World Cup 2018 | 24th June | England vs Panama Match Thread, KO 13:00 (BST)

So outside the first 25 or so minutes against tunisia where the team looked fluid and were creating a lot of chances, I'm struggling to think of a decent chance the team has created since then. Of the 8 goals scored only 1 has been from open play, that is really worrying and any decent team that is more sensible at defending set-pieces will basically have done their job on the team. Now getting the wins are important especially early in competition but none of the performances have shown the other big teams anything to be fearful of about this england side and I fear the limitations of the system on the team will get exposed by a better side.
 
The current England Team remind me of Utd of the last few years.
Delusions of grandeur by the media to the max, the media have tried to put the handbrake on but with every win you can see that there finding it impossible to control themselves.
Any semblance of success is exalted to irrational heights to the extent any reflection, analysis or perspective on what you have actually seen is binned to one side, replaced by undeserved plaudits .
When Utd were winning with Van Gaals safety, first, pass sideways shit, you could not move for the media hype.
It was worse with Jose, when they were winning with smash and grab, bus parking hit you on the break style of play.
This was ignored by the fans and media until they came up against a team that actually made them go backwards or when it became clearly apparent that their flair players such as Sanchez and Pogba seldom provided any flair.
This is where I am at with England, not exactly England but with the media and fans.
Whilst its fair and important to enjoy a victory equally i think its important to have some perspective by examining what it is you have actually seen, which includes weighing up the opposition.
Examination and analysis on individual and team performance I dont think should be solely based upon England winning, which it always seems to be.
There were so many times during Peps first season when he was in gushing praise of our team after a loss because he could see the team developing and doing the right things.
England are yet to be tested so comments about certain players being world class after that win seem woefully out of place.
I have seen England play a lot better and lose, and when this occurs seldom do you get John Stones being regarded as world class, he is world class as far as I am concerned, I rate him highly, cracking player.
My issue is that wins against Tunisia and Panama are in no shape or form a measure of his ceiling, or indeed that of the England Team.
 
You lot really are a bunch of miserable bastards ;) You just demolished a team to go through to the next round and some people are moaning. I thought you played well against a dirty team. There's only a couple of teams that have played better than you and they also have vulnerabilities. You've got goals being scored from different players in the team so all the pressure isn't on Kane but even if does nothing but score off his arse cheek they all count. Why not lighten up and enjoy a perfect start you never know you could be the surprise package. They look like a team who are playing for each other and that can give you an edge. Lets not forget many of the favourites before the tournament are struggling and haven't started like you have. Well done on your perfect start.
 
BigOscar said:
Yup, it is weird to say after a 6-1 demolition, but I really don't think we played very well in open play and the system is the biggest reason. We just abandon the middle of the park, Henderson joins the back 3 and then we just play it around the back 6 pretty aimlessly, until Trippier decides to put one in the channel for the ever willing Lingard. Both games have been the same, but we're so dangerous from set pieces that it's kind of papered over the cracks. Kane is getting praise, as he's scored 5 goals, but he's barely had a kick in open play and it's not remotely his fault that that's the case.

Moving Sterling back into the midfield seems like such an obvious fix as well, but we seem to be persisting with this system.
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Yes put Stirling out wide right and push Lingard up in the hole.
 
kalouk said:
You lot really are a bunch of miserable bastards ;) You just demolished a team to go through to the next round and some people are moaning. I thought you played well against a dirty team. There's only a couple of teams that have played better than you and they also have vulnerabilities. You've got goals being scored from different players in the team so all the pressure isn't on Kane but even if does nothing but score off his arse cheek they all count. Why not lighten up and enjoy a perfect start you never know you could be the surprise package. They look like a team who are playing for each other and that can give you an edge. Lets not forget many of the favourites before the tournament are struggling and haven't started like you have. Well done on your perfect start.
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Some see the bigger picture.
 
EL APACHE TEVEZ said:
The agenda we have it at city aswell
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I know and sometimes its justified, but so far at the world cup it hasn't been They have been pretty fair about all our players.You said if Stone had got a hat trick it wouldnt have been mentioned, I pointed out he got lots of mentions and would have got even more with a hat trick.
 
quiet_riot said:
As others have said, 6-1 win papers over the cracks massively. The midefield is utterly none existent, and over 2 games, Henderson, Alli, Loftus-Cheek have offered nothing either defensively (not really need to) or offensively.

Watching City under Pep has shown that just scoring goals isn't good enough for a forward, and despite having 5 goals already, Kane is offering very very little in terms of movement, holding the ball up, or bringing others into the game.

The back line is fine I feel, but the wing backs, Young specifically, aren't offering the threat going forward - and Tripper's delivery is his best asset atm.
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Totally agree.

How many shots did we actually have, let alone on target?

From open play we scored 1 and the fluked deflection off Kane. Against truly dismal opposition. Sterling missed his usual sitter, can't knock him for being inconsistent.

We'll get through the group of course and then as soon as we meet anyone half decent we'll get shown up for being bang average or worse, which we are.
 
93.01 said:
Whilst its fair and important to enjoy a victory equally i think its important to have some perspective by examining what it is you have actually seen, which includes weighing up the opposition.
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There didn't seem to be much perspective applied yesterday when Belgium scored five against Tunisia.
 
blueparrot said:
I know and sometimes its justified, but so far at the world cup it hasn't been They have been pretty fair about all our players.You said if Stone had got a hat trick it wouldnt have been mentioned, I pointed out he got lots of mentions and would have got even more with a hat trick.
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Just heard stonesy as got more goals in the World Cup finals than Rooney.
 
True, but they are another team, yet to be tested and despite their riches in talent, in terms of performances, particularly when it matters very very overrated.
 
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