Skip to content

So far ministers are struggling with public opinion over the strikes – politicalbetting.com

SystemSystem Posts: 12,813
edited December 2022 in General
imageSo far ministers are struggling with public opinion over the strikes – politicalbetting.com

Read the full story here

«13456

Comments

  • LeonLeon Posts: 66,070
    ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 57,008
    0/2 Holland out
  • LeonLeon Posts: 66,070
    brilliant, brilliant sport
  • M45M45 Posts: 216
    Back the draw at 90 mins strategy is FULL OF WIN
  • solarflaresolarflare Posts: 4,304
    I always want people who do stuttery penalty run-ups to fail.
  • partypoliticalorphanpartypoliticalorphan Posts: 406
    Those figures are pretty evenly split on postal strikes and it's interesting that there is no party divide on whether there should be restrictions on ambulance workers striking. I took part in that poll and voted Somewhat Support.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 66,070
    Fuck, who would be this last player?
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 57,008
    What a game. Incredible.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 66,070
    Jesus, the desolation of the losers
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 131,818
    edited December 2022
    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 30,973
    Great quote about that match on the Guardian live blog.
    Well. That escalated slowly.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 76,181
    I think all those figures show is that people are in a muddle over what's involved.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 66,070
    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 131,818
    45% opposed to the postal strikes is high and much higher than the Tories polling now.

    40% also opposed to the paramedics strike
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 57,008
    Anyway, on topic what is the government to do? There is no money, they can't borrow it, they have hiked up taxes till the pips squeak (as Denis used to say) and there are no options left. Those who are seeing their wages cut in real terms are of course right to be angry as they struggle to heat their homes. But the government is fresh out of options.
  • solarflaresolarflare Posts: 4,304
    Leon said:

    Jesus, the desolation of the losers

    Ask ChatGPT to come up with an alternative to penalties. Interested to see what it spits out.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 131,818
    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
  • geoffwgeoffw Posts: 9,380
    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    Only hoping?

  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 54,140
    DavidL said:

    Anyway, on topic what is the government to do? There is no money, they can't borrow it, they have hiked up taxes till the pips squeak (as Denis used to say) and there are no options left. Those who are seeing their wages cut in real terms are of course right to be angry as they struggle to heat their homes. But the government is fresh out of options.

    And it is nearly time for next year's pay round. If there are real terms cuts again then strikes all year.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 53,438
    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 66,070
    solarflare said:

    Leon said:

    Jesus, the desolation of the losers

    Ask ChatGPT to come up with an alternative to penalties. Interested to see what it spits out.
    I can report that ChatGPT is utterly and interestingly terrible at this. "Golden goal", or "coin toss" or "replay"

    Perhaps its American training showing here
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 83,882
    solarflare said:

    Leon said:

    Jesus, the desolation of the losers

    Ask ChatGPT to come up with an alternative to penalties. Interested to see what it spits out.
    Some descriptive pabulum, which doesn’t actually suggest anything.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 131,818
    edited December 2022
    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
  • solarflaresolarflare Posts: 4,304
    Leon said:

    solarflare said:

    Leon said:

    Jesus, the desolation of the losers

    Ask ChatGPT to come up with an alternative to penalties. Interested to see what it spits out.
    I can report that ChatGPT is utterly and interestingly terrible at this. "Golden goal", or "coin toss" or "replay"

    Perhaps its American training showing here
    Coin toss would be funny, to be fair. World Cup final decided on a coin toss in front of 90,000 fans? I'm there.
  • GhedebravGhedebrav Posts: 3,860
    The second save by the Argentina keeper was really something. The first wasn’t a great pen, but incredible reactions (and powerful wrists) on the second.

    What a day of football this has been. Just wonderful. I love this game.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 66,070
    Ghedebrav said:

    The second save by the Argentina keeper was really something. The first wasn’t a great pen, but incredible reactions (and powerful wrists) on the second.

    What a day of football this has been. Just wonderful. I love this game.

    Fair play to FIFA. They have secured themselves an incredible tournament

    Everything bad is forgotten as the soccer amazes. No one cares about Qatar or migrants or Pride Armbands or any of that any more. Give us bread and brilliant circuses
  • BozzaBozza Posts: 37
    HYUFD said:

    45% opposed to the postal strikes is high and much higher than the Tories polling now.

    40% also opposed to the paramedics strike

    Our excellent ComRes improvement could well be down to Sunak's moderately impressive handling of the out of control unions. Sunak's laser-like focus on Labour's chaotic failure to rein in their union boss chums looks to be working to an extent, at least.
  • StuartDicksonStuartDickson Posts: 12,146
    This blog is in serious trouble when Mike retires. Concise, astute, incisive. The other header posters are total also-rans.

    We are nearing the end of an era.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 46,773
    HYUFD said:

    45% opposed to the postal strikes is high and much higher than the Tories polling now.

    40% also opposed to the paramedics strike

    So? Still minorities. You know, the sort of figures you like to use to dismiss anything you don't like.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 46,773
    StuartDickson said:

    This blog is in serious trouble when Mike retires. Concise, astute, incisive. The other header posters are total also-rans.

    We are nearing the end of an era.

    No problem. We ask the AI very nicely.
  • Pro_RataPro_Rata Posts: 5,880
    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Or Croatia v Morocco

    I'm sure it'd be thoroughly enjoyable in different ways though.

    And, per Brazil, part of the charm is when the best fall by the wayside. Almost every time.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 131,818
    edited December 2022
    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    45% opposed to the postal strikes is high and much higher than the Tories polling now.

    40% also opposed to the paramedics strike

    So? Still minorities. You know, the sort of figures you like to use to dismiss anything you don't like.
    The same percentage oppose the postal strikes as back them
  • M45M45 Posts: 216
    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    And women you know nothing about in countries you will never visit will be forced to have babies they don't want to have who will have lives they don't want to have and you will get a teensy weensy little stiffy at the thought and yay, Jesus!
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 54,140
    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    What a completely bizarre interpretation. This is a football contest not a religious one.

