World Cup 2018

There ARE other teams(we'd have no-one to play otherwise) and here's where all-comers can discuss the wider world of football......

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Re: World Cup 2018

Post by Montreal Wanderer » Mon Jun 25, 2018 10:51 pm

BWFC_Insane wrote:
Mon Jun 25, 2018 9:24 am
Hoboh wrote:
Sun Jun 24, 2018 11:04 pm
Sweden too much pop oh dear, well it would have ruined the joke :D

Not too impressed with our second half tbh thought the three subs would have wanted to push their way into the starting eleven and my pal Stirling did his usual, fair play about three nice tou'ches but bugger all else!
We should have had 9 or 10 in reality.
It was 30 degrees. There was absolutely no point at all in pushing on second half. Job was done.

If you want a concern out of a super performance it was the first 10 minutes when they opened us up twice. Better teams will exploit our weak midfield and back 3.

However, job fecking done.

We wait for other results now to see whether we want to finish 1st/2nd.
Personally I think a team that deliberately lost because of some bizarre preference for playing Japan, Senegal or Columbia (who decide their placings after us anyway) has lost the plot. You don't want to lose momentum at this stage, you want to send a message.
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Re: World Cup 2018

Post by TANGODANCER » Mon Jun 25, 2018 11:47 pm

More crackpot refereeing and odd-ball decisions. Add to that the free for all that this world cup has become, the mess that technology is making, and the fact that teams like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco,( drew with Spain) Iran ( got a draw with Portugal) and Senegal etc, can all play football at top level and are not just there to fill up the numbers and suddenly, 1966 and all that is just history book stuff. Uruguay gave the home boys a right kick in the nuts, beating them 3-0 and Portugal set new standards of acting deserving of Oscars. All going nicely to plan then... :wink:
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Re: World Cup 2018

Post by BWFC_Insane » Tue Jun 26, 2018 9:03 am

Montreal Wanderer wrote:
Mon Jun 25, 2018 10:51 pm
BWFC_Insane wrote:
Mon Jun 25, 2018 9:24 am
Hoboh wrote:
Sun Jun 24, 2018 11:04 pm
Sweden too much pop oh dear, well it would have ruined the joke :D

Not too impressed with our second half tbh thought the three subs would have wanted to push their way into the starting eleven and my pal Stirling did his usual, fair play about three nice tou'ches but bugger all else!
We should have had 9 or 10 in reality.
It was 30 degrees. There was absolutely no point at all in pushing on second half. Job was done.

If you want a concern out of a super performance it was the first 10 minutes when they opened us up twice. Better teams will exploit our weak midfield and back 3.

However, job fecking done.

We wait for other results now to see whether we want to finish 1st/2nd.
Personally I think a team that deliberately lost because of some bizarre preference for playing Japan, Senegal or Columbia (who decide their placings after us anyway) has lost the plot. You don't want to lose momentum at this stage, you want to send a message.
It isn't so much about that round (though Japan please). Its about the round after, should we make it, finishing 1st potentially means we get Germany/Brazil - depending on how those groups finish up. Second could possibly have a far easier route to the semi finals.

Belgium have said they will rest players and I'm sure we will too.

EDIT: Also we are the last round of group matches so will know how group H has finished before we kick off.

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Re: World Cup 2018

Post by Prufrock » Tue Jun 26, 2018 1:13 pm

Columbia are a very good side and I expect them to win that group. They had to play 87 mins with ten men and then brushed Poland aside. If it is Columbia then Brazil v say Japan then Mexico I can see the logic but I think it's dangerous.

We thought Iceland would be a walkover and look what happened. Just beat who is in front of you and see where you end up.

That said I'd make a couple of changes for freshness/only play Kane for an hour or so, rest the ones on bookings etc...
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Re: World Cup 2018

Post by Montreal Wanderer » Tue Jun 26, 2018 2:22 pm

Prufrock wrote:
Tue Jun 26, 2018 1:13 pm
Columbia are a very good side and I expect them to win that group. They had to play 87 mins with ten men and then brushed Poland aside. If it is Columbia then Brazil v say Japan then Mexico I can see the logic but I think it's dangerous.

We thought Iceland would be a walkover and look what happened. Just beat who is in front of you and see where you end up.

