The Knockout Stages

First topic message reminder :

Round of 16:

France vs Argentina
Portugal vs Uruguay
Spain vs Russia
Croatia vs Denmark
Brazil vs Mexico
Belgium vs Japan
Sweden vs Switzerland
England vs Colombia

Think Croatia will give England a tougher game than Russia would have.

Not sure. Football wise you'd play Russia without a 2nd thought, but that atmosphere combined with the tension of a World Cup semi final evens it up

Not sure if Croatia could handle a 3rd game on extra time. Will give England some edge I suppose.

It’s a step up from, Colombia. Should be the first game that we genuinely will have sustained periods of defending to do. Imagine a tactical switch to aid Henderson against Modric and Rakitic.

You could argue that both England and Croatia have played pretty ordinary stuff so far, so it’s a 50/50 game.

Understand the criticism of Sterling’s finishing, but he’s really been our only threat from open play - and when Rashford got his chance he fluffed it badly (and Vardy had the most anonymous sub appearance ever). You have to think if he keeps making it into those positions one will go in...

Croatia are a decent side but for me they’re less than the sum of their parts. A little bit of a team of individuals and I am not convinced their defence is good (and they’re weak from set pieces defensively too). But as John alludes too, Modric/Rakitic against Henderson is a real issue for England. Gonna be a great game, and whatever happens england have done brilliantly!

Guess Dier for probably Lingard would come under consideration.

Suspect Croatia will be forced into some changes after 2 games with extra time in a week.

I would probably stick with the same team, buzz around in midfield, Croatias best chance is to monopolize the ball. Don't think I'm scared enough to change the system for a team that's struggled past 2 ordinary opponents.

I think it would be a bad idea to change our midfield to worry about Modric and Rakitic (who by the way did sod all against Russia), what has been a breath of fresh air is England being attack minded, as soon as we paired up Dier and Henderson against Colombia we lost our momentum, we don't need to do that against Croatia.

Maybe Delph for Dele or Liniesta as Delph can drop in and defend but also get forward, but I'd hate for us to change shape when this system has gotten us to the semi finals.

Hopefully Croatia continue to play Modric and Rakitic far too deep which they've done in the past two games and it's really nullified them. Do that against us and it allows us to keep on the front foot against them.
The one thing we cannot do is let it go to penalties. For all our heroics against Colombia and how excellent Pickford has been, Subasic is immense on them, though mainly due to the refs not clamping down on how far out he comes to save them.

I do not believe Southgate will make any changes for the semi. I think he has taken the view that England are best off playing their own game and letting the opposition worry about countering it...seems to have worked so far.
Not assuming anything : but I think they have an excellent chance of defeating Croatia - who must surely be a little fatigued , mentally and physically , after successive ET and penalty affairs.

I know they'll be underdogs against either France or Belgium ; but wouldn't we all have taken this a month ago ?

The attacking way we play isn’t actually that attacking, either. Lingard and Sterling work tirelessly to defend and Alli has dropped deep well. Modric will have less time on the ball if Lingard and Sterling play.

I’d also like to see Lovren and Vida tested by Sterling’s pace

To me that's the key to playing Modric I think.

Playing Dier is basically asking for a rerun of 2012 where Pirlo had the freedom of the pitch for me.

On a side note, credit to Russia.

Pre tournament, getting out of the group looked dicey, but they played some good football, knocked out Spain and came within a shootout of making the Semi Finals. Far from a embarassment.

GSC wrote:On a side note, credit to Russia.

Pre tournament, getting out of the group looked dicey

They weren't a given to go through, but was it even possible to create a weaker group than that one?

Our group wasn't exactly hard was it.

As for Wednesday, Southgate's not going to change tye side. And to be fair these players are the ones that have got us here. Add in the fact the reserves didn't cover themselves in glory. think we need to attack with pace (which we haven't really been doing), more forward passing then the safety first. And push Kane further up the pitch, rather than him dropping deep.

I'm highly doubtful England will beat Croatia. I thought we would lose against the Swedes but thankfully we didn't.

Croatia pose a very real threat to Englands progress and even with a highly competent England side, I still think England will lose.

I really do hope I'm wrong, so much. This World Cup has thrown so many surprises, it has been so interesting.

England are still yet to beat a good side.

I'm enjoying the great national mood at the moment but does anyone else find their brand of football direly boring? It appears as though they play like Spain but with a much greater reliance on set pieces.

Yes.

It's to slow so we don't trouble teams, and there's a reliance on the safe option 1st.
Which given the players in the side is slightly strange as you would imagine Kane, Ali, Sterling would prefer quicker forward balls that they could run on to.

I'd argue Colombia are a good side who decided to play like a lower league team playing a prem team for some reason.

