The World Cup Thread (11 Viewers)

[CJ_covblaze]

I'm not so sure about that, who are the 10 teams above us?
The only teams I can think of that would be certain to beat us more than we beat them would be Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain, France and Argentina.
There are around six or so more nations we are on about the same level as.
Everyone else we would beat more often than they beat us.
So I would say we hover around 7th-12th best depending on the strength of the other teams (and us) at any particular time.

I agree to an extent. However Italy are not brilliant. No where near as good as Brazil, France and Germany. We’re better than them. As for Argentina they are poor at best. If anything just about getting out of their group was about right for them atm. Especially with how fractured their camp is/was. The two I’d replace them with are Belgium and Croatia.

 

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[Sky Blue Harry H]

After watching Isner v Anderson final set 24-26, I'm less forgiving of any players being tired for tomorrow!

 

[Otis]

After watching Isner v Anderson final set 24-26, I'm less forgiving of any players being tired for tomorrow!

Very fair conclusion.

If tennis players can run about for 6 hours, then footballers should be able to last 90 mins, the little lambs.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Feeling very frustrated now, mind. Croatia have some top players, but they were there for the taking, and they're really not *that* great IMHO. Hell, Iceland topped their qualifying group to get here.

And we had them on the ropes first half.

Given the way it's opened up on this side of the draw, can't help but think we've missed a golden chance to get to the final, with a route we might never get again.

Frustrating!

 

[Otis]

Feeling very frustrated now, mind. Croatia have some top players, but they were there for the taking, and they're really not *that* great IMHO. Hell, Iceland topped their qualifying group to get here.

And we had them on the ropes first half.

Given the way it's opened up on this side of the draw, can't help but think we've missed a golden chance to get to the final, with a route we might never get again.

Frustrating!

Yep. I think we have improved as a team, but that was a golden opportunity and it might never happen again.

A lot of people wanted the easy route and we got the easy route and we had Croatia on the ropes.

Had we won on Wednesday I really would have believed that we would beat France. I think England's high would have carried us home.

Might now never happen again in our lifetimes.

 

[Gazolba]

BBC Podcast with Dion Dublin and Gareth Southgate:

BBC Radio 5 live - World Cup Daily, Bonus pod: Dublin interviews “Skipper” Southgate

 

[Gazolba]

After watching Isner v Anderson final set 24-26, I'm less forgiving of any players being tired for tomorrow!

Not a fair comparison in my opinion. Football is more physically and mentally demanding.
All you have to worry about is tennis is a single opponent and the ball coming toward you and then hitting it back. No physical contact with your opponent at all.
In football you may have to run in any direction, face crunching tackles coming from anywhere and always be alert for the ball coming from any direction and then having to pass it in any other direction. Would be interesting to see a scientific analysis of the effort expended in each sport, but I doubt that would include mental effort..

 

[Westendlad]

They pushed us back and that's why I was shouting at the screen asking Southgate to change it.

I think what he could have done was sacrificed Alli, who was very anonymous and put on Dier, Delph or Loftus-Cheek to counter Modric, who was afforded far too much space in that second half.

Southgate has done well, but I think he got it wrong on Wednesday with the subs and also felt he was far too loyal to some players and kept playing the same team, when changes may well have changed the dynamic for us in our favour.

Alli was poor in the tournament overall and Kane clearly wasn't getting the opportunities on goal he usually gets. As Kane is so prolific, it might well have been advisable for Southgate to focus on the tactic of feeding him as one of his number one priorities, rather than just remaining loyal to certain individuals.

I said Delph for Alli days before the game but nobody agreed. I could see what was going to happen and it did. Thing is Otis if he changed the team and we'd lost he would of been slaughtered for changing a winning side....Yes yes i know we lost but you know what i mean !

