England National Football Team Thread

[Baphomet]

Lewis Dunk should be getting a game. Absolute class he is.

The Brighton centre back? Yeah he looks good. That Brighton back four has been pretty sturdy to start the season out.

[HIF]

Thought the back 3 (back 5 even) looked great against Germany and Brazil.

Sadly we'll still see Cahill in the world cup finals back 4.

[HIF]

Maguire and Stones again the pick of the team, quite liked Walker with them in the back 3.

Oxlade Chamberlain is a complete waste of space.

Hoddle is a moron.

[Baphomet]

Apart from Ox I actually quite enjoyed watching that match. I know Holland are rubbish these days but an away win is an away win.

[J-Mezzy]

That Colombia come back though!

[Baphomet]

Good half, that. I like the Sterling and Lingard partnership.

Vardy looks a good fit as striker for England for this faster style of play.

[HIF]

Good half, that. I like the Sterling and Lingard partnership.

Vardy looks a good fit as striker for England for this faster style of play.

Loved the speed and the forward passing.

I think Stones and Maguire will form a great partnership and what a revelation Walker has been as the 3rd CB - excellent play yesterday. I really like that back 3, especially because they look for the forward pass and can execute it. Our WBs complement them well too.

Sterling, Lingard and Vardy could terrorise defences but I don't see Southgate going that way. I'm not sure why he has never tried to get Kane and Vardy working as a combination as they are 2 great scorers and they are very decent passers too.

I'm glad to see Lallana back as I think he's the passer from midfield that we need - I don't think Wilshere is the answer - and as much as I've not liked Henderson in the past, he looked quite good in these 2 games.

Rashford is a very good player but didn't seem on his game, or maybe sure of his role in these 2 games. GK is very unclear - I just hope it's not hart.

[The Bandit]

I struggle to understand why Hart is even part of the squad. Can't even get a game for West Ham, he's garbage.

What are the expectations for the WC? Would a quarter final exit be seen as 'par'?

[Baphomet]

I struggle to understand why Hart is even part of the squad. Can't even get a game for West Ham, he's garbage.

What are the expectations for the WC? Would a quarter final exit be seen as 'par'?

I agree, Hart has been terrible for years and gets by on reputation at this point.

I like the squad and some of the recent performances have been encouraging, but tournament England are woeful to say the least. I'd be happy to reach the QF and go out in a fashion less embarrassing than being played off the park by Iceland.

But it's all moot since we're going to win it anyway. Blind faith in the face of overwhelming evidence towards our team being **** is the last refuge of the England fan.

[HIF]

So we could have had 2 Leicester players in the England team and 3 Leicester players in the Nigeria team yesterday. 25% of the players on the pitch. Instead we had 0 starters and 2 subs.

England looked great in the first half but I think that was because Nigeria were overawed and looked terrible. second half Nigeria got at England and looked the better side.

On that performance We're going to have trouble making it out of the group stage.

I understand Kane over Vardy - but then Kane played around the half way line more often than not behind 3 or 4 other England players. I don't understand Rashford on before Vardy and I can't understand Welbeck playing at all. I'm pretty sure he hasn't scored as many goals in the last 4 years as Vardy has in the last 6 months.

I understand Sterling, he made some great moves but he nevers looks like scoring for England. Delli Alli? Why?

Overall I was really disappointed with England's performance - it was Nigeria! - and I'm in despair if those are the forward/midfield combinations Southgate is going for.

[lobosloboslobos]

Count me among the pro-Vardy crew. Kane has been fantastic but Vardy is so extremely disruptive because of his pace and aggression and his finishing is still elite. As someone said above I don't know why Southgate hasn't at least tried Kane and Vardy together (apart from the injuries). For pure finishing ability those two would equal any other team in the WC's top 2 strikers.

