A Tunisia win today would spice the group up a little.
A Tunisia win today would spice the group up a little.
Belgium will win.
Lol at Witsel and Carrasco playing in China.
Belgium's movement's going to be tough for us to contain. They could do well in this.
Tunisia look terrible.
Could be an absolute shellacking here. Tunisia wise open again and Belgium are taking their chances where we didn’t. Also prime candidates for a red card or two.
Hopefully my golden boot pick Lukaku racks em up
Tunisia are terrible. Did you not watch the first 25 minutes or whatever it was of the England game?
Hopefully Belgium smash the cunts. I couldn't care less about winning the group. Coming 2nd may be better for us at this rate.
That was class from Lukaku. Shame such a thoroughly likeable player has to play for Man U.
That was a tidy finish.
Lukaku in this sort of form is so good. If he can sort his consistency out he's going to be incredible for us.
Hopefully he dies on the pitch.
Wtf is this song thing?
If Roberto Martinez wins the World Cup will Yev have to commit seppuku?
Well, if Frank reckons we can hold this lot, I'm sold.
Phil seething with Khazri scoring after slagging him the whole game.
Phil is easily the worst commentator at the whole tournament.
At one point he said the Hazard wasn't captain material (returning only a 3% bump to inspiration) then said he thrived on the responsibility.
Yeah, I wonder if being a manager has now inflated his head a little more.
I liked his point that the late Tunisia goal would give England hope. Yep, I'm fully convinced that if Belgium are 4 goals up, we'll be able to carve up a sitter for Sterling to miss.
Yup. Because defending at 5-1 is the same as defending at 0-0, Phil.
It’s just a shame that Belgium will eventually capitulate to one of the top teams
We would do well to win 1-0 tomorrow and then play the reserves vs Belgium.
The best result for England is going to be a convincing win vs Panama (but not enough to over turn the goal difference in our favour) and then a draw vs Belgium with reserves playing.
The route to the semi finals looks as good as you could hope for (for whoever finished second).
Playing the reserves.
Why would we not play the reserves in a game where losing is the best outcome for us?
I'd only put a decent squad out if smash nine past Panama and hold out on goal difference.
There's a difference between putting the reserves out, and resting some of the more important players. I wouldn't advocate Kane not playing, but the wingbacks probably need a rest at some point and if that's not today then Belgium would be a time to do it. I would agree that making 11 changes, losing to Belgium and then getting bunted by whoever in the last 16 would be a bad outcome - but winning against Belgium might be just as bad depending on how the draw goes.
The way this world cup is going you still wouldn't know what way things would work out so I'd be going for keeping winning and let the chips fall as they may.
Looking at most of the supposed contenders there is absolutely nothing for England to fear playing any of them.
I can’t wait for us to lose to Panama so this is all irrelevant.
And further to your point if said team is England who haven't remotely earned the right to be trying to game anything.
For today (assuming Southgate isn't changing the system) I'd probablybe aiming to start Kane and then if we build up a healthy lead and he's scored get Vardy on, maybe rest Young for Rose and start Loftus-Cheek. With big gaps you don't need wholesale resting to be the driver for changing your team so much as "who else do we want to give some minutes?" vs. "how much do we want to dick about with the team?"
The beeb having Sterling starting.
Assuming we win today we will have earned the right. Obviously they aren’t two tough teams but we have qualified with a game to spare so we can do what we want in the last game.
By the time it happens we will also know where all the chips have fallen.
If winning means a quarter final against the winner of Brazil/Germany then fuck that.
Maybe not, but there is no sense in forcing a situation where we face the big guns earlier than necessary. Getting to the semis facing “lesser” sides and then facing two top teams is obviously preferable to facing three top sides.
Talking about deliberately drawing/losing (if that's what's happening) is a bit mad, I think. And if Brazil/whoever finish 2nd in their group, there's a reason for that. So why should we fear them more than the team who finishes 1st?
It’s all rather irrelevant because assuming Belgium don’t throw the game, we aren’t beating them.
I love how sky pretend football isn't on when international tournaments are on. Fuck them.
Depends on what happens. If Serbia hammer Brazil and Switzerland do the same to Costa Rica, then yeah, why not. Not that I think that's likely.
If that happens, Brazil are out.