Third Place match
- Thread starter Hardy31
- Start date
Conceding an early goal was a terrible start as it meant Belgium could then sit back and hit us on the counter attack. We were therefore chasing the match for 85 mins+ and perhaps a bit unlucky not to score in 2nd half (or poor finishing), and had numbers forward when Belgium got their second.
Danny Rose at fault again for Belgium’s first, caught way out of position, you can see why Young was preferred for most of the games.
Kane snatched at a chance 1st half after a good layoff from Sterling- had that gone it Might have been different.
Danny Rose at fault again for Belgium’s first, caught way out of position, you can see why Young was preferred for most of the games.
Kane snatched at a chance 1st half after a good layoff from Sterling- had that gone it Might have been different.
EagerExile
Vital Squad Member
We've made progress, but the way we fanny about in the middle without getting the ball in the box drives me crazy. So easy to defend against.
Wayne.Kerr
Vital Champions League
A bit like Gillingham when they lacked any bite or creativity in midfield. The young Man U lads looked good and so did Dier but just someone to sit in midfield and put his foot on the ball and create something would make all the difference. Loftus-Cheek is pretty mobile and maybe the new Chelsea boss will help him improve.
Captainreblue
Vital 1st Team Regular
Having seen both Young (gave us no attacking threat from open play) and Rose (can't defend to save his life) play on the left in this World Cup, what the fuck was Southgate thinking when he chose them both ahead of Bertrand?
As for today, first half was poor after a shocking start, defensively we were all over the show and our ball retention was shocking, with no creativity and Sterling again being as frustrating as ever, and even he looked frustrated with himself. Granted no one in the first half played well, but at least Southgate changed it at half time and it had a positive effect.
Second half we played with more purpose and better shape and had better balance to our side and created chances, but the harsh reality is that if you don't take your chances you get punished, and we didn't take our chances throughout the tournament from open play.
Some positives from the tournament but for me we've been shown to still be unable to create and take chances against the better teams and get punished for our lapses in defence.
And I do wish some pundits would stop making excuses about the players being young, its more about us lacking technical ability, football nous and game management and unfortunately some of our players will still be making the same mistakes in two, four and six years time, just as the experienced players of past tournaments did.
Hopefully we have some players to bring into the squad over the next few years from the younger groups (21's,18's) to help us improve in the forward areas.
As for today, first half was poor after a shocking start, defensively we were all over the show and our ball retention was shocking, with no creativity and Sterling again being as frustrating as ever, and even he looked frustrated with himself. Granted no one in the first half played well, but at least Southgate changed it at half time and it had a positive effect.
Second half we played with more purpose and better shape and had better balance to our side and created chances, but the harsh reality is that if you don't take your chances you get punished, and we didn't take our chances throughout the tournament from open play.
Some positives from the tournament but for me we've been shown to still be unable to create and take chances against the better teams and get punished for our lapses in defence.
And I do wish some pundits would stop making excuses about the players being young, its more about us lacking technical ability, football nous and game management and unfortunately some of our players will still be making the same mistakes in two, four and six years time, just as the experienced players of past tournaments did.
Hopefully we have some players to bring into the squad over the next few years from the younger groups (21's,18's) to help us improve in the forward areas.
NathanH_GFC
Vital 1st Team Regular
We do have other players knocking on the door and I think our national team looks bright thanks to this WC. I completely agree about Bertrand but Sessegnon will be the long term left wing back.
Lallana probably would have gone (ahead of Welbeck?) if fit and he will therefore come back into contention. He’d help create more chances with his neat footwork - based on recent performance he’d probably replace Alli.
