The 2026 World Cup — Day 9

Looking forward to seeing the USA team. They were exhilarating last time out.

Aussies will not go quietly though. They're going with five at the back and will be very difficult to break down.

I'm getting into this tournament.

I hope to fuck they get hammered, Darren. For me, their fans are hard to stick and their fucking commentators, with the 'pk' and 'overtime' do my head in.

Come on, Australia, I'm really just pissed off Ireland never made it!

Oliver, if we were there, Cape Verde would hammer us.

We are shite, mate.

Maybe Sean...

But the fecking craic over there would go up a notch or two!

Australia getting the skeleton ripped out of their arse here.

I'm actually quite impressed by the Yanks here, they look quick and incisive with some technically good players.

Australia look very poor.

USA look a decent outfit.

The Aussies have been poor.

USA looking really decent.

Say what you like about Fifa, but I'm liking the way the games are not stop-start because of players faking injuries. I hope the Premier League bring this rule in about physios coming on.

Only once in first half physio came on for clash of heads. In Premier League games, some physios run more per game than players.

I'm made up with them, Oliver. It's an absolute pleasure to see aggressive front-foot football. They don't just press they swarm...and they have some clever footballers

I know what you mean about the commentators (wankers) but that's not the players fault. After listening to Andy Hinchcliffe, Danny Murphy and Jim Beglin, I think I can put up with anything.

No way back for the Aussies unless the referee starts giving them a decision or two. He hasn't given them a fucking thing. LOL.

Any decent full backs?

I think it's been a fairly good World Cup so far. In terms of entertainment value, there have been some really good games, free flowing matches.

I wasn't sure what to expect beforehand but it's exceeded my expectations and is still warming up.

Freeman and Bos according to this John.

Five World Cup Standouts That Could Have Caught Everton's Eye

Dest -- left-back for USA -- looks a player!

Right-back he is!

We need one of them don't we?????

Bruce Bo,s the Ozzie left-back, is handy and very poachable as he plays for Feyenoord.

He has 4 goals in 28 games for Feyernoord and 4 goals in 28 games for Australia.

I'd take Spence off Spurs, they are buying defenders and the lad's not going to be first choice.

Quick, plays left-back or right-back, even right-wing or left-wing.

Unfortunately I know a few Spurs fans, Dave.

They are desperate to get rid of Spence.

USA have done well so far against in my opinion 2 poor sides in Paraguay and a young inexperienced Aussie side, who given time will develop.

Once the Yanks come up against any decent or South American opposition they'll well n truly get find out.

That said they have looked well drilled and even today without their best player Pulisic they've played well.

As the old saying goes, you can only beat what's put in front of you.

Id like to see Pochettino at the Hill Dickinson though.

Do the Yanks just have the one song?

Paul,

Well, I'm happy not to be in agreement with them lot!!

What disappoints me most is we actually had Robinson one time but let him go, an accomplished left-back in keeping with the modern game.

Anyone ever seen Jim Bennings and Mike Gaynes on the same thread at the same time?

Nathan Patterson starts for Scotland.

Jock Moyes will be going nuts then.

Who gives a fuck about Scotland?

Apart from the Scots.

Fucking joke team, joke league, joke fans.

The World Cup is much better off without Scotland.

Jeff, didn't like the Braveheart movie then?

Nah, Gibson is a cunt too

The jocks who piled in on me and others at Hampden Park once were not a joke, Jeff!

But Gibson is most definitely a cunt. Remember what he said to the cop who arrested him for drunk driving: "Fucking Jews... the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world. Are you a Jew?"

And he called Winona Ryder an 'oven dodger'.

Yeh but you got out to tell the tale, Paul, they fucking hate us and I refuse to support them in any tournament.

They are like the Red Shite, to me, out asap.

Does anyone want the Jocks to win? I don't.

Problem is with this pointless new group set up where three will go through in most groups they might get to the knock-out 32.

Mel Gibson is a prick...

As is Netanyahu, and Trump.

I remember rooting for the jocks in 1974 and 1978, they threw it back in our faces.

Fuck them and their shit league.

Yank commentators running through the team to show how many are the sons of veterans.

Did they mention the Australian great grandsons of veterans?
Thought not.

America will always have sons of veterans cos they are constantly at war with someone.

Gallipoli was not mentioned Jeff!

State of the Jocks in those training tops.

The yanks will not have heard or even considered Gallipoli.

If you don't like Scotland, switch off.

Hewy, I will indeed switch off when they start their game.

Are you a supporter?

There is a Gallipolis in Ohio, Jeff.

Paul, it is enthralling TV to me to watch in the hope that the Jocks lose mate. Bit like the Red Shite.

Support all home nations, Jeff.

Not the Welsh, surely, Paul?

Not the Welsh mate.

I remember the Jocks from the play off game v Wales in 1977, I was 14...

They were pissing up every doorstep in Everton L5, fucking degenerates the lot of them.

Welsh as well, Paul.

Jeff, a bunch of them ended up in Crosby the morning after. They looked very strange and said strange things that we could not understand and they wore skirts too.

Hewey is archipelego man.

