ToffeeWeb

David (5), I would hope those players that could have had a number of weeks of pure rest and relaxation. Their bodies will need it to allow chronic niggles to disappear. If so, as their general level of fitness is so high, they will have tumbled a long way down the fitness slope and will definitely need some intensive work to build it back up again.

You always lose it far more quickly than you gain it. And why is that? Because the fitness they need to play elite level sport is artificial in that it is not related to how anybody generally lives their lives. You’d find a Kalahari bushman has a type of fitness that would put most people to shame but their muscle type and distribution won’t generally match any footballers because it’s predicated by their 24/7 365 days a year lifestyle not out-competing 11 opposing players over 90 minutes once or twice a week.

The Rapid Timeline of Detraining: When a footballer stops high-intensity training their physical conditioning drops significantly in just two to four weeks.
Days 1 to 7: Blood volume drops by up to 5%, reducing the amount of blood the heart can pump per beat.
Days 10 to 14: VO₂ max (aerobic capacity) decreases by 4% to 6% as glycogen storage capacity shrinks.
Days 14 to 21: Fast-twitch muscle fibers begin to lose their explosive power and metabolic efficiency.Day 28+: Capillary density in the muscles decreases, reducing oxygen delivery during intense exercise.

All the talk I Geordie land id that he’s on his way
He’s 31 me might get a couple of yesrs out of him but let’s be honest anyone who’s watched him is that he gives 100%
He’s up and down that line all day
Some of the crises he puts in beg for a touch
Yes he’s at the end of his days but are we hope ing Dibbling can compete in the PL?
Better a Murphy hitting the ground running than some Southern homesick

Well, I don’t think I have ever really given a monkeys fuck about England winning, but I hope they can beat Messi and co in the semi final – for one reason..

I watched a section of Argentina fans throwing beer and cups at Egyptian fans and later taunting the Egyptian manager and his staff with the Isreal flag.

Thats it – my only reason, hope they get a bit Karma on Wednesday.
In say this England are going to have play much better to win.

Alan (241) That game was rated as one of the best football game ever, I watched it riveted in one of my mates house in the Four Squares with Puskas scoring four and Alfredo getting the other three and if I’m not mistaken one of the Rahn (?) brothers from the 1954 German World Cup winners scoring two for Eintracht.

That Real Madrid team had bought players from all over the world, they even had a good look at Alex Young before they decided not to take him so he put two fingers up to them and signed for a better team !

Andrew (multiple), I’m with the others who think you are being excessively generous to pretty much every Argentinian player you have identified as truly exceptional, bar Messi. Alvarez goes missing in plenty of games and popping up with a screamer every now and then doesn’t put him into the pantheon of the best of the best for me.

You’ve even nominated the largely uninspiring Saka as England’s best wide player so far in this tournament. I’d put Anthony Gordon clearly ahead of him as both the most consistent and the most influential of them (so far).