That said I'd make a couple of changes for freshness/only play Kane for an hour or so, rest the ones on bookings etc...
I'd agree with this - rest key players and those in card jeopardy, but always try to win and keep the confidence up.
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Re: World Cup 2018

Post by TANGODANCER » Wed Jun 27, 2018 5:56 pm

Auf Weidersein Aleman. South Korea played like heroes against all the odds and won 2-0 in the end despite the ref giving them little and playing 100 minutes. :oyea:
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Re: World Cup 2018

Post by Bruce Rioja » Wed Jun 27, 2018 6:58 pm

What odds would I get on Brazil not to qualify just now? Maybe I'm getting carried away after Germany's exit, but I do have a hunch.
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Re: World Cup 2018

Post by Prufrock » Wed Jun 27, 2018 7:48 pm

AHAHAAHAHAHAH!
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Re: World Cup 2018

Post by TANGODANCER » Thu Jun 28, 2018 12:40 pm

Play the music...."It's coming home...(the Germn team bus), it's coming home..." :lol:
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Re: World Cup 2018

Post by BWFC_Insane » Thu Jun 28, 2018 1:04 pm

That was a very poor German side. Truth be told Sweden bottled it against them and had they had some conviction Germany would have gone home without a victory at all.

Its clear finishing second gives England the best chance, unless Colombia win that group, in which case...probably even stevens.

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Re: World Cup 2018

Post by TANGODANCER » Thu Jun 28, 2018 7:54 pm

When in doubt, play wallop ball. If this is a ploy to diguise our intent with the first teamers, then it's working. So far, with quite a few of their stars missing: Hazard, DeBruyne etc, Belgium are far the better side. Pickford has more idea on passing then a few of his team mates. It may improve.... ae:)
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Re: World Cup 2018

Post by Hoboh » Thu Jun 28, 2018 9:24 pm

Sh#t!
Rashford for Stirling send the rest home.
Give the Columbians so much room time and space they'll all be coming home.

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Re: World Cup 2018

Post by TANGODANCER » Thu Jun 28, 2018 9:59 pm

I've just had it pointed out to me by a knowlegable source, the benefits of losing tonight and finishing second in the group. It's more about who we don't have to play now by this action, France and Argentina being two of them. Yes, tonight raised a few questions, but was Southgate being smart? If the result had realy mattered to him he wouldn't have fielded the side he did, and he didn't go sending on the big guns to change anything. Playing Vardy was pointless because we never got the ball to him except by airmail, most of it second class and much the same would apply to Kane.. We had no midfield threat and still had about three chances to win it if we could have finished. Losing is never good, but in this instance.....

Oh, and can someone tell our lot that throw - ins don't mean interludes. Slow, clueless and time-wasting when every other team go for speed and accuracy. Sort it Gareth....
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Re: World Cup 2018

Post by Prufrock » Thu Jun 28, 2018 11:48 pm

Dreadful game. Two second string teams showing why. Fecking Fellaini best player on the pitch. Waste of time, should've flipped a coin for it.

But... Columbia are a good side, but we should beat them. Then it's Sweden Switzerland for a fecking semi. We're probably playing 7 games.

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Re: World Cup 2018

Post by BWFC_Insane » Fri Jun 29, 2018 8:28 am

Hoboh wrote:
Thu Jun 28, 2018 9:24 pm
Sh#t!
Rashford for Stirling send the rest home.
Give the Columbians so much room time and space they'll all be coming home.
Did you watch the game today? Rashford was shockingly poor. Sterling's movement opens up space and after today the debate on who starts is dead. Rashford ain't starting.

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Re: World Cup 2018

Post by Bruce Rioja » Fri Jun 29, 2018 8:58 am

BWFC_Insane wrote:
Fri Jun 29, 2018 8:28 am
Hoboh wrote:
Thu Jun 28, 2018 9:24 pm
Sh#t!
Rashford for Stirling send the rest home.
Give the Columbians so much room time and space they'll all be coming home.
Did you watch the game today? Rashford was shockingly poor. Sterling's movement opens up space and after today the debate on who starts is dead. Rashford ain't starting.
I too thought Rashford was dreadful last night. The keeper (barely) getting a finger to the one he put wide did nothing to disguise the fact that it was a truly horrendous finish. Also, the boy from Liverpool with the double barrelled name is a thousand miles away from being able to play at this level.
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Re: World Cup 2018

Post by BWFC_Insane » Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:06 am

Bruce Rioja wrote:
Fri Jun 29, 2018 8:58 am
BWFC_Insane wrote:
Fri Jun 29, 2018 8:28 am
Hoboh wrote:
Thu Jun 28, 2018 9:24 pm
Sh#t!
Rashford for Stirling send the rest home.
Give the Columbians so much room time and space they'll all be coming home.
Did you watch the game today? Rashford was shockingly poor. Sterling's movement opens up space and after today the debate on who starts is dead. Rashford ain't starting.
I too thought Rashford was dreadful last night. The keeper (barely) getting a finger to the one he put wide did nothing to disguise the fact that it was a truly horrendous finish. Also, the boy from Liverpool with the double barrelled name is a thousand miles away from being able to play at this level.
Trent? I thought he did ok, but agree, he's not international class.

