GWT: World Cup - Quarterfinals - England v. France

[TheMoreYouKnow]

2nd French goal I feel like it's on Stones. He can watch the cross, he just misjudges it completely. If he gets it right, he just heads it away for a corner.

 

[Ceremony]

SIR HAROLD.

 

[Shrimper]

104 km/h though.

Was spinning away from him too

 

[gary69]

Griezmann also got a lot of time to get his cross in.

Only after Pickford urged someone to try close him, a player (Bellingham?) started to move towards there, but didn't get anywhere near enough.

Of course you can't cover all the areas of the pitch, and usually leaving wide areas open is better than other options, but even so, there were acres of space for Griezmann.

 

[Karterthadon]

 

[robertmac43]

England's strength is their attacking talent, who are still young enough for a few more tournaments, so the manager should certainly make his tactics take full advantage of that.

Yeah it's about time they lean into the attacking talent a little more. It's going to be a scary team for years to come, just need the right fit at the helm.

 

[WarriorofTime]

This was England's best chance. They won't be as strong in a few years. It's over for now.

 

[John Pedro]

This was England's best chance. They won't be as strong in a few years. It's over for now.

yeah not sure about that

they're producing some elite talent lately, their youngster gonna be more experienced

need to produce some CBs cause Maguire and Stone are shaite

 

[Corto]

This was England's best chance. They won't be as strong in a few years. It's over for now.

Why? They're absolutely stacked at RB, fantastic wingers and attacking players in Foden and Saka, Kane is still good for 2-4 years (his game should age well), Bellingham coming up, etc.
They're a bit suspect at CB and I'm not sure if they need a "regista", cause they refuse to use one - but IMO having a proper regista makes this game SO much easier.

But overall, they're in a good a spot as any other nation out there.

As for the game... France is pragmatic, and missing half their starting lineup.
I've been on the wrong end of France administering a beating when we were looking like the better side. It's frustrating, but in international competition, where there is very limited time to implement a serious system - it works.
They've got fantastic individuals, great depth, and even though their defense looked very suspect at times (Upamecano was really poor), they came out on top. Mark of a great team, mark of champions.

 

[robertmac43]

But overall, they're in a good a spot as any other nation out there.

Yeah this team is far from done:

Saka - 21
Foden - 22
James - 23
Sancho -22

Bellingham - 19
Mount - 23
Rice - 23
Gallagher - 22

Then you also have Tomori who is 24 and ESR at 22 who may become more prominent options. Ben white is 25 and has been seeing great improvements over the past year.

Striker is probably their weakest position going forward in terms of the next generation. But as you mentioned Kane should be good into his 30's.

 

[GKJ]

Still not coming home, eh?

 

[Ceremony]

 

[Peen]

He was never going to get the ball.
This is peak @Evilo

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Thought the English played very well actually, though obviously not disappointed that they lost.

View attachment 619705

Lmao it's the football version of that Jiri Hudler/Crosby meme we had on the hockey boards here like a decade ago.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

Yeah this team is far from done:

Saka - 21
Foden - 22
James - 23
Sancho -22

Bellingham - 19
Mount - 23
Rice - 23
Gallagher - 22

Then you also have Tomori who is 24 and ESR at 22 who may become more prominent options. Ben white is 25 and has been seeing great improvements over the past year.

Striker is probably their weakest position going forward in terms of the next generation. But as you mentioned Kane should be good into his 30's.

Seems like if you take Kane out of the equation their talent pool looks pretty "German" i.e. a lot of similar style pass/dribble attacking midfielders.

 

[cgf]

Seems like if you take Kane out of the equation their talent pool looks pretty "German" i.e. a lot of similar style pass/dribble attacking midfielders.

Who is supposed to be their Moukoko?

Nevermind that our Harry Maguire s***s on their Harry Maguire.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

Who is their Moukoko?

Doesn't Moukoko have to do a little more before we talk about another country's "Moukoko"?

 

[cgf]

Doesn't Moukoko have to do a little more before we talk about another country's "Moukoko"?

Only if you hate fun.

...being serious yes, but not for too much longer. We could talk about other nations' Musiala a year ago, even though he wasn't yet the stud he is now, and Mouki's in a similar spot now. He isn't yet a superstar, but it looks like it's just a matter of time.

 

[Shrimper]

This was England's best chance. They won't be as strong in a few years. It's over for now.

Not true at all. A lot of our younger players aren't even in their prime yet. A few will drop off but I would expect the core to be there in 2024 and 2026

 

[TheShape]

Weird game. Felt like England were the better side and took the match to France, but at same time I don't feel like France really broke a sweat. They sort of won this game in 1st gear.

 

[robertmac43]

Seems like if you take Kane out of the equation their talent pool looks pretty "German" i.e. a lot of similar style pass/dribble attacking midfielders.

Hence why I really think they need to move on from Southgate. They need a manager that can get more out of the talent pool.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Yeah this team is far from done:

Saka - 21
Foden - 22
James - 23
Sancho -22

Bellingham - 19
Mount - 23
Rice - 23
Gallagher - 22

Then you also have Tomori who is 24 and ESR at 22 who may become more prominent options. Ben white is 25 and has been seeing great improvements over the past year.

Striker is probably their weakest position going forward in terms of the next generation. But as you mentioned Kane should be good into his 30's.

Striker is the weakest position, but there are some solid options. Watkins, Toney, they can play Rashford up front.

They’ve succeeded in these tournaments to a point, but at the end of the day they need a manager that knows how to maximize these attackers.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Two systemic issues for England I always see under Southgate which will prevent them from reaching their potential with him imo:

1. Slow sleep-inducing build-up with no urgency unless they're behind and it's late. It wasn't the worse today but in the first half even today it was bad, the slow head checks and then wheeling the ball around with very few willing to run with it outside of Saka today or willing to try to play quick one-twos etc. I actually got so sleepy after the first half today I had to take a nap and watch the rest of the game on replay.

2. Complete unwillingness to press as a team. Henderson was yelling at his teammates today cos you saw him pressing a few times and no one else joined in. These are Premier League players from teams that press and Southgate is not the manager to be able to get them to do it at all it seems. In the US game, they didn't press at all without exaggeration until I think the 85th minute where you had a few individuals chase the US ball carrier in the US half.

I can make some small knit-picks like how today Foden should've been brought off earlier for Mount and Henderson should've been kept on for longer but honestly the personnel complaints are so tiresome and pointless cos they play the same no matter who's playing under Southgate.

 

[luiginb]

View attachment 619625

What kind of asshole laughs at a crying kid?

don't care! they're brits

Is there anybody you don't hate?

Freaking Southgate man, game cried out for creativity and he keeps TAA and Maddison stapled to the bench to put in headless chicken Mount and Sterling. And taking Saka out, seriously? He was your best player!

France didn't look fazed though, they've got that Real Madrid confidence going for them, just Upamecano sometimes looks like these shoes are too big for him to fill.

 

[Savant]

Striker is the weakest position, but there are some solid options. Watkins, Toney, they can play Rashford up front.

They’ve succeeded in these tournaments to a point, but at the end of the day they need a manager that knows how to maximize these attackers.

It would be a very good time to make up with Tammy Abraham