World Cup 2018

[Tom]

Just now, RevidgeBlue said:

Best thing about tonight is the penalty hoodoo has been buried and the players know they can go through that way if all else fails.

Indeed, we found ourselves in a situation where we would have normally gone out and we’ve come through it.

 

[philipl]

Two immense saves by Pickford.

Shame that stop in the 92nd minute got eclipsed by the goal from the resulting corner but that in my book is the save of the World Cup so far.

Then the penalty save.

Pickford showing he was the right pick after all.

[Baz]

Phew!

Totally deserved to win in normal time, but we where hanging in from the point we put Dier on and stopped being positive.

Colombia deserve to go home after so much dirtyness, but I'm still worried we create very little from open play. On the other hand we look better than an Allardyce team from set pieces.  

Sweden next up, tough opponent, much better in the air too, so may negate that specific threat. 

Thought Stones was very good in particular tonight.

[roverandout]

10 minutes ago, toogs said:

The board contrarians are out in force. Quite sad.

True..lets enjoy the moment

[Vinjay]

The so called "penalty curse" is it anything more than cherry picking? England won a penalty shootout in Euro 96 (granted at that point there was only one significant penalty shootout loss 6 years prior) so it's hardly implausible. I think there's something to be said about the mental aspects having failed England in the past (you could argue that in general) but the current players shouldn't have that weight constantly hanging over them. In WC 98 yeah Batty missed but I think that was more about him not being a naturally brilliant penalty taken than some curse. In 1996 it was SOUTHGATE of all people (LOL at that irony now he's the one to end this "curse" right?) and he wasn't a brilliant natural taker either. The other penalties since to be honest I've forgotten who missed/failed.

Why am I being controversial ladyboys? Try sticking to some other of the posts on this thread though guess it's "controversial" to call them out as well?Just suggesting the criticism of Colombia might be excessive. If that's controversial then bloody hell must be losing my touch. ? I didn't watch the game but knowing posters on here like I do it's hardly a stretch to wonder if the claims aren't a bit exaggerated. 

Edited July 3, 2018 by Vinjay17

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I was pleased to see that cheats don't prosper. Colombia behaved disgracefully. The furore around the penalty was disgraceful. FIFA should do something about that but they won't.

Having said that apart from a decent early spell we were very very average. The transition between the midfield and the front players disappeared for long periods of the game. It was just hit and hope. Henderson must have picked the ball up from the defence and then given it them back again more times than he passed it forwards. Lingard and Alli contributed very little and failed to give Harry Kane much support. Lingard in particular looked like a boy playing against men. Sterling was Sterling, just running down blind alleys 

Trippier who has been one of our best so far had one of his poorer nights. Walker made his usual horrendous clanger but we got away with it. Stones was ok, McGuire was excellent. Young doesn't do enough for me but he's obviously well in with the management team.

Kane led by example as captain and bought us lots of free kick situations. His penalties were exceptional. Pickford made an awesome save in ordinary time and managed to save the all important penalty.

For once our set pieces didn't look as threatening as they have been in the previous games. The delivery of the ball was just not quite there. It's a worry that we seem to lack a goal threat away from set pieces.

On to Sweden then. It won't be a game like tonight thankfully and we can win this one. I just think that we could get shown up once we meet a good footballing side.

Edited July 3, 2018 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Silas]

13 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Why? He made a deliberate choice to avoid Brazil in the QF and took the risk of playing a  much harder last 16 tie. If you gave me the same choice again I still Wouldn't do it.

He got away with it just about but having gone down that route has to see the job through now

I think you should start supporting a different country as your hearts clearly not in it. 

[roverandout]

Sweden will be a different test but they are hard but fair..no cheating..no rolling around..no surrounding the ref..they are everything these cheating heffers arent..will be a real english cuptie

[Vinjay]

17 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Why? He made a deliberate choice to avoid Brazil in the QF and took the risk of playing a  much harder last 16 tie. If you gave me the same choice again I still Wouldn't do it.

He got away with it just about but having gone down that route has to see the job through now

Oh come on Revidge didn't think you would pander to this simplistic rubbish. As for "avoiding" Brazil if you're so damn scared of them isn't it just "prolonging the exit" anyway. 

I honestly tire of this rubbish about penalty curses and such. It's a knockout tournament. 4 years ago Germany won the damn thing now they have 2 poor games and that's it. Brazil had one of the most humiliating things in the history of football happen to them (and that's no hyperbole) but 4 years later they seem to be getting over it and believe me the scars from that were worse than losing a shootout for the Brazilian public. In all likelihood though nobody has "curses" or things to get over. They just need to have a few good games and get lucky whether "avoiding" anyone or not. As if losing to Belgium was a "deliberate choice" that's just laughable and mind numbingly disrespectful.

[Vinjay]

Just now, roverandout said:

Sweden will be a different test but they are hard but fair..no cheating..no rolling around..no surrounding the ref..they are everything these cheating heffers arent..will be a real english cuptie

Be interesting to see the reaction on here if Olsson dives and Sweden benefit...?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, Vinjay17 said:

Be interesting to see the reaction on here if Olsson dives and Sweden benefit...?

How about commenting on tonights game.

[AllRoverAsia]

2 minutes ago, roverandout said:

Sweden will be a different test but they are hard but fair..no cheating..no rolling around..no surrounding the ref..they are everything these cheating heffers arent..will be a real english cuptie

Sweden are a hard working but bang average outfit. Today they were consistently fouling the Swiss and diving for fun. They put Neymar to shame. They will be a major test for us.

[Vinjay]

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

How about commenting on tonights game.

I have commented on it. Bit hard when you didn't watch it but tried all the same. 

