SouthStandUpperTier

Doesn't count cuz we had Danny Ward in nets.

You've got me there!

The more I think about it the more RVN makes sense. He's already seen us up close twice so will already have a good idea of the squad's strengths and weaknesses and where we need to improve in January.

Potterball fills me with dread though so I think we should take the gamble.

Would rather it was RVN than Potter.

Yeah we looked technically sound when we were getting technically pumped at Portsmouth.

I think Sousa was probably worse, but not much in it.

Brum held on to win 3-1 but I was wrong to think we would be joint top. Group table now looks like this

Birmingham 3-1 up on Bristol City in the other group game, which would be a good result for us, taking us joint top.

Plan worked. Won 4-3 on pens.

Hazard I'll give you. Maybe Courtois too. Still doesn't constitute a golden generation imo.

0-0. Gone to pens. Surprised Leitzig hasn't been brought on.

Any nation that has to give Dennis Praet some caps did not have a golden generation.

And more than 260 (and counting) haven't come from the spot.

Not sure they ever had one imo. Yes, they had some decent players, but it was basically De Bruyne carrying them for many years.

I suspect the plan is to hang on grimly for a 0-0 and then take 2 points for a penalty shootout win.

Kane's record in big games can certainly be questioned. But he is most definitely a team player. You don't lead the PL in assists, like he did one season, or pick a pass like he did for Bellingham last week, without being a team player.

If you like second gear then Enzo's your man. The fact that Cooper can't even get out of neutral is flattering him.

I remember it for the wonderfully true piece of trivia that it's the only World Cup to start and finish with a missed penalty (Diana Ross & Roberto Baggio)

Casualty is great for playing a game of Guess How They Get Injured with the rest of the family. Long may it continue on our screens.

Hands up who had this on VHS back in the day?

John Prescott's passing reminded me of a brilliant joke on HIGNFY, back in the day when it was funny and the writing was on-point; "John Prescott used to work for Cunard. He still works quite hard."

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Culturally and economically, I wouldn't disagree. Italia '90's popularity certainly helped usher in the Premier League and the economic boom in football. And I think World Cups that are held in Europe tend to capture our imagination more because there's little time difference, and we can all watch the games here at sensible hours. But as for the actual product on the pitch, I just remember that the football was cagey and negative. It's no surprise that it was the last WC before the amendment of the offside rule and the implementation of the back pass rule.