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by openclashXX
Thu Mar 28, 2024 1:29 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread
Replies: 45225
Views: 2957824

Re: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread

So he’s the top scorer in La Liga even though he’s playing out of position? What a player! How comes he’s the only RM player to have won player of the month awards in La Liga? I like Valverde and Kroos/Modric btw. Class players. It's a great run of form, for sure. Let's see how his career goes, wha...
by openclashXX
Thu Mar 28, 2024 10:45 am
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread
Replies: 45225
Views: 2957824

Re: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread

What more does he have to do? 20-year-old player, half a season at Real Madrid, no silverware (yet). Let's give him some time before christening him the best player in the world As I said, he's not even the best midfielder at his club Your final sentence is crazy. He’s carving the league up. He's h...
by openclashXX
Thu Mar 28, 2024 10:05 am
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread
Replies: 45225
Views: 2957824

Re: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread

Hawk97 wrote: Thu Mar 28, 2024 9:55 am What more does he have to do?
20-year-old player, half a season at Real Madrid, no silverware (yet). Let's give him some time before christening him the best player in the world

As I said, he's not even the best midfielder at his club
by openclashXX
Thu Mar 28, 2024 9:54 am
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread
Replies: 45225
Views: 2957824

Re: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread

He also now has arguably the best player in the world in Bellingham. No excuses now. :roll: I don’t think that’s a controversial take at all. He’s ridiculous He's not even the best player at his club, let alone in the world Give him time. England fans need to cool it with this non-stop cycle of hyp...
by openclashXX
Thu Mar 28, 2024 9:43 am
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread
Replies: 45225
Views: 2957824

Re: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread

Hawk97 wrote: Thu Mar 28, 2024 9:38 am He also now has arguably the best player in the world in Bellingham. No excuses now.
:roll:
by openclashXX
Wed Mar 27, 2024 10:29 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: War in Ukraine...
Replies: 53168
Views: 2309825

Re: War in Ukraine...

MOSCOW, March 27 (Reuters) - Russia has increased gasoline imports from neighbouring Belarus in March to tackle the risk of shortages in its domestic market because of unscheduled repairs at Russian refineries after drone attacks, four industry and trade sources said on Wednesday. Usually Russia is...
by openclashXX
Wed Mar 27, 2024 9:52 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread
Replies: 45225
Views: 2957824

Re: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread

Wendigo7 wrote: Wed Mar 27, 2024 9:33 pm They age badly because they don't win.

If they won, or won a few they wouldn't age badly. Chicken and egg situation.
I'm sure if England had won the World Cup in 2018 we'd be sat around debating whether Mbappe was as good a player as Jesse Lingard
by openclashXX
Wed Mar 27, 2024 9:27 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread
Replies: 45225
Views: 2957824

Re: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread

Winger_ wrote: Wed Mar 27, 2024 9:19 pm Grealish got a £100m move on the back of his performances and is still a very good player. Rice is £100m, Foden and Bellingham are worth a fortune as was Kane and as is Saka.
Antony is an £86m player, Mudryk is an £89m player... :roll:
by openclashXX
Wed Mar 27, 2024 9:08 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread
Replies: 45225
Views: 2957824

Re: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread

I agree in the 1st World Cup, the squad wasn't great but it's been decent in the last 2 tournaments. England squads have an unfortunate habit of ageing terribly in hindsight, once the true ability of those players becomes clearer over the course of a few seasons. Most people thankfully now accept t...
by openclashXX
Wed Mar 27, 2024 7:52 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: War in Ukraine...
Replies: 53168
Views: 2309825

Re: War in Ukraine...

