England national team

[TonyD]

I actually think England have enough quality players to do well.
But the manager has pissed around and even now in the round of 16 hasn’t an actual fucking friggin idea of either A what is his best starting 11 or B what formation we are trying to play.
It’s gonna be fun in Mehico City.
Wonder how many people will stay up to watch it?
I remember as a very young adult (17) watching the 86 Mexico World Cup on screens at Faces nightclub. Happy days.

[Sexual Ealing]

You can say that again.

[adrenachrome]

You can say that again.

It's deja vu all over again.

[TonyD]

You can say that again.

Indeed.
Not sure what happened there. 
I must have panicked. 🤣🤣

[Dave]

But the manager has pissed around and even now in the round of 16 hasn’t an actual fucking friggin idea of either A what is his best starting 11 or B what formation we are trying to play.

Weird, I'm sure that it was all Southgate wasting the international careers of our brave boys, and all it needed was A Proper Manager to come in and the trophy engraver could start practicing his capital Es.

[Mister E]

The insistence in two wingers means we are totally open when teams attack us. Bellingham is effectively a withdrawn attacker so Anderson and Rice are left exposed.
We'll get ripped apart against a decent attacking side.

[Dante Lavelli]

Moving konsa to right back might be one of those happy accidents that fixes the whole thing. One less attacking full back and should allow OReilly to push forward/into midfield.

Currently we have two attacking full backs, two wingers and a ten. You’re going to struggle with that. Arguably rice and Andersen think of themselves as 8s too.

[Rigadon]

Thought Spence was awful for the first 20 mins but recovered a bit.  Madueke got better too, but those two aren’t going to win a World Cup.  Rashford seems better as an impact sub. 

Kane once again proving his quality is absolutely critical to that side. 

Bellingham… hmm.  He’s got quality for sure, but he’s been hyped beyond his talent.  Not his fault. But he’s going to get himself sent off isn’t he. 

[Dante Lavelli]

watching England makes me even more grateful for Emery. 

[Mister E]

Kane once again proving his quality is absolutely critical to that side. 
 

I've been berated by my wife since yesterday's game for calling Kane a donkey: for 80 minutes he lumbered around in midfield looking spent ...
... quality finishes (the first from one of the few decent crosses into him) obviously make me look like the donkey, but we are a one-trick mule at the moment.

The game was crying out for a change of approach, not replacing two wingers with two wingers. Rogers may have eased our passage through to the L16 somewhat earlier in the game.

[ChicagoLion]

The insistence in two wingers means we are totally open when teams attack us. Bellingham is effectively a withdrawn attacker so Anderson and Rice are left exposed.
We'll get ripped apart against a decent attacking side.

It’s a bit Lampard Gerrard Scholes, neither Rice or Bellingham disciplined enough defensively.
As well as 2 wingers we have the full backs pushing on, leaving Anderson Konsa Guehi exposed.

[Nev]

The back four get no protection from the midfield and along with poor/rookie full backs the defence needs help.

We have Kamara, drops back as a fifth defender when needed to add that layer of protection. He got injured and we became exposed. Lindelof came in to play that role and then we looked more solid. When I suggested it many saw it as a negative move (McCleish tactics was one accusation) but it actually worked well and away we went.

So what do England do? Step forward Jordan Henderson! It's not quite the same, but he's there, so is the problem and it may make the side more solid. Something needs to be done.

It won't solve the wingers issue, expect Saka and Gordon to start on Sunday, be poor and be replaced by Rashford and Madueke etc etc

[Nev]

Sorry lads, my mistake. The Guardian tell me that Konsa had an awful game, looked uncomfortable in possession, was at fault for the goal and Guehi needs a new partner.

[AV82EC]

We have Kamara, drops back as a fifth defender when needed to add that layer of protection. He got injured and we became exposed. Lindelof came in to play that role and then we looked more solid. When I suggested it many saw it as a negative move (McCleish tactics was one accusation) but it actually worked well and away we went.

Hands up from me Nev, I thought the Lindelof suggestion was insanity at the time but have had to eat my humble pie. Not sure on the Henderson thing but Tuchel has to source more stability and leave us less open to transitions and counters if we’re going to play with two wingers.

[claret+blue ed]

Bellingham… hmm.  He’s got quality for sure, but he’s been hyped beyond his talent.  Not his fault. But he’s going to get himself sent off isn’t he. 

I was saying during the game that I could see him getting sent off, this was only due to him trying too hard to drag the team along with him, I don't think it does him any favours when he plays like this

I actually prefer him as an 8 like he played against Panama and making the late runs rather than being the 10 and trying too hard to get things going