England v Belgium

[Vacamion]

19 minutes ago, Max Wall said:

I agree to a certain extent Vac but I think that is borne from our previous experiences.

It is getting way ahead of ourselves but you just know the eventual winners will probably have thought their route through very carefully (if they had the opportunity).

Is that just the difference between the serial winners and us?

 

You're right.

 

Maybe we need to be more Machiavellian if we want to change our ways and win stuff.

 

And I can be pessimistic in either half of the draw. 

[Max Wall]

5 minutes ago, Vacamion said:

 

You're right.

 

Maybe we need to be more Machiavellian if we want to change our ways and win stuff.

 

And I can be pessimistic in either half of the draw. 

Thank you. I needed reminding of who we are and bringing back down to Earth.  

 

[CollinsLCFC]

The team will want to lose, but Harry Kane will want to crack on with the golden boot.

 

Get a few 'accidental' own goals and let Harry get a conselation or 3. Everyone's a winner. 

[Tuna]

I'm predicting a shower of shite 0-0 with no team wanting to win, it's in injury time and we're winning the group on the fair play rule, Vardy gets a deliberate yellow for kicking the ball away, we finish second, get a seemingly easier route to the final and stitch Belgium right up.

[The whole world smiles]

Years ago I was playing Sunday leauge football, it was the last game of a long rubbish season the winner of the game would stay up the losers would get relegated to an easier and more enjoyable division. We all decided it would be better off if we lost the game. The game ended up being a right battle and we won 4-3 with a late winner that was celebrated wildly. 

 

Anyway the point I'm trying to make is once you get on the pitch, kitted up, tackles flying in, competing against other blokes it's impossible to try and lose. You just can't physically do it. Obviously Southgate can put a 2nd string out. But other than that just let them play what will be, will be.  

[Leeds Fox]

2 minutes ago, The whole world smiles said:

Years ago I was playing Sunday leauge football, it was the last game of a long rubbish season the winner of the game would stay up the losers would get relegated to an easier and more enjoyable division. We all decided it would be better off if we lost the game. The game ended up being a right battle and we won 4-3 with a late winner that was celebrated wildly. 

 

Anyway the point I'm trying to make is once you get on the pitch, kitted up, tackles flying in, competing against other blokes it's impossible to try and lose. You just can't physically do it. Obviously Southgate can put a 2nd string out. But other than that just let them play what will be, will be.  

 

I reckon comparing professional footballers to Sunday league is a bit of a stretch. 

[Max Wall]

7 minutes ago, Leeds Fox said:

 

I reckon comparing professional footballers to Sunday league is a bit of a stretch. 

Yeah, you're right, some professional footballers I've seen would definitely struggle with Sunday league.

[Leeds Fox]

2 minutes ago, Max Wall said:

Yeah, you're right, some professional footballers I've seen would definitely struggle with Sunday league.

 

Brilliant!

 

Junior Lewis would have lost that game for @The whole world smiles. 

[Dan LCFC]

We are definitely going to win the group and it's going to shoot us in the foot. Absolutely typical that the one time we finally stick one of these awful sides away we're actually going to be penalised for it.

 

I reckon tomorrow's game could be a farce remembered for a long time for the wrong reasons.

 

If Japan come top of their group and Colombia come 2nd then  

[Guest ttfn]

Even the “hard” side of the draw shouldn’t be giving anybody sleepless nights. The only sides in that half of the draw to have impressed so far are Uruguay (who haven’t been tested), Mexico and Brazil (who play each other). 

 

France and Argentina both look shambolic (the French at least functionally so). It’s a shame we can’t play them before the semi finals because it would give us a decent chance at knocking out a “big” side for a change.

 

The last 16 is far from a foregone conclusion either, we’d be favourites in all 3 eventualities but I think the Colombians could easily send us packing. I’d be more concerned with avoiding them than looking any further ahead.

[Nalis]

It's a win win scenario, win or draw (whilst maintaining the disciplinary record) and its a confidence booster against a decent side. Lose and its the easy side of the draw.

[Sharpe's Fox]

Going back to where we first met

When Kane’s on the ball he hits the back of the net

Southgate you’re the one

you still turn me on

Footballs coming home again

 

[filbertway]

I hope we go for it. Dont see the point in pissing about. Only team we have to fear is probably Brazil, even they look a bit shaky.

[Ted Maul]

Vardy starting tonight then by the sounds of it, but no Maguire.

[The whole world smiles]

8 hours ago, Leeds Fox said:

 

I reckon comparing professional footballers to Sunday league is a bit of a stretch. 

Mate if you would have seen us play you would think it's even more of stretch! 

 

Whilst I appreciate the world of top flight professional football is incredibly different to the Leicester alliance leauge. My point is more about the nature of competition.

