Hope we don't play as Slow.

[Jon Slinn]

Just finished watching England, And for a brief second, I thought it was David Weir as England manager.
Never seen a team make it so hard to go forward, and not just this game.
On the other hand, Belgium ( Lukaku the only exception) were like a speeding bullet compared to our National team. Fourth in the world cup, some might say isn't a bad effort. Like the Olympics where we win a Bronze or Finish Fourth. There should be quite a few Players that need to take a good look at themselves - Could I have done better.
So I'll now sit back and wait for the patriotic hoards to tear a strip off me. But bear in mind it would only be the same for United when we finished

2010 - 11 - 23rd relegated
2011 - 12 - Play-off defeated in the final - Huddersfield
2012 - 13 - 5th - defeated by the Mighty Yeovil
2013 - 14 - 7th
2014 - 15 - 5th - defeated by the Mighty Swindon
2015 - 16 - 11th
2016 - 17 - 1ST Finally

How Many Blades thought it's a young team or useless Ba****ds especially under the influential Adkins.

I remember how quickly the ground emptied after the Scunthorpe debacle.

 

[Ricky]

Oh England aren't slow, we're just 6 or 7 years further behind in "the process" than Belgium are.

 

[Jon Slinn]

And Belgium isn't Tippy Tappy football..

 

[jt64]

I'm sorry that the national team wasn't overly motivated for a third place playoff

 

[Harry's Game]

England need pace and a couple of players capable and confident enough to run at the opposition.

Sterling should have been that but he looks frozen with indecision when in an England shirt.

 

[Bartleby]

I remember how quickly the ground emptied after the Scunthorpe debacle.

Scunthorpe debacle to 10th in the championship in two years (inc 100 points and most away goals in Europe), Iceland debacle to world cup semi final (inc breaking the duck on penalty shootouts) also in two years.

I'm going cup half full on this one mate.

 

[DeanLearner'sCat]

It's difficult to judge on a game that nobody really wants to play, but England were much better second half, and them playing quicker helped. Weirdly, we can play one/two touch out of defence, but when it goes into midfield, it all slows down and we go sideways or backwards. There can't be many teams whose defenders are better at taking care of the ball than their midfielders are. It's a shame Wilshere is a cripple and Shelvey is ill disciplined. We're gonna have to hope somebody like Foden turns out to be a world beater.

 

[Maidenhead]

I thought the second half was probably our best of the tournament because we pushed on and tried to make things happen.

O.K. we got caught on the break a few times but at least we looked like we wanted to score whereas most of this tournament we've had nowt going forward.

Strange to say that with the number of goals we have scored, but Panama were woeful against set pieces!

 

[bromtom]

If Harry Kane isn't injured then I'd get looking for a new striker if I was Pocchetino.

Fair play to him for wanting to captain England all the way through but to everyone other than the England camp who are denying it, he's obviously got a something going on.

Great World Cup though.

 

[Fraggle Blade]

If Harry Kane isn't injured then I'd get looking for a new striker if I was Pocchetino.

Fair play to him for wanting to captain England all the way through but to everyone other than the England camp who are denying it, he's obviously got a something going on.

Great World Cup though.

Yeh, he's got to be injured.......he's virtually had no movement up front for the last 3 games.
No wonder we slowed down in midfield with the lack of movement up top.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

England have played 2 good teams over 3 matches and lost them all. I don't get this Southgate love in.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

England have played 2 good teams over 3 matches and lost them all. I don't get this Southgate love in.

England get to a World Cup semi final for the first time in 28 years and you dont understand the love in?

Four years ago we didn't even get out of the group and the shower of shite that lost to Iceland two years ago would have struggled to beat even Tunisia or Panama.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

England get to a World Cup semi final for the first time in 28 years and you dont understand the love in?

Four years ago we didn't even get out of the group and the shower of shite that lost to Iceland two years ago would have struggled to beat even Tunisia or Panama.

It's a false love in, problem is everyones expectations will now rise for the Euro's. Still we could make the final in that if we get Luxemberg, Malta & Moldova in the knock out stages.

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

Is the next Euro's spread about like jam,i heard a commentator say some games in Dublin some in UK,some in St Petersburg.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

It's a false love in, problem is everyones expectations will now rise for the Euro's. Still we could make the final in that if we get Luxemberg, Malta & Moldova in the knock out stages.

We got to a semi final, full stop.

Nobody is under the illusion we've suddenly turned into a world class team. We were just enjoying the ride while it lasted.

And who's to say we won't do well at Euro 2020? We'll have home advantage and a lot of the usual suspects are on the decline. Germany and Spain's golden generations are all retiring and Italy and Holland are seriously struggling to find new talent.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

Is the next Euro's spread about like jam,i heard a commentator say some games in Dublin some in UK,some in St Petersburg.

The group games are spread all over Europe but the semi finals and final are at Wembley.

