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Group C: Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia, England

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Charro said:
Southgate knows how to navigate tournaments and that’s what that was about tonight.

We don’t have to be spectacular or even good to get out the groups.

The important games are down the road. Do what we have to do at this stage.

Thought we could have played better in that second half but we’ll improve as we go on.

#rulebritannia
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I`d rather be in the England camp than the Belgium camp after the first round of games. England looked on top in the first half, so I turned it off thinking it would be a comfortable win for them. Switched on to see the second half start and couldn`t believe how they let the Serbs back into it.
Belgium were well on top but failed to take their chances and now have to put in two big performances or they`ll be heading out. England have work to do
but you don`t want to be blasting through your group, looking like world beaters, and then get beat when the knockouts come because you get a bit complacent.
 
Timbucktoo said:
I`d rather be in the England camp than the Belgium camp after the first round of games. England looked on top in the first half, so I turned it off thinking it would be a comfortable win for them. Switched on to see the second half start and couldn`t believe how they let the Serbs back into it.
Belgium were well on top but failed to take their chances and now have to put in two big performances or they`ll be heading out. England have work to do
but you don`t want to be blasting through your group, looking like world beaters, and then get beat when the knockouts come because you get a bit complacent.
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I think in a 24-team tournament if you get a win on the board in your first game then that massively reduces the pressure as then pretty much 1 extra point would take you through in most scenarios
 
Billy Dean said:
I think in a 24-team tournament if you get a win on the board in your first game then that massively reduces the pressure as then pretty much 1 extra point would take you through in most scenarios
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Deffo. If you can secure your group in the first two games you have the luxury of the third game to give a few 1st choice players a breather and get some minutes into your other squad members legs. Belgium won`t have that now, while England might benefit in the knockouts.
 
England will obviously qualify from this group, but today will begin to clarify what second phase challenge awaits.

Right now - and this is obviously subject to change - finishing second in this group very likely means a second round match with Germany and a probable quarter-final with Spain...

Both the German and Spanish groups will become clearer today, but if those two win their groups, then England really don't want to be losing to Denmark tomorrow...
 

Neiler said:
Nah mate its just coincidental the teams that compete at the top all have massive populations. They are just really good at football and has nothing to do with having a 50 - 100 times bigger pick of playing pool per million of population.

Faroe Islands 2026, you heard it here first.

Funny thing is if you go back to Euro 92 and World Cup 94, Fifa even had to change the seeding for England because they couldn't qualify, its why they are always in groups with teams with low populations in qualifying and maybe another when wo qualify.

International football now isnt a sport really, its all geared and designed to getting those you can sell the biggest markets Big Macs to getting to tournaments and latter stages, even if the big population teams fail, they just fix the seeding.
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Holland and Portugal have relatively small populations but they always seem to produce a disproportionate number of great players. Argentina and Spain have smaller populations than Germany, France and Italy but they seem to produce just as many amazing players. Population size has a bearing but its not the only factor and once it gets above a certain level I think it is just as much about coaching/culture.
 
Billy Dean said:
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I completely agree but I think the best use of our talents means Foden plays as a 10. Bellingham can play 8 just as effectively (he isn't actually a real 10). I wouldn't be against dropping Harry Kane. He scores loads of pens for England but there is a reason he has never played in a team that wins silverware. Playing a striker that can run in behind would open up space for all of our attackers to be effective rather than the entire team being built around one player who, despite his scoring record, is not actually that effective for England. Bellingham and Rice as 6 and 8, Foden 10, Gordon left, Saka right and Watkins through the middle would be very balanced and effective.
 

German Police arrested three England fans overnight in Frankfurt but praised the behaviour of the majority ahead of the big game tonight

The UK football policing unit which is in Germany with the travelling Three Lions support said 2000 England fans had been out in the main city square, the Hauptwache, last night. One individual was arrested for throwing a bottle, another for abusing a UK officer and a third for throwing a missile and being in possession of drugs.

“This is indicative of what we have seen across Germany so far, with the vast majority of England fans behaving extremely well,” police said.
 
Just prepping myself for tonight's commentary. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

'Trent this, Trent that, Trent the other, Liverpool's T A Arnold,

:rant:
 

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