 

To become the very best in a highly competitive industry the England players would have to be ultra competitive and have an incredibly strong will to win, I might be wrong but in my opinion and in my experience (all be at an almost uncomparable lower level) You can't turn that off for one game.

Edited 28 June 2018 by The whole world smiles

[ARTY_FOX]

Personally hope we stick 4 past them. I wanna beat them and beat them well

 

[Royston.]

All it needs is an early reckless yellow card for either side and things will kick off

 

 

[Izzy]

Don't suppose we'll see anything like this amazing bit of drama tonight!

 

 

[Finnegan]

1 hour ago, ttfn said:

Even the “hard” side of the draw shouldn’t be giving anybody sleepless nights. The only sides in that half of the draw to have impressed so far are Uruguay (who haven’t been tested), Mexico and Brazil (who play each other). 

 

France and Argentina both look shambolic (the French at least functionally so). It’s a shame we can’t play them before the semi finals because it would give us a decent chance at knocking out a “big” side for a change.

 

The last 16 is far from a foregone conclusion either, we’d be favourites in all 3 eventualities but I think the Colombians could easily send us packing. I’d be more concerned with avoiding them than looking any further ahead.

 

Depends how Colombia do today, the Japan game really told us nothing except they'll go off the rails if they have to play the whole game a man and a goal down. Probably fair that. 

 

I was more impressed with Colombia vs Poland than I have been England in any game. 

 

England Panama told us about as much as the Colombia Japan game and all it really served to prove is that, despite a reasonably grounded start, the English media will still fly in to the ridiculously optimistic at the first sign of positivity. 

 

Everyone very quickly forgot you were absolute garbage for most of the Tunisia game and scraped through by the skin of Kane's teeth. 

 

All of that said, I haven't been impressed by any of the favourites.

 

France and Brazil look enormously uninspired. Its been a fun world cup but the quality hasn't been amazing in terms of the best players doing great things. 

 

I wouldn't actually mind a cheeky flutter on Uruguay doing a Greece and absolutely shithousing the whole thing tbf. They don't really look like conceding and they're good for one spawny set piece goal a game. They're channelling Diego Simeone through their centre halves. 

 

[Izzy]

9 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

I wouldn't actually mind a cheeky flutter on Uruguay doing a Greece and absolutely shithousing the whole thing tbf. They don't really look like conceding and they're good for one spawny set piece goal a game. They're channelling Diego Simeone through their centre halves. 

 

[Babylon]

11 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

Everyone very quickly forgot you were absolute garbage for most of the Tunisia game and scraped through by the skin of Kane's teeth.

Second half was poor, but we should have been 4 or 5 up by that point though. I was impressed with how we played first half.

[Izzy]

21 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

England Panama told us about as much as the Colombia Japan game and all it really served to prove is that, despite a reasonably grounded start, the English media will still fly in to the ridiculously optimistic at the first sign of positivity. 

 

 

[Finnegan]

23 minutes ago, Babylon said:

Second half was poor, but we should have been 4 or 5 up by that point though. I was impressed with how we played first half.

 

... But you weren't... because you were garbage in the final third....? 

 

It's no good playing with loads of energy and pace and getting in and behind teams left right and centre if you're not going to finish. 

 

Peru did that and they're going home. 

 

I'm not just "slagging off" England because its England, I'm just pointing out you should probably temper your expectations because a strong result against Panama doesn't really tell us a great deal. 

[whoareyaaa]

44 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

France and Brazil look enormously uninspired. Its been a fun world cup but the quality hasn't been amazing in terms of the best players doing great things. 

 

Messi more or less turning up to save Argentina, Ronaldo doing the business against Spain and Arry is on fire... 

Edited 28 June 2018 by whoareyaaa

[Ric Flair]

3 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

... But you weren't... because you were garbage in the final third....? 

 

It's no good playing with loads of energy and pace and getting in and behind teams left right and centre if you're not going to finish. 

 

Peru did that and they're going home. 

 

I'm not just "slagging off" England because its England, I'm just pointing out you should probably temper your expectations because a strong result against Panama doesn't really tell us a great deal. 

What's the point in tempering expectations when it's a tournament lasting a few weeks? This isn't a seasons worth of trials and tribulations. The rest of the elite nation's have looked heinous and we've become lethal from set pieces in the last year, it's all pointing towards us having the best chance in 12 years to go far in the tournament. Temper expectations is boring and we're due it coming home anyway.

 

We were poor in the final 3rd vs Tunisia and then ruthless vs Panama showing we are still creating a lot of chances and getting our eye in. Both nation's are dog shit, but set pieces you'll get against any nation and even Brazil and France will struggle to deal with us from corners and free kicks. 

 

It's ours.