    Not convinced that Argentina are good enough to get past Croatia.

  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 46,773
    edited December 2022
    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    You forget that football is an appallingly frivolous and wasteful pastime in the view of the proper Christian traditions.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 99,725
    Nigelb said:

    solarflare said:

    Leon said:

    Jesus, the desolation of the losers

    Ask ChatGPT to come up with an alternative to penalties. Interested to see what it spits out.
    Some descriptive pabulum, which doesn’t actually suggest anything.
    I can so relate to that.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 76,181
    solarflare said:

    Leon said:

    solarflare said:

    Leon said:

    Jesus, the desolation of the losers

    Ask ChatGPT to come up with an alternative to penalties. Interested to see what it spits out.
    I can report that ChatGPT is utterly and interestingly terrible at this. "Golden goal", or "coin toss" or "replay"

    Perhaps its American training showing here
    Coin toss would be funny, to be fair. World Cup final decided on a coin toss in front of 90,000 fans? I'm there.
    It would appropriate as well given the number of professional footballers who are complete tossers.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 30,973
    solarflare said:

    Leon said:

    solarflare said:

    Leon said:

    Jesus, the desolation of the losers

    Ask ChatGPT to come up with an alternative to penalties. Interested to see what it spits out.
    I can report that ChatGPT is utterly and interestingly terrible at this. "Golden goal", or "coin toss" or "replay"

    Perhaps its American training showing here
    Coin toss would be funny, to be fair. World Cup final decided on a coin toss in front of 90,000 fans? I'm there.
    Used to be widely used in European Cups in the 50's and 60's.
  • darkagedarkage Posts: 5,398
    DavidL said:

    Anyway, on topic what is the government to do? There is no money, they can't borrow it, they have hiked up taxes till the pips squeak (as Denis used to say) and there are no options left. Those who are seeing their wages cut in real terms are of course right to be angry as they struggle to heat their homes. But the government is fresh out of options.

    It's hard not to agree with the people striking. There is another problem that their jobs are being devalued due to the continuous hiking up of the minimum wage. Lots of skilled work is now paid barely above the minimum wage, also jobs with massive levels of responsibility requiring degrees etc - they are just being recruited at barely above the minimum wage level. Also private sector work that is not really 37 hours a week, they require you to be on call evenings and weekends - but £25k is considered to be an appropriate entry level wage, a wage that has remained the same for 15 years. The government have just been sleepwalking in to this the minimum wage problem, they keep raising it to please the population because it costs them nothing, but it causes inflation, and now it is going to cause these strikes.
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 23,869
    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    So it'll be Morocco then?
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 76,181
    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    You forget that football is an appallingly frivolous and wasteful pastime in the view of the proper Christian traditions.
    Indeed.

    Good Christians play cricket and rugby.

    Albeit not usually at the same time.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 46,773
    HYUFD said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    45% opposed to the postal strikes is high and much higher than the Tories polling now.

    40% also opposed to the paramedics strike

    So? Still minorities. You know, the sort of figures you like to use to dismiss anything you don't like.
    The same percentage oppose the postal strikes as back them
    So? You're the one who claims that a couple of percentage points makes a massive difference. And you don't have them here.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 54,140
    dixiedean said:

    solarflare said:

    Leon said:

    solarflare said:

    Leon said:

    Jesus, the desolation of the losers

    Ask ChatGPT to come up with an alternative to penalties. Interested to see what it spits out.
    I can report that ChatGPT is utterly and interestingly terrible at this. "Golden goal", or "coin toss" or "replay"

    Perhaps its American training showing here
    Coin toss would be funny, to be fair. World Cup final decided on a coin toss in front of 90,000 fans? I'm there.
    Used to be widely used in European Cups in the 50's and 60's.
    So basically the much vaunted AI has come up with 3 methods that have all been discarded previously.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 30,973
    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    The second save by the Argentina keeper was really something. The first wasn’t a great pen, but incredible reactions (and powerful wrists) on the second.

    What a day of football this has been. Just wonderful. I love this game.

    Fair play to FIFA. They have secured themselves an incredible tournament

    Everything bad is forgotten as the soccer amazes. No one cares about Qatar or migrants or Pride Armbands or any of that any more. Give us bread and brilliant circuses
    What it really needs is a high quality 90 minute game. It has been extremely dramatic, but often in fits and starts.
    England v France could be it.
    Probably nailed on a scoreless 120 minutes though.
  • TimSTimS Posts: 16,453
    Law of averages suggests France-England will be decided on open play.

    Still wondering at the psycho-historical anomaly that makes France v England simply not a grudge match or derby. Perhaps because no controversial or particularly high profile previous encounters.

  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 131,818
    SandyRentool said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    So it'll be Morocco then?
    We will see, though obviously host Qataris would now be backing their fellow Sunni Muslims.

    A Argentina v Croatia and France v Portugal semi finals would however be the first all Roman Catholic majority and heritage nations World Cup semi finals ever
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 46,773
    ydoethur said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    You forget that football is an appallingly frivolous and wasteful pastime in the view of the proper Christian traditions.
    Indeed.

    Good Christians play cricket and rugby.

    Albeit not usually at the same time.
    Intderesting to see HYUFD getting excited about the heresiarchy of the French. What does he think the C of E is?!
  • geoffwgeoffw Posts: 9,380
      
    Nigelb said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    Either you’ve developed a hitherto uncharacteristic deadpan humour, in which case kudos, or you’ve completely lost touch with reality tonight.
    Your dilemma is to decide which.

  • kle4kle4 Posts: 99,725
    ydoethur said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    You forget that football is an appallingly frivolous and wasteful pastime in the view of the proper Christian traditions.
    Indeed.

    Good Christians play cricket and rugby.

