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Post by saltyvinegar on Jun 17, 2024 14:35:08 GMT
Foden is best in the middle recieving the ball in tight areas. The amount of times he was in space and Rice or Bellingham would take an extra touch before passing the ball was what stunted his game. When he goes or drops in give him the ball asap. That's where he does the damage. He is normally excellent when receiving the ball on the "half turn" but early on yesterday, if he had simply done that when Bellingham passed to him in the box, he would have had an excellent chance on goal but completed mis-controlled the ball. He just doesn't seem to have anywhere near the same level of confidence when donning the England shirt compared to Citeh & I know Citeh would easily beat England but his basic passing last night was pants
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Post by flouncingarburyboy on Jun 17, 2024 14:43:03 GMT
Romania seem to be enjoying themselves.
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Post by milesfenton on Jun 17, 2024 14:46:18 GMT
We have got the players and we have the manager. He's proven he has the ability to win the Euros by getting his team into a position where they're leading a penalty shootout in a final. The lap of the gods takes over from there. I find it weird that some people (not necessarily yourself, but just people in general) seem think we *should* be winning it, like we have the best team, head an shoulders above the rest. That's just not reality. No team can think that, ever. France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and even Germany have a chance of winning it. It's not a great German team, but being hosts usually lifts a team. The best any team can reasonably hope for, going into a tournament, is to be "in the mix". Get through your group and into the deeper stages on the tournament and be in the mix. If you do that consistently in big tournaments, last-8, last-4, or final... keep doing it and eventually the stars align and you win things. Up to 2016, Germany were masters at that. They didn't win every tournament but, pretty much, they were always there or thereabouts. England have only started doing that since Southgate arrived.
With possibly our strongest squad ever! Rice, Kane & Bellingham walk into any Int side, with Saka & Stones not far behind. We should have beaten Croatia & Italy and France we were just unlucky. He is too negative a manager and only now has he dropped big names for form players, having picked (among others) Henderson and Phillips all the time. We are a strong team, like City, Arsenal etc and should be smashing teams like they do or Germany did the other night. Be bolder with subs, get players off not playing well like Foden. Recent previous squads included the likes of: Seaman or Hart (better than Pickford) Neville, Campbell, Terry, Cole etc in defence (far better than our current defence). Gerrard, Lampard, Beckham, Scholes etc in midfield Rooney, Owen etc up front Yes, our current squad is very good, but it also has a lot of deficiencies that overlap. We don't have a great keeper, though Pickford's never let England down in fairness. The centre backs ahead of him are either Maguire (injured, but marmite when available), Stones (not fully fit) or a variety of OK but relatively inexperienced options. There isn't a "proper" holding midfielder to shield them, so a double-pivot is almost essential ahead of them. To top it off with our current defence, our first 3-4 first choice left backs are injured or coming back from injuries. If Shaw can get back to fitness and form he'll make a massive difference for us - I'd like us to try out Gomez in place of Trippier next time but its still very much "square pegs". We have an embarrassment of attacking talent, sure. The lack of the left back does restrict our width though, so perhaps we should be dropping Foden for more of a winger type (Gordon). I can't think of many international sides to win tournaments with "score one more than you" football though, so find the clamour for Southgate to go that way a bit odd. Tweaks needed to get the best out of this team, but far from a disaster and Southgates worst tournament is still equally as good as the best we managed for a hell of a long time before him.
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Post by Tom Shaw's Fist of Rage on Jun 17, 2024 15:10:48 GMT
The discourse has quicky changed from being about the Golden Generation not achieving things to this current lot being by far the best ever.
In terms of squad comparisons I'd put this team on paper as similar to 1990/2004 with really good starting XIs, a young prodigy, but the question marks being about depth.
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Brophypants
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Post by Brophypants on Jun 17, 2024 15:44:29 GMT
It's a bit weird how many have suddenly decided this generation is absolute hot stuff.
