales’ GK situation is that it won’t be changing soon. Ward is getting worse; Davies is similarly allergic to club football; King traded in playing to be a 3rd choice; Hennessey’s 37; and the next gen… didn’t have one. Eddie Beach, 20, is our only hope.
Sky's coverage of England vs Switzerland is sponsored by Bet365 and naturally features regular plugs for SkyBet, while half-time also featured adverts for Ladbrokes and Coral. Maybe there is something in this idea of the relationship between football and gambling being unhealthy.
So, Marc Overmars (Ajax 1992-97) and Edwin van der Sar (Ajax 1990-99) have fired Marcel Keizer (Ajax 1987-89) and Dennis Bergkamp (Ajax 1981-93), and replaced them temporarily with Michael Reiziger (Ajax 1985-96) and Winston Bogarde (Ajax 1994-97). I love how this club works.
I know people say it doesn’t matter, but it matters to the players, and I just feel a little sad that Robert Lewandowski won’t have a Ballon d’Or to make him smile in his retirement, because of a nonsense decision to not award one last year despite loads of football being played.