As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
tunisia were shit? well they played for a draw and spent most of the game with ten men behind the ball, we still broke them down and won despite having a clear pen turned down. Belgium B? Fair enough but admit it was England B as well.
As for Colombia same thing as Tunisia - spent the whole game feigning injury, ten men behind the ball, played the game as if not to lose, not to win. When we play a team that comes at us with expansive football (not expecting this v sweden but should get in v croatia) then you can expect plenty of flowing football and goals. It's weird to hold england to these standards of having to beat great teams convincly to have any chance - how aside from croatia and france have played great football this tournament?
if we get past sweden (expect another similar affair to last night if it is to be the case) then we are at a semi final, that would be a huge achievement. realistically we will play croatia who may dominate possession with kovacic and modric in midfield. then it's our turn to frustrate and hopefully do a job on someone.
personally i think last night's test will leave us in good stead in terms of mental strength and practise against a "clever" team that was defensively sound for much of the game. don't think us twatting everyone 4-0 would be great preparation tbh.
Going through was all that really mattered. Any England fan offered that outcome beforehand would have snapped your hand off for it. My whole post was basically saying that performances aren’t the be all and end all by any stretch at a major tournament.
I’m not sure you can attach too many positives to the actual performance (to the extent that it matters) as England were ultimately held to a draw by a very average side, failing to keep a clean sheet again and creating very little. Other than finally winning the lottery of a shootout then England hardly showed spades of mental strength - they got dragged into Colombia’s filth, threw away a comfortable win and went to pieces in extra time with an awful shape. Very lucky not to go home in a game that they would have expected and deserved to win quite comfortably.
Anyway Saturday will be a new game and I agree that Sweden will be similarly negative. Hopefully they’ll find a way to stop Kane scoring fucking penalties, tap ins and deflections
tunisia were shit? well they played for a draw and spent most of the game with ten men behind the ball, we still broke them down and won despite having a clear pen turned down. Belgium B? Fair enough but admit it was England B as well.
As for Colombia same thing as Tunisia - spent the whole game feigning injury, ten men behind the ball, played the game as if not to lose, not to win. When we play a team that comes at us with expansive football (not expecting this v sweden but should get in v croatia) then you can expect plenty of flowing football and goals. It's weird to hold england to these standards of having to beat great teams convincly to have any chance - how aside from croatia and france have played great football this tournament?
if we get past sweden (expect another similar affair to last night if it is to be the case) then we are at a semi final, that would be a huge achievement. realistically we will play croatia who may dominate possession with kovacic and modric in midfield. then it's our turn to frustrate and hopefully do a job on someone.
personally i think last night's test will leave us in good stead in terms of mental strength and practise against a "clever" team that was defensively sound for much of the game. don't think us twatting everyone 4-0 would be great preparation tbh.
Going through was all that really mattered. Any England fan offered that outcome beforehand would have snapped your hand off for it. My whole post was basically saying that performances aren’t the be all and end all by any stretch at a major tournament.
I’m not sure you can attach too many positives to the actual performance (to the extent that it matters) as England were ultimately held to a draw by a very average side, failing to keep a clean sheet again and creating very little. Other than finally winning the lottery of a shootout then England hardly showed spades of mental strength - they got dragged into Colombia’s filth, threw away a comfortable win and went to pieces in extra time with an awful shape. Very lucky not to go home in a game that they would have expected and deserved to win quite comfortably.
Anyway Saturday will be a new game and I agree that Sweden will be similarly negative. Hopefully they’ll find a way to stop Kane scoring fucking penalties, tap ins and deflections
Personally I hope Kane scores 15 goals and I don't care if they go in off his left testicle (assuming he has two)
Not an anti English thing but there has to be a reality check at some point.
Why does there? Its football, its all about hoping and believing you can win.
I'm sure you would have said the same to Denmark in 92 or Leicester a couple of years ago.
Reality with football is not something you have to deal with until its over
Agree - especially in tournament football. England have narrowly stumbled past a shit Tunisia, brushed aside an abysmal Panama, lost to Belgium B and drawn with a dreadful Colombia - not keeping a clean sheet along the way or looking like scoring other than Kane or set pieces. But nobody else has really stood out and England have almost as good a chance as anybody of reaching the final. There aren’t any teams left in who England aren’t capable of beating.
Plus it’s always much more fun when England go out with their fans having got carried away
This comes across as just a tad salty IMO. When Wales had their run in Euro 16, the whole of Wales was dreaming about winning the fucker. I don't think there was that many England fans who didn't want them to do well.
