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

[Monty]

I mean, that is a little bit polyanna in the second paragraph there, but it is true I didn't know the exact Macchiavellian itinerary of the questioning. Am I right in saying they had the presser before Tuchel even spoke to the dressing room? Feels a bit weird.

[Mister E]

I think Konsa did have a good game but his limitations in the final third were apparent. Not his fault and he did what was asked of him but a more attacking fullback would have been an advantage last night to go beyond Madueke and provide another option as Norway were pretty blunt down the wings. However that’s on Tuchel rather than Konsa.

It's also pretty clear that the full-backs aren't really in the team to be attacking. Arsenal won the league playing four centre-backs.

There are plenty of attacking full-backs out there, Tuchel decided that he prefers Quansah and Chalobah.

Konsa barely crossing the half-way line is a feature, not a bug.

Well, you say that but Tuchel started with 2 attacking FB in Spence and O' Reilly behind 2 wingers, and we got rinsed through the middle! I'd be all in favour of an asymmetric defence is the rest of the team were set up accordingly.

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

I think Konsa did have a good game but his limitations in the final third were apparent. Not his fault and he did what was asked of him but a more attacking fullback would have been an advantage last night to go beyond Madueke and provide another option as Norway were pretty blunt down the wings. However that’s on Tuchel rather than Konsa.

It's also pretty clear that the full-backs aren't really in the team to be attacking. Arsenal won the league playing four centre-backs.

There are plenty of attacking full-backs out there, Tuchel decided that he prefers Quansah and Chalobah.

Konsa barely crossing the half-way line is a feature, not a bug.

That's fine if there’s loads of defending to do but what about if there isn’t. With so little threat coming down that side, or the other for that matter, someone with more of a threat going forward would have been useful in trying to break them down. We’re hardly spoilt for choice when it comes to attacking right backs. Ones with us but is injury prone, the other is in Madrid and that’s about it.

I’d say the Arsenal fullbacks offer a threat going forward all the more so as they’re seen as centre backs.

All in hindsight as the thinking was probably Norway would come at us a bit more and Konsa would tuck in if necessary and O’Reilly would be the one to push on.

[Dave]

Spence has been generally excellent all tournament (certainly relative to most expectations), but I'd quibble about how attacking he is.

Most of the talk on him for the last year or so has been how he's very defensively solid but poor when asked to go forward.

[adrenachrome]

This quote from TT's post-match interview seems to have slipped underneath the radar.
"We had some players struggling in the heat," said Tuchel. "Ezri Konsa was one of them with cramps and the hamstrings."

[PeterWithesShin]

"Ezri Konsa was one of them with cramps"

Finally a player with good taste in music.

[Dave]

That's fine if there’s loads of defending to do but what about if there isn’t. With so little threat coming down that side, or the other for that matter, someone with more of a threat going forward would have been useful in trying to break them down. We’re hardly spoilt for choice when it comes to attacking right backs. Ones with us but is injury prone, the other is in Madrid and that’s about it.

If you're set up properly and with the right players, it shouldn't really matter whether you're playing a better or worse side (i.e lots of defending vs not). Arsenal were still playing four centre-backs against Burnley, just as they were against PSG.

It just means that the roles in game change a bit - if you're controlling the game then one of the full-backs moves central, giving one or both midfielders the cover to push forward and the whole team moves further up the pitch. Calafiori normally does it for Arsenal and O'Reilly does it for Man City and England. Their attacking function isn’t to overlap anymore, it's to provide the platform for others to attack through the middle.

And "the one in Madrid" is very much the obvious evidence that Tuchel sees his full-backs as defenders rather than supplementary attackers.

[brontebilly]

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.

* Including friendlies but excluding games v Ipswich Town, Spurs, Leipzig and the many reasons Emery hasn't played him in that position in over 12 months. Ever think of getting a job with VAR? Subjective lines are your forte.

How many stopped crosses last night from him?

I think the main reason Emery hasn’t played him there in 12 months is the improvement in Cash. I’d also guess a supplementary reason is he doesn’t like playing there. Let’s not forget you think he’s pretty crap at centre-half as well, and your explanations and ratings of what you think you’ve seen in football matches we’ve all watched are often both the subject of ridicule and the source of much hilarity.

I don't think he's a crap centre half at all, especially when he isn't blaming others for his mistakes. That's your imagination running wild again. He hasnt been at his best in this tournament granted.

There was a time on here some thought a CB pairing of Konsa and Torres would never do, all kinds of arbitrary lines were produced to justify why they wouldn't, but they proved that wrong last season.

[TonyD]

I hope he doesn’t bring Eze on again. 

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

That's fine if there’s loads of defending to do but what about if there isn’t. With so little threat coming down that side, or the other for that matter, someone with more of a threat going forward would have been useful in trying to break them down. We’re hardly spoilt for choice when it comes to attacking right backs. Ones with us but is injury prone, the other is in Madrid and that’s about it.

If you're set up properly and with the right players, it shouldn't really matter whether you're playing a better or worse side (i.e lots of defending vs not). Arsenal were still playing four centre-backs against Burnley, just as they were against PSG.

It just means that the roles in game change a bit - if you're controlling the game then one of the full-backs moves central, giving one or both midfielders the cover to push forward and the whole team moves further up the pitch. Calafiori normally does it for Arsenal and O'Reilly does it for Man City and England. Their attacking function isn’t to overlap anymore, it's to provide the platform for others to attack through the middle.

And "the one in Madrid" is very much the obvious evidence that Tuchel sees his full-backs as defenders rather than supplementary attackers.

Yeah it doesn’t matter if you’re playing a poor or good team if your full backs can do both jobs of defending and attacking as Arsenal’s clearly can.

Edit. On TAA I always thought his exclusion might have been around his form or how much he played for Madrid and that he’s never really been an England mainstay like Stones.

[brontebilly]

I think Konsa did have a good game but his limitations in the final third were apparent. Not his fault and he did what was asked of him but a more attacking fullback would have been an advantage last night to go beyond Madueke and provide another option as Norway were pretty blunt down the wings. However that’s on Tuchel rather than Konsa.

The way I saw it too. He defended ok with a couple of very good clearances, getting involved in the play isn't his forte. But England were as vulnerable as ever at set piece time even with three centre backs and Tuchel is giving up a lot with the ball by playing a CB there. James was comically bad when he came on so Konsa might get another go there v Argentina.

Englands wide options get a lot of criticism, some of it justified, but Saka was constantly left against two defenders. That's the tactical trade off Tuchel has gone with. Southgate did similar when he had far better options at his disposal in his back 5