Predictions & Match Thread: England v Belgium | Page 4 | Vital Football

Predictions & Match Thread: England v Belgium

Not often I agree with a Neville. However he has nailed it when he says we will never have a better chance to reach a World Cup Semi. Now is the time to step up and grab the chance with both hands - no excuses hereafter.
 
elkimp said:
I seriously can't believe that anyone would condone losing a match. Utter nonsense. All these managers are over thinking everything. Tactics the lot. Keep it simple. Play the bloody game. Play your best team. And win.
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Martinez never said that he wasn't trying to win the game. He said he'd like to win but his main priority was not to pick up injuries or cards for his first choice players.

James Rodriguez went off injured today as Colombia needed the win. What if you "play your best team" having already qualified and lose a De Bruyne or Kane for the rest of the tournament?
 
And the ‘most naive piece of commentary’ award goes to... Clive Tydesley for actually thinking that England, and in particular Marcus Rashford, were trying to score in the second half.

I wonder if Martinez is doing a Mike Bassett in the Belgium dressing room? ‘Bloody Brazil you idiots. We could have had Switzerland in the quarters, etc...’
 
The Imposter said:
And the ‘most naive piece of commentary’ award goes to... Clive Tydesley for actually thinking that England, and in particular Marcus Rashford, were trying to score in the second half.

I wonder if Martinez is doing a Mike Bassett in the Belgium dressing room? ‘Bloody Brazil you idiots. We could have had Switzerland in the quarters, etc...’
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This would be the Switzerland that drew with Brazil?
 
Brendan Bradley said:
This would be the Switzerland that drew with Brazil?
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True but at least you know what you're getting with the Swiss and can have a bloomin' game plan. With the Brazilians you don't know whether it's going to be a comedy of errors or sublime genius. How the Hell do you plan for that.
 
I don't think either Colombia or Sweden who I think ŵill beat Swatzerland will be easy games and Brazil are not guaranteed to beat Mexico either so anybody who thinks we will be in the semis is been very naive IMO
 
The Imposter said:
And the ‘most naive piece of commentary’ award goes to... Clive Tydesley for actually thinking that England, and in particular Marcus Rashford, were trying to score in the second half.

I wonder if Martinez is doing a Mike Bassett in the Belgium dressing room? ‘Bloody Brazil you idiots. We could have had Switzerland in the quarters, etc...’
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I'm not so sure. Do you really think a player, with the potential of scoring in the WC finals, do enough to stay in the team, get in the global shop window etc....would deliberately play badly?
 
Warrington Imp said:
I don't think either Colombia or Sweden who I think ŵill beat Swatzerland will be easy games and Brazil are not guaranteed to beat Mexico either so anybody who thinks we will be in the semis is been very naive IMO
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Don't think anyone is expecting us to be in the semis - this is England after all. I think there is hard nosed objectivity afoot here. Ask yourself given the choice of path A or path B which one would you prefer? If England aren't good enough to win the next two games that is another issue altogether.
 
SIMJON said:
I'm not so sure. Do you really think a player, with the potential of scoring in the WC finals, do enough to stay in the team, get in the global shop window etc....would deliberately play badly?
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He could have scored a hat-trick and still wouldn’t get in the next game. Let’s put it this way, England were not exactly busting a gut to get back on level terms were they? Passing the ball back to Pickford in injury time when a goal behind...
 
If I was in charge of a team at any sport and a player deliberately played badly I'd never fucking pick him again .a team should play to win , not to play not win . Look twats if they lose to Columbia .
 
NottyImp said:
My better half, who was sitting in the garden whilst I watched the game, heard a massive whoop followed by my dancing out signing "The Germans are going out!" Dignified? Not so much... but a lot of fun.
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Rest assured we could well all feel the wrath of Germany going out in the group stages. The last time it happened was 1938, you have been warned
 
cheshireimp said:
If I was in charge of a team at any sport and a player deliberately played badly I'd never fucking pick him again .a team should play to win , not to play not win . Look twats if they lose to Columbia .
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Language please!
 
hulloutpost said:
Don't think anyone is expecting us to be in the semis - this is England after all. I think there is hard nosed objectivity afoot here. Ask yourself given the choice of path A or path B which one would you prefer? If England aren't good enough to win the next two games that is another issue altogether.
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Well history would suggest we're not regardless of opposition
 
Personally, I don't see the problem. Southgate is the "manager" and he's "managing" the squad with the objective of having his players best prepared for the next phases of the tournament. I'm sure DC would do exactly the same & we wouldn't question it. That said, this is the WC and you just never know what the opposition, whoever, they are, will be like. You can only beat what's put in front of you, and take one game at a time (???).
 
The Imposter said:
Let’s put it this way, England were not exactly busting a gut to get back on level terms were they? Passing the ball back to Pickford in injury time when a goal behind...
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You're right, the Belgian XI had no answers. After that initial rash of Belgian bookings, England took complete control, though I was surprised that none of the England team even made a tackle during the game. A few bookings and a couple of sending offs for England would surely have rattled Belgium.

Fortunately Rashford, Vardy, Delph, Dier and Pickford were on-message with terrible performances. They have surely earned the chance of a place in the next starting line up for such wilfuI awfulness. It's not easy to deliberately play badly, as Les Dawson's hilarious piano playing would attest. I would include Jones in that roll of honour, but I think that might have just been, well, Phil Jones.

I loved the way that Rose, Delph and Pickford combined for the winning goal, allowing Janujaz to score when it looked easier to miss.

Black mark for Cahill, clearing off the line when it was a simple task just to lash it into the net after Pickford had already provided the perfect assist.

But all in all, a very satisfactory evening's work against naive opposition. Book the semi final hotels, it's a shoo-in.
 
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