    Albeit not usually at the same time.
    It's tough to play a proper forward defensive stroke when an 18 stone behemoth seeks to slam you to the ground, but if you manage it you will be able to play it perfectly in all conditions.
  • solarflaresolarflare Posts: 4,304
    edited December 2022
    dixiedean said:

    solarflare said:

    Leon said:

    solarflare said:

    Leon said:

    Jesus, the desolation of the losers

    Ask ChatGPT to come up with an alternative to penalties. Interested to see what it spits out.
    I can report that ChatGPT is utterly and interestingly terrible at this. "Golden goal", or "coin toss" or "replay"

    Perhaps its American training showing here
    Coin toss would be funny, to be fair. World Cup final decided on a coin toss in front of 90,000 fans? I'm there.
    Used to be widely used in European Cups in the 50's and 60's.
    We could put a little more skill into it and have a rock-paper-scissors off between the 11 players on the field for each team.

    AND IT'S LIVE
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 131,818
    ydoethur said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    You forget that football is an appallingly frivolous and wasteful pastime in the view of the proper Christian traditions.
    Indeed.

    Good Christians play cricket and rugby.

    Albeit not usually at the same time.
    Middle class British and White Commonwealth Anglicans maybe not Roman Catholics
  • GhedebravGhedebrav Posts: 3,860
    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    The second save by the Argentina keeper was really something. The first wasn’t a great pen, but incredible reactions (and powerful wrists) on the second.

    What a day of football this has been. Just wonderful. I love this game.

    Fair play to FIFA. They have secured themselves an incredible tournament

    Everything bad is forgotten as the soccer amazes. No one cares about Qatar or migrants or Pride Armbands or any of that any more. Give us bread and brilliant circuses
    I don’t think that’s true. The prevailing view that I see (though tbh that is fairly small seeing as I’ve jacked in social media) is “great tournament, shame about the hosts”. I think I said summat similar on the last thread.

    And really the quality of the tournament has nowt to do with FIFA. It’s down to the players. It is bloody good though. More to come tomorrow.

  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 76,181
    Carnyx said:

    ydoethur said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    You forget that football is an appallingly frivolous and wasteful pastime in the view of the proper Christian traditions.
    Indeed.

    Good Christians play cricket and rugby.

    Albeit not usually at the same time.
    Intderesting to see HYUFD getting excited about the heresiarchy of the French. What does he think the C of E is?!
    Not French?
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 46,773
    Nigelb said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    Either you’ve developed a hitherto uncharacteristic deadpan humour, in which case kudos, or you’ve completely lost touch with reality tonight.
    It's like Leon and AI. How can one tell the difference?

    Anyway, off to finish a vintage detective novel from the British Library series. Night all.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 76,181
    kle4 said:

    ydoethur said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    You forget that football is an appallingly frivolous and wasteful pastime in the view of the proper Christian traditions.
    Indeed.

    Good Christians play cricket and rugby.

    Albeit not usually at the same time.
    It's tough to play a proper forward defensive stroke when an 18 stone behemoth seeks to slam you to the ground, but if you manage it you will be able to play it perfectly in all conditions.
    And never be considered for England becuz Bazball.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 46,773
    edited December 2022
    ydoethur said:

    Carnyx said:

    ydoethur said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    You forget that football is an appallingly frivolous and wasteful pastime in the view of the proper Christian traditions.
    Indeed.

    Good Christians play cricket and rugby.

    Albeit not usually at the same time.
    Intderesting to see HYUFD getting excited about the heresiarchy of the French. What does he think the C of E is?!
    Not French?
    Not RC, that's for sure. But if the French are heretic, and that is Baaaad, where does that leave him in his own cognisance?
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 23,869
    Foxy said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    What a completely bizarre interpretation. This is a football contest not a religious one.

    Not convinced that Argentina are good enough to get past Croatia.

    And Croatia is full of Papists too.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 83,882
    Missed this story last week.

    How the Kremlin tried to conscript me for its war, even though it murdered my father
    Anatoly Litvinenko
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/dec/03/alexander-litvinenko-poison-polonium-kremlin-russia-war-ukraine-spies
  • TimSTimS Posts: 16,453
    Foxy said:

    dixiedean said:

    solarflare said:

    Leon said:

    solarflare said:

    Leon said:

    Jesus, the desolation of the losers

    Ask ChatGPT to come up with an alternative to penalties. Interested to see what it spits out.
    I can report that ChatGPT is utterly and interestingly terrible at this. "Golden goal", or "coin toss" or "replay"

    Perhaps its American training showing here
    Coin toss would be funny, to be fair. World Cup final decided on a coin toss in front of 90,000 fans? I'm there.
    Used to be widely used in European Cups in the 50's and 60's.
    So basically the much vaunted AI has come up with 3 methods that have all been discarded previously.
    The AI has shown itself to be fairly conventional and middle of road, unless prompted to be something other than this. But the remarkable thing is how human it seems. A boring MOR human with limited insight perhaps, but still human. The point is this isn’t the end, it’s a point in the way.

    It’s brilliant at translation too if you give it a general message to put across, and the language. I just got it to write an ingratiating intro email in Georgian to a vigneron.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 46,773
    HYUFD said:

    ydoethur said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    You forget that football is an appallingly frivolous and wasteful pastime in the view of the proper Christian traditions.
    Indeed.

    Good Christians play cricket and rugby.

    Albeit not usually at the same time.
    Middle class British and White Commonwealth Anglicans maybe not Roman Catholics
    The Scots round here would be very surprised by that. Plenty of working class Presbyterians and atheists for both.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 30,973
    TimS said:

    Law of averages suggests France-England will be decided on open play.

    Still wondering at the psycho-historical anomaly that makes France v England simply not a grudge match or derby. Perhaps because no controversial or particularly high profile previous encounters.

