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Replying To eoghan6688:  "Deary me, will Scotland ever get out of the group stage?

In saying that Clarke has got to 3 tournaments, he still should not be in the job so hopefully the SFA were going to sack him if he did not resign.

Pretty much every Scottish person online is glad he's gone.

The British media though, really need to stop with this nonsense claim that he is the most successful Scottish manager ever.

It is way easier to qualify for tournaments these days so any manager who qualified Scotland for a tournament in the 20th century should automatically be considered better than Clarke"
In fairness there's no one who you could say has been more successful than him when you look at it when they've never gone anywhere

Lúla571210 (Louth) - Posts: 193 - 29/06/2026 00:41:44    2682736

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Replying To katser:  "Canada, Brazil, Germany, Netherlands, Mexico, Argentina, USA, Egypt, France, England, Spain, Portugal, Norway,Switzerland, Belgium and Colombia all to qualify for last 16 of the World Cup 80/1.
One down 15 to go!!!!"
I agree with almost all of that, but I think Senegal will beat Belgium.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 10408 - 29/06/2026 11:26:37    2682799

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For my sins I watched South Africa v Canada last night.
Not for the first time, I lamented the fact that we bungled a golden opportunity to qualify for this World Cup.
We should have beaten Czechia, and ok we still had a tricky home game against Denmark, but Dhia sabháil, even Scotland could beat them so they're hardly world beaters.

Group A is what I'd call the Group of Life. Mexico have eased to the round of 32 without conceding a goal.
The other teams in the group were extremely limited.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 10408 - 29/06/2026 14:00:40    2682873

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Replying To katser:  "Canada, Brazil, Germany, Netherlands, Mexico, Argentina, USA, Egypt, France, England, Spain, Portugal, Norway,Switzerland, Belgium and Colombia all to qualify for last 16 of the World Cup 80/1.
One down 15 to go!!!!"
Well there goes that but I don't think much would have predicted that upset.

Lúla571210 (Louth) - Posts: 193 - 30/06/2026 01:53:17    2683100

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Absolute disaster, would mind but both Germany and Netherlands could have won in normal time!
Just goes to show when you have a hard working defensive team like Paraguay it can be successful.
Apparently the Paraguay manger whoever they play studies the oppositions penalty takers in fine detail and practice penalties in training whoever they play.
Basically his attitude is to hold out to penalties and we will win.
I'm interested to see how long Paraguay hold out v France in the Last 16?

katser (Galway) - Posts: 2886 - 30/06/2026 16:56:22    2683239

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wimbledon began yesterday. just to get away from world cup chat which is totally dominating the thread, a few big shocks already.
interesting to see serena williams back playing after retiring few years ago..
anyone watching?

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3987 - 30/06/2026 18:40:02    2683264

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Replying To katser:  "Absolute disaster, would mind but both Germany and Netherlands could have won in normal time!
Just goes to show when you have a hard working defensive team like Paraguay it can be successful.
Apparently the Paraguay manger whoever they play studies the oppositions penalty takers in fine detail and practice penalties in training whoever they play.
Basically his attitude is to hold out to penalties and we will win.
I'm interested to see how long Paraguay hold out v France in the Last 16?"
France are not yet in the last 16.

Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2920 - 30/06/2026 19:30:08    2683274

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Replying To Cockney_Cat:  "France are not yet in the last 16."
Just watching them v Sweden. They are way the best team I've seen so far.

Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 2292 - 30/06/2026 23:16:19    2683324

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Replying To katser:  "Absolute disaster, would mind but both Germany and Netherlands could have won in normal time!
Just goes to show when you have a hard working defensive team like Paraguay it can be successful.
Apparently the Paraguay manger whoever they play studies the oppositions penalty takers in fine detail and practice penalties in training whoever they play.
Basically his attitude is to hold out to penalties and we will win.
I'm interested to see how long Paraguay hold out v France in the Last 16?"
You would imagine the pace of France will be too much but very hard to break down a team like Paraguay if they just sit in. Same as Ecuador both very very hard to break down and are capable of going far.

Lúla571210 (Louth) - Posts: 193 - 01/07/2026 00:00:44    2683329

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Replying To Lúla571210:  "You would imagine the pace of France will be too much but very hard to break down a team like Paraguay if they just sit in. Same as Ecuador both very very hard to break down and are capable of going far."
France are far better than Germany.
Germany have been poor even Northern Ireland should have taken points from them in the Quallifers!
Paraguay have their system and tactics and fair play its effective even v Turkey they won 1-0 with 10 men and only 30% possession with the Turks having 30 shots at goal!
Turkey were also poor and disappointing.
I would have said Sweden were more of a threat to France than Paraguay will be, but then again if Paraguays attitude is to just defend like dogs for 90 or 120mis!
Still expecting France to break Paraguay and get the job done.
I'm going for Norway to knock the flamboyant Brazil out!

katser (Galway) - Posts: 2886 - 01/07/2026 16:28:15    2683485

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