The England World Cup Thread

[nailsy]

These fuckers are obsessed

Why was he late?

 

[Spurs 1961]

I'm not English and I only watched the first half, but from what I saw, you lot have a lot to be optimistic about imo.

Genuine quality and pace up front with Kane and Sterling, which looked a cracking partnership. It obviously would have been much better if Sterling had have taken his opportunities.

On paper a Lingard-Dier-Dele midfield 3 doesn't look like it should work at all, but I thought it was fluid and dynamic with lots of energy and class. Lingard and Dele were everywhere in the first half and both were excellent imo, while Dier was as solid as always. If I was you, after that I would be hoping that Henderson ends up nowhere near this team, or at least not alongside Dier, because that Dele and Lingard combo had a lot to like about it.

I think you'll have a lot of joy with Kane coming deep, dragging CBs out of position, and then pinging his trademark balls to either the fullbacks, or the runners in Sterling, and Dele or Lingard. That particular move happened a few times, and you lot looked dangerous every single time it happened. Dele and Lingard in particular looked as though they relished the space that Kane created in behind with his movement.

I think you'll get to the quarters before running into a German team that will just about be too strong, but that would be a decent tournament with this youthful squad. To me, this looks like a squad that will be hitting its prime around time of the 2020 Euros and then Qatar. With the youth coming through on top of the quality already in this squad who will be hitting their peak in those tournaments, I think you all should be pretty excited about what could be building with this team.

Have not seen the game but I did like the look on paper of this midfield combo. Dele and Lingard are both intelligent players. They are mentally quick, can find space and are versatile. All i all I liked the line up except perhaps Rose at left back

 

[slartibartfast]

In an England shirt, Rashford does the same.

Imo Rashford is a far better finisher than Sterling.

 

[dontcallme]

Imo Rashford is a far better finisher than Sterling.

He is but for England, Rashford picks up the ball deep takes on a player then shoots from a ridiculous position.

Kane and others will get no service with Rashford on the pitch.

 

[slartibartfast]

Why was he late?

Not helping matters is he?
Just last week there was a conversation on here about how the media have it in for black players, Sterling especially, So what does he do? Goes and gets a rifle tattoo and then gets publicly nailed for about 3 days.
Few days later bowls up late for training.
I agree they're making a big deal out of fk all here IF Southgate was aware and Sterling had permission BUT if he didnt then frankly he's an idiot who just doesnt give a shit or maybe does care but is just an idiot.
I dont read that shite so can't say I know about it.
Personally I dont think he gives a toss what the papers say to be honest but thats just my opinion.

Its Sterling the media are on at the minute but these shits will be watching EVERY player and looking to derail the squad at every opportunity until world cup is over. Its what they do.
Christ they'll even try and entrap them if theres not much going on.
Column inches to fill and not much happening at the moment.
I bet they have a couple of shitstorm headline grabbers already waiting in the wings to be released at the optimum time to create maximum attention and disruption.
Shitstorm England is approaching people. Batton down the hatches and brace yourselves lol.

 

[ComfortablyNumb]

I'm not English and I only watched the first half, but from what I saw, you lot have a lot to be optimistic about imo.

Genuine quality and pace up front with Kane and Sterling, which looked a cracking partnership. It obviously would have been much better if Sterling had have taken his opportunities.

On paper a Lingard-Dier-Dele midfield 3 doesn't look like it should work at all, but I thought it was fluid and dynamic with lots of energy and class. Lingard and Dele were everywhere in the first half and both were excellent imo, while Dier was as solid as always. If I was you, after that I would be hoping that Henderson ends up nowhere near this team, or at least not alongside Dier, because that Dele and Lingard combo had a lot to like about it.

I think you'll have a lot of joy with Kane coming deep, dragging CBs out of position, and then pinging his trademark balls to either the fullbacks, or the runners in Sterling, and Dele or Lingard. That particular move happened a few times, and you lot looked dangerous every single time it happened. Dele and Lingard in particular looked as though they relished the space that Kane created in behind with his movement.

I think you'll get to the quarters before running into a German team that will just about be too strong, but that would be a decent tournament with this youthful squad. To me, this looks like a squad that will be hitting its prime around time of the 2020 Euros and then Qatar. With the youth coming through on top of the quality already in this squad who will be hitting their peak in those tournaments, I think you all should be pretty excited about what could be building with this team.

I’ve often said that Spurs, when we play badly, look like England at their worst. What I’m thinking now is that we need to get some of those moves that England showed. We do it occasionally, but Southgate has clearly worked hard on this in trading. In my opinion, we could do more of the same.

 

[kitchen]

I'm not English and I only watched the first half, but from what I saw, you lot have a lot to be optimistic about imo.

Genuine quality and pace up front with Kane and Sterling, which looked a cracking partnership. It obviously would have been much better if Sterling had have taken his opportunities.

On paper a Lingard-Dier-Dele midfield 3 doesn't look like it should work at all, but I thought it was fluid and dynamic with lots of energy and class. Lingard and Dele were everywhere in the first half and both were excellent imo, while Dier was as solid as always. If I was you, after that I would be hoping that Henderson ends up nowhere near this team, or at least not alongside Dier, because that Dele and Lingard combo had a lot to like about it.