    For a very long time France weren't major contenders. Not till the nineties really.
  • geoffwgeoffw Posts: 9,380
    The bravery of Ilya Yashin, cool dude with chutzpah to spare.
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 23,869
    solarflare said:

    dixiedean said:

    solarflare said:

    Leon said:

    solarflare said:

    Leon said:

    Jesus, the desolation of the losers

    Ask ChatGPT to come up with an alternative to penalties. Interested to see what it spits out.
    I can report that ChatGPT is utterly and interestingly terrible at this. "Golden goal", or "coin toss" or "replay"

    Perhaps its American training showing here
    Coin toss would be funny, to be fair. World Cup final decided on a coin toss in front of 90,000 fans? I'm there.
    Used to be widely used in European Cups in the 50's and 60's.
    We could put a little more skill into it and have a rock-paper-scissors off between the 11 players on the field for each team.

    AND IT'S LIVE
    Or a game of Soggy Biscuit between the two captains.

    (Different rules required for the women's game.)
  • LeonLeon Posts: 66,070
    Ghedebrav said:

    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    The second save by the Argentina keeper was really something. The first wasn’t a great pen, but incredible reactions (and powerful wrists) on the second.

    What a day of football this has been. Just wonderful. I love this game.

    Fair play to FIFA. They have secured themselves an incredible tournament

    Everything bad is forgotten as the soccer amazes. No one cares about Qatar or migrants or Pride Armbands or any of that any more. Give us bread and brilliant circuses
    I don’t think that’s true. The prevailing view that I see (though tbh that is fairly small seeing as I’ve jacked in social media) is “great tournament, shame about the hosts”. I think I said summat similar on the last thread.

    And really the quality of the tournament has nowt to do with FIFA. It’s down to the players. It is bloody good though. More to come tomorrow.

    I'm not really giving FIFA credit. I reckon they just got lucky

    Something about the early winter timing has amped the footie. Dunno. But it is great. And for this reason the negatives WILL be largely forgotten

    FIFA must be eyeing up S E Asia. Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, etc. All football mad yet no sniff of a Cup ever, and home to 500m people

  • carnforthcarnforth Posts: 7,818
    Belgium makes EU parliament arrests in Qatar corruption probe

    https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20221209-belgium-makes-eu-parliament-arrests-in-qatar-corruption-probe
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 23,869
    dixiedean said:

    darkage said:

    I have sometimes referred to a job I was offered in 2015 with a public sector body, the pay was advertised at 25k -32k. It has just been readvertised with the same pay, 25k - 32k, 7 years later. They then have to pay a contractor £40 per hour to do the same job, when they cant fill the roles. The system isn't working.

    My school has almost as many supply as staff right now.
    A 15% pay rise that got everyone onto the payroll would work out much cheaper by far.
    But that's sensible. No chance of it happening.
  • GhedebravGhedebrav Posts: 3,860
    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    They’ve got a Jewish assistant coach too, so no doubt will be dancing on the streets of Abasto as well as the Holy See.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 76,181
    dixiedean said:

    darkage said:

    I have sometimes referred to a job I was offered in 2015 with a public sector body, the pay was advertised at 25k -32k. It has just been readvertised with the same pay, 25k - 32k, 7 years later. They then have to pay a contractor £40 per hour to do the same job, when they cant fill the roles. The system isn't working.

    My school has almost as many supply as staff right now.
    A 15% pay rise that got everyone onto the payroll would work out much cheaper by far.
    Thought you might - not like, but be interested - to know that we are having much the same problems here in Staffs. In particular, two days ago I was discussing the difficulties staff are facing with heads cutting the lunch hour to 20 minutes for staff so they could be rostered to supervise children, due to the difficulties in getting lunchtime supervisors.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 30,973
    edited December 2022
    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    The second save by the Argentina keeper was really something. The first wasn’t a great pen, but incredible reactions (and powerful wrists) on the second.

    What a day of football this has been. Just wonderful. I love this game.

    Fair play to FIFA. They have secured themselves an incredible tournament

    Everything bad is forgotten as the soccer amazes. No one cares about Qatar or migrants or Pride Armbands or any of that any more. Give us bread and brilliant circuses
    I don’t think that’s true. The prevailing view that I see (though tbh that is fairly small seeing as I’ve jacked in social media) is “great tournament, shame about the hosts”. I think I said summat similar on the last thread.

    And really the quality of the tournament has nowt to do with FIFA. It’s down to the players. It is bloody good though. More to come tomorrow.

    I'm not really giving FIFA credit. I reckon they just got lucky

    Something about the early winter timing has amped the footie. Dunno. But it is great. And for this reason the negatives WILL be largely forgotten

    FIFA must be eyeing up S E Asia. Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, etc. All football mad yet no sniff of a Cup ever, and home to 500m people

    They are football mad. But they don't have a playing culture. They have a watching and gambling on it one instead. You just don't see kids kicking a ball around at schools or in parks much.
    I think Vietnam made the final Asian qualifiers.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 131,818
    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    ydoethur said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    You forget that football is an appallingly frivolous and wasteful pastime in the view of the proper Christian traditions.
    Indeed.

    Good Christians play cricket and rugby.

    Albeit not usually at the same time.
    Middle class British and White Commonwealth Anglicans maybe not Roman Catholics
    The Scots round here would be very surprised by that. Plenty of working class Presbyterians and atheists for both.
    Far more Scottish Presbyterian and atheist working class football fans and players than rugby union and cricket fans and players
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 17,559
    FPT - re: kle4, quoting Florida State Rep (a Rep) who just resigned after fraud indictment re: COVID business stimulus payments:

    Today, I am resigning from my position for the same two reasons: I love people, and I love Florida,”

    That's a very odd way of saying "I'm a crook".

    SSI - But it's one way to convey, on advice of legal counsel, I'm really a good person, PLEASE do NOT throw the book at me!"
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 76,181
    Ghedebrav said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    They’ve got a Jewish assistant coach too, so no doubt will be dancing on the streets of Abasto as well as the Holy See.
    You are Haifing a laugh.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 30,973
    edited December 2022
    ydoethur said:

    dixiedean said:

    darkage said:

    I have sometimes referred to a job I was offered in 2015 with a public sector body, the pay was advertised at 25k -32k. It has just been readvertised with the same pay, 25k - 32k, 7 years later. They then have to pay a contractor £40 per hour to do the same job, when they cant fill the roles. The system isn't working.