This has proven to be a very interesting, uplifting thread, summarising the laundry list of issues that Vlad the Imploder has brought upon himself: https://x.com/prune602/status/1772761991989326091?s=46&t=ftAkKQR9zT6wmu2ZFDX5mw There's more than a whiff of copium about that thread. Much of it factu...
by openclashXX
Wed Mar 27, 2024 3:40 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread
Replies: 45225
Views: 2957824

Re: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread

I definitely think Southgate has underachieved with England considering the group of players he had to choose from over the years. Go have a look at the sides that Southgate was starting in his previous tournaments. Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Eric Dier, Ashley Young, Jordan Henderson, Kalvin Phillip...
by openclashXX
Wed Mar 27, 2024 12:13 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread
Replies: 45225
Views: 2957824

Re: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread

Their win against France was scary to watch - at times in the second half they were just toying with the French midfield. Didn't catch the Netherlands game but by all accounts seemed like another Man of the Match performance from Kroos. They have their deficiencies, particularly at the back (not un...
by openclashXX
Wed Mar 27, 2024 11:53 am
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread
Replies: 45225
Views: 2957824

Re: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread

England probably go into this tournament as either joint favourites or second favourite to France. Got to win a trophy, it’s been a long tenure now (for an international coach) Joint favourites is a massive stretch. I'd take Portugal or Germany (at home) over this England side. Probably Spain too. ...
by openclashXX
Wed Mar 27, 2024 11:46 am
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread
Replies: 45225
Views: 2957824

Re: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread

England probably go into this tournament as either joint favourites or second favourite to France. Got to win a trophy, it’s been a long tenure now (for an international coach) Joint favourites is a massive stretch. I'd take Portugal or Germany (at home) over this England side. Probably Spain too. ...
by openclashXX
Wed Mar 27, 2024 11:43 am
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread
Replies: 45225
Views: 2957824

Re: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread

England probably go into this tournament as either joint favourites or second favourite to France. Got to win a trophy, it’s been a long tenure now (for an international coach) Joint favourites is a massive stretch. I'd take Portugal or Germany (at home) over this England side. Probably Spain too.
by openclashXX
Wed Mar 27, 2024 11:35 am
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread
Replies: 45225
Views: 2957824

Re: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread

Grandpa wrote: Wed Mar 27, 2024 11:19 am When was the last time England beat a team ranked above them in a tournament ? 1990?
Euro 96 (vs Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland), Euro 2000 (vs Germany), World Cup 2002 (vs Argentina)
by openclashXX
Wed Mar 27, 2024 10:48 am
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: War in Ukraine...
Replies: 53168
Views: 2309825

Re: War in Ukraine...

All is not well in the Ukrainian ranks. Danilov has been fired as Secretary of National Security and Defence Yaroslav Trofimov @yarotrof Zelensky fired Danilov as his national security advisor and appointed instead the head of the external intelligence service, Lytvenenko. Is Zelensky peeved about ...
by openclashXX
Tue Mar 26, 2024 2:59 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: War in Ukraine...
Replies: 53168
Views: 2309825

Re: War in Ukraine...

All is not well in the Ukrainian ranks. Danilov has been fired as Secretary of National Security and Defence
Yaroslav Trofimov
@yarotrof

Zelensky fired Danilov as his national security advisor and appointed instead the head of the external intelligence service, Lytvenenko.
by openclashXX
Tue Mar 26, 2024 2:41 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: War in Ukraine...
Replies: 53168
Views: 2309825

Re: War in Ukraine...

Oh dear. Lukashenko clearly didn't get the Kremlin memo Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Tuesday the attackers who carried out last week's massacre at a Moscow concert hall tried fleeing to his country first, but turned away because of checkpoints. "That's why there was no way they cou...
by openclashXX
Tue Mar 26, 2024 2:22 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: Jeremy Guscott v Manu Tuilagi - who was better?
Replies: 81
Views: 1456

Re: Jeremy Guscott v Manu Tuilagi - who was better?

