International Football Discussion

First topic message reminder :

Thierry Henry has been named Belgium's assistant manager. 

Another odd appointment, it makes sense for Henry who didn't want to give up his media duties. Will be interesting to see how he improves Belgium's forwards, if he can rub off any of his playing skill onto them it'd be sure to have an effect. I'm excited to see if he can work well with Origi who is a striker in his mould.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:#Southgateout

Bump

playing rashford on the right even though hes only played there a couple of times is a strange choice. he's all about cutting inside. rashfords fault for the first goal playing out of position.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:#Southgateout

Bump

It's a half-decent England squad on paper, but Southgate is not the man to get the best out of them.

England lucky Walker wasn't sent off there

Northern Ireland have almost surely wrapped up a play off spot, and in a group with Germany almost any country in the world would be happy to take second spot! So impressed with this team. They really are fine example for the whole being greater than then sum of the individual parts! Well done lads.

It's going to be a dismal World Cup, both in terms of venue and quality. Dismal, woeful Brazil are second favourites, whilst Argentina are fourth favourites and may not even make it to Russia!

One of the unheralded, outside nations is going to win this tournament. Still 2000/1 that the Northern Irish pull it off and conquer the footballing world...

lfc91 wrote:Northern Ireland have almost surely wrapped up a play off spot, and in a group with Germany almost any country in the world would be happy to take second spot! So impressed with this team. They really are fine example for the whole being greater than then sum of the individual parts! Well done lads.

If only we could say the same about England...

England pretty much go the opposite way. Even in the days of the Golden generation, the didn't play like they had a team of very good (Some even world class) players. Now they don't have that same quality, but the players they do have they should still be able to perform at a much higher level than they do on the international stage.

lfc, largely agree with that.

I think with our 'golden generation' there were always a few issues, like how to get the best out of Gerrard, Lampard and Scholes, especially in the absence of both a good holding midfield player and a natural wide left option. 2002 and 2004 was a good team that on occasion didn't have much luck, but also on occasion under-performed.

On paper, the current squad is no-where near that level, and I think we should be realistic and consider a solid if unspectacular home win against Slovakia as a qualified success. I actually thought the performance after the first 15 minutes or so wasn't bad, and in particular the 2nd half showed signs of a style of play that could suite the players we have - a bit more clinical on the break and we could easily have had a goal or two more, but too often the ball carrier held on to the ball too long, while the support players weren't clever enough to make runs that would draw defenders away or put them into space. However, look at the stats, and while Slovakia had the majority of the ball they didn't achieve much with it, while England created a lot more in terms of corners, shots and shots on goal even with less possession.

The problem is that when we play slowly, we are so laboured, and don't have either enough movement from the forwards or a player capable of finding the killer pass. I think we actually look better against better teams, but there clearly are still areas for major improvement (do we really have no-one better than Cahill and Henderson to form the spine of the team?).

If the England team was the sum of its parts, it should be a possible WC quarter finalist, even allowing for some weaknesses in personnel, but at present I see them having real problems getting out of a half way decent WC group.

Ireland. I've watched two Ireland games in a row and they are an awful watch.

Duty281 wrote:Argentina are fourth favourites and may not even make it to Russia!

Currently fifth in standings, after a draw last night. Still back them to qualify, but I doubt Chile will make it now, which is more of a surprise.

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:Ireland. I've watched two Ireland games in a row and they are an awful watch.

It's not great Dolph.

2 dissapointing results and performances.
Last night was a bit better than Saturday.

Had to win last night. Even if we do get second, don't think it will be enough for a play off spot.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41266124

New rankings released. Wales replace England as highest British team and NI move to a highest ever placing of 20th in the world!

England: Hart; Walker, Stones, Cahill, Bertrand; Dier, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Sterling, Kane, Rashford. 

Subs: Butland, Pickford, Trippier, Smalling, Keane, Cresswell, Maguire, Livermore, Winks, Defoe, Sturridge, Lingard.


Oxlade-Chamberlain earns himself a place in the England side...

I'd like to argue but the bench is just as crap.

This is what done it

https://youtu.be/OraAbxLuuh0

I'd honestly have played Lingard instead, and that says a lot

Barely anybody there

Who really cares anymore

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Barely anybody there

Who really cares anymore

Why wouldn't anyone care? You have Russia 2018 to look forward to

It'll never happen but I'd like to see em move qualifiers around the country again. Wembley is a sh!te "football" stadium.

