2018–19 UEFA Nations League and UEFA 2020 qualifying thread

Poor lad just wanted a weekend off

He gets that most weekends at West Ham.

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Is the Eire v Wales game on TV ???

Sky Sports

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Capture

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fair play
im in jerusalem at the mo and went into the local dives where fellas bet with the state run gambling that in fairness they do use to build football stadia
there is no private gambling here - legal anyway- its all done thru an orgamisation like say the national lottery and they do seem to put some of it back in as the stadia are in great nick
anyway slovakia -1 4.25 on the coupon - up i went with a 200NIS note … rejected - all betting suspended
that was at 9pm - game was 9-45 - would love have known if there were any firms playing by that time

Mickee

What is the Jewish take on gambling ??

im not sure is it mentioned in the Talmud in one of those 613 rules they have to live their so called lives but they usually have a workaround for most vices here and a justification in place
gambling is as rampant here as it is in the UK or ireland but there is no competition as its a state run organsisation called Toto
every second ligat leumit (second tier ) ground is called the Toto Stadium of Nes Tziona for example , they also sponsor the leagues here so maybe people think they are supporting football

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there are no casinos @Ashman
up until the second intifada people used to go to the PA for casinos - there was a big one in Jericho, but now you cant enter the PA anymore with a blue ID card

eran zehavi is back for israel by the way after been banned for a year when he threw the armband on the floor against macedonia last year in a game covered live from Haifa by TFK
he is has 55 goals in 66 CSL games , its an unreal record - ok i know its a shite league but big names have went their like Hulk, Paulinho etc
israel are in albania- anythung could happen there - israel won 3-0 there in 2016 and albania won 3-0 in haifa in 2017 - Saidiku tore Eitan Tibi asunder
as an aside Bibras Nathchko from Kfar Kama in the Galilee is the first non jewish captain of Israel - he’s with olympiacos now via CSKA
6 arabs in the squad
Tawatha - eintract frankfurt
loai taha - HBS
moanes dabbur - RB salzburg
natchko - olympiacos
mohommed kandil - saknin
kayal - BHA
and anotther from haifa

seems to be a bit of positive discrimination after Kenny Saeif declared for the US… he plays with Genk or Gent - the crowd who beat spurs in 2017

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here’s my preview exclusive to TFK

Albania

Christian Panucci who took over from fellow Italian Gianni Di Biasi after the latter guided Albania to the aforementioned 3-0 win in Haifa in June 2017 is hoping this new campaign will see the Balkan nation equal the feat of 2016 and secure qualification for the 2020 European Championships. Since Panucci took over Albania have only recorded one win in their last seven games that a 3-2 friendly win over Turkey in Antalya last November. This year, three consecutive friendly defeats against Norway, Ukraine and 3-0 reverse against Kosovo in a game played in Zurich in June although given the close ties between these two nations trying to interpret too much from that particular result may not yield much in terms of establishing the side’s current form.

Panucci is without Armando Sadiku who suffered a cruciate injury in pre-season with Levante. Sadiku who scored a famous goal against Romania in Euro 2016 and also hit two goals against Israel in Haifa caused multiple issues for the then Israeli central defensive pairing of Tal Ben Haim and Eitan Tibi and is a notable loss for the side who have never been the most prolific. It is expected Albania will probably start with Bekim Balaj (Akmat Grozny) and Rey Menaj (Albacete) up front however with only five international goals between the two one cannot be hopeful of a decent return and Albania may need to capitalise on the charitable nature of Israeli defending that was a consistently dismal feature of their last campaign and was evident again this Summer as Hapoel Beer Sheva and Maccabi Tel Aviv failed to progress in Europe .