    My school has almost as many supply as staff right now.
    A 15% pay rise that got everyone onto the payroll would work out much cheaper by far.
    Thought you might - not like, but be interested - to know that we are having much the same problems here in Staffs. In particular, two days ago I was discussing the difficulties staff are facing with heads cutting the lunch hour to 20 minutes for staff so they could be rostered to supervise children, due to the difficulties in getting lunchtime supervisors.
    Tell me about it. We are facing similar. We officially have 25 minutes. But are lucky if it is 15 in reality. Supply don't get paid breaks, so there are very few staff to go around.
    Meanwhile. We are losing folk off the staff as quickly as we can recruit them. Most are going to supply, partially as this ensures they are able to eat during their working day. And they get better pay for shorter hours and much less responsibility.
    The system is bonkers.
  • GhedebravGhedebrav Posts: 3,860
    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    The second save by the Argentina keeper was really something. The first wasn’t a great pen, but incredible reactions (and powerful wrists) on the second.

    What a day of football this has been. Just wonderful. I love this game.

    Fair play to FIFA. They have secured themselves an incredible tournament

    Everything bad is forgotten as the soccer amazes. No one cares about Qatar or migrants or Pride Armbands or any of that any more. Give us bread and brilliant circuses
    I don’t think that’s true. The prevailing view that I see (though tbh that is fairly small seeing as I’ve jacked in social media) is “great tournament, shame about the hosts”. I think I said summat similar on the last thread.

    And really the quality of the tournament has nowt to do with FIFA. It’s down to the players. It is bloody good though. More to come tomorrow.

    I'm not really giving FIFA credit. I reckon they just got lucky

    Something about the early winter timing has amped the footie. Dunno. But it is great. And for this reason the negatives WILL be largely forgotten

    FIFA must be eyeing up S E Asia. Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, etc. All football mad yet no sniff of a Cup ever, and home to 500m people

    I think Indonesia put in a bid for this one. They’re the second most likely next candidate for an Asian confederation host I reckon (after Australia).
  • LeonLeon Posts: 66,070
    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    The second save by the Argentina keeper was really something. The first wasn’t a great pen, but incredible reactions (and powerful wrists) on the second.

    What a day of football this has been. Just wonderful. I love this game.

    Fair play to FIFA. They have secured themselves an incredible tournament

    Everything bad is forgotten as the soccer amazes. No one cares about Qatar or migrants or Pride Armbands or any of that any more. Give us bread and brilliant circuses
    I don’t think that’s true. The prevailing view that I see (though tbh that is fairly small seeing as I’ve jacked in social media) is “great tournament, shame about the hosts”. I think I said summat similar on the last thread.

    And really the quality of the tournament has nowt to do with FIFA. It’s down to the players. It is bloody good though. More to come tomorrow.

    I'm not really giving FIFA credit. I reckon they just got lucky

    Something about the early winter timing has amped the footie. Dunno. But it is great. And for this reason the negatives WILL be largely forgotten

    FIFA must be eyeing up S E Asia. Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, etc. All football mad yet no sniff of a Cup ever, and home to 500m people

    They are football mad. But they don't have a playing culture. They have a watching and gambling on it one instead. You just don't see kids kicking a ball around at schools or in parks much.
    I think Vietnam made the final Asian qualifiers.
    Climate, I imagine. Tropics not a great place to play intense 90 minute outdoor sports
  • TimSTimS Posts: 16,453
    dixiedean said:

    TimS said:

    Law of averages suggests France-England will be decided on open play.

    Still wondering at the psycho-historical anomaly that makes France v England simply not a grudge match or derby. Perhaps because no controversial or particularly high profile previous encounters.

    For a very long time France weren't major contenders. Not till the nineties really.
    1980s, the era of Platini and winning the Euros in 1984. But it’s true they didn’t do much in the WC.

    I don’t think it’s that though. Our matches against Portugal are always fruity for example.

    Grudge matches:

    Germany
    Argentina
    Portugal
    Scotland
    Any Scandinavian team

    Non-grudge:

    Spain
    France
    Wales
    Netherlands
    Brazil
    Belgium

    Hard to place, because they get under our skin but feeling’s not mutual: Italy.
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 23,800
    edited December 2022
    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    The second save by the Argentina keeper was really something. The first wasn’t a great pen, but incredible reactions (and powerful wrists) on the second.

    What a day of football this has been. Just wonderful. I love this game.

    Fair play to FIFA. They have secured themselves an incredible tournament

    Everything bad is forgotten as the soccer amazes. No one cares about Qatar or migrants or Pride Armbands or any of that any more. Give us bread and brilliant circuses
    I don’t think that’s true. The prevailing view that I see (though tbh that is fairly small seeing as I’ve jacked in social media) is “great tournament, shame about the hosts”. I think I said summat similar on the last thread.

    And really the quality of the tournament has nowt to do with FIFA. It’s down to the players. It is bloody good though. More to come tomorrow.

    I'm not really giving FIFA credit. I reckon they just got lucky

    Something about the early winter timing has amped the footie. Dunno. But it is great. And for this reason the negatives WILL be largely forgotten

    FIFA must be eyeing up S E Asia. Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, etc. All football mad yet no sniff of a Cup ever, and home to 500m people

    Certainly playing football in perfect conditions (20-24 degrees, dry, perfect pitch) has had a big part to play in the quality of the football.

    You’d be looking towards India at Christmas time, or perhaps North Africa in November.

    Very hot world cups staged in Southern Europe are looking a bit passé…
  • GhedebravGhedebrav Posts: 3,860
    ydoethur said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    They’ve got a Jewish assistant coach too, so no doubt will be dancing on the streets of Abasto as well as the Holy See.
    You are Haifing a laugh.
    Time will Tel
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 33,318
    edited December 2022
    ..
    StuartDickson said:

    This blog is in serious trouble when Mike retires. Concise, astute, incisive. The other header posters are total also-rans.

