29 Jun 18 12:56 PM , Paul C wrote:

It seems sound...every chance that scenario could well play out.


I will of course respectfully disagree with you.


I don't happen to think Colombia will be that difficult to get past...they played the same day as we did Belgium, but they played a full strength team & aquired at least 2 injuries (from what i can remember) but the thing i'll take most from that performance vs Senegal is that they were lucky to win it (but there it is LUCK...it will play a part in this somewhere along the line) but based on that game & the disappointing 2-1 loss to JAPAN i can't see anything but an ENGLAND win come Tuesday night.


A QF with Sweden? well it was an eye opening performance against Mexico cryptic (Chris) but before this i was not that impressed, so my pick would be for the far more expressive & in form Swiss? if so that will be (i believe) a more difficult game than Colombia (i can see Harry getting 2 against them...funny thing i have predicted Harry's goal scoring form too!!! & perhaps Sterling will finally get off the mark?)
England v Switzerland...it SHOULD be England, but could, would & should, you just never know but if England return to playing as they did before this drab, unadventurous loss to Belgium then again i see no other winner (be it against the Swiss or Sweden)
Famous last words i know 

Semi Final?
I have slightly changed my mind on them (SPAIN) over the course of this tournament along with the impact they made in the friendlies before it (they lost none but draw the majority) but apart from that EPIC 3-3 draw against Portugal in round 1 (they should have won it) i think they've been a little disappointing & don't see them winning it or even making it to the Semi's?

I have a feeling now for CROATIA to make this Semi-Final berth along with ENGLAND & if so that will be a battle royale...you'd hope & expect the quailty of England will out (especially with their dangerous PACE) but the Croatian's are BATTLERS so it won't be easy (hope it is but wouldn't expect it to be so)
This one should it happen? might go all the way to PENALTIES again! OH NO not PENALTIES for ENGLAND in yet another Semi-Final?
Could be? but perhaps the FOOTBALLING GODS are with us this time? and we finally win an imprtant one for a change (hopefully it never comes to this?)
I will just be happy if we get this far? but i'll be honest & say i do now expect them to do so now we are over in this so called EASIER? draw (which let's be honest...it is!)

Edge past Croatia? or Spain in that Semi-Final & this country will GO CRAZY!!!

Aparantly even the GERMANS are supporting ENGLAND now & for good reason perhaps?

They have unjustly beaten England in so many Semi-Finals over the past 28 years on PENALTIES that i think even they know they should have a lost a good number of those! ITALIA '90 & of course EURO'96 & except for their lack of humour they are very similar to we English, so good on 'em for doing so.

Many will still think a SPAIN v BRAZIL final is the most likely & i fancied both of these sides too along with the one's i think will contest this final...

Had a strange feeling since the draw was made & i've stuck to it & bet on it...

THE FINAL will be between...

ENGLAND & BELGIUM

I hope & with both sides back to full strength that would be as good a final as a Brazil v Spain OR Brazil v Belgium one.

It's a CRAZY THING to say...but i actually think i may have recalled this FINAL before!!!!

WHAT!!!!

I know right!

I get some Deja Vu's & you'll not be surprised to hear i have had some very STRANGE ENCOUNTERS  seriously, some of the stories & things i have discovered would freak MOST PEOPLE out.

It will probably end up a SPAIN v BRAZIL (covering myself ) final as everyone else thinks but if it's the one above i will raise a smile, i even predicted England would probably lose to Belgium 0-1 but then meet up again in the Final & beat them & that our HARRY would get  a hatful of goals (including a HAT-RICK against Panama)....so i am understandably curious to see what happens?

A Side of...

PICKFORD? well he's not gonna change him in Goal now but wow he really needs to sort out that Goalkeeping style...with any saves ending up right back in the penalty area...YIKES!
Had serious doubts about him when i heard he'd been picked as No1 but i hope i'm wrong & gets us through any Penalty shoot outs (it seems David Seaman also has doubts)
I still think HEATON of Burnley should be England's No1 but after his injury & POPE took over i figured after that amazing season from POPE he'd be No1 but nope!

