[Football] The football forum that couldn't be arsed to have an England v Czech official *** :shrug:

[dadams2k11]

I believe this England’s team’s strength is its pace and fluidity on the break. We’ll have more chance to do that whoever we play in the next round. I’ll reserve judgement until then.

I get this. A bit like Brighton against the big teams that come at us, we play better and create more. Teams that sit back and defend, we find it hard to break down.

 

[drew]

Just back from the game.

1. Seen England play in a major tournament for the first time. Tick
2. See England play at the New wembley Tick
3. See England play attacking, exciting football...................................................................To be continued.....


Watching that dirge was like watching many of our away games under Hughton.

 

[ShandyH]

Quietly going about our business.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Sheebo]

I'm assuming that England have been playing this way (i.e. dull, unimaginative, defensive but just about effective) to order and are saving their best dynamic offensive game for the knockout phase of the tournament. In which case, well played and excellent tournament management by Southgate. If, on the other hand, this is as good as it gets...............................

Oddly, for the last X years, we’ve been so decent in qualifying and scoring for fun but I guess human nature means we are more cautious on the actual tourno. Still, you never know eh.

 

[crodonilson]

First half we were bright as a button and should have been 3-0 up, second half was excellent game management, we held off the Czechs comfortably at arms length without them ever looking like breaching our rock solid defence. Stirling was again excellent, Kane improved, Jack was classy.

I think most England fans would have snapped your hand off for 7 points and no goals conceded in the group stages.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

here here. support your country. criticise if we lose or go out fair enough but when you won the game and the group - ridiculous !

Ah ha, so if someone can identify a performance as being dull they’re not a supporter, right?

 

[Mellotron]

Alongside us, Italy are the only side to have completed their group without conceding.

Yes, it would be nice to see more attacking invention, but we look solid as **** defensively.

The concern is whether we can then turn things around if/when we go behind for the first time. Shame we haven’t got a slightly easier first knockout game but it is what it is.

 

[redoubtable seagull]

I've always wondered what the statisticians record as a 'shot on target'. The one Pickford saved obviously was, and 'felt' like the only one - but surely the goalmouth scramble included a shot towards goal that would have gone in if none of the five players in the way had been there. I wonder if there is some sort of guidance as to what and what not to include?

From Opta

Shots on target is a clear attempt to score that would have gone into the net but for being saved by the goalkeeper or is stopped by a player who is the last-man with the goalkeeper having no chance of preventing the goal (last line block). Shots blocked by another player, who is not the last-man, are not counted as shots on target.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Alongside us, Italy are the only side to have completed their group without conceding.

Yes, it would be nice to see more attacking invention, but we look solid as **** defensively.

The concern is whether we can then turn things around if/when we go behind for the first time. Shame we haven’t got a slightly easier first knockout game but it is what it is.

That's the big worry.

A shame we couldn't beat Scotland, for me that's like a Palace game, but at least we're at opposite ends of the table so Southgate has done the business results wise. However a good side will score at least one against us so I do wonder what Plan B is? Even if we do stop teams, clean sheets are not enough in knock out football.....unless you're good at penalties

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

Excellent first half, I was frustrated we did not push on and attack more in the second half.
However job done, no goals conceded and through to the next round, what more can you ask for.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

clean sheets are not enough in knock out football.....unless you're good at penalties

Errrr they are, Greece, Italy & Portugal I think have proved that and won major tournaments doing just that.
I am sure I heard, Gareth sat down with his team, and this is their plan for the tournament playing to our defensive strengths.
Now it’s my choice or preferred style of football to watch, but if it brings us a trophy then I’m in…..
Stick behind the team, until we fail then criticise.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Well ?

Are you doing the Burnley thread as well ?

 

[Pint of Ale and a Burger]

I was critical of Southgate against the Scots but we seem to have qualified for the next round and top of our group so his style seems to be working.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Are you doing the Burnley thread as well ?

Well I seem to be on a bit of a roll, and it would mean [MENTION=15297]Dick Head[/MENTION] could have a lie-in

 

[Guinness Boy]

Errrr they are, Greece, Italy & Portugal I think have proved that and won major tournaments doing just that.
I am sure I heard, Gareth sat down with his team, and this is their plan for the tournament playing to our defensive strengths.
Now it’s my choice or preferred style of football to watch, but if it brings us a trophy then I’m in…..
Stick behind the team, until we fail then criticise.

Sorry, clean sheets on their own is what I should have typed. Obviously if you win every game 1-0 then you win a trophy. How many 1-0s did we manage back in the day under Adams/Taylor to win Division 3?

The problem is that the better teams will probably find their way through the dynamic duo of Rice and Phillips and that I'm not sure how many we'll knock in if we can only manage two in 270 minutes of football against Croatia, Scotland and the Czechs.

Anyone would have taken 7 points and top of the group before we started though and I'd certainly rather be winning 1-0 than losing 1-0. But, whoever we play, we'll have to up our game and move the ball quicker in the next match.

 

[Randy McNob]

Errrr they are, Greece, Italy & Portugal I think have proved that and won major tournaments doing just that.
I am sure I heard, Gareth sat down with his team, and this is their plan for the tournament playing to our defensive strengths.
Now it’s my choice or preferred style of football to watch, but if it brings us a trophy then I’m in…..
Stick behind the team, until we fail then criticise.

This. one of the things that dogged us in the past was we used to be naive, gave the ball away and let in silly goals. Southgate has fixed that. The foundation of any succesful team is make yourself hard to beat, which we are. We are no longer mugs.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

This. one of the things that dogged us in the past was we used to be naive, gave the ball away and let in silly goals. Southgate has fixed that. The foundation of any succesful team is make yourself hard to beat, which we are. We are no longer mugs.

Until we meet a decent quality team in the knock out round.........

 

[Icy Gull]

I was very entertained for the first 15 mins, after the goal I found it all a bit dull

Grealish and Sterling played really well in the early minutes and the way Sock Boy got to the byeline and the cross for the goal was absolute quality

Bring on the first “proper” game. I’ll certainly be up for it before kick off regardless of who we are playing. The real test starts here. I have a good idea of how I expect it to end, let me be wrong. The defence worries me, they have been opened up by every team so far, luckily they didn’t have the quality to score and Pickford has done well so far.

 

[SAC]

I was very entertained for the first 15 mins, after the goal I found it all a bit dull

Grealish and Sterling played really well in the early minutes and the way Sock Boy got to the byeline and the cross for the goal was absolute quality

Bring on the first “proper” game. I’ll certainly be up for it before kick off regardless of who we are playing. The real test starts here. I have a good idea of how I expect it to end, let me be wrong. The defence worries me, they have been opened up by every team so far, luckily they didn’t have the quality to score and Pickford has done well so far.

I loved that the commentators were criticising him for not releasing the ball quickly only for them to look like idiots as he kicked a perfect pass.

Southgate has got them working to a game plan that may not always be pretty but has been effective. With a bit of luck we would have scored more goals but perhaps we are storing up our luck for the knock out stages.

 

[zefarelly]

I was critical of Southgate against the Scots but we seem to have qualified for the next round and top of our group so his style seems to be working.

His Style is Man at C&A

****ing dire, compounded by being on Tabloid (I)TV.