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Post by Lobster on Nov 18, 2018 17:17:24 GMT
Best World Cup since 1990 (arguably since 1966 in fact), and now topping a group including the World Cup finalists and the biggest force in international football of the last decade.
About time Southgate and this England team got some credit, I think
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Post by Paul Da Part on Nov 18, 2018 17:47:38 GMT
These Nations League games have breathed new life into the international calendar. Whatever the outcome today, we were treated to a decent match, something a friendly wouldn’t have given us. Would have certainly lacked that edge. 1-0 down and we looked like we were staring into the abyss of League B. To turn it around showed great character and I think it’s about time we gave Southgate and this group of players a lot of credit. We got the ball rolling in Russia, long may this upturn in fortune continue. We had a fantastic summer didn’t we? The nation united as one and the World Cup gave us a lot of joy. The Nations League may not be as big as the World Cup, but for one week in June next year, we can savour that feel good factor once again. Germany relegated, Wales did fuck all and England reach the Finals tournament. This Nations League isn’t half bad, is it?
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Post by Frank Owen’s Paintbrush on Nov 18, 2018 17:53:50 GMT
Could be on course for a first international TREBLE with the Nations League finals in 2019, Euro 2020 and the World Cup in 2022.
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Post by South Wirral Blue on Nov 18, 2018 18:05:18 GMT
Of course next time around it should be easier to stay in League A if you're drawn in the same group as one of those promoted League B sides.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2018 18:35:41 GMT
2019 its coming home. 53 years of hurt. You cannot compare this mickey mouse competition to the World Cup the hurt will only end when we're good enough to win the World Cup again and that I'm afraid will not happen for a long time especially with the premiershit in its current format Woooosh
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Post by agl on Nov 18, 2018 19:17:40 GMT
Best World Cup since 1990 (arguably since 1966 in fact), and now topping a group including the World Cup finalists and the biggest force in international football of the last decade. About time Southgate and this England team got some credit, I think They were given too much credit in the World Cup...bang average squad which got steadily worse despite the draw opening up freakishly. First decent team we played and rolled over.
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Post by Lobster on Nov 18, 2018 20:53:40 GMT
Best World Cup since 1990 (arguably since 1966 in fact), and now topping a group including the World Cup finalists and the biggest force in international football of the last decade. About time Southgate and this England team got some credit, I think They were given too much credit in the World Cup...bang average squad which got steadily worse despite the draw opening up freakishly. First decent team we played and rolled over. That makes no sense. If it was a bang average squad, for them to get to the semis was a superb achievement.
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Post by Frank Owen’s Paintbrush on Nov 18, 2018 20:57:34 GMT
Best World Cup since 1990 (arguably since 1966 in fact), and now topping a group including the World Cup finalists and the biggest force in international football of the last decade. About time Southgate and this England team got some credit, I think They were given too much credit in the World Cup...bang average squad which got steadily worse despite the draw opening up freakishly. First decent team we played and rolled over. What are you on pal? We weren't given a hope in hell this summer and made it to the semi-finals of the World Cup! Croatia more experienced, glad we got some semblance of revenge today.
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Post by Lobster on Nov 18, 2018 21:19:37 GMT
Yeah just England and Portugal guaranteed semi-finalists so far. The rest of the groups conclude tomorrow and Tuesday. If Belgium avoid defeat in Switzerland later tonight then they'll qualify, whilst Netherlands can pip France for the final berth by simply avoiding defeat to Germany. Switzerland going through as things stand as they’re 4-2 up against Belgium having been 2-0 down. They need a two-goal win.
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Post by South Wirral Blue on Nov 18, 2018 21:39:01 GMT
Yeah just England and Portugal guaranteed semi-finalists so far. The rest of the groups conclude tomorrow and Tuesday. If Belgium avoid defeat in Switzerland later tonight then they'll qualify, whilst Netherlands can pip France for the final berth by simply avoiding defeat to Germany. Switzerland going through as things stand as they’re 4-2 up against Belgium having been 2-0 down. They need a two-goal win. Finished 5-2! Switzerland join Portugal and England in the last four.