We have a handful of players playing abroad so think we need to keep an eye on them, too. Think a few in Germany? We have a lot of young players and hardly any of the squad will retire in 2-4 years - injury permitting. I doubt we’ll see any more of Welbeck, Cahill, Young (despite not doing much wrong) - maybe even Vardy - though we’re lacking strikers. The Nations Cup will be interesting and give us more competitive games and show us if we’re improving. Today was a bit of an anti-climax, but overall, I’m looking on the bright side. I think some players have really made a name for themselves - especially Trippier, Stones, Maguire and Pickford. Henderson looks a complete/accomplished player. We need to learn to take control of midfield (as the three games we lost we lost due to being outplayed in midfield) and get Kane involved more, but that will come.
Lallana probably would have gone (ahead of Welbeck?) if fit and he will therefore come back into contention. He’d help create more chances with his neat footwork - based on recent performance he’d probably replace Alli.
We have a handful of players playing abroad so think we need to keep an eye on them, too. Think a few in Germany? We have a lot of young players and hardly any of the squad will retire in 2-4 years - injury permitting. I doubt we’ll see any more of Welbeck, Cahill, Young (despite not doing much wrong) - maybe even Vardy - though we’re lacking strikers. The Nations Cup will be interesting and give us more competitive games and show us if we’re improving. Today was a bit of an anti-climax, but overall, I’m looking on the bright side. I think some players have really made a name for themselves - especially Trippier, Stones, Maguire and Pickford. Henderson looks a complete/accomplished player. We need to learn to take control of midfield (as the three games we lost we lost due to being outplayed in midfield) and get Kane involved more, but that will come.
Wayne.Kerr
Vital Champions League
I wouldn't write off Welbeck just yet. If he's given a chance at Arsenal and flourishes, then he'll be good for the Euros; he's scored 15 in 40 for England - double his rate for the Gunners. Not sure about Henderson; when it really mattered against Croatia, he seemed bereft of ideas and he's one of the more mature/experienced players.
NathanH_GFC
Vital 1st Team Regular
I too was disappointed by Henderson - but it seems he was injured. Because of his energy levels, there’s no way we’d have wasted a sub on him. There are various reports saying he was injured and that to me seems the obvious explanation for him struggling with the pace, and then being subbed.
As for Welbeck. I’ve always been a big fan of his. His chasing down and ability to defend from the front is as good as anyone in the world. If he played regularly for Arsenal then he might be back but since his bad injuries I don’t think he’s been the same player.
The other thing I thought about during yesterday’s game was how we don’t seem to take a fullback on and, in the words of John Barnes, get round the back. As good as Trippier was, I never saw him knock the ball past a fullback and take him on, whereas think Croatia and Colombia did that to us a lot.
I’d also like to see Ox have another good season at Liverpool as he was playing really well before his injury. Another that could threaten Alli/Sterling/Lingard’s position, and the more competition we have the better.
mehmets_curlies
Vital 1st Team Regular
Whatever players we have, Southgate MUST ensure he has a squad that is adaptable and can play different formations/styles. If he had gone to 451 or 442 against Croatia, once it was obvious they were getting on top, they might not have equalised. The sad thing for me, in the latter games, was that Kane had to drop deep to accommodate Sterling playing "on the shoulder". I agree that steriling played better than I thought he would, but it made little difference as he wasted chance after chance to score or create, and Kane, our best striker, couldn't keep up with him to help out. I don't understand why Southgate didn't try Alii as a "no 10" and out Loftus-Cheek in midfield.
Captainreblue
Vital 1st Team Regular
Agree with MC, whilst 3-5-2 is great when you have the ball and dominate possession like we did against Tunisia and Panama, when you don't dominate the ball it then becomes more of a 5-3-2 and makes it extremely difficult to get out, especially if you don't retain possession when the ball goes into the front pairing. As we saw in the Croatia game, Henderson,Ali and Lingard were up against the three Croatian midfielders plus their full backs who pushed on , meaning they were outnumbered 5 against 3 and kept having to try to cover the whole width of the pitch time and again.
For whatever reason, Southgate either didn't notice this (hard to believe) or think this was a concern and needed to change it, but either way slightly worrying. Going to 4-4-2, IMO would've helped stop the spaces that Croatia were getting/creating in wide areas and we'd have had better coverage of the pitch, as it was players were constantly trying to fight fires in one place, only for one to if night on the other side of the pitch.
