Beren

Ahead of who?

Drawn a few compliments at work I'll have you know The picture must have been misleading. Think the match will depend on how long we keep a clean sheet for - if we concede early, I can see head's dropping. If we can stay in the game for long enough to get a foothold, it could be something of a competition if we can raise our game. The character of the dressing room will be under the microscope - after getting thrashed by six last time, you'd expect (or rather hope for!) some fire and guts on show to put things right and to restore some professional pride - not cowardly fouls or Cattermolesque aggression or anything like that, but some discipline and hard graft.

Going from the pre-match thread, Cardiff away. Aye, pretty much any game we've won in the last 12 months. Anyway, quite looking forward to this. Feels like an absolute age since I was last at St James'. I'm talking about when we expect to get spanked. The players seem to think like this as well and just don't even bother. City and Liverpool last season being the latest examples. And we're saying, on here at least, that's every game. Having a quick browse through the first few pages of the thread, no one really predicted getting spanked off Cardiff except you.

Look forward to seeing your 12 game charts, HF

For the sake of balance there's still a lot of really good moments, usually mid-game when you forget about all that other stuff, watching a couple of good sides knocking it about nicely. Then Motson speaks or something and the illusion shatters, or someone you wanted to like dives or something but there are pure moments still.

Good rant that

Too grim, Wullie

I know Neil has been keen to get on that betting horse recently, but this is fucking ridiculous. Tight cunt wouldn't even bet Neil money (that was quite funny in fairness).

No one.

Can't wait to see Valderrama, like.

Chile have been class for ages. Great team to watch.

Chelsea bought him and are loaning him to Maritimo for twelve seasons.

Looking the fucking part, man.

Rooney has tried to be as clever as Sturridge a few times and ended up looking silly a few times.

Fucker doesn't do shit in my fantasy team and does this for England. Been class tonight. The new blood looks class. This is what you get without the barry, lampard, Milner and gerrards.

Sturridge really looks the part. Continue to be impressed by the guy.

Goooooolazo

Lampard and Gerrard, holding the future of England back since 2006

Bergkamp seemed incapable of scoring ugly goals tbf.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24481016 Ashley will be falling out of his reinforced load-bearing chair to reach for the phone to lowball them with a £4m final offer.

Surprisingly low number of young English lads on loan abroad. We should send Sammy and Dummett to La Liga if we're not giving them enough action.

They beat Spain (in a friendly) playing like Chelsea did in the Champions League IIRC so there may be something to that. Better equipped to win a tournament like Greece did than most teams if you think about it. Best shot too. The groundwork to win a trophy any other way won't come about for a long, long time

Forecasting the performance/achievements of national sides based on personnel seems a bit outdated to me. It's about teams and how well players interact together. Look at France (and to a lesser extent) England. They have enough good players to be dominant forces in football, but barely manage to look more convincing than your Russias/Swedens/Uruguays etc (if at all). Seen nothing as yet to suggest that Belgium can threaten Germany/Spain in terms of dominance. They're a threat for traditionally bigger teams in one-off ties by virtue of the calibre of their players, but in terms of over a tournament they're as unproven as they've ever been IMO.