Euro 2016 QF, Wales vs Belgium 20:00 TV3 & BBC

AidoEirE

AidoEirE wrote: »

The welsh team of course..

(think they had different rules for posting when i joined, and just never got back to the site till recently)

Yeah, think the rule back then for the Welsh team was lose a lot...;)

tastyt

Just on the playing numbers argument, it doesnt matter if ten or ten thousand lads play football on a sunday morning or in astroturf leagus, the fact is a large portion of our potential athletes are turned otowards GAA in school every day, not football.

Its getting your hands on the potential and developing them as footballers from a young age is our issue, not the number of lads who enjoy a kick around

Kobe248

WarZ wrote: »

For the last time, the playing numbers are STILL bigger in Ireland so that argument does not hold weight.

It really does

But as I said carry on with your nonsense

WarZ

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

Sorry but with regard to Rugby you are wrong. According to the stat posted there are 96000 registered rugby players in Ireland.

There are approximately 120,000.00 registered GAA players in Ulster Alone

http://ulster.gaa.ie/wp-content/uploads/council/strategies/uc-strategy-2009-2015.pdf


I would say that Rugby is well behind Gaelic Games in playing numbers.There are only 221 Registered Rugby clubs in Ireland.There are 259 GAA clubs in County Cork alone.

LOL

I am talking about playing numbers in soccer and rugby compared to playing numbers in soccer and rugby in Wales and Iceland (soccer) and Wales and NZ (rugby)

Try read the posts more carefully.

WarZ

tastyt wrote: »

Just on the playing numbers argument, it doesnt matter if ten or ten thousand lads play football on a sunday morning or in astroturf leagus, the fact is a large portion of our potential athletes are turned otowards GAA in school every day, not football.

Its getting your hands on the potential and developing them as footballers from a young age is our issue, not the number of lads who enjoy a kick around

Playing numbers are obviously not the number of people who kick a ball around that would be completely unquantifiable. Playing numbers is based on actually registered players with clubs.

Look you're wrong, just admit it and move on like a good lad.

tastyt

WarZ wrote: »

Playing numbers are obviously not the number of people who kick a ball around that would be completely unquantifiable. Playing numbers is based on actually registered players with clubs.

Look you're wrong, just admit it and move on like a good lad.

Haha your simple

You think because more lads play junior football on a sunday we should have a better international team.

Take a day off and rest that little football brain, like a good lad!

WarZ

tastyt wrote: »

Haha your simple

You think because more lads play junior football on a sunday we should have a better international team.

Take a day off and rest that little football brain, like a good lad!

Obviously. More players training every week and playing every week = a bigger pool to select from.

I'm not sure how that has gone over your head, Wales and Iceland's playing numbers would also be made up of players playing junior league so your argument is absolutely idiotic :o:o

Dirty Dingus McGee

WarZ wrote: »

Obviously. More players training every week and playing every week = a bigger pool to select from.

I'm not sure how that has gone over your head, Wales and Iceland's playing numbers would also make up players playing junior league so your argument is absolutely idiotic :o:o

Wales and Iceland in the last 50 years have appeared in one major tournament each.

That's all they've done.The way your going on you'd think they have consistently performing better than Ireland for decades.They are having a great run now and will probably revert back to their usual level at some stage in the next few years as well.

Teams can have golden periods in any sport it can happen and there is no point reading too much into it unless it lasts for a long time.

WarZ

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

Wales and Iceland in the last 50 years have appeared in one major tournament each.

That's all they've done.The way your going on you'd think they have consistently performing better than Ireland for decades.They are having a great run now and will probably revert back to their usual level at some stage in the next few years as well.

Teams can have golden periods in any sport it can happen and there is no point reading too much into it unless it lasts for a long time.

I am talking about right now. We've applauded our team for what we should expect. However we should be applauding our team when they outperform like Wales and Iceland.

Dirty Dingus McGee

WarZ wrote: »

I am talking about right now. We've applauded our team for what we should expect. However we should be applauding our team when they outperform like Wales and Iceland.

The team had a good tournament, if Wales and Iceland had a similar tournament they would get praise aswell.

Kirby

WarZ wrote: »

I am talking about right now. We've applauded our team for what we should expect. However we should be applauding our team when they outperform like Wales and Iceland.

Most didnt expect us to get out of the group. The team were applauded for exceeding expectations.

Ardillaun

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Lineker calling it one of the greatest performances of 'British' football! Typical

In terms of exceeding expectations in the later stages of a major tournament, I would say it is THE greatest.

