#marcel gerard defense squad

[awesomefan]

The Originals 4x07 Reaction

So tonight’s episode of The Originals just fueled my hatred for Elijah even more. Klaus needs to realize that just because Hope is super duper powerful doesn’t mean that she can’t have friends (No wonder you don’t have any cause your a cocky little shit). And the Mary Sueness is even more astounding.

Vincent basically telling Elijah to STFU and kick rocks for demanding him to do the Harvest Ritual:

Elijah stealing the knife and planning on do it himself:

Marcel and Hope communicating and connecting with one another:

And to all the people out there that said Marcel was gonna fill Hope’s head with bad things about Klaus (even though that’s all Klaus is known for, and he’s overall a terrible person just because he’s a father don’t mean shit!):

The show trying to sell this Freya and Keelin shit:

Their seriously just the Token Gay Couple Trope (and/or Minority Couple). And knowing how the CW rolls when it comes to gay characters I won’t be surprised if Keelin or Freya dies.

Marcel protecting Hope from the Hollow’s followers, and telling her to look away from the violence:

Elijah killing the 4 teenage girls! Dude they are fucking children! He does not really give a fuck when it comes to killing children. (Let’s see if Hayley will still wanna be with him when she finds out what he did):

This is basically Elijah’s personality throughout the whole season so far:

Freya and Keelin kiss:

Marcel and Klaus finally working together:

Vincent dropping the truth bombs on Elijah’s bitch ass:

Am I the only one who feels that Elijah is gonna die by the end of this season? Cause if so then all I have to say is this:

Me to Elijah’s smug ass at the end of this episode:

(This is for the 4x08 promo) Okay let’s be honest with the amount of bullshit Mary Sueness that Hayley has, and how she’s the one that can defeat the Hollow I have an explanation for it. The reason Hayley has all this plot amour and being a Mary Sue, and the show trying to make her stay relevant through the Hollow storyline is because of Phoebe Tonkin. Whether she wants to admit it or not but the only reason she even got the role of Hayley was because #1 she had the connections (aka Kevin Williamson who did The Secret Circle and Stalker and Vampire Diaries) #2 The writers of TVD felt pity for her for the fact that Secret Circle was cancelled. That’s why they’re giving Hayley all of this illogical strength that she shouldn’t have, and making her bang Klaus and get pregnant so they can find a way to make her stay relevant. On TVD, Hayley’s character was forgettable to the point that whenever she popped up on screen you asked yourself...

Even after she gave birth to Hope on The Originals, you can tell that Hayley was so useless and forgettable. Especially during Season 3 and 4, it was like what was the point of her character being here when she does nothing but have illogical fight scenes, manipulate Elijah and give him bedroom eyes, drop Hope off at babysitters, and fail at being a “queen”. You would think that the writers would get the message and realize that if a character becomes so forgettable and useless to the point where you don’t even know what to do with them, that you need to kill them off right? NO! Instead let’s try to make her even more relevant by propping up her Mary Sueness even more, and making her stronger than an Original and strong enough to defeat this seasons villain (The Hollow) that not even the freaking Mikaelson’s can take on! This writing is just unprofessional. No hate to Phoebe but I’m gonna be blunt and cold about this because Hayley Marshall is just an OP Mary Sue character that was written for an actress who had the connections, and the writers felt pity for. She had no audition, no chemistry testing with the other actors, and she even got signed to the damn spin-off before Joseph Morgan (Klaus Mikaelson) did! Hayley sucks the life out of the show, and just erases all of the logic in the show just so they can show how badass and awesome Hayley is. More like how much of a shit character she is, and how shitty the writers are that the only way they can help Phoebe Tonkin have a job is to give her a Mary Sue character that is incredibly sexist and is irrelevant. So one last thing I have to say to these unprofessional, shitty ass writers of The Originals is this:

[anime-writing-everything]

Hot Take:

Klaus and the Upgrading Serum

I know a lot of people interpret Klaus not wanting Marcel to take the upgrading serum as him not wanting someone to be stronger than an original... I have a different theory. I think Klaus didn’t want Marcel to take the serum for a few different reasons:

1. It’s a stupid idea- the serum was developed by the ancestors (who HATE Vampires) to destroy all the originals therefore killing the entire population of vampires in the world. Yes? Who’s to say that after doing this, the serum wouldn’t then kill Marcel... Plus the serum gives WEREWOLF venom to someone who was never a werewolf. And you can say magic let’s it happen blah blah blah, but it’s like giving someone a blood transfusion with a different blood type.... the body will react negatively to it because it is an unfamiliar thing in the body. All of these things would be something someone as paranoid as Klaus would think of and he wouldn’t want it for the man he calls a son.