I think you'll have a lot of joy with Kane coming deep, dragging CBs out of position, and then pinging his trademark balls to either the fullbacks, or the runners in Sterling, and Dele or Lingard. That particular move happened a few times, and you lot looked dangerous every single time it happened. Dele and Lingard in particular looked as though they relished the space that Kane created in behind with his movement.

I think you'll get to the quarters before running into a German team that will just about be too strong, but that would be a decent tournament with this youthful squad. To me, this looks like a squad that will be hitting its prime around time of the 2020 Euros and then Qatar. With the youth coming through on top of the quality already in this squad who will be hitting their peak in those tournaments, I think you all should be pretty excited about what could be building with this team.

Whilst Glospur clearly didn't see the second half there are a lot of good points here, particularly that about the Lingard-Dier-Dele midfield.

What we get from those three is incessant work rate both on and off the ball, and from both Dele and Lingard, superb off-ball movement. A good team is about balance, and you could have the most technically gifted footballers in the world, but with no movement, a team is creating nothing.

Southgate has clearly thought about this, and the movement of those two, plus Sterling and Kane, and the width provided by the fullbacks is what made the team look so fluid at times yesterday.

I hope that this team can surprise us in the summer, but regardless of what happens, I've found Southgate to be a breath of fresh air so far, and I hope that he's given more time with England.

 

[mpickard2087]

The problem was though that at HT Nigeria actually sorted out their problems which was mainly their formation, matched up man for man, and were probably the better team in the second half and they enjoyed far more ball. Most worrying is then what they did with it, I mean no disrespect to them but this wasn't an elite team who were absolutely cutting us apart with ease as they advanced up the pitch with the ball. I know it was a friendly, but you saw some real tactical muddle from England in the second half - Kane/Sterling just not interested in pressing, Alli and Lingard then often caught in 'nothing' positions, Dier left on his own in the centre of the park, Dier then exacerbating the problems by belatedly attempting to press and just getting played past with ease, and then the likes of Stones doing the same and still thinking he can charge out and press when the opposition is well set and advancing on the final third.

To do anything in the tournament it's got to be tactically smarter on the day and I hope Southgate takes that from that 45 minutes. Either pressing high and those at the front working their bollocks off, or getting in behind the ball as a unit and playing on the counter, but not the lack of discipline and collective work that we got - friendly or not. What was happening in the second half yesterday will get brutally punished by the first competent team we run into.

 

[nailsy]

Whilst Glospur clearly didn't see the second half there are a lot of good points here, particularly that about the Lingard-Dier-Dele midfield.

What we get from those three is incessant work rate both on and off the ball, and from both Dele and Lingard, superb off-ball movement. A good team is about balance, and you could have the most technically gifted footballers in the world, but with no movement, a team is creating nothing.

Southgate has clearly thought about this, and the movement of those two, plus Sterling and Kane, and the width provided by the fullbacks is what made the team look so fluid at times yesterday.

I hope that this team can surprise us in the summer, but regardless of what happens, I've found Southgate to be a breath of fresh air so far, and I hope that he's given more time with England.

Southgate's done a good job so far. Hopefully with more time with the squad we can find the fluidity that we seemed to be missing during the qualifiers - something that would be very difficult to instill considering the limited time that he has with the squad.

 

[dondo]

This is a player Guardiola seriously rates, ahead of Sane, that everyone is crazy about. He scored 18 goals got 11 assists in the PL last season.. He is 23. He was widely considered one of Liverpools best players when still a teenager, he became the most expensive English player ever and has kept on improving.

If he is good enough to start for Man City he is good enough to start for England. If he is good enough for Pep he is good enough for Gareth.

The fact is I think some people have decided he is not very good, and decided a long time ago, probably roughly the same time he left Liverpool and got the media behind his back. For him to change peoples mind they expect him to be playing exceptionally well every game.

Today he was good, maybe only Dele was better, but he wasn't exceptional so people will keep finding reasons to criticise his performance instead of seeing what was good about it as well.

Sterling does have end product, and has got respectable stats every season from 2013 onwards he just not clinical, they are different things. The base line is he creates a lot of chances for others, and scores a few as well, thats end product.

Horses for courses. Imo Vardy is more suited to the way England play. The way Man City play, the English players are not good enough to replicate.
For too long we have try to play like other nations. We have to play our way and I believe kane and Vardy up front would cause a lot of problems for the opponents at the World Cup

 

[Mullers]

Not helping matters is he?
Just last week there was a conversation on here about how the media have it in for black players, Sterling especially, So what does he do? Goes and gets a rifle tattoo and then gets publicly nailed for about 3 days.
Few days later bowls up late for training.
I agree they're making a big deal out of fk all here IF Southgate was aware and Sterling had permission BUT if he didnt then frankly he's an idiot who just doesnt give a shit or maybe does care but is just an idiot.
I dont read that shite so can't say I know about it.
Personally I dont think he gives a toss what the papers say to be honest but thats just my opinion.

