If your team don't win it...who do you want to win it?

Just as it says really...nicely as there are only 15 choices in a poll, so have put it that most want the mighty 3 lions to win it, but if we don't (and probs won't) who do you want to win it?

Thread title should say 'Who do you want to win it?' - I've lost the power of speech again (see that drunk...really thread in otf!)

croatia of course

Title should have been

'As England won't win, who do you want to win?'

Given I'm portuguese this isn't a difficult poll.

Given I'm portuguese this isn't a difficult poll.

If Portugal don't win it, who would you want?

In the even of England not winning () then it'll be like usual for me, don't really care who wins but a villain may have emerged along the way I wouldn't say I want anyone to win. Not Spain, not Portugal ... process of elimination here. Probably not France ... I could take Germany winning (again) right now, I guess but I wouldn't exactly be cheering

If Portugal don't win it, who would you want?

Usually I'd say Holland. Given their recent rivalry and bitterness with us, plus a general move away from their playing style which I loved so much, not sure anymore. Italy and Croatia also usual favourites of mine but their current teams are underwhelming.

Honestly I don't know. I'm almost starting to root for Germany for the first time in my life (always hated them), because their football atm is glorious. I also always hated Spain but really enjoy watching their tiki-taka. It would be totally glory-hunting to start cheering for these two sides though, so I just can't do it. Frankly when we get knocked out, think I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the football as a neutral, no favourites.

If Poland don't win it I want the Czechs to win.

Both are unrealistic wishes, of course.

a lot of people voting Holland. hasn't their display at the WC put them off yet?

I used to support them whenever Belgium wasn't there, but those days are gone sadly.

Usually I'd say Holland. Given their recent rivalry and bitterness with us, plus a general move away from their playing style which I loved so much, not sure anymore. Italy and Croatia also usual favourites of mine but their current teams are underwhelming.

Honestly I don't know. I'm almost starting to root for Germany for the first time in my life (always hated them), because their football atm is glorious. I also always hated Spain but really enjoy watching their tiki-taka. It would be totally glory-hunting to start cheering for these two sides though, so I just can't do it. Frankly when we get knocked out, think I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the football as a neutral, no favourites.

was hoping you'd say England

I'm cool with Spain winning it again.

was hoping you'd say England

Sorry, never fancied England.

a lot of people voting Holland. hasn't their display at the WC put them off yet?

One single match with upped aggression, that has been blown to mythical proportions by now. It would be utterly sad and shortsighted to drop support for a team based on that IMO.

Anyway, if Oranje don't win, it's obviously Germany for me.

If my country doesn't win it, then I hope its Ukraine.

Well, the battle of Nurnberg in the previous World Cup didn't help neither.

Regardless of aggression, Holland's playing style in the 2010 WC was hugely disappointing. Very pragmatic, little flair and flow - totally un-dutch like. That is what has put me off from them, the aggression is just a bonus. And you can say you reached the final thanks to that playing style, well I can understand the point in playing 2 DMs and more stable than Euro 2008's Gung-Ho team, but the way you reached that final was highly lucky IMO. Almost every one of your matches in the whole competition could've gone either way.

Poland because I went there once, nice people. Would be nice to see a host nation win, even if the final is in Ukraine.

Well, the battle of Nurnberg in the previous World Cup didn't help neither.

I still think the so-called 'battle of Nurnberg' is a trumped-up hype. People look at the number of cards in that match, not at the actual game. And it was more a case of an incompetent ref going nutty than either team being particularly aggressive.

Regardless of aggression, Holland's playing style in the 2010 WC was hugely disappointing. Very pragmatic, little flair and flow - totally un-dutch like. That is what has put me off from them, the aggression is just a bonus. And you can say you reached the final thanks to that playing style, well I can understand the point in playing 2 DMs and more stable than Euro 2008's Gung-Ho team, but the way you reached that final was highly lucky IMO. Almost every one of your matches in the whole competition could've gone either way.