2. He doesn’t want to see Marcel die again. The serum only works if Marcel does, and as we have seen in other episodes Klaus cannot handle that. He tried to talk Marcel out of turning the first time (saying that it would destroy all of his good like it had done Klaus), only relenting when he was given an ultimatum. He also clearly told Marcel that he was a wreck after watching Mikael “kill” him (apparently not being able to even speak Marcel’s name for years afterwards). If we think about it that way it’s obvious that the idea of Marcel dying (especially for something that is already suspicious) is an obvious reason for Klaus not to want that serum used.

3. If Marcel uses the serum, it is a sure sign of not needing him anymore. Klaus clearly thinks that he needs to be useful in some way for others to care about him. He has always been obsessed with the idea of his family leaving him, and with how Marcel was talking leaving was clearly on the table.

There is so much more to that scene than just Klaus wanting to be the most powerful creature in the world. His heart was breaking for his son, you could see it in his eyes. And considering the pain he was in after he thought Marcel dead and the relief he felt (at first) when Marcel was back?

[oleksiaksjamie]

Is there a Marcel Gerard ‘defense squad?’

because if so.. I’m 10000% behind it. I’m so sick and tired of seeing the double standard hate when it comes to him. 

[mon-amour-eternel]

A Million Mistakes Part Three

Part one, part two. Read and review here.

Warnings for Silas, angst + hurt/comfort, and lots of Delena (both together and individual) bashing. Maybe a little OOC.

Set in s4 of TVD. Rated T/SFW.

Silas played his little game with them all, none more so than the vampires of the group.

Which meant Giuseppe Salvatore and Lexi Branson and even Lucien Castle appeared in Mystic Falls. They were always angry, but still enough like their true selves to not cause suspicion until Silas wanted you suspicious. There was an edge of pure, unmitigated danger in each of them, uncontrollable and unpredictable.

Klaus had to remind himself that it was just Silas, insisting on getting what he wanted when he wanted it. Kind of like himself but worse, Caroline said. She joked that it was the worst thing about Mystic Falls -- there were two of him.

That wasn’t the worst part. The worst part, Klaus thought, was the others around he and Caroline. Always scheming, always thinking the world revolved around them. No one cares that Elena is being mildly inconvenienced by this, he wanted to say every single time he was roped into one of their stupid, foolish plans. No one with half a brain cell cares about Elena, period. (Elijah didn’t count. It wasn’t his fault he fell for the same face every time, it was the person behind the face’s fault for manipulating him into affection.)

Speaking of, Elena was going on and on about one of those stupid, foolish plans, one that was clearly Damon’s opinions regurgitated into a plan (sponsored by Damon, Caroline liked to say). He was being forced to sit at the table, Caroline practically in his lap since they were in a booth meant for four, maybe five people. It was seating eight people, nine if you counted Elena and Damon as separate entities.

Ostensibly, they were there for several reasons: they wanted to be kept up-to-date, Caroline was slowly cracking Bonnie’s shell so she would be open to a friendship, Rebekah didn’t want to be there alone, etc. There were more, he was sure.

In reality, they were there because Caroline liked to watch the trainwreck that was the Salvatores + Doppelganger. Entertainment at it’s finest.

Klaus buried his nose into Caroline’s hair and forced himself to hide his distaste. He’d rather hear literally any person on the planet droning on more than her. Aurora de Martel would be nice, right about now, with her nails-on-a-chalkboard-voice, obvious flirting, and even more obvious hatred. Caroline would probably claw her eyes out -- and what a wonderful sight that would be. Much more entertaining than Damon Squared and The Judgement Squad.

The doppelganger stuttered and stopped; his head popped up, intrigued. Maybe Damon had cut her stream off; the power imbalance was a delicious little treat. (Caroline found it disgusting, but he disagreed. It really added to the not-boring factor that was so often left lacking.)

But no, she was looking towards the doors. Her mouth was open in evident confusion (and the fact that he knew her well enough to know confusion on her face just made him despair. There were very few things he hated more than doppelgangers) but she didn’t seem to be scared or anything. Not that she did that anymore, with her link to Damon making her fearless.

