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Clearly an inspirational half time team talk from Southgate. 😂
If he has told them to play for a draw they're doing their best to ignore him by trying to lose
Crying out for some pace, skill, something different. So he gets ready to put Jordan Henderson on!?
FFS Henderson, Southgate is going into his shell and trying to hold on for a draw.
Then a point v Wales and it’s qualification done and dusted I guess?
They need Foden to replace the usual oh-so-disappointing Mount.
Does it benefit us if we finish 2nd in the group? Easier run to the final? That’s the only reason I can think for this total bore off.
Southgate just doesn't fancy Foden does he.
Really poor, hendo I understand but he seems to not like foden and Arnold who genuinely are game changers.
what a stupid ****** foul that is Shaw.
Must be the cleanest game of the tournament so far.
It’s coming to something when slabhead is your best player by miles
How very Engerland
Well, that was dull!
Southgate just doesn’t fancy Foden does he.
Not when you've got form players like Henderson and Rashford to stick on.
I just can't understand the lack of buzz and energy. It's like they got told to be patient, but interpreted that as strolling around in a barely-animated state.
As soon as they started pressing a bit, they got the ball.
Just mediocre.
Nah. England will win both games easily.
😂
To think I looked forward to that game for most of the day…
To think I looked forward to that game for most of the day…
This is typical England WC group stages fare.
Hmmm….
Did I not like that! 🤷♂️
Bit surprised that ITV were able to get Saddam Hussein as a pundit.
Fell asleep with 20 min to go.
Fell asleep with 20 min to go.
Bit like Declan Rice then.
There you go. Southgate is really pleased after ‘controlling things from the back’ rather than his grumpiness after scoring 6 against Iran. Hope they get knocked out in the next round.
This is typical England WC group stages fare
Far from it, should know better really 😂
To think I looked forward to that game for most of the day
Have you not watched Engerland before?
Harry Maguire's doubled his value with that performance. Now £8.56 and TWO buttons
Still have him at Reading, lots of nice houses in Caversham.
Why?
Is he a plasterer?
Brickie.
Lots of negativity about a 0-0 in a group game, England are all but through to the next game, they play Wales who have nothing to play for next, and are still feeling their way around. It's amazing that after the first game it was all about who could stop England winning the cup, now it's all doom and gloom, without even knowing who you get in the first knock outs.
Reality is that Southgate hasn't even reverted to his favourite 3-5-2 (5-3-2) yet, that would be the main worry, if they keep using this 4-3-3 and then suddenly go to 3 centre half's and bench either Saka or Mount, they've been attacking formations so far, which isn't something you see from Southgate a lot.
England are all but through to the next game, they play Wales who have nothing to play for next
Wales can still go through with a big win, so something to play for. That said, I agree, England are in a strong position. Happy to be top of the group at this stage.
They need to win 4-0 for the first time against England, they're out to be fair!
The round of 16 should be easy enough as well, Senegal or Ecuador potentially, they have a lot of time to find their game, way more time than the likes of Germany, Spain, etc, who are battling already!
It’s coming to something when slabhead is your best player by miles
How very Engerland
That was a worry, ably assisted in defence for much of the second half by that well known right back, Harry Kane.
When a team can press so that Kane is working inside his own half, they've got us figured.
A reminder that the run to the Euro 2020 final included a drab 0-0 against Scotland.
Yep, 4 points and +4 GD with (nominally, although they'll raise their game against us) the weakest team still to play is a good place to be.
Germany, Argentina, they'd swap with us right now. And it was a solid defensive performance where we didn't allow many chances, and importantly they were caused not by inability, but players not doing what they were supposed to. And no injuries or senseless yellow cards to fret about either.
I always feel pissed off after a lifeless showing, then you look at things in the morning and it ain't so bad.
It's not inconceivable that Iran could end up topping the group.
The US are underrated by most people here but essentially they are a team with very athletic players that are willing to run and press all day long and a couple of very decent players.
I assume that England will progress from the group and as soon as they meet a decent team they'll be on the next plane home
Like most of these big tournaments, the proper football starts in the knock-out phases.
Bad performance but doesn't really matter, thankfully. Group games are always very different to the knockout phase..... That's when the good teams walker up and we get the flight home. Still it's nice to get out the group, which is done barring a 5 goal defeat to Wales. I bet it's 0-2 at half time and 0-3 by 55 minutes.... That'll get people worried!
they play Wales who have nothing to play for next
Of course the Welsh have something to play for. Beating the English would be a lovely consolation prize in itself. And if they get ahead early, there's always the possibility of England losing the plot/getting someone sent off etc. Unlikely scenario, but you can expect them to give it a good go.
One thing I will say about this world cup so far...it's really boring. I've been forced to out on the bike.
Agree - most games are dull AF. Slow and pedestrian. Bring back the Premier league with all its nonsense, money and drama.
I'm pleased they drew.
If they'd won they would've rested players in the 3rd game, lost momentum, unsettled the team & lost focus.
This way they have to perform in the final group game.
Commentators and their ability to ruin a game for you.
Ally McCoist?
Just shut up 😈
Argentina going for Oscars rather than the World Cup? I think this may be an interesting game.
