England v Belgium

[Finnegan]

17 minutes ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

 

The funny thing is, without knowing it, you've kinda just reinforced the point that Panama are garbage. 

 

Not only was our strongest team not good enough to qualify but that match was played with a heavily rotated squad that featured a 17 year old from league 2, a young debutant from Bristol Rovers in league one along with a few kids playing for the second string of reserve teams of championship clubs. 

 

It's also worth noting I stopped being upset by how shit Wales are at football about a decade ago and I find it hilarious when English people using the fact their team is better than ours as any kind of source of pride or gloating. You ****ing should be

[Finnegan]

4 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

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. 

 

Not everyone has your emotional intelligence though, tbf pal. 

 

If England don't win the world cup, even if you're gutted for a few weeks you'll get over it and accept the players did their best. 

 

You won't be one of the idiots booing Sterling or Rashford and chanting You Let Your Country Down if they miss a sitter in a quarter final you lose against a team that you just simply weren't the favourites to beat anyway. 

 

Every time the hype goes up its ultimately the players that suffer and this year you've got a younger squad than ever. It frankly isn't fair to overburden them with the expectation of success when there actually are better teams at this world cup than you. 

 

I'm not accusing all if you in here of doing this, loads of you - most of you - have your feet on the ground. 

[RonnieTodger]

Let's be fair, Tunisia and particularly Panama are shit. I say use this game as a free-hit to practice how we'd set up against one of the big nations or at least try out a couple of things that we might need further down the line. Vardy alongside Kane, Defensive midfield, Danny Rose at LWB, three out and out CBs. Don't **** about by bringing in Butland or Welbeck who aren't going to play later in the competition.

 

If we are going to get carried away with the draw down the line, I'd worry more about where Colombia finish than who we might face in the quarters. Even if Belgium do make changes, we'd be up against some quality opposition and it'll be the first test against real quality for us since we played Italy. Since then we've played Nigeria, Costa Rica, Tunisia and Panama.

[Ric Flair]

24 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

Not everyone has your emotional intelligence though, tbf pal. 

 

If England don't win the world cup, even if you're gutted for a few weeks you'll get over it and accept the players did their best. 

 

You won't be one of the idiots booing Sterling or Rashford and chanting You Let Your Country Down if they miss a sitter in a quarter final you lose against a team that you just simply weren't the favourites to beat anyway. 

 

Every time the hype goes up its ultimately the players that suffer and this year you've got a younger squad than ever. It frankly isn't fair to overburden them with the expectation of success when there actually are better teams at this world cup than you. 

 

I'm not accusing all if you in here of doing this, loads of you - most of you - have your feet on the ground. 

I don't know what it is with England and the hype, it really is more to do with just football but we are so desperate to experience success so as soon as a tournament starts it's just 100% parties and belief it's coming home. It's the hope that kills you but one day it'll happen again and I fear for the state of this country when it does, the economy will be all over the gaff. I can't wait.

[Babylon]

52 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. 

Yes, I was...

 

It's possible to be impressed with an over all style of play an attacking creativity but be disappointed with the finishing. We won't finish like that every game, more often than not one or two get tucked away. As they were in the next game.

[ScouseFox]

1 hour ago, Finnegan said:

 

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. 

 

not sure how you can say england can’t be judged because panama were rubbish, but you were mightily impressed by colombia, when poland were probably even worse than panama. 

 

we’ve been the best team in this so far. 

[yorkie1999]

I think the best route to lifting the trophy is to win every game. Sherlock.

[Countryfox]

19 minutes ago, yorkie1999 said:

I think the best route to lifting the trophy is to win every game. Sherlock.

 

Or to lose one then win every game. Dr Watson.

[Finnegan]

38 minutes ago, ScouseFox said:

not sure how you can say england can’t be judged because panama were rubbish, but you were mightily impressed by colombia, when poland were probably even worse than panama. 

 

we’ve been the best team in this so far. 

