England vs DR Congo Preview: Now it gets serious | 2026 FIFA World Cup

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2:00Pete Donaldson: Hello everybody and welcome to another very special England live stream here at the Football Ramble. Yes, England are facing the Democratic Republic of Congo, or as we affectionately call them, Dr Congo, today at 5pm British summertime. I'm Marcus, you know that. And these guys are Jim and Pete. Hi. Hey, dudes. What's happening, Petey? We're on a live stream. We're on a live stream. Uh-oh. This is my first live stream. This is my favourite thing we do, and I'm never involved in it. And now I'm involved in it, and I can make it less desirable. And here you are. Yes, we thought that, a little bit like, because you're often in the comments as well, and a bit like Ancelotti and Neymar, we thought best have you in the tent pissing out.

2:45Pete Donaldson: Yes, rum and pissing in, yeah. So you're very welcome. Can I still comment? You can comment live on the mic. Whoa. Well, before we get started and talk about England, we are running a special competition with our friends at icons.com. They have supplied us with a special World Cup 1990 England shirt signed by Paul Gascoigne, and you could win it. Right now, our friends of the Ramble can enter a draw to decide the lucky winner. So if you want to throw your name in the hat and get a load of brilliant benefits while you're at it, click the Join button below, or head to patreon.com forward slash football ramble and sign up as a paid member of our Patreon.

3:19Pete Donaldson: Thanks for your support and good luck. I said that, like, who's the ITV presenter? I don't know. Good luck. Come on, who is it? Ant. Mark Pugas, thank you. Mark Pugas, right. He always says that. Good luck. When he does the giveaway that's like a lot of money or a lot of tech. Yes. Text this number, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Good luck. He also said he liked the Qatar World Cup because he's been sports watched. Puga's been sports washed well let's hope he's been dirtied up for this well yes rubbed up again sports dirtied stayed in one of those little pods like you did recently that was ramble uncut wet wipes now Jim Campbell England are playing Dr Congo at 5pm today we are going to revoke his licence if all goes to the plan what Thomas Tuchel no Dr Congo yes I'm with you we're going to strike off Dr Congo yes we are Well, we're in the knockouts.

4:16Pete Donaldson: This is where it gets brutal. Absolutely brutal. Like I say, you think, Germany have gone. The Dutch have gone.

4:23Jim Campbell: But this is what we're here for. The Japanese have gone. This is why Thomas Tuchel is here as well. The idea was that he's going to be a specialist in knockout football. With all respect, due to Congo, you have to win this game or it's the most ridiculous exit since Iceland. and it will be as bad with the players and the preparations that have been made for this tournament as well yeah I mean I'm excited about it to be honest I mean Thomas Tuchel has told us personally in a way not to expect a glamorous performance but I don't really know what that is no see what France did yeah it's not going to be that that's a glamorous yeah I suppose that was quite glamorous simply because of the variables and players available to me Thomas Tuchel who had a certain mystique.

5:11It simply can't get better than this. It simply can't.

5:14Pete Donaldson: Yeah, I, yes. It's a little bit Mick McCarthy, isn't it? Which is not really what we want. Yeah, well, I don't know what you're all hoping for. But he said, didn't he, on the BBC the other day, he said, just win the game. And there is this chat with England at the moment, which is being said by Tuchel himself. You know, this is not just span, span, fan speculation, or, yeah, I won't bother with that. and so Tuchel himself is saying this that when England play and he is saying you know when if whatever word you want to use and if indeed England are to play better teams you know the bigger the opponent the bigger we'll be and he's you know he's talking a very very big game Peter but you know there are you've got to win these games against DR Congo and England against Ghana weren't that convincing yes we can talk about Ghana playing in that deep position and so on and so forth England looked a little bit shaky at the back similar to Panama, a bit more convincing of course they got the two goals with all that in mind, how are you feeling about this game against DR Congo I just want England to show something I think there's there's hot cups of corp being drank right throughout the footballing certainly podcast space and I am just genuinely thinking, sorry are they watching something different to me because apart from I think Luke sort of made it sound a little bit shorter than it was I think it was the full 45 minutes against Croatia in the second half and the turnaround was really stark in the way that we played the first half I've seen nothing but some really mucky listless chaotic confused play from England thus far in the tournament the first half against Panama I'd had a few vis-a-hands fine yeah but I was watching that and I was like I don't really know where the shape is I don't really know what's going on here there There doesn't seem to be any sort of relationship between half the players.

7:07But, you know, going to a game like this, your main men, the guys who were scoring the goals, Kane and Jude, they're both firing. They're our best players. And you should have enough just with those two players going through. You've got to remember, like, Portugal barely got through the groups and then won the Euros with, like, three footballers. Three very good footballers, but three footballers.

