WORLD CUP 2018

ourmaninthenorth

I'd build a team around these two centre backs  - Caceres( even though he's been playing as a full back ) and Godin. 

Jordi Alba at left back.

Joshua Kimmich at right back. 

De Gea in goal.

Modric, Isco, Kross. 

Kane, Messi, Ronaldo.

lovestrat74

Although Croatia should prove a sterner test, well a test at least I am still sticking with England Belgium final

sixstringsupplies

That was Sterling’s best game of the tournament which says a lot about his previous outings. Should’ve scored. Needs to be more decisive and less fannying around however Sweden couldn't handle his pace/dribbling though so I would start him v Croatia.

I think England will beat Croatia over 90 minutes. I then think we will fall short in the final by Belgium/France. I was 3 when we last reached a semi so football has already "come home" for me. 

@guitars4you great team you've got there - I would probably add Stones/Maguire as one of the CB's and Godin of Uruguay as the other.

Courtois was phenomenal the other night v Brazil.

axisus

I could potentially see us in the Final, but having had decades of disappointment, I know how it usually ends - one match where we just don't play well. Happens all the time in Europe with my team (Man U) - going OK then one stinker and we are out.

All I can say for sure is that we won't get this good a chance to win again. 

axisus

One thing I find a tad ironic is that I would rate Rashford higher than Lingard or most certainly Sterling, but the poor sod just can't get a game. Having said that, I agree that at this stage I wouldn't mess with things too much. 

poopot

Bridgehouse said:

(NSFW)

It’s....

Knicking that!...

last nights gig was a sweatfest of football fans left over in the pub from the game!... our drummer had sampled commentary from the game and we did “three lions” with the updated samples... honestly thought the crowd were going to blow the windows out singing along!...

menamestom

axisus said:

One thing I find a tad ironic is that I would rate Rashford higher than Lingard or most certainly Sterling, but the poor sod just can't get a game. Having said that, I agree that at this stage I wouldn't mess with things too much. 

I think that’s the thing, Rashford would change the shape of the team, plus we would miss Lingards excellent work rate and the fact he covers so much pitch.  Rashford is more of a centre forward than attacking midfielder.

I’d generally rather see him start than Sterling but no we are where we are I’d leave things as they are.

crunchman

Rashford also took a very good penalty against Colombia.  I don't think that I'd trust Sterling in a shootout.  One advantage of bringing Rashford off the bench is that he's likely to be on the pitch at the end if it does come to penalties.

guitars4you

earwighoney said:

guitars4you said:

Getting close to team of the tournament. Most of the top stars have failed to ignite. Messi and Neymar certainly. Ronaldo for only one game. Hazard disappointing and De Bryne only marginally better

Mpappe is a rising star, but don't place on a pedestal yet. Takes 2 to 4 years of consistent performances to be a contender. 5 to 10 years to be a leading star

not sure what team formation is dominant in the tournament, so going with 4 3 3

not nailed down my team yet, but certain places are done

courtois

Marcello.  ?     ?      Maybe Trippier 

Modric.  Kante.    de bryne

Griezeman.  Kane.    mpappe

I've been thinking of mine

Formation seems to be based around 3 CB's at the back, which it seems a few teams have been doing (eg Belgium & England) in a 5-2-3 formation

I picked mine on the grounds I could only pick one player from each team!  Also going for players who might not have got all the credit but have done a huge amount of work for their teams. 

GK - Kasper Schmeichel (DK)

CB - Granqvist (Sweden)
CB - Yerry Mina (Colombia)
CB - Godin (Uruguay)

LWB - Marcelo (Brazil)
RWB - Trippier (England)

MF - Witsel (Belgium)
MF - Modric (Croatia)

RW - Inui (Japan)
LW - Cherychev (Russia)
No.9 - Giroud (France)

Manager - Cherychev (Russia)

Sorry, can't allow Giroud. Stats indicate not one shot on target the whole tournament 

guitars4you

ourmaninthenorth said:

I'd build a team around these two centre backs  - Caceres( even though he's been playing as a full back ) and Godin. 

Jordi Alba at left back.

Joshua Kimmich at right back. 

De Gea in goal.

Modric, Isco, Kross. 

Kane, Messi, Ronaldo.

