International Football Match Thread 2018

[prestonibbo_mcfc]

You don't have to be objective to read and understand the numbers 2 and 3.
But analysing the performance requires some objectivity.

Good first half. Not so good second half and a better side than Spain might have punished us ;-)

 

[hilts]

That's why this much maligned competition is better than friendlies, it actually means something, we're not playing "fodder" as you call them.

If England had lost tonight, there was a serious risk they could be relegated to the second level of this competition next time round.

Spain themselves were very keen not to lose their fantastic home record in that second half, but they still did. Its far more than a "good win" for me, its a sign that there is big improvement.

Could we lose to them next week, of course we could, they're Spain, and have a better squad to pick from than we do.

The fodder I was referring to are the World Cup and Euro qualifiers we go through. This discussion has been had before England’s record against good teams in tournament matches isn’t bad it’s woeful. We are probably the most under performing team in international football for a very very long time. Does a smash and grab against Spain in one match change this? No.

 

[Henkeman]

I thought we played a lot more football in the middle of the park, than we have recently. Well first half anyway.
We sat back far too much second half and winks and Barkley looked knackered from the start of it.
We need to be able to keep playing, no matter what, for 90 minutes. It looks like there could be the seeds of us
getting a decent side back. That depends heavily on Southgate sticking with the youngsters and not re-engaging with
the experienced donkeys we have. They should be sent to Blackpool, forthwith ;-)

The thing which is promising is that Southgate doesn't gloss over it, he accepts that it's where England have a problem. He was talking about it before the Croatia game, how in the World Cup when they lost control they panicked and reverted to old habits. Doesn't mean Southgate is the next Guardiola for a second, but it's nice to have an England manager fully aware of the flaws and trying to work around them.

 

[prestonibbo_mcfc]

The fodder I was referring to are the World Cup and Euro qualifiers we go through. This discussion has been had before England’s record against good teams in tournament matches isn’t bad it’s woeful. We are probably the most under performing team in international football for a very very long time. Does a smash and grab against Spain in one match change this? No.

No but a change has to start somewhere and hope it's tonight.

 

[Mallorca Blue]

But in the last tournament, this year you'll recall, we didn't get beaten by a poor team. In fact they were good teams who were going to knock England out, right up to the point they didn't, then they became poor teams again.

Are you referring to Panama?

 

[hammocity]

I respect your opinion but I suspect you are in a pretty small minority on this.

I think I’ve probably watched him more than you have, he may improve but he definitely does not display talent that would get him in a Pep team.

 

[prestonibbo_mcfc]

I think I’ve probably watched him more than you have, he may improve but he definitely does not display talent that would get him in a Pep team.

That doesn't make him a bad player. There are probably thousands of very good players that wouldn't be a Pep player.

 

[hilts]

No but a change has to start somewhere and hope it's tonight.

The negatives were still there but the result was good. Personally I look at performances because long term this is a better indicator. England over the years have these good results from time to time and people get a tad giddy. You would think even the most positive fan would learn the lesson, they don’t. Groundhog Day.

 

[cleavers]

The fodder I was referring to are the World Cup and Euro qualifiers we go through. This discussion has been had before England’s record against good teams in tournament matches isn’t bad it’s woeful. We are probably the most under performing team in international football for a very very long time. Does a smash and grab against Spain in one match change this? No.

I know what you were referring too, and I agree, but to be fair to Southgate he hasn't had a full campaign in qualifiers yet. This is a tournament, yes a mini one, and they probably won't qualify from it (should have won on Friday really), but it still needs to be said that Englands youngest starting team for 59 years has just ended a 15 year unbeaten home record, and it wasn't smash and grab, they were 3-0 up after 45 minutes.

Anyway I'm done here, I'm not a great fan of international football, but genuinely for the first time in about 15 years I actually enjoyed watching England tonight, and I thought they deserved to win the game.

 

[oakiecokie]

We came, we saw, we kicked off ? The people that moan hate us. Fuck you you racist, bigoted bastards

WTF ??