Tough call. They had a great impact when they came on but maybe that's where both players are most effective.
Alli and Sterling were on the pitch for the opening 10-15 minutes where England were carving the Tunisians open at will.
Sterling did miss a couple of chances though so I can see the argument for starting Rashford over him. I do not think Rashford would've missed the early opportunities that were squandered.
Encouraging that we stuck to our guns and continued to play football. Every other England side I've watched in my 30 odd years would have been continually pumping big high balls into the box for at least those last 20 minutes. Fair play.
Player ratings for me: Pickford - 6: Unlucky on pen, literally nothing else to do Trippier - 8: Bit more pace the lad would be incredible Walker-6: Seen better Stones- 7: No blunders, solid Maguire- 7: Poor start, bags of potential and finished very well Young- 5: doesn’t suit the system, would try Rose Henderson- 7: Actually looked like a very good CDM Alli- 5: Started well, faded horribly Sterling - 4: How this lad has the confidence to reject a contract offer from city I’ll never know Lingard- 6: Poor finishing but movement is top notch, stays in the 11 for me Kane- 7: Top 2 finisher in the world right now, not always in it but with service he’s world class
First time I saw Maguire was for Sheff Utd in the 6th Round FA tie in 2014 and for a very big lad he has great composure on the ball. Was impressed then and not surprised he has made it to the top.
Not sure on maguire loving. He looks good bringing a ball out when he isn’t marking anyone and there is no attacking threat around him, but he got caught out by movement a few times v Nigeria and he looked a bit unsure defensively under pressure tonight.
Might just needed that game to settle him done, but I’ve just got a bug bear that Walker / Stones / Maguire lacks real defensive stature.
For years I've been very critical of Henderson but the way that system ticks over with so many attacking players in the line up is massively down to Henderson. Yes, it was Tunisia and not Germany but the way Henderson reads the game and then uses the ball allows us to play this system unlike previous england teams that looked so rigid and one dimensional.
Encouraging that we stuck to our guns and continued to play football. Every other England side I've watched in my 30 odd years would have been continually pumping big high balls into the box for at least those last 20 minutes. Fair play.
I agree with the point about long balls but that was a typical abject England performance excellent up to when we score and then the life gets sucked out of the team
We made great chances before we scored and in the first half we created a few more clear cut ones but after twenty odd mins we just stop playing and we play shite balls in shite areas and we do it slowly
When we score I ain’t saying go hell for leather and get caught but we become scared and we lose momentum and impetus every single time
Encouraging that we stuck to our guns and continued to play football. Every other England side I've watched in my 30 odd years would have been continually pumping big high balls into the box for at least those last 20 minutes. Fair play.
I agree with the point about long balls but that was a typical abject England performance excellent up to when we score and then the life gets sucked out of the team
We made great chances before we scored and in the first half we created a few more clear cut ones but after twenty odd mins we just stop playing and we play shite balls in shite areas and we do it slowly
When we score I ain’t saying go hell for leather and get caught but we become scared and we lose momentum and impetus every single time
Agree completely. Even when we got the winner I felt we could still quite easily concede as we don’t know what to do when we’re infront.
Conceding the penalty was the momentum shifter. Anyone can play when you're in front but the acid test comes when you have to pick yourselves back up and we struggled to do that until the subs gave us a lift and Captain Marvel nicked the winner. Hopefully lessons learnt and we go again but next time more composure in front of goal and take the chances. Cmon England!
Comments
Alli and Sterling were on the pitch for the opening 10-15 minutes where England were carving the Tunisians open at will.
Sterling did miss a couple of chances though so I can see the argument for starting Rashford over him. I do not think Rashford would've missed the early opportunities that were squandered.
Every other England side I've watched in my 30 odd years would have been continually pumping big high balls into the box for at least those last 20 minutes.
Fair play.
Pickford - 6: Unlucky on pen, literally nothing else to do
Trippier - 8: Bit more pace the lad would be incredible
Walker-6: Seen better
Stones- 7: No blunders, solid
Maguire- 7: Poor start, bags of potential and finished very well
Young- 5: doesn’t suit the system, would try Rose
Henderson- 7: Actually looked like a very good CDM
Alli- 5: Started well, faded horribly
Sterling - 4: How this lad has the confidence to reject a contract offer from city I’ll never know
Lingard- 6: Poor finishing but movement is top notch, stays in the 11 for me
Kane- 7: Top 2 finisher in the world right now, not always in it but with service he’s world class
Pickford 6
Trippier 8
Walker 5
Stones 7.5
Maguire 8.5
Young 5.5
Henderson 8
Alli 6.5
Sterling 5.5
Lingard 7
Kane 9
Rashford 8
RLC 8
Trippier
Walker
Maguire
Stones
Rose
Henderson
Lingard
Alli
Rashford
Kane
For me..... but think cos we won he will leave it unchanged.
Loftus Cheek waiting in the wings behind Lingard or Alli.
Cahill / Dier the two options to bring on if we need to close up shop
Might just needed that game to settle him done, but I’ve just got a bug bear that Walker / Stones / Maguire lacks real defensive stature.
Yes, it was Tunisia and not Germany but the way Henderson reads the game and then uses the ball allows us to play this system unlike previous england teams that looked so rigid and one dimensional.
We made great chances before we scored and in the first half we created a few more clear cut ones but after twenty odd mins we just stop playing and we play shite balls in shite areas and we do it slowly
When we score I ain’t saying go hell for leather and get caught but we become scared and we lose momentum and impetus every single time
Now we know we can score a late goal when we need one.
If we're a goal down in the last 16 against Colombia, will our heads drop? No, because we've done it before and know that we can do it again.