Other Games - 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup Edition (+ warm-up matches): Villa-watch

[Mister E]

When we have a problem with either Anderson or Rice, there's no obvious alternative - I've thought all along that Wharton and Scott should have been there as cover. Also, the lack of minutes for Rogers is poor.
Last night, Kane playing 120 minutes is admirable but why did Watkins not come on to run the channels?! - seems like madness to me.

I’m sure Kane was kept on due to the strong possibility of it going to penalties.

I'm sure you're right but he offered very little, to the point where, conceivably, we might have conceded and had nothing left upfront to respond.
Mainoo, Toney, Shalobah, Watkins ... Why? If they're not going to get games why take them, when we could have had proper backup in MF (Wharton and Scott) and Hall or Mitchell to cover LB.

[PeterWithesShin]

If Kane is injured or suspended you need a striker to replace him, so if Ollie and Toney aren't there who do you play as a striker.

[TB]

Gook luck TB. Any idea what was wrong with Erling tonight?

Thanks :-) TBH, I don't think he knows himself. Manager said afterwards that he probably should have been taken off 10 mins earlier, but it's hard to do that when you're chasing a goal. It has been mentioned that he suffered a "lårhøne" early on, I believe the English equivalent is "a Charley Horse", or simply "a dead leg".

[Percy McCarthy]

Ezri Konsa for England vs Norway

90 minutes played
98% passing accuracy (52/53)
68 touches
100% successful dribbles
6 passes into the final third
1 tackle won
2 clearances
2 recoveries
100% ground duels won (2/2)
100% aerial duels won (3/3)

But apparently he’s a shit RB*

*Except in World Cup quarter-finals, Champions League games against Bayern Munich & Juventus, PL games against Arsenal & Man City and marking Vini Jr v Brazil.

[AV82EC]

Ezri Konsa for England vs Norway

90 minutes played
98% passing accuracy (52/53)
68 touches
100% successful dribbles
6 passes into the final third
1 tackle won
2 clearances
2 recoveries
100% ground duels won (2/2)
100% aerial duels won (3/3)

His stats for the tournament I think are exceptional but he’s not passing the “eye” test for me. That may sound a bit harsh but his quiet effectiveness and total commitment to doing his job as instructed by his manager can’t be doubted but there’s a little something missing for me to make him stand out. It’s a little bit similar to how he plays for Villa, nothing exceptional just 7-8/10 performances week in week out. However without him doing that it doesn’t enable others to do what they do. If you’re going to win a World Cup you have to have players like Ezri as it enables the more creative players to shine. He looked absolutely fucked when he came off last night. He needs to up his game another level if selected against Argentina. I also think he’d play better with Stones as him and Guehi are too “alike” if that makes sense. Anyway more power to him, he’s been great but I think there’s more to come hopefully.

[Monty]

He's a very good defensive right back. He's also not Cafu, or even the Polish Cafu, going forwards.

[Hopadop]

I reckon Norway get to go home with their heads held high and a burning sense of injustice.

Which is all I really want from my football.

[PeterWithesShin]

[TB]

I reckon Norway get to go home with their heads held high and a burning sense of injustice.

Which is all I really want from my football.

I think this is spot on, from what I can read from Norwegian media. We had a good inning, but it wasn't to be on the night.

On to the Euros in two years...

[Nev]

With the exception of France no side has really looked consistent and comfortable through the tournament. The other 3 left have looked poor at times and it really does look like a tournament of "moments".

England in particular look disjointed, confused, lacking in direction but here we are, sem-finals again. Mainly down to Bellingham, stop him, stop England. Easier said than done but surely that's what Argentina will be thinking....

[Dogtanian]

Cue Martinez winding up Bellingham.

[Somniloquism]

They had a goal disallowed, England had a penalty disallowed. If they really want to have a go at someone, look closer to home with Sorloth wasting a two-on-one  at 1-0 when England were shaking.

[cdbearsfan]

Think both decisions were correct but the England disallowed penalty was much closer to being a penalty than the Norwegian disallowed goal was to being a goal. You can't just push people over with two hands, unless you're playing for Arsenal.

[Somniloquism]

I wasn't sure why VAR got involved with the reversal of the decision and the Swiss player sent off. I thought their remit was on second yellows for overturning them if a player would be sent off. But the Argie wasn't on a second yellow/Red was he?

[Brazilian Villain]

They had a goal disallowed, England had a penalty disallowed. If they really want to have a go at someone, look closer to home with Sorloth wasting a two-on-one  at 1-0 when England were shaking.

On the plus side, I doubt they'll be banging on about it for the next forty years.