Score Predictions & Match Thread: Tunisia v England

[Luke Imp]

Deserved win last night.

First 30 minutes we should have been out of sight, wobbled for 5 minutes or so after their goal and then came good again until HT.

Second half was a struggle but Tunisia changed formation, played far deeper and kept giving away niggly fouls, disrupting the game.

r.e. Sterling, he's playing a different position for England. He supposed to be playing behind Kane, but Ali and Lingard keep getting into that space, which forces him further up the pitch. That's a tactical issue rather than a player one.

 

[elkimp]

Deserved win last night.

First 30 minutes we should have been out of sight, wobbled for 5 minutes or so after their goal and then came good again until HT.

Second half was a struggle but Tunisia changed formation, played far deeper and kept giving away niggly fouls, disrupting the game.

r.e. Sterling, he's playing a different position for England. He supposed to be playing behind Kane, but Ali and Lingard keep getting into that space, which forces him further up the pitch. That's a tactical issue rather than a player one.

That is generous to Sterling. Being in a different position shouldn't make you lose the ball time after time. Just looked out of his depth, as he has done in most of his caps. 39 caps and only 2 goals. Ali, Lingard and Sterling have 73 caps between them and only 5 goals. Cannot just rely on Kane.

 

[Rasenimp]

I find the criticism of Sterling quite bewildering and almost purely based on a few touches (one of which was when Lingard had already been given offside). He always seems like a massively easy target, ever since he left Liverpool to actually win the league, and I don't get why he's the boo boy over Alli yesterday who was largely anonymous or Lingard who seemed to tread on his toes for half the game and missed several good chances.

Sterling is the best by far at playing on the half turn for games against the likes of Panama and Tunisia, something he has got far more adept at doing under Guardiola. Seen calls for both Vardy and Rashford, the former is brilliant but largely against high lines and on the break (not against a giant Tunisian bus) and Rashford who has almost exclusively played wide this season. Southgate wants to play this sort of 3-4-1-2 with the wing backs providing the width, so you want you forward options to play into feet.

We're so quick to slag off an England player for a few bad touches and completely ignore the bigger picture, and we wonder why England players play with fear? His ability into feet for a start stretches the field for Kane/Lingard/whoever else comes on like Rashford and Vardy!

I also don't necessarily buy the statistical argument on goals. On those grounds you're playing Welbeck over all of them right? I know who I'd rather have.

 

[Sincilbanks]

I find the criticism of Sterling quite bewildering and almost purely based on a few touches (one of which was when Lingard had already been given offside). He always seems like a massively easy target, ever since he left Liverpool to actually win the league, and I don't get why he's the boo boy over Alli yesterday who was largely anonymous or Lingard who seemed to tread on his toes for half the game and missed several good chances.

Sterling is the best by far at playing on the half turn for games against the likes of Panama and Tunisia, something he has got far more adept at doing under Guardiola. Seen calls for both Vardy and Rashford, the former is brilliant but largely against high lines and on the break (not against a giant Tunisian bus) and Rashford who has almost exclusively played wide this season. Southgate wants to play this sort of 3-4-1-2 with the wing backs providing the width, so you want you forward options to play into feet.

We're so quick to slag off an England player for a few bad touches and completely ignore the bigger picture, and we wonder why England players play with fear? His ability into feet for a start stretches the field for Kane/Lingard/whoever else comes on like Rashford and Vardy!

I also don't necessarily buy the statistical argument on goals. On those grounds you're playing Welbeck over all of them right? I know who I'd rather have.

If Welbeck had played regularly for Arsenal and not had an injury hit season I'd absolutely start with him..

 

[Rasenimp]

If Welbeck had played regularly for Arsenal and not had an injury hit season I'd absolutely start with him..

Hope this isn't Gareth's pseudonym then! Like Danny, puts in a shift for England but he was borderline in the squad I think. Hasn't had a non injury hit season for 7 years and not in Arsenal's best 11 when fit...

 

[imps_joe]

I find the criticism of Sterling quite bewildering and almost purely based on a few touches (one of which was when Lingard had already been given offside). He always seems like a massively easy target, ever since he left Liverpool to actually win the league, and I don't get why he's the boo boy over Alli yesterday who was largely anonymous or Lingard who seemed to tread on his toes for half the game and missed several good chances.