 

[Westendlad]

Not a fair comparison in my opinion. Football is more physically and mentally demanding.
All you have to worry about is tennis is a single opponent and the ball coming toward you and then hitting it back. No physical contact with your opponent at all.
In football you may have to run in any direction, face crunching tackles coming from anywhere and always be alert for the ball coming from any direction and then having to pass it in any other direction. Would be interesting to see a scientific analysis of the effort expended in each sport, but I doubt that would include mental effort..

Hey ??? ...I would say the complete opposite !!

 

[Otis]

5 changes for England.

May lack a bit of creativity.

Surprisingly, Tripper is in.

Pickford

Jones Stones Maguire

Tripper Rose

Loftus-Cheek Dier Delph

Sterling Kane

So out drop, Alli, Lingard, Henderson, Walker and Young.

 

[Westendlad]

I thought Tripper would be out for weeks. Quite defensive but we'll see.

 

[Otis]

Yeah, he looked like he was badly hurt.

Does lack some creativity.

Need Loftus-Cheek to have a storming game. Sterling too.

 

[Nick]

Flood gates open

 

[Paul Anthony]

That's a good start....

 

[Paul Anthony]

I don't fancy our chances on the basis of the first 11 or so minutes.

 

[lifeskyblue]

I don't fancy our chances on the basis of the first 11 or so minutes.

No neither do I. They look bright, inventive and look like scoring every time they attack whereas we look slow in build up and divorced of ideas.
Hope for CJ and others out there they do get back into this.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[chiefdave]

I don't fancy our chances on the basis of the first 11 or so minutes.

Very poor so far.

 

[Otis]

Too deep for the most part.

Sterling coming back to the midfield looking for the ball and then of course there is no-one forwards apart from Kane

 

[Paul Anthony]

Best chance so far. Really should have at least troubled the keeper.

 

[Otis]

Kane's shooting, pens apart, has been very poor. How many has he skewed wide now?

 

[Otis]

And now Sterling aiming for someone in the crowd somewhere.

 

[Sky Blue Harry H]

Delph annoying me with not taking free space ahead of him. Stop just passing it backwards. Today you can go for it. Don't play cautiously!?

 

[Nick]

We look clueless. We need a penalty or set piece

 

[Otis]

Delph annoying me with not taking free space ahead of him. Stop just passing it backwards. Today you can go for it. Don't play cautiously!?

Well that's the problem right there. Both Delph and Dier's first thought is not forwards.

Wilshire would be perfect for that Delph role there.

 

[Sky Blue Harry H]

We are playing statues. Made me smile when the commentator said 'This is Dier' !!

 

[Sky Blue Harry H]

If they get a 2nd, it could be embarrassing.

 

[Otis]

If they get a 2nd, it could be embarrassing.

Not embarrassing enough for you now then?

We keep getting robbed of possession and then Belgium are deadly.

 

[Nick]

Not embarrassing enough for you now then?

We keep getting robbed of possession and then Belgium are deadly.

I'm just waiting for a picture of Southgate clapping to say what a man he is.

Think it just shows we scraped through as far as we did. If we don't get set pieces we struggle.

 

[Otis]

Get Delph off NOW!!!!!

 

[Otis]

How many times are we giving possession away.

Embarrassing.

 

[Sky Blue Harry H]

That last attack was embarrassing. Get it in the box!!

 

[Paul Anthony]

Keep giving it away up the pitch, plays right into Belgium's hands. Their whole game plan is about fast paced counter attacking, we're serving it to them on a plate and asking them if they want sauce on it.

 

[Sky Blue Harry H]

Only look threatening if Maguire intercepts it and breaks forward.

 

[Nick]

The sooner this finishes the better, can't understand people arse licking everything. Southgate wears a waistcoat, so?

Football wise we have been lucky and as soon as we get a challenge we have nothing.

 

[Otis]

Only positive thing here is that surely Belgium can't keep breaking away at that sort of pace all 90 mins.

Hopefully they will run out of steam and then we can go in for the kill.