World Cup 2022

[Gemmill 46208]

15 minutes ago, Isegrim said:

 

 

 

 

 

[NJS 4418]

The man who won a world Cup final with a fucking dive - that Klinsmann? 

[spongebob toonpants 4166]

1 hour ago, Dr Gloom said:

Agree with most of that but nobody world class - really?

. 

We've got some really good players, most of them young and exciting, but world class definitely not. Who would you say was world class?

 

We've got nobody who would get in any team in the world

Edited November 26, 2022 by spongebob toonpants

[Dr Gloom 22203]

13 minutes ago, spongebob toonpants said:

We've got some really good players, most of them young and exciting, but world class definitely not. Who would you say was world class?

 

We've got nobody who would get in any team in the world

Kane without a doubt is one of the most highly-rated strikers in the world and has the goals record to back it up.

 

I’d also throw in title-winning Trippier, Walker, Sterling, Foden.
 

Grealish and Saka potentially though they don’t have the goals or multiple titles some of the others in the squad have yet.

 

The PL is one of it not the strongest league in the world. We have one of the most talented England squads I can remember. Which makes yesterday’s no show all the more annoying

[Andrew 4882]

1 hour ago, spongebob toonpants said:

We've got some really good players, most of them young and exciting, but world class definitely not. Who would you say was world class?

 

We've got nobody who would get in any team in the world

 

By that logic there are what? 11 world class players at any one time? 

 

In which case practically no team has any world class players 

[Ayatollah Hermione 14094]

Kane is absolutely world class, the blokes record is insane and he’s done it, often, in pretty average or underachieving Spurs sides. The problem is that, the idea that you need 11 world class players to perform at a World Cup is total bollocks. France won in 1998 with Guivarch up front ffs. England have  More than enough attacking talent where the manager can take off the handbrake but he simply refuses. The Iran game was great because you saw the players that perform fortheir club do the same for England; Kane was dropping deep and threading balls, Saka and Sterling were causing havoc out wide, Bellingham had full license to go forward and to see all of that curtailed is massively frustrating. England don’t have 11 world class players but they have enough players whose form is dovetailing where that should be harnessed and not suppressed. Wales on Tuesday has every chance to be a hard old game. They’ll not knock us out but fuck me, they could be as awkward as possible on the way out 

[Howay 12496]

26 minutes ago, Ayatollah Hermione said:

Kane is absolutely world class, the blokes record is insane and he’s done it, often, in pretty average or underachieving Spurs sides. The problem is that, the idea that you need 11 world class players to perform at a World Cup is total bollocks. France won in 1998 with Guivarch up front ffs. England have  More than enough attacking talent where the manager can take off the handbrake but he simply refuses. The Iran game was great because you saw the players that perform fortheir club do the same for England; Kane was dropping deep and threading balls, Saka and Sterling were causing havoc out wide, Bellingham had full license to go forward and to see all of that curtailed is massively frustrating. England don’t have 11 world class players but they have enough players whose form is dovetailing where that should be harnessed and not suppressed. Wales on Tuesday has every chance to be a hard old game. They’ll not knock us out but fuck me, they could be as awkward as possible on the way out 

Spot on. I get frustrated that any complaint about Southgate is directed to either a “you expect to thump everyone” or “he got to a final and semi final” response. I don’t expect England to go round smacking everyone 3-0 but we go many games without a fucking proper chance on goal and with the players he has at his disposal it’s a joke. His past tournament finishes have clearly been good, but there’s still frustration there - there were massive tactical failings on his part in both games and he did nowt to build confidence with performances in the lead up, despite a lot of weak opposition. I’ve said it before and some find it harsh but imo he left a fucking ton on the table in those tournaments. 
 

He also gets a ton of credit in the whole “doesn’t have much to pick from” stakes when it’s entirely unwarranted. He has the keepers from the top and 3rd top teams, he picks Pickford without fail. He could select a bloke that has won an Italian title, a renewed Smalling who Jose loves, Webster, White, or Burn - all three have been fantastic over the last two seasons, instead he picks a bloke that doesn’t play for his club and defends the decision as “he’s never let me down” that’s not improvement, those players may work better but you’re not fucking trying. The same way that he threw Phillips and Rice together for years (even so desperate to do it this tournament that he brought Phillips with his whole 2 minutes of PL footy this season), didn’t bother trying Ward-Prowse or other CMs. The bloke is stubborn, rigid, makes fucking terrible in game subs, tactically he’s terrified of losing to the point he stifles all of the attacking talent he has. 
 

I’m just glad I don’t have to particularly worry, I don’t rate him one bit and while it used to bother me when people told me I was wrong before we were treat to more of his stifling shite footy, now we have Eddie Howe and I can’t wait for this crap tournament to be over. 

[OTF 7583]

3 hours ago, Gemmill said:

 

 

 

 

 

He doesn’t say they cheat at all.

[Alex 35667]

6 hours ago, spongebob toonpants said:

I'm not one for slagging off Southgate too much. I don't think he's an elite level coach but these days I think the England job is much more about team building and creating a positive situation for "the group" than anything else, and he has certainly done that

 

Also he has got to a final and a semi-final and thats a lot fucking better than anything  we are used to.

 

Also don't really think our players are really anything special, certainly nobody world class in the team.

 

I think he's done pretty well considering, no matter what happens in this WC

Could argue Bruce did a good job for Newcastle on the basis of just looking at results 

Edited November 27, 2022 by Alex

[ewerk 31238]

7 hours ago, OTF said:

 

He doesn’t say they cheat at all.