Pickford is a decent top flight keeper, and has often played out of his skin for England, but really isn't even close to world class. His club have finished 15th-17th in the last three seasons. Guehi has made a handful of England appearances, and is one of four called up who play for a Palace that have finished 10th-12th in the last three seasons. Trippier and Alexander-Arnold are very good players playing out of position. Rice is great, but Lampard/Gerrard/Scholes great? Not a chance.
And those were arguably our best players; the bench is chock full of players that play regularly for decent teams or less often for great ones. This squad is a good one with some great players, and that can be enough to win a tournament, but the expectation that we walk our way to the final is misguided.
Ours was the necessary result, but we made hard work of that second half, and our subs were as inspiring as Bowen, Gallagher and Mainoo. It's reasonable to both celebrate the former and question the latter.
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Post by funkymonk on Jun 17, 2024 15:48:31 GMT
There's a relativity element to it as well though, aside from France and maybe Portugal, most of the other big countries aren't also in the midst of strength.
That previous 'golden generation' didn't have the same issue.
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Andrewlang
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Post by Andrewlang on Jun 17, 2024 18:01:07 GMT
Well excellent. Good old Slovakia.
I never really rated the Belgians and their golden generation so I think they're waaaaay overrated as '3rd in the world', but even so that's excellent.
Also, Christina Unkel is good isn't she.
Andrew
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simon
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Post by simon on Jun 17, 2024 18:41:56 GMT
Well excellent. Good old Slovakia. I never really rated the Belgians and their golden generation so I think they're waaaaay overrated as '3rd in the world', but even so that's excellent. Also, Christina Unkel is good isn't she. Andrew Do we really want to see goals disallowed for a brush of the fingers that made no difference to the trajectory of the ball? The attacker was getting himself free of a grappling defender and starting to sprint. Arms were in a completely natural position. Ludicrous decision.
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Post by kentishu on Jun 17, 2024 18:50:00 GMT
Getting Covid means I have actually watched all the games so far, not a tactic I would recommend, but timing could definitely be worse. I have gone off the international game over a number of years because, well it was as dull as ditchwater. But this tournament so far has been fantastic, each and every game has been totally absorbing. And, you know, I am pretty sure that one of the reasons for this is the effective use of VAR. No longer is the emphasis on trying to con the ref, but on trying to play inventive football to win the game. Sure, some free kicks are a bit soft, but at least everyone knows that contact means a foul and gets on with it. Not sure I have seen an actual dive yet. If this is what international games are going to be like in the future, then count me in!
Kentish
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Post by kentishu on Jun 17, 2024 18:52:36 GMT
Well excellent. Good old Slovakia. I never really rated the Belgians and their golden generation so I think they're waaaaay overrated as '3rd in the world', but even so that's excellent. Also, Christina Unkel is good isn't she. Andrew Do we really want to see goals disallowed for a brush of the fingers that made no difference to the trajectory of the ball? The attacker was getting himself free of a grappling defender and starting to sprint. Arms were in a completely natural position. Ludicrous decision. I am pretty sure it did change the trajectory of the ball and may well have been intentional, agree it was quite difficult to call but definitely not a ludicrous decision. Kentish
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Andrewlang
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Post by Andrewlang on Jun 17, 2024 18:53:00 GMT
I wasn't really commenting on any specific incident being right or wrong. More that she gives a very interesting insight into the how VAR decisions are made.
Very easy to see why it's given so I can't agree it's ludicrous. Harsh certainly.
Andrew
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shubs
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Post by shubs on Jun 17, 2024 19:48:04 GMT
Bloke playing for Austria called Posch. How VERY distasteful.
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Post by funkymonk on Jun 17, 2024 19:50:58 GMT
Bloke playing for Austria called Posch. How VERY distasteful. Yeah, was fully behind Austria this evening until hearing that disgusting language on the radio. Feck em both, then.
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Post by zx10racer22 on Jun 17, 2024 20:49:46 GMT
The idea England have this amazing squad is a myth. We have great talent going forward, but we once had a back line of Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and Ashley Cole all at their peak.
Current England defence doesn’t come close in terms of natural talent.
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Post by funkymonk on Jun 17, 2024 21:17:05 GMT
And Nick Barmby on the wing.
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