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Football Focus


S.A.C Martin
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I thought Scotland were slightly the better side in their first game against the Czechs, certainly until the first goal.

The Czechs were clinical, and once the second goal went in Scotland never looked like getting back.

 

Tonight England were far too slow in build up for most of the game. Credit to Scotland, they were well worth the draw, but Scotland now do need to score somehow in order to progress. England will have to be much better.

 

cheers

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England are virtually already through. I think they knew exactly what they are doing.

 

Don't forget third place will probably be enough as they have better points than most rivals for the third place teams.

 

They certainly don't want to finish top as they will get either Germany, France or Portugal!

 

Best place would be second or third.

 

 

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With apologies to Abba, I felt inspired to rewrite some words...

 

I don't wanna talk

About the score tonight

Though it's wembley

Its just made history

 

The score is just nil nil

Thats a bitter pill

Not much goals today

The score is here to stay

 

The ball was at your feet

Thinking it belonged there

Whacking it made sense

The scots just built a fence

 

The score is just naff all

England lost the ball

There is no victory

Thats our destiny

 

Blocking up the goal

Thinking they would fold

Shouldnt we just score

But that would be a bore

 

Fans are up in arms

Down again .. despair

Doh effing ..ell..

Maybe v.a.r. ?

 

Hoping for the best

Weve seen it all before

They started pretty good

Now its just gone crud

 

The score is just naff all (Just naff all)

England lost the ball (lost the ball)

It's simple and it's plain (It's so plain)

Its England just dont complain (Why complain)

 

But will it ever change

Like it used to be, 

1966 

is just history

 

 

Edited by adb968008
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8 hours ago, Gareth Collier said:

England were just dreary whereas Scotland gave it their all. England may reach the last 16 but potential winners we are not!

 

I managed to watch the first half against Croatia until insomnia set in, so not wishing to make the same mistake I tuned in from half time against Scotland.

I lasted 20 minutes.

England should be available on the NHS, it would save a fortune in sleeping pills.

 

Mike.

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10 hours ago, Rivercider said:

Tonight England were far too slow in build up for most of the game.

 

I don't mind them using the passing game but I wish someone would tell them they are supposed to try to move the ball forward! I only hope that was an aberration in the first two matches and they'll start to play forward when they get into the knock out stages otherwise they've had it.

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2 hours ago, Hobby said:

 

I don't mind them using the passing game but I wish someone would tell them they are supposed to try to move the ball forward! I only hope that was an aberration in the first two matches and they'll start to play forward when they get into the knock out stages otherwise they've had it.

I agree that there is no problem with keeping control of the ball for a spell, but it is important to then look for the opportunities to move the ball quickly to open up the opposition. Last night we seemed to lack ideas.

In his interview Mings said there was a lack of intensity, my view is if players cannot rise for one of the biggest games in a generation there is something wrong,

 

cheers.

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13 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

They certainly don't want to finish top as they will get either Germany, France or Portugal!

If England were the world-beating team they always think they are, meeting any of those Countries wouldn't be a problem!!!

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2 hours ago, F-UnitMad said:

If England were the world-beating team they always think they are, meeting any of those Countries wouldn't be a problem!!!

 

Who said England were world beating though? It's not come from the manager or players. The media possibly or the prawn sandwich brigade fans that appear every two years that normally support Manchester Hotspur Town. 

 

But surely anyone who follows proper football knows that the best chance to beat a better team is in the final as everyone will be pumped up for it.

 

That's why English club teams have always done well against European teams that on paper are vastly better than them. But quite often struggle when they get them in the second round on a wet and windy Tuesday in November.

 

 

PS. I don't support England or any of the British national sides.

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11 hours ago, F-UnitMad said:

If England were the world-beating team they always think they are, meeting any of those Countries wouldn't be a problem!!!

They arent, they just use tactics to advance further into the competition than they belong.

 

If England was as good at football as it is playing the system we’d win the competition every time.

 

 

 

 

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If England were to be considered as a world beating team then their goal scoring tally per game will need to be considerably increased. You can’t really expect to win these competitions by only managing to score 1 goal in a game, and that’s a struggled to even do that. Until they start putting the ball in the back of the net 3 or 4 times in the majority of these games then they may be considered as a world beating team. 

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2 hours ago, bourneagain said:

If England were to be considered as a world beating team then their goal scoring tally per game will need to be considerably increased. You can’t really expect to win these competitions by only managing to score 1 goal in a game, and that’s a struggled to even do that. Until they start putting the ball in the back of the net 3 or 4 times in the majority of these games then they may be considered as a world beating team. 

1-0 was Sam Allardyce’s strategy at Bolton, it worked until they were figured out.

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I suspect that Southgate's work is nearly done based on the evidence of the first two Group games.

 

He has finally managed to suck the players dry of any willingness to take to any risks during matches with his paranoid risk averse approach to every match.

 

It's quite a feat to manage to come a very poor second best in a "Home" match against a team with three Championship players, a Motherwell journeyman, two out-of-position centre backs and a 20 year old making his first international start.

 

 

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Unfortunately Southgate's contract runs until the end of the World Cup in 2022.  So despite a "massive" 3 shots on target in the Euros, to date,  we are stuck with the riskless approach shown against the Scots. Now that last 16 qualification is secured before the Czech Republic game heaven only knows what we can expect. On the grounds that winning the group means facing either France, Germany or Portugal maybe the ever pragmatic Southgate will send his team out to draw/lose.  If so, what an absolute disgrace for any team,  never mind the national team, but only to be expected by a spineless manager. Expect more in Qatar. A leopard doesn't change it's spots.

 

 

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Am I alone in thinking it perverse that England players are now self isolating as a result of cosying up with an opposition player? No wonder there is no passion in the teams performances...

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So the predicament is now crystal clear. A last 16 game against a mediocre Germany team, at least in comparison to the past. What does Southgate do? Two goals in three games, both scored by Raheem Sterling who is hardly prolific, a goalscorer in Harry Kane who could not hit a barndoor at the moment and ......who?

 

With a central defence on Stones and Maguire...neither of whom are known for extended periods of concentration and then throw Mings into that equation for even more uncertainty, the Germans are a good thing to score.

 

Creativity hinges on Grealish, Foden  (and Mount if available).  All Premier league outstanding talents but not yet proven finished articles at international level.

 

Make no mistake, I do hope that all the above "turn up and be counted" , including Southgate, but I await next Tuesday with apprehension. 

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17 minutes ago, Kendo54 said:

 A last 16 game against a mediocre Germany team

 

I'd add a mediocre Germany team that will lift it's game to play England at Wembley! 

From what I've seen they are there for the taking but it's still the Germans! 

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Doubt if it'll get that far, unless Southgate changes the game plan I can't see us winning. To get a forward to score they have to get the ball in a position where they can, from what I've seen of England in the first three games it looks like he's instructed the backs and midfield to make sure that doesn't happen at any cost...

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