Do Canadians want the USA to win the Olympic Gold Medal or World Championships at ice hockey? Do Austrians want Swiss participants to win Winter Olympics Gold Medals or World Championships at Alpine skiing? Support, or the lack of, for larger, more successful and neighbouring nations in International sport is illogical and more importantly unimportant! Just enjoy the games and, following my Mum's method for punting on the horses, support the team with the cutest tops!
Absolutely no team will want to play against Kane or, even more so, a Kane/Vardy combo if England can get it to work. I think the England team are better than their press this year too - which is a marked change from previous tournaments. They're good enough to get to the quarters - add in a bit of luck like a penalty shoot-out win and you never know how far they'll get.
That's a very fair and rational comment. But, given our pretty lousy record the last damn near 60-years it is hard to be overly optimistic, that would be foolish. So, it's an easy path for the Cross of St. George critics to start chucking stones well beforehand? I am expecting nothing, but admit to being very hopeful for a young side with a young English manager. You can keep the foreign managers, useless as tits on a boar when crunch-time comes?
Just as a matter of interest have you been into the Goethe Strasse branch of Bet3000 recently; was wondering what the price was for an outright England victory on the 'mainland'?
Was just wondering if there was a substantial difference between the UK price (16/1) and the offer available in Germany. Bring back 'Springer' - my Mum and I loved our Cheltenham Festivals on Leopoldstrasse! The bar/restaurant next door (on the corner) went through three reincarnations over our years of visits including a spell as a branch (?) of Cafe Extrablatt. I still frequent versions (?) of this delightful chain of cafes in Koln and Koblenz. One of my former work colleagues has just finished a litre of Munich's finest at the Viktualienmarkt Biergarten and has suggested a spell of thunder 'n' lightning is in the air!
Given some of the frontlines in the tournament, I dont think many will be worrying about Kane and Vardy tbh. I had no idea about that England goal which clearly wasnt over the line, cheek to moan about the hand of god iirc
You need to look at who has been dominating the Champions League for years and years, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern, Juventus, Athletico Madrid, with PSG seriously threatening to break into this group and unlucky to draw Real Madrid with an injured Neymar. All these players doing well in the EPL are decent but the real top players go to the above teams, Hazard, Lukaku and De Bruyne have done nothing in Europe. The EPL is physically demanding and has a very high overall level with masses of below top class foreigners picking up big wages, but when it gets down to winning elite competitions they dont have what it takes as you saw with Man City and Liverpool in the Champions League. You dont win Champions Leagues with Jordan Henderson at CM, no disrespect to him as he seems like a good guy and is a very good player. Spain have Pique, Jordi Alba, Iniesta, Busquets from Barca, Isco, Ramos, Carvajal from Madrid, Thiago from Bayern, Costa, Koke and Saul from Atletico, proven winners time and time again at the top level, im actually starting to wonder why I have written them off after that list, but they are all defenders and centre mids which is why im taking a stand against them. Brazil have Neymar, Coutinho and Paulinho from Barca, Marcelo and Casemiro from Madrid, Thiago Silva and Marquinhos from PSG, Felipe Luis from Atletico and Douglas Costa from Juventus. France have Umtiti and Dembele from Barca, Varane and Hernandez from Madrid, Kimpembe and Mbappe from PSG, Tolisso from Bayern, Matuidi from Juve, and Griezmann from Atletico. England have nobody from the elite group of players, not 1, they have done nothing of note in Europe in their club careers or internationally.
There is no way we will win it Chelsea ...sorry but we just don't have good enough players and lack creativity! I think being in your 20s you just haven't witnessed the number of disappointments I have...Kane has the added pressure of being captain now...I hope he rises to the challenge.. I m gonna just say 'older...wiser' and all that.
I just want to point out the obvious - we are hopeless at penalty shoot outs ! If we meet Germany in the quarters and if it went to pens that would be curtains. For one they have a massive mental edge over us in the big tournaments on taking penalties..we d probably miss a number of them...
If, and I repeat if, Croatia could win their Group (Argentina, Iceland + Nigeria) they could get a pretty good quarter final tie then it is only two games to go. Might have a wee punt at 40/1 each way (Corals). In my opinion they have equally as good players as England, Uruguay and Portugal who are all substantially tighter in the betting market.
I agree with you mate but I'm not pinning my hopes on quality and class. I'm pinning my hopes on unity, passion and national pride much like the Welsh at the last Euro's
Yes, terrific storm today, with heavy rainfall which lasted several hours. Cooled things down a bit. Bet3000 is owned by IBA Entertainment Ltd. of Malta, and Simon is a co-director with his Maltese partner, a Mr. Psaila. Guess Simon lives in Malta now, don't know for sure. Know him really well, right from when he started the Simon Springer business in the early '80s with that tiny shop at the beginning of Goethe Strasse. Pretty decent guy, never knew him to welsh on a bet. Well over 90% of this thread is interesting with fair and knowledgeable comments on the upcoming World Cup. It is a shame that one or two comments do, IMHO, indicate an almost psychopathic dislike of anything English. Life is too short for this nonsense to spoil the games for me, so I'm out of this. If England do fail in the group stage, I can just imagine the hee-hawing, so get a few carrots ready! I know the English lads will do their best for their country, that is all one can ask for. Cheers, mate, enjoy the show. Speak to you on the Political thread, no doubt!
There looks to be good money to be made doing accies on the dual group qualifiers. Odds are 150s+ and once you have permed a few lines with the obvious ones like Brazil, Germany, Belgium, England, Spain, Uruguay, France, Portugal, Argentina, a profit looks a shoe in.
I have done a silly small accumulator bet on the first group matches of: Russia win Uruguay win Morocco win Spain v Portugal draw France win Argentina win Peru v Denmark draw Croatia v Nigeria draw 5 quid on pays out just over £1800.00. Would be great if it came in.
Just to let you know my pal took shelter in 'Le Clou' which, as a small bar/pub for older regulars, is a bit of an anomaly in central Munich. Good luck; dip in as the tournament progresses.
