The Official World Cup 2018 Megathread

[Freddeno]

Far less shame in losing to Colombia than Japan. A masterstroke by Southgate.

Thats a nice view on it

 

[Freddeno]

There's a difference between wanting to lose and trying to win. Selection apart I don't believe we wanted to lose the game, but once we were behind we didn't try to win and were happy with the result. The Welbeck substitution is all the evidence you need for that.

Exactly, spot on

 

[FrankMunro-371]

There's a difference between wanting to lose and trying to win. Selection apart I don't believe we wanted to lose the game, but once we were behind we didn't try to win and were happy with the result. The Welbeck substitution is all the evidence you need for that.

I wonder why Southgate is so convinced we will beat Colombia, and then Sweden or Switzerland. Sorry but it doesn't ring true, try to win every game and see where it takes you, that is the only way teams should play. Southgate said he didn't risk Kane in case he got injured, which was really a silly thing to say.

 

[Boozad]

Highlight of the night was just after the goal.

 

[east-coast-wolves]

Disappointed that we rested so many - I don't buy into this 'easier path' rubbish. And tbh I don't think we're a better team than Colombia so if anything this is the harder path.
Even with resting players, if I was Kane I would be fuming.

Pickford didn't inspire me with confidence at any point. Thought RLC had a disappointing game, choosing wrong options and playing poor passes. Rose was good but because of the mistake on the goal, we won't see him again I suspect unfortunately.

 

[Freddeno]

everybody is laughing at that..he tweeted it was the best goal celebration

 

[Tony Towner]

I wonder why Southgate is so convinced we will beat Colombia, and then Sweden or Switzerland. Sorry but it doesn't ring true, try to win every game and see where it takes you, that is the only way teams should play. Southgate said he didn't risk Kane in case he got injured, which was really a silly thing to say.

I would guess the logic is we will probably be 60/40 favourites to win the next two games versus 80/20 & 30/70 if we were in the other side of the draw. We have a better chance of making the semis this way, but less of one making the quarters and have gambled on the former.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I am with you here completely Frank. But, Southgate seems to feel a different way judging by that team and performance.

If it results in a semi-final minimum then he looks like a genius. If England implode against Colombia then he is going to get a fair bit of opprobium.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

I would guess the logic is we will probably be 60/40 favourites to win the next two games versus 80/20 & 30/70 if we were in the other side of the draw. We have a better chance of making the semis this way, but less of one making the quarters and have gambled on the former.

That is fair enough, but I still do not understand the "easy route" mentality. People from other countries watching England this evening would have seen little to worry them.

 

[Boozad]

Hmmmm

One extra point here - also an extra day's rest to factor in. This looks to me like a thrown game.

Southgate "we had double objectives with an eye on the knockout" - basically admitting it.

After tweeting that "Momentum in sport is everything" prior to the game. I really don't understand the new-found hype over him just because we beat a fucking awful Panama 6-1.

 

[Freddeno]

seems like anything can happen in this world cup so who knows..

 

[Del Woppio]

After tweeting that "Momentum in sport is everything" prior to the game. I really don't understand the new-found hype over him just because we beat a fucking awful Panama 6-1.

Given us our pride in our country back, didn't you know?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

He gets it right - wahey!!!

But he has left himself open to absolute slaughter if it goes tits up.

 

[machin05]

Southgate has pissed me off with that performance and post-match interview.

Feels like the wind has been taken out of our sails and our confidence has taken a hit. We've demonstrably let the second string know they're not good enough and failed the only real test we've come up against so far. It's really taken the shine off the first two games.

I'd rather play Brazil in the quarters on the back of 4 game winning streak having beaten Belgium, than playing them in the final after bumbling our way through the easier side of the draw knowing we lost when we actually played a decent side.

Annoyed.

 

[White Wolf]

Very weird performance and I didn't enjoy that game at all. It felt weird, being unsure whether I even wanted us to win.