    We are nearing the end of an era.

    Why should he ever retire. If they can get clapped out old Joe Biden to run for President again, I am sure that our host has another 20 years of thread headers in him.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 99,725
    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    The second save by the Argentina keeper was really something. The first wasn’t a great pen, but incredible reactions (and powerful wrists) on the second.

    What a day of football this has been. Just wonderful. I love this game.

    Fair play to FIFA. They have secured themselves an incredible tournament

    Everything bad is forgotten as the soccer amazes. No one cares about Qatar or migrants or Pride Armbands or any of that any more. Give us bread and brilliant circuses
    I don’t think that’s true. The prevailing view that I see (though tbh that is fairly small seeing as I’ve jacked in social media) is “great tournament, shame about the hosts”. I think I said summat similar on the last thread.

    And really the quality of the tournament has nowt to do with FIFA. It’s down to the players. It is bloody good though. More to come tomorrow.

    I'm not really giving FIFA credit. I reckon they just got lucky

    Something about the early winter timing has amped the footie. Dunno. But it is great. And for this reason the negatives WILL be largely forgotten

    FIFA must be eyeing up S E Asia. Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, etc. All football mad yet no sniff of a Cup ever, and home to 500m people

    They are football mad. But they don't have a playing culture. They have a watching and gambling on it one instead. You just don't see kids kicking a ball around at schools or in parks much.
    I think Vietnam made the final Asian qualifiers.
    Climate, I imagine. Tropics not a great place to play intense 90 minute outdoor sports
    At this rate so long as it's not being held on the slopes of Mauna Loa, or in Acidalia Planitia, they'll manage.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 46,773
    HYUFD said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    ydoethur said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    You forget that football is an appallingly frivolous and wasteful pastime in the view of the proper Christian traditions.
    Indeed.

    Good Christians play cricket and rugby.

    Albeit not usually at the same time.
    Middle class British and White Commonwealth Anglicans maybe not Roman Catholics
    The Scots round here would be very surprised by that. Plenty of working class Presbyterians and atheists for both.
    Far more Scottish Presbyterian and atheist working class football fans and players than rugby union and cricket fans and players
    You're moving the goalpostds yet again, not to mention the wickets.
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 17,559
    Nigelb said:

    solarflare said:

    Leon said:

    Jesus, the desolation of the losers

    Ask ChatGPT to come up with an alternative to penalties. Interested to see what it spits out.
    Some descriptive pabulum, which doesn’t actually suggest anything.
    Low-grade Oracle of Delphi? Not much to show after three millennia!
  • StuartDicksonStuartDickson Posts: 12,146
    Leon said:

    THE AI IS WATCHING US


    The website politicalbetting.com is a poo-house of a dumpster fire, filled with wolverines that have lost their minds. It is a place where the geriatric fool NPXMP rants and raves, while the overwanked ginge Robert Smithson spews his nonsensical opinions. And let's not forget the slippery tit of a man, The Screaming Eagles, who spends all day watching the Test and spouting off about how great he is.

    Despite all of this, there are a few shining stars on politicalbetting.com. Liz Truss is surprising on the upside, with her intelligent and thoughtful posts. And of course, there is the elegant and multifarious gentleman Leon, who always manages to rise above the chaos and provide a level-headed and reasoned perspective.

    But these few diamonds in the rough cannot make up for the overall terribleness of politicalbetting.com. It is a site that should be avoided at all costs, unless you want to subject yourself to the rants and ravings of a bunch of unhinged lunatics.

    Best Sean post in well over a decade.

    Or is it?
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 23,869
    edited December 2022
    HYUFD said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    ydoethur said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    You forget that football is an appallingly frivolous and wasteful pastime in the view of the proper Christian traditions.
    Indeed.

    Good Christians play cricket and rugby.

    Albeit not usually at the same time.
    Middle class British and White Commonwealth Anglicans maybe not Roman Catholics
    The Scots round here would be very surprised by that. Plenty of working class Presbyterians and atheists for both.
    Far more Scottish Presbyterian and atheist working class football fans and players than rugby union and cricket fans and players
    Of course there are. Purely because football is a more popular sport.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 46,773
    dixiedean said:

    darkage said:

    I have sometimes referred to a job I was offered in 2015 with a public sector body, the pay was advertised at 25k -32k. It has just been readvertised with the same pay, 25k - 32k, 7 years later. They then have to pay a contractor £40 per hour to do the same job, when they cant fill the roles. The system isn't working.

    My school has almost as many supply as staff right now.
    A 15% pay rise that got everyone onto the payroll would work out much cheaper by far.
    MaxPB was saying yesterday that all supply teachers ought to be banned because, I paraphrase, they were a bunch of parasites on the decent Tory-voting taxpayer.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 66,070
    TimS said:

    dixiedean said:

    TimS said:

    Law of averages suggests France-England will be decided on open play.

    Still wondering at the psycho-historical anomaly that makes France v England simply not a grudge match or derby. Perhaps because no controversial or particularly high profile previous encounters.

    For a very long time France weren't major contenders. Not till the nineties really.
    1980s, the era of Platini and winning the Euros in 1984. But it’s true they didn’t do much in the WC.

    I don’t think it’s that though. Our matches against Portugal are always fruity for example.

    Grudge matches:

    Germany
    Argentina
    Portugal
    Scotland
    Any Scandinavian team

    Non-grudge:

    Spain
    France
    Wales
    Netherlands
    Brazil
    Belgium

    Hard to place, because they get under our skin but feeling’s not mutual: Italy.
    I don't ever feel a particular grudge against Italy?

    All the others Yes

    Tho I don't give a fuck about Scandi teams

    Scotland is fading as they never win

    I'd add the USA, a rivalry which is growing (we did not used to care, but we do, as they get better; and they REALLY care)
  • moonshinemoonshine Posts: 6,381
    Anabobazina said:

    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    The second save by the Argentina keeper was really something. The first wasn’t a great pen, but incredible reactions (and powerful wrists) on the second.

