World Cup 2014 Squads and Games

[DB10GOONER]

Is this a bit extreme or what

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldc ... razil.html

Don't take the piss with the new threads though, mate! Merged.

[Theoperator]

Gunner for the World Cup of thread formations.

Back in the real world Im starting to get a bit optimistic, and have actually bought 2 mugs and a car flag at Asdas

The Granny shagger has a lot to proove, but the team and manager may surprise us.

Fancy Belgium to win it though, or at least through the the semis.

[northbank123]

Belgium are an extremely fashionable team but a way off being good enough to win it imo. Getting a hard-on over players like Fellaini, Vertonghen and Lukaku is fine and well when you're putting them in the context of qualifying from a shit group but Spain and Germany have quality in reserve all over the pitch pretty much and although Belgium have some exciting players its nowhere near the spark a team like Argentina has.

[Theoperator]

Ooops, I am too this season once more NB123

Add in Hazard and Lukaku Mirellas and Januzaj (maybe) as a group of forewards and they must be up there especially as many of their seasons finished early ,

Granted with the 2 clowns Chadli and \dembele from the scum their midfield looks lightweight the defense isnt too bad They could be the European Cup Winners next time round, still sure they will be semi finalists

I know the German reserves are good but as we often hear on here theres only 11 on the pitch

[northbank123]

Hazard can be class if their systems allows him to prosper. Lukaku is decent but on the international stage hardly 'up there'. Januzaj and Mirallas are squad players at Europa League teams. Not really comparable with the embarrassment of riches that the favourites have in attacking positions. More than that, I've actually watched them play a few times and they haven't really impressed me. One thing nearly all international teams lack if cohesion (certainly on the level of club teams) and imo that's where the teams with experience of playing together in a particular style for years (like Spain and Germany) will profit.

As I said they're decent enough, they'll get through their group and probably win it but then they're looking at probably Germany/Portugal and then Argentina in the quarters. If they get into the semis it will be a monumental achievement for them.

[topgoon]

Gunner for the World Cup of thread formations.

Back in the real world Im starting to get a bit optimistic, and have actually bought 2 mugs and a car flag at Asdas

The Granny shagger has a lot to proove, but the team and manager may surprise us.

Fancy Belgium to win it though, or at least through the the semis.

Can't see it, they are down to one striker and Lukaku is not that good. Quarters, then they'll get found out

[1989]

---------------------------Courtois---------------------------
Alderweireld-----Kompany---Vermaelen-----Vertonghen
----------------------------Witsel----------------------------
---------Fellaini/De Bryune------Dembele-----------------
Mirallas----------------------------------------------Hazard
----------------------------Lukaku---------------------------


Very good team imo. They're gonna go pretty far, certainly further than the likes of Holland.

[northbank123]

---------------------------Courtois---------------------------
Alderweireld-----Kompany---Vermaelen-----Vertonghen
----------------------------Witsel----------------------------
---------Fellaini/De Bryune------Dembele-----------------
Mirallas----------------------------------------------Hazard
----------------------------Lukaku---------------------------


Very good team imo. They're gonna go pretty far, certainly further than the likes of Holland.

Another no-holds-barred prediction from 1989

Courtois, Hazard and possibly Witsel aside and that is a Europa League team. I've watched Belgium play a few times and they've just not impressed me.

[SteveO 35]

---------------------------Courtois---------------------------
Alderweireld-----Kompany---Vermaelen-----Vertonghen
----------------------------Witsel----------------------------
---------Fellaini/De Bryune------Dembele-----------------
Mirallas----------------------------------------------Hazard
----------------------------Lukaku---------------------------


Very good team imo. They're gonna go pretty far, certainly further than the likes of Holland.

Another no-holds-barred prediction from 1989

Courtois, Hazard and possibly Witsel aside and that is a Europa League team. I've watched Belgium play a few times and they've just not impressed me.

Fellaini is just what we need remember - how could they fail with that fleet footed genius in the side. A centre half playing at left back, superstar spud sub Dembele.....need we go on. Brazil, Germany and Argentina must be shitting themselves !

[gp543]

---------------------------Courtois---------------------------
Alderweireld-----Kompany---Vermaelen-----Vertonghen
----------------------------Witsel----------------------------
---------Fellaini/De Bryune------Dembele-----------------
Mirallas----------------------------------------------Hazard
----------------------------Lukaku---------------------------


Very good team imo. They're gonna go pretty far, certainly further than the likes of Holland.

Another no-holds-barred prediction from 1989

Courtois, Hazard and possibly Witsel aside and that is a Europa League team. I've watched Belgium play a few times and they've just not impressed me.

Excuse me? Lukaku, Kompany, Vermaelen and Vertonghen are better than Europa League quality. Lukaku and Vertonghen are arguably their clubs most valuable players.

[1989]

Yeah Vermaelen is criminally underrated around here. Would start for anyone else in the league bar possibly the chavs.
Kompany is world class. Lukaku is a very good striker and Vertonghen can do a job equally well at LB. They would have options like Januzaj, Defour and Mertens on the bench as well. They might miss Benteke though.

[Yankee_Gooner_Dandee]

no fkin way belgium have the experience needed to win this tournament. for that matter neither does brazil, although the home field advantage could take them far. for me its between argentina, germany, spain, and a healthy uruguay.

[QuartzGooner]

Yankee

Brazil have won the Confederations Cup.

Their defence is strong - Dante, Thiago Silva,Dani Alves.

Their midfield will be tough to break down - Luis Gustavo, Fernandinho, Ramires.

I think they can neutralise the German,s cut off the supply lines from Ozil and Reus.

They can mark Argentina's Messi out of the game, and bully Di Maria.

They can over power and push past the Spanish tiki taka - Oscar and Willian and Neymar too much pace for the ageing Spanish.

[northbank123]

Obviously overlooked Kompany, he is class. Getting carried away about Lukaku imo, assessing him at the very top level he's just not a stand-out player.

And individuals aside they also lack the level of cohesion and tactical familiarity that the likes of Spain and Germany have.

[Basil is a Gooner]

http://news.arseblog.com/2014/06/oxlade ... knee-scan/

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s World Cup hopes are hanging in the balance after picking up an injury during England’s friendly with Ecuador this evening.
The game finished 2-2 but there were concerns over the Arsenal winger as he was forced off in second half with Roy Hodgson admitting afterwards that he was concerned the injury might be serious.
“We have our fears there might be some ligament damage,” he said. Obviously this would be bad news for England but basically who cares about England?
The issue is how it affects Arsenal and having suffered a cruciate knee injury on the opening day of last season and missed 5 months of football, it would be a big blow if he had to endure another prolonged period on the sidelines.
The first Arsenal World Cup injury of the summer. No doubt there’ll be more to come.