Double post

Oops ! But good 'Blushing emojii'

Pure and simple corruption by those who make the rules, interpet them and then sit in judgement. Makes me puke up. We, naturally, given who owns us and who our senior 'board', for want of a better word, management was chickened out and messed it up. I also believe a real challenge for promotion back to the PL was not on the agenda at that time so yes FFP was a shield to hide behind. Like Tophill intimates the 10k pw on frees being the game giveaway.

Agreed. We have more pace, skill and flair if all are up for it. This will be a game of attrition and Sweden have players who can and will put the foot in, Berg and Delaney being examples. It may come down to who wants it most.

Maradona, the drugged up fat dwarf quite a few shillngs short of a pound, prostituting himself on TV ....... how unusual. Meanwhile his mates can get back to satisfying his daily needs.

Southgate should pin Mild's quote on the dressing room wall. Sweden will commit petty fouls throughout the game, dive for fun and time waste. They are not an easy team to play as they break up play so often. An early England goal would help us immensely. If Sterling, Lingard and Ali are up for it we have too much pace for the Swedish defence.

So it can be seen? Why just before the WC? - guaranteed publicity imo. For someone supposedly deeply private about his father I find the tatoo an odd choice. Read up about the shooting if you have not already. The tatoo is alledgedly unfinished so after public opinion and marketing strategies have been analysed no doubt it will be. For the record I don't care why he has had it done or when. I hope he scores for England and makes assists......like soon, now!

I am not going to show Chaddy's annoying multi-quote but this is to him. We were in the Championship with Rhodes where he scored 'when he wants'. His PL potential irrelevant as Bowyer failed to get us back there. King was still embryonic at Rovers and whilst fast ran blind alleys and his shooting pathetic. Good on the lad for developing so well away from Ewood. Our top strikers at that time were Rhodes and Gestede.

Agree but if we do start taking some of the few good chances that do occur we can go far. Dier's appalling late header being the latest example where the keeper was not even troubled. I am encouraged that we have got to the QFs whilst not really playing that well as a team and also certain individuals will know they must do better. We are far off peaking and imo will improve. Sweden though are a clear and present danger not to be underestimated.

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.

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.

Japan clean up in Russia. Class. https://www.worldofbuzz.com/team-japan-cleaned-their-locker-room-left-a-thank-you-note-after-losing-world-cup/

The lad who plays forward down the right for Colombia is a danger. Harry will score, that's almost a given.

I saw us in 1966 and also waiting since then for a major trophy. I have watched a lot of England youth games over the past 2 or so years and we do have a lot of real talent coming through. The future is bright if those emerging youngsters get into the game at PL level. That is the problem as Sky have made the PL so rich that these Clubs by ready oven players usually from abroad and our players become squaddies or lower league. Anyway I'm up for tonight so come on England! As long as we give it our best shot I'm ok.

A fluke goal and then height and then Japanese tiredness and being naive won it for Belgium. Nothing to do with class, the Japanese did not know how to close the game down. Well done though to Japan, a credit to Asian football.

I sincerely hope we beat Colombia. A bonus being to shut you up.

Neymar will be ok and get support from his personal hair stylist and also his personal hair colourist who are both with him in Russia. Poor lad.

A dcm/cm who is weak in the air and in tackling but favours longball aka hoofball. Hmmmmm summat doesn't sit right here.

You tempt fate. If Pickford pushes a ball out towards Falcao he will score without blinking. Falcao has been effective this WC and scored a beaut already.

Good post. TBH I am ok with Kane being rested as an injury to him would cripple us. Colombia's Sanchez is an accident waiting to happen. I have seen no team so far that I absolutely fear, all have weaknesses. The glitter of this WC is totally eroded for all here by the young footballers lost in a flooded cave. God please help them it makes me cry.

Things learnt. Belgium B were better than England B. Better individually and better organised. I am somewhat glad we did not play our A team against them. Other teams also learnt that Pickford has major flaws which will not be corrected during this WC. Colombia will pile in to follow up on every shot expecting a push out to feet. He did the same when playing for England youth. Dier is exactly that. I can't think of any England 'reserve' who staked a legitimate claim for a start against Colombia and I include Rashford and Loftus Cheek in that.

If it helps him with the mental as well as the physical side of the game I'm all for it. He is a confidence player but must take whatever chances come his way in playing time and goal scoring opportunities. I also hope his red mist moments are under control, last seasons red card finished his season.

How was the linesman weak, he saw offside, he could not see the, very good lol, pass from a German. VAR certainly saved the day on this one and I'm warming to it. Human error will always be it's weakness and it's point/ reason for application needs clarity. A firm decision on whom is finally in control of it - the onfield Ref or VAR as at present I cannot work it out and it seems to change on type of incident. Correctly applied there will be penalties every game until holding/pushing in the box fades away. Ideally I want a foul in the box viewed in the same way as if it occurred anywhere else on the pitch.

I definately would say '78 was a great WC. Corruption? It's FIFA run ffs.

It started way before Maradona had arrived on any scene. In 1966 Argentina, by then an established retirement home for runaway Nazis, arrived for the WC in England and proceeded to give a shameful and brutal display of thuggery against their hosts moving Sir Alf to call them animals setting off a political crisis and fanning Argie anger. Not the main reason for Thatcher's later triumph but a part of it. Still having said that they had great teams when winning their World Cups and in Messi have the best current player in the world. Maradona, great player that he was, becomes more and more a figure of ridicule which is sad. Suffice to say his offer to give a team talk was not taken up.