Group G: BEL | PAN | TUN | ENG

Keep all Group G posts here

Engerland might actually get out of the group. Can't see them getting much further though.

Belgium to win group in style. Tunisia & Costa Rica probably not much worse than Iceland so should be able to knock England out.

It must be World Cup year: all the jocks come out to watch, not play...

Costa Rica didn't have many problems with England in 2014. Panama, on the other hand, may in 2018.

Panama look well short - 1 goal in their last 5 games, Tunisia will be a tough side to break down and will play on the counter - I like them to draw with England 1st game up actually. Belgium win the group though

England - quarter final specialists

Haven't made it that far since 2006. Only made the quarter finals twice in the last 6 World Cups.

It wouldn't be all that suprising if they do make it to the quarters. It's very hard seeing them fudgeing it up against Tunisia and Panama, and even with Belgium I reckon they're 50/50. Then in the Round of 16 they cross with Group H, and the only side from that bunch that I think can give them trouble is Colombia, and even then I think England are capable of getting past them. In the quarters they'd likely come up against someone much better than them, so can't see them getting past that (unless there are some freak results on that side of the draw).

Then again, we're also talking about a team that lost to iceland in EURO 2016, and drew with Costa Rica in 2014, and USA and Algeria in 2010, so who really knows. 

I suppose Belgium are such nervous fudge ups too that maybe 50/50 is accurate. Going to be painful if they don't reverse the curse with the talent in that side.

The question is how far Belgium and England will or wont go.

Tunisia looked good against Spain..fancy them and England to get out.

Personally, I think England's squad needs more full backs. Southgate has included Walker, Alexander Arnold, Rose, Young, Delph and Trippier with Phil Jones able to provide cover if all 47 of them get injured. I'm not sure if this will be enough.

In total Southgate has picked 10 defenders plus Eric Dier who somehow manages to ply his trade outside of a back four.

Add the 3 keepers and that's 14 out of 23 who have been selected to defend. One of the 9 others is Jordan Henderson. 

This squad has no plan B, it's 5-1-2-2 all the way folks. Need an extra goal to guarantee qualification for the next round? 5-1-2-2. Losing to Iceland? 5-1-2-2. Need to shut up shop? Bring some defenders on up front in a 5-1-2-2 

Seems like the accepted media view is that Sterling will partner Kane up front, with Alli & Lingard supporting from deeper. These players worked well together v Nigeria, but I'd much prefer Rashford to be starting: IMO he offers a greater goal threat and I think it's important to try & take the load off Kane. 

The boy's got bags of pace & knows where goal is, something I don't think is in Sterling's game, despite his season with Man City. His international goal record is poor and he lacks composure when finishing for England. Rashford's record for England isn't much either, but it's early in his career & most of his appearances have been cameos off the bench.

Having said that, Lingard is the player I'd jettison from the starting eleven to accommodate Rashford. Probably won't happen though, as he seems to be highly rated by Southgate... 

I expect it to be a tough & scrappy game with few chances; heat might play a part too. 

England going to lose tomorrow morning!

Engerland will have a tough time against Tunisia I think but they will come out on top in this game by one goal.

Tunisia played well against Spain..England 2-1..I hope.

If the useless Dundee United defender in the Tunisia squad starts, I expect England to trounce them. 

England tend to do ok against the weaker World Cup sides, I would've liked to see Egypt in this group, in saying that, England's "Golden Generation" did only draw with Algeria in 2010.

Tunisia got a penalty. Probably fair call although pretty soft considering what is happening at the other end. On the basis of Tunisias penakty call Kane should have had at least 2  at the other end. Farcical wrestling moves on him going unpunished.

Come on Tunisia!!! Tight finish this one.

To be fair, England should have put that game away in the first half. They were absolutely dreadful in the second, and got a bit lucky with Tunisia conceding a needless corner.

If Lingard and Sterling had not been playing England would have won by 4.

Tunisia tidied up their defensive lines in the second half, they stayed a lot closer to each other and pressed the ball a little bit higher, which made it more difficult for England. But still they had no clue how to work through it.

 Tunsia were playing Rugby league for most of the match. 

Penalty shouts aside (I thought Tunisia's shout was a penalty, but England should have had three of them for pretty clear wrestling) the ref was atrocious.

Absolutely took the bait every time a Tunisia player fell over and was more than happy for their players to completely ignore him, encroach free kicks, any everything else that is EASY to police. How a single Tunisia player wasn't carded is beyond me.

No point pissing around with VAR when refs can't get the most basic things right.

Absolutely agree. The persistent fouling was getting ridiculous by the end. And the petulant behavior from the Tunisia players every time the ref blew his whislte going unpunished.

Nothing to see here

Looks like a fine tackle to me. They are playing rugby right?

thats fudgeing terrible.......no focus, blurred, badly cropped, really I'd be ashamed as a photographer to publish this photo!!!

And is there really no better option at LB than Ashley Young? jeez

I decided that for this tournament I'd support whoever is playing the most positive football in each game

So, well done England, I'm glad your persistence paid off

Possibly.

Who starts instead?

good win in difficult spot. Pushed.

Lucky the reserve keeper didn't cover his near post. 

Defence not tested.

Rashford looked pretty good when he came on i thought. 

Rashford for a start. There is also Vardy & Welbeck.   The two mentioned are not bunnies, but I thought they were poor today. Lingard should have scored a couple himself.

Yeh wouldn't mind a 442, Kane + Vardy/Rashford with the one who didn't start coming on later. I'd keep Sterling on the left.

From fantasy league Lingard can be a bit up and down.

Would that lose much in terms of midfield dominance? 

Tunisian player gets the merest touch, falls like a pack of spuds : penalty 

Kane get walloped and then wrestled to the ground : no problem

Whats the point of all this hi tech bollocks if it is going to be applied in such a haphazard fashion? Especially when there are such obvious violations of the rules that are going unpunished.

How on Earth could Tunisia leave players unmarked in front of goal at set pieces, specially when they don't have players on the posts??