Football 18/19

[Gucci Piggy]

5 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

I think you overestimate Belgium. An average (but spirited) wales beat them in the Euros and it wasn’t a fluke. They are a team of individuals with a manager who doesn’t do tactics. I see England beating them. However I see Belgium more likely to win the world cup than England.

To be fair I don't rate Belgium that much; I just don't trust England to beat anyone who isn't terrible in a World Cup. Same as I expect us to lose to Colombia if we play the in the RO16 despite them not being amazing.

Hopefully this team can prove me wrong in the way that a lot of people seem to think they'll be able to.

[dentalplan]

44 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

De Gea mistake, a penalty and a good free kick. I think these are things they won’t worry about. It didn’t look like there were anything wrong that will impact on future games.

It was a good free kick but giving one away in such a position during the late stages when defending a lead is tantamount to a mistake. Not saying those errors will affect them going into the next game but it did happen and was a part of their game.

53 minutes ago, Gucci Piggy said:

To be fair we certainly won't be in that position. But it's entirely possible we go into our final group game with both us and Belgium on 6 points. If the path of progression from there looks better for the team finishing in 2nd place it'll be strange. I'd expect us to lose to Belgium in any case, of course; but I'd also be happy to lose if that was the situation.

It’s a little reminiscent of that E.A.S.Y headline from the 2010 draw.

[mjsell]

Save of the tournament so far goes to the Mexican keeper for Kroos' free kick. If that goes in I guarantee a commentator somewhere mutters the ridiculous phrase "no keeper in the world saves that". 

[Ted Dansons Wig]

13 hours ago, pink_triangle said:

I think you overestimate Belgium. An average (but spirited) wales beat them in the Euros and it wasn’t a fluke. They are a team of individuals with a manager who doesn’t do tactics. I see England beating them. However I see Belgium more likely to win the world cup than England.

And underestimate Tunisia

[jyoung]

I know people don't rate Belgium but you'd imagine they will stick 5 past Panama, surely?

I'm expecting a big tournament for Hazard.

[Gucci Piggy]

3 hours ago, Ted Dansons Wig said:

And underestimate Tunisia

Can easily see us drawing with Tunisia tonight. Saying it's realistic that both us and Belgium beat them is hardly underestimating them.

[Gnomicide]

Belgium have replaced England as the squad with the most players I have a rational dislike for.

[jyoung]

1 hour ago, jyoung said:

I know people don't rate Belgium but you'd imagine they will stick 5 past Panama, surely?

I am a curse.

[dentalplan]

1 minute ago, jyoung said:

I am a curse.

Still think they’ll bag a few. I doubt anyone flat out doesn’t rate them at all, but there is a sense that they haven’t really delivered on the status they’ve acquired from having such star names.

[jyoung]

15 minutes ago, dentalplan said:

Still think they’ll bag a few. I doubt anyone flat out doesn’t rate them at all, but there is a sense that they haven’t really delivered on the status they’ve acquired from having such star names.

You'd expect at least a few, wouldn't you?! Panama are feisty af.

[jyoung]

After 18 years at Sporting, Rui Patricio moves to... Wolverhampton...

[Gucci Piggy]

33 minutes ago, jyoung said:

After 18 years at Sporting, Rui Patricio moves to... Wolverhampton...

Hardly surprising based on what Wolves are currently doing.

[TheGayTent]

Daley 

[ThomThomDrum]

Typical of FIFA fucking up the roll out of VAR. The inconsistency of its use is really annoying. It should be shelved if they can’t get it together..... What the hell is going on with those VAR officials who are not calling the ref when there is blatant penos? 

[kaosmark2]

Tbh, England being shit is the biggest problem here. Lingard missed 4 sitters first half and has done nothing in the second, yet Sterling got taken off after being the best at using the space.

[TheGayTent]

10 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

Tbh, England being shit is the biggest problem here.

Agreed. 

10 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

Lingard missed 4 sitters first half and has done nothing in the second,

Agreed. 

10 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

yet Sterling got taken off after being the best at using the space.

 The move breaks down every time he gets the ball. Shouldn’t have started, should have been hooked a long time before he was. 

[kaosmark2]

5 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

Agreed. 

Agreed. 

 The move breaks down every time he gets the ball. Shouldn’t have started, should have been hooked a long time before he was. 

Sterling did more 2nd half than Lingard or Alli. The move breaks down when he gets the ball, but Lingard just kept passing sideways or missing the pass, Alli barely touched it.

England still look completely incapable of breaking a team down in open play.

[WS_Jack_III]

Only England wouldn't get a VAR call for the most obvious fouls in the tournament so far.

 

Thankfully Kane managed to avoid being wrestled to the ground at the end there.

[mjsell]

Set piece team. 

Fair play to Kane. Played horribly all game but if he pops up with goals then you can't really argue. 

[dentalplan]

The happy thing is that generally when we play like that at the World Cup, we don’t win.

I know he’s okay at dead balls but watching Young on the left wing was just depressing. They knew he had no interest in risking a left foot and made him sent it backwards each time. Absolutely need Rose against Panama.

[mjsell]

37 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

Tbh, England being shit is the biggest problem here. Lingard missed 4 sitters first half and has done nothing in the second, yet Sterling got taken off after being the best at using the space.

He even managed to get in his customary 2 yard out sitter miss. 

[WS_Jack_III]

Lindgard was the pits like.

[TheGayTent]

 

47 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

The move breaks down when he gets the ball, but Lingard just kept passing sideways or missing the pass

Keeping possession is better than losing it. 

47 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

England still look completely incapable of breaking a team down in open play.

For sure, but we knew before the tournament we weren’t very good. 

[TheGayTent]

29 minutes ago, mjsell said:

He even managed to get in his customary 2 yard out sitter miss. 

So did Sterling - he didn’t know he was offside (again - he was even offside for Kane’s first goal) 

[Hugh Jass]

I actually thought tonight was ok. First half we could have had three or four save for some dodgy finishing and even dodgier VAR calls. Tunisia offered absolutely nothing second half, from the 30th minute they were happy to camp out on the edge of their box and play for a draw. Eventually we found a way to break them down, something a lot of better teams have struggled to do over the weekend.

Three points was the most important thing tonight and we got them.