World Cup 2018 | 18th June | England vs Tunisia Match Thread

[Gaylord du Bois]

Stick Beardsley and Gascoigne in that side and we might have a chance. Shocking how far English footballing talent has regressed since 1990. Not one player that you could call a playmaker.
The midfield isn't pretty to watch but if they can cobble something together, who knows ...

 

[Deleted member 41424]

I'm still confused as to why you'd play someone who has had a great season at full-back/wing-back as a centre half. He was playing as the middle centre half when they conceded the penalty last night.

Talk about square pegs and round holes.

This.
All season at Full back and suddenly you are up against the world's best in a different position.
3 at the back is specialised and very rarely used in English football, the players need to be confident and comfortable in each position.
Walker doesn't look 100% comfortable and will get found out.

Stones-Cahill-Maguire is the line up if Southgate is to stick with this.

Also 3 ball carrying CBs don't require a deep lying midfielder in front of them imo...

 

[Bill Walker]

Sorry but this is a part of the problem that someone else bought up earlier - people like yourself are fixated with club loyalty and so will bash other players because ‘their not getting the same treatment as yours’. Forget who they play for and just support em. Let the media and social media mob slag off who they want, there’s no stopping it unfortunately, we’re a nation of moaners and haters.

Exactly right
I thought England were very good in this match, as you say critics of the game are just pissed because Sterling wasnt at his best, and I wonder if he still played for Loserpool how many City fans would also be moaning about him.
I liked the way England played there was a method to it, they created chance after chance, 2nd half less chances as Tunisia changed tactics and went defensive (it reminded me of a few City games where the opposition parked the bus.)
I thought Rashford looked effective when he came on, so did Loftus Cheek, Rashford unsettled them with his directness, so a good Substitution in my eyes.
From a City perspective, Stones was brilliant the whole game, very pleased to see that.
England fans should get behind the team,

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

Watch Tunisia's pen again, Pickford is stood behind the goal line when it's taken, amateur at best, couldn't believe it when I noticed it on some highlights before. Never seen a keeper behind his line for a pen before at any level. No media have picked up on it, out on pens again.

 

[SkyBlueTX]

I’ll admit I’ve had way too much to drink tonight but I think England has a great chance this WC. Every team looks flawed in some significant way one match in. Most goals have been from set pieces or penalties.

Group leaders or co-leaders: Russia, Iran, Serbia, Sweden, Mexico, Japan, Senegal, and Denmark. Why not England?

 

[VOOMER]

Exactly right
I thought England were very good in this match, as you say critics of the game are just pissed because Sterling wasnt at his best, and I wonder if he still played for Loserpool how many City fans would also be moaning about him.
I liked the way England played there was a method to it, they created chance after chance, 2nd half less chances as Tunisia changed tactics and went defensive (it reminded me of a few City games where the opposition parked the bus.)
I thought Rashford looked effective when he came on, so did Loftus Cheek, Rashford unsettled them with his directness, so a good Substitution in my eyes.
From a City perspective, Stones was brilliant the whole game, very pleased to see that.
England fans should get behind the team,

The elephant in the room is Kane. Two tap ins masked his laboured performance.

 

[BlueHammer85]

The elephant in the room is Kane. Two tap ins masked his laboured performance.

So drop him ? Best player we have by far and doesn’t stop scoring

 

[Uncle Wally One Ball]

I’ll admit I’ve had way too much to drink tonight but I think England has a great chance this WC. Every team looks flawed in some significant way one match in. Most goals have been from set pieces or penalties.

Group leaders or co-leaders: Russia, Iran, Serbia, Sweden, Mexico, Japan, Senegal, and Denmark. Why not England?

Because, while vastly improved on previous squads at tournaments, they are a bit predictable

 

[Magicpole]

Dietmarr Hamann said on Irish TV that he thought that in the first 30-ish minutes, England looked like the best team in the tournament so far. Personally, I'd say that Spain, Portugal and arguably Mexico look better, but beyond that, nobody's really had a better half of football. Second half was a bit more laboured, admittedly.


Hmm, I see a lot of this. With Lingard too. Because their end product wasn't good enough, there's talk of dropping them, whereas other players who didn't even get into a position to deliver an end product get a free pass. The fact that Lingard had 5 good chances is a positive thing, which puts him ahead of any of our other midfielders. We know he can finish, because we've seen it for the rags. Same with Sterling. So stick with them and it'll come. However, if you're going to drop Sterling, drop him against Panama and bring him back for Belgium, because that's the game where he'll have more space to operate in.

Regardless of what Hamman said, it was good play but nowhere near the Spanish or the Brazilians when they stepped up a gear. The worry as I said, was when the Tunisian closed down the space. All other teams will have watched that and this is when Sterling needs to step up. Too many times his attempts to dribble ended in being closed out, he held the ball too long at times and the numbers around him stopped him.

England need to find someone who opens up this type of defence. Sterling has it in his locker, but, it’s three games and you need it on the park. He got the bid to start which surprised some after the hype of Rashford, but he didn’t shine. He missed an absolute sitter, only got away with that because it was called offside.

Southgate has a decision and the introduction of both subs improved you. You could tell by Sterling’s face he knew he had passed up the chance to guarantee the jersey was his.

If they drop him and you win well, there is no chance he will start against Belgium. He needs to use whatever time he gets against Panama to explode onto the competition. He can have no complaints if he doesn’t make the team though.

Big call for Southgate.

The priority is getting the 3 points against Panama, he talked up the difference the subs made. He will drop Sterling.

I hope he comes good, it’s a test of his character and whether he plays is down to him. It isn’t enough to be the better player, if you don’t turn up. People can gloss it up, but that’s the bottom line, he didn’t turn up and was subbed.

 

[TCIB]

*whispers* Thanks TCIB but I’m a madam (not literally though ;-)!!) However I did go to City one week & them lot the next. :-)

Whoops sorry about that hehe. I find the dynamics of that time interesting, i would love to have seen Manchester City centre on the alternate match days and just observe the dynamics of fans in Manchester then. The fashion would have provided more than a few giggles to no doubt :-D