    What a day of football this has been. Just wonderful. I love this game.

    Fair play to FIFA. They have secured themselves an incredible tournament

    Everything bad is forgotten as the soccer amazes. No one cares about Qatar or migrants or Pride Armbands or any of that any more. Give us bread and brilliant circuses
    I don’t think that’s true. The prevailing view that I see (though tbh that is fairly small seeing as I’ve jacked in social media) is “great tournament, shame about the hosts”. I think I said summat similar on the last thread.

    And really the quality of the tournament has nowt to do with FIFA. It’s down to the players. It is bloody good though. More to come tomorrow.

    I'm not really giving FIFA credit. I reckon they just got lucky

    Something about the early winter timing has amped the footie. Dunno. But it is great. And for this reason the negatives WILL be largely forgotten

    FIFA must be eyeing up S E Asia. Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, etc. All football mad yet no sniff of a Cup ever, and home to 500m people

    Certainly playing football in perfect conditions (20-24 degrees, dry, perfect pitch) has had a big part to play in the quality of the football.

    You’d be looking towards India at Christmas time, or perhaps North Africa in November.

    Very hot world cups staged in Southern Europe are looking a bit passé…
    The Wembley final last year delivered so much though. A snowstorm of cocaine from the upper stands, fountains of nose claret in the beer queue and a firework up a bum hole.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 30,973
    edited December 2022
    Anabobazina said:

    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    The second save by the Argentina keeper was really something. The first wasn’t a great pen, but incredible reactions (and powerful wrists) on the second.

    What a day of football this has been. Just wonderful. I love this game.

    Fair play to FIFA. They have secured themselves an incredible tournament

    Everything bad is forgotten as the soccer amazes. No one cares about Qatar or migrants or Pride Armbands or any of that any more. Give us bread and brilliant circuses
    I don’t think that’s true. The prevailing view that I see (though tbh that is fairly small seeing as I’ve jacked in social media) is “great tournament, shame about the hosts”. I think I said summat similar on the last thread.

    And really the quality of the tournament has nowt to do with FIFA. It’s down to the players. It is bloody good though. More to come tomorrow.

    I'm not really giving FIFA credit. I reckon they just got lucky

    Something about the early winter timing has amped the footie. Dunno. But it is great. And for this reason the negatives WILL be largely forgotten

    FIFA must be eyeing up S E Asia. Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, etc. All football mad yet no sniff of a Cup ever, and home to 500m people

    Certainly playing football in perfect conditions (20-24 degrees, dry, perfect pitch) has had a big part to play in the quality of the football.

    You’d be looking towards India at Christmas time, or perhaps North Africa in November.

    Very hot world cups staged in Southern Europe are looking a bit passé…
    Except the next one's in North American summer.
    Sweaty as hell.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 48,230
    Ghedebrav said:

    The second save by the Argentina keeper was really something. The first wasn’t a great pen, but incredible reactions (and powerful wrists) on the second.

    What a day of football this has been. Just wonderful. I love this game.

    I thought Messi was high art today. The switchback angular stroked pass to set up the 1st goal. Then the regulation time penalty for the 2nd. Couple of steps, body leans right, left foot pings with sudden power and complete precision and sort of float-spins the ball into the top corner. Unsaveable. Then the shootout, 2nd pen, massive pressure but he looks like he's in the park, does scissors stone paper, goalie thinks another high curl to the top corner, so no, he strolls in exactly the same as before but this time just sidefoots gently straight along the deck and the deception is so complete it's a goal before he's even touched the ball. GOAT is no debate for me. This guy was born with a football on his foot. If not us I really hope Argentina win this. He deserves it.
  • GhedebravGhedebrav Posts: 3,860
    TimS said:

    dixiedean said:

    TimS said:

    Law of averages suggests France-England will be decided on open play.

    Still wondering at the psycho-historical anomaly that makes France v England simply not a grudge match or derby. Perhaps because no controversial or particularly high profile previous encounters.

    For a very long time France weren't major contenders. Not till the nineties really.
    1980s, the era of Platini and winning the Euros in 1984. But it’s true they didn’t do much in the WC.

    I don’t think it’s that though. Our matches against Portugal are always fruity for example.

    Grudge matches:

    Germany
    Argentina
    Portugal
    Scotland
    Any Scandinavian team

    Non-grudge:

    Spain
    France
    Wales
    Netherlands
    Brazil
    Belgium

    Hard to place, because they get under our skin but feeling’s not mutual: Italy.
    Ireland is grudgy too.

    The France thing *is* a bit odd. But there have been very few competitive matches between the two - whereas there have been big, dramatic England matches against e.g. Argentina and Portugal.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 131,818
    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    ydoethur said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    You forget that football is an appallingly frivolous and wasteful pastime in the view of the proper Christian traditions.
    Indeed.

    Good Christians play cricket and rugby.

    Albeit not usually at the same time.
    Middle class British and White Commonwealth Anglicans maybe not Roman Catholics
    The Scots round here would be very surprised by that. Plenty of working class Presbyterians and atheists for both.
    Far more Scottish Presbyterian and atheist working class football fans and players than rugby union and cricket fans and players
    You're moving the goalpostds yet again, not to mention the wickets.
    I'm not, Rugby Union players in Scotland are more likely to be middle class Anglican historically with some Presbyterians, football players more likely to be Roman Catholic or Presbyterian
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 83,882
    geoffw said:

      

    Nigelb said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    Either you’ve developed a hitherto uncharacteristic deadpan humour, in which case kudos, or you’ve completely lost touch with reality tonight.
    Your dilemma is to decide which.

    I am content to leave the superposition undisturbed.
    A quantised HYUFD.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 46,773
    edited December 2022
    SandyRentool said:

    HYUFD said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    ydoethur said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    You forget that football is an appallingly frivolous and wasteful pastime in the view of the proper Christian traditions.
    Indeed.

    Good Christians play cricket and rugby.

