Shelf Utd are an excellent footballing team, running Derby ragged at the moment. Really good to watch, all credit to them.

In other news, it’s now ok to break the law and not be subject to criticism from, among others, those who help pay your wages.

A classic, cheeky chappy Cockney. Popular with all and sundry but with no sense of responsibility, and no idea what real friends are, but knows plenty of hangers on. He should be doing this community service in Blackburn Hospice, then he might get a sense of how privileged a lifestyle he leads.

Of the youngsters on show today, Butterworth is head and shoulders the best. A terrific cameo appearance.

The comment that nearly every Rovers fan got/gets wrong is when they sing “ No nae never etc”. It’s been wrong a few times, and hopefully will be again soon!

Danny Graham was excellent today, great flicked headers, laying the ball off and holding it up. I love watching players like him, who really have a football brain. You don’t need to run around like a headless chicken to play this game, clever footballers never do so.

Rodwell is a class player, if anyone can sort him out it’s TM. He could be a fantastic signing.

In reality, both finalists have been involved in one good game each, France v. Argentina in The Round of 16 and Croatia v. England. Hope you enjoy it, Phil, but from a neutral point of view I think both sides will be very cautious, so it won’t be much of a spectacle. There is one world class player on show, Modric, Mbappe is nowhere near that yet. 1 0 to France.

Both teams deserve immense credit for that magnificent effort, gave their all for their countries. In pure football terms, Modric ran that game, a brilliant footballer. Well done England for getting so near.

Pele won 3 world cups, the first as a 17 year old. It would probably have been 4 had he not had a hatchet job done on him in 1966. No player has ever been as good as him, nor is ever likely to be.

How depressing to see some of the idiot England fans smashing up an Ikea store, jumping up and down on cars and generally causing drunken havoc in towns up and down the country. Why can’t they just celebrate like normal people do instead of tarnishing the image English football fans? Probably the same types who invade pitches at the end of a season.

Come on Uruguay, Latin America needs you.

Whichever team get to the WC final from this side of the draw will be the worst ever team to reach that lofty position. Every team that was in the other half of the draw, including those that lost, is better than any of those in ours.

Neymar does make a meal of things but he faces constant fouling, like most of his predecessors for Brazil.

England have the easiest route to the final of all time.

Colombia’s best player, Rodriguez aka James, might well not be playing v. England. Off early in first half today. He was brilliant v. Poland.

Brilliantly summed up.

Three cracking games today, very good World Cup so far.

Mexico’s fans are fantastic, reminds me of the Rovers on tour last season.

The Beautiful Game. That was a brilliant football match. No other sport comes near it.

I think Morocco was probably too big a risk from a security point of view, too many jihadis in N. Africa.

Presumably there will be 3 places for each of the hosts, all from Concacaf confederation. It’ll be interesting to see how FIFA decide which confederation loses qualifying spots. Fifa probably gave it to the US to make sure they are in the WC in 2026, not that most yanks know they aren’t even in it this time, or care.

No idea why this link doesn’t work, cut and pasted below. 1. Antoine Griezman2. Neymar3.Andreas Iniesta4. Christians Ronaldo 5. Tony Kroos 6. Lionel Messi7. Harry Kane8. Paul Pogba9. Mo Salah10. Lula Modric11. David Silva12. Eden Hazard13. Sadio Mane14. Christian Eriksen 15. Keisuke Honda16. Ricardo Queresma17. Mesut Ozil18. Robert Lewandowski19. Tim Cahill20. Angel Di Maria21. Thibaut Courtois22. Louis Suarez23. Gylfi Sigurdsson24. Ilkay Gundogun

I’ll post the answers in a couple of days, you’ve got 8 right so far!

And here’s a bit of fun for everyone..... World Cup Players Emoji Challenge. 1.?☝????? 2.?‼️ 3.&?in????⭐ 4.❌☕?️??‍♂?‍♀??? 5.?ny ? 6.??? 7.? 8.??? 9.??? 10.???? 11.??? 12.??☘☢ 13.?? 14.✝⛪???ik☀ 15.???? 16.??????? 17.??‍♂??️?? 18.?‍♂??‍♂?⛷ 19.???⛰ 20.???????? 21.??⚖??☝?✌? 22.?is ?? 23.?????☀ 24.?????