Quite impressive for Belgium to have a striker with an even worse first touch than Lukaku
Day 8: Japan vs Costa Rica | Belgium vs Morocco | Croatia vs Canada | Spain vs Germany
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
Nothing a quick call from Pep to the Barcelona doctors won't sort out
Pep's on the phone to the Barcelona doctors
There's lots of games so no harm trying new people. ITV had Nadia Nadim and I thought she had great insight into Denmark (until she unfortunately had to leave as her mum died while she was broadcasting).
Meunier is so shit, he's about to book spa holiday. - Uncle Roger
Undoubtedly, their federation must be a farce, he should have left after the last world cup.
Bants
AAAAARGH, SO CLOSE FOR BOUFAL!!!
That Belgium team is so dire. De Bruyne and Courtois are their only class players. Their midfield pair is decent but the rest is absolutely trash and/or old.
Been quite an open game, final third poor from both teams. Generally impressed by Morocco, less so Belgium
Huh?
It's pretty ok, like every other world cup, the big European Boys don't necessarily have to do good for that to be true.
Yeah Morocco is better than Belgium. So was Canada too, though Belgium were lucky there but I wasn't sure was it just complacency/no spirit there. Nah. They're just fully cooked as a team.
Maroc #9 is so bad. He had a good scoring season once in La Liga
Mertens to get subbed in? Whose next, Kompany?
He's about to bring on Mertens, ffs
Wilmots is sitting in the German studio
Feels like most the games are 0 - 0 at HT and end low scoring. There’s hardly any exciting moments during most of them as well. It’s hardly box-office. Even players/teams usually reliable are having heavy touches, overhit passes, etc.. with a few exceptions.
He's seriously subbing on Mertens? I don't even know whether to laugh or cry now. Almost don't care anymore either.
Actual atmosphere in this game.
Exactly. You wonder how Wilmots got the sack after 2016, but Martinez (with a more experienced team) survived last summer's Euros plus this bottle job a few months later. Unless they value winning the Fifa ranking too much.
Best player on the pitch off. FECK OFF Martinez.
They are actually playing like a team that is showing their age.
Belgium looks gassed
Turned it off. Boring stuff as usual.
I just want to see Martinez gone at this point. Feck all the rest. Get this absolute waste of tax payer money out of our national team.
We’re heading for the 6th goal less draw this World Cup. The record in a World Cup is 7. We’ve not even completed the 2nd round of games in the group stage yet. We’re going to smash that record! 
Wait, why did he take Onana off?
Has Trossard pissed someone off? How is it Mertens in and not him?
Loyalty from managers is the biggest problem in international football. There's such long gaps between games that you simply can't be trusting players who performed for you in the past because they might go months without playing on between. Belgium have the chance to use Trossard, Doku, Faes, de ketelaere yet Hazard is still captain and must play, and the ancient back 3 never changes.
You're right, it's been dreadful.
Feels like Morocco will make most of the running then be sucker punched and somehow Belgium end up with 6 points from 2 games.
Morocco with some good wide play this half.
Morocco with some good wide play this half.
Jup. Get a good manager in, Lavia- Onana as midfield anchor. We still have so much potential, but this core is rotten to the bone with Witsel leading the pack.
Surely they’ve a few hungry talents that could inject a bit of life into this team. It’s almost the same team from 2 euros ago.
Morocco play decent football till they reach the final third.
Good save by Munir.
Is this going to be another match where underdog team does well but ends up losing? Probably
Batshuayi is comically bad.
De Bruyne looks very leggy.
Lukaku giving advice to KDB? Now i've seen it all.
Belgium playing with 10 men? That’s what it feels like with Batshuayi in the team. Absolutely hopeless.
Lukaku is a student of the game, is he not?