PT Barnum may have been right 150 years ago, but The Greatest Show on Earth these days gets underway this afternoon, despite the shameful corruption displayed by Fifa. By comparison, the Olympics is a sideshow. My first experience of the World Cup was watching Scotland play Zaire in 1974. For 20-odd years the tournament had participation value for Scotland, even if the joy of being there was short lived.
These days the joy is all about being a neutral football fan and soaking up the drama and brilliance from the game.
Statistically it is difficult to look past Brazil, who will benefit enormously from home advantage. European teams have never won the tournament in the Americans, where Brazil and Argentina have won every competition since Uruguay triumphed in the last time the tournament was held in Brazil 64 years ago.
Leo Time
Lionel Messi was, until recent times, the undisputed best player on the planet, but his position in the all-time greatest list is in considerable dispute. Ask an older Barcelona fan, who has watched Cruyff, Maradona Ronaldo and Messi all do their stuff at the Camp Nou, and they are likely to tell you Leo is by far the better player. His stats as a striker bear this out, but ask an Argentinean, and he’ll scarcely get a mention in the same breath as Diego. There is not even a debate that Messi is the greatest Argentine.
After giving a spectacular display of goal-scoring prowess in 1982, then 25-year-old Diego Maradona singlehandedly led Argentina to their second World Cup in 1986 and back to the final four years later. By Comparison, 26-year-old Messi has looked comparatively pedestrian in his two previous tournaments. He’ll be 30 by the time of the next tournament, which will be held in the completely different environment of Russia. If Messi is to be considered an all-time great, he needs to take Argentina to the final. If his career ends without an outstanding World Cup, he’ll slip somewhere between Eusabio and Cruyff in the list.
I’d like Belgium to win. Belgian clubs and FA go about their business correctly and brought a remarkable bounty of talent to Brazil. It’s always been easy to back Brazil but I’m still not over the Neymar thing. The guy is an abomination in the Brazil No. 10 shirt, a vastly over-rated charlatan. Anyone but Neymar, please.
Bertie Auld live chat, tomorrow, 1pm, on CQN. Be there.
Visit the CQN Bookstore to get Tommy Gemmell to sign your personal copy of his tome, All the Best.
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Seems that Phil believes the tribute act will continue for a while longer than expected:
‘The new working capital will fund austerity and the toddler club will slowly start to find its feet in the real world.’
Good news that Platini is distancing himself from Blatter. A bit like Benito distancing himself from Adolf but its a start.
https://twitter.com/bbc5live/status/477073931053330432/photo/1
IGC
Like the poor they will always be with us I’m afraid.
Poor mind you.
International football the most boring form of the game,especially wit Brazil having lost their mojo since most of their players play in europe,champions league is much more interesting and of a much higher standard
just vote no in sept
Platini is an arse.
Voted for Qatar.
Shortly thereafter the Qataris took control of PSG, aided and abetted by the French Blather – allegedly.
HH!!
I will give this WC a body swerve for the reasons explained earlier. However, I must admit I’m a bit surprised (and disappointed) that most of our supporters are unable or unwilling to distinguish between the brutality of the Brazilian state apparatus (egged on by FIFA, no doubt) on WC malcontents and the money spinning football tournament which lie behind much of it.
Ronaldo dedicated his third FIFA World Player of the Year award to the medical team which helped him recover, from his seizure.
@SkySports: For more information on Sky Sports 5 and how to register for our two years free Sky Broadband Unlimited offer, visit http://t.co/901Ds4xsGU
I’m not sure if messi will be the best player ever ,,, ATM I would say maradona
But Neymar … Check this wee video for the difference between Leo and Neymar
http://youtu.be/Tezk-XsLiNY
darwinsbeautifulidea
14:11 on 12 June, 2014
Naaaawww….luv the World Cup
tbj says wee oscar knox is in heaven with the angels
14:19 on 12 June, 2014
Didn’t realise Neymar was THAT much of a cheat…..disgraceful…!!
Auldheid
New training facilities? Google Map – Switchback Road and pan right behind Beatson.
Uni Research facilities – 2 pitches to the right of the squash courts.
Good source! :-)
Any five a side players around. Need someone to take my spot at CQN fives tonight at 6 if available. Well tonight it’s actually 7’s tonight on outdoor pitch.
MWD says AYE
PS. Your independence allegiances are of no consequence on this matter. Lol
Well bhoys am sitting in turkey in about 30 degree heat with a spiced rum celebrating my 50th birthday and first day of the world cup, as for the winners anyone except Uruguay, I couldnt handle the wee cheating rat suarez getting a winners medal I will even cheer on England against them
gordybhoy64
Big Happy Birthday Enjoy Have A Good day
Hail Hail
praecepta
14:28 on
12 June, 2014
I know where you are. Better than Bellahouston Park I suppose.
Jonny the Tim
Let me know if you have any joy placing that bet mate, 58/1 for 4 or more draws ?
Knowing the bookies it’ll be more like 4 or more 3-3 draws
Here’s a thought
We’ve wasted a lot of time
Believing the sevco would go under
It’s never gonna happen
There’s no gonna be an administration moment either
They will be challenging us for the title
Next year as we downsize
A few honest mistakes and they will take our champions league spot tae
Lets concentrate on ourselves
And make sure. The board gets the finger oot and sign some decent players
Will we qualify this year mmmmm
50/50 chance at best
Realistcsc
The John Hartson Story
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0467x7q/the-john-hartson-story
Gordon
I seem to recall a similar bit of dodginess in 78 when Argentina needed a big score to get through, think it was against Peru ( Ive been wrong on here today already) If Im correct they won 6-0 and Peru were no mugs back then. Cant remember who it eliminated, but always remember that Argentina knew what they had to do due to a later kick off time. These are the things that worry me when its played in South America
Then again I might just be talking a lot of crap, again
HH
Happy 50th Birthday GordyBhoy.