Sterling is the best by far at playing on the half turn for games against the likes of Panama and Tunisia, something he has got far more adept at doing under Guardiola. Seen calls for both Vardy and Rashford, the former is brilliant but largely against high lines and on the break (not against a giant Tunisian bus) and Rashford who has almost exclusively played wide this season. Southgate wants to play this sort of 3-4-1-2 with the wing backs providing the width, so you want you forward options to play into feet.

We're so quick to slag off an England player for a few bad touches and completely ignore the bigger picture, and we wonder why England players play with fear? His ability into feet for a start stretches the field for Kane/Lingard/whoever else comes on like Rashford and Vardy!

I also don't necessarily buy the statistical argument on goals. On those grounds you're playing Welbeck over all of them right? I know who I'd rather have.

Sterling, Ali and lingard were all very poor, which is encouraging considering how many chances we created.

Apart from those three we played pretty well. Certainly a more exciting England outfit than I’ve recent in years gone by.

Personally would have bought on Vardy over Rashford.

 

[Jules]

I personally think England deserved all 3 points.

Should have been a few goals up inside the first few minutes!

England should have had two stonewall penalties for fouls on Harry Kane. He was wrestled to the ground on two occasions from corners.

Tunisia did their best to break up play with their continuous fouling.

It wasn't pretty, but England kept going and got the 3 points!

 

[Rasenimp]

Sterling, Ali and lingard were all very poor, which is encouraging considering how many chances we created.

Apart from those three we played pretty well. Certainly a more exciting England outfit than I’ve recent in years gone by.

Personally would have bought on Vardy over Rashford.

Yeah. I'd stick with them I think though; in the world cup (and especially England) everything seems to be amplified! Whole season goes out the window, Rashford and RLC are both the second coming for a few nice touches when Tunisia are knackered and Sterling in particular should be on the first plane home to England... just so over the top. Sterling/Lingard were really good against Italy and that was two games ago for them?

I do like the patterns of play and that we're keeping it on the deck though. Can't argue that there's no plan and no structure!

 

[imps_joe]

Yeah. I'd stick with them I think though; in the world cup (and especially England) everything seems to be amplified! Whole season goes out the window, Rashford and RLC are both the second coming for a few nice touches when Tunisia are knackered and Sterling in particular should be on the first plane home to England... just so over the top. Sterling/Lingard were really good against Italy and that was two games ago for them?

I do like the patterns of play and that we're keeping it on the deck though. Can't argue that there's no plan and no structure!

Interesting to see whether we rest players for Belgium. Personally hope we’ll just play the strongest team to hopefully get a win against Panama and that should guarantee progression.

Group H hasn’t half got spicy after today’s results!

 

[Rasenimp]

Interesting to see whether we rest players for Belgium. Personally hope we’ll just play the strongest team to hopefully get a win against Panama and that should guarantee progression.

Group H hasn’t half got spicy after today’s results!

Yeah... just got to get through I think, 1st or 2nd whatever. Not sure it'll make a huge difference based on that group, all quite similar?

 

[Sincilbanks]

Hope this isn't Gareth's pseudonym then! Like Danny, puts in a shift for England but he was borderline in the squad I think. Hasn't had a non injury hit season for 7 years and not in Arsenal's best 11 when fit...

But scores for England when presented with a chance, 16 in 39 appearances which is a better ratio than Jamie Vardy's (7 in 22). I'd only pick Rashford ahead of Welbeck because he's young and we need players of his age to have experience of a big tournament before he reaches his peak age in 4 years time.

 

[Dreaming of McAuley]

I think what is most promising is that, Kane aside, nobody was brilliant and yet we still produced a good team performance. Meaning we can do much better when firing on all cylinders, bring it on!

 

[Imps2018]

I think what is most promising is that, Kane aside, nobody was brilliant and yet we still produced a good team performance. Meaning we can do much better when firing on all cylinders, bring it on!

It was a performance that reminded of me German teams from previous tournaments. Not running 100% early on but still get the win. May be thankful for it later on.