Midfield is where Albania’s main talents lie. The gifted pairing of Ledlan Memushaj and Jahmir Hyka will provide the creativity with Basel’s Taulant Xhaka anchoring the middle. At the back Napoli’s Elseid Hysaj provides an attacking option from full back and Atalanta’s Berat Djimisti will marshal the defence. The side will be captained by goal keeper Etrit Berisha who is a teammate of Djimisti at the Seria A club

Israel

After a traumatic qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup that saw Israel suspend their captain Eran Zehavi from international football for one year after discarding the armband in a home defeat to Macedonia, multiple public accusations from current and former players like Yossi Benayoun and Eyal Berkovic that certain members of the squad were not fit to wear the shirt and the expected resignation of then manager Elisha Levy it is fair to say that expectations on this side of the Mediterranean for the forthcoming campaign are low with a sense of apathy and an almost lack of interest in the fortunes of the national side as they begin their campaign in Albania. A disastrous showing by all four clubs in the qualifying rounds of UEFA competition this summer with local powerhouses Hapoel Beer Sheva and Maccabi Tel Aviv suffering chastening defeats, the latter to lowly Norwegian outfit Sarpsborg have really personified a decline in domestic standards over recent seasons at club level with the national team mirroring this.

Anyway, Israel have a new manager in Andi Herzog and Zehavi is back as we in TFK reported to you when the Austrian announced his first squad last week , of the twenty five named all but six are playing domestic football and the side travelled to Tirana last night from Ben Gurion Airport , Tel Aviv in a upbeat mood and are hopeful that this campaign can get off to a positive start.

The inclusion of Zehavi post his ban was imperative, the record scorer in a single Israeli league season with 35 goals for Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2015-16 and the 2017 Chinese Super League player of the year is on a phenomenal run of form with Guangzhou R&F having scored 55 goals in 66 games, whilst his critics Benayoun and Berkovic amongst them will say he has never delivered for the national team Israel simply cannot exclude players of his ability and he is expected to partner Maounas Dabbour of Red Bull Salzburg up front.

Defence is and has been Israel’s weak point, Eitan Tibi a virtual ever present with Maccabi Tel Aviv and Israel in the centre of defence was tormented by Armando Sadiku when the sides met in Haifa last year and again was culpable by giving away a needless 83rd minute penalty that saw Sarpsborg defeat Maccabi Tel Aviv in UEFA Europa League qualifying last week. At this stage if Israel take to field with Tibi at the helm one is almost guaranteed to see the opposition afforded too much room at the edge of the box and as Goran Pandev for Macedonia and Sadiku (twice) demonstrated this is fatal at this level. With Hapoel Beer Sheva centre half Shir Tzedek not in the squad after coming back from a failed drug test for the start of this season there is some local media speculation that Herzog could go with three new central defenders in Shiran Yeini (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Ayid Habshi (Maccabi Haifa) and possibly Nissan Kapiloto from Hapoel Haifa to form a back five although it is almost impossible at this stage to predict how they will line out in the Austrian’s first game.

Guy Haimov is expected to start in goal after an injury to Ariel Harush this morning in training and the Beer Sheva keeper was positive when speaking to assembled media before the team left tonight

“There’s a very good atmosphere, there’s a click, there’s something fundamental and serious, we feel it, I hope it will be reflected on the field. I feel good, I want to get better all the time, learn, fix and show improvement, that’s what drives me, Albania is a tough game, but I’m sure the team will prepare us the best.”

Mahmoud Kannadil from Bnei Saknin has been drafted in as cover.

Interesting facts for you cunts

Bibras Natchko who will captain Israel is the first non Jewish captain of the side

The 2016 encounter between the sides was moved from the Albanian city of Shkoder to Elbasan after details of an alleged terrorist plot to target the Israeli side was stopped by Albanian police. The game took place under a massive security presence and a court in Kosovo sentenced 8 people earlier this year

Taulant Xhaka the Albanain midfielder played against his brother Granit who lined out for Switzerland in the same game Euro 2016

Prediction

Albania 2 Israel 2

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Like given sans reading .

Liechtenstein holding Armenia 1-1 in Yerevan.
Liechtenstein goalie saved a peno from the arsenal lad who shortly after hit the post and has just had a header wide. 20 to go.

Liechtenstein go down to 10 and concede within a couple of minutes. Shock off.

gents
anyone have a link to the game there?
norway cyprus here …

thanks mike
s4c and we are 2 dowm

Ciaran Clark for the first two goals. :eek:

oh yeah

@Bandage
can you align folks here and have match discussion on this thread?

Worst ive seen us in years and that’s saying something.

san marino 2007 id say,