If memory servers, they did manage to succeed in avoiding the result despite numerous close calls, but upon sitting down to watch the highlights later found that the match had been abandoned due to fog. Sorry, should have said "spoilers"...

I dont think I saw Del Bosque get up off his fat arse once during the game. He seems totally disinterested

lol yeah I remember now, great episode that one  Along with the bike ride episode 'the great race' 

Ok so I am to feck with the dates of the games lol Would have prefered Italy to be up first so we know where we stand, but just got to get the job done ourselves.

Spain post-2008 or Brazil 1982? I know who I'd rather have watched again.

So far my own world cup predictions have been rubbish and in some cases produced the opposite of what I have predicted. So prediction for the England match is: Uruguay to win 2-0 

Woy cool as a cucumber and moving in for the kill:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27916008

Engerland all the way to the final now!

Number 10 shirt on all day so bring on the goals....

Medlock where r u

Originally Posted by: future_is_orange 

Here lol did I say they would definitely win the whole thing? nah. Perhaps you should read my posts carefully in the future as you seem to forget things

Originally Posted by: Medlock Vale Weather 

You strongly backed them to do well and be possible winners also adamant that their team was as strong as previous years. Fact is that their team is ageing and was also reliant on xavi and iniesta players who are now passed their best

Originally Posted by: future_is_orange 

Alot of people did, no one could have forseen 2 consecutive defeats and I never used the words "possible winners". They are not a bad team, they just seemed like they didn't want to play. Like someone else on here said they've won it all and they probably thought what's the point. I wonder if there was something else just like when France fell out with their coach in last WC. In my original post to you I went with Germany doing better than Spain. And they've already done that. 

Agreed. Irrespective of how far (or not) the England team goes in this tournament, I'm very optimistic longer term.

We've gone to Brazil without Walcott, Walker - who surely is better than Johnson, FFS - and haven't, as yet, had a fully Oxlade-Chamberpot.

History shows you can't look past the South Americans , I would be surprised if one of the Europeans won the WC

Originally Posted by: future_is_orange 

True we can never discount them completely, but having said that in 2006 Italy won it and then Spain in 2010. In both those finals those 4 teams were European teams (Italy-France 2006) (Spain-Netherlands 2010).....but no South American ones present. 3 out of the past 4 world cups have seen a European Winner.

Originally Posted by: Medlock Vale Weather 

Of all the world cups played in southern / central america only winners have been from S America . No European team has won there... A few have already mentioned Brazil are strong favourites

Originally Posted by: future_is_orange 

Of all the world cups European teams have won more -No superstition in that

Originally Posted by: Medlock Vale Weather 

Err think your missing the point.... NO EUROPEAN TEAM Has won the Cup in South / Central America so your comment is totaly insignificant with the exception it probably means more world cups have been held outside of south and central America.

Originally Posted by: future_is_orange 

Doesn't matter - the new future can be written, absolutely no reason to say a European team won't win the whole thing over there just because of what's happened in the past. In that regard fairy superstitions from you're part don't count. I don't believe 1 magpie will give me bad luck. Europe has dominated the world cup in terms of overall wins.......just. Most likely due to Europes strengths in all areas maybe even better training facilities, whereas south American teams concentrate far more only on attack. You won't win all time with just a great attack. At some point you have to defend when you meet better teams after the groups, and that's where they slipped up over the past 2 world cups. In fact looking at their provisional lineup I would say Spain has a fantastic chance to hold on to the cup and be only the 3rd team to do it after first Italy and then Brazil. Spain are not any weaker than 4 years ago.

Originally Posted by: Medlock Vale Weather 

Look at your last paragraph ........v amusing.

Originally Posted by: Gooner 

Indeed it is very amusing to me how no where says "will win" or "definitley will win"........I said a chance but that does not mean definite. 

Errrrrrr I championed Germany not Spain 

Suggestions Jones may feature.

RB?

^Agree this. If we go out of the tournament having played exciting football, and just naivety of youth caught us short, I'll be fine about it.  We unquestionably have a talented core of young players coming through, with the likes of Barkley, Sterling, Sturridge, Shaw, Stones, Wilshere, Lallana (OK he is 26 I think), Ox, Theo Walcott (injuries permitting), and a number of players in the England youth teams. If we can nurture their skills, don't rip them apart after this world cup, then this experience of a huge tournament will hold us in good stead.  Unlike previous years where we say, bring the youth in and win the next one, I feel like we have finally made some steps to fulfill that in the future. This tournament happened to be a little too soon to gel this group of young players, but I think in 2014, if this growth continues, then we can really get excited. That said, let's hope we can string together a few games of attacking exciting football before getting carried away. There's every chance we fall to type yet 

Question for those in the know, since I barely get chance to watch premier league games due to the timezone difference.

Has Jones filled in this season at RB for ManU? How are his performances there? I thought he'd played sweeper/holding mid/CB mostly? From what I saw of him at RB for England in the warm up friendlies, he was no better than Johnson.

Surely, he is usually a better defender, but going forwards offers less (mind Johnson last week had terrible deliveries, but then so did Baines unusually).  or is it that Uruguay play very narrow so he isn't expecting too much of a wide game from Uruguay and betting on Jones' better CB understanding of the game, perhaps to help stifle Suarez?  Perhaps Roy is expecting that with Sterling on the right he has plenty of attack on the right side?  I suppose with Welbeck and Baines on the left, the team would be balanced should these assumptions be in the ball park area.

I woke with a terrible strong feeling today that Suarez will play act/dive himself a penalty, which could make all the difference.  These are not Premier League refs who know his tendencies.

You championed Spain pretty much from day one.. . Well they are out now n yes they may have dominated world football over several years their reign is over

Originally Posted by: future_is_orange 

Errrrrrr I championed Germany not Spain

Originally Posted by: Medlock Vale Weather 

Yes any team except South American ones.

Originally Posted by: future_is_orange 

Yes any team except Spain  

If England lose tonight I won't be bothered, it wasn't expected we would venture far into this tournament anyway!

Thanks, so six of one, half a bakers dozen of the other?