Not that it's not an apt ground for the current team.

Apathy towards England in qualifiers is nothing new. The quality is beyond awful & qualification is guaranteed.

Problem is this is all fluff.

Long season ahead, nobody wants to exert that much energy here when they have a fall back option against Lithuania if really necessary.

Appreciate England are in a privileged position as a team that expect to qualify as an absolute minimum, but International football could use a rethink.

That’s why we’ll soon have the Nations League, or whatever it is!

Hope those that turned up weren't charged full price for this crap.

Glorified pre season friendly

Can't help but feel in the PL Kane would be awake for that chance.

Rashford the only one who looks arsed to break into more than a half sprint.

That was nonsense from Rashford.

They've woke up and created 3 good chances in 5 minutes. Largely sums up the apathy

I dislike this side more than Woy's

Scotland just scored

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:I dislike this side more than Woy's

Just relying upon individuals, who unfortunately don't replicate their club form. No team being moulded here, or any cohesion being created. We've qualified, and that's about the only positive you can extract.

I enjoy Rashford

GOAL

And there is the paper over the cracks

England just scored

England scrape it in the end.

Slovenia are properly awful, Scotland should fancy grabbing 2nd against this lot.

Rashford at least does something which is more than most in this team. But his end product is really lacking.

Huge for Scotland, really huge. They are not good enough really, so Strachan should be given a lot of credit for even being in this position

To be fair to Rashford, he has made little gaps of at times and had no movement ahead or around him

Southgate will be hoping desperately that some breakout stars emerge this season, because the current group might scrape out of a favourable group at this point.

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:Huge for Scotland, really huge. They are not good enough really, so Strachan should be given a lot of credit for even being in this position

Yeah. He was on the verge 12 months ago. Great turnaround. Still a big ask coming up.

Just need to ride this momentum. Slovenia just lost a game they had to have against a side treating it with all the urgency of a preseason game.

He needs to hope Walcott leaves Arsenal, Antonio is fit (has to be a better option than some of these identikit players), Winks gets some time, Rose comes back firing and a real midfielder emerges. 

Or he needs to think again about a system that doesn't appear to work or play to our strengths

Kane is Kane but he can't create the chances, defense is decent enough, FBs are good going forward, but midfield is just devoid of life. I can half accept Dier in the holding role but Henderson etc just offer nothing.

Sterling needs to play wide, Rashford makes things happen but think Lallanas a better option from wide.

-----------Kane--------
Rashford--Alli--Lallana

Lallana provides more consistency & cohesion than Sterling. Main issues is that we have absolutely no central midfield. That won't be solved in 8 months. Walker can't defend at WC level either.

You look at it and who can we pick? Delph won't play any time in midfield, which is a shame really, Wilshere is dead. You've got Livermore in this squad somehow. After that there's slow players like Barry and Noble who just are no longer good enough, and even if the s*** ahead of them is as described, they're still ahead of them. Drinkwater?

I'd actually be considering the next generation, to add legs and some link play. Winks, Chalobah, Loftus-Cheek, Tom Davies, Ward-Prowse. Lewis Cook.

Lallana is hugely key, and he is gonna have so much responsibility to link defence and attack. Wilshere moves in January and he'd make the squad if he had a run of games near the end of the year. Whilst that shows how poor we are there, he is also better than the other options. 

Alli will come in, but I'm not sure we are good enough to play 4-2-3-1 and have the luxury of Rashford, Sterling and Alli. I'd be considering Sterling having no chance, and wondering whether we can fit Alli and Lallana

I'd question whether we drop Alli and go 3-4-3

Keeper
Stones Cahill Dier
Walker Hendo ???? Rose
Lallana Kane Rashford



Could put Lallana in "next to" Henderson and play Alli behind Kane and Rashford, but I honestly don't think we're good enough

Shelvey? The psychologist should of worked their magic by June 18'

I don't think he's good enough to care whether the psychologist has. If you're going for Shelvey, you may as well put Drinkwater in.

So long as we don’t have to endure an Eric Dier/Jordan Henderson midfield again I couldn’t give a toss

I’d actually do what City do and just play Dier DM with Alli/Lallana both given license either side of him, and wingers with kane up top. We cannot go into games with both Dier and Henderson playing

Ah well. At least you will get further than us this time