England Expects (but should it) ?

Before the tournament started, we were happy to progress to the last 16, the quarters being a good result.
All of a sudden after two victories against opposition I would hope to beat we are suddenly 'back' and  in with a chance of winning it/getting to the final. !!!!!!!!
Don't get me wrong, England have played better than most expected and given their young age have certainly won a few fans back.(Including me).
But are we now setting them up for a bit of a fall?  The arrogance of us saying we want to finish second in our group in order to progress is in my mind disrespectful to the likes of Japan, Senegal etc.  Have we forgotten Iceland already?   Of course I understand that finishing second would look like a better prospect, but doesn't it also set us up for a fall ??  This team looks hungrier and more hard working than I've seen for a long time.  Let them loose (as opposed to lose) to play as they would like.  Imagine the message it would send out (both home and abroad) if we did beat the likes of France.
It's a young team that could go on to give us back a bit of respect within the next few years.  

So yes, I do expect, but not too much just yet.

Come on ENGERLAND

Go all out to win the group. Who cares who we play? I don’t. You’ve got to play the best at some point, but either way we can’t look beyond the 2nd round, otherwise we’ll look ridiculous when an Iceland-style defeat happens against Colombia/Senegal/Japan.

I'm of the opinion that you have to beat the best to be the best and therefore couldn't give a monkeys fart who we play and at what stage we play them.
Im not sure we can win it but there has been some good stuff played by our young team and we're showing potential.
That said, second half vs Tunisia actually showed our inexperience, we let Tunisias disruptive tactics rattle us and only just scraped the 3 points.
I'd say its fine to expect but lets not beat them down if it goes wrong.........we weren't gonna win it 2 weeks ago!

We should expect what we thought would happen, last 16 or quarters in my opinion. We've beaten nobody and haven't kept a clean sheet.
I do think Southgate has done well to go for youth, and their enthusiasm is fantastic. Dumping Rooney Hart and Wiltshire appears a master stroke and whatever happens in the next week or so I think the nation should be looking forward with optimism
Come on England!!

I think there's a definite advantage in avoiding the best teams for as long as possible. Even if you are the best (which England aren't), the more good teams you come up against, the more likely you are to slip up. One bad refereeing decision and you're toast.

However, I don't think England are capable of playing to deliberately lose.

I agree with Civvy though in that building up the expectation is both unhelpful and stupid. Beating two poor teams does not make us prospects to win the tournament. Even if we beat Belgium tonight, I'll be thinking of Hurst. Paul not Geoff. And not West Germany, but Newport that time they put out a weakened side, we thrashed them but that meant they got us in the playoffs and promptly taught us a lesson.

There is a  debate about whether it is better to come second in the group. It's true that the top half of the draw looks much tougher, with Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Portugal there, but what that means is that we would face a tough quarter final (probably Brazil) and a tough semi. But in the other half of the draw we might meet Spain in the semi.

My view is that you will never get an easy world cup quarter or semi final anyway, so you may as well go for the win today to keep momentum going. I would rest a few players, as I think Belgium will, especially those on yellow cards.  

If we end up in the half of the draw with Brazil, France, Portugal, Uruguay etc, is there any of those teams who have looked outstandingly good? Not for me. Brazil maybe shading it but they've looked wobbly at times for me and a better side could punish them.

It's not a true reflection either to list all the teams on that side of the draw. For example, the "tough" side of the draw will contain France, Argentina, Uruguay, Portugal, Brazil, Mexico and someone from Group G. But it's not like we'd have to face that many top sides. One of France/Argentina will be knocked out (neither look good to me anyway), and same with Brazil/Mexico.

The last point for me is that we could be massively overlooking the potentially toughest last 16 game we could have. If we don't top the group, I reckon we'll end up playing Columbia, who are a very good side and could go far in this tournament as they did the last WC.

Just win the game. Win the group. One game at a time. No fear.

This England team is definitely " work in progress " but you have to approach every game with a win mentality. In the same token I think the game against Belgium offers Southgate an opportunity to rest one or two key players and try a different approach eg start with Vardy. We also have  players on a yellow card and it could be crucial to how far we advance if they pick up another against Belgium and are then unavailable for the next match.

I have to eat humble pie and say my opinion of Southgate has changed completely the guy is a breath of fresh air for the game in England.I had him nailed on as a yes man like a younger Hodgson.Not at all the player`s are playing with freedom and seem to actually be enjoying the tournament rather than it being a millstone round the neck.A player like Lingard who has had to make a career at a top Club the hard way by countless loans showing what grit and determination can get you.Ali,Vardy and the other`s who have worked up from lower down the pyramid have got this lot finally playing like a team.We have had far more talented player`s at recent tournaments but the press killed them with hype and expectation.This lot will come home regardless of when they go out to a grateful set of football fans who will say they had a go and that`s all we have ever asked.C`mon England

We came into the tournament with the lowest expectations I can ever remember but, on the basis that no other team has looked very impressive, I think we just go for it. The competition looks wide open to me and I think I would rather face Brazil in a quarter final than a final.