Paullow

They'd won 3 on the spin and crazily were still among the top 6 or 7 favourites to make the playoffs before the match started, so now they have a proper manager, not realistic contenders to go down, but the big man didn't half try his best. 1 win in 13 for that team FFS

Gerrin, marra. 1-2

Big Rogic. 1-1.

1-0 pen. Diallo. If they win tonight they're just a point off the playoffs.

Didn't realise that Diallo cost 25m Euro's rising to 40m when he joined MU less than 2 years ago.

'Anarrr video' instead of 'another video' always cracks me up . Never heard anyone say it like that before.

It's not ideal. The Watford match is a full minute behind live play, one commentator, one camera angle, and no replays, proper budget stuff. It's likely to do with their women's push, and wanting to prioritise that, and any goodwill that follows, but you'd think if they were worried about taking viewers away from the WSL, they would just not show the Championship match at all.

There will be people much more clued up than me, but just looking at recent statistics, it doesn't really seem that way. Wolves were just promoted into the third tier 18 months ago, and they topped the league in their first season last season winning 18 and drawing 5 of their 24 league games, before losing in the playoff to remain in the same league this year. They could have obviously thrown relatively obscene amounts of money at it, but it does show you can make the step up, considering they are currently top this season. Brighouse Town were also promoted that season and had a record of 11 wins and 7 draws from their 24 matches, and a GD of +20, so again, made a fair fist of it. Liverpool Feds just pipped Newcastle to promotion last season by 3 points and they are currently sitting in midtable having won 3 and drawn 3 of their 10 matches, including a draw against Wolves, and follow promoted side Boldmere have 10 points from 10 games and outside the relegation zone. Newcastle just don't seem to be doing as well this season for whatever reason, which is quite surprising considering they are getting a lot more coverage this year. Last year they won 18 and drew 2 of their 22 league games, 56 points, and a +69 GD which was by far the best GD in the league. Whereas this season, it is currently W6 D1 L2 from their 9 games, and just +7 GD, so mainly winning matches by 1 or 2 goals, and a few last minute winners, rather than an average of 3 and 4 last year, and they'd have to win 12 and draw 1 of their remaining 13 matches just to match the record of last season. Not sure if other teams are just stronger this year and there's more competition, but it does seem far more of a struggle this year at this stage.

Watford vs Hull just about to start on the Sky Sports red button. Proper budget coverage.

Anyone else constantly getting the sides mixed up?

The use of him during this tournament was an absolute disgrace. Newcastle may not have a top 4 reputation (yet), but with 20 wins and 8 draws in their 34 matches of 2022, Newcastle have been a top 4 team throughout this calendar year, and he has been an absolutely enormous part of that rise up the table. Perhaps bar Joelinton, he has been the most important and effective front 6 player since he arrived, so he is an absolute catalyst for a side who have effectively been a top side, not a bit player for a 'big 6' club, pretty much the main man and heartbeat. I still don't know what was going on in that Cameroon match. Someone on here mentioned he may have been earmarked to start the L16 match should Neymar not be ready in time, and that may well be the case, but it ended up backfiring badly. Not only did he end up being pretty much the only outfield player not to start a match for them (bearing in mind they made 9 changes in that match), when he came on he was obviously trying massively to make an impression, and ended up being a scapegoat, and was never seen since, so ended up not even starting the 'reserve' match, and barely amassing 60 (substitute) minutes in total in their 5+ matches. He's now 25 as well, so not as if he's some young'un who they'll try and ease in slowly. Pathetic really.

Anyone else hate this penalty camera angle they're using for all the pen shootouts, or just me?

These 10 knockout matches thus far have either been heavy beatdowns or penalty shootouts, pretty much nothing in between, bar slight Aussie resistance late on vs Argentina the other day.

WOW

I'll be watching the next match more neutrally now as well now that the Brazil vs Argentina carrot is no longer in play. Extremely likely to be yet another European winner if the Netherlands progress, and could be the second time in a row that the 4 SFists were from Europe. Morocco could still have something to say though.

Should get Bruno definitely back for Leicester, and hopefully Bournemouth now as well (if required).

Not sure who I want to win this one. Brazil's name in the SF would add more to the tournament, and I would like to see them vs Argentina in the SF, but on the other hand, I do feel sorry for Bruno, so kind of a nose to spite situation, plus we'd obviously get him back a lot earlier if they lost today and didn't have some sort of match next weekend. Maybe swinging slightly more towards hoping Croatia come through.

Looking forward to the matches restarting though, only two days, but a big miss.

No surprise obviously, but no Bruno in the XI. I'm not sure we'll see him again unless they play in the 3rd place playoff.

It won't be, but it sounds so much like Don Hutchinson.

This won't go down too well after the whole Bramall Lane thing

It'll be a come down after 17 successive days of World Cup action, but I'll give it a go.

England fans - With Portugal playing Morocco on Saturday afternoon before England play France, would you prefer Morocco to win that one to potentially set up a more favourable SF should England win, or would you rather Portugal won so that if England did lose, then France vs Portugal would look like a more intriguing and anticipated SF? I think I'd prefer Portugal to win personally.

So 6 largely comfortable L16 wins, some of them extremely comfortable, and 2 penalty shootouts - there wasn't much middle ground involved. 7 favourites progressing, and one betting upset. Should make for some decent QFs. Obviously the matches have slowly eased off these past 8 days, first with the 2 matches simultaneously, and then dropping to only 2 matches a day these past 4 days, but strange to think there will be no World Cup football now until Friday.

That was a bit like Shearer vs Aston Villa. Didn't realise it hit the post. Fancy Morocco on pens now unfortunately. Still a chance here, but Spain's campaign has gone downhill a fair bit after that 7-0.