So unlike the previous years it looks like most people are sceptical about England's hopes of reaching far in the World Cup...I think that it's a very solid team though.

It does look like England could pass the group stage, but then again even Costa Rica could put up a fight against England in the past.

The squad is really balanced, attack is strong with Vardy and Kane having 25+ goals per season there is also Rashford and Sterling all good talents.
Midfield that can back them up is also pretty good maybe not as good as some other countries have but Wilshare,Hendersen,Alli,Chanberlain,Dier are solid.
The defense is maybe the weakest part of the team but it's not that bad at all, Walker, Stones are part of the best defense in the league...

How far can England go?

Well lodatz wish them the best but I won’t change my opinion on them until they prove me the opposite, last 2 competitions : last of their group with like 0 pts or one in WC, embarassement at its best in the euro with Iceland defeat... I don’t know what youth victories have any incidents in a team specially when 0 -19 or -17 is involved in the squad.

Also, let’s not be hypocrites, there is football flair and a little science of handling situations which English players look totally noobs in it. You just can’t try to get a tackle vs Neymar type of player in the Box, specially when you are tall and slow, it’s a penalty 9 times out of ten.
If you wind up easily, you can’t blame your rival to try to get you out of your game, in high level, this is a rule for every defense to try to get aggressive on hot headed players and stars....
South American football is a war, players are gladiators and if you come with Disneyland mentality you end up out quickly...
Yes flair matters, English are responsible when they get tricked because it’s easy to trick them. Actually only the victims complain because when an English look for a foul and get it I won’t see you complain about it...
For Rooney, you play a World Cup quarter, if you can’t manage your cool against latin players then you aren’t good enough to represent your country...
It’s a little naive or even hypocrit to put stupid players are nice ones and intelligent players as cheats... diving aside. It’s completely legal to look for a contact and get it in any sport...

Ok so maybe I would say in your words : England are too nice to compete in Latin way to play Football...

@Dynastian:

Rooney stomped on Carvalho's testicles, stop lying. It's on tape.

Rooney only did so accidentally, which is why the ref stood there and simply awarded a foul, nothing else. Then Ronaldo charged in, demanding a card, and Rooney got outraged at his best mate screwing him over like this, and the ref gave the red card for the shove.

IT'S ON TAPE SO STOP LYING

Or at the very least get some clue as to what the fukk you're talking about. It's not as though you watched that game, or were even interested in football when it happened.

Only ones who said it's not a red card are the nationalist Brits like you.

Or anyone with a pair of eyeballs who doesn't hate England because they have a grudge against some awesome guy who comes from there. Get over your own problems, dude. I state the truth, and nothing more. Always have.

@tiki:

last of their group with like 0 pts or one in WC

Do you remember that Italy went out at the exact same stage, in the exact same group, after you had said they are one of the favorites for the tournament, with an unquestionable pedigree of quality?

What happened in 2014 doesn't matter. Otherwise, France wouldn't be a favorite for this one, considering they played nobody good until Germany, and lost.

embarassement at its best in the euro with Iceland defeat..

Upsets happen. That's not embarrassment.

Also, let’s not be hypocrites, there is football flair and a little science of handling situations which English players look totally noobs in it.

But that's not being fair, that's being biased. The opposite of being fair.

You just can’t try to get a tackle vs Neymar type of player in the Box, specially when you are tall and slow, it’s a penalty 9 times out of ten.

What part of this is meant to describe England? John Stones isn't tall and slow. Neither is Dier, or Walker, or Cahill or anyone else likely to being England's back line. If they were, then Guardiola wouldn't have bought them for millions of pounds.

Like I said, you're just being biased because you have an inaccurate view of English football.

If you wind up easily, you can’t blame your rival to try to get you out of your game,

If you dive too easily, you can't blame your rival for being upset with how much of a cheater you are. If you lie to the ref to get players sent off, or if the ref disallows a perfectly good goal, then that's not 'winding up', that's just being unfair to England.

We like to play fair. We're proud of it. Why aren't you? Why do you take such pleasure from lying about and being unfair to England?

