Other Games 2025-26

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

I noticed that Edin Dzeko scored for Bosnia tonight, he’s been around for ages and I didn’t realise he was still playing international football.

[Tayls_7]

I watched the game. England were on it from the off and Morgz has an abundance of quality. I really pray that Villa perk up from the demoralising PSR situation and realise we're still a heck of a potent force.

[Dave]

I noticed that Edin Dzeko scored for Bosnia tonight, he’s been around for ages and I didn’t realise he was still playing international football.

I remember hearing a ridiculous stat about him the other week, which I now can't remember.

But it's something like the top scorers in world football for the last twenty years is Ronaldo / Messi / Dzeko / a massive gap / all other players.

It's not that, but there is a stat of that ilk which is very impressive.

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

I noticed that Edin Dzeko scored for Bosnia tonight, he’s been around for ages and I didn’t realise he was still playing international football.

I remember hearing a ridiculous stat about him the other week, which I now can't remember.

But it's something like the top scorers in world football for the last twenty years is Ronaldo / Messi / Dzeko / a massive gap / all other players.

It's not that, but there is a stat of that ilk which is very impressive.

Impressive. I’m sure he was at Wolfsburg when they won the title about 20 years ago and it seems still going strong!

[Nunkin1965]

Just finished watching the England game.
Blimey that was a fun watch.
Thoroughly enjoyed it and have to say well played to the team.

[Villafirst]

Just finished watching the England game.
Blimey that was a fun watch.
Thoroughly enjoyed it and have to say well played to the team.

Agree, way better than the turgid football under Southgate - that was a mightily impressive display under Tuchel. At last we played on the front foot. Konsa and Guehi were really solid at the back.

[Dave]

Agree, way better than the turgid football under Southgate - that was a mightily impressive display under Tuchel. At last we played on the front foot. Konsa and Guehi were really solid at the back.

It was a pretty typical Southgate-era qualification performance.

Similar to beating North Macedonia and Montenegro by seven, Albania by five, Iceland, Kosovo and Hungary by four...

[cdbearsfan]

Yeah but he was once less than complimentary about a player that couldn't wait to leave Villa and he had a face like a horse or other really significant reasons to ignore all the incredible success he had with England.

[Brend'Watkins]

Agree, way better than the turgid football under Southgate - that was a mightily impressive display under Tuchel. At last we played on the front foot. Konsa and Guehi were really solid at the back.

It was a pretty typical Southgate-era qualification performance.

Similar to beating North Macedonia and Montenegro by seven, Albania by five, Iceland, Kosovo and Hungary by four...

Serbia were poor but this performance was far better than anything under Southgate. There was no dawdling with the ball everything was quick and purposeful. It could and should have been a much bigger score. England won’t be able to play like that against better opponents but when they come up against similar I expect the same ruthlessness.

[cdbearsfan]

Like all the "similar" teams Dave mentioned that England twatted aside under Southgate?

[olaftab]

Agree, way better than the turgid football under Southgate - that was a mightily impressive display under Tuchel. At last we played on the front foot. Konsa and Guehi were really solid at the back.

It was a pretty typical Southgate-era qualification performance.

Similar to beating North Macedonia and Montenegro by seven, Albania by five, Iceland, Kosovo and Hungary by four...

(Read the next post and it will save you finger skin.)  As Dave said. Qualifying has mostly been a walk in the park, we will judge Tuchel in a tournament QFs or semi when England are one down.

[Monty]

FWIW I did think England were more fluent than they ever tended to be under Southgate. Not altogether certain how helpful that'll be in a tournament situation - there's always one team that swashbuckles through the lesser oppo then breaks on the wheel of some German calisthenics or Argentine streetsmarts. But it was an unusually easy watch.

[Somniloquism]

Until we reach an actual competition against top teams, it is hard to judge Southgate v Tuchel. I will state I was impressed with Anderson in both games (although he did gift Serbia a real chance early on) and he seemed to be someone who seems more suited in the 6/8 positions then some who have been tried under Southgate/ Tuchel. But he also barely had to defend in either game which would be the test. Konsa and Guehi also had a decent understanding and both could play the ball unlike Burns on Saturday, who I assumed was only chosen for set piece options.

[Dave]

Agree, way better than the turgid football under Southgate - that was a mightily impressive display under Tuchel. At last we played on the front foot. Konsa and Guehi were really solid at the back.

It was a pretty typical Southgate-era qualification performance.

Similar to beating North Macedonia and Montenegro by seven, Albania by five, Iceland, Kosovo and Hungary by four...

(Read the next post and it will save you finger skin.)  As Dave said. Qualifying has mostly been a walk in the park, we will judge Tuchel in a tournament QFs or semi when England are one down.

Yup. The FA aren't throwing all their eggs in this basket for it to be the difference between beating Serbia or Albania 3-0, 4-0 or 5-0.

It's for the difference between us beating the three or four sides in the world with better squads than England have, which England haven't done in a tournament, since at least 1996 and arguably since 1966.

(awaiting cd's correction for someone I might have missed)

[Brend'Watkins]

Serbia were the next best team to England in the group and seen as a potential banana skin. They’re far better opposition than North Macedonia or any of the countries listed as the FIFA rankings show. Still, you only beat what’s in front of you. They didn’t just beat them though, they beat them with ease and by playing very well. Southgate’s record is good but everyone who knows anything about football knows that the football his England team played was a difficult watch.