Wullie

Imagine how Nikola Kalinic feels.

Off to bed, I'm so pissed off. What a fuck up of a wonderful opportunity. Cannot get my head round Kane fluffing that double chance in the first half.

RLC should have been on for Alli, don't think Alli's played well in the tournament at all.

Perisic as well, no?

Absolute catastrophe given the first half performance. Should have been out of sight.

What a fucking cock up. Those first half chances were far too good to pass up.

We've blown this like.

Really need to kill them off here, missed some great chances in that first half. It'll come back and bite us if it stays 1-0.

That prediction's got me worried as you've been so positive about England before now.

Aye Just Fontaine. They used to score shitloads back in the day with less teams.

Fucking Griezmann. Been a funny Golden Boot like, after 2 games Kane had 5, Lukaku had 4 and Ronaldo had 4 and they only managed one between them after that.

I very much doubt anyone sensible thinks that tbh. I think the fact they're an aging squad with two lots of extra time in their legs could be the thing that gives us the edge.

Did you just add Switzerland to give them an extra point?

Kramaric was briefly at Leicester, think that might be the lot.

Can't see Almere City wanting Harry Kane.

In terms of lucky breaks on the field we've basically not had or needed any tbh. The only luck you can really say we've had is Germany not winning their group.

I know what point you're making Bluf but people forget how much of the stuff about "unstoppable" World Cup winners is written in hindsight. Spain could easily have gone out of the 2010 World Cup if Paraguay hadn't missed a penalty against them. They also lost their first game. France in 1998 needed a defender to score an extra time winner vs Paraguay following a goalless draw, penalties to beat Italy (after another goalless draw) then another defender to score a brace against Croatia in the semi final having gone behind. World Cup winners who look good all the way through is almost unheard of.

In what many ways have England been lucky?

Fucking hell that's outrageous. So modern Britain to cash in like that.

It's one of the highest paid jobs in world football.

There's a bit of a narrative that this England side is made up of lesser players than previous squads and maybe that's true but 9 of the typical 11 play for the top four that we have all accepted as being miles ahead of everyone else in the Premier League. They're extremely good players, just less decorated than Lampard and Gerrard et al.

Southgate did drop Rooney, Bluf. His first squad binned him iirc. It would be the ultimate redemption story for him to bring the World Cup home after missing that penalty, I love that the commentary featuring his name is in the 1998 version of Three Lions which has become so ubiquitous. I disagree with HTT that we're the weakest of the four sides left incidentally, I think that's Croatia. They're absolutely not crap like Sweden but nor are they France, they're not that good and we should feel confident.

Was never really in doubt. Grew in confidence after the first and it ended up being really comfortable. Pickford made a few great saves to keep it that way. Saw one Pickford save, was fucking amazing. Still not keeper of the tournament probs on NO. Arguably Southgates best decision making that lad number one, paying out like crazy. Anyone who says he's been owt but brilliant is a mug. The second save today in particular was cracking. Can't stand the pair of the little bastards but fair play, him and Henderson have been superb. We'd have been in big trouble against Croatia if Henderson had got booked today, he's held the midfield together.

Who the fuck goes to Madame Tussaud's during a World Cup quarter final?

Can't do us much harm Croatia having played 120 x 2. Half of them could hardly walk by the end.