7:27Pete Donaldson: We are sort of reaching for examples, aren't we? Like, yeah, I mean, Di Matteo's Chelsea. I'm just trying to think of a Chelsea connection. Tugall's Chelsea. Tugall's Chelsea.

7:38Jim Campbell: But if you look at the pattern of the game against Ghana and the pattern of the game against Panama, England were knocking on the door for most of both of those games. They weren't particularly effective. They were maybe a little bit timid with the knocks. I think they were knocking around the doors trying to locate a door. Is that fair? Maybe. They were in a stately home, banging on walls to see if there was a hidden passage. which is the first thing you should do if you're in a state of your home every single time, of course. Because if there's a hidden passage, you're going to go on some sort of wicked adventure.

8:11Jim Campbell: And I appreciate the logic of that. But I don't think this is the same as those previous kind of stodgy England performances we've seen in the group stages, like the Slovenia game last time was awful, wasn't it? Neither of these games were like that. England were kind of showing some initiative and it wasn't particularly thrilling and it wasn't particularly effective until obviously they get it done against Panama. And that, to me, suggests that even though I'm not allowed to expect a glamorous performance, that I go into this with confidence and thinking that England should put this to bed. Again, with respect to Congo, it would be ridiculous if they don't.

8:49Jim Campbell: That's not to underestimate England. England are heavy favourites. But, yeah, I think we're going to see something tonight. I think we're going to see England be better than we've seen them need to be. Are we going to Greece at the Euros?

9:02Pete Donaldson: Yeah, I sincerely hope so. But mind you, when you talk about those past games, you highlighted the Slovenian one. I mean, it is ludicrous to think, I thought, which one? 2010 Slovenia? Or was it 2024 Slovenia? These weren't those games. No, I take that. I take that. And I think that the idea that Tuchel is... It's a funny one, isn't it? Because you have to hold it correctly here. When you talk about England, in the latter stages, when we face the bigger teams. Of course that's presumptuous that England should beat Congo because they should. And of course, when Gareth Southgate took over at England, those games were not being put to bed.

9:40Pete Donaldson: In the case in point with the Iceland game, England, 2014 World Cup, out after two games. Southgate came in. It's part of the challenge, isn't it? Stop being an embarrassing game. Yeah, exactly. Raise the bar and it's accepted that we don't lose these football matches. And England were very good at putting those games away. And then, of course, what happened was, you know, when England would play a good opponent, equal or better than them, that's where they couldn't have those games, where you would see maybe one or two other nations going, oh, my goodness, they're up against this team. Oh, but they managed, you know, what a performance and so on and so forth.

10:11Pete Donaldson: Tuchel came in to win those games, to win those quarterfinals against, you know, France, you know, in the last World Cup or the final against Italy in the Euros. He's there to win those games. I don't think Tuchel is phoning these performances in. he's just going I'll just get out there lads and do it so I think it does give me a little bit of hope that you know that is the plan and also to not fully bust the gut because those players every single player in that England team have played a lot of football we know that we compare it to say the French players

10:37Jim Campbell: that's why I'm so jealous of France completely jealous of France on a number of levels

10:41Pete Donaldson: but yeah but having said all that there are some concerns with England you know because it was a bit stodgy against Ghana and Panama you know the way England played against Costa Rica in that pre-tournament friendly. We thought, ah, this is what they'll do against Ghana and Panama. They didn't manage to do that. Yes, they got the job done. And we're still in that phase of people saying, I don't know what the problem is. Seven points in the group, topped it. All's fine and dandy, calmed down. We were saying that when Sven was in charge, when, you know, even Hodgson at times was in charge. You know, we've been saying that before.

11:13Pete Donaldson: And other people going, well, hang on a minute here. Is this it? Yeah, is this it? Exactly, yeah. Is this the ceiling? And if that is the ceiling, then, you know, it'll be stodgy later today England should have enough to get through and then Mexico in Mexico you know BOM Opta have got them at 73.9 % to go through in normal time in England yeah and please normal time yes well I mean we could it's a 5 o 'clock kick off in the UK I think that's absolutely fine we could go along well look let's go to some of the comments you know talking of what we were just saying there Dario says England haven't been sparkling but this is knockout football winning is all that matters which is kind of the line that Tuchel's giving at the moment and yes you know without hacking on you and your boys Jim you know from Arsenal this season it is about getting the job done

12:02Jim Campbell: it is and actually you know what that Garner game in particular reminded me of Arsenal because of how the opposition played Arsenal have faced a lot of that type of thing and it's a really difficult type of opponent to break down because it does become like a slog and it sort of drains the fun out of it of the teams for Arsenal being boring to us. Do not put that stink on the rest of us. There's tons of that going on. There was a graphic during the rounds of like the highest lines teams faced. This isn't about Arsenal but since you fired that shot. Come on. You could have just let him have it.

