dotmotion Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 On paper I feel like France is going to win. Belgium's defense especially without Munier is going to struggle against France's attack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TedLavie Posted July 10, 2018 Author Share Posted July 10, 2018 18 minutes ago, texans_uk said: On what earth? Aside from Guivarc'h who really had no right to be in that side, that France '98 and particularly the 2000 side would destroy this French side. Barthez Thuram Leboeuf Desailly Blanc Lizarazu Deschamps Petit Djorkaeff Zidane Vieira Henry Pires Trezeguet These were all far more accomplished than the current French side and had a legitimate claim to 4 or 5 of the best players in the world at the time. Defensively there's no question. But in 1998, Henry, Trezeguet, Pires, Vieira were all young and unestablished. Less established than the likes of Dembele or Mbappe, even though they had the same age. Even Zidane was, in 1998, not yet the player he was about to become. Before the WC, he was basically at the level than Griezmann is today. Those guys are not the same generation as Blanc, Djorkaeff or Deschamps. The prime of this generation was probably 2002, where we had the best scorer in England (Henry), Italy (Trezeguet), France (Cissé) as well as the best player in Germany (Micoud) and perhaps the best player in the world/Spain with Zidane + almost all the guys from 1998 on defense (save for Deschamps and Blanc). That was a failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKTexans Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 The best year was the year when they went out in the GS of the WC? I mean sure most of the players were still there, but they were far more dominant throughout 98 and 2000 and both those sides would be the French side of today. Thuram, Leboeuf, Desailly and Lizarazu would quell the current French side just like Denmark, Australia and Peru did this summer. They might not have the same firepower on paper but the French team of 98 were more than effective enough and the side of 2000 even more so. This 2018 side we were lambasting after the group stages are now suddenly a golden generation for destroying a terrible Argentinian side and a beating an understrength Uruguay. Ok. If this side can win both tournaments handsomely and these young players can go on to become true world beaters then they may surpass the class of 98-2000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKTexans Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 In terms of today's game. It's hard to split the two sides on paper, both have a wealth of talent at their disposal and are arguably held back by tactical ineptness. France made hard work of a pedestrian group, labouring to wins over Australia and Peru before playing out a paint dryingly boring draw with Denmark. They then put a very poor Argentinian side led by a players revolt to the sword in the last-16 and then overcame a Cavaniless Uruguay whose keeper decided to apply WD-40 onto his gloves in the warm-up. Belgium meanwhile registered efficient victories over Panam and Tunisia before their reserves topped England's reserves in the group decider nobody wanted to win. The Japanese gave them a heart attack before they were eventually quelled by the mop haired Fellaini. They then beat a Brazilian side who for all their flair and big names have actually lacked a lot of substance this WC and have relied on a few moments of individual brilliance. Deschamps > Martinez so I'm going with France. If KdB is starting in a deep role again I might just not watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TedLavie Posted July 10, 2018 Author Share Posted July 10, 2018 29 minutes ago, texans_uk said: The best year was the year when they went out in the GS of the WC? I mean sure most of the players were still there, but they were far more dominant throughout 98 and 2000 and both those sides would be the French side of today. Thuram, Leboeuf, Desailly and Lizarazu would quell the current French side just like Denmark, Australia and Peru did this summer. They might not have the same firepower on paper but the French team of 98 were more than effective enough and the side of 2000 even more so. This 2018 side we were lambasting after the group stages are now suddenly a golden generation for destroying a terrible Argentinian side and a beating an understrength Uruguay. Ok. If this side can win both tournaments handsomely and these young players can go on to become true world beaters then they may surpass the class of 98-2000 Once again, I'm talking about talent, not results. And this generation has been deemed like French golden generation for a couple of years now. Pogba, Varane, Umtiti, Kimpembe, Laporte, Dembele, Kante, Tolisso, Griezmann, Mbappe, Martial, Coman, Fekir, Lemar, all born in the 90s. We've never seen that influx of talent in one generation. Can this generation come through now or later, this remains to be seen. Can Deschamps develop this generation into a winners one, it's also left to be decided. But never once we've had so many good young players, all playing in big clubs (or soon to be for Fekir/Lemar) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKTexans Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 3 minutes ago, TedLavie said: Pogba, Varane, Umtiti, Kimpembe, Laporte, Dembele, Kante, Tolisso, Griezmann, Mbappe, Martial, Coman, Fekir, Lemar, all born in the 90s. Quite a few of those are still unproven really or haven't hit the heights expected from them yet. Zidane, Desailly, Thuram, Lizarazu, Deschamps, Petit, Pires, Vieira & Henry were top 5 players are their respective positions for a good period of the late 90s early 2000s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAW Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Have no clue what Belgium's defense is going to be after seeing their starting 11. Guessing 433 with Chadli as a fullback? Yikes lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dotmotion Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 A back three would be brutal.... Ah. Back four is way better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKTexans Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Dembele and Fellaini makes a lot of sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drd23 Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 great save Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mse326 Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Great save by Lloris. That looked like it was going in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAW Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 This has been extremely entertainingly so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hitch Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Belgium, who in my opinion are very lucky to be here, are tbf far out playing France atm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub_City30 Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Belgium is damn good!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAW Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 2 minutes ago, The Hitch said: Belgium, who in my opinion are very lucky to be here, are tbf far out playing France atm. How so? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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