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

[Somniloquism]

Couldn't press as they were outnumbered 3 v 2 in midfield and Olmo was constantly free. Deschamps in hindsight maybe should have kept Rabiot on and took off Barcola. Spain were outstanding in that second half. Tactically superb.

France have had the best team by a distance I reckon in last 3 x WCs but only won once.

England likely will have that same problem if they go through. Getting flooded in the middle and Anderson trying to do everything.

Rabiot was lucky to still be on the pitch at half-time as he should have got his marching orders.

[SamTheMouse]

I'm happy to report that pretty much the whole of France is going to be cheering for England tonight. Allez les Three Lions !

[paul_e]

I think this is the worst result for England, we'd have been much more suited to playing against the individual brilliance of France. Spain are good because they are more than the sum of their parts, a lot like Villa, it's why I had them down to win it in my work prediction thing.

[Flamingo Lane]

Couldn't press as they were outnumbered 3 v 2 in midfield and Olmo was constantly free. Deschamps in hindsight maybe should have kept Rabiot on and took off Barcola. Spain were outstanding in that second half. Tactically superb.

France have had the best team by a distance I reckon in last 3 x WCs but only won once.

England likely will have that same problem if they go through. Getting flooded in the middle and Anderson trying to do everything.

Rabiot was lucky to still be on the pitch at half-time as he should have got his marching orders.

I agree. I think the refereeing during this tournament has generally been very lenient.

[Dave]

I think this is the worst result for England, we'd have been much more suited to playing against the individual brilliance of France. Spain are good because they are more than the sum of their parts, a lot like Villa, it's why I had them down to win it in my work prediction thing.

England would obviously be second favourites against either - but I still think we'd do better against Spain.

It's effectively the same Spain team as 2024, with their stand-out players from the Euros win being in better form back then than they are now. Whereas England I'd say are a better team than they were in 2024, with their more stand-out players in better form than then, plus a better manager.

And that final (while Spain edged it), could definitely have gone either way but for Dani Olmo standing a couple of feet to his right on the Spain goal line.

Still don't think England will win, but there's reason for optimism.

edit: assuming tonight goes to plan, obvs.

[Mellin]

This is a pretty interesting read

What happened to David Batty, who shook off penalty miss against Argentina?

Few players take their first penalty as a professional at a World Cup, but that was exactly the situation David Batty found himself in back in 1998.

A series of amusing rumours have spread over the years as a result, amid claims Batty has become a superbike champion under a fake name, trained to be a master butcher and gone off grid to live in a caravan.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cp9jn090kv2o

Batty's a bit of a notorious hermit isn't he? Which I love. Earnt his money, fucked off and lived a peaceful life on a farm or whatever. Smart man.

I can't tell if this is raging Villa bias or not, but I couldn't help but thinking France were a Kamara short of competing yesterday. They needed someone in there moving the ball around and taking up smart defensive positions off the ball.

[AV82EC]

This is a pretty interesting read

What happened to David Batty, who shook off penalty miss against Argentina?

Few players take their first penalty as a professional at a World Cup, but that was exactly the situation David Batty found himself in back in 1998.

A series of amusing rumours have spread over the years as a result, amid claims Batty has become a superbike champion under a fake name, trained to be a master butcher and gone off grid to live in a caravan.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cp9jn090kv2o

Batty's a bit of a notorious hermit isn't he? Which I love. Earnt his money, fucked off and lived a peaceful life on a farm or whatever. Smart man.

I can't tell if this is raging Villa bias or not, but I couldn't help but thinking France were a Kamara short of competing yesterday. They needed someone in there moving the ball around and taking up smart defensive positions off the ball.

Exactly what I thought and said to the Mrs. Tchoaumeni was a liability, admittedly playing on one leg by the sounds of it and I’ve never really rated Rabiot, Rodri and Fabian Ruiz made him look like the limited technically clogger many of us suspect him to be.

[Mellin]

Yeah, the France midfield is their weakness and has been for years. Maybe not Kamara on his own, but him and A.N. Other. If anyone's going to expose that it's Spain. It's why I think England would have a chance against them. They'll actually help out the defence (provided it's Gordon and Saka), which means they can get their attackers in the game instead of being overrun.

[Dogtanian]

Well, now Des Champ has gone, maybe it's Bouba time.

[Dave]

While England have plenty of experience of being stodgy and mediocre at World Cups, one thing that they always tend to do is stay competitive in matches so they'll often have a chance of pulling something out of the bag.

A couple of anomalies, the third place match in 2018 (2-0 to Belgium), which is basically a glorified closing ceremony and the 4-1 against Germany in 2010 (which should have been 2-2 at half-time anyway), the time before that in which England lost by more than a single goal was Gerry Hitchens scoring against Brazil in the 1962 3-1 defeat to Brazil.

[brontebilly]

While England have plenty of experience of being stodgy and mediocre at World Cups, one thing that they always tend to do is stay competitive in matches so they'll often have a chance of pulling something out of the bag.

It's always been the England way, hoping for moments like us under Gerrard rather than a cohesive way of playing in and out of possession. Southgate had a decent shape at times out of possession, as did Sven from memory. But with the ball was always a struggle. Obviously difficult to implement it at international level but not impossible as Spain proved last night.

Probably the same chance for England tonight as it was v Croatia under Southgate in 2018 and even in 1990? That's far from a vintage Argentina team. Better England teams on paper anyway went out earlier on pens

[Dogtanian]

Just been trying to explain to an autistic friend why England can't buy Emi Martinez to play for them.

 

[Mister E]

England likely will have that same problem if they go through. Getting flooded in the middle and Anderson trying to do everything.

It's been England's problem throughout the tournament: wide open i the middle, leaving the CB's to try and deal with the runners. Tuchel has been playing two attacking FB and two wingers: if they do that tonight we'll get mullered*.




*verb used in tribute to England WC 'hero' Waddle.

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

I'm happy to report that pretty much the whole of France is going to be cheering for England tonight. Allez les Three Lions !

Philippe Auclair said similar on Guardian podcast earlier, he went further saying virtually the whole world we be with England. He wasn’t very complementary about Argentina.

[brontebilly]

England likely will have that same problem if they go through. Getting flooded in the middle and Anderson trying to do everything.

It's been England's problem throughout the tournament: wide open i the middle, leaving the CB's to try and deal with the runners. Tuchel has been playing two attacking FB and two wingers: if they do that tonight we'll get mullered*.




*verb used in tribute to England WC 'hero' Waddle.

Think that's Anthony Barry's brainchild, Rice for example steps out of position in midfield to join what's often a half hearted press from likes of Kane and Bellingham. Anderson left with huge space to cover behind him even with three centre backs the last day. I'm struggling to remember Tuchel's setup at Chelsea when they won the CL but he had peak Kante in midfield to cover ground with Jorginho behind him who didn't run much but was technically and tactically excellent. Rice is struggling to cover the ground and Anderson while he has played well isn't at Jorginhos level yet.