 

[Luke Imp]

That is generous to Sterling. Being in a different position shouldn't make you lose the ball time after time. Just looked out of his depth, as he has done in most of his caps. 39 caps and only 2 goals. Ali, Lingard and Sterling have 73 caps between them and only 5 goals. Cannot just rely on Kane.

It's a different skill set needed though.

Out wide, you only need to worry about your 'inside'. More centrally, you need a 360 degree awareness. Suspect it's much easier to go centrally to wide than vice versa.

 

[elkimp]

It's a different skill set needed though.

Out wide, you only need to worry about your 'inside'. More centrally, you need a 360 degree awareness. Suspect it's much easier to go centrally to wide than vice versa.

Agreed. I would actually stick with Sterling against Panama. The player is obviously in there somewhere and this match is a good chance for him. But if he is beginning to feel pressure on his position, rightly so. Pressure that a player of his status should be able to handle and thrive in.
The World Cup IS amplified. It is only 3-7 games. A great regular season gets you there, then you have to perform. There's no space to be carried. Grow into the tournament, yes, and I hope Sterling and Lingard do.

 

[Rasenimp]

Agreed. I would actually stick with Sterling against Panama. The player is obviously in there somewhere and this match is a good chance for him. But if he is beginning to feel pressure on his position, rightly so. Pressure that a player of his status should be able to handle and thrive in.
The World Cup IS amplified. It is only 3-7 games. A great regular season gets you there, then you have to perform. There's no space to be carried. Grow into the tournament, yes, and I hope Sterling and Lingard do.

Take the point about it being a short tournament but the pressure on Sterling seems to be more than everyone else and fuelled by nonsense media articles every month. We are absolute masters at writing people off after five minutes then wondering why they can’t replicate their club form. Same people slagging him off on Social media will be saying how great the feel good factor and support around lincoln is and what a difference it makes to the club and the team, then spending the next four years wondering why England are terrible and then picking someone else to write off in the first game!

Not sure there is much evidence over the last sixty years that getting after someone immediately brings dividends and I doubt the Germans are doing it to theirs!

 

[Sincilbanks]

Take the point about it being a short tournament but the pressure on Sterling seems to be more than everyone else and fuelled by nonsense media articles every month. We are absolute masters at writing people off after five minutes then wondering why they can’t replicate their club form. Same people slagging him off on Social media will be saying how great the feel good factor and support around lincoln is and what a difference it makes to the club and the team, then spending the next four years wondering why England are terrible and then picking someone else to write off in the first game!

Not sure there is much evidence over the last sixty years that getting after someone immediately brings dividends and I doubt the Germans are doing it to theirs!

I'm not slagging Sterling off, I'm merely making the point that at international level we need the best finishers up front. Chances are scarce and need to be buried. We created enough chances against Tunisia to win 2 games and only one player took his.

 

[Rasenimp]

You might not be but plenty are. If finishing is the problem I think surely the case would go against Lingard, who missed the big chances? I’d also say that second half, England were ponderous and it was less finishing and more creation of chances that was the problem (against a bus, which is what Panama are going to do). Against a more open team in the first half it was the other way round.

For what it’s worth I think Sterling will probably get dropped now to take him out of the firing line and may or may not come back for the Belgium game depending on how Rashford plays.

 

[nlondonimp]

imo players should get picked or dropped based on effectiveness. they don't get dropped to take them out of the firing line because of what is said about them on social media. sterling had his chance to create in game one. the chances we created seemed to come from every avenue but sterling, and he missed another sitter.

 

[Sincilbanks]

You might not be but plenty are. If finishing is the problem I think surely the case would go against Lingard, who missed the big chances? I’d also say that second half, England were ponderous and it was less finishing and more creation of chances that was the problem (against a bus, which is what Panama are going to do). Against a more open team in the first half it was the other way round.

For what it’s worth I think Sterling will probably get dropped now to take him out of the firing line and may or may not come back for the Belgium game depending on how Rashford plays.

I don't disagree but we don't have another pacey forward thinking attacking midfielder in the squad to replace Lingard other than Alli.