 

[ScouseFox]

1 minute ago, Finnegan said:

 

just saying, you say colombia impressed you and we didn’t cos we beat a shit team. so did they. 

[shen]

44 minutes ago, ScouseFox said:

not sure how you can say england can’t be judged because panama were rubbish, but you were mightily impressed by colombia, when poland were probably even worse than panama. 

 

we’ve been the best team in this so far. 

Is there a vacant WUM role on FT or what... ?

[Bert]

43 minutes ago, ScouseFox said:

not sure how you can say england can’t be judged because panama were rubbish, but you were mightily impressed by colombia, when poland were probably even worse than panama. 

 

we’ve been the best team in this so far. 

Personally I would say Croatia have been the best so far. Don't fear anyone though. We can beat anyone on our day and that's what tournament football is all about. 

[Finnegan]

Just now, Bert said:

Personally I would say Croatia have been the best so far. Don't fear anyone though. We can beat anyone on our day and that's what tournament football is all about. 

 

Even Croatia have been a bit bobbins at times. 

 

The final score against Argentina in an odd way was both a fair reflection on Argentina but equally almost flattered Croatia. 

 

They looked extremely suspect themselves defensively at times. 

 

They were also pretty diabolical in the first half against Nigeria trying to force a hugely off balance 424.

 

All of the top nations have only really turned up in fits and starts. 

 

Spain are another one, we've not really mentioned them, they've look cataclysmic at the back which is mental when you consider the quality they have in defensive midfield, at centre half and in goal. 

[ScouseFox]

4 minutes ago, Bert said:

Personally I would say Croatia have been the best so far. Don't fear anyone though. We can beat anyone on our day and that's what tournament football is all about. 

oooh yeah that’s a shout tbf, the first two games i saw them they were pretty impressive. again though, by finnegan’s logic we can’t count the nigeria game because nigeria were rubbish, right? 

[Finnegan]

Just now, ScouseFox said:

oooh yeah that’s a shout tbf, the first two games i saw them they were pretty impressive. again though, by finnegan’s logic we can’t count the nigeria game because nigeria were rubbish, right? 

 

There really aren't enough rolleye emoji and gifs on the Internet to respond to you adequately, sometimes. 

[Suzie the Fox]

3 minutes ago, Bert said:

Personally I would say Croatia have been the best so far. Don't fear anyone though. We can beat anyone on our day and that's what tournament football is all about. 

I agree with the bolded part. They were my underdog team to win the Tournament. 

 

But my heart still says this is England's WC year and if we can continue to play well and have 'our day' there is absolutely no reason we can't win. 

[ScouseFox]

3 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

There really aren't enough rolleye emoji and gifs on the Internet to respond to you adequately, sometimes. 

[The Doctor]

3 hours ago, Finnegan said:

I Iouldn'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. 

Pfft, we all know Sweden will win it and Zlatan will claim afterwards he's a world class witch doctor who possessed Marcus Berg for the final

 

Good shout though. Portugal have been just as spawny and suspect as when they shithoused the Euros, sort of tempted by them.

[Sharpe's Fox]

me all through today

 

 

[KFS]

Loseit 

[Tanya]

Vardy is starting! Game's worth watching for that alone.

 

Now let's see if our midfielders decide to pass to him now he's on from the start and not coming off the bench....

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

2 minutes ago, Tanya said:

Vardy is starting! Game's worth watching for that alone.

 

Now let's see if our midfielders decide to pass to him now he's on from the start and not coming off the bench....

He starts in a game in which if anything we dont even want to score.

 

Hope this doesnt end up in us creating eff all and him getting slated

 

I actually think Southgate does rate Vardy though, glad he's getting the nod.  Hope he starts up top

[TheHitman™]

I think Colombia can send either England or Belgium home.

[AKCJ]

its coming home and @Finnegan knows it

[Finnegan]

14 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

its coming home and @Finnegan knows it

 

I wish you all the best.