Stottie

Everton are doing exactly what Liverpool did between 2011-15. Buy bottom half players for inflated fees and wages in the hope of bridging the Gap to top 4 . But in reality all you end up with is mostly below average players on huge wages and become Deadwood in a season or two. We got lucky with Suarez and Sterling so we could set off those poor spendings. We literally have to give Downing for free after signing him for 20odd mil. Everton are doing the same thing now. I think Man City would have been the same had the money been turned off after Mark Hughes. He bought very poorly from other English clubs. That Richarlison fee is mad, but this must be Silva's call from them working together last season.

I thought Liverpool might have problems with ACoN but it's being held in summer next time and won't affect them. If the new lads settle, they're going to be in with a strong shout. 70M for Zaha is more than Mahrez. That strikes me as pricing him to not sell.

Massive respect to Rafa for doing what he's doing with dignity, but Christ man, what a buzz kill this is. Maybe we need a big "Where's the tv money?" flag. I'm too pissed off to think of anything else at the moment.

The non-attempts at diving in the final only seem to confirm this. Playing a keeper known to have been injured in the previous match and not testing him is piss-poor management. England have taken injured players into big matches before, Rooney etc., and it was seen as a sign of incompetence that was rightly punished by the other team.

His first season there was more AM but now he's just a ball winning/recycling CM, maybe to keep Salah and the fullbacks higher up the pitch. He still creates as much as Henderson, who sees more of the ball and makes many more passes, presumably as the go-to player who collects from the defence. Some numbers you can play with, with Shelvey and Diame in for comparison. http://www2.squawka.com/comparison-matrix#premier_league/2017/2018/jordan_henderson/819/819/86/0/p|premier_league/2017/2018/jonjo_shelvey/819/819/523/39/p|premier_league/2017/2018/mohamed_diam%C3%A9/819/819/922/39/p|premier_league/2016/2017/georginio_wijnaldum/819/641/7968/36/p|premier_league/2017/2018/georginio_wijnaldum/819/819/7968/36/p#total_score/key_passes/chances_created/assists/pass_completion/avg_pass_length/goals_scored/total_duels_%/fouls_committed/fouls_suffered/total_passes/total_forward_passes#total Playing bread and butter CM in this way, and not just "ghost in and score but otherwise invisible" AM, suggests he is much more useful that he looked for us. For us, I think the goals he scored came from very few shots, famously all four in that Norwich game, so that level of production is unlikely to be repeated.

If he genuinely wants to play and improve, then good luck to him. So many players out there just taking the money and sitting on a bench or not even in a matchday squad. A certain individual with ginger hair springs to mind.

He's not a fringe player. Atsu is a fringe player. Getting this out of the way would normally be a cause for celebration, but our history with Ashley means it is unlikely to be a loan meant to keep funds back to spend elsewhere. There is no evidence to suggest that is something we are ever going to do.

From his effort at the Trippier free kick, I wouldn't rule out the possibility that their keeper was still injured. He should have been tested, even from distance, to see how injured.

Clear as day booking when he blocked Kane in the first half. He just shouted a lot and the ref bottled it.

England overachieved, but this was such a fantastic opportunity to reach the final, where anything can happen. It is truly regrettable. Tactically, I think we are compromising our best players, Kane, Sterling, and Alli, to fit the system. Two play for Spurs, and they use two dedicated CMs with either three or four at the back. Usually some combination of Dembele, Dier, Wanyama and Winks. Against Croatia, Alli touched the ball five times in our box, only once in theirs. It was his job to get out to the lad in acres who wafted the cross in for Croatia's equalizer. That's not Alli's forte. Sterling should be out wide and operate in more space as an easier to reach out ball. He barely touched the ball in this game. Kane, our best player, is wasted playing as deep as he is. I think 3-4-2-1 or 4-2-3-1 would give a more solid base to launch attacks, to slow the game down when ahead, and to stop our fine attacking players from drifting deep to help defend. Maybe in a few years when other players come through, then switch to 3-5-2.

Late in the first half, I noticed that Harry Kane was tracking Modric. On occasions he was forty yards from our goal. That's not how you get him to score goals. Him being assigned that role also suggests our midfield balance must have been fundamentally wrong. Overall a fantastic opportunity wasted, not least when we were winning with 25 minutes to play.

And again

Asleep there.

Yeah Sterling's been lively and I hope he can make his mark on the game. As a counterpoint to the "gets the best out of the players" comments, I'll just point out that Southgate has Sterling and Kyle Walker, two of best players in terms of league performance in 17/18, out of position. Walker hasn't mattered so much with Trippier playing so well, but Sterling looks much more effective for Man City as a wide forward. He may be the top scorer in the tournament, thanks largely to the three pens, but I would be amazed if any Spurs fan thinks that Southgate is using Harry Kane as well as Poch would. He is usually much more involved in the danger area and shoots much more. Southgate is eminently likeable and has of course got the results with the players at his disposal. It is really great to have a team that the country wants to get behind. That is far from a given, maybe no John Terry and less WAGs nonsense helps, and wouldn't be the case with Hippohead in charge.

Russia wide open there. Lots of them in the box marking empty spaces.

Is Hayden not more of a DM than an AM?

After the season Benteke had, you cannot judge any other Palace player on "assists".

If he is replaced in a manner Rafa is happy with, that sounds like a good fee to me given his age. He's a good pro and he was good for us, so all the best to him. The thought of the club operating in a competent and sensible manner feels weird.

Lukaku's run inside in the final minute dragged Nagatomo away, creating the huge space on Japan's left that Belgium exploited for the last minute winner. Lukaku may end up like Rooney or the real Ronaldo in doing too much, too young in a body not built for longevity, but he's a definite top striker.

With Townsend, Rafa knows exactly what he'll get, so I trust his judgement. From the last time, he proved he was a trier, not always a given with wide players, and we'll need one of them if we are replacing Ritchie.

Always looked very tidy and quite skilful in the few times I've seen him play. A good signing, I think.

I agree that something seemed to happen with Merino when he got injured. Before that, it was looking like we'd signed Kante Mk. II. Wasn't he leading the league in a ball-winning stat? He looked superhumanly strong on the ball. After the injury, it sounds like there was some falling out between club and player, and whether that's true or not, his performances have not been the same since. He hasn't looked like someone you would play over Hayden. Maybe his head has just gone for us, so we'll not see the same player from those first eight games. That player was certainly one to hang onto.

Megalolz at Neuer. That was beautiful. Has to be said, but there is no ferking way Leroy Sane would not have improved that team.

Hummels has missed about four now.

2-0!!!!!