England v France - Sat 10th Dec, 19:00 | Quarter-final | World Cup 2022

[iTyler]

Any time England come up against a team which involves tactical nous Southgate has no idea. In Russia he got lucky against Colombia & it didn’t need much to get by Sweden. Croatia were then tactically a step up. In the euros we got by a crap German team, got lucky against a well organised Denmark and then found out by Italy. Same old story this time - struggled to think how to beat USA & there was little control or intelligence tonight.

I suppose it’s a step up from the shambles of 2010, 2014 & 2016 and positive that there is a spirit and professionalism around the England team, but to win this talented squad is crying out for tactical intelligence.

Agree with a lot of that. He's a really nice bloke and he has to be given lots of credit for getting the England team enjoying playing with each other and enjoying playing for their country, which wasn't always the case. He can go with his head held high. But tactically he's a Championship level manager. With someone more tactically astute we probably would have won the Euros two years ago and got past a very beatable French side last night.

But England should only get better. The likes of Bellingham, Foden, Saka, Rice and James among others, none of them are anywhere close to what should be their peak. I genuinely believe now they do have the confidence in big games against the best teams, a feeling that they truly belong. We just need to edge through against a France or a Spain or a Portugal. I have few doubts that had Kane converted his second penalty that would have happened last night. Whatever anyone say's, we more than matched an admittedly weakened French team in every department.

 

[SebastianBlue]

 

[Inca Roads Bert]

When the anthems have been sang I had the suspicion that France would do it, just.

The songs set the mood; one dreadful begging for the salvation of a certain inbred good for nothing III, while the other summons the Citizens to the arms and dethrone those aforementioned turds. ;)

 

[jonah62]

When the anthems have been sang I had the suspicion that France would do it, just.

The songs set the mood; one dreadful begging for the salvation of a certain inbred good for nothing III, while the other summons the Citizens to the arms and dethrone those aforementioned turds. ;)

They should have sung it more in 1939 then.

 

[Nellies left peg]

Well, watched the match in the pub, great atmosphere during and after. Felt we played well but a couple of points.
Why do we loft balls into the box which are easier to defend and what the fuck with the substitutions.

And I lost count of the high balls to Phil who is 5’7” fair dos he won a couple of headers but bloody hell Pickfords distribution was shocking

 

[bluemoon32]

From the way that Rice plays it is difficult to discern what his role is supposed to be. I still don’t know.

He was brilliant according to McNulty on the BBC website, i must be missing something

 

[Txiki Txiki Bang Bang]

How is Kane's rating higher than Saka?

 

[lazerblue]

Without reading through 300 pages, was anyone else baffled by the substitutions, and what does Declan Rice actually do!

 

[oldius]

Rice, Bellingham and Henderson are just too similar and there is simply not enough guile in central midfield. It stems, I think, from a more conservative mindset, nevertheless, we were good enough to win that game.

 

[Keeper!]

Without reading through 300 pages, was anyone else baffled by the substitutions, and what does Declan Rice actually do!

Plays for a London club run by lovely good old English white boys ( even though they are dildo salesmen)