Guscott was different class on the rugby field. Honestly if he'd worn any other colour than English White, he'd be touted as one of the best ever. Tuilagi was always a "what if?" had all the potential and only ever really showed glimpses of it. Both had roughly the same number of caps for England (...
by openclashXX
Tue Mar 26, 2024 11:53 am
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: Jeremy Guscott v Manu Tuilagi - who was better?
Replies: 81
Views: 1456

Re: Jeremy Guscott v Manu Tuilagi - who was better?

Guscott loses a thousand points for his career as a pundit
by openclashXX
Tue Mar 26, 2024 10:02 am
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: War in Ukraine...
Replies: 53168
Views: 2309825

Re: War in Ukraine...

The window for the Ukrainians to take out Russian logistics into Crimea seems to be closing. UK intelligence reports in the last week that the alternative Russian rail route from Rostov to Crimea via Zaporizhzhia (announced in November 2023) has been partly restored past Mariupol and up to Berdyansk...
by openclashXX
Mon Mar 25, 2024 9:14 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: **OFFICIAL** English Rugby Thread
Replies: 112282
Views: 7523758

Re: **OFFICIAL** English Rugby Thread

Keith wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2024 9:11 pm Danny Care confirms international retirement
One has to admire his consistency. As bad on his 1st cap as his 101st

Things are finally looking up
by openclashXX
Mon Mar 25, 2024 7:47 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: War in Ukraine...
Replies: 53168
Views: 2309825

Re: War in Ukraine...

@StanovayaTyaga Putin has just spoken at a government meeting. His words indicate the following: 1️⃣He has no doubt that the performers are radical Islamists. 2️⃣Putin does not believe that this is an independent initiative of ISIS and that these are “pure” Islamists (they would not commit a terror...
by openclashXX
Mon Mar 25, 2024 5:52 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: War in Ukraine...
Replies: 53168
Views: 2309825

Re: War in Ukraine...

I am unsure about that. They can become a huge player on the world stage over the next decade or two. I think they will look at that area of Europe as well. There are too many regional powers vying for influence in that part of Europe, and the Turks lack a meaningful constituency anywhere to carve ...
by openclashXX
Mon Mar 25, 2024 4:30 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: War in Ukraine...
Replies: 53168
Views: 2309825

Re: War in Ukraine...

I think the Turks are pleasantly surprised the Ukrainians are taking the Russian Black Sea fleet apart bit by bit though. It's hard to think of any country that has benefitted quite so comprehensively from this war as Turkey. They've been able to profit from the sale of TB-2s to Ukraine (and their ...
by openclashXX
Mon Mar 25, 2024 1:19 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: War in Ukraine...
Replies: 53168
Views: 2309825

Re: War in Ukraine...

The main question is what is NATO without the US. Today, it would be pretty toothless in a conventional war, starting with logistics. Without the US to move equipment around, our armies would be stuck. Remove the US from NATO what are you left with? Effectively 3 regional blocs - The Russia "hawks"...
by openclashXX
Mon Mar 25, 2024 10:48 am
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: War in Ukraine...
Replies: 53168
Views: 2309825

Re: War in Ukraine...

NATO has won though We're 8 months away from a US election where the candidate leading in the polls has been openly calling to abandon NATO allies from any future Russian attack It's a bit early to declare a victory He said he would abandon if they didn't pay up. Arms industry makes too much money ...
by openclashXX
Mon Mar 25, 2024 10:30 am
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: War in Ukraine...
Replies: 53168
Views: 2309825

Re: War in Ukraine...

Russia has already lost. So has Ukraine. This war has been a lose:lose situation for everyone involved. NATO has won though We're 8 months away from a US election where the candidate leading in the polls has been openly calling to abandon NATO allies from any future Russian attack It's a bit early ...
by openclashXX
Mon Mar 25, 2024 9:32 am
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: War in Ukraine...
Replies: 53168
Views: 2309825

Re: War in Ukraine...

