Dmitry Posted July 12, 2018 Report Share Posted July 12, 2018 11 hours ago, mjazzg said: But also Martinez changed formation to make Lukaku the spearhead and therefore became overly reliant on him performing. Against Brazil it was three up front, with Lukaku out wide and they were unstoppable at times going forward Bad luck...it exists. Now, will the Belgians care enough to beat England again, and will the English manager have his troops charge with the open visor, or sit it out...that is the question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjazzg Posted July 12, 2018 Report Share Posted July 12, 2018 The pointlessness of the third place play off feels even more acute when your team's involved. It will not be long before no one remembers the runners up let alone third and fourth place. I predict it'll be a Belgian victory but will both manager's play their second XI's as a group match rematch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted July 12, 2018 Report Share Posted July 12, 2018 I was expecting a dillema as I’ll be at Swanage for the jazz fest this weekend. Problem averted ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted July 12, 2018 Report Share Posted July 12, 2018 Croatian Press Reactions to their Semi Final Victory Humility must not be in their alphabet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clunky Posted July 12, 2018 Report Share Posted July 12, 2018 1 hour ago, Brad said: Croatian Press Reactions to their Semi Final Victory Humility must not be in their alphabet. The British media were no less jingoistic in the 48hrs or so running up to kick off. The commentary on TV here was as overinflated as it gets but a least it didn’t disparage the Croatians (too much) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted July 12, 2018 Report Share Posted July 12, 2018 I suppose it’s to be expected. The run up to the final should make for some good reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjazzg Posted July 12, 2018 Report Share Posted July 12, 2018 In a way I find it oddly comforting that the press in other countries can be as bad as ours. as for the TV commentary, just laughable in its pomposity at times. Don't get me started on Roy Keane's punditry (Oh, Ok then I will, if you all insist) - the man who walked away from WC pressure criticising players for not being able to handle the pressure of a WC semi-final...maybe true but pot meet kettle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted July 12, 2018 Report Share Posted July 12, 2018 I read about Keane today in The Guardian. Speaking of which, Jorge Valdano has written a few good articles for them during the Cup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdavenport Posted July 12, 2018 Report Share Posted July 12, 2018 I don't care much for Roy Keane, he's like Geoff Boycott in cricket. What some people consider blunt and refreshing, I feel is just a front for not actually having anything particularly interesting or insightful to say. Anyway, England, it was nice while it lasted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmitry Posted July 12, 2018 Report Share Posted July 12, 2018 7 hours ago, Brad said: Croatian Press Reactions to their Semi Final Victory Humility must not be in their alphabet. Have you read the English tabloids coverage of the Cup? It's pretty much all garbage. Universal literacy doesn't mean universal enlightenment. And BTW the Croats did IMHO trounce the English yesterday, even though the score may not reflect the disparity in class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted July 12, 2018 Report Share Posted July 12, 2018 1 hour ago, Dmitry said: Have you read the English tabloids coverage of the Cup? It's pretty much all garbage. Universal literacy doesn't mean universal enlightenment. And BTW the Croats did IMHO trounce the English yesterday, even though the score may not reflect the disparity in class. No, I haven’t had the pleasure. I confine my reading of the WC to the Times, Marca, AS and The Guardian. It would be like me reading the NY Daily News to find out what’s going on in the world. They’re best used for kitty litter. They beat the English but trouncing, no. The Croats were not that great in the first half or the early part of the second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 Cristiano Ronaldo was more than just goals. The end feels cold. by Sid Lowe in The Guardian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjazzg Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 Enjoyed this analysis of the French side and Deschamps approach to forging a team rather than focussing on individuals https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jul/12/didier-deschamps-france-world-cup-final-belgium made me think that you could substitute Southgate for Deschamps in many of the sentences. England just need the players of experience and quality. Two or Four year's time 54 minutes ago, Brad said: Cristiano Ronaldo was more than just goals. The end feels cold. by Sid Lowe in The Guardian. I'm not always convinced by Lowe's writing but this is a good read. By any measures Ronaldo's an astonishing player and the way he has managed his career and maintained that physical prowess shows nothing but great dedication. I could do without the narcissism but I suspect that's all part of the same package. Totti played until he was 40 in Italy so I can't see why Ronaldo won't. As Lowe points out the way he's changed his game to adapt to advancing years is very clever and, in an entirely different way, reminiscent of Pirlo and his golden later years at Juve. He's just a very exciting footballer and as that free-kick against Spain in the opening match showed there's an uncanny inevitability about him performing. Having said that, the less I see of the shorts hike at free-kicks the better, especially around meal times... