FIFA World Cup 2018 - GROUP D [Argentina, Iceland, Croatia, Nigeria - 16/21/22/26 June] **spoilers**

I've just turned up for the obligatory Ronaldo > Messi post, though that has long been the case now. Sad to see Messi in the world cup like this, but without the right team around him he's impotent. Ronaldo on the other hand is a force in his own right. He is the team.

Comedy goal keeping though.

De gea: "my mistake will be the worst in the world cup this year"
Cabellero: "hold my beer".

Enjoyed seeing the Argies beaten.
 
satchef1 said:
Might not be in their power to qualify if Iceland win tomorrow. Am I right in thinking Argentina would need to beat Nigeria by at least 4 goals?
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If miracle doesn't happen, this Argentina side is as bad as the one in 1994.
All the power was with them - one missed penalty, countless mistakes by the goalkeepers and defenders, and ultimately that miss in the first minutes.....
That is ridiculous - a team with the greatest potential of all, to be cursed or black magiced...

They need someone like Pep Guardiola, Man City were playing like Argentina today before he came...
 
It's all well and good blaming the rest of the Argentinian team for not being up to Messi's standard but if Messi had scored the penalty against Iceland his team wouldn't be in such a dire situation right now. Aguero would likely have scored it and he could have nicked a goal tonight had he not been taken off with 30mins to go.
 
Messi isn't there at all. I don't know what happens in his head, does he have some personal problems or something bad happens in Barcelona? :confused:
 
4K8KW10 said:
Messi isn't there at all. I don't know what happens in his head, does he have some personal problems or something bad happens in Barcelona? :confused:
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Honestly he's too big a star in the national side. He's a huge star for Barca but he came through with Xavi, Ineista and plenty of other superstars as big/bigger than him to begin with. SO there was a kind of hierarchy, when he got great, he was considered great alongside other greats. When he became part of the national team consistently he was the star with all the worldwide attention beyond everyone else. Barca don't play absolutely everything through Messi nor is Messi allowed to constantly work for himself. In both games Messi spent ages with the ball (most of the first game, a lot of the first half of this one) with the ball looking to work room to shoot on the edge of the box rather than find the passes.

The whole team looks like they only try to pass to people apart from Messi if there is absolutely no other option on. Portugal aren't hugely different except Ronaldo is performing and Messi isn't making the difference himself.

It's a very odd situation, a better manager/FA who told Messi to play a specific role and played everyone for the team rather than to help Messi would play so much better. I think Portugal probably wouldn't simply because Portugal has a mostly crap squad with one superstar and on their day a defence that can hold out pretty well. They really have to play the way they do and I don't think they could win playing Germany style football. Argentina is absolutely overflowing with talent almost everywhere in the squad that can and should be playing vastly better football.
 
FrankJH said:
I hope Argentina don't get into the playoffs - it would just be so wrong imo
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Iceland-Croatia will likely be a gentle draw. A draw suits both sides pretty well, and - assuming Iceland beat Nigeria later - that would put the Argies out no matter how many they put past Nigeria.
 
4K8KW10 said:
They need someone like Pep Guardiola, Man City were playing like Argentina today before he came...
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Doth thou jest?

City were a brilliant team before Guardiola came along and he has made them world class (by spending ridiculous amounts of money). He is a chequebook manager as much as he is a great manager. He wouldn't turn this Argentina side into world beaters.
 
4K8KW10 said:
Messi isn't there at all. I don't know what happens in his head, does he have some personal problems or something bad happens in Barcelona? :confused:
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The look on his face, especially when he comes off at half-time and at the end says it all. For whatever reason he isn't onboard with what they are doing - maybe he just doesn't care about the world cup or feels too much is put on him but I suspect its more he isn't playing where he feels comfortable supported in the way he feels would best leverage his abilities (rightly or wrongly) - whatever is going on ultimately it is the manager's responsibility to make that work even if he has to take Messi off until he cooperates though given the results it is probably the manager that has it wrong rather than Messi purely being a primadonna.
 
Rumours suggest that Messi has a strong role in picking the team, and it's a big problem for the procession of Argentine managers.
 
fez said:
Doth thou jest?

City were a brilliant team before Guardiola came along and he has made them world class (by spending ridiculous amounts of money). He is a chequebook manager as much as he is a great manager. He wouldn't turn this Argentina side into world beaters.
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City were briliant against the likes of Stoke, Swansea, West Ham, Watford, etc but against stronger teams like Tottenham Hotspur or Leicester City (or stronger Champions League sides) they showed exactly the same losses as Argentina last night.
 
Mr Jack said:
Rumours suggest that Messi has a strong role in picking the team, and it's a big problem for the procession of Argentine managers.
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Messi does well for a player manager, if you believe all the rumours he basically manages Barca and their transfers! What a guy!
 
Aguero is severely underrated and yesterday's decision to throw him out of the game, is just the top of an iceberg of stupidity going on around Aguero.
 
I am torn. Want Nigeria to win but like Iceland, and if they won the Argies are out. Win/win I guess, providing no draw.
 
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