Third Placed Play-Off: Belgium v England, 14th July, 3pm(GMT)

[JJ1532]

What a bizarre spectacle this promises to be. The game nobody asked for, the game nobody wants to play in. I can't wait to watch the Belgium reserves square off against the England reserves in a re-match of the final group game. Neither side will be playing their big names, that's for sure. Mostly because they'll be knackered or injured. So roll on the back ups.

Will we see a similar England side to the one that started against Belgium? Does anyone from the semi-final start? Does anyone care?

All match chat on this thrilling high stakes game here.

 

[Carver]

You can say what you want about this game, but there are 3rd place medals to be won and a chance for England to win another world cup match and score more goals.

If you would have said at the start of the tournament that we would be playing in this match you would have laughed and said no way would we get that far.

So these 3rd place play off haters need to stop being bitter about not being in a final that we would probably have got hammered in anyway, because this is a final in itself and it could be a really entertaining match.

If we are serious about this world cup being a stepping stone towards further success for us then we must win this match to show everyone that we still mean business just as Germany did for 2 world cups running when they won their 3rd place play offs.

After all, it's better to go out of a world cup after winning your last match than losing it.

 

[valefan16]

I'd like us to go for this but it is going to be mega flat watching it.

The Belgians seem really up for it on twitter strangely but of course they are a side that will potentially come and go in a ten year spell back to annoymousness.

What may be interesting is if Kane and Lukaku start? Will the two managers give either a chance to fight out for the Golden Boot?

 

[Abertawe]

Poorly chosen squad doesn't provide for many options but I'd go for

Pickford

Rose
Stones
Cahill
TAA

Delph
Dier
RLC

Welbeck
Rashford
Sterling

 

[Gassy]

Poorly chosen squad doesn't provide for many options but I'd go for

Pickford

Rose
Stones
Cahill
TAA

Delph
Dier
RLC

Welbeck
Rashford
Sterling

Im curious to get you on paper Abertawe - what are your thoughts on the game?

Are Belgium a top tier team? If we win, does it count as beating a good team? etc

 

[TomPNE94]

Would've watched this at home but remembered North End are playing a friendly about 5 minutes from my house so i'll be off to that instead. This is a pointless game. 32nd or 2nd makes no difference.

 

[Abertawe]

Im curious to get you on paper Abertawe - what are your thoughts on the game?

Are Belgium a top tier team? If we win, does it count as beating a good team? etc

See my thread about the pointlessness of this game my good pal.

 

[Gassy]

See my thread about the pointlessness of this game my good pal.

Ah fair enough, didn't see that.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

Would rather have a two hour phone call with St Juste about the ins and out of Scottish football, so no I won't be watching I'm afraid.

 

[GTFCfish]

I would rather be forced to sit and watch a video of Carver being bummed by those 3 blokes in prison than watch this game.

Complete waste of time.

 

[Gassy]

I get not wanting to watch it, I personally will but I won't be as invested.

Not sure I agree with a complete waste of time.

Could be a huge boost for this group.

 

[Skinner]

Would watch but have to take the dragon to beach for the day fml

 

[Chris FGR]

These games are usually pretty high scoring. So it could be fairly entertaining.

Seeing as we're playing in it, we might as well try and win it.

 

[Leewilson]

Poorly chosen squad doesn't provide for many options but I'd go for

Pickford

Rose
Stones
Cahill
TAA

Delph
Dier
RLC

Welbeck
Rashford
Sterling

Doesn’t provide many options but you’ve changed 8 of the starting line up anyway. Nice one

 

[Abertawe]

Doesn’t provide many options but you’ve changed 8 of the starting line up anyway. Nice one

Well yeah, that 11 is pretty crap for a world cup which kinda proves the point.

 

[valefan16]

See we are playing in Red tomorrow... both teams strangely going for their away colours.

 

[Gassy]

Superstitious?

 

[Town end]

Really hoping we go all out to win it, it's obviously a bit of an anticlimax after dreams of the final but a win would give us our highest placing since 66 and hopefully the confidence to reach the final in the euros or the next world cup

 

[JJ1532]

Belgium have gone pretty much full strength, with only Fellaini and Dembele dropped. Southgate on the other hand has mixed it up, with Henderson, Walker, Young, Alli and Lingard all dropped/rested.

I'm sure all those club managers are chuffed at the first teamers starting today.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Belgium certainly look closer to full strength than we do. But good to see RLC start, think he has something to offer us in that area.

 

[Liam_SWFC]

Was dreading this but would like us to finish 3rd now just to give us a lift off the back of the Croatia defeat. Looking forward to seeing how a few of the fringe lads get on.

 

[Leo]

1-0 Belgium....caught out on the break big time.

 

[Liam_SWFC]

Definite flaws with this system in the midfield area, but I think we always knew that. Southgate has to try and address this during the next qualification campaign.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Now is probably not the time for criticism but we have looked extremely poor so far. Have no creativity and no plan in possession. As for Sterling well...he needs dropping and quick. Gareth is clealry a fan but he just hasnt been good enough.

 

[Abertawe]

Now is probably is the time for criticism but we have looked extremely poor so far. Have no creativity and no plan in possession. As for Sterling well...he needs dropping and quick. Gareth is clealry a fan but he just hasnt been good enough.

What is Sterling meant to do? It is a flawed system. He's being asked to play cm & cf.

 

[Liam_SWFC]

Sterling isn't the issue, it's the midfield area. Rashford when coming in for Sterling, in what should be his preferred position has done little.

 

[Predator373]

I don’t get the hate towards sterling, he has played well imo, also from that first half it just really drills home what a mistake it was from Southgate not starting RLC over anonymous Ali, he offers far more imo.

 

[Predator373]

Roy Keane proper hates England

 

[Liam_SWFC]

Irish twat why do we need to look at his miserable face all the time, hate watching us on ITV.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

What a chance missed that is for Kane.