Football 18/19

[ThomThomDrum]

Seriously lads... lots of talk and thinking here about winning the World Cup.... and what is best for England if they are going to do it etc etc

Am I missing something here?? 

[JSmurphy]

The team selection might have been a masterstroke but right now all I'm thinking is how monumentally predictable it'll be when we lose to Columbia on Tuesday. I'm incredibly pessimistic when it comes to England anyway but after watching Columbia beat Poland by 3 I'm seriously concerned. 

[mjsell]

Its less an easier 'side' of the draw than it is an easier quarter final of the draw. 

It's just whether you think the difference between Brazil and Switzerland is greater than that between Colombia and Japan - personally I think it is.

[mjsell]

1 minute ago, JSmurphy said:

The team selection might have been a masterstroke but right now all I'm thinking is how monumentally predictable it'll be when we lose to Columbia on Tuesday. I'm incredibly pessimistic when it comes to England anyway but after watching Columbia beat Poland by 3 I'm seriously concerned. 

The counter argument to finishing second and avoiding Brazil is/has always been - "we will have to play the big teams at some point anyway" - why does the same not apply for the round of 16?

[dentalplan]

5 minutes ago, mjsell said:

The counter argument to finishing second and avoiding Brazil is/has always been - "we will have to play the big teams at some point anyway" - why does the same not apply for the round of 16?

It’s not just that. If we came first and had to play Colombia it’s fine because we’re actually going for these games. It’s just kinda shocking to spin yarns about how the team are hungry and determined and there being a ’lack of expectation’ and then going for a choice draw entirely because of the presence of expectation. I just find it amazingly naive for a team that has such poor recent pedigree in international tournaments.

Edited June 28, 2018 by dentalplan

[ThomThomDrum]

When was the last time England beat a decent team at a World Cup? 

Do we really think from what we have witnessed thus far that this England team will differ from all other England teams since 1990? 

[mjsell]

I mean I predicted 2nd in the group and out to Colombia pre-tournament so now the only way is up on my predictions. 

[Gucci Piggy]

4 minutes ago, mjsell said:

I mean I predicted 2nd in the group and out to Colombia pre-tournament so now the only way is up on my predictions. 

Haha me too. Still reckon that's what'll happen.

Saw a bloke on TV earlier saying we've been the best team in the competition so far. We scraped past Tunisia with a last minute winner and then battered a team that anyone half decent would batter. People are ridiculous.

[mjsell]

2 minutes ago, Gucci Piggy said:

Haha me too. Still reckon that's what'll happen.

Saw a bloke on TV earlier saying we've been the best team in the competition so far. We scraped past Tunisia with a last minute winner and then battered a team that anyone half decent would batter. People are ridiculous.

I heard a kiwi guy in my office yesterday discussing how England have been one of the best teams of tournament. It was the first time I'd ever heard a non English person talking about an England world cup team like that before. 

Kiwis know jack shit about football though so hey ho

[Gucci Piggy]

3 hours ago, dentalplan said:

Just thinking about this; I reckon Uruguay will make it to the semis from that part of the draw. Most likely in the worst possible way too. They're the new Argentina aren't they?

I had Uruguay to reach that semi and lose to Brazil before the tournament started. Uruguay looked poor in their first two games but were much improved against Russia, whilst France, Argentina and Portugal have all looked average to naff. So yeah, I'd still agree with that.

On your point above about hoping Mexico draw a booking from Neymar, with us finishing second I think we now have to hope James isn't fit for next week. Obviously we have a chance of progressing anyway, but that'll be a big boost.

Also now if we make the semis I'll most likely be watching us against Spain in a bar in Madrid. Great.

[Gucci Piggy]

Also I was saying a couple of nights ago that, for me, the ideal outcome of tonight would be to play our reserves and hope to end up finishing second (I know that we weren't gonna actively try to lose or whatever, and it isn't what the players would want, but as a fan hoping for us to progress as far as possible it's what I saw as ideal). That way we'd get the easier bracket and not have the confidence hit of losing a game (because none of our actual players will have been playing).

Colombia ending up top of their group ruined that a little bit (how good would we be feeling now if Japan had got the win and topped their group?), but I'm still happy enough with it. Colombia are a good side but they're very definitely beatable. They were totally outplayed in the first half against Senegal today.

[dentalplan]

Do we reckon Belgium are gutted that they won?

[thetime]

5 minutes ago, dentalplan said:

Do we reckon Belgium are gutted that they won?

They don’t come across as a side lacking in self belief. 

[Hugh Jass]

51 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

So much wrong with this post

Such as?

[dentalplan]

2 minutes ago, thetime said:

They don’t come across as a side lacking in self belief. 

They brought Mertens on and we just had frequent shots of Harry Kane thinking to himself about how aeroplanes work.

[Hugh Jass]

45 minutes ago, ThomThomDrum said:

Seriously lads... lots of talk and thinking here about winning the World Cup.... and what is best for England if they are going to do it etc etc

Am I missing something here?? 

The way some are carrying on you’d think we have to play San Marino, Andorra and Scotland to get to the final.

Colombia will be very tough, I’d say we were a better team but we could very easily be done by their quality players.

Sweden or Switzerland? Well you don’t get to the quarters if you’re a complete no hoper (unless you’re hosting). We’re not going to just turn up and roll either of them over. Again, it would be a game that could go either way.

If we got through that the most likely opponent would be either Spain or Croatia... piece of piss.

Then either France or Brazil in the final.

In conclusion: There’s no such thing as an easy route to the World Cup, and let’s be honest we’re probably not going to win it anyway.

[jyoung]

Columbia is gonna be a tough game.

[Hugh Jass]

1 minute ago, jyoung said:

Columbia is gonna be a tough game.

The fitness of James will be huge.

[TheGayTent]

12 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

Such as?

It not being true isn’t enough? 

[Hugh Jass]

1 minute ago, TheGayTent said:

It not being true isn’t enough? 

Which part wasn’t true? I just highlighted the most likely semi and final opponents to demonstrate the draw isn’t as easy as people seem to think.

[TheGayTent]

7 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

Which part wasn’t true? I just highlighted the most likely semi and final opponents to demonstrate the draw isn’t as easy as people seem to think.

Most would have suggested it was likely Germany would be in the last 16

[mjsell]

22 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

In conclusion: There’s no such thing as an easy route to the World Cup, and let’s be honest we’re probably not going to win it anyway.

I havent seen anyone saying say the route is 'easy'. People are saying the route is 'easier' - big difference.

Unless you think the likelihood of beating every team left in the tournament is the same

 

Edited June 28, 2018 by mjsell

[Hugh Jass]

14 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

Most would have suggested it was likely Germany would be in the last 16

That’s why I said “likely” and not “definitely will”.

[jyoung]

34 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

The fitness of James will be huge.

Yep. He is hugely influential for his country. Cuadrado and Falcao can't be underestimated either.

I noticed a lot of rolling around from their lads in their second group game. Going down easily. Playing for fouls etc. We'll need to play smart to have a chance of getting through. I think with a full strength team, we should be capable of holding our own. 

A day off from football tomorrow and then back at it on Saturday. I expect at least one huge upset tbh! Looking forward to it.

[pink_triangle]

1 hour ago, mjsell said:

Its less an easier 'side' of the draw than it is an easier quarter final of the draw. 

It's just whether you think the difference between Brazil and Switzerland is greater than that between Colombia and Japan - personally I think it is.

Although my argument would be that Brazil are more beatable in the quarters than the final.