Enjoy the quality of this World Cup to the Max peoples. Next WC is going to be entirely different, with weather & playing conditions making a major impact on all participants. We saw in Russia some games where play was stopped for drinks. In Qatar, even the water is hot to drink. Would like to see the progress of improving playing conditions & those of watching fans. Any thoughts?
November/December will feel strange but means the heat should mid 20's so don't think conditions will be terrible. Also I expect quality to be better as its not at the end of a long and tough domestic season. Players should be at their best. Wonder how many club v country arguments there will be and any bad injuries sustained in the WC. Optimistic for England if our youth stars can continue to develop and make the step up. A lot can change in four years however.
It's a good point. The players should be at their peak fitness in November/December. Could make for a top quality tournament. Still a ridiculous time to have it though.
Expect to see many 'naturalised' players in their squad. I was in Qatar when they were hosting the Asian Cup and they already had a couple of foreigners, sorry - I mean naturalised players, back then. A Brazilian guy, sorry - I mean a Qatari of Brazilian descent (definitely not in it for the money) scored a great goal in the opening game. It won't be too hot. That's why they moved the dates! Should be low to mid-20s for evening games, or 30C for afternoon which is comparable with other World Cups.
I actually think quality wise it could/should be better because the players aren't shattered at the end of a gruelling season and added to the fact the big teams have actually been a real let down this tournament. Plus the shift to a different time of the year alters the dynamics in terms of other continents who have leagues at different times, so it's a leap into the unknown which could also lead to surprises. In fact if it's the last 32 team World Cup, it'll probably be the last good one in terms of quality and overall balance of teams! Problem is it just won't feel right. The World Cup is for the summer months without football in the off season. The whole dynamic is ruined and then a week later the Premier League restarts.
This whole Qatar abomination should have been scrapped 2 years ago when FIFA was supposedly cleansed of all its corruption. A country with a population of only 2 million, half of which are non resident workers, an appalling human rights record and has no proper football league shouldn't be in the top 100 candidates for the World Cup, never mind be awarded it. The whole thing is disgusting.
The other problem with the feel of the tournament is they've held it in near enough the most soulless and characterless place in the world. For all the problems and corruption in Brazil and Russia they're still great places to visit. What can you do in Qatar? It's not like it's even going to be packed with bars.
I'll probably take the opportunity to book a fortnight's holiday, which I usually can't do because of United (home) fixtures.
England are a nap to win this though aren't we? The one time its completely tainted from the start. I wouldn't be bothered if we didn't qualify for it.