I agree with everything in that paragraph except the last sentence. Apart from the final (which, after all, we didn't win) the only one that imo could have gone either way was Brazil, who should have been 3-0 up by half-time but somehow weren't and then imploded on us. We never really looked like losing in any of the other games, although that was mainly because the opposition was relatively weak, not because Holland were that strong.

Having said that, we sure as hell didn't make it to the final because of a more cautious playing style, we made it to the final because of a very favourable draw, so it would be a mistake for anyone to claim that we need to retain that style because it brings results.

Well I remember a Denmark game where the first two dangerous shots went in, a Japan match where it took a deflection for a ball to go in, an Uruguay match where Holland scored in the parts they looked least dangerous, etc. Sneijder was tremendously disappointing from a creative point of view after being on superb form for Inter, spraying through ball after through ball, yet still somehow became top scorer despite not excelling.

Don't get me wrong Holland have some wonderful world class players, but I think you could approach any tournament again with that form and strategy and to reach a final again you'd need more than 10 tries.

Czech Republic

Ireland for their AMAZING fans ofc.

Don't get me wrong Holland have some wonderful world class players, but I think you could approach any tournament again with that form and strategy and to reach a final again you'd need more than 10 tries.

Don't get me wrong either; you'll get no argument from me there, what you say is true. Poor form. Poor play. Total dearth of incisive passing. Massively lucky.

Nice to see we getting lots of votes, to bad to see the whole wc final and game vs Portugal (WC2006) are back in the discussion, i just remember 2008, nobody expected us to reach ko stage, but we won the group with three brilliant games.

Oh and I voted Sweden, have a hunch they will go far, not sure why....

Went with Spain, but I'd be fine with Germany winning as well. Either of those two, please.

ireland hehe

Netherlands, to see VDV lift the trophy.

Ireland, but that's only slightly more realistic than England, so Germany. Traitor! I hear you cry. They play good football, they're an exciting young side, and only boring people go for clear favourites like Spain.

Croatia, on the basis that my Grandmother was from there.

I want England obviously, then Ireland because I always go for the home nations of the British Isles.

But apart from those 2 it would have to be France because I've put a bet on them.

One single match with upped aggression, that has been blown to mythical proportions by now. It would be utterly sad and shortsighted to drop support for a team based on that IMO.

Anyway, if Oranje don't win, it's obviously Germany for me.

the final was just the culmination, it was going on before that. how some players weren't suspended beforehand I'll never know. Van Bommel being the most obvious example.

and even if it was just the final, it actually had mythical proportions. it was utterly ridiculous and Holland were rightfully blasted for it in the press right after.

I really disagree. In mythical hindsight, the poor Spanish magicians were kicked all over the pitch without any wrong-doing of their own... Watch the match again and tell me that again. Simply wasn't like that.

In any match before during that tournament, there really wasn't anything out of the ordinary, the Dutch weren't dirtier than anyone else and by no means the dirtiest. That van Bommel (need I state that I've never been his biggest fan? ) is a dirty leg-kicker was never questioned. Some players always get away with it and he's one of those.

The only way you could call the team dirty is if you compare it to Dutch teams before them, who were often put to the sword themselves and therefore blamed for being naive... it's either wrong or it ain't right, isn't it?

Russia, now.

Voted for Germany, but as long as there is quality football on show I dont really care who the winner is.

Since I am Brazilian and so 'my team' can't win it anyway, I am supporting Portugal.

I don't really have a team...

I'd say Germany or Netherlands. Some years ago I would have backed up Sweden and Denmark to do well, but times have changed so both can go home ASAP...

If Holland don't win then probably Germany.

England are the only team I really want to win it, otherwise I'd like to see one of the underdogs win it. Maybe Croatia.

If not England then usually I'll hope for Italy to do well. Otherwise, I will wait to see if any 'underdog' sides capture my imagination.

Germany as I have them in the work sweepstake.

Ireland as it'd be ****ing hilarious.