South American football is a war, players are gladiators

LOL are you joking? South Americans football is known for falling down when the wind changes and pretending that their leg is broken. Real men, real gladiators stay on their feet, as has been the tradition in England.

Yes flair matters, English are responsible when they get tricked because it’s easy to trick them.

Diving is not tricking them. It's lying to the ref. Disallowing goals which should stand is not tricking them. It is robbing them. Nothing you are saying is part of the reality of why England have been screwed by refs.

For Rooney, you play a World Cup quarter, if you can’t manage your cool against latin players

Portugal is not a Latin country. This is what I have to deal with...

It’s a little naive or even hypocrit to put stupid players are nice ones and intelligent players as cheats..

Yeah, well, it's completely hypocritical to say nice players are stupid, and cheating players are just smart, simply because you don't like the country (or someone from there).

Ok so maybe I would say in your words : England are too nice to compete in Latin way to play Football..

By 'too nice', you mean: too honest.

I'm still proud of that honesty. :)

Dynastian calls this being nationalistic. I call it being a good person, and a true football fan.

Awwww, that Roberto Carlos, stating that he thinks England are a favorite and that Dele Alli has classic Brazilian swagger.

It's so cute. Doesn't he know how crappy and stupid England are?

It's not as though you watched that game, or were even interested in football when it happened.

Yep, I happened to only be fairly young at the time. Wouldn't have remembered that game anyways. But it's an isolated incident, and I've seen the replay. Very clear to me that it's a red card, regardless of intention.

I apologize for the fact that I'm younger than you. Didn't realize that being born after others automatically made you inferior to them. But I guess that's what they teach you in England. :)

I apologize for the fact that I'm younger than you. Didn't realize that being born after others automatically made you inferior to them. But I guess that's what they teach you in England. :)

Stop painting England (the nation) in a negative manner. This tournament is about bringing countries and their fans together.

I predict 8 other countries to win this WC ahead of England tbh, and then you also have at least another 2 countries at the same level as them. I just find this England side very solid and boring, with a very mediocre midfield. They will reach quarter finals at maximum and also possibly to lose at round of 16, like everyone else have been saying. And that's not too bad. But people always speak of England of some sort of a dark horse to every major tournament they participate in, when they clearly are not.

England is not on my favorite list. They do not have what it takes to be the world champ frankly speaking.

@DChoff Completely agree, this world cup should be a celebration, not a debate to know who are going to go far and who is going to fall first. Let's enjoy this time instead of fighting and lets the results do the talk! ;)

Frankly, I don’t favor New Zeland much neither! Would expect a bit of support from common wealth nation but as always treaterous behavior.

Would expect a bit of support from common wealth nation but as always treaterous behavior.

Ah, the good ol' colonist mindset. And you wonder why half the world hates Britain.

The world hates all Anglo saxons equally including you my Canadian nemesis. Plus it is all jokes here, you need to relax.

I personally don’t believe we are favorites to win it because our core players are spurs players. Not that they are bad, they just have no winners character and discipline, so I frankly could give less sh*t what Roberto Carlos thinks because he isn’t much of a manager nor better analyst than I am simply due to fact that he played pro and managed some bs teams.

People forget that since the 1950's Spain best performance was reaching the QF.

England will come good eventually just don't know whether it's their year.

I've had enough of notifications from this thread. Is there anyway one can stop a specific thread from sending the notifications?

@Pelle On the same line as the thread title, there is something called notifications, and just under it, there is a button called unsubscribe, click it.

On this page... thanks!

How do I turn off notifications from Pele commenting? So much unproductive contribution to this topic!

@Marcus2011 Play nice man, the lad just asked a question. Nothing wrong with that. If you productive contribution on the topic, here what I think.

England are the underdog right now because of their recent performance in international competition and because their player lack experience playing as a team. However, this is potentialy the best role for them to take their opponent by suprise. I hope England manage to go far if only to give the boy much needed international experience. Would be better than nothing imo. ;)

Edit: Also, winning mentality isn't something you're born with, its something that you must develop on the big stage. This could be a great chance for some of those player to prove what they can do under pressure and how they can face adversity.