Paul,

Don't just blindly support all British teams, mate -- they all hate the English and want us out as soon as possible.

Learn to hate them as much as they hate us. It's quite enjoyable.

They plot, Hewey, night and day long. They are jealous of our London.

They gather in groups for sinister purposes on heaths and hilly areas.

Rise above the hate, gentlemen!

Paul,

Cos essentially that's what they are:- weirdos who like to wear skirts.

Come on, Morocco!

It's the national dress, Jeff.

Now come on, Scotland.

Get In!!!!!!!!!

What an absolutely brilliant goal.

Damn, I missed the goal.

I was just putting on my 'Anyone but the Sweaties' shirt.

Ha ha, Jeff #47.

There was a documentary on the troubles in the north of Ireland many years ago made during a World Cup year.

England were playing (can't remember who) and the film crew went to a pub in republican West Belfast for the first half and not unexpectedly the crowd were solidly behind England's opponents.

Half-time and the film crew dashed over to a bar in loyalist/unionist East Belfast to highlight the difference..... the crowd were also solidly behind England's opponents.

Don't take it too seriously, mate.

Terry Collier, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads, circa 1974:

"There's nothing mellow about a legless Jock!"

Nathan Patterson showing why so many managers don't trust him.

All over the shop.

Scotland defend so deep.

Is it a Jock thing?

Patterson is awful.

The lesser spotted Patto is playing.

Imagine that... a right-back playing right-back. Revolutionary.

Morocco finding it difficult to get out of Scotland's half...

Liam, it's not just managers. His team mates are reluctant to bring him into the game.

And on the evidence of his few touches, one can't blame them. Rather sad really.

Morocco are a good side and Scotland are not.

Bit of a mismatch.

Scotland a clear 2nd best in the first half.

Only John McGinn appears up to the same level as the Morocco players. The rest look pretty poor.

Scotland will come out better... 2-1 win.

A set piece is Scotland's only slim hope of a goal

Never a penalty.

Looking for it.

Lee Dixon on Brazil's disallowed goal: "It was a great run."

He was offside, how can that be a great run?

Not a single shot on target from the hapless Jocks in the match.

Easy win for Morocco.

Brazil are pretty average.

Bournemouth sign a teenager from Vasco de Gama. Look at him now.

That's what I call scouting.

Paul,

Surely our top level recruitment team and world class analytics under boy Angus will find some brilliant young talent this summer?

Steve, something has to change this summer. Perhaps we should have gone for the head recruiters at the three B's and not Man City and was the other fella from Utd?

We need to be recruiting like Bournemouth not Man City.

Paul, the problem is also that we have a manager who will not play the young talent who we sign for potential.

Brighton have given up more playing minutes to squad members under 24 years old than any other Premier League team.

For the model to work, you need a manager who gets with the plan. Not short-terminist like David Moyes.

It sounds like I made the right decision by not staying up to watch Scotland but at least I've found this thread very entertaining though.

Paul's post about Bournemouth, finding that young kid from Brazil got me thinking once more about the Everton way regarding our recruitment (with it not being within range of the M6, they definitely won't know anything about Dardanelles).

But, for the first time ever, Brendan's post @55 wins the thread for me!

Turkey all but knocked out. That's a big surprise for me and they have some real young talent spread out across the continent.

That's 'real young talent' Messers Smith, Hammond, Kinnear, and Moyes. 'Real young talent' more than good enough to start, Mr Moyes.

Find and sign it for us. Fuck I'm depressed. Wine and it's late. And coming second -- did I even come second? -- to Brendan has made me even more depressed, early bird Tony.

Being a Wool, the 'Scouse, not English' thing doesn't apply to me. I'm just not arsed about England -- I'm an Evertonian, full stop.

But heres a good article from the post about this that goes some way in explaining the view -- especially from Claire from County Road (I wonder if she was called County Claire at school?):

Is “Scouse not English” on the wane?

Make sure you go to bed before you read the article that I've just read about David Moyes, and his feelings regarding Everton, then Paul.

The dislike of the Scots, Welsh and Irish doesn't surprise me as they used to call England "some team that plays in London".

"Some team that plays in London".
Alan, that's exactly the same phrase you used to hear around Liverpool not so long ago. It wasn't just the other nations saying that.

Scouse not English 😁😁

Just woke up to this thread — loved it, I don’t mind sober Jocks although it is hard to find one at a football game, always had a few £ on them when they played England but that was long ago when they had the players who could give most teams a good game.

I always followed Eire, then Scotland didn’t mind Northern Ireland swerved Wales and although I wanted England to win at cricket and cheered on our boxers,even when I knew they had no chance and in most sports England losing never bothered me at all.

Mark (76) Trust you to put a link up were you had to pay to read it! Can you post the gist of it please Mark?

Mike,

Good news.
There should be no shortage of buyers for Patterson given the lack of right backs available in world football

Mark(#79); Sorry, Mark, I should have made it clear that I meant those on this thread who have the dislike.

Dave @81
I didn’t have to pay to read it?
I know the post requests people pay a conscription but I’ve always been able to just click on to the article and read it anyway?

Mark (84) Thanks I’ll try that —- does it work with the Echo?