I nearly went with Kross. Not a good tournament for Germany, but Kross is an outstanding talent. Wish we had an equivalent plus Modric in our team 

earwighoney

guitars4you said:

 Sorry, can't allow Giroud. Stats indicate not on shot on target the whole tournament 

His hold up play has been great and has done a huge amount of great play to allow Mbappe to have space.  France first selected Dembele in their first game, and Giroud played after that and their front 3 looks a lot more complete.  

crunchman

earwighoney said:

guitars4you said:

 Sorry, can't allow Giroud. Stats indicate not on shot on target the whole tournament 

His hold up play has been great and has done a huge amount of great play to allow Mbappe to have space.  France first selected Dembele in their first game, and Giroud played after that and their front 3 looks a lot more complete.  

Kane (among others in the tournament) can hold the ball up, but he offers a lot more than Giroud in the rest of his game.

Bridgehouse

If we win the World Cup by some fate or chance, are we going to spend years saying it was a fluke, and we played shite teams, and we didn’t have to play any real opposition, and actually it wasn’t really winning the World Cup but stumbling into it because we are still actually shite?

Are we? Are we really going to do that? 

mikeyrob73

Bridgehouse said:

If we win the World Cup by some fate or chance, are we going to spend years saying it was a fluke, and we played shite teams, and we didn’t have to play any real opposition, and actually it wasn’t really winning the World Cup but stumbling into it because we are still actually shite?

Are we? Are we really going to do that? 

You might not but us Scots will because we are bitter bastards 

menamestom

Bridgehouse said:

If we win the World Cup by some fate or chance, are we going to spend years saying it was a fluke, and we played shite teams, and we didn’t have to play any real opposition, and actually it wasn’t really winning the World Cup but stumbling into it because we are still actually shite?

Are we? Are we really going to do that? 

No, because we will have to play 'real' opposition in the final.  All the 'shite' will go out of the window if we beat Croatia and then France or Belgium.

I make us very slight favourites to beat Croatia but then either of the other 2 would be reasonably strong favourites against us. 
Personally I think we'll get to the final and come home proud runners up.   

Bridgehouse

mikeyrob73 said:

Bridgehouse said:

If we win the World Cup by some fate or chance, are we going to spend years saying it was a fluke, and we played shite teams, and we didn’t have to play any real opposition, and actually it wasn’t really winning the World Cup but stumbling into it because we are still actually shite?

Are we? Are we really going to do that? 

You might not but us Scots will because we are bitter bastards 

You are allowed to - but from what I can see there’s a lot of English who feel exactly that way. 

“Can’t be having the national team doing well through skill or anything, no must be luck or just stumble into it”

I blame Southgate for doing an utterly shite job as England manager and not getting us knocked out at the group stage.

mikeyrob73

I was in the pub watchin yesterday and cheered both goals, fuck it I know I’m not SUPPOSED to support engerlund but the pub was buzzing, it’s good for the whole country, it’s a vibe and a feel good factor. 







Cant handle it if you actually win the whole thing though 

Bridgehouse

mikeyrob73 said:

I was in the pub watchin yesterday and cheered both goals, fuck it I know I’m not SUPPOSED to support engerlund but the pub was buzzing, it’s good for the whole country, it’s a vibe and a feel good factor. 







Cant handle it if you actually win the whole thing though 

Funny. If it were wales or Scotland I’d be right behind them and willing them on to win. Same with NI or ROI. 

We have these little shared islands in common and whether same country, or closest neighbours or whatever, I like to cheer and support.

I wouldn’t suddenly stop cheering a team GB athlete if I found out they were Scottish.

Bridgehouse

Being English = 4 centuries of plowing our way round the globe forcibly trying to prove we were better than anyone else at everything - usually with a gun/cannon or sword.. and the last 50 years desperately trying to disprove we are good at anything for fear of being reminded of the past 

guitars4you

Bridgehouse said:

Being English = 4 centuries of plowing our way round the globe forcibly trying to prove we were better than anyone else at everything - usually with a gun/cannon or sword.. and the last 50 years desperately trying to disprove we are good at anything for fear of being reminded of the past 

Not a bad summary

just add ' trying to to keep quite about many nasty criminal activities ' that are hidden to the many and not taught at school