FIFA World Cup 2018 - GROUP G [Belgium, Panama, Tunisia, England - 18/23/24/28 June] **spoilers**

[Sui]

Never know, they might put KdB and Hazard out of action for us.

 

[Mr Jack]

I'm sorry do people still think that wasn't a penalty?

Yes. The Tunisian ran into a stationary player and made a show of it. Then Tunisian players repeatedly rugby tackled English players with no penalty. It was shockingly unbalanced.

 

[spook2575]

When's the final?

15 July. Hope you're not expecting england to be there ha

 

[Rroff]

Tunisia are not Panama or Saudi; they're a decent side. Not top of the tree but decent. We utterly outclassed them. Perhaps if you expect England to win the tournament you'd be disappointed with tonight; I'm more realistic. This was the best first match of the Euros or Worlds we've had in years.

There were a lot of positives in that people were playing in the right position for once, etc. a lot less of the usual pants on head from the manager, etc. with a responsive but measured approach to changing things up as needed - tempo, subs, etc.

Some might say he kept Dele Alli on too long but he made the substitution with enough time to make an impact rather than a desperate last minute change while not hurting things too much holding the decision to see how things played out.

 

[beachBOYken]

Looked like two clear penalties in real time, the replay just confirms it so the question is, what the **** are the VAR people doing if they're not penalties? They're stone wall, complete stone wall.

Yep, when you see some of the previous penalties such as Australia v France? VAR was used a lot, I guess the ref must need to have a doubt in his mind, which then makes the ref look even poorer.

 

[StevieP]

First 10 minutes we looked as good as I can remember us playing for a long time....and then we became England again.

Slow, no imagination and clumsy - about the only bright spark was Trippier! Even Kane had a shocker - 2 goals from 2 shots but his overall play was poor!

We simply don't have anyone that can unlock a defence!

We might get out of the group but that's as good as its going to get if we play like that!

 

[FoxEye]

Don't really see 50 people swinging an arm into an attackers head like that in a game.

LOL, he ran into his arm. Replays clearly showed this.

 

[glenimp617]

England v Spain final

Changed my mind about VAR. Useless if it's not used.

Trippier was man of the match for me.

 

[beachBOYken]

First 10 minutes we looked as good as I can remember us playing for a long time....and then we became England again.

Slow, no imagination and clumsy - about the only bright spark was Trippier! Even Kane had a shocker - 2 goals from 2 shots but his overall play was poor!

We simply don't have anyone that can unlock a defence!

We might get out of the group but that's as good as its going to get if we play like that!

lol what

We did unlock the defence on numerous times, its just the finishing was poor, Kane got two goals at his first world cup hardly a shocker!

 

[Rroff]

Even Kane had a shocker - 2 goals from 2 shots but his overall play was poor!

I think he was a bit encumbered trying to cover captain and find those blind spots to strike from - when he did exploit them it was brilliantly played.

 

[Vanquish-Storm]

I covfefe.

Doh! Don't take the Mick you knew what i meant! My thumbs are too big for this phone keyboard and I have had a bottle of bud light

 

[The_One]

pickfords a short arse butland or pope would have saved that pen

 

[LOAM]

70 minutes too long....bench for next game.

He's likely to miss the bench when he sits down and break his arse.

 

[No1newts]

He put it on a.plate for Rashford to dummy.for Lingard, he was direct and looked like he wanted to get a goal for the team. I think given the chances Lingard had he would have stuck one away.

As for Stirling, unless we can track down his footballing twin that Man City keep locked away I think we need to lose him somewhere far away before the next game

I agree regards sterling. Baffling he can immense for City but dross for us. If I had to guess I would say he can't cope with the pressure of being number 1 and at City he can get away without having huge pressure lumped on him.

 

[toshj]

LOL, he ran into his arm. Replays clearly showed this.

If the replay showed that, then why was the penalty not cancelled by VAR?

 

[MooMoo444]

If the replay showed that, then why was the penalty not cancelled by VAR?

Because the VAR team were busy all getting wasted?

 

[Richard_16v]

If the replay showed that, then why was the penalty not cancelled by VAR?

Same reason VAR ignored Kane's penalties, they forgot to turn the TV on, hell even in rugby VAR would have given a penalty for that one against Kane!

 

[Dis86]

Nothing wrong with the first decision. If we are all going to sit here and demand VAR for decisions like that then people need to stop being biased and look at the whole incident. Stones clearly fouls his marker before Kane is fouled, if anything its a free kick to Tunisia.

I

Right, and a free kick isn't a penalty is it?

 

[Dis86]

If the replay showed that, then why was the penalty not cancelled by VAR?

The same reason that the 2+ clear cut England penalties weren't awarded...

 

[Tombstone]

Because for the majority of the first half we looked pretty good.

Pretty good or Exceptional? Because in my mind, a few teams in the league this season were pretty good but Man City were "Exceptional" , Anthony Joshua is a pretty good boxer, Ali was "Exceptional" , Hamilton is a pretty good formula one driver, Senna was "Exceptional". Imo, it was outright hyperbole by the BBC pundits, IF that performance is truly what they think is exceptional, then god help us when we play one of the best teams because there isnt many ways to go up from "exceptional"