The Official World Cup 2018 Thread

[Wildweasel74]

Bandwagon up and running! I keep it on the road for 3 weeks roll up to the quarters! Start taking about going all the way, get their hopes up! I And crash out on penalties against a underdog

[Wildweasel74]

On the game reviews. Kane should had 3 penalties, he was getting assaulted in the BOX@REF must been blind!

[Asal Mor]

England need rid of Young and Lindgard to progress.

There is genuinely no point in playing 3 Centre halves unless your wing backs provide proper width. The amount of times tonight big Maguire cane steaming out of defence with the ball, slips it to Young, who steps and goes backwards. Offers nothing. Lingard is a passenger. He doesn't have the creative impact required to be that unwilling to get involved.

Sterling not in Rashford's league. Not even close.

Rashford improved things too but wtf was he doing dummying that chance?

[shark]

England need rid of Young and Lindgard to progress.

There is genuinely no point in playing 3 Centre halves unless your wing backs provide proper width. The amount of times tonight big Maguire cane steaming out of defence with the ball, slips it to Young, who steps and goes backwards. Offers nothing. Lingard is a passenger. He doesn't have the creative impact required to be that unwilling to get involved.

Sterling not in Rashford's league. Not even close.

The width is an easy fix though, just bring in Rose.

[gallsman]

England need rid of Young and Lindgard to progress.

There is genuinely no point in playing 3 Centre halves unless your wing backs provide proper width. The amount of times tonight big Maguire cane steaming out of defence with the ball, slips it to Young, who steps and goes backwards. Offers nothing. Lingard is a passenger. He doesn't have the creative impact required to be that unwilling to get involved.

Sterling not in Rashford's league. Not even close.

Rashford improved things too but wtf was he doing dummying that chance?

Think he got a shout as the way he reacted to Lingard (?) ballsing it up suggested he'd have preferred to take it on himself.

Agree that RLC was very good when he came on. Didn't even know he was in the squad.

[Capt Pat]

England did their best to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. They were dominant in the first half yet changed their approach in the second half and nearly squandereed the game. However the Tunisians were so bad at defending set pieces they handed the English victory.

[Asal Mor]

England did their best to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. They were dominant in the first half yet changed their approach in the second half and nearly squandereed the game. However the Tunisians were so bad at defending set pieces they handed the English victory.

I thought they looked very tired after half-time and weren't able to keep pressing the Tunisians as they had in the first half. They only got a bit of a second wind when the subs came on.

I thought the ref +VAR did their best to gift the Tunisians a draw, rather than the English throwing it away,  though the woeful finishing(Kane aside), especially from Lingard is something they won't get away with later in the Tournament.

[sid waddell]

Second would be a great place for England to end up in this group.

There's a real chance of the draw opening up for them.

They should be able to stroll through the rest of the group without much pressure and a draw against Belgium for a second place finish would do them fine.

There's nothing particularly intimidating in Group H as regards possible last 16 ties.

Colombia would be tricky opponents but they're beatable. I'd fancy England against Poland or Senegal. If Mexico win Group F, there's a big chance England could reach a semi-final by going that route.

They have what a lot of teams in the tournament don't have - an out and out striker who is in-form.

[Syferus]

Second would be a great place for England to end up in this group.

There's a real chance of the draw opening up for them.

They should be able to stroll through the rest of the group without much pressure and a draw against Belgium for a second place finish would do them fine.

There's nothing particularly intimidating in Group H as regards possible last 16 ties.

Colombia would be tricky opponents but they're beatable. I'd fancy England against Poland or Senegal. If Mexico win Group F, there's a big chance England could reach a semi-final by going that route.

They have what a lot of teams in the tournament don't have - an out and out striker who is in-form.

Brazil, France, Spain, Portugal and Belgium have that too.

[sid waddell]

Second would be a great place for England to end up in this group.

There's a real chance of the draw opening up for them.

They should be able to stroll through the rest of the group without much pressure and a draw against Belgium for a second place finish would do them fine.

There's nothing particularly intimidating in Group H as regards possible last 16 ties.

Colombia would be tricky opponents but they're beatable. I'd fancy England against Poland or Senegal. If Mexico win Group F, there's a big chance England could reach a semi-final by going that route.

They have what a lot of teams in the tournament don't have - an out and out striker who is in-form.

Brazil, France, Spain, Portugal and Belgium have that too.

