The Official World Cup 2018 Megathread

[Paul]

England may lack individual talent, but they certainly seem like a team

A team of Gary Breens ?

 

[wanderer89]

A team of Gary Breens ?

We can all dream...

 

[Paul]

We can all dream...

:nod:

 

[Alan]

England may lack individual talent, but they certainly seem like a team

Lack individual talent? Relative to who?

 

[Johnny75]

Lack individual talent? Relative to who?

Every other team who has a left back better than Ashley Young.

 

[machin05]

:icon_lol:

 

[Del Woppio]

I think people are getting a bit carried away tbh. We've been excellent at attacking set pieces but we aren't really creating much from open play. We've looked very suspect at the back, in and out of possession. Anybody that can pass and move will find it pretty easy to create chances against this back three.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Pickford has made one save in two games so teams aren't exactly cutting through us (albeit you wouldn't expect Tunisia and Panama to anyway).

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Conceded more than he's saved then, good show.

 

[Del Woppio]

Yeah obviously I meant relative to the opposition I'm surprised at how many chances have been created against us

 

[Sniffer]

Brilliant memories of the last time we faced Belgium at the World Cup!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44603330

Watching it live I was convinced that Bully had scored until I saw the replay.

 

[Sniffer]

Did anybody catch Chris Waddle and Terry Butcher talking about the same game on Five Live last night? The stories of Gazza's antics and the goings on around the camp were hilarious.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Yeah obviously I meant relative to the opposition I'm surprised at how many chances have been created against us

Which chances? Panama missed a good one off a set piece when we were 6-0 up, Tunisia barely even got in our half in the second period. There aren't many others.

 

[Sniffer]

Which chances? Panama missed a good one off a set piece when we were 6-0 up, Tunisia barely even got in our half in the second period. There aren't many others.

There was a chance in the Panama game at 0-0 where a guy was played in, in the left hand channel of the box and blazed it high wide and handsome but I can't think of any others. Its not like other teams in the tournament have not conceded chances to lower ranked opposition though.

 

[Sniffer]

You shouldn't also dismiss that in the six friendlies between qualifying and the tournament itself, we have conceded just 2 goals (one a debatable VAR penalty) in six games against Germany, Italy, Brazil, Netherlands, Nigeria and Costa Rica.

 

[nimrod]

Brilliant memories of the last time we faced Belgium at the World Cup!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44603330

Watching it live I was convinced that Bully had scored until I saw the replay.

i remember thinking scifo had scored. great effort that.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

You shouldn't also dismiss that in the six friendlies between qualifying and the tournament itself, we have conceded just 2 goals (one a debatable VAR penalty) in six games against Germany, Italy, Brazil, Netherlands, Nigeria and Costa Rica.

Indeed, Del Wop is talking arse.

 

[White Wolf]

I'm still not convinced by our attacking ability, bar a very good opening 10 minutes against Tunisia and the first-half against Panama we've been very poor in open play. Both of our goals against Tunisia were from corners. Stones' goals came from a corner and a free-kick while Kane's hat-trick was a lucky deflection and two stupid penalties. We look very strong at set pieces to be fair, credit to Southgate as Stones and Maguire look really dangerous from them but in open play we're still a bit blunt - just the one goal.

 

[Tredman]

We've looked better with RLC tbh, think the issue is we don;t have a Neves type to get the ball out to the wingbacks. Stones can do it, but always looks a bit slow of mind. Should have taken Coady...

 

[Sniffer]

We've looked better with RLC tbh, think the issue is we don;t have a Neves type to get the ball out to the wingbacks. Stones can do it, but always looks a bit slow of mind. Should have taken Coady...

I honestly believe that Henderson does have the passing ability but maybe not the speed of thought. There were numerous occasions in the Tunisia game where the option to switch was on but it didn't happen. It's either that they're not looking to do it (perhaps looking at balls into the channels instead) or they look at Young on the opposite flank and think fuck it - whats the point.