leffe186

Mission accomplished I guess.

Gotta say lads, that was great mentality and a big player moment, but from two players. I think you’ve missed something. I was pretty drunk when we started and was watching intermittently, so can’t make a definitive review . Thought we played OK though. For the defence. Chilwell was much better but he couldn’t have been worse. Dunk’s error was a proper “I don’t belong here” mistake. I thought Gomez did fine, and is more of a RB than Konsa. Pickford fucked up. We basically gave them two goals, obviously. Somebody said Mainoo was more advanced than they expected. It’s clear that Southgate wants to play Rice as a holding player, Bellingham as a sort of roaming 10 and A.N.Other as someone who is all over the place. Saturday it was Gallagher, tonight it was Mainoo and I thought he was pretty good. I thought Bowen was really good for a while. It’s nice to have somebody who runs at people. Foden was OK in fits and starts. Toney was better than Watkins and I loved the way he took the penalty. I just wasn’t paying enough attention to really assess his whole performance. The thing that pleasantly surprised me was Maddison. I thought he did what Foden is kind of supposed to do - make clever and incisive passes in the final third that take players out of the game. He gave the ball away a couple of times but was trying stuff that was really troubling Belgium and creating chances…and ultimately sucked players in and made the pass to Bellingham for the equalizer. Encouraging.

It’s supposed to be a current one.

Someone did a current one: https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/s/WlUbecsWYC

Slightly updated version: https://prnt.sc/3Ut552uZnKow

This is rather excellent: https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/s/N64F4ueqP4

I think it’s the quite literal pissing that they want.

I was working at HMV on Oxford St when England played Argentina in the Beckham game. Me and an Arsenal fan (hope you’re doing well, Jeff) were in the pub jumping up and down, hugging and screaming when the Campbell “goal” went in. Genuinely one of the best moments I’ve ever had as a football supporter, albeit very brief. It’s up to you of course. I support Spurs because of my Dad and growing up in the community. I support England because of my Dad and growing up in the community. I feel a little bad that you’re missing out on a lot of stuff, but if you don’t support England then that’s it. Just…you’re doing it because some other fans were nasty to you?

It hasn’t changed man, it’s always been the same, but all fanbases have this. Just remember that whatever happens we’re all better than Arsenal and Liverpool, so we all have that to fall back on.

Don’t think they really have a choice though. Semi-pro in a league where the top clubs are paying fortunes. In the lower divisions they’re up against similar sides in some respects but anyone decent will get snapped up and so they have to make a virtue of what they can do. The top level is way ahead of the fifth and sixth sides, let alone the lower divisions.

That’s weird unless he’s been speaking to Milan and trying to manage the injury a bit. Seemed like Tomori was a solid fixture in the squad.

Isn’t he still injured? Picked up a nasty one in December that was supposed to keep him out for at least a couple of months.

Agreed on the defence. It’s not even the clangers with Maguire: he makes routine little defensive errors that get exploited by players at this level. Couple that with Chilwell having a mare and that’s the left side of defence up the Khyber. I thought Pickford was terrific though. Not half as worried about him.

He didn't play two holding midfielders though. Rice was holding, and Gallagher was pressing - sometimes even near the opposing penalty area. He even popped up on the RW occasionally. It could work with Foden doing that job, but then I fear that the defence as a whole is simply not good enough at either recycling the ball or defending any breakdown. Would be fun to try, but yesterday you had a back four where three players weren’t quite up to it after Walker went off, which is a disaster waiting to happen.

You can’t not play Bellingham, Rice, Kane, Gordon or Saka with the seasons they’re having either. That’s why some people are picking them all and Foden. The questions are (a) will that truly be our best team? and (b) does that expose our defence too much?

Gordon’s a shoo-in for the squad. He should be in the XI tbh. Gordon, Saka and Kane, with Bellingham pushing on is genuinely lethal. Then you just have to find someone who can run all day to pair with Rice. Let’s pretend we have a defence.

It’s so transparently obvious that Gordon should be playing there though. I think Southgate will see Rashford as a sub to run at tired players. I’m more concerned about how peripheral Watkins was, yet again. There was that little patch at the end of the first half where he was involved in some nice interplay but other than that, nothing.

I wasn’t paying too much attention towards the end but was Foden still on the pitch? Can’t see Maddison coming on if that’s the case. Rashford offers something different in theory.

They’re decent and they really cared . At least you won’t have any expectations for England in the Euros though. I’m looking forward to it.

Really don’t think we’ve been that bad tonight. The ref let them get away with systematic persistent fouling to break things down and the England players who aren’t good weren’t good. There was some decent play going forward and some good pressing at times.

Not that, more I don’t understand what we’re asking him to do for England. It seems like we consciously avoid using him for the things he’s good at.

That was a gorgeous touch tbf

I don’t really understand Bowen for England. Maybe I’ve just not seen enough of him.

Joäo Gomes is a twat as well

Konsa got sucked in there. This defence will be an enormous problem if Walker or Stones get injured.