12:37Jim Campbell: Yeah and the oh sorry the lowest blocks essentially the sort of like lowest defensive lines and Arsenal's opponents were like way out at the top compared to loads of others and the Ghana game was an example of that. So I hope that Congo don't see that as a as a blueprint to just frustrate England and try and nick it but I would also completely understand if they did

12:55Pete Donaldson: well Toby in the comments has said the blueprint is there for teams to frustrate England chances are this will be another slogfest where we struggle to break them down the absolute best thing for England would be an early goal we thought that about Iceland of course Peter yeah I think I was sort of shouting out in the last match you just take some pot shots really early just to sort of test the goalkeeper I mean players like Rashford seem to take that really to heart and as soon as they're on the pitch, they seem to be just whacking it at the keeper. I do think that sort of thing is important.

13:26I do think it is just to get a sense of, oh God, we are under the cotter here. And if you're doing it from 40 yards rather than 10 yards, I'm absolutely fine with that because you've got some players who can hit a football. Eze, for example.

13:36Jim Campbell: Also, the ball is a factor with that type of player that can hit it from distance. Rashford's quite good from distance as well and Eze is a good example there. But I always think if a team is going to settle into this very, very organised shape where they're trying to basically shuffle you to shoot from distance. At the very least, if you miss, they then have a goal kick and they reset their shape and you have another opportunity to exploit that. So I don't want them shooting on sight from 40 yards at every opportunity, but I don't hate that line of thinking.

14:05Pete Donaldson: You mentioned Marcus Rashford there. We do have a poll currently live on the comments who should start on the left for England. We'll come to that poll when it concludes and we'll talk about those options either side of Harry Kane, which is a bit of debate at the moment. Going back though to stuff you were saying there about how England are going to set up and deep blocks and so on and so forth. Board Stiff says England's set to face another deep block with two shuttlers in midfield while Maynou sits on the bench. We thought, Peter, that Maynou might start in the last game. He didn't, of course.

14:35Pete Donaldson: Yeah, I mean, yeah. I think Maynou, I mean, Tuchel talks about he's got 15 starters. Kobe Maynou is definitely not one of them. I don't think it's an outrageous thing to suggest that if England are kind of struggling to break Congo down as the game goes on, you put Mainu in there, who's more of an eight, and he's good in tight spaces. He can turn a player and so on and so forth. His ceiling's just creatively, I think, is higher than a few players in his position. Yeah, the caveat that last time I tried to predict an England line-up or how they were going to set up was at 40-foot brewery on a wooden pallet where Ligue 1 fed me some dodgy information about Kobi Mainu starting.

15:12Pete Donaldson: I was going to carry on and not mention it. I'm hearing Cobby Manu to start, he wrote in the WhatsApp. Yes. Fucking Derek Okora.

15:19Jim Campbell: And then hours later, when the lineups were out, you're still blaming him for not knowing who was playing. I'm still blaming him for not knowing, yeah. This is not where I was going with that question. For not taking a glance at the screen as to... But yeah, I like Cobby Manu as an England player. I actually like him more than I like him in the United side, to be honest. He's fresh as well, right? Yeah. He's like the French boy. He's box fresh, exactly. And other teams don't have those kind of compunctions. Is that the right word? No idea. I always kind of thought, you know, this reluctance to sort of just chuck people in.

15:48We have to sort of overthink things all the time. But he played him and showed what happened against Schumann. Just fucking do it and enjoy it for crying out loud. You know, Tuchel's a knockout specialist. Give them something to think about. Give them that variable. Give them that kind of unquantifiable doubt in their mind that this kind of variable is going to be in their face and doing something slightly interesting. I like Maynut and I like him in the England side and he excites me.

16:12Pete Donaldson: He excites you and he's got 2-1 experience with England of course playing in the Euros last time round Jose says I want us to get shots off early I assume Jose's English often in the Southgate era we fell into just trying to score off crosses well I'm afraid Jose I think we're going to see more of that because that does seem to be I completely agree with Jose

16:31Jim Campbell: I want that as well but you sort of steal yourself as an England fan don't you and it seems to be a cross manager as this happens Tuchel's talked about wanting to play like a Premier League type team and be a bit bolder and we saw with Tony Baz's kind of half-time chat against Croatia that they want that as well. And yet, it always seems to settle into that pattern.

