World Cup 2018 | 10th July | SF: France vs Belgium, KO 19:00 (BST)

[NorCalBlue]

That's only because we'll be taking it home, in a sulk. Not playing anymore ;-)

LOL. Hope Southgate's got a big bag cos they use loads of balls in World Cup games.

 

[FlemishDuck]

There's more to football than a scoreline.

The issues were clear on the flanks due to the changes and as a result KDB had to drop deep, but again Martinez had to make changes.

France is a better team on paper and well organised besides that they have more player depth. Our flanks have always been a hard case to manage due to the lack of quality fullbacks and then the loss of Meunier really didnt help neither.

 

[prestonibbo_mcfc]

The issues were clear on the flanks due to the changes and as a result KDB had to drop deep, but again Martinez had to make changes.

Whatever the reason, you seemed to run out of ideas in the 2nd half. Dembele was just a disaster, that just didn't work.
You can't, as a manager, account for that.

 

[01cravend]

The loss of Meunier forced changes that were difficult to make.

Martinez did well for Belgium, 0-1 against this France is no embarresment.

Play Alderweireld RB(where he used to play) and start Boyata to keep the same system that worked so well.

France aren't goal machines, like an old mourinho/Italian team be good defensively(play a cdm at LW) first and foremost and play on the counter.
Stuffy/set piece goals have got them through last few knockout games rather than being superior than the opposition. Glad we'd be facing them in the final.

 

[FlemishDuck]

Whatever the reason, you seemed to run out of ideas in the 2nd half. Dembele was just a disaster, that just didn't work.
You can't, as a manager, account for that.

You cant argue that a Manager is not good enough based purely on 1 loss, somewhere you need to set a bar and Martinez exceeded expectations.

 

[jaiguruKun]

I thought Belgium were doomed when Vinny did that Gerrard style team talk in a huddle on the pitch after the Brazil game, that never bodes well.

 

[super_city_si]

How wasn't he? He put plenty of great balls into the box that's his role. They should have got on the end of one of them and scored, what more can he do?

De Bruyne was far from great. Probably a victim of the high expectations he has set but after a pretty good first half he was very sloppy second half with a lot of turn overs from open play

 

[prestonibbo_mcfc]

You cant argue that a Manager is not good enough based purely on 1 loss, somewhere you need to set a bar and Martinez exceeded expectations.

Didn't say he wasn't good enough. I replied to your post about losing 1 - 0 not being a bad result.
Said there was more to the game than just the scoreline.

 

[Gundogan's Moustache]

I’d have much rather played Belgium in the final if we get there. No chance France bottle two finals in a row

 

[super_city_si]

You're wrong. Football's coming home - I saw it on YouTube.

No, youre wrong. It was on Facebook