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Group F - France, Germany, Hungary, Portugal
- Thread starter James
- Start date
BoyBrumby
Englishman
Ref probably felt he owed the French.
Magrat Garlick
Rather Mad Witch
yep, smelled like a compensation call
Furball
Evil Scotsman
Steve Clarke's starting lineup against the Czech Republic.
wpdavid
Hall of Fame Member
Does that mean we can blame you for the Portugese equaliser?
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Having watched this game I’m genuinely not sure whether you’d want Germany or Hungary.
wpdavid
Hall of Fame Member
I'd still have taken Hungary, although that probably isn't happening now. Perhaps it helps, mentally, that most of England's team weren't even born last time Germany beat us on penalties.
wpdavid
Hall of Fame Member
I think the ref just cba.
flibbertyjibber
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Fun night that. Will be so good going out to Germans on penalties next week.
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I know they have more chance of losing to Germany, but I think the players would be really dreading a game against Hungary. They're right in that Iceland disaster zone - too minor a footballing nation to contemplate a loss, too good on the pitch to guarantee a win. It wouldn't be a good stylistic match-up for England and if Hungary scored, or even if it got to half-time at 0-0, the players would all start looking at each other wondering which of them The Sun would be burning effigies of. The fact that they'd get no credit for a win, and might even be criticised for not winning convincingly enough, makes it very difficult psychologically imo.
Germany are an easy team to play against, beating them will be joyous in a way that beating Hungary wouldn't be, and going out to them will probably be met with disappointment rather than rage. It's a game they can get genuinely excited about.
GIMH
Norwood's on Fire
Sort of related but my brother and I were talking in the pub earlier about the amount of assumptions people make throughout tournaments. Oh you'd be best finishing second so you play x. Win your group and you get y.
Never goes as you expect, which is what make these tournaments worth their salt I guess
Howe_zat
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Maybe that's what people meant. They all died
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2018 went pretty close to how everyone expected tbf. Belgium won their group and played strong Brazil and France teams, England finished second and played much weaker Sweden and Croatia teams.
I don't advocate tanking, but people can be very weird about this subject. Of course sometimes there are upsets, or some teams are stronger/weaker than expected, but it's a percentages thing. A team that plays Ukraine and Denmark/Czechia has a better chance of winning the tournament than they would if they played Spain and Italy/Belgium. I think most England fans are very aware of the stereotype about them underestimating mid-level footballing nations, to the point where no one can even admit that.
Lillian Thomson
Hall of Fame Member
It might be logistically impossible, it would be good if they could hold the draw for the knock outs during the tournament.