That rum is messing with your thoughts right enough
HH
RP
It is available, but my auld fud of a friend thought it was “4 or more games”. Willy Hill are offering 58/1 but you have to select the games.
FWIW, Here are my 4:
Spain v Holland
England v Italy
Switzerland v Ecuador
Uruguay v England
85.7/1 online.
HH
JtT
That makes more sense, cheers
Gordon
apart from Peru off course
twentyfirstofmaynineteenseventynine,
You are correct, I believe it knocked out Brazil in 78.
AR
cheers antipodean
thought it was Brazil but wasnt sticking my neck out again after my earlier Zaire balls up
HH
Peru were certainly no mugs in 1978…..though there was one particular mug who completely underestimated them….and also let Don Masson take a penalty.
MWD
Hope your kid is ok ;))
I might even score again tonight !!
Sir Paul
It Pains me tae relate..
That
Ah Hiv No Interest in the World Cup.
Period.
Bosh..n… Piffle!!
“Greatest Show oan Earth”?
Oan THAT.. Ah Agree.. though..
Because it is
A “CIRCUS”!! Awright.. ~
Ah am only interested in The Doings.. the Comings n the Goings..
at .. Parkheid oan the Clyde..
N.. Apros tae that interest:
Ah Promote. John Kennedy, fur the Numero Dos Spot .. At Celtic.
He has whit it takes tae Make an Excellent.. Second In Command,there.
Yep..
n..in regard tae THAT…
Ah Challenge the Board tae Find a Bettah Candidate… fur that.. Special Spot …which kin be o’..well.. Special Importance…in the
running o’ the First Eleven.
Kojo
Still,Laughin’
Auldheid
14:00 on 12 June, 2014
Paul67/Anyone
In his latest blog
http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie/fever-pitch/ Phil says
” At the meeting agreement was finally reached on Murray Park.
I would be very surprised if it is available as a training ground for Ally McCoist’s men next season.”
Now my question is how can The Rangers adopt a scout, develop and sell policy if the do not have the means of quality development, assuming of course they will have scouts?
Does the possible sale of Murray Park mean their policy will be to buy in the best that have been developed, or purchased cheaply and developed by other Scottish clubs and what will Celtic do to make sure our model more than matches the player quality of anything The Rangers can field?
Do we simply outbid them for the same player if we think he would add more value being at Celtic than being at Ibrox?
Will we always be in a position to do that exclusive of CL money?
Or should I really be worrying if my pot of yogurt will go off before the sell by date?
———————————————————————————————-
Celtic should do whatever it takes to stay ahead and I am confident we will.
Your yoghurt will be fine weeks after the nominal sell by/use by date. If, when you eventually eat it, it taste a little sour – don’t worry – it’s means to.
No charge for this service!
;-)
Sheik Yerbouti @ 14.46
Some of the Celtic fans that are staying away, or have drifted have already prepared themselves for this eventuality, others are steeling themselves as we await and ignore it, at the same time.
For many liquidation with no funeral was the final straw, and there are Celtic fans that posted in 2012 they’d be back, still called Rangers, in jig time., and here we are, almost certainly just a year away from more mibbery.
The intervening shoe in CL years are a mere time out distraction, and talk of they or their reincarnation never cheating and winning again are fanciful, because when they are in the SPL , – it’s cheat on.
Auldheid
14:00 on
While I have the greatest of respect for Phil according to what he’s been telling us Sevco should have been put into admin ages ago.
A sale and leaseback should also have been agreed by now, so forgive me if I take this with a little pinch of salt.
Aye cadizzy, spot on. Remember Cubillas scored two belters, but if Masson would have scored pen would have been different game I think. When you think of some of the players we had then, why Masson ?
“There is not even a debate that Messi is the greatest Argentine”
Paul67 – I think you meant to say “Diego”. Did anyone else read the article? :)
Agree 100% – Maradona for all his faults was a genius on the park.
cadizzy,
Do you remember yon Teofilo Cubillas rip us a new one, I think we already had one hand on the cup at the start of that game.
AR
Some of the previous World Cups have been played against different economic and political backgrounds
Spain ’82 Thatcher was considering boycotting and pulling out because of the Falklands War
Argentina ’78 – military junta
West Germany ’74 – terrorist threat from Palestinians / Baader-Meinhof
Chile ’62 – many stadiums and infrastructure were damaged in an earthquake 2 years previously – 50,000 dead
Some of the earlier World Cups were boycotted by nations for ‘sporting’ reasons
Today’s media would have had a field-day in finger-pointing and calling for boycotts
Incredibly, Ally McLeod really had people believing that the best midfield trio in the world was Gemmill, Rioch and Masson.
If only we could get the chance to be so deluded again….. I fear not.
21/5/1979 and Anti Red
Cubillas was recognised as a real talent by everyone except Ally McLeod.
I agree if Masson had scored, it might have been different. Luckily, I was living in Spain at the time so missed all of the hysterical build up and, more importantly, the Peru and Iran games.