The host countries are:

Azerbaijan
Denmark
England (Wembley)
Germany
Hungary
Italy
Netherlands
Republic of Ireland (Aviva Stadium)
Romania
Russia
Scotland (Hampden Park)
Spain

 

[Pollingtonblade]

The group games are spread all over Europe but the semi finals and final are at Wembley.

The host countries are:

Azerbaijan
Denmark
England (Wembley)
Germany
Hungary
Italy
Netherlands
Republic of Ireland (Aviva Stadium)
Romania
Russia
Scotland (Hampden Park)
Spain

So do all them teams automatically qualify?

 

[andy m]

England have played 2 good teams over 3 matches and lost them all. I don't get this Southgate love in.

Because we used to lose to shit teams as well.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

So do all them teams automatically qualify?

No, no country gets automatic qualification.

 

[Fanny magnet]

You be got to be hopeful for England considering the change of culture and style of play but mostly the successful youth teams at all levels

Holland and Argentina got success this way and when the kids stopped coming through the first team hit a wall

 

[YES Blade]

The group games are spread all over Europe but the semi finals and final are at Wembley.

The host countries are:

Azerbaijan
Denmark
England (Wembley)
Germany
Hungary
Italy
Netherlands
Republic of Ireland (Aviva Stadium)
Romania
Russia
Scotland (Hampden Park)
Spain

Also group games and a last 16 match at Wembley.

If England qualify, they will play at least 2 group matches at Wembley (could be all 3), if the jocks qualify the other could be at Hampden.

With this World Cup and the next Euros being as near as dam it an England hosted tournament, I’m hopeful we can have another good tournament in 2 years, maybe even win it!

 

[Ricky]

For England to have a chance in the Euros we need...

1. A favourable draw
2. A midfield
3. Southgate to improve

 

[YES Blade]

For England to have a chance in the Euros we need...

1. A favourable draw
2. A midfield
3. Southgate to improve

I agree we aren’t the finished article, hopefully one or two of the successful England youth teams can come through in the next two years.

With regards to the Euros, if we won the group it would be Dublin, then Rome. Get through thoses then I would fancy us to beat anyone at Wembley in the semis/final.

 

[coolhandluke]

For England to have a chance in the Euros we need...

1. A favourable draw
2. A midfield
3. Southgate to improve

On the whole, I'm in full agreement with this .

An easy draw would of course be preferable but doesn't every nation want this ?

We are currently 2 midfielders short . The problem for us though is the two we are missing simply have to be world class . I don't see where these are coming from !!

Southgate is still very naive and tactically inflexible . Our very own CW is streets ahead of Southgate in this respect . The game against Croatia is a classic case in point . Southgate had no answer to the the Croatians flooding midfield and overwhelming us . Look at what Wilder did at the sty last September in a similar situation . At 2-1 up with the oinkers getting giddy CW took a central defender off and replaced him with an attacking midfielder . Lets be honest who at the time didnt think ' what the fucking hell are you doing Wilder ? ' what CW did was subtly and tactically brilliant . He went 4 4 2 and almost immediately nullified everything they were trying to do . If it wasn't for Brooks nodding off for a split second allowing them through for an equaliser, what Wilder did would have been beautifully flawless . Southgate simply doesn't have the same level of nous and flexibility . Hopefully though he's not stupid and will learn .

 

[United Aren't Back.]

If Harry Kane isn't injured then I'd get looking for a new striker if I was Pocchetino.

Fair play to him for wanting to captain England all the way through but to everyone other than the England camp who are denying it, he's obviously got a something going on.

Great World Cup though.

He interviewed like someone emerging from a torpor of some kind.

 

[bornablade]

If Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had been fit we would have been playing in a World Cup final tomorrow.

 

[1889]

I'm sorry that the national team wasn't overly motivated for a third place playoff

Or a possible first place

 

[Fanny magnet]

On the whole, I'm in full agreement with this .

An easy draw would of course be preferable but doesn't every nation want this ?

We are currently 2 midfielders short . The problem for us though is the two we are missing simply have to be world class . I don't see where these are coming from !!

Southgate is still very naive and tactically inflexible . Our very own CW is streets ahead of Southgate in this respect . The game against Croatia is a classic case in point . Southgate had no answer to the the Croatians flooding midfield and overwhelming us . Look at what Wilder did at the sty last September in a similar situation . At 2-1 up with the oinkers getting giddy CW took a central defender off and replaced him with an attacking midfielder . Lets be honest who at the time didnt think ' what the fucking hell are you doing Wilder ? ' what CW did was subtly and tactically brilliant . He went 4 4 2 and almost immediately nullified everything they were trying to do . If it wasn't for Brooks nodding off for a split second allowing them through for an equaliser, what Wilder did would have been beautifully flawless . Southgate simply doesn't have the same level of nous and flexibility . Hopefully though he's not stupid and will learn .

He took walker off for vardy at one all

 

[Geordie Blade]

He took walker off for vardy at one all

It was 2-1 at that point, with eight minutes of extra time left. Too late.

 

[Pinchy]

Can we move this to the new ‘England wank’ section, please?