His head tilted so he could see what had stopped her. When he did, his whole body froze.

A familiar grin, hair shorn close to the skull, an air a mix of cockiness and submission. The posture was the same, as was the gait, the...everything.

He, Caroline, and Rebekah watched, shocked, as … it stepped closer to the group. It wasn’t his son, it wasn’t his, it probably wasn’t even a shred human. No matter how much it resembled the boy he’d lost in 1919, it wasn’t him.

Objectively, he knew it was Silas, jerking their chains. Subjectively, he knew it was nothing but a shapeshifter, an evil, malicious monster who was there to threaten his family.

“Papa,” it said the second it was within feet of the table. “Why are you making that face? Something wrong?”

That godsdamned attitude, the one Klaus loved to hate and hated to love. His teeth clenched and his jaw jumped. How dare Silas do this. He could understand wanting to be with the love of your life, wanting chaos and destruction and death. But he could not understand why anyone would do...this.

“Silas,” he growled, easing Caroline further into Rebekah’s side. The children around him tensed, not knowing who Silas was showing himself as but trusting that Klaus did. It probably helped that Caroline and Rebekah were glaring so hard, they could’ve burned a hole with the heat in their gazes. Three of six Originals glaring at someone? Definitely a threat.

The grin morphed into a sinister smirk, one that he’d seen much too often lately. “How did you know,” he drawled, leaning up against the high backed seat. Rebekah leaned back, disgusted. “Was it the teeth? I think his are a little more crooked than I have them.” Silas flashed the teeth of his son, perfectly straight, unlike the real ones.

“Are”. Fucking Silas.

He took a quick moment to make sure his eyes stayed human and his fangs didn’t break through his gums. No need to traumatize the innocents of this little town anymore than he already had.

“No, it was the part where you’ve taken the form of someone who’s long dead,” Rebekah answered for them, spitting the words out. Caroline was frozen, pressed up against him. He wasn’t faring much better.

“Oh, this ‘ole boy? Please. He isn’t dead,” Silas pfft’ed, waving a hand. “Haven’t you been down that way in the last hundred years? Marcellus here is on top of the world.”

Caroline growled, “shut up. Now.” All eyes (of the children, that is) snapped to her. She was known for being the calm presence that could branch between the children and Elijah, depending on if he was on their side or not, and Klaus, Rebekah, and on occasion, Kol. She had never shown the side of her that was angry, hungry, and defensive to the children. That was why they were all scared of Klaus but civil with Caroline. She was the nice one who wouldn’t kill you if a mood swing hit.

His eyes flicked to Bonnie, who didn’t seem scared of Caroline. But then, she didn’t always seem scared of him, so he couldn’t be sure if Caroline was losing a potential friend here or not. He hoped not. She had so few….

Bonnie wasn’t important right now, though. Caroline was. His hand, already on her waist, tucked around her and pulled her closer. He wouldn’t let her fight Silas, especially not with him taking the visage of their son. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t take much effort on Silas’ part for her to jump over the table and get hurt trying to decapitate him.

“Now, why would I do that? I’m telling the truth.”

“No, you’re manipulating us to believe your...your idiotic, unfounded stories. Marcel is dead! I saw it happen!” Caroline’s voice grew more and more distressed. Tears sprung to her eyes, visibly shocking the children; he held her tighter to him, heart cracking open. “You’re lying!”

Silas made a poor imitation of his son’s empathetic face, mouth turning down and eyes softening. It made Klaus want to pull a page out of Kol’s book and torture him, rip him limb from limb.

“I’m not lying. He’s alive, running around and terrorizing the witches and wolves. He goes by Marcel Gerard, now. I guess it sounds better than Mikaelson.” Silas shrugged. “You should go see for yourselves.”

Klaus stiffened. Silas wanted them to go to New Orleans? No way it was happening now. He refused to play into the evil plans of the immortal in front of him.

He was about to snap something to that effect when the insufferable ingrate Salvatore brother said, “um, I know you’re Silas, but who the hell are you supposed to be now? We’re all confused and this little pow-wow here,” he waved his fingers, “isn’t telling us much.”

Silas grinned. “Oh, this is Marcellus Mikaelson. The son of the Original Hybrid and his darling wife, Caroline.” He paused, surveyed the group -- the three Originals, the Salvatores, the doppelganger, the witch, and the hunter -- and said, “I was going to have you do something, threaten you all, etc. etc., but you know what? I like leaving on this note. Ta ta!”