16:49Pete Donaldson: But the two goals against Panama were from, one obviously from the corner and the other great work from Bellingham and Kane scored. It is also one of the reasons why Tuchel made some of the selections in his squad. Tony. Well, I would say... Tall players. Like, literally, you know, that has been a factor. Excuse me. It may well be the fact that, it may well be one of the reasons why you say Lewis Hall wasn't picked. I mean, I don't think everybody in the side has to be tall, but he has. O 'Reilly's a threat though, isn't he? Oh, O 'Reilly's a threat. I mean, he's very unlucky not to score against Ghana.

17:20Pete Donaldson: So I think as England fans, what you want to see is England getting O 'Reilly a bit more involved because he's got that threat. And as Karen Carney was highlighting on ITV, as other people have as well, that when England then kind of go forward, O 'Reilly's given license to Rome and get up there. and then the back four sort of becomes a sort of de facto back three, which is why often we've got a centre half, a right back in general, Kwanzaa, he's ruled out. So that may well happen. We may well see that in the play. A question here though from Russell, quite simply, who's your back four today? And I think it is a very fair question.

18:01Pete Donaldson: So we're all sure with Nico Riley at left back. I think that's one position. Left centre half, Mark Gay? I'd have most comfortable there Konza over Stones so you'd have Konza in there instead of Stones yeah I think that's what he'll go for maybe Spence, Konza Gay, O 'Reilly and you put Spence at right back

18:18Jim Campbell: I mean you would think it would be Spence at right back but it never seems to be Spence at right back regardless of the personnel issues so Nico O 'Reilly at right back and Spence at left back Hendo I think Dean Hendo yes well like Gary Neville has basically been saying that Tugel's been disrespecting the full back position and we've always got to find an angle to beat the England manager with and I think you've been quite strong on it as well you've been giving a little kick here and there about this might be the albatross on his neck the full back position problem

18:53Pete Donaldson: I think as the tournament goes on if England are involved in the tournament as it goes on I think it just seems it seemed at the time with the squad it was a bit of a glaring admission because you can argue, should it be Jordan Henderson? Should he not be as taken along as in a coaching role? Henderson might have been, again, should it have been Alex Scott, for example, the Bournemouth midfielder, or Adam Morton? Jordan Henderson is a central midfielder and I think could do somewhat of a job with limited game time. The fullback situation, though, was clearly he'd only got three specialist fullbacks.

19:29Pete Donaldson: In fact, Nico O 'Reilly, as we all know, will probably move into midfield as his career goes on. Yes, Jed Spence has played on either side and he's, you know, pace and, you know, some say a good one-on-one defender and so on. But, I mean, he has been playing for Spurs this season and he's also got an injury with his jaw. All that doesn't seem to be hindering him. Rhys James, we knew, is injury prone. Tino Leventer didn't even make the cup. You know, so you kind of go, that's the area of the field where England were light. Now, your argument immediately against that is, well, who then? Because actually, in terms of right-backs, even Ben White was injured for the World Cup I wonder if we can make a cheeky play for Aaron Wan-Bissaka because D.R.

20:09Pete Donaldson: Congo definitely have a right back who we could have called up at some point but obviously he's been playing them for a while so I'm just joshing It would be a difficult situation to extract him from I would think It would be against the rules quite simply.

20:23Jim Campbell: You're right though but you're looking at like Kyle Walker or Kieran Trippier Bringing him back

20:28Pete Donaldson: Tips, love it So that's the situation there Lewis Hall on that other side but again we've just got to pray that Nico O 'Reilly does not get an injury otherwise is it Big Dad Bird and people don't want to see that so I think that is to be fair if you're sitting in if you're trying to you know and he loves a little Sejean upfield as well does he imagine that if we

20:48Jim Campbell: if we low block the Archon go yeah come on then come on then thought you were going to do this did you it's not what they're expecting it'll be like that match they had in in No Man's Land just in the middle of the pitch yeah just like two players just having a kickabout and the rest of the team just sort of sitting back. Just enjoy it. This is what you wanted, Gianni, is it? This is what you wanted. But I mean, you're right, it is a problem, but you just look at a side like, for example, Japan, Paraguay, they've had injuries, they've got important players out, and yet they've looked really good because they were spirited, because they were up for it, and God damn it, they worked hard.

21:26And I just feel like, I know we've got to do shows because we're excited about England. and we want them to win and you know this is what we do so I'm eating potatoes isn't it but it is also just like why are we worrying it's why are we worrying about this the conversation

21:40Jim Campbell: we're worried about a right back but we have a right back and it's played well unless imagine it something terrible happens to Jed Spence

21:48Pete Donaldson: we should be okay but our German psychopath manager this seems to be like not happy with Jed Spence I just always think it's like a would we be like this if we had the same brains but we were in our 20s do we worry about more things now we're in our 40s Are we warriors? Two of us are fathers. I just, I just, I don't know. It's past hurts is what it is with England. And I think as well, it's going to be something. It will be something. There's always something. It's the thing. But I think, I think though, but having had all these experiences and I actually think that some people are really harsh on Southgate retrospectively saying it was all boring and it's like, six goals against Carlos Kuros' Iran in the first game of the last one.