Farva wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2024 9:22 am But its been a win for the US and her allies.
That's too broad and sweeping a generalisation. Even among US allies there have unquestionably been some losers.
by openclashXX
Mon Mar 25, 2024 8:58 am
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: War in Ukraine...
Replies: 53168
Views: 2309825

Re: War in Ukraine...

The four suspects from the shooting appeared in court yesterday. One with a visibly swollen face, another with the remnants of a plastic bag around his head, a third in a wheelchair. https://twitter.com/Mylovanov/status/1772134448546353393?t=zJyz3FW-G5zg_hyhEcNX2g&s=19 Margarita Simonyan tweeting "w...
by openclashXX
Mon Mar 25, 2024 8:50 am
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: War in Ukraine...
Replies: 53168
Views: 2309825

Re: War in Ukraine...

What does a Russian victory look like? We are slowly grinding towards a Cyprus outcome to this war. An outright Russian victory would be a partition line drawn along the Dnieper (the Chinese delegation accidentally revealed as much when they shared their proposal for a negotiated peace last year). ...
by openclashXX
Sun Mar 24, 2024 6:22 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: War in Ukraine...
Replies: 53168
Views: 2309825

Re: War in Ukraine...

Some absolutely gruesome footage being shared on Telegram channels of the suspects from the shootings being publicly tortured by Russian officials. One suspect had his ear cut off and fed to him, another lying prone on the ground with his testicles wired up to a battery I suppose this is the Russian...
by openclashXX
Sun Mar 24, 2024 1:29 am
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: War in Ukraine...
Replies: 53168
Views: 2309825

Re: War in Ukraine...

The official news channel of ISIS just published bodycam footage of the shooting. Astonishing that there are people still refusing to believe it was done by them
by openclashXX
Sat Mar 23, 2024 8:55 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread
Replies: 45225
Views: 2957824

Re: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread

Chilwell has been appalling, Gallagher not much better.

Gordon looks great on the left, at least.
by openclashXX
Sat Mar 23, 2024 8:01 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: War in Ukraine...
Replies: 53168
Views: 2309825

Re: War in Ukraine...

A minor quibble. Like failing to heed the warning about an imminent attack from the Yanks in the first place. I am surprised the Russians don't claim that the US knew because they helped organize the attack. Shows that there are still some lines they do not want to cross. ISIS are a US creation. On...
by openclashXX
Sat Mar 23, 2024 4:40 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: Georgia invite Wales for a not-a-6N-playoff fixture
Replies: 75
Views: 1665

Re: Georgia invite Wales for a not-a-6N-playoff fixture

Da iawn diolch wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2024 4:11 pm Thankfully rugby isn't a charity. It's a meritocracy.
:lol:
by openclashXX
Sat Mar 23, 2024 4:28 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: War in Ukraine...
Replies: 53168
Views: 2309825

Re: War in Ukraine...

Say what you will about the quality and competence of the Russian intelligence apparatus but they managed to take all four suspects alive and identify they were fleeing toward Ukraine where a ‘window’ had been prepared. Fantastic stuff. After letting them escape and travel 6 hours unimpeded towards...
by openclashXX
Sat Mar 23, 2024 4:14 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread
Replies: 45225
Views: 2957824

Re: The OFFICIAL English and European Football (soccer) thread

I have just come across this though…. https://x.com/football__tweet/status/1770581114576408607?s=46 France’s depth is ridiculous. I think England can take their Fourth team.. I think we’d beat their best frankly. England haven't beaten France since 2015. And England's last victory against France at...
by openclashXX
Sat Mar 23, 2024 3:09 pm
Forum: Rugby Forum
Topic: Georgia invite Wales for a not-a-6N-playoff fixture
Replies: 75
Views: 1665

Re: Georgia invite Wales for a not-a-6N-playoff fixture

That's not true, though. The 'aura' of the 6N is that the matches have been played annually for 100+ years. Not that it contains the world's best teams. It also generates a lot of money. All the 6N unions are also members of FE. Two tournaments of equal standing, and generating equal money would be...