And then he was sweeping out of the bar, taking the last of their son with him.

The second he was out of view, Caroline elbowed him hard in the ribs and tried to push Rebekah out of the booth. He clamped his arms around her, ignoring the pain, while Rebekah threw her legs over Caroline’s, keeping her in her spot.

“I have to go see,” Caroline said, voice cracking. “I have to go see if he was telling the truth. I have to see Marcel.” She turned slightly, to address Klaus. “I have to see our son! He needs us, Klaus, please.” She was so distraught, so despaired. His heart broke all over again at the sight. “Please let me go see him,” she begged.

“Care,” Rebekah said, her demeanor softer than he’d seen it since the 1820’s, “he didn’t survive. He couldn’t have. The fire was too great, you know that. I’m sorry.”

Caroline sobbed, hating the truth, turning and pushing her face into his chest. The rest of the table watched, caught between intensely uncomfortable, confused, and upset. The witch, of all them all, looked the most empathetic, with the Rippah not far behind. (Good, that was good. She would hopefully be nice to Caroline after this, be more open to a friendship. Gods knew she needed it.)

Rebekah closed her eyes with a sigh, and stood. Klaus quickly pulled himself and Caroline out of the booth, needing to get away from the children and their judgements. Maybe this would finally shock them into realizing ‘Original’ did not equal ‘emotionless’.

He moved to the doors at a fast but human pace. Caroline clutched to his shirt, wrapped around him so tight, he was probably bruising. Her cries were loud and heart wrenching.

Someone stopped him just before he could leave. “Is she alright?” He didn’t look around, but he could tell that most of the people in The Grill were looking their way. Shit.

He tried to put on his socialite smile, the one Caroline said was nice but distant. In an effort to make them stand out less, he spoke in an American accent. “Yes, she’s fine.”

And then they were gone.

By the time he set her down on their bed, she’d stopped sobbing. He sat next to her heavily, hating her tears and hating Silas and hating Mikael, but most of all hating that he could do nothing to change the past.

Wiping her eyes, she whispered, “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I believed him.” She sniffed, and pulled herself onto his lap. Always was more tactile the more upset she got. “I just wish it was true. That Marcel somehow made it out, is somehow still alive. King of New Orleans doesn’t sound too shabby,” she laughed wetly. Not for our baby, he almost heard her say.

He bit his cheek and rubbed her back. “No, it doesn’t,” he agreed. “He deserved nothing less.”

Klaus wasn’t going to say his name. He hadn’t since that awful night, since Elijah dragged him out of the theater and away from the fire. Since he died and took his parents’ hearts along with him.

He sighed and dropped his head to her shoulder. His wolf wanted him to scent her, but he couldn’t be bothered. He was too tired, too stressed, to do much of anything.

(She smelled so much like him, anyway, that it didn’t matter. His scent permeated her skin, her hair, her clothes, and every other piece of her. There was no need to rub his scent onto her even more. Except….)

He pushed his nose up her neck, taking comfort in both the action and the sigh she gave. He’d forgotten, for a moment, that scenting was comforting and grounding.

Her fingernails ran over his scalp, brushed through his hair.

“I really miss him.”

“I do too,” he whispered, nuzzling closer. “I miss him more and more everyday.”

A single sob fell from her lips. She curled tighter, legs and arms wrapping around him again.

They didn’t say anything else after that, just comforted each other like they had in the weeks and months after his death.

[footballghana]

Ghanaian stars who are playing for other countries

[caption id="attachment_741318" align="alignnone" width="620"] Ghanaian trio are among players who could have played for Black Stars[/caption]

Going from Gerard Asamoah and Marcel Desailly, there were plenty of Ghanaian-born players who decided not to wear the national team shirt throughout their successful careers.

However, the country was always packed with highly-talented names and such an absence did not leave significant consequences on the team’s results. Ghana were regular World Cup participants over the last two decades, but they missed out on the 2018 edition, hosted by Russia.

For the first time in a while, we can discuss the lack of talent as it is hard to find a genuine Ghanaian star in European football at the beginning of the 2020s. This is why, with the help and support of the experts at bettingtips4you.com, we decided to create a list of players who would have been of massive help for the current Ghanaian team had they decided to play for their parents’ country.

