Group G - Belgium, Panama, Tunisia, England

[sledger]

Not really. You are a sweet lad.

Sorry Prat, but I think it's time you went back on ignore. There is enough inanity in my life without me having to expose myself to posts you have made about topics you don't understand. Cheerio.

 

[Pratters]

Cheers.

 

[Burgey]

Looking forward to Belgium-England. Potentially one of the games of the tourney so far. Those who follow more closely than me will have a far better idea how they match up stylistically, but as a neutral it shapes up as a must watch.

 

[Burgey]

And by “must watch”, I mean try to stay up and watch but probably fall asleep.

 

[Uppercut]

Struggling to see the relevance of the 7 team stat.

I don’t see the relevance of any of that post tbh. It’s just a less concise variation of ‘because they’re England’.

 

[GIMH]

I don’t see the relevance of any of that post tbh. It’s just a less concise variation of ‘because they’re England’.

I’ve always loved the logic that a last minute goal equals ‘barely beating’ someone, like goals count less after 85 or whatever

Would be a great shame if England did the unthinkable, got to the World Cup final and then won it with a last minute goal. Then we’d only barely have won it.

But without being so flippant. I’d love to know how twelve teams have ‘looked’ better.

The performance against Tunisia wasn’t perfect but that first half, especially before the equaliser, we gave as good a display as I’ve seen at the WC thus far (disclaimer that I didn’t see any of Argentina V Croatia) and then we dispatched minnows in the way that maybe we should have, but what’s the alternative? Not dispatching them?

I don’t think we are close to the best side but to date we’ve been among the most impressive. Go to suck a fairly hefty lemon to pull twelve better teams out of your arse.

 

[Uppercut]

They just have a team that looks pretty good in a weak field, and a possible soft-looking route to the semis. I think that gives them a half-decent shot at winning it, maybe 10-15%, but nobody has a significantly better shot than that.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Taking a dive v the Phlegms looks ever more enticing, doesn't it?

Sweden or Switzerland in the quarters against (in all likelihood) Brazil.

 

[GIMH]

Depends how Group H pans out

 

[sledger]

Nah let's have it. If Colombia were guaranteed to finish second in Group H it might be worth a punt, but as it is it's far from unlikely (imo) that they won't top the thing, and so deliberately going under the bus in an attempt to avoid them would be ill-advised and could backfire really badly.

Better to have an earnest crack at it and go out rather than trying to be cute and getting egg on your face for mine.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Depends how Group H pans out

None of them scare me, tbh. Don't think any of the three potentials have ever beaten us in fact.

 

[sledger]

None of them scare me, tbh. Don't think any of the three potentials have ever beaten us in fact.

Would back England to see off Japan and/or Senegal certainly, but Colombia's attack >>> England's defence.

 

[GIMH]

We’ve always got goals in us with our attackers too though.

England V Colombia could be one of the games of the tournament.

One of them for me. I hope we win but if we lose it’s not the end of the world. If we are drawing and the draw is favourable to finish second, send a couple squad players on to pick up red cards

 

[mr_mister]

Definitely worth losing this one. Top half of the draw looks tough

 

[straw man]

you don't just go out and try to lose not bother try to win ffs

If England are really lacklustre against Belgium and lose for this reason then I think they will not pick themselves up in R16 and will lose again.

 

[mr_mister]

Mate tactically playing badly is good for morale


Look at Australia at the 99 wc in their final group game

 

[Uppercut]

Would back England to see off Japan and/or Senegal certainly, but Colombia's attack >>> England's defence.

Would be 60-40 England for me. Colombia will have had the most taxing group stage of any team left, and England (along with Belgium) will have had the least.

 

[Uppercut]

Nah let's have it. If Colombia were guaranteed to finish second in Group H it might be worth a punt, but as it is it's far from unlikely (imo) that they won't top the thing, and so deliberately going under the bus in an attempt to avoid them would be ill-advised and could backfire really badly.

Better to have an earnest crack at it and go out rather than trying to be cute and getting egg on your face for mine.

Deliberately losing is obviously out of the question, but I don't know how you would motivate yourself to actually try to win. The route to the final if they lose is just so much easier that it overwhelms all the psychological and integrity stuff.

My prediction: Southgate doesn't have the balls to drop Kane, Kane is the only player that tries because he wants the golden boot, England win with a Kane goal with Belgium barely trying to equalise, England go out to Brazil in the quarters.

 

[Tangles]

5 changes and Vardy/Rashford up front apparently.

 

[Uppercut]

The group H result means a win and a loss are more or less equal imo. Bit less interesting that way but at least we might see an actual game of football.