Other Games - 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup Edition (+ warm-up matches): Villa-watch

[Brazilian Villain]

Tuchel needs to seriously coach these bastards before Sunday.

It will probably consist of getting them to order Negra Modelo rather than Corona, so they don't look too much like tourists.

[Villan For Life]

Cracks were properly papered over today. Kane gets us out of a big hole against, let's be honest, a bang average side. Relying on Kane and Bellingham to turn up seems our plan. No creativity in the middle and lousy wing play makes us easy to play against. Rogers not getting on the pitch is slightly worrying in a game like that, I'd bet he's thinking wtf....

DR Congo were much more than a bang average side, I thought they played well, were well coached and executed their game plan very well. They were unlucky and deserved extra time and even penalties.

[Smirker]

Kane > Mbappe

[lovejoy]

If that was a foul so was the penalty first half

It really wasn't but it should have been a yellow for asking for a card by the DRC player.

I cannot see us beating Mexico.

[lovejoy]

Mexico might be a stretch.

Proper game. Who wouldn't want to play in that game? I can name a few who shouldn't and a few that should. Let's face it, England can only improve.

That was much harder than it should have been. Then they've got Mexico at altitude, probably followed by Brasil in the heat of Miami. That's going to be energy sapping before a likely semi-final with Argentina

I wouldn't worry about the latter two matches.

[Brazilian Villain]

That was much harder than it should have been. Then they've got Mexico at altitude, probably followed by Brasil in the heat of Miami. That's going to be energy sapping before a likely semi-final with Argentina

I wouldn't worry about the latter two matches.

I'm Irish. Of course, I'm worried about them.

[taylorsworkrate]

Mexico will be much more positive than the last 3 teams we have played which will suit

[Chip Butty 111]

Cracks were properly papered over today. Kane gets us out of a big hole against, let's be honest, a bang average side. Relying on Kane and Bellingham to turn up seems our plan. No creativity in the middle and lousy wing play makes us easy to play against. Rogers not getting on the pitch is slightly worrying in a game like that, I'd bet he's thinking wtf....

DR Congo were much more than a bang average side, I thought they played well, were well coached and executed their game plan very well. They were unlucky and deserved extra time and even penalties.

so far we have played against a very tired looking Croatia, Ghana, Panama and DR Congo...all bang average World Cup sides. When we play someone decent we will have to up it massively. DR Congo are ranked 41 on FIFA rankings , one better than Scotland.

[Villan For Life]

Cracks were properly papered over today. Kane gets us out of a big hole against, let's be honest, a bang average side. Relying on Kane and Bellingham to turn up seems our plan. No creativity in the middle and lousy wing play makes us easy to play against. Rogers not getting on the pitch is slightly worrying in a game like that, I'd bet he's thinking wtf....

DR Congo were much more than a bang average side, I thought they played well, were well coached and executed their game plan very well. They were unlucky and deserved extra time and even penalties.

so far we have played against a very tired looking Croatia, Ghana, Panama and DR Congo...all bang average World Cup sides. When we play someone decent we will have to up it massively. DR Congo are ranked 41 on FIFA rankings , one better than Scotland.

Their FIFA ranking is irrelevant, they played well and deserved something out of the game. Form and rankings go out of the window in the knock out stages of a tournament.

[Nev]

Things in this WC No254:

Ian Wright calling Neville "Gal"

[PeterWithesShin]

We're all Senegalese ay we.

[Somniloquism]

The news that Kane "dug us out of a hole", "papered over the cracks" or "rescued England" seems strange. I could understand that if he had come on at 75 mins but surely

a: He was doing the job he was picked to do which was score goals.
b: He hadn't done any of those whilst being in the match for 75 mins.

[Behind Bluenose Lines]

We're all Senegalese ay we.

Yes, let's get Tielemans & Onana back in the UK for a rest.

[Dogtanian]

We're all Senegalese ay we.

Yes, let's get Tielemans & Onana back in the UK for a rest.

Onana’s having a rest, ain’t he?

[TopDeck113]

Matterface gets an E- for geography.  Apparently Seattle is about as far north and as close to the Pacific you can get to in the US, if, of course, you completely forget about Alaska.