Why is it when England fans when let's face it we have been very pessimistic prior to the tournament, start saying we can win the thing the other home countries have nothing better to do than hope we fall flat on our faces. The Scots are the worst for this.
England can win the World Cup now, anything is possible in a knock out football competition. We had a lot of luck so far this time, with the draw etc but boy it's about time with some of the ridiculously bad luck we have had in previous tournaments.
Most English people I know were hoping Wales would get knocked out. And I didn’t blame them one iota after having decades of the same treatment and the pretty small time video of Wales players celebrating Iceland beating England. And I would be giving it the big one for the rest of time if Wales had managed to fluke that tournament!
They “have nothing better to do” because their teams didn’t qualify for the tournament.
Also tickets in the office who have never shown the slightest interest in the game now asking each other if they saw the game. Fucking bandwagononers. Can't stand em.
Also tickets in the office who have never shown the slightest interest in the game now asking each other if they saw the game. Fucking bandwagononers. Can't stand em.
I'm enjoying this World cup can you tell?
Don't get me started mate.
In Oireland it's every fucking thing any Oirish person is involved in in any way. We have fuckwits that become temporary "die hard" fans for the world cup and euros (nowadays qualifying games only obviously ) the towel flicking, golf, sailing , athletics, hockey - you fucking name it. Bandwagon jumping cùnts ignore those sports until a big event or finals comes around and then they are all merchandise wearing experts.
Also tickets in the office who have never shown the slightest interest in the game now asking each other if they saw the game. Fucking bandwagononers. Can't stand em.
Actually scratch that somebody just called out jug ears on twatter asking him to comment on the Maguire dive like he would do if it was Neymar and jug ears reckons that because Maguire immediately got up and gestured to the ref that it wasn’t a foul it was all ok
Who gives a flying fuck? England advance to the quarter finals; on penalties no less! that's all that matters.
I reckon we're actually seriously in with a chance. Anything can happen in tournament football. Goals win you games and we've got arguably the best striker in the world leading the line for us.
I really like what Southgate has done with the defence as well. We've got a proper defensive system that is making average defenders like Maguire and Stones look solid. There is a reason why Pickford hasn't had to make too many saves; we don't give up too many goal scoring chances.
as soon as colombia showed any ambition the defence went to shit.
pure blind luck that england wont play a decent team when it matters until the final. Croatia need to sort themsleves out as they should on Argentian form make mincemeat out of England but on last game they were crap.
had 'hames' rodriguez been playing last night we would have lost.
still cannot understand how people can support a football team full of players you detest and what to be seriously injured week in week out. they wear an england shirt? so what why is that representative of the english people? these players do it for themselves no one else. Especially with no Gooners whatsoever even in the squad (wellshit apart..)
cant wait for the years of spurs fans saying how they won the world cup, and all the commemorative shit they will undoubtedly churn out.
Nice to see Diego Maracokehead jumping on the "ref cheated for England" bandwagon. He is and always has been the very definition of the word "classy". Whether it's snorting coke from a fat Mafia hooker's arsehole or punching balls into the net he just oozes class and integrity the fat little fucker.
In fairness though he probably owes a debt to some Colombians - of both the spiritual and financial kind.
Nice to see Diego Maracokehead jumping on the "ref cheated for England" bandwagon. He is and always has been the very definition of the word "classy". Whether it's snorting coke from a fat Mafia hooker's arsehole or punching balls into the net he just oozes class and integrity the fat little fucker.
In fairness though he probably owes a debt to some Colombians - of both the spiritual and financial kind.
What made me chuckle were two items from the media, one was "he had trouble standing up after one came and onlookers were concerned that he might have had a heart attack or such like no shit after snorting all that Charlie I'm just surprised he didn't triple fuckin somersault out of the chair
The other point was that when questioned about the England v Columbia game he said that when Columbia scored he felt like he was heading it himself no, no you imagined you were fuckin handling the ball into the net like a netball fuckin player you little fat orange *word censored*
Nice to see Diego Maracokehead jumping on the "ref cheated for England" bandwagon. He is and always has been the very definition of the word "classy". Whether it's snorting coke from a fat Mafia hooker's arsehole or punching balls into the net he just oozes class and integrity the fat little fucker.
In fairness though he probably owes a debt to some Colombians - of both the spiritual and financial kind.
I'm hoping it's a financial debt he owes to some big nasty Colombian fucker with a short fuse and a propensity to shoot argies
Anyone know if any of the Colombian team have dared venture home yet.....or are there a few asylum applications in the post
, athletics, hockey - you fucking name it. Bandwagon jumping cùnts ignore those sports until a big event or finals comes around and then they are all merchandise wearing experts. 