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Post by Hannibal on Nov 18, 2018 22:04:57 GMT
Just got in and reading the comments from England fans. It would appear that Sterling had another poor game, but it will be subsumed under the euphoria of England reaching the tournament's finale.
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Post by agl on Nov 18, 2018 22:44:47 GMT
They were given too much credit in the World Cup...bang average squad which got steadily worse despite the draw opening up freakishly. First decent team we played and rolled over. What are you on pal? We weren't given a hope in hell this summer and made it to the semi-finals of the World Cup! Croatia more experienced, glad we got some semblance of revenge today. At the World Cup we got out of an easy looking group, albeit losing to Belgium. Despite finishing second the draw then opened up, rather fortuitously, giving us Colombia and Sweden to reach the semis. Hardly world football giants. We were poor against Colombia, relying on penalties, but decent against an average Sweden side. Overall we lost to every higher ranked side we played against (three losses in all). We won two games, drew one and lost three at the tournament if I've got my maths right. Too many people got swept along in the jingoism, including you it seems. We were one kick from going out to Colombia, then Southgate would have been branded a turnip. We have probably one world class player (Kane) and a handful of good ones but I still maintain it's a very average England squad that got rather lucky in the Summer. And so what if Croatia are more experienced?
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Post by Frank Owen’s Paintbrush on Nov 18, 2018 23:28:36 GMT
You don't get to the last four in a World Cup solely on luck.
We've beaten two of the top ten to win the toughest Nations League group, that answers the main thrust of your argument.
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Post by agl on Nov 18, 2018 23:45:32 GMT
Not sure how seriously the top teams are taking this competition. But, yes, let's play visiting teams on a cabbage patch and hurl long throws into the mixer. The beautiful game, eh? And I didn't say solely on luck. We have some good players but were very fortunate the way the draw opened up. Of course you have to beat what is in front of you. Guess it all comes down to opinions and you ain't changing mine on England.
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Post by Lobster on Nov 19, 2018 7:01:39 GMT
This is what I mean when I say I think it’s time they got a bit of credit. They do get praise, but it’s always grudging and is followed with ‘yeah but they were lucky’, ‘yeah but they haven’t played anyone good’, ‘yeah but other teams aren’t taking it seriously’. There comes a point when you have to acknowledge that he’s got England playing their best football and getting their best results since at least 1996.
You say we were one kick from going out to Colombia, I’d say we were a few seconds from going through with a comfortable 1-0 win against a horrible side to play against. Colombia were no mugs and neither were Sweden, both won their groups. That World Cup saw a lot of falling empires like Germany and Argentina, and to a lesser extent Spain and Brazil, but other nations sprung up in their place. Overall, I do think England were the fourth-best team at the World Cup. That was encouraging, and now that’s been followed up by winning a group with Spain and Croatia in it, and people are still belittling them.
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Post by Hannibal on Nov 19, 2018 8:52:36 GMT
After the opening game defeat to Spain I couldn't see anything but relegation for the England team and that's how it looked with 5 minutes to go in the tournament. Clearly the win in Spain was a massive upset. I'm sure Spain went into that game believing they could stroll it, but that 3 goal salvo was a once in 20 years miracle (see 5-1 in Berlin). Its a pity we've got to wait 8 months to see if we can move to the next level.
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Post by utb on Nov 19, 2018 12:33:52 GMT
With the luck we’ve been getting when it comes to draws I’m expecting Switzerland in the semi finals. Good team but like Sweden, had we been offered it a year ago we’d have snapped your arm off.
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Post by Hannibal on Nov 19, 2018 21:56:12 GMT
Bloody hell ~~ Holland left it late. 2-0 down with 5 minutes left and they needed 2 goals to join England, Portugal and Switzerland in Nations Semis and they did it. Much rather have to face them than France.
