World Cup: Group G: England vs. Belgium, Panama vs. Tunisia; 6/28/2018

[Stray Wasp]

Southgate seems totally clueless as it relates to making substitutions.

Leaving aside the particular substitutions, the fact he only made two changes out of a possible three struck me as bizarre. Mind, Dier, Delph and Loftus-Cheek as a midfield trio in a 3-5-2 formation spearheaded by Vardy and Rashford is a grisly reminder of England's lack of options.

I only saw the second half thanks to work commitments, so I don't know whether the negative attention given Pickford's display was wholly justified. Certainly his effort on the goal was a mess that hardly inspires confidence.

Colombia were marvellous the other night, but if nothing else their proneness to attack will suit England's natural suspicion of having to pass properly.

 

[Live in the Now]

I only saw the second half thanks to work commitments, so I don't know whether the negative attention given Pickford's display was wholly justified. Certainly his effort on the goal was a mess that hardly inspires confidence.

In the first half there was a very long scramble in front of his goal featuring numerous mistakes by him and the other central defenders. Ball had to be cleared off the line. I think he has very poor goalkeeping form and has a bad habit of making his body look smaller than it actually is. I don't think Southgate would dare make a change now, but Pope is certainly a better keeper.

Other than Alexander-Arnold's set piece delivery (the rest wasn't great), and admittedly I am biased, Vardy and Loftus-Cheek were the only other bright spots whatsoever.

 

[Stray Wasp]

In the first half there was a very long scramble in front of his goal featuring numerous mistakes by him and the other central defenders. Ball had to be cleared off the line. I think he has very poor goalkeeping form and has a bad habit of making his body look smaller than it actually is. I don't think Southgate would dare make a change now, but Pope is certainly a better keeper.

Other than Alexander-Arnold's set piece delivery (the rest wasn't great), and admittedly I am biased, Vardy and Loftus-Cheek were the only other bright spots whatsoever.

Thanks for the details.

Obviously, unless he's been specially trained for years by a dedicated and accomplished wrangler a mackem finds the urge to walk on all fours is incredibly strong. No doubt that inner conflict causes Pickford to shrink into himself.

 

[Raymondo316]

Deary me it was proper embarrassing watching idiots in my town celebrating and letting off smoke bombs after the game.

You would think we had won the world cup the way people were acting

 

[Stray Wasp]

Deary me it was proper embarrassing watching idiots in my town celebrating and letting off smoke bombs after the game.

You would think we had won the world cup the way people were acting

Eugh. Mind you, I can't stand the whole routine where the TV presenter says, 'And let's see how fans in (insert name of town or city) reacted to (whatever has happened to briefly please England fans)', followed by a cut to a crowd full of people wearing ill-fitting clothes trying to outdo each other's grandstanding in a manner that appears utterly fake.

 

[Nalens Oga]

Alexander-Arnold looks too raw to do anything of note, Delph is wasteful on the ball, Rashford isn't effective through the middle, and Dier distributes better than Henderson but didn't defend as well. Overall, bit of a weak display by them but one take-away for me is that Vardy's a better second striker than Sterling along with other options like Delle Alli and that they definitely can't afford to use Young on the wing or Sterling in the middle again. Also, Gary Cahill looks quite a bit better despite his age than Phil Jones lol.

I do think it's pathetic though how little skill this English team has in comparison to Belgium, a country with less than a quarter of the population or infrastructure. I mean, sure they're at least in this World Cup which is an improvement over the last but this really isn't good enough.

Lol, what a troll loss by England. Rose sucks, put Trippier back in.

They play on opposite sides of the pitch...

 

[Kyle McMahon]

I don't think they strategically lost. They just sucked.

That makes it even worse.

They dressed the B squad. That alone suggests they preferred to lose regardless of anything else that subsequently occurred.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

To me this was just a game for certain players to prove themselves worthy of a starting spot. Most of them failed. I do think two of them deserve to be in our best squad though. Take the XI against Tunisia, replace Sterling with Vardy and replace Young with Rose. If Dele is still unfit RLC is a fine option.

Dier distributes better than Henderson but didn't defend as well.

Don't agree with you that Dier had better distribution.

 

[bluumax]

Battle of the B teams. Can only describe it as boring.

I liked Vardy and Rashford, but not as a pair. Both too small to play well together but i expect both would be a lot more effective playing off Kane. Plus the energy Vardy brings is awesome.

Was unimpressed with the whole midfield barring Loftus Cheek, but even he had a bad game.

All in all they looked like a team thats never played together.... which is to be expected. but thats not what this game was about- good luck Belgium, I believe we may yet meet again this tourney?

 

[Ceremony]

Eugh. Mind you, I can't stand the whole routine where the TV presenter says, 'And let's see how fans in (insert name of town or city) reacted to (whatever has happened to briefly please England fans)', followed by a cut to a crowd full of people wearing ill-fitting clothes trying to outdo each other's grandstanding in a manner that appears utterly fake.

We can only hope you're not dead by the time Scotland make it to another tournament

 

[Stray Wasp]

We can only hope you're not dead by the time Scotland make it to another tournament

If Scotland makes it to another tournament, that likely signals that around 175 of the nations have been destroyed. Most likely Tescoland (which is what England will be renamed when we complete the transition to a corporate/feudalism hybrid state) will have been one of them.

 

[maclean]

You've got to shake your head at a team that hasn't won an elimination game at any tournament in 12 years strategically losing in order to give themselves a tougher opponent in their first elimination game at this one.

As fun as it is to harp on England, I don't think "strategically losing" is fair. Both sides rested key players, as did basically every other team that was guaranteed through, and some that weren't (ehm japan).

 

[Stray Wasp]

They dressed the B squad. That alone suggests they preferred to lose regardless of anything else that subsequently occurred.

Not necessarily. Don't forget- England is about to introduce a winter break based on the premise that the national team never wins trophies because the players are worn out by the demands of club football by the time tournaments come around. England's abysmal scoring record in the second halves of elimination games down the years could be seen to back up that school of thinking.

At the 2016 Euros there were those who claimed Dele Alli and Harry Kane in particular struggled to perform because they were burnt out. Maybe Southgate made so many changes because he felt sparing key players 90 minutes in a game his team didn't need to win will reap dividends in the knockout stages.

Granted, in 2016 England rested players in their third group game and suffered utter humiliation in the first knockout game they played, but that doesn't mean the idea is innately wrong. It just means they can't play international football properly. (Which I think is the greatest threat facing them in 2018, too).

 

[NyQuil]

As fun as it is to harp on England, I don't think "strategically losing" is fair. Both sides rested key players, as did basically every other team that was guaranteed through, and some that weren't (ehm japan).

My issue isn't so much with the "strategic losing" part as much as the narrative developing into "the stage is now set for England to compete for the World Cup."

Basically they beat two minnows and then lost to Belgium with no one of note playing on either side.

All I saw was that Belgium's depth was better than England's depth.

 

[maclean]

My issue isn't so much with the "strategic losing" part as much as the narrative developing into "the stage is now set for England to compete for the World Cup."

Basically they beat two minnows and then lost to Belgium with no one of note playing on either side.

All I saw was that Belgium's depth was better than England's depth.

It all makes sense once you understand that England is the Toronto Maple Leafs. There is only desparate despair or planning the parade, nothing in between.

 

[NyQuil]

It all makes sense once you understand that England is the Toronto Maple Leafs. There is only desparate despair or planning the parade, nothing in between.

Yeah, I've made that analogy numerous times. 1966 to 1967 is just too close.

With Germany out, I am rooting for England, my Dad's birth country, but I still find it amusing nonetheless.