Ardillaun

WarZ wrote: »

Ol' Donie wrote: »

Wales & Iceland (and Ireland, f*ck it) have turned this competition from being quite underwhelming to the best fun ever.

Ireland have a notoriously bad sports mentality.

Even in rugby teams like Wales and New Zealand with similar or smaller populations completely outperform us.

Try tackling a few Samoans and then get back to us on that sports mentality stuff.

Joe prim

Johner wrote: »

Comfortable Belgium win.

I know they struggled in their two qualifying games against Wales but I can see them winning by a couple tonight.

Eh, heh, heh, heh..........

LiamoSail

Has anyone ever got as far in a tournament having only faced one decent team through qualyfing, the group stages, last 16 and quarter finals? We didn't even get that far and had to face Germany, Italy, France and Belgium, four really decent sides

SantryRed

LiamoSail wrote: »

Has anyone ever got as far in a tournament having only faced one decent team through qualyfing, the group stages, last 16 and quarter finals? We didn't even get that far and had to face Germany, Italy, France and Belgium, four really decent sides

What's your beef with Wales? You seem to have something against them.

Belgium ARE a decent side. Wales are just stronger as a team. There's not many other teams better than them.

Joe_ Public

LiamoSail wrote: »

Has anyone ever got as far in a tournament having only faced one decent team through qualyfing, the group stages, last 16 and quarter finals? We didn't even get that far and had to face Germany, Italy, France and Belgium, four really decent sides

Yeah...Portugal Euro 2016

LiamoSail

SantryRed wrote: »

What's your beef with Wales? You seem to have something against them.

Belgium ARE a decent side. Wales are just stronger as a team. There's not many other teams better than them.

I don't want to drag the thread off topic as my dislike of Wales isn't football related, but yea you're right, I don't like them

I was including Belgium as a decent side, and Wales did brilliantly to beat them. They're well organised and committed, but they are where they are primarily on the basis of being exceptionally lucky with the draws from qualyfing to now,Manx I certainly don't think they'd still be in France had they been given the draw we had.

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Yeah...Portugal Euro 2016

****, never even thought of that. Actually Portugal have had it handier than Wales

Joe_ Public

LiamoSail wrote: »

I don't want to drag the thread off topic as my dislike of Wales isn't football related, but yea you're right, I don't like them

I was including Belgium as a decent side, and Wales did brilliantly to beat them. They're well organised and committed, but they are where they are primarily on the basis of being exceptionally lucky with the draws from qualyfing to now,Manx I certainly don't think they'd still be in France had they been given the draw we had.




****, never even thought of that. Actually Portugal have had it handier than Wales

I think the expanded Euros has been good in some ways, I'm not a knocker of it anyway, but it diminished the qualifiers a bit and it was a bit unfortunate the way the knock-out stages panned out and the draw became so lop-sided. That said, Wales did indeed get a couple of lucky breaks, but they have capitalised on it magnificently. I wouldn't take anything away from the scale of their achievment, quietly fancy them to reach the final.

And if you want to talk about easy groups, then Ireland's for Euro 12 was arguably one of the weakest ever, and then they drew Estonia in the play-off. And fair play, they proceeded to take advantage of it.

LiamoSail

Joe_ Public wrote: »

And if you want to talk about easy groups, then Ireland's for Euro 12 was arguably one of the weakest ever, and then they drew Estonia in the play-off. And fair play, they proceeded to take advantage of it.

Granted, we got a handy group there but we more than paid for it with the group we got in the tournament. Wales have had it handy the whole way through

Mr.Nice Guy

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Yeah...Portugal Euro 2016

LiamoSail wrote:

****, never even thought of that. Actually Portugal have had it handier than Wales

Weren't Croatia supposed to be the great dark horse of the competition? Not many gave Portugal a prayer for that one.

LiamoSail

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Weren't Croatia supposed to be the great dark horse of the competition? Not many gave Portugal a prayer for that one.

They were yea, but so were Belgium to an extent

scudzilla

LiamoSail wrote: »

Granted, we got a handy group there but we more than paid for it with the group we got in the tournament. Wales have had it handy the whole way through

:pac::pac::pac::pac::pac:

siblers

scudzilla wrote: »

:pac::pac::pac::pac::pac:

Russia are/were the worst team in the competition, Slovakia are average, N.Ireland are average, England are a mess. They were outstanding against Belgium to be fair but it hasn't been the hardest of routes.

scudzilla

siblers wrote: »

Russia are/were the worst team in the competition, Slovakia are average, N.Ireland are average, England are a mess. They were outstanding against Belgium to be fair but it hasn't been the hardest of routes.

