Belgium vs England

[Unan]

[robin_unreliant]

This is like watching a prem team playing a L1 team in the cup.

We are so poor going forward compared to Belgium it's laughable.

[Super]

6 minutes ago, robin_unreliant said:

This is like watching a prem team playing a L1 team in the cup.

We are so poor going forward compared to Belgium it's laughable.

I have defended Sterling but he really has been shocking.

[BobBobSuperBob]

36 minutes ago, Super said:

I have defended Sterling but he really has been shocking.

Same here

Defended him but looks way off the pace

mind you there’s a few looking anything but Internaionals

Perhaps it’s just me but every time I see Dier he looks like a limited centre half playing in midfield !

[Andy082005]

2 minutes ago, Super said:

I have defended Sterling but he really has been shocking.

They all have today

Delph, Jones, Loftus-Cheek....all proving they are no where near international class . 

 

 

[slartibartfast]

1 minute ago, Andy082005 said:

They all have today

Delph, Jones, Loftus-Cheek....all proving they are no where near international class . 

 

 

Flat-track bullies .

[cityexile]

9 minutes ago, robin_unreliant said:

This is like watching a prem team playing a L1 team in the cup.

We are so poor going forward compared to Belgium it's laughable.

Not sure I quite agree. Belgium much better, and if we tire much in the second half they are going to slice us open at will. Equally, oddly as it may sound, thought we were passing the ball around better than we had in most of our games. Not well enough, but with a little more zip than we had managed recently. We are just not as good as them.

[Super]

2 minutes ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

Same here

Defended him but looks way off the pace

mind you there’s a few looking anything but Internaionals

Perhaps it’s just me but every time I see him he looks like a limited centre half playing in midfield !

They dont really look like they want to be playing this game.

[North London Red]

Am at the game today. Can’t argue that England look a long way off the pace, but perhaps that’s to be expected after playing extra time on Wednesday (24 hours after Belgium played France) and not getting back to the team hotel until 6.30 on Thursday morning. I wouldn’t draw too many conclusions from today’s game, whatever the outcome. 

[J D]

Engvall did more in a city shirt than Sterling has ever done for England

[Major Isewater]

3 minutes ago, North London Red said:

Am at the game today. Can’t argue that England look a long way off the pace, but perhaps that’s to be expected after playing extra time on Wednesday (24 hours after Belgium played France) and not getting back to the team hotel until 6.30 on Thursday morning. I wouldn’t draw too many conclusions from today’s game, whatever the outcome. 

I draw conclusions from the whole cup and my conclusions are ;

We look very comfortable in possession but lack quality to do anything with it ( a bit like watching City the back end of last season) .

We fizzle out in the last third of the pitch and don't attack with speed , force or determination.

We only have one World class striker ( not Sterling ! ) and not one player in Russia who comes close to world class in midfield.

A team of triers , some of whom may improve with experience.

I salute them for getting this far .

Bravo .

[BITW]

I’d genuinely be interested to know if anyone at this tournament has been dispossessed more times than Sterling. 

[Esmond Million's Bung]

25 minutes ago, Super said:

I have defended Sterling but he really has been shocking.

 

23 minutes ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

Same here

Defended him but looks way off the pace

mind you there’s a few looking anything but Internaionals

Perhaps it’s just me but every time I see him he looks like a limited centre half playing in midfield !

I haven't defended him but have been told by experts that I am missing something, I am still waiting to see exactly what it is that I have missed.

In this competition if has ever beaten an opponent he gets dispossessed by the next one, if he gets in behind the defence he manages to hit the first defender with unerring accuracy, when in a scoring position he has either missed the target or made it easy for the keeper.

Bottomline for me is Kane is far more effective playing with Ali tucked in behind as his number 10, don't they play for the same team in the prem?

Instead Southgate has pushed Sterling up with Kane which just has not worked at all and shoe horned 2 number 10's into midfield (Lingard and Ali) and severely weakened the midfield and the attack in the process.