Who is Brazil's in form out and out striker? Jesus is not in form and doesn't look up to it. Firmino is not currently first choice, is not an out and out striker and is at his best by doing the donkey work to create space for others.

As for Belgium's, he folds when the going gets tough.

[Syferus]

Second would be a great place for England to end up in this group.

There's a real chance of the draw opening up for them.

They should be able to stroll through the rest of the group without much pressure and a draw against Belgium for a second place finish would do them fine.

There's nothing particularly intimidating in Group H as regards possible last 16 ties.

Colombia would be tricky opponents but they're beatable. I'd fancy England against Poland or Senegal. If Mexico win Group F, there's a big chance England could reach a semi-final by going that route.

They have what a lot of teams in the tournament don't have - an out and out striker who is in-form.

Brazil, France, Spain, Portugal and Belgium have that too.

Who is Brazil's in form out and out striker? Jesus is not in form and doesn't look up to it. Firmino is not currently first choice, is not an out and out striker and is at his best by doing the donkey work to create space for others.

As for Belgium's, he folds when the going gets tough.

Has Harry Kane even won any trophies?

[shark]

Second would be a great place for England to end up in this group.

There's a real chance of the draw opening up for them.

They should be able to stroll through the rest of the group without much pressure and a draw against Belgium for a second place finish would do them fine.

There's nothing particularly intimidating in Group H as regards possible last 16 ties.

Colombia would be tricky opponents but they're beatable. I'd fancy England against Poland or Senegal. If Mexico win Group F, there's a big chance England could reach a semi-final by going that route.

They have what a lot of teams in the tournament don't have - an out and out striker who is in-form.

Brazil, France, Spain, Portugal and Belgium have that too.

Who is Brazil's in form out and out striker? Jesus is not in form and doesn't look up to it. Firmino is not currently first choice, is not an out and out striker and is at his best by doing the donkey work to create space for others.

As for Belgium's, he folds when the going gets tough.

Has Harry Kane even won any trophies?

It's a team sport. His scoring record is superb.

However, history has shown that having an out and out scoring centre forward is not a prerequisite to winning the World Cup. For Ronaldo 2002, see Guivarc'h 1998.

[trailer]

Did England create a chance after the break bar the goal? I can't remember one. They looked tired and out of ideas. Sterling a passenger.
Kane is the man, his finish for the 2nd wasn't easy. It would have been so easy to head that straight at the keeper. However, it's a win and they should kick on. Panama look well below this level. Belgium will provide a different test of course but one that as others have said they may not necessarily need to overcome.

[GJL]

Second would be a great place for England to end up in this group.

There's a real chance of the draw opening up for them.

They should be able to stroll through the rest of the group without much pressure and a draw against Belgium for a second place finish would do them fine.

There's nothing particularly intimidating in Group H as regards possible last 16 ties.

Colombia would be tricky opponents but they're beatable. I'd fancy England against Poland or Senegal. If Mexico win Group F, there's a big chance England could reach a semi-final by going that route.

They have what a lot of teams in the tournament don't have - an out and out striker who is in-form.

I can see Belgium beating them convincingly. Much more talent in the Belgium team if they can gel together...

[thewobbler]

Second would be a great place for England to end up in this group.

There's a real chance of the draw opening up for them.

They should be able to stroll through the rest of the group without much pressure and a draw against Belgium for a second place finish would do them fine.

There's nothing particularly intimidating in Group H as regards possible last 16 ties.

Colombia would be tricky opponents but they're beatable. I'd fancy England against Poland or Senegal. If Mexico win Group F, there's a big chance England could reach a semi-final by going that route.

They have what a lot of teams in the tournament don't have - an out and out striker who is in-form.

I can see Belgium beating them convincingly. Much more talent in the Belgium team if they can gel together...

No doubt Belgium have 2-3 really top class players and a pretty useful first XI. Hence all these clever* people tipping them as underdogs.

But Chadli came on for them yesterday. He'd be lucky to make the Irish bench. So the depth isn't there to change things up, or sustain the loss of starting players. Which is why they won't win a World Cup, and a match vs England is effectively a coin toss. Especially so as Martinez is a f**king idiot.


* it never fails to amaze me how many people over the last 5 years, after having noticed that Hazard and De Bruyne hail from the same country, have taken to social media to proclaim Belgium as dark horses for everything. And always with an air of superior knowledge.