The Footie Thread

[Billysboots]

It should be more than enough to comfortably beat Iceland

But there is no fluidity to the team , Kane causing issues by dropping too deep and getting into spaces that Palmer and Foden need to take up to create the chances for him , wide players looking to get balls into the box for a player that isn’t there

England don’t need two players sitting - Rice with Bellingham and Foden as a midfield three is good enough to control any game

Spot on regarding Kane. I get there was a need to drop deeper when there wasn’t the creativity behind him, but that is no longer the case, and it infuriates me to see just how deep he drops.

England can be turgid to watch. Knocking the ball from side to side, or backwards, creates nothing, and allows any well drilled side to get back into their shape. It’s far too easy to defend against.

It’s frustrating to say the least, because we have the players with the talent to create, but we simply don’t allow them to do it. In a pre-tournament friendly against hand picked opposition, Southgate should free those players from the shackles which bind them and allow them to build some momentum.

Instead all this game has done is demonstrate to the rest of Europe the big problems we have. Namely that we are defensively vulnerable, and that we lack the spark under this manager to adopt the approach needed to counter those defensive frailties by out scoring any side which scores against us.

 

[JonnyGutteridge]

He’s such a bad manager I’d sack him now if I was in charge.

With a weeks prep under a proper coach, I think we’d be fine. There is so much talent in the squad it’s unbelievable, and especially going forward.

 

[4LEX]

On one hand it was a meaningless warm up and the players clearly weren't going full pelt, on the other hand it was a disjointed side and the subs were too late, too negative and we got a lot worse as the game progressed.

This England team now relies on Bellingham, when he's back we'll be fine. As good as Foden has been for City it's clear he's not on the same level as Bellingham and looks lost trying fancy passes and going nowhere.

Rice was very good and Palmer has looked lively in the past two games.

It all comes back to Southgate though and there was no need to play Mainoo and Rice. Also it was clear Kane was off it but why not play two up front for a bit instead of sticking to the same rigid system?

Our defence looks very dodgy and it was hardly great at full strength. I don't think we're going to be able to rely on the same tactics now and are going to need to be a lot more front footed, which will never happen.

 

[RichA]

Nobody wants to risk an injury 9 days before their opener in a major tournament. It was always going to be a show. And it was a really show.
You'd think with Rice and one of Walker and Trippier pushing forward it would allow Stones, Guehi and the other FB to sit back and cover the inevitable counter attack, but for some reason they all crowd forward and get in each others way playing pointless 5 yard passes. It just looked like garbage U-9 tactics.
We've got 8 wannabe roving, creative midfielders, which is 6 or 7 more than a decent team actually needs.

 

[HeftyHacker]

Their Comms were disgraceful on the Liverpool game for example. I'd be rightly pulled for that standard of Comms and it's not a billion pound game.

I always had immense respect for Webb as a referee and thought him coming in would improve the standard but just not seeing it ATM.

Var has made it too much ah DW let var make the call. A skill has been taken away and they need to work at getting it back but use var rightly as a tool

Clear up offside. Maybe finally bring in daylight rule. We all want more goals in games anyways

Just something

The FiL is a premier league referee assessor and has said that the Webb is absolutely brutal in his management style with refs.

It could be that he's beaten any confidence in their own ability out of them and they're so scared to make a mistake that they're in fact making more mistakes or referring to VAR rather than backing themselves.

I've been with the FiL a couple of times when he's done it ( generally get best seats in the house and full hospitality - great day out) and when you watch the games with a focus solely on the refs it's really quite interesting - how they manage flashpoints, interact with players etc. Even things like the multi ball system they have now eg. In a game I went to the ball boys for the home side kept throwing another ball on the pitch to prevent the away side taking quick throw ins.

I went to a game earlier in the year and remember thinking the ref had a great handle on it, with no obvious errors... until about 85 mins when all hell seemed to break loose. FiL said he went to give his post match feedback to the ref and said he looked a bit shell-shocked and said "I can't quite understand how quickly that got away from me at the end".

 

[Lord Tyrion]

@HeftyHacker really interesting stuff. Wouldn't a behind the scenes, Netflix style series on refs be fascinating. Might help people understand what they go through, how hard it is, the challenges etc.

 

[AmandaJR]

Well one good thing is it's hugely reduced expectations. Maybe Gareth's played a blinder and suckered the rest of Europe into thinking were equally crap in midfield and up front as we are in defence...

 

[Tashyboy]

Because you’re looking forward to comments while having no interest!

Which is it?

No interest?

Looking forward to comments?

Your comment was interesting

 

[Bunkermagnet]

GS needs to have them playing at a much faster pace. Standing like statues on the ball lookiung around for more statues doesnt get you anywhere.
Look at those that have done or do well. Even Atalanta played with a pace that Liverpool and Leverkusen couldnt cope with.

 

[Tashyboy]

 

[PaulMdj]

Your comment was interesting

Mate, there isn’t one person on here wants Southgate as our Manager, the difference between the majority of them and you is that we still support and have interest in the team.

While he is manager I 100% hope he is successful, despite the seemingly lack of tactics and crap performances.

It really is possible to dislike him and take an interest/support the team.

 

[Swango1980]

Wonder if INEOS are still awaiting to announce Southgate as their new manager?

 

[Tashyboy]

Mate, there isn’t one person on here wants Southgate as our Manager, the difference between the majority of them and you is that we still support and have interest in the team.

While he is manager I 100% hope he is successful, despite the seemingly lack of tactics and crap performances.

It really is possible to dislike him and take an interest/support the team.

I do support the team. That is one thing we can agree on. It’s Southgate I do not support.
To that extent the FA need to take some accountability for continuing with him. We have a fantastic generation of players. Yet it seems our hopes now rest on the return of one player ( Bellingham) and yet he manages to make Phil Foden look like Phil Mitchell.

