AEB Scramble

[Duncan Gardner]

After his raspberry beer lapse Bog Annette returns to the rightful path

[Lang Spoon]

Bagpipe guitars, just say no.

[Duncan Gardner]

@Spoony- say what ye like about England fans, but I've never seen one shit himself on an Easyjet over the Massif Central

[Moonlight Shadow]

Heard a few jubilant people saying it will be easier to beat France than Belgium in the final down the pub i was visiting earlier. It is slowly turning into the usual, alas...

[Lang Spoon]

@Spoony- say what ye like about England fans, but I've never seen one shit himself on an Easyjet over the Massif Central

Scotch shitter? Kilts make it too easy. I blame rugby for fucking kilts post 80s popularity as well.

[Satchmo Distel]

Heard a few jubilant people saying it will be easier to beat France than Belgium in the final down the pub i was visiting earlier. It is slowly turning into the usual, alas...

These same idiots were saying, before the quarters, that Belgium would be easier than Brazil in the final.

Similarly it is assumed "we" would have beaten Argentina and the Czech Republic had "we" won the 1990 and 1996 semis.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

These same idiots were saying, before the quarters, that Belgium would be easier than Brazil in the final.

Similarly it is assumed "we" would have beaten Argentina and the Czech Republic had "we" won the 1990 and 1996 semis.

I don't have a problem with either of those assumptions - Argentina had four players suspended for the final, and others injured, and a home final against the Czech Republic was winnable.

However I grew up being told by my older brother and my dad that we'd have won the World Cup in 1970 if Bobby Charlton hadn't been substituted, conveniently ignoring we would have had to get though Italy (which W Germany failed to do of course) for the right to get hammered by Brazil.

[Flynnie]

I don't have a problem with either of those assumptions - Argentina had four players suspended for the final, and others injured, and a home final against the Czech Republic was winnable.

However I grew up being told by my older brother and my dad that we'd have won the World Cup in 1970 if Bobby Charlton hadn't been substituted, conveniently ignoring we would have had to get though Italy (which W Germany failed to do of course) for the right to get hammered by Brazil.

That isn't even canon, the point is England would have faced Brazil in the final and then who knows. Which was reasonable, since Brazil had to work for it in the group stage.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

That isn't even canon, the point is England would have faced Brazil in the final and then who knows. Which was reasonable, since Brazil had to work for it in the group stage.

True, though the wider point is they would have had to beat Italy to get there in the first place, and that would have been by no means guaranteed - that part is often overlooked in the re-telling of the 1970 story.

[Flynnie]

True, though the wider point is they would have had to beat Italy to get there in the first place, and that would have been by no means guaranteed - that part is often overlooked in the re-telling of the 1970 story.

I think they'd have been OK versus Italy. I'll have to check my Glanville tonight but I think he was rather scathing about Italy in that tournament, with Mazzola and Rivera being substituted for each other at halftime and Italy's generally ultra-defensive play (they scored precisely one goal in the group).

Remember too, in this alternate universe England keep their 2-0 lead and don't have to play an extra half-hour in boiling hot León. It's possible West Germany breaks down Italy sooner and wins if not for that.

[N est à?]

Bobby Charlton was substituted at 2-1 I think.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Bobby Charlton was substituted at 2-1 I think.

Wikipedia certainly says so - Beckenbauer scored at 68, Charlton subbed (for Bell) at 70, Peters subbed (for Hunter) at 81, Seeler scored at 82.

[Flynnie]

I'm guessing Colin Bell was warming up in a very obviously going on in a moment way before Bonetti dived right over Beckenbauer's shot, giving rise to the myth that Charlton was substituted, freeing Beckenbauer from his responsibility.

[Bored Of Education]

If my granmda had balls, she'd be my grandad.

[Tactical Genius]

If my granmda had balls, she'd be my grandad.

If we are going to play this game. Germany would have beaten Italy in the semi if Beckenbaur had not dislocated his shoulder.

[NickSTFU]

@
@Nick- indifference right back at yer. Floreat Salopia

Indifferent to the Irish football team, but I love you all.

[Diable Rouge]

Enjoy...

In fairness, the more technically gifted side ultimately prevailed, so no gloating here.

[Felicity, I guess so]

Watched this one, after trying the ignore it/boycott in previous rounds.

Worked a treat, fully enjoyable evening (after the uncomfortable 1st 30...) in company of a postdoc from Greenock (28, far louder than me in his ABE pronouncements); an East German history lecturer (neutral, would've been happy to support England if there'd been any call for it); his wife, a Chinese banker (very loud and enthusiastic ABE, I wonder if her 28-month travails getting the right to move here with her husband was a contributory factor..?); a Ghanaian social worker; Ms Felicity (Anglo-Scot, brought up in Norwich, couldn't face the screen she was so convinced it was coming home...) and 4 English people (Newcastle, Grimsby, 2xForest) who took the revolutionary defeatist position Lenin outlined in WW1 ('the main enemy is at home').

The ABE/AEB can now stand down for some well-deserved R n R. Hasta la proxima!

[Lang Spoon]

I’m in love with Croatia tonight. Think I’ll book a holliers to Split for September. Lovely stuff.

[Ray de Galles]

We must steel ourselves and stay vigilant, there is still a third place play-off for them to lose!

Only joking, who cares about that, let’s all enjoy the rest of the World Cup again like we did before the unpleasantness began to unfold.

Hvala, Hrvatska!

[Ray de Galles]

https://twitter.com/futbolsacountry/status/1017148405024477184?s=21

[Ray de Galles]

https://twitter.com/alansmith90/status/1017184264088059904?s=21

[ad hoc]

Those figures are as skewed as his spelling of Belgium. (I think the point is well made mind you, but there is some serious revisionism in those figures. Stones' header last night? Kane's first bad attempt when he should have scored in the first half? )

[N est à?]

Jim Beglium

[Ray de Galles]

Those figures are as skewed as his spelling of Belgium. (I think the point is well made mind you, but there is some serious revisionism in those figures. Stones' header last night? Kane's first bad attempt when he should have scored in the first half? )

I was going to put a caveat about the accuracy of the figures but he explains on the thread that he is using the official FIFA stats which, as we discussed on the match thread , must have ruled Stones header as off target while Kane’s first shot doesn’t count as it was ruled offside.