Good luck England!

DenisSmithsWig said:
Did I think we would get to the semi final before the World Cup started? Not a chance.

Do I think it will be a slight failure if we now don’t make the final? Absolutely!

There is no need to fear Croatia. Yes they have modric but that’s it IMO. They started off well but have struggled along this far.
We aren’t going to ever get an easier chance to reach a World Cup final in a very long time!

I’d also give Southgate a long term contract as soon as he gets back in the country!
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If we win it he’ll get a bloody knighthood! ?
 
DenisSmithsWig said:
Did I think we would get to the semi final before the World Cup started? Not a chance.

Do I think it will be a slight failure if we now don’t make the final? Absolutely!

There is no need to fear Croatia. Yes they have modric but that’s it IMO. They started off well but have struggled along this far.
We aren’t going to ever get an easier chance to reach a World Cup final in a very long time!

I’d also give Southgate a long term contract as soon as he gets back in the country!
Click to expand...

They also have Rakitic and on his day Mandzukic is a handful. Subasic is also a decent keeper. They've battled through and earlier in the tournament showed some real quality all over. Whilst they are beatable, England will properly have to perform to beat them.

Although it will be interesting if we can get the ball to Sterling, Alli and Lingard using their pace against Lovren and Vida. Also, in the last 2 games Kane has dropped deeper and I think he needs to push up a bit for this match.
 
Subdue Modric in midfield and you blunt them massively. All good work flows through him. No sure how do we do that but nullifying him is the key.
Remember Pirlo anyone?
 
Has anybody seen any Oxford flags? Unfortunately there was a very visible swindon one against sweden
 
Ox4Eva said:
I think Croatia will be too good for England, I truly hope I am wrong!
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Well they weren't too good for Russia in 120 minutes.
I reckon that Croatia are a good team with an outstanding midfield (Modric and Ratitic are excellent players)
But if anything they have looked less good as the tournament has gone on and they have had two very draining games.
So I would put it at 50/50, and hopefully Croatia are pretty tired after Last night.
 
I know you can only beat who you play but to date England were lucky vs Tunisia. Beat a Sunday pub team in Panama. Drew vs Columbia. Who had their best player out injured. And beat a solid but poor Sweden. Croatia will be exhausted emotionally and physically after the Russian game. So . I expect England to get to the final. Southgate is a lucky manager. Good for him.
 
Corporate_Clive said:
I know you can only beat who you play but to date England were lucky vs Tunisia. Beat a Sunday pub team in Panama. Drew vs Columbia. Who had their best player out injured. And beat a solid but poor Sweden. Croatia will be exhausted emotionally and physically after the Russian game. So . I expect England to get to the final. Southgate is a lucky manager. Good for him.
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Christ, cheer up fella!
The first games are always tricky, we scrapped past Tunisia but Belgium hardly blew away Panama. Even with a narrow victory we could have been comfortable before Tunisia got their penalty and were the only team looking to win. Panama were poor, but at every level these are sometimes the games in which people struggle. The first half was brutal and we could have hit double figures.
The Belgium game showed little, except that maybe Belgium wanted it more, but we always had an eye on the bottom half of the draw.
Colombia showed that we could battle against possibly the dirtiest team I have seen us play at any tournament. We could, and should have finished them off but still showed massive resolve to come through that and win the mind games of penalties.
Sweden were a decent side and we made them look poor. If Sterling could finish we could have easily been 4 up before Pickford pulled off some work does.
Croatia will be our toughest test, but it's a World Cup semis and we probably have our best chance since '66 to make it through to a tournament final. Then Belgium and France are both beatable without being a walk over.
Southgate has built a team without egos, without the usual 'golden generation' shite. Without player power from Terry, Rooney, Beckham etc. The whole country are getting behind the team and it feels bloody amazing!!
Stop being a grump and believe - it's coming home!!!
 