There's always been double standards over diving on here and while I've never really endorsed cheating it's never been something I've relentlessly confronted either. Did I care when Olsson dived? No. Did I care when Diouf dived and people kept whining on about it (and to be fair some of his other personality traits) after he signed here? No. It had no long term implications besides being virtually the only thing I can remember about such a dull game. I would still rather seeing someone dive and win a penalty than being cancelled out with this VAR (at least we don't have to call it "technology" in every sentence now as if it's on a par with rocket science) trash. Took a dig at Ashley Young recently on here for his history of diving so yeah maybe there's some hypocrisy there when it's convenient. Thing is though as I've said it's not something I go out of my way to endorse (or condemn) to begin with.

Edited July 3, 2018 by Vinjay17

[perthblue02]

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

How about commenting on tonights game.

No let him carry on , I'm waiting to see how he jumps from bald albinos (a strange one in itself) to Northcote, Walker Trust or FUP (free unripened pickles ? ) via Alex Ferguson / Man Utd

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, Vinjay17 said:

I have commented on it. Bit hard when you didn't watch it but tried all the same. 

There's always been double standards over diving on here and while I've never really endorsed cheating it's never been something I've relentlessly confronted either. Did I care when Olsson dived? No. Did I care when Diouf dived and people kept whining on about it (and to be fair some of his other personality traits) after he signed here? No. It had no long term implications besides being virtually the only thing I can remember about such a dull game. I would still rather seeing someone dive and win a penalty than being cancelled out with this VAR (at least we don't have to call it "technology" in every sentence now as if it's on a par with rocket science) trash. Took a dig at Ashley Young recently on here for his history of diving so yeah maybe there's some hypocrisy there when it's convenient. Thing is though as I've said it's not something I go out of my way to endorse (or condemn) to begin with.

I can't stand divers whatever shirt they're wearing. That's the next thing that wants removing from the game.

 

[Audax]

Crowd against England, no one has commented on that, crowd was for Colombians, I'm sure a lot of Colombians were there but I wonder if some Russians might have joined in? Big bend but don't break moment, I'd say overall, England's best World Cup match since 2002...2006, drew Sweden in the group stage, I think Sweden, diving or fouling or not, are going to be a challenge and after all, defeated Switzerland.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, Audax said:

Crowd against England, no one has commented on that, crowd was for Colombians, I'm sure a lot of Colombians were there but I wonder if some Russians might have joined in? Big bend but don't break moment, I'd say overall, England's best World Cup match since 2002...2006, drew Sweden in the group stage, I think Sweden, diving or fouling or not, are going to be a challenge and after all, defeated Switzerland.

It'll be more like our normal opposition. How good can they be if Ollsen can get a game ?

Edited July 3, 2018 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[jim mk2]

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

It'll be more like our normal opposition. How good can they be if Ollsen can get a game ?

 

Answer: very good.

We have a poor record against Sweden. I'm expecting an even tougher match than tonight's 

[Audax]

2 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

It'll be more like our normal opposition. How good can they be if Ollsen can get a game ?

Good enough to win a group with Germany and Mexico and South Korea and defeat a team that drew Brazil in Switzerland. Sweden is nothing to sneeze at, they just seem to have missed a lot of World Cups.

[Audax]

Draws with Sweden in the '02 and '06 World Cup:

http://eloratings.net/England

I will check more later.

One thing it seems to me, we are in a new phase of the World Cup and it appears a new stage in the England team.

There really hasn't been a World Cup much like this one. Some were very good,  Argentina '78 or  Spain '82 though I didn't see much of the latter.

 

 

 

 

[SBlue]

59 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

Well done England.

As I predicted earlier Harry scored. In fact he got two.

I also knew Henderson would miss his spot kick 

When Dier showed for his penalty I cried.....but that was before he took it...

Southgate is a God and should be Knighted for producing an England team that can win a penalty shootout.

What the hell happens to Sterling with England? He was useless and so sadly were Lingard and Ali. They were out of their depth with what was going on around them.

Tripper should have jumped and cleared their goal.

Pickford played well and I doubted him before.

What a dirty bunch of xxxxs Colombia are. See Ya.

Almost 45% of all goals scored so far have been from set play or pens. We are good at BOTH.

It really is a game of opinions. Sterling in particular, I thought, was excellent.

 

1 hour ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Why? He made a deliberate choice to avoid Brazil in the QF and took the risk of playing a  much harder last 16 tie. If you gave me the same choice again I still Wouldn't do it.

He got away with it just about but having gone down that route has to see the job through now

If we win it you’ll say we had it easy.

[Ladyboys of Bank Top]

Let's hope Brolin isn't playing. We really were shit back then. Keith Curle at full back. Horrific. 

[chaddyrovers]

Really did enjoy England win tonight. 

Southgate deserves huge credit for tonight win. 

[joey_big_nose]

For what it's worth I though first half we played okay, moved well and passed okay, and improved sligtly in the second half. We controlled he game without ever looking very threatening. No shots on target as others have said. The Colombian two centre backs were superb, kept on clearing or just getting their heads on the final ball in. Must have denied Maguire 3 times.

Then last 10 mins and first half of extra time it was all Colombia. I genuinely thought we were out. Rashford coming on made a difference and we got back in control. But couldn't score and then  never thought we would win on penalties ever.

On Colombians being dirty, they were disgraceful. But Young could easily have had a red card for going over the top of the ball. We didn't cover ourselves in glory. Quite a few of our players lost their cool.

Sweden are the sort of team we typically succeed against. But we will see. 

[jim mk2]

Just now, joey_big_nose said:

 

Sweden are the sort of team we typically succeed against. But we will see. 

Have you looked at our record against Sweden - it's very poor.