World Cup latest

[oldcolner]

So Nick helped win it says ITV

Personally I've been having a little competition with Nick Pope the goalkeeper. He deserves all the credit because he's the one who's helped me prepare for penalties. It's difficult to score penalties passed him because he's huge, he helped me a lot.

– ERIC DIER

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Pope knows he will have to bide his time and I am happy he has taken the "Billy Mercer ethic" into the England camp.

Billy makes sure all our keepers are a band of brothers, they all support each other, undertake specialist training and help each other to improve.

Pickford's save at the death and his penalty save were really impressive, he deserves the jersey and it's great that England have a choice of high quality goalkeepers to choose from.

Pope looked to me like he is hugely enjoying the experience and he will return to us all the better for it.

[oldcolner]

Yes he does and I’m sure it will. I wonder if he takes a break when he gets back hopefully after the 15th( lolz ) and Tom gets back for Europa can we develop / maintain the same camaraderie that keeps them both happy!

Player ratings on BBC have
Kane 9 Pickford 8 Trip, Stones and Maguire 7 Walker Young and Henderson 6 Alli Lingard and Sterling 5
All subs got 6
Fans largely agreed the order but with Lower scores Kane 7.25 down to Sterling at 4.6



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44704273

[Supersub6]

I am with sinkov in wondering why Colombia did not stick to football because, technically, they were far better than us. However, as seems to be the case with South and Central American teams, they started resorting to the dark arts at which they are so well practiced, unfortunately, the referee was too tolerant and did not get a grip of the situation and that meant that quite a number of our players also lost concentration by getting involved and this is where we really lost our way because we let them back into a game we should have won once we had gone in front.
I honestly think that Gareth will have strong words about what happened, I sincerely hope so.
I still can't believe that we won a penalty shoot out!

[oldcolner]

I still can't believe that we won a penalty shoot out!

Yes it looked dire mid way through and it was Dier at the end

[sinkov]

I still can't believe that we won a penalty shoot out!

Yes it looked dire mid way through and it was Dier at the end

I still can't believe it was Dier who took that last penalty, we had one of the PLs top scorers in Jamie Vardy stood on the half-way line. Wtf was that all about, we got away with it, Gareth is a lucky boy, another inch of Ospina's fingers on that pen of Dier's, and the world could have caved in on him. Instead Gareth is a hero, fair enough, but it's incredibly narrow margins sometimes,

[sinkov]

I am with sinkov in wondering why Colombia did not stick to football because, technically, they were far better than us. However, as seems to be the case with South and Central American teams, they started resorting to the dark arts at which they are so well practiced, unfortunately, the referee was too tolerant and did not get a grip of the situation and that meant that quite a number of our players also lost concentration by getting involved and this is where we really lost our way because we let them back into a game we should have won once we had gone in front.
I honestly think that Gareth will have strong words about what happened, I sincerely hope so.
I still can't believe that we won a penalty shoot out!

I totally agree about us getting involved Supersub, I was shouting at the screen while the penalty fiasco was unfolding, 'Get away, walk away, leave them to it', but no, Henderson had to go and get involved, he could have so easily got himself sent off, and it was all so pointless. Gareth is praising our players for the way they handled it, and by and large they did handle it well, but not entirely, like you say there are a few strong words needed, some of our players were totally braindead on occasions.

[sinkov]

That fat slug Maradona is Argentinian outwood, but I get your drift.

I believe he was a Special Guest of FIFA at the game, which is a bit naughty of FIFA, given that they must be aware of the history between ourselves and the portly coke-head.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

The hits just keep on coming sinkov, "portly coke-head"! Lol!

[outwoodclaret]

I still can't believe it was Dier who took that last penalty, we had one of the PLs top scorers in Jamie Vardy stood on the half-way line. Wtf was that all about, we got away with it, Gareth is a lucky boy, another inch of Ospina's fingers on that pen of Dier's, and the world could have caved in on him. Instead Gareth is a hero, fair enough, but it's incredibly narrow margins sometimes,

I understand Vardy was injured and GS ruled him out as a penalty taker. High management marks and credit to Vardy if he admitted the injury.