As I said after the Sweden game, for me Ali and Sterling were played throughout the tournament in positions they don't play for their clubs, and as a result IMO we failed to get the best out of them.
Failure to take our chances came back to bite us on the arse, both in the Croatia game and yesterday and thats something we must learn quickly if we want to be successful, and despite us doing better than a lot of us thought, although IMO questions should be asked about how we could've done better, and hopefully Southgate is honest enough to do that of himself and his tactics, formations and selections.
Having said all that, I enjoyed this world cup and England's performances far more than I thought I was going to.
For whatever reason, Southgate either didn't notice this (hard to believe) or think this was a concern and needed to change it, but either way slightly worrying. Going to 4-4-2, IMO would've helped stop the spaces that Croatia were getting/creating in wide areas and we'd have had better coverage of the pitch, as it was players were constantly trying to fight fires in one place, only for one to if night on the other side of the pitch.
As I said after the Sweden game, for me Ali and Sterling were played throughout the tournament in positions they don't play for their clubs, and as a result IMO we failed to get the best out of them.
Failure to take our chances came back to bite us on the arse, both in the Croatia game and yesterday and thats something we must learn quickly if we want to be successful, and despite us doing better than a lot of us thought, although IMO questions should be asked about how we could've done better, and hopefully Southgate is honest enough to do that of himself and his tactics, formations and selections.
Having said all that, I enjoyed this world cup and England's performances far more than I thought I was going to.
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Skullduggery Pleasan
Vital Reserves Team
I'm worried about Kane.
Tottenham have won nothing. In fact they seem to fall away towards the end of a campaign and noticeably, so does Kane's eye for goal.
Hope I'm wrong but he seems to always fall at the last hurdles. I'd have preferred to see Welbeck up front at the last match
Tottenham have won nothing. In fact they seem to fall away towards the end of a campaign and noticeably, so does Kane's eye for goal.
Hope I'm wrong but he seems to always fall at the last hurdles. I'd have preferred to see Welbeck up front at the last match
mehmets_curlies
Vital 1st Team Regular
Don't get me wrong, I think, aa a team, they done as well as we could expect. To come through the Tunisia, Panama and Colombia games, with all the antics from the opponents, speaks volumes for them, and if I saw Southgate, I would give him a hug and say cheers. I hope, and I think he will, that he is honest enough to self criticise. If he does that, then I think it bodes well. Will Englabd ever win a tournament? I doubt it, but the least we should expect is a decent attempt, which this squad has done. I have enjoyed the attitude of GS throughout and for that alone he deserves praise. It has been great to see England fans get behind their team, and not, in the main, get sucked in with the pundits and press over the top assessment of how good we are. I preferred listening to Fabregas, Klinnsmann, Bilic and Zabaletta than idiots like the Nevilles, Shearer and wright....oh, and Clive Tydlesley(sp?) Is an absolute cock
NathanH_GFC
Vital 1st Team Regular
Think that’s a bit unfair on Kane. Pretty sure the last couple of seasons he’s scored a bucketload the last few games of the season for Spurs. I think in 16-17 he scored back-to-back hat-tricks in his final two games. However, that doesn’t say he didn’t go missing a bit the past few games, which I think he did. I thought his hold-up play against Colombia was excellent, but since they equalised, he hasn’t been in games. Yesterday he should’ve scored when, for once, Sterling put one on a plate for him. And Wednesday night will haunt him forever - those two chances (albeit really as one chance) would’ve been put away for Spurs 99 time’s out of 100.
Wayne.Kerr
Vital Champions League
At Tottenham, he's scores for fun but gets top notch service and I'm sure GS knows that and, in time, will deal with it. We're missing a Hazard or de Bruyne but with Lingard, Rashford, Lallana and Ox etc there's no reason why we shouldn't start to do the business.