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 I love Lowe as a writer and, for me, he is the expert on Spanish football. I mentioned this earlier but I highly recommend his book about Barcelona and Real Madrid, Fear and Loathing in La Liga. Not just a sports book but sports and politics intersecting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjazzg Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 Yes, that book's on the "to read" list. Maybe good WC replacement therapy for next week. Fascinating relationship between the cities and the football clubs. I just find Lowe's style a bit unnecessarily florid at times. I invariably enjoy the subject of his articles but find his writing style trips me up (a bit like a Colombian defender ) What's your take on Ronaldo's transfer as an RM fan, Brad? Timely good business or short-sighted error? And, can Bale step up or will they need Hazard plug the gap? I'd love to see Bale given the chance as I think he's another great footballer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 Ronaldo didn't feel they appreciated him sufficiently. When the tax authorities hit with a big fine, he thought they should have publicly supported him and he also didn't like the club chasing Neymar. Basically, his ego (which is swollen already) was hurt and clashed with another big ego, that of Florentino Pérez, the president of the team. Zidane' leaving is due in part to him and Perez not agreeing on personnel decisions. They will obviously miss him because you just can't make up that amount of scoring. There's talk of them getting Mbappe and James coming back but the man is a goal scoring machine. Impossible to fully replace. I don't think Bale has fully committed to them yet, plus he always seems to get hurt so they can't fully count on him. Even a healthy Bale can't replace Ronaldo's goals. I think Barcelona is interested in Hazard and he in them so he may not wind up at RM Depending on who they sign, I can't see them competing for the league title or another Champions League this coming year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjazzg Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 Interesting, thanks. I'd not heard of the Hazard/Barca flirting. Mbappe would be an exciting option though. It the short to medium term it might be better all round if they can develop options that mean they don't rely so heavily on one player to score. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 Apparently, Madrid has announced a large bid for Hazard. Let the bidding begin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjazzg Posted July 14, 2018 Report Share Posted July 14, 2018 Hazard and De Bruyne a class apart today and it was very apparent that the Belgian team has 3 times as many international caps as this England side. A good WC for England nonetheless, exceeding expectations and making the most of their strengths and the draw they were dealt. It will be interesting to see how Southgate develops the team (by leaving Sterling out, hopefully) over the two years to the Euros when football will be coming home again! For Belgium, has to be an opportunity missed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erwbol Posted July 14, 2018 Report Share Posted July 14, 2018 4 minutes ago, mjazzg said: A good WC for England nonetheless, exceeding expectations and making the most of their strengths and the draw they were dealt. It will be interesting to see how Southgate develops the team (by leaving Sterling out, hopefully) over the two years to the Euros when football will be coming home again! Typical English self-delusion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted July 14, 2018 Report Share Posted July 14, 2018 25 minutes ago, mjazzg said: Hazard and De Bruyne a class apart today and it was very apparent that the Belgian team has 3 times as many international caps as this England side. A good WC for England nonetheless, exceeding expectations and making the most of their strengths and the draw they were dealt. It will be interesting to see how Southgate develops the team (by leaving Sterling out, hopefully) over the two years to the Euros when football will be coming home again! For Belgium, has to be an opportunity missed I think England did have a good WC. They were a young team and this will only help them in the Euros and the 2022 WC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted July 14, 2018 Report Share Posted July 14, 2018 Was Russia 2018 the best World Cup ever? And other reflections on the state of the sport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmitry Posted July 14, 2018 Report Share Posted July 14, 2018 (edited) 4 hours ago, mjazzg said: Hazard and De Bruyne a class apart today IMHO right now DeBruyne is the most universal footballer in the world. He’s amazing to watch, when he’s on. Edited July 14, 2018 by Dmitry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjazzg Posted July 14, 2018 Report Share Posted July 14, 2018 4 hours ago, erwbol said: Typical English self-delusion. How did Holland do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erwbol Posted July 14, 2018 Report Share Posted July 14, 2018 1 hour ago, mjazzg said: How did Holland do? Since the seventies, on the whole probably a lot better than England, but that's beside the point. It's really a fluke that a team as average in quality and bereft of creativity as this England made it this far in the tournament. The only reason this is worth commenting on is the way the English characteristically dealt with it. Most overrated team in the tournament for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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