Mind Belgium brought in Fellaini and Dembele who were streets ahead of our midfield (arguably even our 1st choice one).

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Re: World Cup 2018

Post by TANGODANCER » Fri Jun 29, 2018 10:56 am

There's no such thing as an easy route to winning the World Cup and I doubt we'll win it. We're a lot better as an international team than we've been for a fair while, but so are quite a few/lot of others. Football is as much of a "career" as being a doctor, lawyer or businessman these days, and the lure of money attracts like flies and jampots and produces high levels of skill. Last night didn't really prove much; it wasn't intended to, except that Belgiums second squad are better than ours. The only tests that matter now are the knockout games and midfield possesion is paramount. Give any of our opponents an inch and they'll tear us to bits. We don 't have any individuals of the level of Messi, Neymar, Ronaldo etc, so team-work is our only way forward. It's a big ask.

That said...Come on lads....! :oyea:
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Re: World Cup 2018

Post by BWFC_Insane » Fri Jun 29, 2018 11:56 am

TANGODANCER wrote:
Fri Jun 29, 2018 10:56 am
There's no such thing as an easy route to winning the World Cup and I doubt we'll win it. We're a lot better as an international team than we've been for a fair while, but so are quite a few/lot of others. Football is as much of a "career" as being a doctor, lawyer or businessman these days, and the lure of money attracts like flies and jampots and produces high levels of skill. Last night didn't really prove much; it wasn't intended to, except that Belgiums second squad are better than ours. The only tests that matter now are the knockout games and midfield possesion is paramount. Give any of our opponents an inch and they'll tear us to bits. We don 't have any individuals of the level of Messi, Neymar, Ronaldo etc, so team-work is our only way forward. It's a big ask.

That said...Come on lads....! :oyea:
Are we? I'll say we will find this out on Tuesday. We've so far just about beaten Tunisia and thumped Panama. Both those sides are league two type level.

We've scored 2 goals in open play too.

I'm not dissing them, they got through the group which is good. But we can't say we're any better until we see us in a knock out match against a half decent side. That comes Tuesday. After that we can say if progress has been made.

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Re: World Cup 2018

Post by TANGODANCER » Fri Jun 29, 2018 1:16 pm

BWFC_Insane wrote:
Fri Jun 29, 2018 11:56 am
TANGODANCER wrote:
Fri Jun 29, 2018 10:56 am
There's no such thing as an easy route to winning the World Cup and I doubt we'll win it. We're a lot better as an international team than we've been for a fair while, but so are quite a few/lot of others. Football is as much of a "career" as being a doctor, lawyer or businessman these days, and the lure of money attracts like flies and jampots and produces high levels of skill. Last night didn't really prove much; it wasn't intended to, except that Belgiums second squad are better than ours. The only tests that matter now are the knockout games and midfield possesion is paramount. Give any of our opponents an inch and they'll tear us to bits. We don 't have any individuals of the level of Messi, Neymar, Ronaldo etc, so team-work is our only way forward. It's a big ask.

That said...Come on lads....! :oyea:
Are we? I'll say we will find this out on Tuesday. We've so far just about beaten Tunisia and thumped Panama. Both those sides are league two type level.We've scored 2 goals in open play too. I'm not dissing them, they got through the group which is good. But we can't say we're any better until we see us in a knock out match against a half decent side. That comes Tuesday. After that we can say if progress has been made.
I fully expected you to be negative Insaney, having dodged the point that we've already played and done okay against most of them before the comp started, and that international football has improved somewhat of late: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran etc.. in a World Cup comp?..and that those bowler-hatted pipe-smoking chaps from the small sceptred isle don't have divine rights to rule in anything anymore. I also made the point we might not win much but a bit of pride back. 1966 is a long time ago.
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