GROUP G - Belgium, Panama, Tunisia, England

[Big Fat Sam]

best team in Group H I would say, too smart for england in my opinion

Yeah I want them to smash England out of the tourney, haha.

 

[deipnosophist]

I wonder how Southgate got his nickname...turnip...it's very public schoolish isn't it? I wonder why/how his chums came up with it...I imagine there's an interesting story behind it. Those public schoolboys usually come up with ripper nicknames. There's a lot of flicking of bare bottoms with wet tea-towels going on.

 

[Billy Dean]

I wonder how Southgate got his nickname...turnip...it's very public schoolish isn't it? I wonder why/how his chums came up with it...I imagine there's an interesting story behind it. Those public schoolboys usually come up with ripper nicknames. There's a lot of flicking of bare bottoms with wet tea-towels going on.

he didn't go a public school. He went to a comprehensive full of chavs and southern wools.

 

[deipnosophist]

he didn't go a public school. He went to a comprehensive full of chavs and southern wools.

oh... 'turnip' sounds so Tom Brown's School Days-ish, not really a Comprehensive school nickname. I wonder how he got it...probably some rude act I imagine

 

[Billy Dean]

oh... 'turnip' sounds so Tom Brown's School Days-ish, not really a Comprehensive school nickname. I wonder how he got it...probably some rude act I imagine

@davek gave it to him

 

[davek]

oh... 'turnip' sounds so Tom Brown's School Days-ish, not really a Comprehensive school nickname. I wonder how he got it...probably some rude act I imagine

It's a tradition to call out of their depth English managers a turnip.

 

[roydo]

It's a tradition to call out of their depth English managers a turnip.

What do they call Belgium ones? Asking for a friend.

 

[davek]

What do they call Belgium ones? Asking for a friend.

"Wilmots"

 

[Jamiednm]

England v Belgium tomorrow, aka ‘The DaveK Derby’.

Dave’s love interest, ‘football manager’ Roberto Martinez against Dave’s home country, England.

 

[roydo]

"Wilmots"

Wilmots Martinez does have a ring about it, granted. Lets see in a few weeks.

 

[barneygumble]

Can't believe we're all rooting for England to lose now

It's the most Everton thing ever, that they'll win 5-0 now!

 

[summerisle]

No Lukaku.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44636552

 

[Goat]

Think both sides will be trying their best to lose tomorrow.

 

[Chris O'Connor]

So it isn't speculation any longer, now we know, Brazil look very good and enter the half of the draw from hell!!

Currently: 2nd in England's Group get to beat (almost certainly) Japan, then beat the winners of Sweden and Switzerland before facing (almost certainly) Spain or Croatia in the semis.

The two halves

(Uruguay, Portugal), (Argentina, France), (Mexico and Brazil), plus 1st in Engs group vs second in group h in one half (Colombia maybe?)

As opposed to

(Spain, Russia), (Croatia, Denmark), (Sweden and Switzerland) plus 2nd in Engs group vs first in group h (Japan maybe?)

The group h part is unknown, Senegal the other alternative, but the rest isn't.

It's nearly as stark as the direst predictions, granted Germany are out but that only gives Brazil an easier passage

The advantages of being in one half of the draw are potentially very very big indeed.

Of course we can lose to anyone anywhere anytime but either England or Belgium will have a very good chance of progression by tomorrow night.

I don't discount the effect and the real gains to confidence and positivity that winning tomorrow would bring and that perhaps being a better way, but just think that half of the draw is so packed with potential winners and top teams that it's likely to be a much greater ask.

We or Belgium couldn't meet Spain until the semis in the other half

 

[davek]

All the nonsense talked by English pundits and Southagate and his players about wanting to win. Very noble. They'll be hammering it in their own net to avoid Brazil in the quarters, the hypocrites.