Thread to discuss the football itself.
This is not a thread to discuss the hosting of the competition in Quatar.
You can discuss the hosting in the relevant thread.
As the saying goes Lukaku wouldn't even score in a brothel.
And De Bruyne isn't a patch on Modric. I've always felt hes great against poorer teams but can't turn a match.
He is an incredible defender.
Lukaku has played yed about half an hour of football this season, it ain't on him that the beligians are cat.
Imagine wasting your golden generation with Martinez as manager, he must have some stack of compromising photos
The winners of Group E get a run of Croatia, Brazil, Argentina/Holland. The runners up get Morocco, Portugal, England/France.
I wonder would Spain consider ‘slipping up’ tonight and finish 2nd should the chance present itself? :)
Who would have had Morocco topping that group before a ball was kicked.
Me too, overhyped the whole lot of them.
The one towards the end of normal time was awful, he was not alive to the possibility of the ball coming across.
I don’t say this lightly, but Roberto Martinez is the biggest fraud of a top-level football manager of the last 30 years.
That doesn’t mean he’s the absolute worst manager there has been. I mean that compared to the hype that was once around him, and what you would think in your head about him, he is woeful.
He got credit at Swansea, when the groundwork was done elsewhere.
He got credit at Everton, when he merely took the defensive structure Moyes had put in place, put some pretty football on it, and then proceeded to make them flimsy as fúck.
His teams are generally boring, predictable and weak. Giving him the last 4 years of the Belgian golden era was stupidity of the highest order.
I've never understood how Martinez has kept his job with the players he had had the last few years.
Who do you blame though? xG has Belgium winning easy
Morocco through. No riots in Belgium tonight
I was thinking that myself. Although he did get a 3rd in the WC 2018, QF in the Euro 2020. And had Belgium as world number 1 for three years.
But in his interview there he sounded like he was in denial and bluffing, I thought.
I assume all the Lukaku hate is club loyalty stuff.
for that isolated result? Lukaku more than anyone. But he's far from the problem with the team.
for the wasted golden generation? those who hire the managers and make the structural decisions. same as why I blame managers and higher ups more than the players for the English golden generation of Beckham, Scholes, Gerrard, Lampard, Rio, Ashley Cole, Rooney not doing anything of note.
Martinez has quit as Belguim manager.
XG means nothing in reality, the most important stat is the scoreboard. Look at how Costa Rica got their win with two shots.
probably for the best because the next step was leaving the role "by mutual consent"
Warren Gatland has immediately been linked with the job
A surprise tonight would be fun but can't see it. Surely comfortable enough wins for Spain and Germany.
Hope so as I've backed Germany.
His contract was up after the World Cup so that is now.
He didnt quit.
Morata and Gnabry heading their teams in front.
Delighted for Morata... 3 goals in 3 games. Fella has endured some amount of abuse over the years, simply because he's a good rather than great striker... it's not his fault no one better has come along.
What a goal by Doan!
Looking at the replay, it's more poor keeping by Simon. But a goal's a goal.
Musiala so great to watch.
Oof, cracker! Doan's been some man off the bench!
Germany need another goal to get back into 2nd spot.
Japan lead 2-1, or do they? Referee has blown the whistle, that the ball was out.
That Japan is something that's been coming fron Spain.
Passing it around the back is all nice and good but Unai Simon takes far too long when he gets the ball and teams just need to close him down.
The ball was out, only just though.
2-1 to Japan? Ball may be out.
Goal given and Japan lead!
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