World Cup 2018

[Raich Carter]

Sadly our best striker didn’t score one intentional goal with his foot from open play. And his strike partner Sterling, didn’t score one goal at all. That sums up why England didn’t do even better. This may sound stupid but the penalties we got may actually have hindered us in the comp. We will never know. Wilshere should have gone, and if lallana was fit he would have definitely been there, would he have lingards place?

I would have played rashford instead of sterling, but that’s probably the only change.

All valid points until you got to Wilshere, man is made of sticks and his form certainly didn't warrant a call up.

I think he was a better squad option than some of the others, but just an opinion. And you said all valid until I got to him, what about the points after?

Agree I would rather have seen Lallana there and lingard, some one with creativity to take advantage of JH's work as the DM. Not a big fan of Sterling as he seems to constantly run himself into walls and is stuggling at that level.

[GaylyColouredStumps]

Just saw some footage of the English team kicking off and playing on whilst the Croatians were celebrating the second goals, the ref didn't have a bar of it and really poor form from the Poms

Saw that today.

That was embarrassing.

[GaylyColouredStumps]

All valid points until you got to Wilshere, man is made of sticks and his form certainly didn't warrant a call up.

I think he was a better squad option than some of the others, but just an opinion. And you said all valid until I got to him, what about the points after?

Agree I would rather have seen Lallana there and lingard, some one with creativity to take advantage of JH's work as the DM. Not a big fan of Sterling as he seems to constantly run himself into walls and is stuggling at that level.

Like this?

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[Facts and Stats]

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Editing and sharing is great isn’t it.

[GaylyColouredStumps]

Like this?

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Pretty damning, regardless of how you want to spin it

[Facts and Stats]

Like this?

https://t.co/btMcKmJbME

Editing and sharing is great isn’t it.

Pretty damning, regardless of how you want to spin it

Showing Kane v Criatia makes him look rubbish.

[God is an Englishman]

the fact he kept doing it and he wasn't subbed early on says to me he was following instructions.

[MegaBonus]

There's a question waiting for you on the previous page

[Nice One Cyril]

Like this?

https://t.co/btMcKmJbME

Editing and sharing is great isn’t it.

Pretty damning, regardless of how you want to spin it

I thought Hendo had a pretty good WC against teams that didn't press him too much, but he suffered with the same front/back disconnect that HK had. When you play three attacking mids there's just not always a short pass available. I just hope Southgate learns from it that's all.

[Nice One Cyril]

Agree I would rather have seen Lallana there and lingard, some one with creativity to take advantage of JH's work as the DM. Not a big fan of Sterling as he seems to constantly run himself into walls and is stuggling at that level.

I wonder why he didn't use Loftus-Cheek, no point having him on the bench if you're too scared to use him. Putting Dier on in place of Henderson is not exactly pushing the boat out and putting Vardy on was a waste of time, late on it was the wrong sort of game for him. Now if Southgate had the cojones to sub Vardy on for Kane at HT when we're winning, knowing that Croatia would push and there would be space in behind, then I would be a fan of his. So long as it worked of course

[Facts and Stats]

I thought Hendo had a pretty good WC against teams that didn't press him too much, but he suffered with the same front/back disconnect that HK had. When you play three attacking mids there's just not always a short pass available. I just hope Southgate learns from it that's all.

Not sure how missing golden chances is a disconnect, HK just had a poor game. Mistakes are down to the individual. Liverpool lost the CL final as we had a GK who made mistakes, and England lost a semi final due to a forward not doing his job. They are not robots and it happens.

[zzz]

Australian fans caught making homophobic chants in Russia. The FFA are now being warned by FIFA
Too funny because you Aussies were so sanctimonious about Russia's policies and now look what you've done.

[Nice One Cyril]

I thought Hendo had a pretty good WC against teams that didn't press him too much, but he suffered with the same front/back disconnect that HK had. When you play three attacking mids there's just not always a short pass available. I just hope Southgate learns from it that's all.

Not sure how missing golden chances is a disconnect, HK just had a poor game. Mistakes are down to the individual. Liverpool lost the CL final as we had a GK who made mistakes, and England lost a semi final due to a forward not doing his job. They are not robots and it happens.

If you're talking about HK, he missed one good chance which, to be fair, I would expect him to put away, but the keeper made a decent save. It's funny how we laud Pickford if he makes a stop, but if the opposing keeper saves one, it's the England forward's fault. It's just football, that's what keepers are there for. I cannot remember him getting any other chances provided by his teammates and most of the stuff late on was long ball rubbish. We lost the game, as expected, in the midfield and that was down to Southgate putting square pegs in round holes again. It's the old champion team versus a team of champions thing.

Souness actually summed it up very well.

"I want to emphasise the midfield.

You can't win the big trophies, you can't dominate football matches, you can't put yourself in a position where you are not giving the ball away unless you've got good players in midfield who can keep the ball.