Dennis Appiah

The 27-year-old defender is a first-team regular for Nantes. He made a move to Les Canaris in the summer of 2019 after spending three years in Anderlecht.  Dennis is the kind of a player all coaches appreciate as he can easily fill the gap in every position at the back. He spent the entire youth career playing for the French national side, earning caps for the U16, U17, U18 and U21 team. A centre-back playing regularly for a team in the middle of the Ligue 1 standings would n doubts be a huge addition to the current Ghana squad.

Jerome Boateng

Speaking of the centre-halves, Jerome Boateng is probably the biggest name on the list. The “German” veteran has been the heart of Bayern Munich’s defence for the last nine years. He won the World Cup 2014 being a vital part of Die Mannschaft’s rock-solid back line alongside Mats Hummels. He also won the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League with the Bavarian giants. He represented Germany on more than 70 occasions. Interestingly, his younger half-brother Kevin-Prince Boateng still plays for the Ghanaian national team.

Ethan Ampadu

Son of the former Arsenal and WBA player Kwame Ampadu, Ethan chose Wales over England, Republic of Ireland and Ghana. He made his international debut for the U-16 English team but quickly switched for Wales. By now, the young centre-back made 17 appearances for the Dragons following his 2017 debut. He currently plays for RB Leipzig on loan from Chelsea as Frank Lampard did not use him at all in the first half of the 2019/20 season. Overall, the youngster made just one appearance for Chelsea (in 2017) and is yet to score his maiden senior goal.

Alexander Tettey

Tettey is 14 years older than Ampadu, but the current Ghanaian team would no doubts love to have a Premier League player in their ranks. Tettey is actually one of the rare players from this list who was born in Ghana but moved to Norway where he spent the entire childhood. The defensive midfielder spent his entire professional career in three clubs (Rosenborg, Rennes and Norwich City). He made a move from Rennes to Norwich City in 2012 and has made more than 220 appearances for the Canaries since then. He made 34 appearances for the Norwegian national team but has not earned a call-up since 2017.

Georginio Wijnaldum

Liverpool's central midfielder is among the best players on the list. He has been enjoying a fabulous form in the last couple of years. He won the 2018/19 Champions League with the Reds and is on the best way to clinch the Premier League silverware in the 2019/20 season. Georginio, who was born and raised in Rotterdam, scored 18 goals in 62 appearances for the Dutch national team. He also won Eredivisie with PSV and made it to the UEFA Nations League final with Oranje. A player of his qualities would make all the difference in the Ghanaian team.

Callum Hudson-Odoi

At the age of 19, Callum has prospects of being the future star of the game. He made a breakthrough with Chelsea in the 2018/19 season and continued to shine for Frank Lampard’s side at the beginning of the 2019/20 campaign. Being still a teenager, Hudson-Odoi can be proud of more than 30 appearances for one of the most famous English Premier League clubs. Sadly for Ghanaian football admirers, Callum has already made his debut for the Three Lions and will represent the English national team in the future.

Mario Balotelli

Mario’s parents are both Ghanaians, but he was born in Palermo and spent an international career defending Italian colours. Mario Balotelli was an extremely promising prospect 15 years ago. He used to play for the giants such as Inter, Milan, Manchester City and Liverpool at the peak of his career. Balotelli is still active in the elite class of Italian football, but can't quite be proud of the form in Brescia. Even though he would probably sit on the bench in an ideal Black Stars team, his immense experience at the highest level could be of help in some important affairs.

Memphis Depay

Born in 1994 to a Ghanaian father and a Dutch mother, Memphis Depay spent his entire childhood in the Netherlands. It was hard to believe that he would ever wear a Ghanaian shirt, but he certainly has connections to this African country and would certainly play a pivotal role in the present time. In the real world, though, Memphis captains Ligue 1 giants Lyon and is the No 1 striker for the Dutch national team. Depay bagged 43 goals in 101 appearances for Les Gones and he is yet to reach the peak of his career.

Inaki Williams

We will complete the list with another high-profile striker. Inaki Williams was born in 1994 in Bilbao to Ghanaian immigrants He became a star in Bilbao making more than 200 appearances for one of the two biggest Basque teams since the debut in 2014. Interestingly, he made a debut for the Spanish national team in 2014 but has not earned any additional cap for La Furia Roja. Inaki would make a deadly attacking duo together with Memphis Depay. If you fancy betting on goalscorers make sure to check bettingtips4you.com for the latest promos.

    source: https://footballghana.com/

[writingguide003-blog]

World Cup 2018: Guardian writers give their predictions for the tournament

New Post has been published on https://writingguideto.com/must-see/world-cup-2018-guardian-writers-give-their-predictions-for-the-tournament/

World Cup 2018: Guardian writers give their predictions for the tournament

Who will triumph in Russia? Which player will be top scorer? Who will be the breakthrough star? How far will England go?