22:26Pete Donaldson: There are plenty of examples, but I don't want to sort of start going back to too much. I've done that already. But I think under Tuchel, you know, an elite level manager, as we say now, and you think, right, well, what have we got here? And you want to see that little bit of something. But let's see. I do trust the manager, though. And if what he's saying turns out to be correct, then we're on for something. But look, got to get Congo done and dusted as well. Let's talk about the positions. So back four, sorry, just to answer the question there fully posed to us. so we are thinking Spence right back Konza and Gay and Nico O 'Reilly you're probably thinking that back form that feels like

23:04Jim Campbell: other than you know depending on you know where you sit on John Stones it feels like that picks itself to me

23:08Pete Donaldson: yeah I mean the only thing is the back four have looked like they haven't played together much which is probably the case and even Pickford's looked shaky again you want to just go well it's the first round yeah yeah fine I think that's the problem you just want to see a little bit more assurance and I thought John Stones was the man to do it but of course he was playing against Croatia where they didn't look so.

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24:09Pete Donaldson: Kieran says, Pete, I'm hearing Maynard to start. I don't think anybody else is Kieran, but thank you very much for that. Well, let's turn our attention then to the forward positions. We did a poll asking who should start at the left wing. Hurricane to start. Harry Kane and Corners let's go back to that again so Marcus Rashford 63 % commanding win for Marcus Rashford so people thinking Rashford should start Anthony Gordon over Gordon he's probably earned his place after the last performance you'd say yeah Anthony Gordon 25 % Morgan Rogers at 12 % and another option 1 % another option we won't tell you what that option is so so up yours so I mean I still I still think surely there's more to come from Gordon in this tournament.

24:57Pete Donaldson: I like the idea of Rashford coming off the bench when defenders are a little bit more tired. But you said that about Gordon. Gordon's pace is pretty lightning as well. And Diakongo, if they're chasing the game, they do spend a lot of time with their wings. They're quite standard in that sense. I would say he's probably got a bit of space in behind them. So I think Gordon would be a pretty decent impact.

25:23Jim Campbell: Gordon's a much better pressing player than Rashford, I think, as well. So it really depends on how Tuchel wants to approach this from the off, really, doesn't it? If we're trying to sort of pin them in and, you know, take advantage of being the favourites, I suppose you might put it like that. I think Gordon's quite a good player to start in that situation, regardless of kind of how his performances have been so far. Because we've said it a few times, I think he's been quite unlucky with the patterns of play in the game and how the ball's been shuffled away from the left-hand side by both England and their opponents a lot.

25:55Jim Campbell: Would you start Jude Bellingham?

25:57Pete Donaldson: Yes. Yeah, okay. Well, I think we're all agreed there. Bellingham has obviously been one of the stars of this World Cup. Could he be a star of the silver screen one day? Because apparently he said he'd love to play James Bond. He was speaking on Fox's World Cup after hours and saying that's not the one with James Corden, is it? I think it is, yeah. Somebody I know has been in America and a lot of Jules Breach was great. a lot of James Corden doing like a post-match kind of James Corden and Riffon have their own show and it's called World Cup After Hours yeah yeah where's the writer's strike when you need it I mean who'd know the difference good point good point well apparently Bellingham said acting appealed to him especially playing Bond Thomas Tuchel was asked about this in his press conference and he said what do you think about Jude Bellingham's audition for James Bond and Tuchel said what are you talking about that's what I like about TT TT man no messing around shut up and ask me about the fullbacks and I'll give you answers there that's what I'm here for you silly sod are we going to see Rice and Bellingham in a deeper role as we saw against Panama and then Rodgers in front I suspect not no maybe too creative

27:15Jim Campbell: maybe at some point in the game that will happen they need something yeah I can't imagine they would line up like that but I don't hate that. I think Rodgers is at his best in those pockets of space, isn't he? And having a bit of a freer role. So, I mean, it's a good platform. And Bellingham did well kind of in a more withdrawn role.

27:32Pete Donaldson: But would you want Rice there or would you want Rice kind of pushing on helping out the attack with Bellingham and Coe? Because he can strike the ball from range.