Every team they've played so far have spent most of the game camping in their own half bar Belgium which was a glorified reserve game.

If I'm not mistaken they've beaten two group winners so far right? Those teams can't be that bad...

I'm not saying they have don't well to get here. And they've by far exceeded expectations.

But there have been times (Sweden being an example as they were poor), when I can't help thinking that we can turn the handbrake off for a while, and attack with pace and more forward balls. Over whelm them, and let them be more worried about us.
Though against Croatia feel we have to play more conservatively. But will need to attack at pace.

Watching different games. England keep the ball well and move it usually with good speed, not always going too far or beating too many men, but there’s definitely pace in the use of Sterling and some counter attacks.

Croatia haven’t beaten anyone good either. Haven’t beaten anyone in the knockouts

Agree to disagree with you Dolph.
Belgium move the ball quickly we dont.

As for Croatia they beat Argentina in the group stage (admittedly a poor team, but still),. You're right about the knockout stages, and they've been a strange side. As in the group stage they were probably the side of the tournament. But in the later stages they've been a shadow of that side. We have a chance, but will need to be at our best.

Argentina are not, and weren’t at any point, a good team in this tournament. Absolute shambles and I reckon we’d have ripped them apart too.

Colombia are better than Argentina and I'm not sure its close

very hard to call both semis, I would go for france and Croatia just

Luke wrote:in the group stage they were probably the side of the tournament.

At this point I sort of wonder how much of that was just people locking in their opinion after the Argentina game.

I think England DO play with pace and direction...the biggest problem (in my opinion) is that its only for about 30 mins. After that they seem to fall back in to a set play.

They need to play that game over 90mins... or at least be able to strike quickly (as they ARE able to ) at any point in the game, which they seem unable to do after 30m ins or so.

Possibly lowland, I personally always thought they were an outside bet if they clicked.

1 change each tonight. Matudi back for France, Dembele in for Belgium.

Just the 10 players from the English leagues starting for Belgium tonight.

Looking forward to this one.
Think both sides could start slowly, but the 2nd half could be fireworks. Either way it's an intriguing game, that's close to call.

Mbappe in the first minute showing his pace leaving a couple of defenders for dead.

I was wrong. No chances, but the football has been excellent. Belgium looking good at the moment.

Superb save Lloris keeps it 0-0. This has been an excellent game so far.

France getting back into it.

The games getting scruffy, suits France more. But it's been a decent half. Still tightly posed.

Bit of a stalemate. France look more streetwise than Belgium.

1-0 France, Umtiti from a corner.

Now what do Belgium have in their locker

Umtiti Heads  in a corner.  1-0 France.

Think your right GSC, be interesting to see how Belgium react now.
This is what France want, to be able to sit back and try and hit on the counter attack. If I was Deschamps I'd be tempted to bring Dembele on and Mbappe though the middle.

Fellainis been a great weapon in this world cup aerially but its not happening so far against an athletic French team.

Can't help but feel Belgium could do with some pace in centre mid, France are much quicker in there.

Mertains on for Dembele. De Bruyne is moved back, you sort of feel Belgium need to get more crosses in. Hazard with a team yellow card as France were away.

This is somewhat similar to watching a Wenger team play a Mourinho team.

De Bruyne's gone missing so far.

Matuidi has Danny Murphy's ballon d'or vote

Mbappe has been superb this game. Kante being Kante (ie superb), and Varane is arguably the best defender in the world at the moment.

I'm not getting Belgium playing quite slowly, it's when they speed it up they look dangerous.
Alberwield gets a yellow.

When you put Dembele, Witsel and Fellaini in midfield, it ain't going to snappy. Mertens offering in behind and wide has improved things even if De Bruyne's first touch has gone AWOL.

France have no interest in looking for a 2nd unless it's offered on plate. Can understAnd why but man it's a drag to watch. Belgium short of ideas and De Bruynes much vaunted passing is no where to be seen tonight.

How is that not a free kick

Strike by Witsel...Hazard rightly baffled by that decision..

Bar Mbappe on the break this France team does nothing to strike fear into England or Croatia. Very well organised but do think they can be got at from set pieces

French look like making the final, but they’ve barely got out of third gear all tournament, in all honesty. Much more disciplined side, but as far as providing entertainment, it’s solely reliant upon, Mbappe.

As for Belgium, they haven’t turned up. Belgium B v England B might have a second leg next Saturday. I hope not.

And Here comes the horrendous gamesmanship. If i was a ref and I saw this I would actually make the team sub him.would soon stop all the play acting and feigning injuries

Yeah solid but unspectacular is how you'd describe France..and for all the musings about the old fictional gears think its more a case of not having any other gears to go through rather than them just not clicking yet.

Lukaku just doesn't expect that pass to clear the CB