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Post by South Wirral Blue on Nov 19, 2018 22:56:15 GMT
Bloody hell ~~ Holland left it late. 2-0 down with 5 minutes left and they needed 2 goals to join England, Portugal and Switzerland in Nations Semis and they did it. Much rather have to face them than France. Interesting result isn't it. It caps off a miserable 2018 for Germany and it may yet get worse for them as they could possibly find themselves in Pot B when the seedings are decided for the Euro 2020 qualification draw. Nice for the Dutch to have something to celebrate after four years in the wilderness. As for us, we've got every chance in June. We really have!
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Post by Lobster on Nov 19, 2018 23:03:19 GMT
I'm surprised Germany have stuck with Joachim Low. I pretty much took it as a given that he would be sacked after their terrible World Cup showing, and only realised recently that he was still there. Quite comical the idea of Germany being 'relegated'.
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Post by utb on Nov 20, 2018 5:02:33 GMT
It’s just typical of international football, when the spine of a successful squad ages/retires the country suffers from a drought when trying to rebuild. Germany and Spain are both at the point now. Their leaders and winners (Lahm, Klose, Schweinsteiger, Silva, Xavi, Iniesta, Casillas etc) are all retiring and as such their dominance is over.
Now after a period in the wilderness, France have returned back to the top and look like they’ll dominate the two major tournaments for the foreseeable future. Belgium have a very strong first team but are weak beyond that and any injuries will see them horribly exposed like against Switzerland. Italy are always either brilliant or awful with no in between and Portugal are the opposite, consistently good without being spectacular but of course having Ronaldo allows them to win games they perhaps don’t deserve to win.
I’m hoping we can have a evolution like Germany did years ago when it took them time, won lots of youth tournaments and had a few late major tournament runs before finally their squad peaked in age and it all came together for them to win the 2014 World Cup.
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Post by Hannibal on Nov 20, 2018 19:09:29 GMT
Just a thought for Kosovo. They only became recognised by EUFA in 2016. A country with a population under 2m and they are on the verge of winning their Group D.
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Post by South Wirral Blue on Nov 21, 2018 11:14:13 GMT
Martin O'Neil & Roy Keane leave posts with Rep Ireland. They've not really developed I don't think in the last few years, gone backwards if anything.
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Post by Hannibal on Nov 21, 2018 11:45:28 GMT
Martin O'Neil & Roy Keane leave posts with Rep Ireland. They've not really developed I don't think in the last few years, gone backwards if anything. I doubt any team will progress with an arrogant bully like Keane involved.
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Post by Frank Owen’s Paintbrush on Nov 21, 2018 12:10:52 GMT
Scotland won promotion I see. Things could be looking up for them.
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Post by Lobster on Nov 21, 2018 12:13:30 GMT
Martin O'Neil & Roy Keane leave posts with Rep Ireland. They've not really developed I don't think in the last few years, gone backwards if anything. I doubt any team will progress with an arrogant bully like Keane involved. Having an Irish part of the family, I follow the Republic, and they're dreadful to watch at the moment. Going somewhere like Denmark and playing for a 0-0 is OK in isolation, but they play like that against everybody. The defeats against Wales were woeful, and by all accounts Northern Ireland were the better side in last week's friendly between them.
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Post by Frank Owen’s Paintbrush on Dec 3, 2018 17:57:47 GMT
England have been drawn against Netherlands in the semi's, to be played on Thursday 6th June in Guimaraes. Portugal face Switzerland in Porto the day before, with the third-place playoff (Guimaraes) and the final (Porto) to be played over Sunday 9th June.
£6.7m goes to the winners, £4m to the fourth placed team.
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Post by Hannibal on Dec 3, 2018 18:37:50 GMT
Happy with that!
Cautiously believe we can win that.
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