Scotland vs Ukraine - WC Play-off - Wednesday 1st June, 2022

[patoriku66]

Scotland failed to show up. AFAIC. Ally McCoist will be fuming.

Ukraine were the better team. They have a real strong reason to fight. Probably stronger than pure playing for country pride.

If I were in the Wales squad, I wouldn't be feeling to easy about the result. I think Ukraine will take them to the wall. It's just depends on who is stronger.

[Lucas]

That is an absolute damp squib of an ending to a campaign that promised so much for Scotland.

I kinda wanted them through because it would have given the group game with us a bit of an edge but nevermind, they can carry on buying shirts and cheering on the other teams we play again.

[DeadLinesman]

10 hours ago, Gunnersauraus said:

Still weird 

Not weird at all really, just look at England. Support for the England national team tends to be very London Centric and from lower/non league teams as well. Big northern clubs tend to be completely not arsed due to the way the players have historically been treated by fans. Go ask most Liverpool, City or United fans. They’ll tell you the same thing in my experience.

National pride isn’t a prerequisite for all, especially when football is involved.

 

[Michael]

7 hours ago, patoriku66 said:

Scotland failed to show up. AFAIC. Ally McCoist will be fuming.

Ukraine were the better team. They have a real strong reason to fight. Probably stronger than pure playing for country pride.

If I were in the Wales squad, I wouldn't be feeling to easy about the result. I think Ukraine will take them to the wall. It's just depends on who is stronger.

McCoist admitted that Ukraine were technically as well as tactically too good for Scotland and that Ukraine were far the better team, who dominated the ball and dominated possession. So I think he's quite pragmatic about the result. 

Dean Saunders said Ukraine were really good and that Ukraine could have scored 8 against the Scots with the chances they created. He went on to say that he was worried for Wales after that Ukraine performance and that Wales will have their hands full against Ukraine. The Wales v Ukraine match in Cardiff should be another exciting match, with so much at stake on the line. 

It's worth noting that the 6 domestic based players who started the match for Ukraine against Scotland yesterday, haven't played competitive football since December last year. So they did excellently to perform so well against Scotland I thought. Either way, I can't wait for the match in Cardiff.

[Reluctant Striker]

This is going to pan out like the Eurovision Song Contest isn't it?

[Reluctant Striker]

3 hours ago, DeadLinesman said:

Not weird at all really, just look at England. Support for the England national team tends to be very London Centric and from lower/non league teams as well. Big northern clubs tend to be completely not arsed due to the way the players have historically been treated by fans. Go ask most Liverpool, City or United fans. They’ll tell you the same thing in my experience.

National pride isn’t a prerequisite for all, especially when football is involved.

 

I do think that certain club sides fans have a regular feeling of being in with a real chance to win. And England feels like a down grade to mid-table. Perhaps. It's the sense I get from my perspective, with Villa often feeling somewhat similar to England during my lifetime.

And certainly the national teams will have fans that just aren't on the same wave length as each other.

[DeadLinesman]

9 minutes ago, Reluctant Striker said:

I do think that certain club sides fans have a regular feeling of being in with a real chance to win. And England feels like a down grade to mid-table. Perhaps. It's the sense I get from my perspective, with Villa often feeling somewhat similar to England during my lifetime.

And certainly the national teams will have fans that just aren't on the same wave length as each other.

I genuinely don’t mind the national team. I was far more into it when I was kid but as I grew up and got a club season ticket, you get drawn in by the old guard and they fucking hate the national team at United. I think Robson got a lot of stick in the 80’s and the vitriol aimed at Beckham after ‘98 cemented it further. Do I want them to do well? Yes. Am I that arsed if they don’t? Meh. Depends what mood I’m in. I think you’re right to an extent about club success vs international success, but tribal mentality does carry over into the internationals. Especially the north/south divide we have in this country.

[Stan]

51 minutes ago, Reluctant Striker said:

This is going to pan out like the Eurovision Song Contest isn't it?

Ukraine to win the World Cup? 

And then the Euros in 2024?

And then get invited to all the other international tournaments and win them... 

[Guest]

14 hours ago, DeadLinesman said:

Not weird at all really, just look at England. Support for the England national team tends to be very London Centric and from lower/non league teams as well. Big northern clubs tend to be completely not arsed due to the way the players have historically been treated by fans. Go ask most Liverpool, City or United fans. They’ll tell you the same thing in my experience.

National pride isn’t a prerequisite for all, especially when football is involved.

 

Well I live in Bristol which has a team in the championship and during the euros and world cup it is crazy. I did actually say to someone I use to know from Manchester that I'd heard people weren't that worried about the world cup up there and he said they weren't as concerned with it as club football but there was still a lot of support. However I've never  been there so I  cant really comment. I do still think it's a bit odd not to support your country. I mean I'm not particularly patriotic and I would rather see England win the world cup more than anything arsenal could do but each to their own I guess 

[DeadLinesman]

11 hours ago, Gunnersauraus said:

I mean I'm not particularly patriotic and I would rather see England win the world cup more than anything arsenal could do but each to their own I guess 

Is that not a bit weird in itself though? You’d rather see the national team that plays once every few months full of players from teams you care nothing about enter a competition that they have little chance of winning ever 2 years? You’d rather them win than Arsenal? A team you devote to daily, who play twice a week and you chose to support, rather then being just born in a country? Each to their own like you said.

[LFCMike]

12 hours ago, Gunnersauraus said:

Well I live in Bristol which has a team in the championship and during the euros and world cup it is crazy. I did actually say to someone I use to know from Manchester that I'd heard people weren't that worried about the world cup up there and he said they weren't as concerned with it as club football but there was still a lot of support. However I've never  been there so I  cant really comment. I do still think it's a bit odd not to support your country. I mean I'm not particularly patriotic and I would rather see England win the world cup more than anything arsenal could do but each to their own I guess 

It's quite easy to not want to support the same team as a group of people who hold the opinions they do of your club/city. I've even seen videos from England games of anti-Liverpool/Scouse chants. 

[Dr. Gonzo]

I want England to do well generally, but when they fail I really don't give a shit. And what @LFCMikementioned makes it easy to kind of feel a bit of relief when England don't do well because at least it's upsetting a lot of absolute dickheads.

[Michael]

Ukraine have been training in Cardiff both yesterday and today. They have reported no injuries and the same applies to the Welsh national team. Need to open a thread for the Wales v Ukraine final play-off which takes place tomorrow I think.