Which two teams will reach the final – and who will win?

My time of selecting Spain to win every tournament is now officially over probably four years too late and Im reverting back to Germany, in a penalty shootout against France. Daniel Taylor

Brazil and Argentina, with Lionel Messi to illuminate the grandest stage, then retire from international football clutching its ultimate prize. Maybe. Dominic Fifield

Notoriously hard to call before a round of games has been played. Brazil beating Germany would be my preference. Barney Ronay

Brazil against Germany – the ultimate test of Brazils temperament and a tale of vengeance in result if not in scoreline. Amy Lawrence

Brazil to beat Germany. Brazil have got everything but, most importantly, balance and a hardier mentality under Tite. Germany remain intimidating and even greater than the sum of their parts. David Hytner

Brazil and Germany, and Brazil will ultimately be champions. Stuart James

Sign up for the World Cup Fiver, our free and funny daily email.

France and Germany would not be a massive surprise but a lot depends on which Paul Pogba shows up; the player who dictated a 100m move or the one which has struggled for consistency at Manchester United. Martha Kelner

Brazil and Spain, and Brazil will win. Tites side have been impressive in the build-up to the tournament, have solidity and have rested Neymar. Sid Lowe

The dream final would be France versus Brazil – a repeat of the final from 20 years ago, and hopefully with the same result. Marcel Desailly

Germany against Brazil, and Germany will win. Thomas Hitzlsperger

Im certain Brazil will be in the final. Who will join them is a hard choice to make but it would certainly be interesting, and make for a great match, if Argentina joined them. Marta

Neymar is well rested, in form and ready for revenge on Germany. Photograph: APA-PictureDesk GmbH/REX/Shutterstock

Who will be leading individual scorer?

Neymar is a decent shout and should be particularly fired up bearing in mind the way his last World Cup finished. DT

Neymar, whose goals will propel Tites side to the final and presumably then earn him a long mooted move to Real Madrid. DF

Romelu Lukaku. Or someone else. Ideally a surprise from a minor nation who gets four in one game then goes home. BR

Gabriel Jesus, supplied by Neymar and Roberto Firmino, could fill his golden boots. AL

Luis Surez. Uruguays draw is a dream and they will make the quarter-finals, at least, giving Surez plenty of game-time to do damage. DH

Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian has a good scoring record at international level and is the spearhead of a team that should go far. SJ

Antoine Griezmann could light up this tournament, arriving in Russia on the back of inspiring Atletico Madrid to a Europa League title. His record for France isnt bad, though, with 20 goals in 53 games. MK

Neymar.The Brazilian arrives in Russia with fresh legs and a desire to take his nation all the way. Frances Kylian Mbapp is also a decent shout. SL

Romelu Lukaku. Hes on great form, has everybody playing for him and some great passers to provide him with the ammunition he needs. MD

Gabriel Jesus. I watched him quite a lot last season and really liked his movement, not to mention his scoring rate. Hell get plenty of service playing in the same team as the likes of Neymar and Philippe Coutinho and, given Ive predicted Brazil will get to the final, he should play plenty of games, also. TH

Neymar. He was hurt, played two games and scored in both I cant wait to see him in action. M

Frances Kylian Mbapp and Antoine Griezmann are contenders for the World Cup golden boot. Photograph: Gerard Julien/AFP/Getty Images

Who will be the surprise team of the tournament?

Switzerland. The Fifa world rankings are not the best way to judge a team, perhaps, but there must be some valid reasons why they are currently sixth (ahead of France and Spain). DT

Serbia. Mladen Krstajics team are unfancied, but boast strength and quality. The key will be ensuring players perform to the same levels they invariably achieve at their clubs. DF

This question contains an internal contradiction. Colombia for the semis, maybe. BR

Uruguay, a mix of renewed confidence and wily old know-how. AL

I see Croatia going deep into the tournament maybe even the semi-finals. Any team with Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Mario Mandzukic deserves respect. DH

Denmark. Theyre 15 matches unbeaten and this could be the stage for Christian Eriksen to shine. Mind you, their opening game, against Peru, wont be easy. SJ