I come back to Lingard and Dele Alli - two players who want to get on the end of things after there has been clever play by somebody else.

Harry Kane never got a kick tonight. Prior to tonight, he had five shots on target in all the games.

Harry Kane does not get shots on target because nobody is passing him any quality passes.

He's not getting any supply. Harry Kane will come back from that with the Golden Boot, but I don't know the boy he might be happy, but Harry Kane will not be happy playing in that style of football.

[General Tony Cash]

NOC, I agree with Souness and everything you have posted.

I prefer to keep it simple...your boys had your chance and shieeete your pants!

[Nice One Cyril]

At least Southgate's picked Loftus-Cheek and Rose for the playoff with Belgium, but I'm staggered that he keeps faith with Sterling. It seems his whole gameplan is to make Kane look bad.

[Facts and Stats]

I thought Hendo had a pretty good WC against teams that didn't press him too much, but he suffered with the same front/back disconnect that HK had. When you play three attacking mids there's just not always a short pass available. I just hope Southgate learns from it that's all.

Not sure how missing golden chances is a disconnect, HK just had a poor game. Mistakes are down to the individual. Liverpool lost the CL final as we had a GK who made mistakes, and England lost a semi final due to a forward not doing his job. They are not robots and it happens.

If you're talking about HK, he missed one good chance which, to be fair, I would expect him to put away, but the keeper made a decent save. It's funny how we laud Pickford if he makes a stop, but if the opposing keeper saves one, it's the England forward's fault. It's just football, that's what keepers are there for. I cannot remember him getting any other chances provided by his teammates and most of the stuff late on was long ball rubbish. We lost the game, as expected, in the midfield and that was down to Southgate putting square pegs in round holes again. It's the old champion team versus a team of champions thing.

Souness actually summed it up very well.

"I want to emphasise the midfield.

You can't win the big trophies, you can't dominate football matches, you can't put yourself in a position where you are not giving the ball away unless you've got good players in midfield who can keep the ball.

I come back to Lingard and Dele Alli - two players who want to get on the end of things after there has been clever play by somebody else.

Harry Kane never got a kick tonight. Prior to tonight, he had five shots on target in all the games.

Harry Kane does not get shots on target because nobody is passing him any quality passes.

He's not getting any supply. Harry Kane will come back from that with the Golden Boot, but I don't know the boy he might be happy, but Harry Kane will not be happy playing in that style of football.

So a striker missing two easy chances is not a reason we lost, yet the midfield is. You talk more rubbish by the day.

Maybe the heat of England has affected your brain.

[swannsong]

By not changing things Southgate's side became predictable....no real plan B....

[N5 1BH]

I thought Hendo had a pretty good WC against teams that didn't press him too much, but he suffered with the same front/back disconnect that HK had. When you play three attacking mids there's just not always a short pass available. I just hope Southgate learns from it that's all.

Not sure how missing golden chances is a disconnect, HK just had a poor game. Mistakes are down to the individual. Liverpool lost the CL final as we had a GK who made mistakes, and England lost a semi final due to a forward not doing his job. They are not robots and it happens.

If you're talking about HK, he missed one good chance which, to be fair, I would expect him to put away, but the keeper made a decent save. It's funny how we laud Pickford if he makes a stop, but if the opposing keeper saves one, it's the England forward's fault. It's just football, that's what keepers are there for. I cannot remember him getting any other chances provided by his teammates and most of the stuff late on was long ball rubbish. We lost the game, as expected, in the midfield and that was down to Southgate putting square pegs in round holes again. It's the old champion team versus a team of champions thing.

Souness actually summed it up very well.

"I want to emphasise the midfield.

You can't win the big trophies, you can't dominate football matches, you can't put yourself in a position where you are not giving the ball away unless you've got good players in midfield who can keep the ball.

I come back to Lingard and Dele Alli - two players who want to get on the end of things after there has been clever play by somebody else.

Harry Kane never got a kick tonight. Prior to tonight, he had five shots on target in all the games.

Harry Kane does not get shots on target because nobody is passing him any quality passes.

He's not getting any supply. Harry Kane will come back from that with the Golden Boot, but I don't know the boy he might be happy, but Harry Kane will not be happy playing in that style of football.

The wise words of Graeme souness, the knob whose manegrial record is unsurpassed and the visionary who signed Ali Dia

[Nice One Cyril]

The wise words of Graeme souness, the knob whose manegrial record is unsurpassed and the visionary who signed Ali Dia

The man who knows more about professional football than all the posters on FN combined

[Nice One Cyril]

Maybe the heat of England has affected your brain.