Apart from damaging of vehicles, most of that "ruining things" was harmless dicking about that is quite boyishly funny (it didn't look like anything of value was done over in the Ikea; regardless Ikea can handle the costs, i'm sure). I doubt i'd've got involved in any of that stuff but I think there's a lot to be said for letting people enjoy things considering how brutally s**t this demented slaughterhouse of a world is most of the time.
 
Corporate_Clive said:
I know you can only beat who you play but to date England were lucky vs Tunisia. Beat a Sunday pub team in Panama. Drew vs Columbia. Who had their best player out injured. And beat a solid but poor Sweden. Croatia will be exhausted emotionally and physically after the Russian game. So . I expect England to get to the final. Southgate is a lucky manager. Good for him.
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I know what you are saying - but for me the fact is that (with the meaningless exception of England B Vs Belgium B) the England team is getting better every game. Sure, the Croatia match isn't going to be 'easy' - how many WC semi finals are?! - but it's winnable. Belgium or France in a final would be the hardest match we will have faced - unsurprisingly in the final of the top international tournament. I'll still be more nervous on the first day of our season than I will be on Wednesday - but just enjoy it!
 
in the next couple of weeks occupying Israeli forces will complete the ethnic cleansing of the West Bank of the Jordan east of Jerusalem. And nobody in the free west cares.
 
At least those dicking about are doing it over here and not in Russia. The press are far less interested (for whatever reason) when it happens in London, Oxford or Manchester.
 
The England team are getting better as they are playing together - they are looking like a team now and players like Lingard are looking comfortable in the formation.
 
PC said:
in the next couple of weeks occupying Israeli forces will complete the ethnic cleansing of the West Bank of the Jordan east of Jerusalem. And nobody in the free west cares.
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To be fair, that could happen outside of a World Cup and no one would care! Sad world we live in.
 
PC said:
in the next couple of weeks occupying Israeli forces will complete the ethnic cleansing of the West Bank of the Jordan east of Jerusalem. And nobody in the free west cares.
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Don't worry, win the semi final and the Maybot will push through all kinds of ill thought out policies designed to keep the Tory party intact (and b****r what it does to the country) in the hope that everybody will be too caught up in football to notice!
 
PC said:
in the next couple of weeks occupying Israeli forces will complete the ethnic cleansing of the West Bank of the Jordan east of Jerusalem. And nobody in the free west cares.
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Nor do they care about the protests in Iran against the brutality of the regime and what the regime are doing to women in particular. Let alone Venezuela
 
Scotchegg said:
Corporate_Clive said:
I know you can only beat who you play but to date England were lucky vs Tunisia. Beat a Sunday pub team in Panama. Drew vs Columbia. Who had their best player out injured. And beat a solid but poor Sweden. Croatia will be exhausted emotionally and physically after the Russian game. So . I expect England to get to the final. Southgate is a lucky manager. Good for him.
Click to expand...


Christ, cheer up fella!
The first games are always tricky, we scrapped past Tunisia but Belgium hardly blew away Panama. Even with a narrow victory we could have been comfortable before Tunisia got their penalty and were the only team looking to win. Panama were poor, but at every level these are sometimes the games in which people struggle. The first half was brutal and we could have hit double figures.
The Belgium game showed little, except that maybe Belgium wanted it more, but we always had an eye on the bottom half of the draw.
Colombia showed that we could battle against possibly the dirtiest team I have seen us play at any tournament. We could, and should have finished them off but still showed massive resolve to come through that and win the mind games of penalties.
Sweden were a decent side and we made them look poor. If Sterling could finish we could have easily been 4 up before Pickford pulled off some work does.
Croatia will be our toughest test, but it's a World Cup semis and we probably have our best chance since '66 to make it through to a tournament final. Then Belgium and France are both beatable without being a walk over.
Southgate has built a team without egos, without the usual 'golden generation' shite. Without player power from Terry, Rooney, Beckham etc. The whole country are getting behind the team and it feels bloody amazing!!
Stop being a grump and believe - it's coming home!!!
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He supports Ireland. Therefore clearly on a windup.
 
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