[Drinking] Англия против Бельгии (England vs Belgium)

[The Andy Naylor Fan Club]

Peter Ustinov.

**Cough** Pedant alert....
Peter Ustinov did indeed play fictional Belgian detective Poirot, you picture shows fellow Poirot actor David Suchet.

 

[ManOfSussex]

I see Labour's leader in the European Parliament,Riohard Corbett,will be cheering on Belgium as the World Cup is "a vulgar tournament to prove our superiority"Does he post on here?

He was referring to The FA's attitude in the 1930s when we didn't compete in it and his one line on 'supporting' Belgium before the world cup started was merely to show how far his expectations have fallen on England, from the days when we were going to win the world cup, to our our bad luck in tournaments that shows we cursed to the whats the point of even turning up etc.

I was already puzzled that we had had to wait for the eighth World Cup to win it — though I learned that this was because we had boycotted the first three world cups (there was no need to participate in a vulgar tournament to prove our superiority); that we had been too nonchalant and complacent the first time we participated in 1950 (when we had lost to a USA team composed of English amateurs); and somewhat unlucky in 1954 (losing to Uruguay), 1958 (when we were undefeated, but failed to qualify from the group stage) and 1962 (losing to the eventual winner, Brazil).

His blog on England in the world cup, written last Monday before the Tunisia game, is here in full, rather The Sun newspapers spun article on it today. The reality is quite different - https://www.richardcorbett.org.uk/e...another-episode-in-a-lifetime-of-heartbreaks/

 

[Triggaaar]

Obviously an England win would build momentum and dispell the ‘we’ll fall apart when we face a good team’ chat that seems to be prevalent.

It won't dispel anything if we beat a bunch of Belgian reserves. We've also beaten the big teams in the group stages before, just not in the knockout rounds.

 

[portlock seagull]

C’mon England! Football’s coming home!

Apart from all the really famous Belgians, can anyone name a famous Belgian?

Their BEERS! And obviously we all know you’re familiar with these HT

 

[Triggaaar]

Roberto Martinez "Our priority is not to win the game tonight"

Bluffing.

 

[Triggaaar]

A bit more recent than that in 2002, we finished 2nd in our group to Sweden, which meant we eventually got Brazil in the quarters obviously. That said, it meant we had Denmark in the 2nd round in the cool of the evening, rather than Senegal in the heat of the day who saw off Sweden in extra time. There was no guarantee we'd have beaten Senegal then either and no guarantee we'd have beaten a very good Turkey side in the quarters in the next round, had we gone down the the group winners route, rather than faced Brazil.

I remember it all too well. We might have beaten Senegal, we might not. But we probably would have, we were playing very well. If we had, we'd have been favourites against Turkey in an evening game. Instead we played Brazil in searing heat. We started well and Ronald saw his fluky cross go in, and as the game went on we simply couldn't compete in the heat. We had a much better chance of reaching the semi-finals had we have gone the other route.

 

[Easy 10]

I remember it all too well. We might have beaten Senegal, we might not. But we probably would have, we were playing very well. If we had, we'd have been favourites against Turkey in an evening game. Instead we played Brazil in searing heat. We started well and Ronald saw his fluky cross go in, and as the game went on we simply couldn't compete in the heat. We had a much better chance of reaching the semi-finals had we have gone the other route.

Germany's route to the Final that year was basically a bye:

Saudi Arabia (8-0)
R of Ireland (1-1)
Cameroon (2-0)

Paraguay (1-0)
USA (1-0)
South Korea (1-0)

Even England would probably have navigated through that.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

The big question is will he play Stirling?

 

[wellquickwoody]

C’mon England! Football’s coming home!

Apart from all the really famous Belgians, can anyone name a famous Belgian?

Bun?

Oops, bit late! How about Poirot, or Tin Tin, doh! Audrey Hepburn?

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

It is a flawed system if losing is a benefit

 

[whitelion]

The big question is will he play Stirling?

Surely the MTL doesn't kick off until August.

 

[Triggaaar]

Germany's route to the Final that year was basically a bye:

Saudi Arabia (8-0)
R of Ireland (1-1)
Cameroon (2-0)

Paraguay (1-0)
USA (1-0)
South Korea (1-0)

Even England would probably have navigated through that.

That's unbelievable.

 

[Triggaaar]

The big question is will he play Stirling?

If you go through our whole squad, misspelling all their names, will it start to get funny?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

It is a flawed system if losing is a benefit

I agree. Maybe the two group finales should play at the same time?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

If you go through our whole squad, misspelling all their names, will it start to get funny?

It was a typo. I’m right behind the Two Lions!

 

[Stato]

Really conflicted about this game.

Obviously an England win would build momentum and dispell the ‘we’ll fall apart when we face a good team’ chat that seems to be prevalent.

However finishing 2nd is a much easier route to the final, and from a selfish point of view England to finish on 5 or 6 points could be the last leg of a 37/1 acca I put on before the World Cup started. (Russia 5-6 points, France 6+, Brazil 6+, Colombia 5+)

I don’t know what I want.

Tonight's game shows the folly of leaving Dunky at home. To finish second and get the easier run, England need a draw and a couple of bookings. Who would be better to rely on to come in and get himself a strategic yellow with five minutes to go?

 

[Triggaaar]

If you go through our whole squad, misspelling all their names, will it start to get funny?

It was a typo. I’m right behind the Two Lions!

I'll take that as a no, but you're going to do it anyway.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

C’mon England! Football’s coming home!

Apart from all the really famous Belgians, can anyone name a famous Belgian?

Papa Smurf
Smurfette
The Smurfs

 

[ManOfSussex]

I remember it all too well. We might have beaten Senegal, we might not. But we probably would have, we were playing very well. If we had, we'd have been favourites against Turkey in an evening game. Instead we played Brazil in searing heat. We started well and Ronald saw his fluky cross go in, and as the game went on we simply couldn't compete in the heat. We had a much better chance of reaching the semi-finals had we have gone the other route.

True - We'll never know. We struggled in the heat against Nigeria in the last group game as well though and it was still Brazil in the semi if we went through the other way though as FIFA fixed the draw to keep Japan and Korea apart until the final. It should be put in context too that Beckham was carrying an injury throughout and with Gerrard and Neville not there we had Danny Mills and Trevor Sinclair in the team. We'd beaten Denmark by half time in that 2nd round game and eased through the motions second half, whereas Sweden, who we didn't beat in the group, were taken all the way to extra time. We didn't have a shot on target in the 2nd half Brazil if I recall - having got to the pub for before 7am what a Friday that would have been had we won.................

 

[ManOfSussex]

Germany's route to the Final that year was basically a bye:

Saudi Arabia (8-0)
R of Ireland (1-1)
Cameroon (2-0)

Paraguay (1-0)
USA (1-0)
South Korea (1-0)

Even England would probably have navigated through that.

Just think - What could Ireland have done had they beaten Germany in the group like they should have done, Roy Keane or not................................