No it's not been the hardest but we topped the group, beat N.I and Belgium, what more can we have done, take away the last 2 mins against them and we'd be unbeaten

Joe_ Public

scudzilla wrote: »

No it's not been the hardest but we topped the group, beat N.I and Belgium, what more can we have done, take away the last 2 mins against them and we'd be unbeaten

And sure you can say the same thing about Germany (before tonight that is) and France whose toughest game so far has been against Ireland. And now they've Iceland (not writing them off mind!) for a place in the s/f. Not their fault thats what the draw has thrown up.

LiamoSail

scudzilla wrote: »

No it's not been the hardest but we topped the group, beat N.I and Belgium, what more can we have done, take away the last 2 mins against them and we'd be unbeaten

I'm not disputing that. Wales have been excellent by and large. It goes to show how far an average group of players can go when they're well organised, committed and are extremely fortunate in a succession of draws

namloc1980

LiamoSail wrote: »

I'm not disputing that. Wales have been excellent by and large. It goes to show how far an average group of players can go when they're well organised, committed and are extremely fortunate in a succession of draws

Having a world class player who is a great team player also helps.

scudzilla

namloc1980 wrote: »

Having a world class player who is a great team player also helps.

John Hartson was talking about this on Newstalk earlier, when the players arrived at the ground last night they walked around the pitch, Bale was taking time with each and every one of them, laughing and joking, making them feel comfortable. Can you imagine Ronaldo doing that??

Dirty Dingus McGee

scudzilla wrote: »

John Hartson was talking about this on Newstalk earlier, when the players arrived at the ground last night they walked around the pitch, Bale was taking time with each and every one of them, laughing and joking, making them feel comfortable. Can you imagine Ronaldo doing that??

Didn't Ronaldo travel with the Portugal squad on occasions even when he was suspended to support them.

I'd say he's a decent team mate off the field he just gets pissed off when things don't go his way on it.

Ardillaun

It must be great to play with Bale on that team - such a positive influence in creating space and maintaining morale.

vicwatson

vicwatson wrote: »

Wales voted to leave the EU, tonight they'll get their wish

I sit corrected !:D

Joe_ Public

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

Didn't Ronaldo travel with the Portugal squad on occasions even when he was suspended to support them.

I'd say he's a decent team mate off the field he just gets pissed off when things don't go his way on it.

Thought his attitude was a bit stink at the outset but he's definitely improved as evidenced by the fact he didn't sulk when they wouldn't allow him be the 5th penalty taker the other night.

scudzilla

I thought he was sulking a little bit, who whole Portugal team were arms around shoulders in a line during the peno's, apart from him

The Gibzilla

Goosebumps watching the Wales promo on RTE. Fantastic achievement for Wales. They're really showing why increasing the number of teams in this competition was the right call.

fryup

i'm delighted for Wales and welsh football, long overdue

for so long its been in the rugby union shadow

btw - can any welsh people tell me does football get a look in in Wales or is it all rugby usually??

The_Kew_Tour

The Gibzilla wrote: »

Goosebumps watching the Wales promo on RTE. Fantastic achievement for Wales. They're really showing why increasing the number of teams in this competition was the right call.

Increasing the teams has been a great call. Now some might say that Wales, Iceland, Albania, Ulster and so on would have qualified anyway, but I'm not so sure. I think the extra place per group gives smaller teams more belief and I think we saw that in qualifying.

24 teams has been good no matter how some my point otherwise. It's so much tougher to qualify for the World Cup and least gives even smaller countries and more realistic chance.

Let's be honest 24 teams in Euros is still better then some of African and Asian teams that qualify for World Cup.

vicwatson

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Increasing the teams has been a great call. Now some might say that Wales, Iceland, Albania, Ulster Northern Ireland and so on would have qualified anyway, but I'm not so sure. I think the extra place per group gives smaller teams more belief and I think we saw that in qualifying.

24 teams has been good no matter how some my point otherwise. It's so much tougher to qualify for the World Cup and least gives even smaller countries and more realistic chance.

Let's be honest 24 teams in Euros is still better then some of African and Asian teams that qualify for World Cup.

I fixed your post, as as you know Ulster is 9 counties and Northern Ireland is just 6 of those.

scudzilla

fryup wrote: »

i'm delighted for Wales and welsh football, long overdue

for so long its been in the rugby union shadow

btw - can any welsh people tell me does football get a look in in Wales or is it all rugby usually??

In North Wales nearly all the pitches are football pitches, go down south and i'd say 75% have rugby posts (that's pitches in general parks btw)