messi11 Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 France will be easier than people think for England 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 England were poor first 30 minutes but very comfortable as soon as it got to 1-0. France is a massive test though. Thought Walker was miles off it so Mbappe will be massively exposing that level. The likely path to glory for England now is to beat all of France, Spain and Brazil in a row. Considering what England generally do at tournaments it seems a bit of a stretch for them to suddenly reel off three major wins in a row. We'll see but England are clearly a top 5 team in World football right now, the results say as much. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted December 4, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted December 4, 2022 3 minutes ago, VillaChris said: Southgate has many flaws but the players generally love playing for him. Sometimes at international level that's half the battle as we've seen with many England squads at previous tournaments. Agreed. Said the same in his thread. On the pitch he has massive flaws. But off the pitch he’s clearly a very good man manager. He’s transformed the england squad off the pitch and knows how to manage a squad at a tournament. Like you said that’s half the battle. I’m not sure he has enough to win the other half of the battle, but it gives us a chance 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Django_Zooms Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 Cmon England! Brilliant tactics have meant a cruise into a rare World Cup quarter final. Very tough opponents lie ahead - France & Spain & Brazil, probably - but let's have faith in the coaches & the squad!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepyvillian Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 2 minutes ago, messi11 said: France will be easier than people think for England That one is worse than Spain being the team of the tournament. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trekka Posted December 4, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted December 4, 2022 Just now, messi11 said: France will be easier than people think for England Sacre Bleu! I'm not so sure. An early goal for them and it will be a very difficult game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaParkAvenue Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 Just now, sheepyvillian said: That one is worse than Spain being the team of the tournament. But Spain could still be the team of the tournament … Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepyvillian Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 1 minute ago, VillaParkAvenue said: But Spain could still be the team of the tournament … I doubt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Django_Zooms Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 8 minutes ago, bobzy said: No complexity, you just didn’t answer the question and rambled on about “tests to come”. I think our national side is probably… third best in the world, very close between the top three. Love you. Pint? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UpTheVilla26 Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 Southgate is managing in an era when there aren't that many great International teams. Germany are poor, Spain are bedding in the next gen, Brazil are loaded with talent but are not the Brazil of the 90's or before, Argentina are very flakey & without Messi would be Uruguay, Italy didn't even qualify etc... France are probably the only side, with England, that have a squad of very talented players, all at the top of their game, IMO at this moment in time. It's been like that for a few years now, I'd say much of Southgate's tenure and I think, if he was a elite manager, we would of won something by now. We won't, because Southgate is too safe & that's why the FA love him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted December 4, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted December 4, 2022 1 minute ago, VillaParkAvenue said: But Spain could still be the team of the tournament … Spain, England and France the 3 best teams so far. Annoying that we’re all so close in the draw 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coda Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 Is Gary Neville paid by the word? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepyvillian Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 All these banal cliches from the commentators are the same things we heard in the last World cup and the Euros and we all know what happened in those tournaments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted December 4, 2022 Moderator Share Posted December 4, 2022 40 minutes ago, Stevo985 said: I actually think we were missing Mount on the first half. Or at least someone in that midfield position to support the attack. I think in a choice between Mount and Bellingham I wouldn't be thinking too much about Mount. I think that's the choice by the way - two holders, one in the middle and two wide - Mount isn't really a wide man and isn't better than Saka, Foden, Grealish, Rashford or Sterling out there - he's the back up to Bellingham in the middle. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 Apart from the first 30 minutes very good. Bellingham is a superstar. Saka, foden and Kane all good. France is a 50/50 game. Yes they have Mbappe but we have more match winners imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepyvillian Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 Could you imagine a pro active manager in charge of that England side, Pep, for instance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted December 4, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted December 4, 2022 Just now, OutByEaster? said: I think in a choice between Mount and Bellingham I wouldn't be thinking too much about Mount. I think that's the choice by the way - two holders, one in the middle and two wide - Mount isn't really a wide man and isn't better than Saka, Foden, Grealish, Rashford or Sterling out there - he's the back up to Bellingham in the middle. Oh undoubtedly it’s Bellingham over Mount. I just don’t think Henderson was in the game for the first half an hour. He stepped up though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted December 4, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted December 4, 2022 1 minute ago, sheepyvillian said: All these banal cliches from the commentators are the same things we heard in the last World cup and the Euros and we all know what happened in those tournaments. We did better than any England team in the last 60 years? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted December 4, 2022 Moderator Share Posted December 4, 2022 1 minute ago, Stevo985 said: Oh undoubtedly it’s Bellingham over Mount. I just don’t think Henderson was in the game for the first half an hour. Phillips would then be the thing wouldn't he, not Mount? I think he's got the balance right at the moment - I'm not sure if he's had a bit of luck getting there, but I think we look to have a good shape and balance across the side. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted December 4, 2022 Author Share Posted December 4, 2022 28 minutes ago, Django_Zooms said: Do you know the difference between club and international football, please? I answered your question, you should be more specific Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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