27:38Jim Campbell: He can. I think Rice gives you so much security as the deepest player that if the players in front of you are Jude, Bellingham and Morgan Rodgers, it's okay for him to be the guy mopping up. yeah

27:51Pete Donaldson: yes okay maybe he'll have to get his mop out not everybody can be the

27:55Jim Campbell: you know be the left eight or the number ten or whatever you want to call it you can only have so many people in the hole there's only so much room in the hole true enough true enough

28:05Pete Donaldson: we talked about the left hand side I think Rashford seems to be the man to start the game we've got a poll on who should start on the right Saka or Madueke rest Saka so do get your votes in there you've got to rest Saka rest him

28:18Jim Campbell: well he claims that he's feeling good and he's playing with that pain I think you pointed out that he's playing with that I mean most players by the very definition are playing injured most of the time there's always something going on so it's about managing your expectations but Saka has looked a little under the weather

28:36Pete Donaldson: well Kieran says Saka is clearly a better player but is there an argument to start Maduaki to rest Saka bring him on later am I getting too cocky he says

28:42Jim Campbell: I mean Saka has two assists so far obviously one of them was a corner so you sort of forget that they count but they very much do He's got great coming on. Outswinging corners for both of England's goals from set pieces. We're very odd. I didn't expect those. It can work. It can work. It can work, yeah. So I mean, obviously, I don't know how fit or unfit Saka is. I think if he is saying he's fit enough to start, I think maybe you start him. Madueke is such a funny player. Very, very direct sometimes. Like at his best. Like sort of every 10 games or so. It's like, wow. He's absolutely phenomenal.

29:18Jim Campbell: Unplayable, yeah. But sometimes I think he sort of retreats within himself a little bit. He doesn't attack his man as kind of vibrantly as he does at his best. So it depends what Madueke you're going to get, really, and it's impossible to predict that. But I think in a knockout game, you start your best players, right? You can't be resting players in knockout games, even if it's a game where you're the heavy favourites. I don't think that's a good approach. That would be my thinking as well.

29:43Pete Donaldson: I mean, I think... I mean, the only thing... Gary Neville was talking about Saka saying he looks off it. he doesn't look that sharp and he said seldom do you get players who kind of play their way into match fitness during a World Cup I mean I suppose the only thing I would say is that the sharpness there have been one or two other players I mean I remember when we were talking about Argentina and Luke was saying yeah but look at the likes of McAllister and one or two others didn't have great club seasons I was like yeah but when it gets to the World Cup it is a bit different it was a slightly different issue with Saka but I do I would tend to agree with you Jim like start your best players you can't have any regrets We need someone to be not off it, but off it.

30:22He's off it. Yeah.

30:23Pete Donaldson: He's bloody off it. Yeah, like off his head. Yeah, that's what I mean. With passion for England. He's so off it, he becomes on it. Yeah. Yeah, full circle. Yeah, I see what you mean. I do see what you mean. Andrew has commented, I'm in America, can't sleep, watching this game with a bunch of Congolese youth that I coach. Anything to soothe these concerns and lull me back to sleep? That's going to be difficult, isn't it, politically? Yeah. Yeah. Well, I think that, Andrew, that England are heavy favourites for this game. And they have been used to putting these games away under Southgate, as I say.

30:55Pete Donaldson: So, yes, it may be stodgy and it may be all that kind of stuff. I think when we worry about England and we worry about our boys, DR Congo, yes, they will be highlighting where they can get at England. They'll also be very worried about Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane and Saka or even Madueka. they'll be concerned about these four players that we have at England so let's remember we always forget about that aspect don't we oh no, Johan Wisser's here yeah exactly, and look Wisser's having a good World Cup there's no doubt about that I think if you said to Konza and Gay you've got Johan Wisser today I'm sure they've played against him they'll certainly know his game and yes, one can't predict the future Johan Wisser scores two goals and we go out but of course that would be a huge shock That was horribly specific.

31:43Pete Donaldson: Yeah, didn't care for that. Horribly prophetic. But it would be a shock for a reason. Yeah. Because it's very unlikely to happen, you see. Whereas if Harry Kane scores two goals and England go through 2-0, you think, well, okay, that was kind of job done. I don't think anybody in the Democratic Republic of Congo, if they win 2-0 and Johan Wissler scores two goals, they're going to go, yep, job done. Do you know what I mean? That would be the greatest result in their history. I don't happen to understand where everyone's getting them through from bearing in mind what we've seen this World Cup. I think England have been broadly underwhelming.

32:19Is this the match to sort of pick things up or is this just the match to sort of get through and not worry about what it looks like, how convincing it is? That's Tuchel. Tuchel is saying that. It's just bumble-free. I hate that.

32:31Jim Campbell: I don't think I can bring myself through that to be honest. I just really want us to put teams to the sword and I know that it's naive. If only to like prevent extra time. Do you know what I mean? You don't need more minutes in the legs, do we? Yeah. I mean, this is how I thought when I was eight years old, because you watch football, you watch the World Cup, you want it to be swashbuckling, you want it to be brilliant. And I just can't ever let go of that feeling that like, I don't want to be pragmatic in my own expectations. Yeah.