Don’t let that get in the way of moral outrage.

[ewerk 31238]

5 hours ago, Alex said:

Could argue Bruce did a good job for Newcastle on the basis of just looking at results 

Morning, Luke.

[Dr Gloom 22203]

8 hours ago, Howay said:

Spot on. I get frustrated that any complaint about Southgate is directed to either a “you expect to thump everyone” or “he got to a final and semi final” response. I don’t expect England to go round smacking everyone 3-0 but we go many games without a fucking proper chance on goal and with the players he has at his disposal it’s a joke. His past tournament finishes have clearly been good, but there’s still frustration there - there were massive tactical failings on his part in both games and he did nowt to build confidence with performances in the lead up, despite a lot of weak opposition. I’ve said it before and some find it harsh but imo he left a fucking ton on the table in those tournaments. 
 

He also gets a ton of credit in the whole “doesn’t have much to pick from” stakes when it’s entirely unwarranted. He has the keepers from the top and 3rd top teams, he picks Pickford without fail. He could select a bloke that has won an Italian title, a renewed Smalling who Jose loves, Webster, White, or Burn - all three have been fantastic over the last two seasons, instead he picks a bloke that doesn’t play for his club and defends the decision as “he’s never let me down” that’s not improvement, those players may work better but you’re not fucking trying. The same way that he threw Phillips and Rice together for years (even so desperate to do it this tournament that he brought Phillips with his whole 2 minutes of PL footy this season), didn’t bother trying Ward-Prowse or other CMs. The bloke is stubborn, rigid, makes fucking terrible in game subs, tactically he’s terrified of losing to the point he stifles all of the attacking talent he has. 
 

I’m just glad I don’t have to particularly worry, I don’t rate him one bit and while it used to bother me when people told me I was wrong before we were treat to more of his stifling shite footy, now we have Eddie Howe and I can’t wait for this crap tournament to be over. 

I hope he proves us wrong and is braver once we’re in the knock out stages. I find his loyalty to certain players bizarre too and agree he’s frustratingly cautious at times particularly with his substitutes.

 

But you have to concede that he has been a very good England manager. Someone else was saying the best international managers aren’t always the best tacticians. To a certain extent it’s about building a positive spirit with the players, which possibly explains why he is overly loyal to some of them. Perhaps it’s as much about having the right mix of characters.  

 

On this year’s form. Which we reproduced against wales, we don’t look like we’ll do much in this tournament but I wouldn’t be surprised if we go deep again. No one has come anywhere near to winning a major tournament since Alf Ramsey. England were a couple of penalty kicks away from being European champions under Southgate. 

[Ayatollah Hermione 14094]

It’s a weird one with Southgate because I genuinely think both sides of the argument on him are right  It’s a strange one where you can’t really knock the record and how he’s basically transformed the culture around the squad but he’s also too cautious for his own good and needs cattle prodded into making any kind of substitution without thinking about it for 15 minutes.

[Holden McGroin 6802]

I think Trippier as been a bit ropey in the WC. Certainly not hit levels he has with us.

 

Mount needs dropping for Foden and Maddison needs some minutes. I'd also start Grealish over Sterling. Sterling maybe more potent but we could barely keep the ball v USA. Grealish is generally good at keeping possession and wins lots of fouls - which me might need.

 

 

[Dr Gloom 22203]

21 minutes ago, Holden McGroin said:

I think Trippier as been a bit ropey in the WC. Certainly not hit levels he has with us.

 

Mount needs dropping for Foden and Maddison needs some minutes. I'd also start Grealish over Sterling. Sterling maybe more potent but we could barely keep the ball v USA. Grealish is generally good at keeping possession and wins lots of fouls - which me might need.

 

 

he doesn’t seem to fancy Foden as the “number 10”, only as a wide player 

[Alex 35667]

1 hour ago, ewerk said:

Morning, Luke.

Whoah! I don’t mind a bit of banter but that’s going a bit far 

[Toonpack 10059]

35 minutes ago, Holden McGroin said:

I think Trippier as been a bit ropey in the WC. Certainly not hit levels he has with us.

 

 

it’s all static in front of him when he gets the ball, no-one buzzing around, creating space or making runs.

[RobinRobin 11659]

6 minutes ago, Alex said:

Whoah! I don’t mind a bit of banter but that’s going a bit far 

[Alex 35667]

2 minutes ago, Toonpack said:

it’s all static in front of him when he gets the ball, no-one buzzing around, creating space or making runs.

The other thing is he never hides. So if he’s trying things and it’s not coming off he keeps trying, keeps making himself available etc. So it sticks out if it’s not happening for him. I don’t think he’s been bad from a defensive pov either 

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 4001]

56 minutes ago, Holden McGroin said:

I think Trippier as been a bit ropey in the WC. Certainly not hit levels he has with us.

 

Mount needs dropping for Foden and Maddison needs some minutes. I'd also start Grealish over Sterling. Sterling maybe more potent but we could barely keep the ball v USA. Grealish is generally good at keeping possession and wins lots of fouls - which me might need.

 

 

He hasn’t got Schar to back him up or the speed and movement of Almiron up front to create defences problems. The England team seems to stand around a lot not moving.

[Gemmill 46208]

Japan to beat Costa Rica please and Germany to go bye bye vs Spain later. 

[Ayatollah Hermione 14094]

A Germany win tonight would make the final day in this group a crazy bit of business

[Gemmill 46208]

Got to be the end of Martinez this, surely. 

[Meenzer 15742]

Lolgium

[spongebob toonpants 4166]

Martinez looks like he is off his tits