England

[LFEE]

54 minutes ago, ramirez said:

Gerrard seemed to change more games, not sure if thats because he was often surrounded by much poorer players than Scholes was, the 2005 CL winning side a case in point.  Gerrard a better tackler as well.  Didn't like him but don't get the notion that they were different class.

Three cheers for ramirez.

[Mole]

England is the only country where tackling is such a highly prioritised skillset. When the reality is tackling someone only happens because you made a prior mistake.

[LFEE]

3 minutes ago, Mole said:

England is the only country where tackling is such a highly prioritised skillset. When the reality is tackling someone only happens because you made a prior mistake.

Hope you don’t see that as derogatory of our game?

 

It’s what makes our league better. The fact ironically they are trying to take it out our league is diminishing the attractiveness to it.

 

Apart from a goal you’ll still get the biggest cheer when a player wins the ball back and so you should as it highlights the fight and bravery in the player which is what you want to see in your team.

 

Watched football live across many countries and it’s quite insipid.

[black_n_white]

13 hours ago, Bizza said:

Wales are shite

Thought we improved after half time. We are not usually as bad as we were in the first half. By the way what I thought was shite was your fans, barley heard them all night.

[madras]

10 minutes ago, Mole said:

England is the only country where tackling is such a highly prioritised skillset. When the reality is tackling someone only happens because you made a prior mistake.

If you have the ball and I attempt to get it or at least make it a 50:50 its because I made a prior mistake ?

[AyeDubbleYoo]

17 minutes ago, Mole said:

England is the only country where tackling is such a highly prioritised skillset. When the reality is tackling someone only happens because you made a prior mistake.

 

What do you mean by tackling though? Surely pressing high and trying to win the ball back is very close to tackling?

[Mole]

20 minutes ago, LFEE said:

Hope you don’t see that as derogatory of our game?

 

It’s what makes our league better. The fact ironically they are trying to take it out our league is diminishing the attractiveness to it.

 

Apart from a goal you’ll still get the biggest cheer when a player wins the ball back and so you should as it highlights the fight and bravery in the player which is what you want to see in your team.

 

Watched football live across many countries and it’s quite insipid.

Not at all, I just think there’s way too much stock put towards it compared to other skillsets which are arguably more important when comparing players. I think it’s an exciting part of the game and I wouldn’t personally change it, but I also would place many other things of higher importance.

 

I also think there’s many ways to show bravery on a football pitch other than just the tackling aspect. I want to be clear, obviously winning possession is an important skill to possess but I think there’s a big difference between let’s say what Pedri did against us and the type of tackles that are celebrated in this league usually.

[Mole]

22 minutes ago, madras said:

If you have the ball and I attempt to get it or at least make it a 50:50 its because I made a prior mistake ?

More talking about the sort of tackling that is a result of (which to me is very common) of being out of position and forced to rectify that mistake than this.

 

I am not as negative towards this or the pressing example Ian gave, both of those are much more positive examples  I probably shouldn’t have been so generic with my initial post as tackling has a wide spectrum and includes a lot of different aspects.

[Mole]

Actually the Pedri example is very bad, what Tonali does every week is an extremely positive example but I don’t think many times he’s actually out of position. (His team mates might be though )

 

That sort of ball winning is extremely positive and should be praised highly, but there’s a lot of players historically who won tackles but weren’t really impacting the game and if anything were detrimental.

[LFEE]

1 hour ago, Mole said:

Not at all, I just think there’s way too much stock put towards it compared to other skillsets which are arguably more important when comparing players. I think it’s an exciting part of the game and I wouldn’t personally change it, but I also would place many other things of higher importance.

 

I also think there’s many ways to show bravery on a football pitch other than just the tackling aspect. I want to be clear, obviously winning possession is an important skill to possess but I think there’s a big difference between let’s say what Pedri did against us and the type of tackles that are celebrated in this league usually.

 

I think in a similar way if I was to agree with you I’m pretty sure other leagues fans watch on in amusement how excited we get in the PL when we win a corner 

[Choppy Chop Chop]

don't usually watch England but my god how sterile was that!!

[Curva Sud Milano]

1 hour ago, LFEE said:

 

Watched football live across many countries and it’s quite insipid.