I was thinking about the, ' you can't wear a 🌈 arm band or we will send you off' FIFA ruling and when I saw a USA player with red white and blue dyed hair I wonder..... Rainbow 🌈 hair! Or even better, the squad each do one colour, so when they line up for the anthems the rainbow is there but individual players can't get a red card! Am I genius? Let's start an appeal on social media 🌈🌈😁😂🌈🌈
This game is very much like the England USA game - dull and no end product!
Messi!
"Messi!"
Tidy!
Love Messi we went to watch Barca in 2012 when he was at his pomp. We were right by the pitch when warming up and he was incredible just jiggling the subs. Along with Maradonna they were the most unstoppable players I ever saw in the flesh.
I captined my uni team but watching him knew I'd never be quick enough to tackle him.
Messi mopes around waiting for his team to make him the opportunity to do THAT!
Kane drops deep to make the opportunities for the people who aren't there because he should be.
Kane drops deep to make the opportunities for the people who aren’t there because he should be.
That's a concise and accurate somethingion
Kane does this for his club and just struggles to be the front man all the time, that's the biggest difference between him and Haaland, Haaland knows when to come back to help, and when to stay up top and work some space and wait for his team to do their job. Kane just tries too hard and wants to push everything, that can work against you at times though.
Has Gareth Southgate been secretly advising Japan on tactics? They do the hard bit against the Germans then throw it all away with a cowardly performance. Baffling. 🤷♂️
There's a lot of it though, I was watching Denmark with 4 mins left and 2-1 down passing it across the back line 20 times.
Anyone else watching the BBC UHD versions, it's pretty good.
Well Belgium had that coming. Another team of superstars who’ve looked really poor as a unit. They were lucky against Canada and no way deserved the win
But to get done with the identical set piece move for a second time…
Big names but many past their best…..Hazard, Alderweierld, Witsel, Vertonghen.
They probably should have won a tournament. But they chose to employ Roberto Martinez?
Football… bloody hell! 😳
Really enjoying watching all these so called big teams having their arses handed to them by teams who are supposedly there to make up the numbers. England should take note.
BBC pundits talking about Belgium lazily passing the ball across the back rather than forwards. It really is the curse of the modern game. What this tournament needs is an Ireland circa 1990.
What this tournament needs is an Ireland circa 1990
Said no one. Ever.
Imagine having McGrath and Sheedy in your team and playing like that 🙈
Surely you mean Camaroon?
Have you watched the 3 part Italia 90 documentary on Sky? It’s absolutely bloody brilliant!
BBC pundits talking about Belgium lazily passing the ball across the back rather than forwards. It really is the curse of the modern game.
I think managers look at teams like city who do it, and don't realise it isn't about just passing between defenders, it is about the work ethic of the midfield always being on the move to create space and/or a mistake in the opposition press, then a pass out through the lines can quickly move the ball upfield. And even in city's case when the midfield don't have the right work rate, they have a bad day.
IMO there are actually very few managers who really know how to create patterns of play through the training sessions, and a lot who just regurgitate the training they did as players and ask the team to emulate patters they see without understanding the link between them.
What baffled me the other night was when Pickford was taking a goal kick, both centre halves stood in the box to the side of him and he repeatedly hoofed it up the park, turning over possession.
That has been an England tactic for a few years now, or make a half arsed attempt to play out from the back, pass back to Pickford to again hoof up field and gamble possession invariably losing it. Again for me it is a problem of players not making options for a pass.
I guess as well Pickford looked to his left, saw Maguire, and to his right, saw Stones - row z it is.
This is a bit more interesting isn't it 🙂 some dull games lately but the Croatia Canada game is getting entertaining.
I guess as well Pickford looked to his left, saw Maguire, and to his right, saw Stones – row z it is.
I was just going to ask… did you watch Ten Hag’s extremely brief experiment with trying to get Slabhead to play it own from the back?
It didn’t last long
Croatia are looking a bit tasty here. Fair play to Canada though. They’re giving them a game!
'England should take note.'
It lookslike they have. They've won one, and drawn one against teams who aren't too shabby, with a team that's got a lot of youth. Not sure which miracles the various pundits/critics/moaners want really?
Battle of the giants now, pretty even so far, but of a chess match.
Interesting match, both teams going for it
It amazes me how many players at this level fire corners in that don’t make it past the first man
Well that was a good goal! Game on!
It amazes me how many players at this level fire corners in that don’t make it past the first man
it bemuses me when they try and steal as much as possible when placing the ball then hoofing it over everyone. 🙂
Surprised there's no football after match programs such as Fantasy Football League etc. Could do with a hilarious critique of this world cup.
Could do with a hilarious critique of this world cup.
one might be happy with any critique at all. The Beeb appear to have gone with the “**** it lads, everyone seems to be having fun,” line. There’s oodles of shit going on out there and the meeja are ignoring it.
Playing truent from work: this Cameroon v Serbia game is a humdinger.
well, it was until you said and I started to watch, now goals have totally dried up.
(actually still is, even without goals)
The fleeting glimpse of a sprinting pitch invader with a rainbow flag has livened this game up
Ronaldo’s claimed that goal but I don’t think he touched it…
His massive ego diverted it in (even though it was going in anyway)
No way did he touch it !