Its Sterling the media are on at the minute but these shits will be watching EVERY player and looking to derail the squad at every opportunity until world cup is over. Its what they do.
Christ they'll even try and entrap them if theres not much going on.
Column inches to fill and not much happening at the moment.
I bet they have a couple of shitstorm headline grabbers already waiting in the wings to be released at the optimum time to create maximum attention and disruption.
Shitstorm England is approaching people. Batton down the hatches and brace yourselves lol.

He explained about the tattoo, his father was shot and killed, nothing to do with glorifying guns. As for being late for training, is that what counts for sports news these days? If that's the worse they can criticise him about, I'm sure he's not worried about it.

 

[slartibartfast]

He explained about the tattoo, his father was shot and killed, nothing to do with glorifying guns. As for being late for training, is that what counts for sports news these days? If that's the worse they can criticise him about, I'm sure he's not worried about it.

I never said the tattoo was anything to do with glorifying guns mate. I said it was stupid imo. Regardless of meaning if he didnt realise it would cause him a lot of grief then he's an idiot.
And I agree, being late doesn't count for news imo but its no down to me is it!
Also agree I don't think he gives a crap either way, as I said in my post.

 

[nailsy]

I never said the tattoo was anything to do with glorifying guns mate. I said it was stupid imo. Regardless of meaning if he didnt realise it would cause him a lot of grief then he's an idiot.
And I agree, being late doesn't count for news imo but its no down to me is it!
Also agree I don't think he gives a crap either way, as I said in my post.

Apparently he was a day late rather than just turning up later that day so I guess I can understand why it's in the paper if the manager wasn't expecting it.

 

[slartibartfast]

Apparently he was a day late rather than just turning up later that day so I guess I can understand why it's in the paper if the manager wasn't expecting it.

Yeah I'm certainly not surprised its news and had it been any of the other players it still would have made back page.
I just think he's on that much money now he doesn't give a flyin fk about anything. Would you? I wouldnt.

 

[nailsy]

Yeah I'm certainly not surprised its news and had it been any of the other players it still would have made back page.
I just think he's on that much money now he doesn't give a flyin fk about anything. Would you? I wouldnt.

I don't think it's that he doesn't care, it just sounds like he's not a big thinker. I've just been checking out why he was late and apparently he booked the wrong flight home.... He thought he'd booked a direct flight home from Jamaica and he'd actually bought tickets for one with a stopover in Miami.
Like you say if it was any of the other players in the squad it would make the newspapers. It sounds like Southgate was really annoyed about it as he'd already given him extra time off, but it sounds like he's made his point to Sterling and considers the matter closed after he apologized to the squad.

 

[slartibartfast]

I don't think it's that he doesn't care, it just sounds like he's not a big thinker. I've just been checking out why he was late and apparently he booked the wrong flight home.... He thought he'd booked a direct flight home from Jamaica and he'd actually bought tickets for one with a stopover in Miami.
Like you say if it was any of the other players in the squad it would make the newspapers. It sounds like Southgate was really annoyed about it as he'd already given him extra time off, but it sounds like he's made his point to Sterling and considers the matter closed after he apologized to the squad.

 

[C0YS]

I don't think it's that he doesn't care, it just sounds like he's not a big thinker. I've just been checking out why he was late and apparently he booked the wrong flight home.... He thought he'd booked a direct flight home from Jamaica and he'd actually bought tickets for one with a stopover in Miami.
Like you say if it was any of the other players in the squad it would make the newspapers. It sounds like Southgate was really annoyed about it as he'd already given him extra time off, but it sounds like he's made his point to Sterling and considers the matter closed after he apologized to the squad.

Yeh its a honest mistake he was hardly wanted to miss training.

Tattoo has been talked about to death, but mate its his personal choice and he shouldn't have to worry about media reaction to do one, and even if there is media reaction he shouldn't bow down in fear of how the media would react.

 

[nailsy]

Yeh its a honest mistake he was hardly wanted to miss training.

Tattoo has been talked about to death, but mate its his personal choice and he shouldn't have to worry about media reaction to do one, and even if there is media reaction he shouldn't bow down in fear of how the media would react.

Yes, the tattoo thing is ridiculous. They'll be having a go at players for buying their kids nerf guns for Christmas next.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

On the one hand, I find this team's youthful exuberance quite refreshing, on the other, there's quite a lot of naivety too.

The biggest concern has to the midfield, or lack of one. Alli and Lingard are nowhere near diligent enough defensively, and Dier nowhere near dynamic or proactive enough to allow for their lack of diligence. As a result, when the opposition are standing off and allowing England t play, they can look good, but as soon as the opposition pressure and play, they can look extremely vulnerable.

I guess Southgate hopes that playing the 3CB system will provide a bit of insurance for that lack of midfield, but it's not the most reliable back line either. Stones, Walker and Cahill ?

The great thing for England is I think even some of the stronger nations have issues. Belgium being managed by an idiot gives them a sporting chance of getting out of the group.

 

[tiger666]

Alli and Lingard are nowhere near diligent enough defensively, and Dier nowhere near dynamic or proactive enough to allow for their lack of diligence.

Kind of the point playing them together surely? As a unit they seem to work well. Not every midfielders has to be able to do everything.