The Official World Cup 2018 Megathread

[White Wolf]

We are fucking awful in open play, only thing Southgate deserves credit for is making us dangerous at set pieces.

 

[Langers]

'Fucking awful'? :icon_lol:

Behave. We're far from being world beaters but we've done alright thus far.

 

[YoungWolf]

That is slightly harsh. I think we can play with speed and movement through the middle well but have a lack of alternatives one the opposition suss us out. We have played out from the back very well too, which is why having three centre backs has helped us with that massively, that was a good call by Southgate and Holland. We become a bit predictable yes but awful we are not (and I was very critical of Southgate not so long ago). I think a solution to that is to make changes earlier - when we brought Loftus-Cheek on again Tunisia we began to open them up more again, as he provided a different option to Alli and Lingard.

Set plays shouldn't be underestimated either. They are proving to be a huge part of this tournament.

 

[Freddeno]

Im really nervous now and really have a bad feeling about switzerland now..we will see how it goes, even game...regarding Colombia I think England will win in the end if defence is solid, even game that too

 

[Johnny75]

That is slightly harsh. I think we can play with speed and movement through the middle well but have a lack of alternatives one the opposition suss us out. We have played out from the back very well too, which is why having three centre backs has helped us with that massively, that was a good call by Southgate and Holland. We become a bit predictable yes but awful we are not (and I was very critical of Southgate not so long ago). I think a solution to that is to make changes earlier - when we brought Loftus-Cheek on again Tunisia we began to open them up more again, as he provided a different option to Alli and Lingard.

Set plays shouldn't be underestimated either. They are proving to be a huge part of this tournament.

I think our passing out from the back has been ropey and I expected it to be much better. I don't think we've been awful but I don't think we've been good. Glimpses from RLC and Lingard aside I don't think we look great in open play.

I'd agree with you on set pieces though, they've been a massive improvement and other teams will have to watch that against us. I think this may be our way to winning against the Colombians but not the Swedes or Croatians who are a bunch of big bastards and good at heading and kicking anything that comes into their box.

We'll have to sharpen up in open play if we win tonight.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Good move by the Swiss to ditch the abysmal Seferovic.

 

[GLASGOWOLF]

Yep, certainly watching a different game to me. But kudos to you for being optimistic and seeing any movement there. The second half against Tunisia was especially poor as was the entire Belgium match.

Walsall would beat Panama.

So one half V a packed Tuinisian defence and our second Xi, when both teams were pretty poor?

 

[Sniffer]

Im really nervous now and really have a bad feeling about switzerland now..we will see how it goes, even game...regarding Colombia I think England will win in the end if defence is solid, even game that too

Good luck this afternoon Fred. Hopefully we'll meet in the quarter final.

 

[PuntsWolf]

I’d that THE Johannes Djourou? Didn’t realise he was still going?

Goal available to Sweden from him

 

[White Wolf]

So one half V a packed Tuinisian defence and our second Xi, when both teams were pretty poor?

It was more like 75 minutes against Tunisia, and a whole half against Panama.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I’d that THE Johannes Djourou? Didn’t realise he was still going?

Goal available to Sweden from him

Certainly is. I can confirm that having watched him during his time at HSV, he is still dreck.

 

[White Wolf]

Certainly is. I can confirm that having watched him during his time at HSV, he is still dreck.

Plays in Turkey now, rarely plays and by all accounts is still very poor. Do they really have nobody better?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Plays in Turkey now, rarely plays and by all accounts is still very poor. Do they really have nobody better?

I assume they just use the "at least he's not Senderos" factor that he's made a career out of.

The Swiss are weird, not just because they can't speak properly. Behrami has always been a horrible clogger and as I say Seferovic is diabolical. They always get in the squads. Somehow it all still works to a point.

 

[Freddeno]

Good luck this afternoon Fred. Hopefully we'll meet in the quarter final.

Thank you and that would be nice

 

[White Wolf]

This will be a close game I think. They're of similar standard so I think it will be a bit cagey, both sides scared to go all-out attack and risk losing. I'd like to see Sweden nick it.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Yeah, there aren't any Swedish players I actively dislike (other than Marcus Berg becoming a complete non-entity and making my 2009 "we should sign him" shout look silly). Whereas I do actively dislike Djourou, Behrami, Xhaka and Shaqiri from the Swiss line up.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Berg man. What happened to him

I promise he looked good once.

 

[Freddeno]

fuck, what chances we missed

 

[Derby Wolf]

Swiss are having a mare in the opening ten. Awful finish from Berg though.

 

[Freddeno]

fuck off sommer, should have been a goal for Berg