World Cup 2018 | 7th July | QF: Sweden vs England Match Thread, KO 15:00 (BST)

[prestonibbo_mcfc]

I will be as exited as the next man, but how can a team without a midfield win the most prestigious football tournament?

Don't think we can. But it's a funny ol' game.

 

[Pam]

Don't think we can. But it's a funny ol' game.

Wigan won the FA Cup. Greece and Denmark have both won the Euro tournament within the last decade or so. You have to be better than the sum of your parts to get there, though, and I'm not sure that's necessarily true about England yet. Hope I'm wrong.

 

[domalino]

Wigan won the FA Cup. Greece and Denmark have both won the Euro tournament within the last decade or so.

Greece was and Denmark was 14 and 26 years ago respectively.

Pretty generous definition of "within the last decade or so"!

 

[BLUEMATT23]

Omen? France vs Uruguay (6 /7 letters). Brazil vs Belgium (6/7 letters). Sweden vs England (6/7 letters). Russia vs Croatia (6/7 letters).
These individually make THIRTEEN. IT'S COMING HOME (13 letters).

 

[shakeyboy]

Omen? France vs Uruguay (6 /7 letters). Brazil vs Belgium (6/7 letters). Sweden vs England (6/7 letters). Russia vs Croatia (6/7 letters).
These individually make THIRTEEN. IT'S COMING HOME (13 letters).

Finally somebody making sense.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

Honestly, regardless of official rankings, I've always considered that a country that is mad about football, that virtually invented it in its modern form, that played a part, round the world, when you look closely, in founding clubs that are famous in other countries, that has good players, some of whom would walk into any club side in Europe, should be thinking in terms of quarter-finals in the Euros and the WC as base camp. As an acceptable performance. England have hugely under-achieved since ’66. That is the hard truth. Not even qualifying for the WC several times since then is scandalous, really. Things might be about to change. Interesting times…

For decades clubs, even top clubs or supposed top Academies, have not and still pretty much don’t have a clue how to train and develop top young English players. Ones that come through probably make it on their own ability rather than the quality of coaching available. The winners of the youth leagues and cups have relied on ready made overseas talent for years now. Get them over at 15/16, get them straight into the U16s team and hope for the best. Could you imagine Boca Juniors or Flamengo wanting to bring in a load of English youngsters for their youth teams? There are three Phil Fodens in every single youth team at all age groups in Argentina and Brazil. Many probably don’t even make it.

And in those countries, they get their 15 year olds playing on dirt pitches with no ref against open age players who kick fuck out of them. Could you imagine a Prem Academy letting our U16s do that? In England we wrap them in cotton wool and give them too much money too soon.

Also the FA have not got down to grassroots and developed it properly. Have a look at rugby and then football and see the difference at grassroots level between proper club houses, changing rooms and maintained pitches in rugby to kids getting changed out the boot of a mate’s Dad’s car on pitches with dog shit everywhere and nowhere to go post-game in footy. Never mind the actual coaching!

England teams have always given the ball away too much. It’s the English disease. We’ve always relied on hard work and determination to make up for it. Going off England in the WC so far, it’s still a problem. Apart from Stones who can pass a ball calmly and well almost every time?

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

 

[shemnel]

I will be as exited as the next man, but how can a team without a midfield win the most prestigious football tournament?

i'm not sure they can!! haha, but it'll be a fucking blast in manchester tomorrow if we make the semis :)

 

[Manchester_lalala]

Greece was and Denmark was 14 and 26 years ago respectively.

Pretty generous definition of "within the last decade or so"!

It still happened.

 

[Pam]

Finally somebody making sense.

Ha!