On another note, I know England always always crash out of internationals but this team seems to have a fierceness and a confidence and a sense of purpose that is usually missing even among the best english squads. i expect they will crash out again, but if they actually had a good run it wouldn't surprise me. comes down to defence i guess, since i do think they should be able to score effectively

[BUCKnation]

I always thought pairing them would be an extremely dangerous top two and it would be stupid not to try.

[HIF]

Well so far in this tournament I've been very underwhelmed by Sterling - he runs around a lot and links well but his finishing has been embarassing. I'd have dropped him completely and played Vardy or Rashford as Kane's strike partner. Dele Alli has been a huge disappointment too, he's taken steps backwards (with England at least) since the heights of a couple of years ago. I'd drop him too - but Southgate seems to love both of them.

I can't complain about Kane and the spurs bottle problem. He's kept his nerve and scored some good penalties. Seems to be playing far too deep for his talents though. We need him in the box not on the halfway line as he doesn't have the speed to join an attack when Lingard and Sterling start to motor (they'd suit Vardy and Rashford more).

Lingard has been mostly very good though he disappeared in the Colombia game. he looked excellent in the group stages.

The 3 at back are obviously going to be vulnerable at times but they do make our play so much more exciting going forward. Maguire could be the best passer on the team but he needs to sort out those headed shots, his putbacks are great but towards goal not good enough.

Henderson has complimented the forward moving players well and I'm happy to have him as our CDM, I tremble when Dier comes on - so many mistakes that I have no confidence in him whatsoever.

Our wingbacks have been the pick of the team for me. Trippier has been truly outstanding, I thought he was just a backup at Spurs but here he has shown true world class WB ability. Our best player on the team this tournament. Young has done very well too but I must admit that I think Alexander Arnold is unlucky as when he's played he has looked outstanding.

[Baphomet]

A few things after the Croatia loss:

- For the first time since Iceland, I was really disappointed in Kane. He didn't look fit. His finishing was off, he didn't look sharp, his link up play is normally excellent (as it was against Colombia and Sweden) but every ball was too long. He was positionally far too deep and never in position to score a goal. It feels like he was asked to play like a false 9, but it doesn't really work for England, and hurt our ability to score goals in open play.

- Maguire, Pickford and Trippier were phenomenal all tournament. No gripes with them whatsoever.

- Ashley Young and Lingard work hard but just aren't good enough at this level. I'm looking forward to seeing what Ryan Sessegnon could do for us at left wingback.

- I'd like to see Dele Alli play a #10/support striker role, closer to what he does for Spurs. Positionally he's all over the place for England and it doesn't really work for him. He needs to be in position to make those cutting far post runs more often than he was, given the quality crossers we have in this team.

Overall, I don't really have that many complaints. We had a good tournament. People will point out that we had an easy run, but ignore the fact that our team is very young and inexperienced and still made it to the semis. Of course it's disappointing not to reach the final, but this is way better than anyone expected. Roll on Euro 2020.

[HIF]

A few things after the Croatia loss:

- For the first time since Iceland, I was really disappointed in Kane. He didn't look fit. His finishing was off, he didn't look sharp, his link up play is normally excellent (as it was against Colombia and Sweden) but every ball was too long. He was positionally far too deep and never in position to score a goal. It feels like he was asked to play like a false 9, but it doesn't really work for England, and hurt our ability to score goals in open play.

- Maguire, Pickford and Trippier were phenomenal all tournament. No gripes with them whatsoever.

- Ashley Young and Lingard work hard but just aren't good enough at this level. I'm looking forward to seeing what Ryan Sessegnon could do for us at left wingback.

- I'd like to see Dele Alli play a #10/support striker role, closer to what he does for Spurs. Positionally he's all over the place for England and it doesn't really work for him. He needs to be in position to make those cutting far post runs more often than he was, given the quality crossers we have in this team.

Overall, I don't really have that many complaints. We had a good tournament. People will point out that we had an easy run, but ignore the fact that our team is very young and inexperienced and still made it to the semis. Of course it's disappointing not to reach the final, but this is way better than anyone expected. Roll on Euro 2020.

