The College Dropout

It's the kind of goal Hart would concede but Pickford has been saving.

Fairly wasteful too. Stick Kane in there and they win tonight. Agreed, they were unlucky.

Coutinho Hazard Firmino To answer your question, I think Brazil has been going through a "lack" of talent for like a decade now if you don't count Neymar. Looking at their squads in 2014 and 2010 in Wikipedia and their forwards in 2014 were Neymar, Hulk, Fred, Bernard and Jo. 2010 it was Robinho, Luis Fabiano, Nilmar and Grafite. That's just pure garbage compared to the 1994-2006 WC squads unless nostalgia messes with my memory. They had a good squad this time. Pretty unlucky today. Casemiro suspended. Jammy OG. Alves injured. Missed some sitters. Should've had a penalty. Maybe they lack another midfielder with Coutinho's quality,. The football in the second half was as good as it gets sometimes. Marcelo and Douglas Costa were superb. Some of the moves between Neymar, Coutinho and Marcelo was excellent. Belgium simply scored more goals when they were on top. It's a fairly old squad though. That defence doesn't come back in 2022. Going forward there seems to be talent coming through. They could do with more CM's that can play. In general, aye European teams are further ahead. Germany, France, Spain and Belgium keep pumping out tremendous talent currently.

You tend to think of players at the end of their careers rather than their peak. Those players at those ages in 2012.. a lot would walk into this team. Hart Terry Cole Gerrard Parker Milner AOC Would all be in this team. Even someone like Lescott we think of as kind of a good CB now but at the time many thought he was really good. Likewise 2012 Debuchy Evra Ribery Benzema Lloris Would start. In 2012, Nasri was a fantastic player.

Brazil look like they mean business here.

People have such static views on football. Martinez is a studious football manager with strengths and weaknesses. That become apparent based on the situation. I’m honestly not sure of how much club management has in correlation with nations team management. Ditto managing Real or Barnet - different skill set requests.

It's been so long since i've had this much fun with England. Let's be honest. The team isn't very good. But they have an excellent opportunity to do well. I'm just enjoying the excitement. The country is in a great mood. You don't have to win the World Cup to enjoy it. The quality of football... England wise.. barely matters.

We've nee done any of those things the whole tournament (except play through a shit Panama). We've generally started brightly for 35 minutes. Do that again - score and it's great. We've also been dangerous at set-pieces. Suspect Sweden are better equipped to deal with that than the other teams. We've got a rick at that back in us, not sure if Sweden can convert.

Aye. They beat very good German and France sides to win the tournament. Arguably, Brazil had the easiest run in living memory in 2002. Group: Turkey (red card) Costa Rica China Belgium (bang average) England (jammy goal.. controlled performance but fairly tight against a decent side) Turkey Germany (a weaker Germany side at that) If not for the cheating against S. Korea. Italy would've had a great chance at making that final in 2002.

Think we look far better with Sterling in the side. Sterling, Lingard and Alli are all about off the ball movement, making runs. Of the 3, Sterling is most comfortable carrying the ball and linking play so he's crucial. I think Zaha would've been perfect for this side. Someone that actually wants to get on the ball from deep and move it forward. That ship has forever sailed.

Feels let down and not supported enough in that tax stuff by Perez. Perez also slow in offering him new contract with bigger bucks. Essentially he’s fallen out with Perez. Normally they make up an he gets a new contract but this feel different.

Go to bed you're drunk. Who? I would say KDB would get in at CM

Played 2 decent sides. Created at most, 3 good chances from open play. It’s a concern.

I was more of the view that we decided to sit on the lead and found it hard to snap out of that going into extra time. When we went for it again in the last 15 of ET we created chances. The first half of normal time was always likely to be tight, as most of the other games have been. I don't think we should go that defensive when leading again, it almost worked but you have to give yourself a chance of catching them on the break. I'm very positive about the quarter final like, you'd imagine our players will be bouncing now and the pen thing is a massive monkey off our back too. Nothing to fear now. Didn't create a chance in open play in 120 minutes. I can't think of any. Dier was from a corner iirc. Lingard took a dive when a decent opportunity presented itself. Danny Rose? Aye, Rose. Think the point stands. We struggle to create.

I was more of the view that we decided to sit on the lead and found it hard to snap out of that going into extra time. When we went for it again in the last 15 of ET we created chances. The first half of normal time was always likely to be tight, as most of the other games have been. I don't think we should go that defensive when leading again, it almost worked but you have to give yourself a chance of catching them on the break. I'm very positive about the quarter final like, you'd imagine our players will be bouncing now and the pen thing is a massive monkey off our back too. Nothing to fear now. Didn't create a chance in open play in 120 minutes. I can't think of any. Dier was from a corner iirc. Lingard took a dive when a decent opportunity presented itself.

Can't think of any proper CM i'd have ahead of Modric or Kroos tbf.

Refereeing in this tournament has been extremely lenient in the main. One red card? Could easily have had 5 or 6 an this is another example. Someone is going to get seriously hurt sooner or later.

Gutted.

Isco is much more direct for Spain than he is for Madrid. I'm not his biggest fan in a Madrid shirt, always slowing things down. I prefer watching Asensio or James. But for Spain he's a delight.

I know they're friendlies, but weve played Brazil, France, Germany, Italy and Holland in the last year. Only losing to France. That's why I said competitively on purpose. Different game entirely imo. But yesterday’s game wasn’t competitive. Belgium fielded their B team like us. Okey doke. My belief is it'll be a mistake long term but who knows. I agree with this.

I know they're friendlies, but weve played Brazil, France, Germany, Italy and Holland in the last year. Only losing to France. That's why I said competitively on purpose. Different game entirely imo. Aye but also Belgium didn't treat it like a competitive game either. Colombia is a real test. Could easily lose.

The handball was a pen.

Would like to get Japan if possible. Can see us losing to either Senegal or Colombia.

They're playing Carrasco at LWB. And of course, managed by Roberto Martinez. They will concede goals too.

Aye, so disappointed it didn't work out at Real. Proper old school #10 - give him the ball and he'll do damage. One of my favourite players.