Peru return to the World Cup after a 36 year absence but they are full of hope, galvanised in part by their captain, centre forward and all time top scorer Paolo Guerrero managing to overturn a 14-month drugs ban just weeks before the world cup. MK

Would it count as a surprise for Egypt and Uruguay to do well? The two sides from group A certainly could do so. Uruguay have their usual qualities, have Rodrigo Bentancur in midfield and a quiet, competitive confidence. SL

Belgium. Technically they are so good, they have so many talented players. I truly think they can bring a new name to the nations that have won the World Cup. MD

England. There is little expectations around the squad but I think they will get to the quarter-finals. TH

Sweden. It is a country that I have a lot of affection for and I want them to do well in this World Cup. M

Denmark are unbeaten in 15 matches and Christian Eriksen makes them tick. Photograph: Lars Ronbog/FrontzoneSport via Getty Images

Who will be breakthrough player of the tournament?

Hirving Lozano of Mexico sounds good fun: talented, fiery and nicknamed Chucky because of his apparent resemblance to the Childs Play doll. Lozano scored 19 goals as a winger for PSV Eindhoven last season and is likened to Luis Suarez, though hopefully he will manage not to bite anyone. DT

Samuel Umtiti. That may sound odd given the French centre-half plays at Barcelona, but he was rushed into the team at Euro 2016, making a senior debut in the quarter-final, and is a far better player now. DF

Hes already at Barcelona and cost 90m but I think Ousmane Dembl could remind everyone exactly why. BR

Kylian Mbapp, who has achieved so much already but in his teens this will be his first major tournament. AL

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. The 23-year-old Serbia and Lazio midfielder is tall, dynamic and has an eye for goal. Im looking forward to watching him, together with Moroccos creative midfielder, Hakim Ziyech, who plays for Ajax. DH

Polands Piotr Zielinski. The 24-year-old was a key member of the Napoli team that pushed Juventus all the way in Serie A last season. SJ

Karol Linetty. The Polish midfielders inventive play has seen him glitter for Sampdoria and catch the eye of one or two Premier League clubs. More could take interest if he has a good World Cup. MK

Marco Asensio and Kylian Mbapp. This could be the tournament when they underline just how brilliant theyre going to be. SL

Its difficult to say, but, if pushed, Kylian Mbapp. He has the potential to be a big World Cup star. But will it be at this World Cup? He is still very young. MD

Benjamin Pavard, a young defender I work with at Stuttgart and part of Frances squad. He can play right-back but, for me, is much better suited to being a centre-back. He is calm and composed, good in the air and aggressive when he needs to be. A real talent. TH

Hes still only 19 and there were ups and downs in his first season at Paris Saint-Germain but I feel Kylian Mbapp could make a really big impact for France. M

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic

How far will England get?

There is a potential quarter-final against Brazil or Germany looming. Even with the new wave of optimism, surrounding Gareth Southgates team its difficult to see them getting past that stage. DT

The quarter-finals, playing some encouragingly enterprising football along the way. DF

Respectable/brave 2-0 quarter-final loss after narrow squeak to that stage based on discipline and a couple of flukey clean sheets. BR

The usual in all probability, maybe a quarter-final this time. AL

The quarter-finals, where we will lose on penalties to Germany. DH

They will get out of the group but its hard to see them progressing any further than the last 16. SJ

Quarter-finals. This is the minimum target the FA has set and is eminently achievable for a team which seems to have had the shackles removed. MK

Quarter-finals. Am I alone in thinking that England are actually quite good? I like the look of them offensively. SL

It is hard to say as England are short of experience. I feel they will need this tournament to grow as a group of players. MD

The quarter-finals. With a bit of good fortune and good play, they could even make the semi-finals. TH

They will definitely get out of their group and possibly go beyond that. M

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Who will be Englands best/most important player?