 

It's normal now because the Premier League is the richest league and where everyone wants to go to play but I still miss the times before the creation of the PL, when your football was certainly less technical but with more heart and pace.

The arrival of many foreign coaches (from Wenger onwards) has certainly helped you but it has also made you lose some of your identity.

Anyway, I agree with you; I myself would rather watch Brentford-Leeds than Barcelona-Valencia. The only thing you lack is the atmosphere in the stands.

[Disco]

21 minutes ago, Choppy Chop Chop said:

don't usually watch England but my god how sterile was that!!

Tommy Toucher was calling the fans a bunch of lazy cockney cunts post game.

[Mole]

41 minutes ago, LFEE said:

 

I think in a similar way if I was to agree with you I’m pretty sure other leagues fans watch on in amusement how excited we get in the PL when we win a corner 

It makes us unique so I wouldn't change it. I'm sure Woltemade commented on it recently and I do think it's part of the attraction to the league.

 

I just personally find other aspects much more important when discussing who is better sort of discussions.

[joeyt]

[St. Maximin]

15 hours ago, RobsonsWonderland said:

First time at an England game and I am not surprised with the comments about the crowd.

 

The friggin trumpet and drum over power the crowd.

Half the people around us didn't seem to care that the match was on

And the rest then started leaving with 20 minutes to go.

 

I blame Rashford

 

 

I genuinely think this is part of why England often plays such pedestrian football. We’ve got these plodding drummers and trumpets and lame chants, which hardly fire the players up and give them that extra adrenaline. I went to Turkey v Georgia at the Euros. The crowd were electric and made a really powerful atmosphere - it became a brilliant end-to-end game. I just don’t see that excitement from England fans. 

 

 

Edited October 10, 2025 by St. Maximin

[leffe186]

6 hours ago, St. Maximin said:

I genuinely think this is part of why England often plays such pedestrian football. We’ve got these plodding drummers and trumpets and lame chants, which hardly fire the players up and give them that extra adrenaline. I went to Turkey v Georgia at the Euros. The crowd were electric and made a really powerful atmosphere - it became a brilliant end-to-end game. I just don’t see that excitement from England fans. 

 

It's an interesting point. Like so many, I wish we went back to playing game all round the country - wonder if it would help create a better atmosphere. I'd like to see the demographic make-up of the crowds too. So many families, and I presume a lot of people priced out, as everywhere.

[Disco]

Pretty tenuous link for me.
 

For one you cant compare the atmosphere at a tournament v a dull home qualifying game or friendly and England tournament games are as raucous as any other and if anything the football gets worse. Most of the England songs are little different to what we hear across the country every weekend and the games are usually pretty lively.

 

I do agree Wembley is a vacuum like. Horrible stadium for football, England or club.

[Yorkie]

I enjoyed Tuchel making the point because it was about Wembley dwellers who probably don't support Newcastle and therefore I hate them (and also because, more seriously, it makes the argument for taking the England team to stadiums around the country). However, can you really blame a crowd, probably full of kids, for being subdued when watching a dead rubber contest that was over within a few minutes? 

[Ben]

6 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

I enjoyed Tuchel making the point because it was about Wembley dwellers who probably don't support Newcastle and therefore I hate them (and also because, more seriously, it makes the argument for taking the England team to stadiums around the country). However, can you really blame a crowd, probably full of kids, for being subdued when watching a dead rubber contest that was over within a few minutes? 

 

Why buy a ticket then ?

[mondonewc]

Isn't our record at Wembley fantastic? 

 

And away support is right up there. 

 

Have to say it feels absolute nonsense to suggest it's a factor in results/performance.

 

 

Edited October 10, 2025 by mondonewc

[andycap]

Was just thinking the other day that after this international break we've basically played the same amount of league games as international ones. Which is crackers. 

[andycap]

Jordan pickford is gonna sign a new five year deal at Everton wasting his prime years in my book. 

Surely he can do better than a bottom half team at this stage of his career. 

[RS]

12 minutes ago, andycap said:

Jordan pickford is gonna sign a new five year deal at Everton wasting his prime years in my book. 

Surely he can do better than a bottom half team at this stage of his career. 

Above us so far this season. 

[Ben]

So if England win tomorrow then Novembers games are a waste of time.