Ghana here showing, really, that Zlatko Dalic’s tactics last week were properly mad.

Update ahead of tomorrow's game... Dedic didn't train fully today before travelling meaning Bosnia may be down a RB and a CB for tomorrow's game with Qatar.

Every time Portugal seem to find these strikers that don’t actually look very good in most games but then have a silly scoring record. Not sure this Ronaldo chap will have the career of a Pauleta or Nuno Gomes, but it’s promising…

Double new pieces - your latest from the World Cup from Bosnia and Croatia ahead of their games over the next two days... open.substack.com/pub/hyfprw/p...

Serbian TV Pundit Rade Bogdanovic literally said this on live TV on Belgium's red card last night. When pressed that the French also have a lot of non-white players he stated "They can make mistakes too. I'm not generalising, the vast majority don't have concentration." Public, unashamed racism.

Serbian TV Pundit Rade Bogdanovic literally said this on live TV on Belgium's red card last night. When pressed that the French also have a lot of non-white players he stated "They can make mistakes too. I'm not generalising, the vast majority don't have concentration." Public, unashamed racism.

I mean, the US may want to note this very recent incidence of “be careful what you wish for”…

Worth keeping a minor eye on the Bosnian camp kicking off. Senior players not overly happy with how defensively they've been playing and sending some veiled criticisms of Barbarez publicly. At this point, it's fairly tame, but it wasn't happening a week ago.

I get that people were concerned about smaller sides stinking the place up, but I doubt anyone thought regulars Tunisia would be the worst of the lot. Dire at the back.

Zahovic has credited Aleksandar Ceferin with convincing him to return to football. Given everything Zahovic has said about/to Ceferin in the past, that's WILD.

As an aficionado of Paraguay 98-10, I’m delighted to see they’ve not changed one bit. That felt like a perfect Paraguaying.

Just what with all the Visa chat, etc - how come the US are letting Duncan Ferguson in with his past convictions? Were they just too scared to say no?

Surprised it's not his arm cramping up after these last few minutes to be fair

You've got to say that, if ever there was a line-up to make me absolutely not be bothered to stay up till 1am to watch a Scotland game, this would be pretty close to it.

If you're dropping Vuskovic for DCC, then I don't think you want to reach the KO stages...

If he’s reformed If he’s still got it If he’s not going to say silly things If he’s getting the right people in place If the sins of his past don’t burn him Then it’ll be special Zlatko Zahovic is back at Maribor

It's the next issue of the World Cup-date with all the quotes from the players, staff and local press in the fallout of Bosnia and Croatia losing this week... open.substack.com/pub/hyfprw/p...

It's on the whistle report time as Bosnia lose to Switzerland in a game that was three quarters bad to watch and one quarter bad for Bosnia. All shares, etc appreciated open.substack.com/pub/hyfprw/p...

Ermin Mahmic gets Bosnia-Herzegovina a goal with a tremendous volley, 3-1

It's on the whistle report time as Bosnia lose to Switzerland in a game that was three quarters bad to watch and one quarter bad for Bosnia. All shares, etc appreciated open.substack.com/pub/hyfprw/p...

Told you so.

Banger. Absolutely adore that type of goal and no wonder people think Mahmic is a bit special.

Subs vs Knackered Men the real telling battle of this game, unfortunately for Bosnia.

Little you can do about that finish but it's the first time the Swiss have actually caught Dedic out and punished it. That's always the risk of playing as lopsided as Bosnia have.

Save for making Alajbegovic a free role around the midfield, little to talk about there. Fortunately, I like Alajbegovic so let's just note that letting him and Memic double up on the same wing is a really good idea.

To be fair, the hydration break has been about the most interesting thing about this one so far.

This is the first competitive meeting between Bosnia and Switzerland and the first chance for Granit Xhaka to wind up the bits of Bosnia not called Republika Srpska.

World Cup 2026 or Stoke 2013 - you decide

New Yes, I'm writing a bit much at the mo but, hey ho, if anyone else is running a piece previewing every Champs, Europa and Conference League Qualifying Round 1/2 tie for every side in the former Yugoslavia, I don't know about it. open.substack.com/pub/hyfprw/p...

Tactical note I thought of after publishing Maybe if you have to have Mario P doing Modric’s running, you also can’t afford to allow Gvardiol/Vuskovic rein to trot forward and turn up in attack. So much is on Dalic from last night.

My on the whistle England vs Croatia report as it's a doozy in Dallas that leaves a lot of decisions for Dalic. open.substack.com/pub/hyfprw/p...

I'll accept that on Modric rn but not on Perisic who has more energy than it's reasonable for any 37yo with a bad knee to have.

I repeat. It is not it.

If we run an assist of the tournament competition, it's been won. Wondrously smart from Perisic.

Honestly, save for all the goals, two of which have been exceptional, I stand by this take.

That's a worldy of its genre for Musa.

Minor in the list of ITV annoyances but it's pronounced Batu-rinner not Batu-reena

It's Kane again. Meat Wall.

BATURINA batters it home! Made at Maksimir from Sucic to Martin.

England's press is surgical. Every turnover is a threat and happy for Croatia to have the ball at this point.

Three at the back isn't it, Dalic. Just don't have the widemen for it and I think Marco Pasalic with Stanisic instead of Sutalo would have been the call to give that bit extra physicality.

Var-ry Kane scores the retaken penalty as Livakovic guesses the other way. England fortunate to get away with that one.

LI-VAR-KOVIC.

LIVAKOVIC IS AT IT AGAIN!

Portugal, to be honest, look leggy and not a surprise they’ve been done late in that half. Same again, please.

The Mexican Wave. The clearest sign possible of a crap game.

We’ve been through this. Angela Bower is the boss.

There is, I promise you, precisely zero chance England-Croatia will be a banger. I confidently predict it will be the worst game of the tournament.

I believe Kid Rock said it best in the radio edit of his song “Cocky” when he said “it ain’t bragging if you do it then you back it up”

Ouch. Dinamo get Thun in their Champions League opener. The Swiss champs ended the season abysmally/were on the beach and are one of the harder draws they could get. (But Thun’s squad is far worse than Dinamo’s)