The hard way or the easy way?

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Row X
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Re: The hard way or the easy way?

Post by Row X »

Go out there and beat what is in front of you.

Whoever we get in the next rounds we get, you have to beat some big teams along the way to win it anyway, so get them out of the way early.

As for picking up 'tactical yellows', that could potentially hurt us further down the line.

Just go out there and play football, what will be will be.
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S-H
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Re: The hard way or the easy way?

Post by S-H »

Oh how we celebrated when we drew Iceland, rather than Portugal, in 2016.
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Samba
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Re: The hard way or the easy way?

Post by Samba »

DasNutNock wrote:Win this group and we could very well end up playing The Hun or Brazil in the QFs - come second and it's more likely to be Mexico or the Swiss. Thoughts? Should we be trying to plot the easiest course, or should we back ourselves to beat one of the Big 2?
It could be the heat but I'm not with you Dan.
To me it looks like it doesn't matter whether we finish first or second, we are odds on to face Brazil or Germany in the QF's.
Unless, Mexico have managed to beat Brazil & the Swiss have managed to beat The Hun, which I would think is unlikely in both cases but could happen, of course.
The only thing affected by finishing first or second in our group, is who we get next out of Columbia, Japan or Senegal.
It could be the heat though..
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Samba
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Re: The hard way or the easy way?

Post by Samba »

somerset-hammer wrote:Oh how we celebrated when we drew Iceland, rather than Portugal, in 2016.
We did!
:oops: :oops: :oops:
fmgod
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Re: The hard way or the easy way?

Post by fmgod »

You keep trying to win, keep the momentum going, it's hardly like Belgium can put a dire side out anyway so it will be a good test. I wouldn't be against one or two changes but not wholesale.
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Korea Hammer
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Re: The hard way or the easy way?

Post by Korea Hammer »

Keep developing the team, the confidence, the understanding between key players. If we get Brazil, bring it on. Better to at least get a crack at them rather than going out to bloody Switzerland.
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Korea Hammer
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Re: The hard way or the easy way?

Post by Korea Hammer »

Keep developing the team, the confidence, the understanding between key players. If we get Brazil, bring it on. Better to at least get a crack at them rather than going out to bloody Switzerland.
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James P
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Re: The hard way or the easy way?

Post by James P »

Samba wrote: It could be the heat but I'm not with you Dan.
To me it looks like it doesn't matter whether we finish first or second, we are odds on to face Brazil or Germany in the QF's.
Unless, Mexico have managed to beat Brazil & the Swiss have managed to beat The Hun, which I would think is unlikely in both cases but could happen, of course.
The only thing affected by finishing first or second in our group, is who we get next out of Columbia, Japan or Senegal.
It could be the heat though..
If Brazil win their group and Germany finish second which is quite likely then they will meet in the second round and the winner would play the winner of our group if they also win in the second round. By coming second we’d seemingly avoid Brazil or Germany in the QF
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Samba
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Re: The hard way or the easy way?

Post by Samba »

James P wrote: If Brazil win their group and Germany finish second which is quite likely then they will meet in the second round and the winner would play the winner of our group if they also win in the second round. By coming second we’d seemingly avoid Brazil or Germany in the QF
O, i c.
:thup: Cheers JP
That's me expecting The Hun to top their group..
Brazil v Germany, 2nd round? Fifa must be dischuffed..at least it was the Semi, last time.
As you were Dan..need to put me head in a bucket of ice..
So expect some o.g's in our game on Thursday night? :wink: :scarfer:
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Robbie
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Re: The hard way or the easy way?

Post by Robbie »

Go for the win always. Keep the mentality going and the further we get the more the belief.
Playing for tactical points (or point) is totaly the wrong thing to do. A winning mentality is nurtured and earned, and with that there is no fear.
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Samba
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Re: The hard way or the easy way?

Post by Samba »

Robbie wrote:Go for the win always. Keep the mentality going and the further we get the more the belief.
Playing for tactical points (or point) is totaly the wrong thing to do. A winning mentality is nurtured and earned, and with that there is no fear.
:thup: :thup: :thup:
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carnage
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Re: The hard way or the easy way?

Post by carnage »

Kelp the defence, maybe give Dier a go and one or 2 others in attacking areas but that's it.


By our game we will exactly know the best route. Brazil and Germany may not quality yet.
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sendô
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Re: The hard way or the easy way?

Post by sendô »

James P wrote: If Brazil win their group and Germany finish second which is quite likely then they will meet in the second round and the winner would play the winner of our group if they also win in the second round. By coming second we’d seemingly avoid Brazil or Germany in the QF
Brazil will beat Germany.

If we draw Brazil in the QF then so be it. We surely owe them a defeat by now? They're good going forwards but suspect at the back like us, it's just a matter of who turns up on the day.
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Re: The hard way or the easy way?

Post by AnthraxDave »

I don't think any of the other teams would want to play us right now so, in good old West Ham fashion, I say "f*** 'em"
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sendô
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Re: The hard way or the easy way?

Post by sendô »

Yes, we might have only beaten those supposedly awful roll over merchants Tunisia and Panama, but I'd wager no team will be looking at us and thinking "yes please" right now.

Look how Spain and Portugal have struggled against "easy" Iran and Morocco.
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Re: The hard way or the easy way?

Post by Clucking Bell »

Once the elimination games start it really doesn't matter: Croatia, Mexico and Uruguay could give us as many problems as Spain, Brazil and Germany.

I think the key thing is mindset: if the other team is more worried about trying to keep us at bay I don't think that there's a reason to fear anyone. Even with the Ronaldo effect, I don't think that Portugal vs Uruguay is a forgone conclusion; Spain could trip up against Russia and, even though France and Croatia have an easier route to the quarters, those are going to be very tough games between evenly matched teams.

The other side of the draw is no different: whether we end up playing Japan, Senegal or Colombia, none of them are going to give us a free pass.

I think Southgate needs to give everyone a game against Belgium who hasn't played so far but, still send them out to win. Momentum is everything in a World Cup.
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Jonah
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Re: The hard way or the easy way?

Post by Jonah »

I hope we finish 2nd anyway....purely selfish as I have some out of hours project work on the 7th, which will be the 1/4 if we top the group and win the last 16 match.
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carnage
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Re: The hard way or the easy way?

Post by carnage »

stuboy wrote:I hope we finish 2nd anyway....purely selfish as I have some out of hours project work on the 7th, which will be the 1/4 if we top the group and win the last 16 match.
Top the group the q/f is on the 6th
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Jonah
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Re: The hard way or the easy way?

Post by Jonah »

So it is.....


.....I hope we finish top anyway. :wink:
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Morocco Mole
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Re: The hard way or the easy way?

Post by Morocco Mole »

sutts07 wrote: I think it is OK to look beyond as for me, we are already through and any potential game in the round of 16 against those teams will be as tough as the other. I'd put them all in the same bracket of teams that are dangerous enough to cause us problems.

The big difference would be IF we did get through the round of 16 and could either face Brazil/Germany or Mexico/Switzerland. There is a clear difference in those two sets of possible opponents.
Not sure about that. Mexico look the best of those four currently.
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