Just my opinion mind, but I expect somebody will tell me Sterling has had another great game today.

[ZiderEyed]

So not bothered about this game I forgot it was on.

Why they still persist with a losers play off is beyond me.

[Super]

Luckily again Lukaku's touch is hopeless.

[RedRock]

5 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

I draw conclusions from the whole cup and my conclusions are ;

We look very comfortable in possession but lack quality to do anything with it ( a bit like watching City the back end of last season) .

We fizzle out in the last third of the pitch and don't attack with speed , force or determination.

We only have one World class striker ( not Sterling ! ) and not one player in Russia who comes close to world class in midfield.

A team of triers , some of whom may improve with experience.

I salute them for getting this far .

Bravo .

We have ‘uncovered’ three players to add to Kane that can perform on the world stage - Trippier, Pickford and Maguire.

We have 7 other players who are just ‘ok’. 

We don’t have squad depth.

A skill set which just involves being able to run fast is not good enough for an international..

We need a second striker. Badly.

Our midfield is too lightweight.

We CAN win a penalty shoot out. 

[Esmond Million's Bung]

2 minutes ago, Moor2Sea said:

We have ‘uncovered’ three players to add to Kane that can perform on the world stage - Trippier, Pickford and Maguire.

We have 7 other players who are just ‘ok’. 

We don’t have squad depth.

A skill set which just involves being able to run fast is not good enough for an international..

We need a second striker. Badly.

Our midfield is too lightweight.

We CAN win a penalty shoot out. 

Agree totally.

[Alex_BCFC]

If we have players of the quality of Sessogon coming through to add to the likes of Kane, Trippier, Pickford and Stones then I think we can have a decent side for the future. Midfield is the key - we are just missing a player who can run a game. 

[J D]

That was dier

[Super]

Gotta finish that!

[Selred]

8 minutes ago, Alex_BCFC said:

If we have players of the quality of Sessogon coming through to add to the likes of Kane, Trippier, Pickford and Stones then I think we can have a decent side for the future. Midfield is the key - we are just missing a player who can run a game. 

Wilshire when fit.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

You know your squad has no depth when Jones and Dire get a game.

[1960maaan]

10 minutes ago, Moor2Sea said:

We have ‘uncovered’ three players to add to Kane that can perform on the world stage - Trippier, Pickford and Maguire. I'd add Stones to that

We have 7 other players who are just ‘ok’. I'm hoping some will step up with experience. Sterling won't probably improve but may become calmer in front of goal. Loftus Cheek should get another year of Prem football and could step up, same with Lingard and Rashford. Desperately need Rose to learn to defend or find another left footed FB/WB. Maybe add the Oxif he continues his good form with L'pool.

We don’t have squad depth. Very true

A skill set which just involves being able to run fast is not good enough for an international.. Might be a start though.

We need a second striker. Badly. Shame Vardy was injured , should have been the change when Rashford came on Vs Croatia.

Our midfield is too lightweight. Again true, we have basically been playing Henderson on his own.

We CAN win a penalty shoot out. 

 

[Slippin cider]

And that’s that ...4th 

[Super]

Jones is rubbish.

[BobBobSuperBob]

Phil Jones looking like a giraffe on ice

[J D]

Ah well. Done well to get this far anyway

[Super]

1 minute ago, J D said:

Ah well. Done well to get this far anyway

Yep still done well with this group of players.

[1960maaan]

Finishing is a massive part of the game that we have lacked in.

But have to say, If Belgium don't win the Euros in 2 years they will have wasted a real Golden Generation. This group are quality and ended up going one better than us, who were rated just above Russia pre tournament .

[Super]

2 minutes ago, 1960maaan said:

Finishing is a massive part of the game that we have lacked in.

But have to say, If Belgium don't win the Euros in 2 years they will have wasted a real Golden Generation. This group are quality and ended up going one better than us, who were rated just above Russia pre tournament .

Just lack a world class striker.