WORLD CUP SEMIS

[1972 Fox]

9 hours ago, fox_favourite said:

Atlanta so the nicely air conditioned Mercedes Benz stadium. A much needed relief from the attitude and, as you say 90000% humidity. 

 

But has those games knackered our players. Kane certainly looked out of sorts and drained. 

The attitude of the players has been top class IMO. Sometimes the overall performance has been slightly lacking in quality but I can't question their commitment.

[Super_horns]

30 minutes ago, 1972 Fox said:

The attitude of the players has been top class IMO. Sometimes the overall performance has been slightly lacking in quality but I can't question their commitment.

Which was Tuchel's point in that interview I think. 

[Nalis]

7 hours ago, Finnegan said:

 

I knew you'd bite

 

But in all seriousness, I'd personally consider you favourites and I think most neutral people probably will?

 

@shen @EastAnglianFox @Jonezy @Nalis @The Doctor - England or Argentina favourites to win?

 

 

Argentina very marginally

[trabuch]

There's a lot of talk about the Maradona handball and the slippery little eel goal at the Azteca. And it struck me (as someone who was around then), I don't remember anyone moaning about the altitude. I'm a bit sick of this constant over analysis - basically because there is so much time to fill. I just want to watch football. 

[The Doctor]

14 hours ago, Finnegan said:

 

I knew you'd bite

 

But in all seriousness, I'd personally consider you favourites and I think most neutral people probably will?

 

@shen @EastAnglianFox @Jonezy @Nalis @The Doctor - England or Argentina favourites to win?

 

 

50/50 - not watched the Mexico game for england or the Switzerland game for Argentina but I've not been convinced by either, both teams have been pretty laboured in getting this far.

[Super_horns]

Some might remember this ref from the Paraguay v Turkey game when he sent off Amorim and was very vocal and dramatic in doing so on the mic .

 

Don’t think he took too many fools gladly and tried to show who was in charge .

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/referee-confirmed-france-spain-035800333.html

Edited 19 hours ago by Super_horns

[Jon the Hat]

18 hours ago, Finnegan said:

 

That was always going to be the big question for England.

 

The way you're set up, the coach you have, the players you have, you're going to do best against the teams at the end of the tournament. The teams that won't park the bus. You're set up to counter the likes of Argentina, France and Spain.

 

But with a long tournament after a long season and the conditions sapping your players, are they going to have it left in the tank at the end? If you've got enough left in the tank this is probably your best ever chance at winning a world cup. But if you're somewhat knackered, especially if it's Spain you have to play in the final, that'll be a massive ask.

 

We will need some fresh legs for sure, I can see a few getting some time in this one if we can get a couple ahead.

[Finnegan]

10 hours ago, Nalis said:

Argentina very marginally

 

Mate I've just set you up perfectly and you've hoofed it over the bar. Read the room for chrissakes. 

 

Mods can someone remove this before Izzy sees. 

 

[AKCJ]

I've woken up very confident about this game.

 

I think we beat them with relative ease.

 

Going 3-1. Gordon, Kane and O'Reilly. Messi to cry.

[AKCJ]

12 hours ago, trabuch said:

There's a lot of talk about the Maradona handball and the slippery little eel goal at the Azteca. And it struck me (as someone who was around then), I don't remember anyone moaning about the altitude. I'm a bit sick of this constant over analysis - basically because there is so much time to fill. I just want to watch football. 

The difference back then was that England had time to acclimatise whereas this time England flew into Mexico City only a couple of days before and played a team that had played every game at that stadium.

 

They say there's 20% less air in Mexico City than at sea level so it was definitely a massive disadvantage for a side that didn't have time to prepare.

[AKCJ]

3 hours ago, Super_horns said:

Some might remember this ref from the Paraguay v Turkey game when he sent off Amorim and was very vocal and dramatic in doing so on the mic .

 

Don’t think he took too many fools gladly and tried to show who was in charge .

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/referee-confirmed-france-spain-035800333.html

My worry about referees like this is that they flash their cards about to assert dominance and don't let the game flow.

[Sol thewall Bamba]

We need to really lean into the physicality in the squad. Play all our quick, strong players and properly go at them with PL intensity.

[AKCJ]

29 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

We need to really lean into the physicality in the squad. Play all our quick, strong players and properly go at them with PL intensity.

I think we will. I think England will want it to be a very aggressive game.

 

Pickford

James Stones Guehi O'Reilly

Rice Anderson

Saka Bellingham Gordon

Kane

 

The wingers are massively important for us given Argentina don't play with wingers and their fullbacks are easily the weakest aspects of their team. Saka and Gordon running at Tagliafico and Molina? Yes please.

 

Back four needs to be nice and compact too. We'll rip these up on the counter attack.

[Finnegan]

1 hour ago, AKCJ said:

I've woken up very confident about this game.

 

I think we beat them with relative ease.

 

Going 3-1. Gordon, Kane and O'Reilly. Messi to cry.

 

@Izzy

[filbertway]

I feel like the heat/humidity point would play a lot better if we weren't playing a Country that is literally in the arctic circle.

 

Id imagine we were probably still partially drained from the Mexico game.

 

Winnable game for sure but more a challenge than Norway I think. They're better than Norway and have a lot of players experiences in big games.

[Izzy]

16 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

@Izzy

[AKCJ]

57 minutes ago, filbertway said:

I feel like the heat/humidity point would play a lot better if we weren't playing a Country that is literally in the arctic circle.

 

Id imagine we were probably still partially drained from the Mexico game.

 

Winnable game for sure but more a challenge than Norway I think. They're better than Norway and have a lot of players experiences in big games.

Humidity/heat is a non-factor. The game is being played at the Mercedez-Benz stadium in Atlanta and it's fully air-conditioned.

[SpacedX]

1 hour ago, filbertway said:

I feel like the heat/humidity point would play a lot better if we weren't playing a Country that is literally in the arctic circle.

 

Except it doesn't. The Arctic circle located at 66.5°N. Meanwhile, the mainland of Argentina is not within the Antarctic Circle either, as it lies much further north. However, Argentina claims a sector of Antarctica as part of its national territory, and this claimed region does extend deep into the Antarctic Circle. You'll find that they don't play football there either. Argentina is a massive country remember with regions of extremely humid subtropical climates in the northeast.

 

Also, as pointed out, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta Georgia is air conditioned. When the stadium's retractable roof is closed, its advanced climate-control systems maintain a  interior temperature in the region of 20°C to 22°C. They previously faced Democratic Republic of Congo there on the 1st of this month. 

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

1 hour ago, AKCJ said:

Humidity/heat is a non-factor. The game is being played at the Mercedez-Benz stadium in Atlanta and it's fully air-conditioned.

 

He's talking about the Norway game — unless Argentina is now partially in the Arctic Circle 

[Super_horns]

American ref and assistants for the game .

 

 

Edited 2 hours ago by Super_horns