Ignoring whether or not we tried to win that game I think that this is the better result. Colombia are certainly a stronger challenge than Japan but if we win it has a much greater reward, facing a relatively easy QF and having a great chance to make SF. Doesn't matter who you played, you have to count that as a success, especially for this team. I'm sure we would beat Japan but don't know about Brazil - but if we had won the group, beaten Japan and then lost to Brazil - we've matched expectations. I'd rather see us gamble with this route and a potentially easier route than lose to Brazil and just think 'what if'. Also we get a days extra rest and all of the fixtures are close to Moscow, whereas Belgium now have to travel around a lot more.

 

[Freddeno]

Very weird performance and I didn't enjoy that game at all. It felt weird, being unsure whether I even wanted us to win.

Ignoring whether or not we tried to win that game I think that this is the better result. Colombia are certainly a stronger challenge than Japan but if we win it has a much greater reward, facing a relatively easy QF and having a great chance to make SF. Doesn't matter who you played, you have to count that as a success, especially for this team. I'm sure we would beat Japan but don't know about Brazil - but if we had won the group, beaten Japan and then lost to Brazil - we've matched expectations. I'd rather see us gamble with this route and a potentially easier route than lose to Brazil and just think 'what if'. Also we get a days extra rest and all of the fixtures are close to Moscow, whereas Belgium now have to travel around a lot more.

Many "lesser" teams have been good this world cup and Brazil not very good..so to throw a game away like that just send bad signals to the team/group for me..

 

[PuntsWolf]

Southgate has pissed me off with that performance and post-match interview.

Feels like the wind has been taken out of our sails and our confidence has taken a hit. We've demonstrably let the second string know they're not good enough and failed the only real test we've come up against so far. It's really taken the shine off the first two games.

I'd rather play Brazil in the quarters on the back of 4 game winning streak having beaten Belgium, than playing them in the final after bumbling our way through the easier side of the draw knowing we lost when we actually played a decent side.

Annoyed.

Still getting spanked by Spain in SF before Brazil anyway...

The over thinking it is a bit of a joke. Play Brazil on the QF, and if you win that you’ve then got the easier Semi by playing distinctly average Argies/France/Portugal.

Are Brazil better than Spain? I don’t think so. Is there that much difference between throwing a game and pissing everyone off, lowering morale, losing momentum and potentially getting to a Semi only to get spanked by Spain. Or win out in the group, spank Japan, confidence sky high and then play Brazil. We’d have more chance making the final playing Brazil than the route we’ve taken, and we all wouldn’t be pissed off and empty.

The chat about throwing the game over the last few weeks as Brazil and Germany were faltering pissed me off and it still pisses me off now that we’ve gone along with it.

 

[Freddeno]

Still getting spanked by Spain in SF before Brazil anyway...

The over thinking it is a bit of a joke. Play Brazil on the QF, and if you win that you’ve then got the easier Semi by playing distinctly average Argies/France/Portugal.

Are Brazil better than Spain? I don’t think so. Is there that much difference between throwing a game and pissing everyone off, lowering morale, losing momentum and potentially getting to a Semi only to get spanked by Spain. Or win out in the group, spank Japan, confidence sky high and then play Brazil. We’d have more chance making the final playing Brazil than the route we’ve taken, and we all wouldn’t be pissed off and empty.

The chat about throwing the game over the last few weeks as Brazil and Germany were faltering pissed me off and it still pisses me off now that we’ve gone along with it.

Agree completely

 

[Deleted Cyber]

Personally plenty of teams have won this despite losing group games, Spain, Germany hell Holland reached the final after losing to scotland. Today was effectively a dead rubber. I thought Pickford looked small in goal. I think a bigger keeper may have saved that. Harsh, maybe.
England are still on target to exceed expectations. They have just lost to the highest rated European team left in the competition. No disgrace. Now on to Colombia

 

[Deleted Cyber]

And game 13 unbeaten proved unlucky so Cyber superstitions have been fulfilled lol