Wullie

Don't think anyone believes it will be easy. Is James going to be injured?

How is it arrogant to want an easier draw? Don't get that at all. It's literally no different at all to wanting an easier draw in any cup competition.

Fuck me.

Fellaini tried for an even more blatant yellow just before the first. Didn't get it mainly because I've got money on him.

Surely Japan is preferable to Colombia? Not what I mean. I've seen a lot of talk like we should just throw the game, as if we're that damn good. We're not. Don't get me wrong, we might well be coming into a new phase of development and getting better, but a 6-1 defeat of Panama should not be prompting wild assumptions of class. You know Belgium have put a second string out and their manager has said the priority is not to win? Well, no, I don't, but that's not really what I'm talking about. I'm not after some heavy discussion either, just find this attitude that we're even in the position to choose whether we win or lose quite fanciful. Well it's not fanciful if the other team is trying to chuck the game. It's a question of do we let them or do we try and do the same. I think it's fairly moot now that Colombia are next for the second place, it's become much more tricky.

Surely Japan is preferable to Colombia? Not what I mean. I've seen a lot of talk like we should just throw the game, as if we're that damn good. We're not. Don't get me wrong, we might well be coming into a new phase of development and getting better, but a 6-1 defeat of Panama should not be prompting wild assumptions of class. You know Belgium have put a second string out and their manager has said the priority is not to win?

Perhaps if he were playing.

So if England draw tonight but pick up one less card and win the group, they've got a chance of winning the tournament as group winners, but one extra card, finish second, then they've less chance on the basis of history despite having, on paper, more favourable fixtures? What an odd point of view.

Mexico going out today would surely have merited some sort of stewards enquiry.

How do you propose fixing it when it's based on group performance?

Even moreso if Japan win H, it'll be a farce.

France are fucking shite and I hope Messi bins them out.

Best player so far is probably Modric.

That's fair enough but "we'll have to play a good team eventually so might as well be now" is a ludicrous position to take in a tournament with a maximum of four games left. Portugal finished third (third!) in their Euros group then played Croatia, Poland and Wales on their way to the final. At no point were they thinking "ffs we'll have to play France in the final so wish we were playing Germany instead of Wales".

FFS Mitro

I don't see what the last Euros have to do with it. It's a bit like saying "we got knocked out the FA Cup last year by Rotherham so I'm not bothered that we've drawn Chelsea in this year's third round" If Brazil win their group and Japan win H, it's 100% in England's interests to finish second. No amount of moral grandstanding about playing to win will change that. We'll not get a bonus goal for it to help us against Brazil while Belgium face Sweden for a place in the WC semi final. Personally I think Belgium are likely to fuck the game off and we'll play in the spirit of the game, win, and regret it later.

We'll already know our potential R16 opponents by then as well.

I don't like it but that goal really shows the benefit of VAR when it's a decision similar to goalline technology, a black or white decision, rather than a dodgy handball or debatable holding in the box.

Didn't realise they finished bottom. :lol:

That was fucking class. Same tonight for Brazil please Mitro.

FFS

https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2018/jun/26/david-squires-on-hostility-culture-and-nordic-noir-at-the-world-cup-brazil-germany-var Batshuayi

It will go to half odds I think, as he's level with one other player. Optimistic Nut's the expert, think he had about an 8-fold winner one year but most were level, ended up with about twelve quid.

Mine's for £100, Son, Mitro, Neymar, Lukaku and Guerrero (settled as a level winner) Also need Brazil/Switzerland, Germany/Sweden and Colombia/Senegal to qualify for £135 off 50p. Don't see Sweden going through but stranger things have happened.