It's not even hot, 30 max, but it could be the alcohol :wink:

[N5 1BH]

The wise words of Graeme souness, the knob whose manegrial record is unsurpassed and the visionary who signed Ali Dia

The man who knows more about professional football than all the posters on FN combined

Anyone can state the obvious but what's his solution? For what it's worth I think we are on the right track

[Nice One Cyril]

The wise words of Graeme souness, the knob whose manegrial record is unsurpassed and the visionary who signed Ali Dia

The man who knows more about professional football than all the posters on FN combined

Anyone can state the obvious but what's his solution? For what it's worth I think we are on the right track

It's his job to analyse the team and the performances, but not to find the solution, that's up to Gareth. FWIW, I agree that we are improving but it looks like GS has a solid idea of how he wants us to play, but still doesn't entirely know who plays and where they play.

In the second half of the third place playoff, for about half an hour we looked ok and created 5 or 6 chances, one of which was cleared off the line. For me, that was our best 30 minutes of the tournament, against a very good Belgium side.

Hopefully he'll have it all worked out by 2020 when I come back.

[Dry July]

The wise words of Graeme souness, the knob whose manegrial record is unsurpassed and the visionary who signed Ali Dia

The man who knows more about professional football than all the posters on FN combined

Does that include old master?

[Nice One Cyril]

The wise words of Graeme souness, the knob whose manegrial record is unsurpassed and the visionary who signed Ali Dia

The man who knows more about professional football than all the posters on FN combined

Does that include old master?

Sorry, forgot about our resident expert.

[eagleboy]

[

I thought Hendo had a pretty good WC against teams that didn't press him too much, but he suffered with the same front/back disconnect that HK had. When you play three attacking mids there's just not always a short pass available. I just hope Southgate learns from it that's all.

Not sure how missing golden chances is a disconnect, HK just had a poor game. Mistakes are down to the individual. Liverpool lost the CL final as we had a GK who made mistakes, and England lost a semi final due to a forward not doing his job. They are not robots and it happens.

If you're talking about HK, he missed one good chance which, to be fair, I would expect him to put away, but the keeper made a decent save. It's funny how we laud Pickford if he makes a stop, but if the opposing keeper saves one, it's the England forward's fault. It's just football, that's what keepers are there for. I cannot remember him getting any other chances provided by his teammates and most of the stuff late on was long ball rubbish. We lost the game, as expected, in the midfield and that was down to Southgate putting square pegs in round holes again. It's the old champion team versus a team of champions thing.

Souness actually summed it up very well.

"I want to emphasise the midfield.

You can't win the big trophies, you can't dominate football matches, you can't put yourself in a position where you are not giving the ball away unless you've got good players in midfield who can keep the ball.

I come back to Lingard and Dele Alli - two players who want to get on the end of things after there has been clever play by somebody else.

Harry Kane never got a kick tonight. Prior to tonight, he had five shots on target in all the games.

Harry Kane does not get shots on target because nobody is passing him any quality passes.

He's not getting any supply. Harry Kane will come back from that with the Golden Boot, but I don't know the boy he might be happy, but Harry Kane will not be happy playing in that style of football.

So a striker missing two easy chances is not a reason we lost, yet the midfield is. You talk more rubbish by the day.

Maybe the heat of England has affected your brain.[/quote]

As a Chelsea fan, I would have Harry Kane in my side in a heartbeat. He will be the in the top bracket of world strikers. Makes his own goals. Unlucky a couple of times last night.
I am not looking forward to loosing Hazard, a genius with the ball. At this WC so much better than Messi skillwise. I still regret Kevin De Bruyne leaving Chelsea. Mourinho did not give him a chance plus had to battle a massive midfield at the time including Lampard.

[MegaBonus]

Makes his own goals.

not in this WC he didn't....that was the biggest criticism of the England midfield...not supplying HK...if as a striker, youre just a finisher, you cant be considered one of the best in the world...

[MegaBonus]

God is an Englishman

I know that's tongue in cheek but this is an issue in football over here, you just get infatuated with certain nationalities. Last year it was dutch, then it was spanish.

quite ironic when you considers England's improvement at all levels is put down to the Spanish and German influence at St Georges Park...

[Scholes]

As usual from you, a load of bollocks. News flash.... Arnie is undecided what influence the aussies will take, French or Croatian. However, he will make his mind up by tomorrow morning.

[MegaBonus]

do you ever tire of embarrassing yourself????

do yourself a favour and google 'England DNA philosophy'.........

[Nice One Cyril]

do you ever tire of embarrassing yourself????

do yourself a favour and google 'England DNA philosophy'.........

Having an vision and actually playing to that vision are two completely different things. However, I do think that this time we might actually have the horse in front of the cart. I never bought into the coming home stuff, they're kids mostly and you'll never win nowt with kids as we know. The players and the manager made plenty of mistakes, but hopefully they learn and grow from that. Only time will tell if Southgate is a good manager or not.

I'll be coming home in 2020, so maybe football will as well :wink: