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England v Portugal



Mr Smggles

Well-known member
May 11, 2009
2,659
Winchester
I firmly believe playing against 10 men can be tougher sometimes. It's a friendly. Once they last Alves, Portugal had zero incentive to try and get anything from the game. With the quick football our young boys are best at playing, it was nigh impossible to execute it with Portugal putting everyone behind the ball. Sterling mixed things up by using skill to try and beat men, rather than pace. I don't think we should be worried at all, neither should the team be critiqued based off of tonight.

We've displayed some brilliant stuff this calendar year. Let's see how we begin next week when it's the real deal.

I agree. There were multiple times where you counted all 10 Portuguese behind the ball with 6 or more on the 18 yard box. Thats ALWAYS going to be hard to break down. We did well to do that.
 




JC Footy Genius

Bringer of TRUTH
Jun 9, 2015
10,568
Too lazy to read through the thread but can anyone explain why the Premier League top scorer was taking corners and wide free kicks?

Most interesting moment, someone getting a red card in a friendly.
 


Pavilionaire

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
30,623
Logic dictates that when your full-backs are Walker and Rose, plus Dier, Alli and Kane then you follow the Spurs formation of 4-2-3-1. Having Vardy, Townsend and Wilshere make up the attack makes sense but Roy seems to be hell bent on shaping his system to accommodate Rooney. The diamond he picked had no width; against top quality the fullbacks will have their hands full defending. Oh for a Beckham or a Chris Waddle!
 


Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
AARRGGGHHHH this guy is a ****ing FRAUD. Blokes down the pub know more than this ****. Is he trained by spin doctors?

He's done very well for a fraud. Results are what matters.

It was a friendly. A workout. A training exercise.
Hodgson's interview afterwards explained he was playing a defensive formation which threw the team when Portugal went down to 10 men.
He said he needed to play both formations in the tournament. He knows a bit more than the bloke down the pub.
 


Milano

Well-known member
Aug 15, 2012
3,387
Sussex but not by the sea
He's done very well for a fraud. Results are what matters.

It was a friendly. A workout. A training exercise.
Hodgson's interview afterwards explained he was playing a defensive formation which threw the team when Portugal went down to 10 men.
He said he needed to play both formations in the tournament. He knows a bit more than the bloke down the pub.

So change the formation then!!!!
How the guy is still in this job after the car crash that was Brazil is beyond me. The qualifying group was the eqivilent Barcelona needing to get out the conference.
Set up like that and put that mentality into the team for the tournament and we're not getting past the group stage.
He's great at it though, he is brilliant at reducing expectation, thus glossing over failure. The scousers sussed him out in 6 months.
 




1066familyman

Radio User
Jan 15, 2008
15,185
So change the formation then!!!!
How the guy is still in this job after the car crash that was Brazil is beyond me. The qualifying group was the eqivilent Barcelona needing to get out the conference.
Set up like that and put that mentality into the team for the tournament and we're not getting past the group stage.
He's great at it though, he is brilliant at reducing expectation, thus glossing over failure. The scousers sussed him out in 6 months.

Yeah, and the scousers have done really well with managers since haven't they.

Oh.
 


Normal Rob

Well-known member
Jul 8, 2003
5,663
Somerset
So change the formation then!!!!
How the guy is still in this job after the car crash that was Brazil is beyond me. The qualifying group was the eqivilent Barcelona needing to get out the conference.
Set up like that and put that mentality into the team for the tournament and we're not getting past the group stage.
He's great at it though, he is brilliant at reducing expectation, thus glossing over failure. The scousers sussed him out in 6 months.

Please, for the sake of everyone, just shut up now. We get your point - you don't like Roy.
 


drew

Drew
Oct 3, 2006
23,072
Burgess Hill
Just another meaniningless friendly, I really don't know why we play so many to be honest. The result, or even the performance, doesn't really equate to anything.

Lets wait until the real stuff starts.

Are you suggesting that since Oct 12th when we beat Lithuania 3-0 we shouldn't bother playing any friendlies and our next game would be against Russia on 11th June!

The point of playing Portugal was that we were hoping Ronaldo would be playing and we could set up how we would play against Wales who have Bale. It didn't work out.

With regard to friendlies, do you think Brighton should not bother with a pre season friendlies then either?
 




atfc village

Well-known member
Mar 28, 2013
5,019
Lower Bourne .Farnham
So change the formation then!!!!
How the guy is still in this job after the car crash that was Brazil is beyond me. The qualifying group was the eqivilent Barcelona needing to get out the conference.
Set up like that and put that mentality into the team for the tournament and we're not getting past the group stage.
He's great at it though, he is brilliant at reducing expectation, thus glossing over failure. The scousers sussed him out in 6 months.

Bobby Robson survived a car crash of a Euro 88 and escaped the sack and look what happened 2 years later with a touch of luck.
 




crodonilson

He/Him
Jan 17, 2005
13,552
Lyme Regis
Lets take friendlies with a pinch of salt. Fact is it wasn't a good performance but we found enough to win the game and we go to France with morale high and spirit good after 3 wins on the spin.

The biggest worry for me is we should now have the starting 11 nailed for next Saturday, but we don't really seem close to it. You could name about 5 maybe 6 definite starters and then it's anyones guess plus we don't know what formation we'll play.

On last nights evidence I'd also say it was a mistake dropping Townsend. As much of an absolute superstar Marcus Rashford is going to be it's doubtful he'll play much if anything in this tournament and Townsend gives us width we don't have anywhere else in the squad and offers something different.
 




knocky1

Well-known member
Jan 20, 2010
12,979
We should have Klopp as manager. We wouldn't lose till the Final.
I'm all for this Attacking Roy stuff. Roy from Coronation Street could do a better job.
 




Herne Hill Seagull

Well-known member
Jul 10, 2003
2,977
Galicia
Hodgson's actually a tactical genius. Recognising that expectations of the England team are now lower than they've been for many years, he's found a way to lower them still further by coming up with a system which entirely blunts such weaponry as we have by accommodating Rooney at all costs.

I heard a discussion about the starting eleven during the week, before this game, during which one former pro contended that Rooney starts because he's an intimidating figure for opposition players. What utter, utter rubbish. A full international playing a finals tournament isn't going to be intimidated by too many names in an opposition line-up, still less an ageing striker who has, like so many English internationals, always been well short of his hype yet seems to be picked regardless of form or effect.

I recognise that Rooney is not responsible for the hype around him when he was younger, and is far from our only problem - playing Vardy and Kane in their natural roles wouldn't do anything about the fact that we don't defend anywhere near well enough to threaten at a major tournament, for example. But successive managers' accommodation of him is symptomatic of the malaise that afflicts the England team and has done since just before the turn of the century. When we start picking the best players, and not the names supposed to be the best (c.f. Wilshere's inclusion and Drinkwater's exclusion), we might make some progress.
 




heathgate

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Apr 13, 2015
3,486
Alli and Dier were lethargic and negative.... how can you blunt such talented players with drab tactics.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
 


Machiavelli

Well-known member
Oct 11, 2013
16,686
Fiveways
Logic dictates that when your full-backs are Walker and Rose, plus Dier, Alli and Kane then you follow the Spurs formation of 4-2-3-1. Having Vardy, Townsend and Wilshere make up the attack makes sense but Roy seems to be hell bent on shaping his system to accommodate Rooney. The diamond he picked had no width; against top quality the fullbacks will have their hands full defending. Oh for a Beckham or a Chris Waddle!

While I agree with your overall thrust, I thought last night and the formation really showed up Vardy's limitations. Hodgson is highly unlikely to drop Rooney, despite a growing demand to do so, but the key is far more to make the most of that Spurs contingent that you identify and I actually think that it's Rooney rather than Vardy that will assist in that, as he is a more multi-dimensional player and will be able to play to the strengths of Alli and Kane. As a consequence, I've shifted my starting line-up, taking into account the formation suggested by Jermaine Jenas (who seems to be one of the most astute of analysts):

----------------- Hart ------------------
Walker -- Cahill -- Smalling -- Rose
---------------- Dier ---------------------
- Henderson - Rooney - Wilshere -
------------- Alli --------------------------
---------------- Kane --------------------
 


AmexRuislip

Trainee Spy 🕵️‍♂️
Feb 2, 2014
33,857
Ruislip
Roy Hodgson has picked the best young players, he thinks that could do us well in France.
On last night's evidence they are playing to his instructions.
Can you imagine if Jose Mourinho was the coach, would he play the youngsters?
I think not.
As stated before, it's not Rooneys fault about the hype surrounding him or even being picked. I think we should play our young talented players.:)
 


mejonaNO12 aka riskit

Well-known member
Dec 4, 2003
21,504
England
My god, I hope Wilshire starts.

Him and Lallana are the street footballers in our midfield. By that, I mean the players who will try something, run at people, dare to drop a shoulder.

Wilshire actually breaks through the lines which is so vital at international level. Sure, he'll give the ball away every now and then but it's because he dares to actually try something.
 




hans kraay fan club

The voice of reason.
Helpful Moderator
Mar 16, 2005
61,434
Chandlers Ford
When we start picking the best players, and not the names supposed to be the best (c.f. Wilshere's inclusion and Drinkwater's exclusion), we might make some progress.

I going to presume that you actually meant 'form players' rather than 'best players'. Appreciate all the arguments about Wilshere's lack of games / fitness record, etc, but anyone actually claiming that Drinkwater is the BETTER player, hasn't a clue.
 


Marshy

Well-known member
Jul 6, 2003
19,729
FRUIT OF THE BLOOM
My god, I hope Wilshire starts.

Him and Lallana are the street footballers in our midfield. By that, I mean the players who will try something, run at people, dare to drop a shoulder.

Wilshire actually breaks through the lines which is so vital at international level. Sure, he'll give the ball away every now and then but it's because he dares to actually try something.


Spot on... i would pick both in a 4-2-3-1

My starting 11 would be

Hart

Clyne
Smalling
Stones
Rose

Dier
Wilshere

Llalana
Alli
Rooney

Kane


I love Vardy, but against sides that will defend deep he is not worth a starting 11 place.
Against better opposition weirdly and hopefully later in the tournament where we wont have the ball and hit on the break Vardy starts in a 2 up top for me with Kane.
 


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