Well I'm sure there's a perfectly innocent explanation for this.

[Burney]

It's the grass, b. Aside from climate, Its well known that athletes perform better on their native grass as their body mechanics are more suited to the 'going' as it were.

Host nations always cover more ground. Look it up from any world cup, you'll see.

Well I'm convinced, p. Absolutely. It's all to do with the grass. Of course. Silly of me to think otherwise.

[Luis Anaconda]

Well I'm convinced, p. Absolutely. It's all to do with the grass. Of course. Silly of me to think otherwise.

Aren't they playing on some artificial pitches out there?

[Herbert Augustus Chapman]

Well I'm convinced, p. Absolutely. It's all to do with the grass. Of course. Silly of me to think otherwise.

chopper. Shall I send a pic?

[Burney]

chopper. Shall I send a pic?

Well I imagine that's doubled its size, h. Mazeltov!

[Pokster]

This from the lowest-ranked team prior to the competition. Oh, well I'm sure it's all perfectly above board.

To be fair, they need all the help they can get, since footballistically, they are properly toilet.

They are the lowest ranked team as they haven't played any qualifying matches which give you more ranking points... and they are also playing at home which gives a decent advantage as well... but do please carry on

[Sir C]

They are the lowest ranked team as they haven't played any qualifying matches which give you more ranking points... and they are also playing at home which gives a decent advantage as well... but do please carry on

No, they're the lowest ranked team because their results have been absolute rubbish

[Pokster]

No, they're the lowest ranked team because their results have been absolute rubbish

And they didn't play qualifiers, do keep up....... Italy were so poorly ranked as they played friendy matches against decent sides so didn't record enough wins......

Looking at yesterday's game, Russia got through partly because Spain were slow, slow and then even slower in their build up.

[Sir C]

And they didn't play qualifiers, do keep up....... Italy were so poorly ranked as they played friendy matches against decent sides so didn't record enough wins......

Looking at yesterday's game, Russia got through partly because Spain were slow, slow and then even slower in their build up.

Spain lost because they came up against even more blatant drug cheats than they are.

[Burney]

And they didn't play qualifiers, do keep up....... Italy were so poorly ranked as they played friendy matches against decent sides so didn't record enough wins......

Looking at yesterday's game, Russia got through partly because Spain were slow, slow and then even slower in their build up.

Seriously, p? Seriously? Are you seriously telling me you find it highly unlikely that a massively over-performing Russian team that is hosting the nationally-prestigious World Cup in a country run by Vladimir Putin could maybe - just maybe - be doped up?

Given Russia's history of doping its sportsmen and women, I'm really struggling to understand your resistance to this (I would have thought) less than outlandish notion.

[Pokster]

Spain lost because they came up against even more blatant drug cheats than they are.

Yep, course they did