32:56Pete Donaldson: No, because we've seen England do this so many times in previous tournaments. But look, again, you know, a win's a win's a win and all that kind of stuff. And that's what England need and are going to tonight. yeah John Puddington says Rodgers is 100 % fit and 100 % direct he should start on the right

33:12Jim Campbell: yeah I mean I don't know a right footer on the right Jim yeah crazy talk yeah I don't know if he's played much for Villa on the right and I think this is something that you probably don't want to do when you're into the knockout stages of a tournament he's kind of a player who's out of position like I say he may have more experience there than I realise but I think it would be an outside bet and possibly an unnecessary one as well. Are you going to talk about the survey? Yeah, the poll results are in. Bukayo Saka to start on the right, 66%, so that's a good idea. Noni Maraike say 28%, and the wildcard option with quite a few people suggesting Rogers, 6%.

33:52So it's actually gone up from the lower amount we had earlier, so you know, people are... It screams of panicking. It screams of people trying to find solutions.

34:02Pete Donaldson: So I'll ask you this, Peter, then. on that right side yeah the idea of playing a right footed right winger is like just obscene ridiculous nowadays and I get why and I'm not trying to go back to the 90s or anything however Anthony Gordon has played once or twice this season he refused to play on the right but what but it's country now but what I would say is he is a better footballer when he's deeply pissed off so if you did play him as goalkeeper or right wing he would he does tend to play angry better. He's a bit Rooney-esque like that. Interesting, to be fair. Horrific to look at. He's a bit forever.

34:41He really is better when he's angry. So yes, I think playing on the right, he can do it. He can do it pretty well. Yes. So I'm up for it. Pickford's left footed is all I'm saying.

34:54Pete Donaldson: Yeah, okay. Well, I... Because again, like crossing is one of the things. I know it sounds so ludicrous, You cross the ball into the box, you know, you might have a chance. surely you're at an advantage there

35:04Jim Campbell: I keep waiting for this to come back for it to be seen as this mad innovation it's just not happening the more we talk about it the more excited I get the more convincingly we're going to win so thank you lads I appreciate it no not for sure right footer on the right left footer on the left

35:18Pete Donaldson: 4-4-2 come on diamond if you're feeling glamorous BX95 yeah Jim BX95 says exactly Jim this is the time to risk playing soccer go on BX yeah this is the time to risk playing soccer what a horrible sentence yeah Well, when we talk about England's style and we want to be like France, really, let's be honest, that is the case. MLRUK says, can anyone remember a World Cup where a team looked as dominant as France do now and didn't win it? Trying to find a reason to be hopeful, but they look like different gravy at the moment. I mean, Argentina in 2006 leaped to mind. Remember that incredible goal? One of the greatest goals in the history of football.

36:01Pete Donaldson: and I don't sound slightly sarcastic, I genuinely mean that when Kambiasso finished off the move. They beat Serbian Montenegro as they were called then. 6-0? I think it was 6 they put past them in the group stages. They were very dominant. I think they beat a very, very good Ivory Coast and I'm testing myself here on a live stream which is not the best thing to do. But I'm pretty sure they beat a very, very good Ivory Coast side with a lot of recognisable names in there. And they were beaten by Germany on penalties in the quarterfinal. They were 1-0 up. the coach took off Juan Romain Raquelme famously and they didn't go on to win it and a lot of people had them down as a side who would go on and win that tournament I forget who they beat in the second round but even then I don't think it was maybe as dominant as this

36:43Jim Campbell: if France go to penalties with someone just think about their penalty takers

36:47Pete Donaldson: they're just going to win that aren't they you would think so yeah they've even got Magic Mike in the game it's outrageous it is absolutely outrageous

36:55Jim Campbell: it's a good question isn't it it's hard to kind of nothing immediately you might go back to the 1982 Brazil team you know that were famously were amazing and didn't win it

37:08Pete Donaldson: yeah I suppose I mean I suppose you know with an extended World Cup 48 teams you know like you know a side like say Iraq I mean I don't know where they finished in their group admittedly so you know forgive me if I've got this wrong and they would have gone through anyway in a 32 team World Cup but a side like that like let's be honest they're not going to pull up too many trees at the World Cup I thought they did okay but France were always going to beat them well. Yeah, fair play. I mean, Norway made so many changes that we don't know what, you know, how they would have done against their first 11.

37:39Pete Donaldson: And then Senegal, I suppose they're disappointed. I mean, so dominant against Sweden, but again, a poor Swedish side who, unless we forget, didn't win a game in qualifying. So, I mean, if you really wanted to try and kind of say that, but they are looking very dominant. And I think in any World Cup, with the way this team, with that group of players are playing, I think they would be on it.

