England v USA – Fri 25th Nov, 19:00 | Group B | World Cup 2022

[cheekybids]

Foden plays too fast to be in the middle when sometimes he needs to dictate the game a bit. But either way, Foden should have come on to inject some directness and speed.

Foden knows how to get on the ball & the pace comes from playing on the half turn & pin them back. That was lacking massively.

 

[cheekybids]

Bellingham looked like a 19 year old kid tonight. Weak, slow, bullied. Foden in the middle would have added more than Henderson.

Agreed but I thought Mount looked like he’d won a competition to play with England.

 

[Lavinda Past]

This is it. Nailed on.

Despite how impressive it looks on paper to reach a semi and a final, Southgate's only really achieved one impressive knockout result (Germany 2-0). Otherwise it's been stodgy football that works up to a point but gets undone by the first organised team they come across, and that's exactly what will happen in 2022.

They need someone more ambitious, more in tune with just how technically gifted this squad is. Grealish is sat on the bench while the midfield struggles to move through the thirds, Foden is sat on the bench while Sterling loses the ball in the final third yet again. England play it nicely but they're shit at recycling the ball.

If this isn't Southgate's last tournament this era will be looked back on as a huge missed opportunity.

If it hadn't been so close to the World Cup starting, he would probably have been sacked when England got relegated in the Nations League.

His lack of coaching ability has been blazingly obvious for years. He shouldn't be anywhere near elite level footballers.

 

[ZanteWeatherman]

The problem is he is trying to play a progressive style with Declan Rice as the pivot.

Doomed to failure on every level.

If Rice is a pivot, my dick's a kipper......

 

[cheekybids]

For about two minutes after Henderson came on, England played 15/20 yards further up the pitch. That was our most progressive period of the match.

I'm no fan of Henderson, but in that couple of minutes, it really looked like he could change the game. Unfortunately, he was surrounded by dreadful teammates.

I’ve never defended Henderson before but he & Grealish improved things but I’m pissed off with Mount & Southgate.

 

[ZanteWeatherman]

That sums up Southgate. Rating Rashford because of his “speed”..

Who cares? We need QUALITY like Foden

Pace alone doesn’t cut it at this level, that’s why Adama Traore isn’t there playing for Spain

I notice USA didn't pick Usain Bolt waistcoat you clueless bellend

 

[willipp]

I'd very much like to laugh at that but given the FA it would be a realist possibility.

I genuinely see that as a real possibility.

 

[cheekybids]

I notice USA didn't pick Usain Bolt waistcoat you clueless bellend

Come on mate if he was American they might of ;)

 

[JRockBlues]

It's like the **** has never seen foden play at any level of the game.

Yet where did he bring him on in the previous game? As an attacking midfielder iirc. His introduction (along with Grealish) provided the spark that England needed to up their game against Iran. Thought Henderson did okay tbf but why not make the Foden for Mount switch again when we did have that little bit more control after the first 2 subs?

 

[paulchapo]

The issue with Southgate is that the English national team has progressed beyond him. On the surface, the results (2018 WC - Semi Final, 2020 Euros - Runners up) are great. But in context, it's a bit disappointing.

As a neutral - throughout my life (I am 33 for reference), England has always been talented, but bit overhyped. Some wonderfully skilled individual players, but flawed teams that never really gelled or were a step below the top European and South American teams of the era.

That all changed around the 2018 World Cup. The current English team/generation of players is legitimately one of, if the most, talented and technically skilled sides in the world. We're just so used to England underperforming that the runs you've had in the past two tournaments have disguised that's what this side should be achieving with the players available.

Look how Luis Henrique had Spain humming the other day. England, on paper, is more talented than Spain. But under Southgate - they will never, ever play like that. Southgate has them playing uninspired and boring, and quite frankly, they're winning in spite of him.

He's decided that his style is the best and most successful for tournament football. He's kind of got it half right but he's not tactically astute or brave enough to take it to the next level. If by some miracle we win something it will be in spite of him not because of him.