WORLD CUP 2018 RUSSIA

[Ed P]

Well if you believe Chris Anderson (good read btw if ‘Football Manager’ stuff appeals), only 50% of a football match is pure skill, the rest is a mixture of luck (and bent match officials!).

[The Duke]

More probability than luck. Your luck increases in correlation with the level of talent at your disposal. Though even then, the players need to buy into a solid plan.

But inevitably everything comes down to luck, and can be calculated. The majority of teams have been playing ‘money ball’ style football for ten years now.

If you’ve seen the film, you’ll get where the name comes from. Liverpool owners used it to win thier baseball league. Basically real life footy manager. Liverpool have recruited on that basis for 5 years. Only last season have the owners swapped from this model, to the same model but a tier up form it. Basically playing it now to win the league, before this we was playing it to steady the finance. Also they never trusted the managers fully.

When they approached Klopp for thd job, hie set his vision out for the team, and took control off the club. Basically saying if you me, you go all in. Klopp, bring the noise, by Raphael Honigstein  is a good read.

Klopp: Bring the Noise https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0224100742/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_0NnrBb99RJARB

[Bob Williams]

Belgium competed with France well in most of the first half. Lloris had to make some great saves, but France were beginning to show about 10 minutes from half time. Second half, France became better and better, winning the ball in critical areas, playing with more and more pace. In the end they did just enough, but had it not been for some terrific saves, those Giroud misses and some desperate defending, Belgium could have been thrashed. I thought de Bruyne was played out of it, strangely anonymous, and Umtiti played Lukaku off the park. The sight of Hazard resorting to plainly dirty fouls, was saddening for a player of his obvious talent. In the second half the French had sussed him out. Some pointers there for other Premier League teams next season.

If England can get past Croatia, they will look at this game and know they have a real mountain to climb. The French have a very good team and some really talented players, although I suspect an early goal could upset them.

Off to last of Cycle 2 Chemo tomorrow, then on Thursday we travel to Suffolk for a holiday. I have packed most of my stuff today and will do SWMBO’s tomorrow, so that I can watch England. My case is half full, SWMBO will as usual need that space for some of hers, half of which does not get worn. Both cases are the same.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[blacklion1725]

All the best for your treatment Bob. The suitcase situation is one I am familiar with!

I agree and couldn’t help feeling I was watching the winners last night…..BUT for England or Croatia, upsets happen and as a one off game whoever wins tonight will have a puncher’s chance. If we get through then patriotic betting will make the final odds quite close, but in reality France should be strong favourites.

[johnbarry]

Eng v Cro

I thought for a while they changed the goal size, on one angle the goal looks tiny, then I noticed on another angle they look normal.

They should sort the camera’s out.

 

Cheers
John

[Bob Williams]

End of the dream. But what a heck of a ride this talented young England team had, they gave it everything and we should be very proud of them. Never given a chance at the start, but just kept getting a little better with every game. The confidence gained from this tournament should stand them in good stead for the Euros in 2 years’ time. Remember the other hungry young players coming through from Under – 17’s, Under – 20’s, etc, some of whom have already tasted success. Winning gives the hunger to win bigger.

The FA must give Southgate a longer contract, he has what no national manager since (I believe) Robson and Venables had: the ability to make players believe and the determination to see it through as far as possible. Southgate has more tactical nous and managerial/coaching ability than both of those men, although Robson came close IMO. Venables became too self-serving. I recently read his second autobiography, which contained much about his spat with Sir AS and blamed Sir S for all of it. He also explained at great length how a senior Spurs director hated him and blamed him for that too. then he told us how losing the Eoros was not his fault either. It was “Me me me” that I gave up about ¼ of the way in.

The match tonight: First half England were quite dominant but could not take chances. second half Croatia did exactly what they did to Russia: turned up the heat and the tempo, became dominant, passing more accurately and running faster than England and by Extra time England were tired. The second Croatia goal was a lack of defensive cover and a great strike. France will find them a handful.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

The WC overall was good, but I think we finally seen out level. The first half was good. We controlled it well. Second half we ran out of steam and had little talent to back it up.

However this hasn’t spoiled the comp at all. If anything them getting this far was just a bonus. 4 weeks ago with was hoping for a last 16 spot. Last 4 is good, Saturday we will finally how game 3 would of worked out.

It’s a real shame we seemed to go out with no fight. The second half was just flat.

[Ed P]

England’s performance sort of reminds me of the pre-Klopp Liverpool. Start out looking great then snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. I’m afraid Harry Kane did not do a good job of firing up his troops in the second half, and that contributed to England going flat.

The Belgium match is now the important test whether Southgate/Kane really have what it takes.