38:00Jim Campbell: They'll be the favourites in pretty much every game. But once you're playing an Argentina or Spain or whoever it may be along the way, it is a very different level, isn't it? They've not faced anything like that yet. And in a single game, who knows? I think Spain are probably the most interesting opponent in my mind that France could get at the moment just because of the intricacy of Spain versus the actual quite simple but just really kind of powerful style France have would be a fascinating clash of styles, I think.

38:33Pete Donaldson: Well, I think we would see France when, you know, they could play Morocco, I think. Yeah. That looks reasonably likely. And then Spain, Portugal there, that side of the draw as well. I mean, David Cartlidge was saying in the comments, not in the comments, sorry, on our WhatsApp group, which does feel like comments sometimes with some of the stuff Pete says. A lot of it's quite offensive. Yeah, yeah, yeah. A lot of drive-bys in there. He said, other than, you know, what did he say? an Argentina hit job in the finals. Which is very possible. Which is possible. They did it four years ago in different circumstances.

39:04Pete Donaldson: But yes, so anyway, France looking very, very good indeed. Something that does go in England's favour if we bring it back to England and DR Congo tonight is that the superfan Michael Nkuka Mabola-Dinga has been denied a visa to the US for this game. I thought he was already in the US but anyway, he's been at some of the games with DR Congo. he wasn't at the first one so we have seen him at the World Cup but apparently the reports are saying that he's not going to be at the game against England very very upsetting yeah he's he's yeah he's going to be stranded in Mexico apparently right worst place to be stranded to be honest well he's he's going to be there's going to be a younger yes version of him doing the pause and wearing the same clothes I guess could he post the clothes over the border surely you've got more than one is that a contravention of the rules I don't know

39:55Jim Campbell: can you visa a clothing that is a big role to step into isn't it hugely yeah what happens if he eventually gets what happens if they get through heaven for offend and there's then there's two of them you know the original one arrives and there's like a father and son kind of like the more the merrier surely one at each end I guess the whole crowd is like that by the end of it why isn't there like young bucks why isn't there some young Turks like getting involved and just sort of like trying to take over and everyone's just like you know Who's the real one? Tell you what. Shoot that one. It's me.

40:27I'm the real one. Oh, yeah.

40:28Pete Donaldson: The hall of mirrors. Jim's right, though. If that whole crowd had just stood there really still with the arm in that pose.

40:34Jim Campbell: Worried about the atmosphere at the Azteca. It must be way more unsettling. Yeah, when are we talking about the, you know, inevitable Mexico-England match, yeah? Yeah. When are we talking about that? The altitude. Are we already doing the altitude training or not?

40:45Pete Donaldson: Come on. Oh, I don't know, Peter. I think, you know, but if there was... Are we in the hyperbaric chambers or what? But if there was a Mexican wave and it just, they're all there still. Yeah. Or they get so far and just stop.

40:55Jim Campbell: And then they stay like that for the rest of the game.

40:57Pete Donaldson: It would be terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. I think we should end with this comment from Eggs and Bacon, who clearly was listening to Danny Murphy on CoCom's the other night on the BBC. Have any of you seen a cat in a postman uniform running around?

41:10Jim Campbell: If I'd seen a cat in a postman uniform, you'd never see me again. I'd just follow the cat. See what's going on there. Poor Lee Dixon's. Is it Lee Dixon's or Danny Murphy? Danny Murphy.

41:20Pete Donaldson: Danny Murphy's dog. Danny Murphy. it was cat not dog sorry it wasn't Lee Dixon's dog it was Danny Murphy's cat Danny Ken Dodd's dad's dead is that Ken Dodd's dad's dog's dead Ken Dodd's dad's dog dead Danny Murphy's cat's dead presumably it was a long time ago well we don't know it could be delivering the post okay you know cat ownership's weird like they just disappear for dears on end it's not really a pet is it you don't really own a cat no no does anybody own anything these days Jim considering we're in a communist state, aren't we? Not with the subscription services. Anyway, we're talking about politics.

41:56Pete Donaldson: It's a good time to wrap. Thank you very much for watching this live stream of the Football Ramble. It's been an absolute pleasure. Thank you to Pete Donaldson. It is time to wrap and that wrap is a burrito. See you in the next round. Thank you, James Campbell. You're very welcome. Yeah, called you by a proper name there. Yeah, James Edward Campbell. There we are. Very Scottish. Very Scottish indeed. And thank you very much. You're right to sign the spirit of it. I apologise for my name. Good luck, England. Enjoy the game later. Go on the gland. Come on, boys. Come on. We'll see you tomorrow for some more Ramble goodness.

42:36The Football Ramble is a Stack Production and part of the Acast Creator Network.

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