The-Pilgrim":2au7tpv5 said:
Optimistic stat alert....
2010 Guardiola won la liga with Barca and Spain won the World Cup.
2014 Guardiola won the Bundesliga with Bayern and Germany won the World Cup.
2018 Guardiola won the Prem League with Man City.......
I actually am quite optimistic because this seems to be the most exciting and vibrant England tournament squad I can ever remember: they're very light on the usual pick 'n' mix of slight has-beens, under-performing rabbits in the headlights on the big stage, superstars carrying injuries, unfulfilled Golden Generationers, can't-possibly-drop-hims and mentally scarred veterans of too many past ignominious failures or blown penalty shoot-outs - not to mention that they have a manager who actually has his head screwed on, and is neither martinet nor media whore.
Maybe Mexico '70 was similar, but for different reasons. The first World Cup I watched was 1966 and, to quote Orson Welles on describing his career following Citizen Kane, I started at the top and worked my way down. I was too young to note such nuances in '66, but England had a superb team in Mexico, and I'd known nothing but success until then; but of course they also provided my first ever World Cup trauma - blowing that two-goal lead against West Germany with 20 minutes to go in the QF, with Bonetti seeming to dive over Beckehbauer's speculative shot, then the wilting defence being ripped apart by fresh-legged sub Jurgen Grabowski.
So, having suffered as many tournament nightmares as any living England fan too young to remember 1950, my optimism is tempered by realism. Although I'd be gutted at the time, in truth I'd probably quietly settle for another QF defeat by Germany - provided it's honourable and non-traumatic. Let's say 4-2 to Germany