[blacklion1725]

Saturday’s game is a nothing one for me – I’m sure both sides wuld rather just go home so I wouldn’t draw too much from it win or lose. They’ve already dropped the 3rd/4th play-off from the Euros and I don’t really see why they bother keeping it in the WC (aside from more tickets and TV money).

We done OK, probably slightly over-achieved but being realistic we may never get a chance like this again, where everything fell our way the way it did. Big opportunity missed – can imagine how they all feel today.

[Ed P]

Exactly why Saturday is a good test of the abilities of both Southgate and Kane in rallying their troops. Better to go out with a bit of a high than go out with the taste of defeat.

[Dave Rice]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/4iQjQjp2YzG7dDxv6

[The Duke]

Disipointing ending, we was far inferior to Belgium. I think we was lucky to be in the poison we was in the first eng bel game.

We found our level I think. They was so much better in the middle of the field.

 

[blacklion1725]

I didn’t see it Duke (watching the cricket) but just read a summary and I make you right – if we won in the week would only delay the inevitable against France. As you say we found our level – probably even punched a bit above our weight.

[Ed P]

Good improvement from sod-all, for which they should be cheered, but a long long way to go.

[The Duke]

What we do need, for someone to out score Kane. 3 pens, and a deflection make up his 6. It’s quite embarrassing

Before the WC me and a friend was discussing Kane, and we couldn’t figure out how he scores his goals. He does nothing exceptionally but always seems to be up there.

This WC answered it, he is just F-ing lucky.

 

Also when we boil the ‘great England WC’ we have 3 wins, against minnows, 1 draw, and 3 defeats. Not that great really. Even though one of ours will get the golden boot, ironically, we can’t score from open play.

The experiance will do them good, and this is a new young team, next time they can only be better, and they will have to be as they won’t get such an easy run at it again.

[RSB]

I have to some what agree with @sgb101

We only played agains two half good teams and we lost against them. The other teams was poor. I am not sure what rose tinted glasses everybody was looking through! Sterling as I have said before should of not even been in the team, he his a terrible player, did he hit one goal on target in the WC? Kane also next to useless. Unless the ball is delivered to his feet in front the goal no more than a few feet out he can not score. He can not play football that’s for sure, that his why he just lurks arround the goal waiting and when he doe’s come out to play it’s rubish. The manager set that team up in a way that flatered them as there was not much talent and even less on the bench.

Americans: Over Sexed, Over Payed and Over here, Wat Wat!

[Ed P]

I’m not sure why Sterling was so poor. When he was partnered with De Bruyne he managed 22 goals and 12 assists. Maybe he was trying too hard, he certainly had all the bad luck while Kane benefited from good luck.

That said, he was rubbish playing against Liverpool.

[The Duke]

One day he will distroy Liverpool, he is yet to have a decent game agisnt us. I’ve seen him taken off at halftime once. And once watch Milner pocket him for 90 mins. The next meeting he was benched.

But you know one day, the footballing gods will favour him. He is a very good player, one growing alot, who gets so much stick at anfield he just shrivels up and wilts. But one day he will get us.

As regards to his England form, it’s just shows how much he needs the right players, or maybe time to adapt to the players around him, to shine.

City, like Liverpool, relay on a handful of plays, the players them selves are not that important, (they are obviously ), so maybe he just finds it hard to flip from his club system, ie knowing when and where to run depending on who has the ball, and when you have th ball simply hitting areas of the pitch you know your teammate is meant to attack when you pick the ball up. So he may struggle with adapting from team to team.

If he doesn’t sort it out, no matter how good he becomes for city and beyond, he will be dead wood in regards to England.

Kane, I just can’t comment on, I have no idea how he gets his tallies. I may make a point of fitting in more spurs games next season. As the man is a mystery to me.

Though like Lee said, he like the ball to come to him, which years gom by we’d celebrate as a goal poacher. The game has moved on, today you need 11 defenders first, to defend properly, to need to defend as a unit,if one man drops off, it’s just kills everyone else’s efforts.

But the f-er does score! Does he take the pens for spurs? I’d imagine so. But he may not.

But that golden boot is a classic. In 20 years we won’t remember what the goals was, and hell still be dining out on it.

[The Duke]

What an unfair sport football can be. Croatia such the better team today, just didn’t get the rub of the green.

In all fairness to France, they funneled Croatia wide almost every time, and the two centre half’s was very good to any Arial threat. Loris, mistake apart, was very good too.

We are talking England can only improve, sadly the same is true for France.

[Ed P]

I thought Croatia raised their game they were even dirtier than they were against England!

At times I thought I was watching a Rugby match, at others it was more like judo/Karate — hip throws and arm  strikes aimed at breaking collar bones. Few if any being picked up by the ref, but I guess TV cameras gets better viewing angles, and long lenses..

[Author]

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