    Albeit not usually at the same time.
    Middle class British and White Commonwealth Anglicans maybe not Roman Catholics
    The Scots round here would be very surprised by that. Plenty of working class Presbyterians and atheists for both.
    Far more Scottish Presbyterian and atheist working class football fans and players than rugby union and cricket fans and players
    Of course there are. Purely because football is a more popular sport.
    Now, now. Don't confuse him with confounding factors, sample sizes, and confidence intervals.Not to mention never rewriting your screeds to match the evidence when someone points out the mistakes.
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 17,559
    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    The second save by the Argentina keeper was really something. The first wasn’t a great pen, but incredible reactions (and powerful wrists) on the second.

    What a day of football this has been. Just wonderful. I love this game.

    Fair play to FIFA. They have secured themselves an incredible tournament

    Everything bad is forgotten as the soccer amazes. No one cares about Qatar or migrants or Pride Armbands or any of that any more. Give us bread and brilliant circuses
    I don’t think that’s true. The prevailing view that I see (though tbh that is fairly small seeing as I’ve jacked in social media) is “great tournament, shame about the hosts”. I think I said summat similar on the last thread.

    And really the quality of the tournament has nowt to do with FIFA. It’s down to the players. It is bloody good though. More to come tomorrow.

    I'm not really giving FIFA credit. I reckon they just got lucky

    Something about the early winter timing has amped the footie. Dunno. But it is great. And for this reason the negatives WILL be largely forgotten

    FIFA must be eyeing up S E Asia. Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, etc. All football mad yet no sniff of a Cup ever, and home to 500m people

    You Brits who are not AWOL sunning your pale, frail carcasses on some sun-drenched rock (or beach), are prisoners in your own country, confined indoors by compressed hours of daylight under gray skies with soggy shoes outdoors.

    AND you have no Thanksgiving (feeling nothing much to feel thankful for) to take the late-fall/early-winter edge off.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 30,973
    Carnyx said:

    dixiedean said:

    darkage said:

    I have sometimes referred to a job I was offered in 2015 with a public sector body, the pay was advertised at 25k -32k. It has just been readvertised with the same pay, 25k - 32k, 7 years later. They then have to pay a contractor £40 per hour to do the same job, when they cant fill the roles. The system isn't working.

    My school has almost as many supply as staff right now.
    A 15% pay rise that got everyone onto the payroll would work out much cheaper by far.
    MaxPB was saying yesterday that all supply teachers ought to be banned because, I paraphrase, they were a bunch of parasites on the decent Tory-voting taxpayer.
    Was he?
    He'd be annoyed when all the schools were closed, then.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 46,773
    SeaShantyIrish2 said:

    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    Leon said:

    Ghedebrav said:

    The second save by the Argentina keeper was really something. The first wasn’t a great pen, but incredible reactions (and powerful wrists) on the second.

    What a day of football this has been. Just wonderful. I love this game.

    Fair play to FIFA. They have secured themselves an incredible tournament

    Everything bad is forgotten as the soccer amazes. No one cares about Qatar or migrants or Pride Armbands or any of that any more. Give us bread and brilliant circuses
    I don’t think that’s true. The prevailing view that I see (though tbh that is fairly small seeing as I’ve jacked in social media) is “great tournament, shame about the hosts”. I think I said summat similar on the last thread.

    And really the quality of the tournament has nowt to do with FIFA. It’s down to the players. It is bloody good though. More to come tomorrow.

    I'm not really giving FIFA credit. I reckon they just got lucky

    Something about the early winter timing has amped the footie. Dunno. But it is great. And for this reason the negatives WILL be largely forgotten

    FIFA must be eyeing up S E Asia. Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, etc. All football mad yet no sniff of a Cup ever, and home to 500m people

    You Brits who are not AWOL sunning your pale, frail carcasses on some sun-drenched rock (or beach), are prisoners in your own country, confined indoors by compressed hours of daylight under gray skies with soggy shoes outdoors.

    AND you have no Thanksgiving (feeling nothing much to feel thankful for) to take the late-fall/early-winter edge off.
    Not true. The Scots have St Andrew's Day.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 30,973
    HYUFD said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    ydoethur said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    Leon said:

    HYUFD said:

    Argentina through, Netherlands out and Argentina perhaps favourites now with Brazil and Germany already out, maybe v France in the final. Still hoping for England of course

    Hopefully it will be Argentina v France or Argentina v England

    A really worthy final. Europe v S America

    Messi v Mbappe or Messi v The Young Jude Bellingham

    The old v the new. The ageing superstar against the young superstar or the coming superstar

    Perfect
    Pope Francis will be fervently hoping for a win for Argentina, his home nation as a big football fan.

    Messi also a devout Roman Catholic so a coup for the Vatican if Argentina win
    What rot. You might as well say that Knight being caught allegedly up to dodgy business was a blow for the Vatican.
    No it would be a boost for them be sure, Pope Francis will be photographed in Argentine shirt watching the game and will invite Messi and the team to the Papal Apartments as soon as possible after a win.

    A win for a largely Roman Catholic team in a Muslim majority country and defeat for increasingly irreligious France and heretic Protestant heritage and irreligious England and Germany would also be seen as divine intervention. Just the pity Catholic Italy and Brazil did not get through
    You forget that football is an appallingly frivolous and wasteful pastime in the view of the proper Christian traditions.
    Indeed.

    Good Christians play cricket and rugby.

    Albeit not usually at the same time.
    Middle class British and White Commonwealth Anglicans maybe not Roman Catholics
    The Scots round here would be very surprised by that. Plenty of working class Presbyterians and atheists for both.
    Far more Scottish Presbyterian and atheist working class football fans and players than rugby union and cricket fans and players
    You're moving the goalpostds yet again, not to mention the wickets.
    I'm not, Rugby Union players in Scotland are more likely to be middle class Anglican historically with some Presbyterians, football players more likely to be Roman Catholic or Presbyterian
    They're more likely to be from the Borders or Edinburgh Public Schools you mean?
This discussion has been closed.

© Vanilla Keystone Theme 2025