STONES (thankfully has had a GREAT Tourney so far)
McGUIRE (Bit of an iffy start but now looks at home in an ENGLAND Shirt)
TRIPPER (a sensational Tournament)
LOFTUS CHEEK or WALKER more likely? (both super..depends on the opponents?)
HENDERSON (A ROCK)
LINGARD (Superb)
ALLI (We need a back to form...adventurous DELLI back!)
STERLING (He WILL RETURN to FORM)
RASHFORD (He may well be paired up with HARRY at some point?)
and of course
HARRY KANE (many more goals to come i think against Colombia & Sweden or the Swiss) GOLDEN BOOT Favourite for me & yet again i backed him along with England to win this thing & to face Belgium.

Now that's one super, attacking, mobile & FAST Team & never understand the negativity about England's chances...hey maybe they lose somehow to Colombia? or Sweden/Swiss but i think it will take something to KO England now.

And this BEST 11 are any match for BRAZIL, SPAIN or BELGIUM

Can you tell i'm excited Cryptic? 

Senegal are a decent team and they did well to beat them.
They played Japan with 10 players after Carlos Sánchez Moreno was sent off after just 178 seconds so did well to make a game of it and only lose 2-1.
I believe that England had a much easier group.
(England left it late to win their opening game against Tunisia, with Harry Kane grabbing a stoppage time winner.) Not great form struggling to beat Tunisia is it?
Colombia battered Poland who were a decent side in the qualifiers.
All that said I fancy England to beat Colombia as they will probably be without some key players.
Good luck with your predictions!

30 Jun 18 08:35 AM , Paul C wrote:

Sorry dubs just gonna have to disagree....points made are valid.
Colombia against Japan your right they did make a game of it to be fair & played well against a surprisingly bad Poland side.
That final game against Senegal...they should have lost.

So for me a set of mixed results but i watched the performance in all three & found NOTHING to worry me, they may well score one against England? FALCAO? perhaps but i think Southgate has been more canny than even i expected.

Would expect us to come through this Last 16 rather comfortably.

I will also agree to the England had a fairly easy draw (if we exclude Belgium) and yet Tunisia are the highesst ranked African side in the tournament.
Struggled to beat Tunisia? it was close in the end but England should have had this wrapped up far earlier...played as good as ANYONE in the first half & then struggled a little in the second half against them when they dropped back to defend it.
I think England played well against Tunisia & then romped home against Panama (i even liked that Southgate saw what we all saw in that game too...slow start & a silly goal conceded) but wow that was a very good performance against Panama.

I will read nothing into the 'B' sides game between England & Belgium except that i was DELIGHTED he had the nerve to risk defeat & pick a weakened side like Belgium)
THAT decision could well bring about England's first semi final spot in 22 years if England return to the play in the previous friendlies & those first 2 games.

I do wonder 1-11 which team would better England's? Brazil & Belgium i would say.

I never fancied Germany or France, wondered what Argentina side would turn up & without the usually dangerous ITALY & HOLLAND here i just figured with the improved style of FAST QUICK TEMPO (Guardiola like) PLAY with youngsters we had every chance of getting close!

And i ain't changed my mind yet based on any games played here...in fact i think WE CAN GET MUCH BETTER...Hoping Sterling & Alli can KICK into FORM if that happens?

A FINAL awaits!

Predicitons wise? not been good with the day to day games...just about breaking even now but should we make that QF i will have my fingers crossed with 888's free bet & $300 resting on us winning it 
I would GIVE THAT BET UP right now for ENGLAND to WIN this thing!

We'll see...Some nice ATTACKING FOOTBALL from here on in would be nice rather than nervous keep it tight sort.

You are speaking as an England fan here (blinkered)

Facts,
England had a very easy group and duely beat the 2 weak teams that they were expected to beat.Belgium battered those two teams,
Belgium 3-0  Panama 
Belgium 5-2 Tunisia
Belgium 1-0 England
You reckoned Tunisa are a strong side?
Belgium battered them right!!
Remember Colombia would more than likely have thrashed Japan if they hadn't had a player sent off after THREE MINUTES and were still competitive right to the end and if they had won this game they wouldn't have needed to put on a strong team v a good Senegal side.A lot of if and but's here but you can't be giving England the benefits of the doubt and not also giving them to Colombia.
As I said England should hopefully beat Colombia now that they may be missing some key players one being James Rodriguez the 2014 Golden Boot Award winner.
Anyway good luck to England for the game!!