Harry Kane. People forget how poor he was in the European Championship, booed by the England fans, but if Kane is on form the team have a striker who can trouble any defence. DT

Harry Kane, making his mark at a major finals. The one player of real pedigree in English ranks. DF

Raheem Sterling. Will bring a dash of Manchester City to things and finally score a couple of goals – hopefully with his gun foot, before suggestively unfurling his sock for the cameras. BR

Harry Kane. Has to be. AL

Kyle Walker. He has a pivotal role on the right of Gareth Southgates back three, where he brings defensive cover and, crucially, pace on the transitions. Confidence is high after his superb debut season at Manchester City. DH

Harry Kane.Englands captain, principal goalscorer and, its fair to say, best player. SJ

Harry Kane is vital to Englands success as one of our few genuine world-class players. The captain has no shortage of motivation, claiming a World Cup victory would be trump winning the Champions League with Tottenham. MK

Marcus Rashford. On the basis he is given continuity, confidence and a certain level of freedom. SL

The guy who has really confirmed his talent on the big stage is Harry Kane and if he gets good service he could be one of the top scorers in Russia. MD

Harry Kane. He needs to score goals and Im sure he will. TH

Harry Kane. He had a great season with Tottenham Hotspur and his goals will make a difference for England. M

Harry Kane

Harry Kane

What are you most looking forward to, on or off the pitch?

The final. Its a World Cup final. For a journalist, theres no better moment when it comes to covering the sport. DT

Off the pitch, seeing The Motherland Calls in Volgograd. On it, that jaw dropping contest to match the drama of Belo Horizonte in 2014. DF

Discovering that, in fact, everyday Russians arent all Putin-mad dopes or gumshield-clad football hooligans. Also vodka. BR

Exploring Ekaterinburg and watching football in an unexpected place. Japan versus Senegal in a city known as the gateway to Siberia is what its all about. AL

The best thing about the previous World Cups Ive covered has been the carnival vibe. I hope its the same this time. DH

Seeing Colombia play. I had the pleasure of watching them in Brazil and they were a joy. I also havent forgotten how a few of their fans felt sorry for me when I ordered a table for one in a Brazilian steakhouse four years later and were still in touch. SJ

Im genuinely intrigued to see what sort of World Cup-host Russia will be and if they can succeed in reversing opinions of some visitors that the country is cold and unwelcoming. MK

The same thing you always look forward to at the World Cup loads of fans from loads of places making loads of noise and discovering players and teams..Some random player being brilliant. SL

Im excited to see which teams are going to surprise us AND which teams are going to show from the very outset that they are here to win it. MD

Although I think Germany will win the World Cup this looks like a really open tournament, with quite a few genuine major contenders as well as teams would could cause a major surprise. It should be fascinating. TH

Talking about soccer, watching beautiful and clean games, with sportsmanship, fair plays and no dirty plays. Thats what I hope to see, anyway. M

The Colombia fans were already out in force to cheer on their team at Kazan airport. Photograph: Luis Acosta/AFP/Getty Images

What are you most concerned about, on or off the pitch?

This might be the worst prediction of them all, but I dont think there will be the racism or riots that people fear. We heard similar before Euro 2012 in Ukraine and Poland, plus other scare stories before the World Cups in South Africa and Brazil, but it tends to be different in the big tournaments. DT

The inevitable shambles and confusion which will be VAR. DF

The only thing any football hack ever really worries about is the wi-fi. Will it be good? Will it come and go? Will it fade at kick-off? Im worrying about it right now. BR

Having been in Marseille for England versus Russia, digging out the old Italia 90 No All Violenza T-shirt and hoping for a peaceful tournament. AL

VAR leading to confusion inside the stadiums and, potentially, killing the emotion of big moments. DH

The battery life on my new mobile phone. Any incomplete answers in here are down to the fact my phone died while trying to file. SJ

That we will spend the next five weeks talking exhaustively about decisions made by Video Assistant Referees. MK

Connection issues and late goals. Long distances. Cyrillic script. On the pitch: teams turning defensive when it gets decisive. SL

That all the talk about security and organisation will overshadow the football. As a Fifa ambassador l have visited many stadiums, met many Russians, and l am confident in the capacity of Russia to run a great tournament. MD

Vladimir Putin and Gianni Infantino appearing on our television screens more often than the actual players. TH

Ugly incidents between supporters. Sport is not a tool for spreading hatred and disagreement but rather love, passion, and unity. M

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[laurelwinchester]

I was the anon who asked about Marcel/Rebekah. But what about when Klaus gave him the option to either undagger Rebekah or give her up and be turned into a vampire? Wouldn't you say that was selfish of him, putting what he wanted over Rebekah?

oh yeah, that was a selfish, dumbass decision made by a selfish, scared, dumbass human kid. but it was also almost two hundred years ago and people do change in that amount of time. i just think it's unfair to say that the reason marcel and rebekah aren't together is because of his selfishness or because she's his second option.