I think you've got it spot on.

Trippier was outstanding. Lingard worked hard harrying and his attacking link up play in the group stages was great - I think he was better than Sterling.

Henderson did a pretty good job too and imo would be a better captain than Kane.

Trent alexander looked good but obviously will have problems being as he plays the same position as Trippier.

As you say we did well but even as the team gains experience do you really think we'll have a better chance than this to even make a final in the future?

Euro 2020 will we really beat Germany, France, Spain ...?

This could be the pinnacle of international football for us during our life times - and it ended against Croatia.

[Baphomet]

I think you've got it spot on.

Trippier was outstanding. Lingard worked hard harrying and his attacking link up play in the group stages was great - I think he was better than Sterling.

Henderson did a pretty good job too and imo would be a better captain than Kane.

Trent alexander looked good but obviously will have problems being as he plays the same position as Trippier.

As you say we did well but even as the team gains experience do you really think we'll have a better chance than this to even make a final in the future?

Euro 2020 will we really beat Germany, France, Spain ...?

This could be the pinnacle of international football for us during our life times - and it ended against Croatia.

True, but we shouldn't underestimate this Croatia team. They play with guts. This is also the last chance for this Croat golden generation, while most of our boys will get another go of it. Maybe that mentality proved to be one of the difference-makers in the end.

Many of Europe's superpowers look weaker to me, and I can't see them getting that much better by 2020. France will be extremely difficult to unsettle though, they could well be one of the more dominant teams in international football if they continue on their current trajectory. But that's the only team I'd say I actively fear out of Europe's top teams right now. For once I feel like we might actually have a bright future, especially with lads like Sessegnon, Maddison, Lookman etc. coming through.

Also, I admit to being wrong about Southgate. I'm still not 100% sold on his tactics, but he's clearly an excellent man manager.

[BUCKnation]

Rose was a better option than Young. Think there was a clear upgrade when he came on and he should have played more.

I agree with the thoughts on Alli. He was maybe the best player on the pitch against Croatia, especially the first half but it seems like he doesn't know what is being asked of him positionally. Think he got a lot of unrightly stick despite mostly playing a defensive role.

Lingard just isn't good enough. Kane was playing way too deep. Not having that AM, or not tactically playing one (couldn't tell if it was by design) to fill in that gap in the middle was a big killer since Kane seemingly wasn't ever in the box and they focused on inaccurate long balls to Sterling by Hendo.

Kind of a shame to lose on a kind of flukey cross and a half second switch off by Stones.

[HIF]

Not quite sure what stubborn southgate wants from the England team.

He has a mix of fast pressing players and slow non pressing players. That isn't going to work.

Rashford was poor finishing last night but I think he's the right player to have out there. Sterling, I like too but he really needs to be productive at this level. Kane is not the right man for this type of team. He's way to slow, never up with our plays and unable to press. He's a great goalscorer but with this team it'll only ever be from set pieces and his lack of pressing ability is costing us.

The midfield yesterday was a mess. henderson was okay, at least he could pass forward and press but Barkley was so poor, giving short passes backwards to defenders under pressure and basically adding nothing. Dier is the biggest southgate mystery of all. slow on the ball, slow in the brain. I'd have hendo in his position and Maddison in the attacking, creative midfield role.

The defence was okay, yesterday. The 2 WBs probably the best players on the night and a special shout out for Ben Chilwell. Who had a good game both going forwards and covering - though not as good as he does for us, so there's still more progress possible there.

Hopefully, Maddison can replace the suspended Henderson and then Chilwell can pass the ball to his best mate for England.

[Baphomet]

Rashford seems to do everything well but finish. He's a frustrating player, but he definitely does a lot of the right things in terms of his off-ball movement. He's a lot better for England than he is for United, though.

The midfield will always be a mess for us it feels like, we lack positional discipline and structure. I'm game for Maddison starting, he's our only real creative #10 at the minute and is in good form. He deserves it.