 

[nickjdavis]

Wonder if INEOS are still awaiting to announce Southgate as their new manager?

I'd just love it!!!

 

[Reemul]

It really reminds me of Belgium who wasted a generation on having that idiot Bobby Brown Shoes (Martinez) in charge of them and he was useless. We are going the same way

 

[PaulMdj]

I do support the team. That is one thing we can agree on. It’s Southgate I do not support.
To that extent the FA need to take some accountability for continuing with him. We have a fantastic generation of players. Yet it seems our hopes now rest on the return of one player ( Bellingham) and yet he manages to make Phil Foden look like Phil Mitchell.

1 week before a Major Tournament you want the FA to come out and say something!

Whether we like him or not, he’s took us further than some of the more successful managers before him! They ain’t going to sack him for reaching a Final & semi-finals.

The best we can hope for is that he walks after winning the Euros this year.

Have a nice weekend.

 

[nickjdavis]

Awful, zero direction. It’s like they’re trying to play like Man City, realise they can’t so just throw pointless crosses into the box

I sat there last night wondering why we were trying to play like Man city but in slow motion.

City's play is all about keeping the ball moving...when the ball is moving the opposition has to move to adjust...the ball can generally, when kicked, move faster than players run...so if you move the ball quickly enough eventually you can work it to a player who has space.

Not England who play the ball across the back line at a pace that allows the opposition to virtually walk into their defensive shape.

We see it time and time again when we play some of the defensively minded nations...we play with no pace, tempo or timing...everything is staccato, and when you start off the first ten minutes like that then it is nearly always impossible to drag yourselves out of that particular quagmire and inject pace back in to the game...and I dont mean players who can run quickly, I'm talking about speed of thought and execution of passes (more one or even two touch football) and players moving to create angles and spaces for others.

It's sadly been a recurring theme over the last few years. It might be a tactical masterstroke to lull others into a false sense of superiority....but I doubt it.

...and if Foden cant perform for England like he does for City because he doesn't have the same players around him....don't put him in the team. Build the best team, dont shoe horn the best 11 players together....we've gone down that path before and look where it got us.

 

[Tashyboy]

1 week before a Major Tournament you want the FA to come out and say something!

Whether we like him or not, he’s took us further than some of the more successful managers before him! They ain’t going to sack him for reaching a Final & semi-finals.

The best we can hope for is that he walks after winning the Euros this year.

Have a nice weekend.

It should have been said before the qualification games.

 

[Tashyboy]

I sat there last night wondering why we were trying to play like Man city but in slow motion.

City's play is all about keeping the ball moving...when the ball is moving the opposition has to move to adjust...the ball can generally, when kicked, move faster than players run...so if you move the ball quickly enough eventually you can work it to a player who has space.

Not England who play the ball across the back line at a pace that allows the opposition to virtually walk into their defensive shape.

We see it time and time again when we play some of the defensively minded nations...we play with no pace, tempo or timing...everything is staccato, and when you start off the first ten minutes like that then it is nearly always impossible to drag yourselves out of that particular quagmire and inject pace back in to the game...and I dont mean players who can run quickly, I'm talking about speed of thought and execution of passes (more one or even two touch football) and players moving to create angles and spaces for others.

It's sadly been a recurring theme over the last few years. It might be a tactical masterstroke to lull others into a false sense of superiority....but I doubt it.

...and if Foden cant perform for England like he does for City because he doesn't have the same players around him....don't put him in the team. Build the best team, dont shoe horn the best 11 players together....we've gone down that path before and look where it got us.

The last sentence is a very valid point. And this is where Southgate fails miserably. If Pep was running that team he would be saying to Kane. “ if you are alongside Foden, Bellingham and others in midfield, you will be sat on the subs bench”. Foden needs a player to pass to up front. At City he has Haaland and Alvarez. Kane is as good as Haaland. But this highlights what I have said about England. They are carrying Southgate. Kane drops for the ball because he is not getting it. If that is down to Southgate telling him to do that, then there is something seriously wrong.

 

[PJ87]

I sat there last night wondering why we were trying to play like Man city but in slow motion.

City's play is all about keeping the ball moving...when the ball is moving the opposition has to move to adjust...the ball can generally, when kicked, move faster than players run...so if you move the ball quickly enough eventually you can work it to a player who has space.

Not England who play the ball across the back line at a pace that allows the opposition to virtually walk into their defensive shape.

We see it time and time again when we play some of the defensively minded nations...we play with no pace, tempo or timing...everything is staccato, and when you start off the first ten minutes like that then it is nearly always impossible to drag yourselves out of that particular quagmire and inject pace back in to the game...and I dont mean players who can run quickly, I'm talking about speed of thought and execution of passes (more one or even two touch football) and players moving to create angles and spaces for others.

It's sadly been a recurring theme over the last few years. It might be a tactical masterstroke to lull others into a false sense of superiority....but I doubt it.

...and if Foden cant perform for England like he does for City because he doesn't have the same players around him....don't put him in the team. Build the best team, dont shoe horn the best 11 players together....we've gone down that path before and look where it got us.

The last bit for me is key


Defence picks itself (because we don't have one) as does kane up top

However for me the midfield should be something like

-------bellingham rice

Saka ------foden -----gordon

If foden doesn't work then Palmer in there

Don't be putting Bellingham as a 10 because he does it well for Madrid.. he is a fantastic all round midfielder, him and rice are a great partnership.. allowing you to try foden there and not play a second defensive player who doesn't offer as much

Personally I'm biased and I'd like to squeeze Bowen in there as he is exactly the kind of player you need at a tournament but Saka gets the nod