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

[Bozo]

There was very little football played against Panama. It was two pens, two set pieces, a deflection and a long distance goal. The possession football was none-existent.

There's no reason why England can't do well and surprise people, but I haven't seen any evidence yet that they are about to.

Kane does not have the creativity of some forward players but he's there to finish chances, and there aren't many better goal scorers in the game. I don't see how anyone can even question that given his record in the Premier League and in internationals. The question is do England have the team to support him.

YAWN

 

[Magicpole]

Missed sitter or great save?

Lukaku against City in the derby at their place, missed sitter or great save from Ederson?

Lingard was praised for his Tunisia performance, missed sitter or good movement to be there? I know how that performance and that chance in particular would've been received were it Sterling.

The best bit of football England produced against Panama had Sterling right at the heart of it.

Total 100% sitter all day long. Regardless of what anybody else has done. He needs to put that away. Shocking miss and imagine it had happened in an important game and Stovnes wasn’t there to save his blushes you can’t give people a bye because they play for you.

It was a sitter.

 

[Rolee]

Total 100% sitter all day long. Regardless of what anybody else has done. He needs to put that away. Shocking miss and imagine it had happened in an important game and Stovnes wasn’t there to save his blushes you can’t give people a bye because they play for you.

It was a sitter.

So no credit to keeper?

 

[Rolee]

I hear what you are saying, I think Rashford is totally over rated. The situation though still remains, Sterling has to improve for him. He hasn’t played anywhere in the post code of well yet.

If he does he shuts everyone up and keeps his place. He needs to step up. And people mentioned his missed off side sitter, because he didn’t know it was and totally fucked it up.

He has always had a few sitters in his locker. As you start to play real teams he will be required if you are to have any chance. On his current performances he won’t provide the edge needed.

Again, if anybody disagrees, watch both games again and imagine he was a Utd player.

He played well first half hour of first game went missing then.

Played well overall against Panama.

 

[schfc6]

For my money the Lingard goal doesn't happen without Sterling. Alli, Rashford, Kane, Lingard himself would have just turned and ran, not even considered the lay off. That's the reason Sterling is playing for me. He's the only player looking to break the lines and create space. I believe Wagner was explaining how hard it is to prepare to face Sterling as he takes up such good positions and leaves space for others. Personally he was making some great runs and got himself on the last shoulder, a decent ball and he's in. The ball never comes.

A goal would do him wonders. But those who matter are seeing what he brings.

 

[PragueBlue]

I hear what you are saying, I think Rashford is totally over rated. The situation though still remains, Sterling has to improve for him. He hasn’t played anywhere in the post code of well yet.

If he does he shuts everyone up and keeps his place. He needs to step up. And people mentioned his missed off side sitter, because he didn’t know it was and totally fucked it up.

He has always had a few sitters in his locker. As you start to play real teams he will be required if you are to have any chance. On his current performances he won’t provide the edge needed.

Again, if anybody disagrees, watch both games again and imagine he was a Utd player.

Sterling is never going to shine in this team with this formation. He is a winger playing as a striker in a team that creates very little except from set pieces. He needs balls to run onto and England just don't have the players to provide them.

Even Kane hasn't really been able to get into games very much despite his goals. There just isn't the creativity in the CM or at FB to really bring him into play that often. He's only really offered any threat from set pieces and he's a better player than that.

 

[BlueHammer85]

But the key factor in Sterling’s performances is that he’s got a section of the nation wanting him to fail. He fails to beat a man and he gets slagged off, Rashford does it and it’s good forward thinking.

this key factor isn't just aimed at Sterling, some on here want Rashford, Young, Lingard and others to fail and will abuse them 'Rashford' etc, alot of my hammers mates cant stand Kane and will give him sh*t if he doesn''t score - fans with club loyalty specs on are a problem and help whip up negativity, far more than the media does in todays social media world.

 

[daztrueblue91]

I hear what you are saying, I think Rashford is totally over rated. The situation though still remains, Sterling has to improve for him. He hasn’t played anywhere in the post code of well yet.

If he does he shuts everyone up and keeps his place. He needs to step up. And people mentioned his missed off side sitter, because he didn’t know it was and totally fucked it up.

He has always had a few sitters in his locker. As you start to play real teams he will be required if you are to have any chance. On his current performances he won’t provide the edge needed.

Again, if anybody disagrees, watch both games again and imagine he was a Utd player.

My issue with the offside chance isnt the fact that Sterling missed a sitter. It’s the fact it’s been reported as it could have cost England when the fact of the matter is that it couldn’t have cost England anything.

What a lot of people fail to take into account is the position Sterling is actually playing. Kane, despite being on fire at the minute, isn’t actually contributing much to our build-up play. That isn’t a criticism of Kane as he can sit on his arse for 89 minutes for all I care as long as he score the winner. However, it results in the fact that Sterling is having to play much deeper to link the midfield and attack.

Lingard has been fantastic in the opening two games and many of his good play has been linked with Raheem. Yet no one focuses on that side of our play.

People seem to think it’s black and white and we’ll play the exact same way if Rashford or Vardy play ahead of Raz and it will lead to England having a greater goal threat. But the reality is that Vardy and Rashford are better deployed further up the pitch. Vardy’s link up play is non-existent and Rashford’s strengths are his pace and directness.

I do wonder how dropping Raz would impact our style of play.

 

[daztrueblue91]

this key factor isn't just aimed at Sterling, some on here want Rashford, Young, Lingard and others to fail and will abuse them 'Rashford' etc, alot of my hammers mates cant stand Kane and will give him sh*t if he doesn''t score - fans with club loyalty specs on are a problem and help whip up negativity, far more than the media does in todays social media world.

There’s a fundamental difference between rival fans giving a player shit and pretty much the whole nation.

I’m yet to see Harry Kane or Rashford universally booed up and down the country like Raz has been.

 

[Magicpole]

So no credit to keeper?

No, he shouldn’t have had an earthy. The ball was headed straight at him. He didn’t need to move, it was a sitter.