Wainy316 Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 Yeah I hate the 3 teams qualifying from 4 of the groups thing. Takes a lot of the drama out the group stage. For all that effort you should be losing at least half of the teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted June 2, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted June 2, 2021 Christ. Just looked at the 2018 world cup squad because I couldn't believe there were only 10 players remaining. This squad is SO much better than that one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Silvers Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 If kane gets injured in the friendlies, Ollie will get his spot and be our main striker with DCL as backup, or wan-bissaka comes in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 15 hours ago, desensitized43 said: I wonder if this might have something to do with that squads of yesteryear were made up of a core of Liverpool and Man Utd picks which inevitably led to 2 camps who intensely disliked each other. By picking from a more diverse pool you don’t get that even split. Don't think that was issue, was more the press hammering them, Carrick gave a good interview a few years ago. Remember Real Madrid and Barca were at war on the pitch in the years Mourinho was around and didn't stop Spain winning two tournaments. I do think Southgate's done that well e.g. players perhaps not having the best time at club level breaking their necks to go and play for England. It's the mentality all the South American players have and you've got Bale caring more about Wales in last few years than Real Madrid which is incredible compared to how Giggs treated Wales as an afterthought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinker Posted June 2, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted June 2, 2021 Austria look a decent well organised side, amazing what a decent coach can do with good players. Imagine what a good coach could do with great players.? Once the dust settles on Southgate's management the people who picked him should be fired. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 13 minutes ago, tinker said: Austria look a decent well organised side, amazing what a decent coach can do with good players. Imagine what a good coach could do with great players.? Once the dust settles on Southgate's management the people who picked him should be fired. Once the dust settles on southgates management they'll have a knees up thanks to the bonuses gained by the feel good factor and then pull their noses out of the trough for just about long enough to select the next clown At least it won't be Pearce or boothroyd Same as always, the qualification cycle for the world cup will go so well that the performance at the world cup won't matter I'd be amazed if he wasn't in charge for Qatar but after that weve got to get an attacking manager in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted June 3, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted June 3, 2021 9 hours ago, villa4europe said: Same as always, the qualification cycle for the world cup will go so well that the performance at the world cup won't matter Said it before, but this is why supporting England is so boring. For the recent past we have been mostly amazing at qualifying. So there is absolutely no excitement in the qualifying cycle. There's no drama. Every game is like a friendly that we put a half arsed performance in and win by a couple of goals and stroll through to the tournament. But we are shit at tournaments. So they're not particularly exciting either. Ok the last world cup was obviously great (set aside the fact we got a favourable run and it wasn't actually that impressive) but usually we stumble through the groups and go out to the first half decent team we face. It's just so dull. I get far more enjoyment out of following Ireland in the qualifying process because there's actually some drama and it means something (obviously that has become less fun recently as Ireland are dire these days) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pas5898 Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 Awful to see Southgate reverting to type last night. Flat back 4. 2 holding midfielders, Rice dropping basically into CB to collect the ball. Kane essentially playing as a midfielder. Genuinely think we will just beat Scotland, draw with Croatia and the Czechs. If we luck it through to the last 16, first good team will pin us in and comfortably win. Such a shame as with our firepower, on the front foot we could blow teams away. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villalad21 Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 Gareth need to grow a pair and leave out Henderson and Maguire. They are injured and not fit. Should not be in the squad. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 14 hours ago, Phil Silvers said: If kane gets injured in the friendlies, Ollie will get his spot and be our main striker with DCL as backup, or wan-bissaka comes in. I think DCL would be the main striker of Kane got injured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 2 hours ago, Stevo985 said: But we are shit at tournaments. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact we always make the same mistakes with the squad. Players out of form still picked. Players carrying injuries still get picked. Unbalanced squads. If for once we picked a squad of fit, in form players regardless of which clubs they were from we might actually carry some momentum into the tournament. Instead we have this type of disjointed play we saw last night. It’ll be worse in the actual tournament too as they’ll have the weight of expectation on their shoulders. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Silvers Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 2 minutes ago, Genie said: I think DCL would be the main striker of Kane got injured. Probably but I was in a mischievous mood last night and it was a dink at Southgates average at best strategy. I thought DCL was what we've seen the last couple of months, seems he just found some really good form before Xmas, plus we know what Ollie brings. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 3 minutes ago, Phil Silvers said: Probably but I was in a mischievous mood last night and it was a dink at Southgates average at best strategy. I thought DCL was what we've seen the last couple of months, seems he just found some really good form before Xmas, plus we know what Ollie brings. I’d play Watkins ahead of him for sure. DCL’s purple patch has faded a bit. Ive no idea what he was thinking for his chance last night. His options were to take a shot before the angle got too tight, or square it to Ollie who was in acres of space. Did neither and it came to nothing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Silvers Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 5 minutes ago, Genie said: I’d play Watkins ahead of him for sure. DCL’s purple patch has faded a bit. Ive no idea what he was thinking for his chance last night. His options were to take a shot before the angle got too tight, or square it to Ollie who was in acres of space. Did neither and it came to nothing. Nerves maybe, we all have differing personalities and some may struggle with the scale of it, the expectation etc. It's all settled at home, same faces and routines, easier. Take Jack, a natural, every game looks like fun at the park. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 44 minutes ago, Genie said: I’d play Watkins ahead of him for sure. DCL’s purple patch has faded a bit. Ive no idea what he was thinking for his chance last night. His options were to take a shot before the angle got too tight, or square it to Ollie who was in acres of space. Did neither and it came to nothing. There were at least 2 times last night where DCL had a half chance, hard to score from but still a half chance... And he didn't even shoot... Looked way off confident, striker in his position should be the opposite we should be concerned about him reigning it in a bit cos he's trying too hard to score and impress, that wasn't DCL last night Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 2 hours ago, Genie said: I’d play Watkins ahead of him for sure. DCL’s purple patch has faded a bit. Ive no idea what he was thinking for his chance last night. His options were to take a shot before the angle got too tight, or square it to Ollie who was in acres of space. Did neither and it came to nothing. I don't think Ollie was in acres of space to be honest, I think he was pretty much right behind the covering defender, and had actually been caught on his heels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 12 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said: I don't think Ollie was in acres of space to be honest, I think he was pretty much right behind the covering defender, and had actually been caught on his heels. I think if he rolls that across early there’s a very good chance it’s 2-0 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 1 minute ago, Genie said: I think if he rolls that across early there’s a very good chance it’s 2-0 Okay, yeah, I see your point. I was thinking about a few seconds later, when he actually made the cross, which I think Watkins should have still been busting a nut for. But you make a good point about this moment in the move. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 (edited) 8 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said: Okay, yeah, I see your point. I was thinking about a few seconds later, when he actually made the cross, which I think Watkins should have still been busting a nut for. But you make a good point about this moment in the move. Fair point, when DCL eventually ran out of space and had to cross Ollie was neither in front or beyond the defender to get on the end of it. Edited June 3, 2021 by Genie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinker Posted June 3, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted June 3, 2021 6 hours ago, Stevo985 said: But we are shit at tournaments. When we have a decent manager we are fine, the problem is we haven't had a decent one since Veneables. How many times can those in charge continue to appoint useless yes men that don't deliver? Enough is enough they need to go. On Southgate......he has lost it already, his interview showed the cracks starting, by the end of this tournament he will be a mess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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