Picking up on the conversation the commentators had just now about young English talent coming trough, I do hope this tournament reignites the passion for England and gives people a forward thinking view.
Hopefully City, Everton, Utd fans (as a small example) pressure their respective clubs to play the Fodens, Lookmans, Angel Gomes’ rather than dumping £28m on players like Cenk Tosun as a perhaps harsh example.
It’s all very well having talented youngsters but absolutely pointless if you’re going to block their route to the first team.
Although I expect the FA will solve the issues with Premier League B teams rather than tackle the actual issue at hand.
Truth is Belgium are going home as utter failures - this is the golden generation for them. They had to win it now - they have nothing coming through in the junior teams. They will probably be useless in a decade - back to being an average European team.
We on the other hand are smashing it in the junior tournaments.
(*there is no bitterness in this - honest*)
Well Sunshine … Thielemans is 19 yrs old . We'll see in 4 years time
Truth is Belgium are going home as utter failures - this is the golden generation for them. They had to win it now - they have nothing coming through in the junior teams. They will probably be useless in a decade - back to being an average European team.
We on the other hand are smashing it in the junior tournaments.
(*there is no bitterness in this - honest*)
Well Sunshine … Thielemans is 19 yrs old . We'll see in 4 years time
21 actually. Standard Liège and Anderlecht isn’t historically a hotbed of football talent coming through.
This is the golden generation - they simply had to win it. It was now or never in my eyes.
They failed (because after Brazil I was convinced they would win it).
One player versus us winning everything in the junior tournaments. I know what position I would rather be in.
England’s future for me rests on whether these players get the game time they need.
Jaden Sancho did the right thing going to Dortmund - hopefully Foden follows his lead.
Last two games (more so) have shown our weaknesses. Lack of creating and scoring from open play, and always some bad defending mistakes in us. Still very happy with the tournament and for the first time in ages actually something to look forward to and believe in.
lukaku should of score twice. they had a few other chances in the second half where if hazard had played a better ball they would of scored another two. our second half we looked alright till they scored their second. then we just sat and waited for the final whistle. disappointing end to a good tournament for us.
We lack enough scorers in midfield and attack outside of Kane. We have a bit of time to sort that out though. All in all an interesting system and hopefully the type of players that may plug the deficiencies in it will come to the fore over the next few years. But this World Cup has given us hope for the future. Thought we were excellent second half today by the way. Trippier a real find and Maguire not far behind. Also special mention for Pickford who was excellent throughout and will be our Number 1 for some time to come I suspect.
We got absolutely destroyed today. We could play that match 10 times and we would have lost it 10 times. Could’ve finished 5-0 today. Good reality check.
We got absolutely destroyed today. We could play that match 10 times and we would have lost it 10 times. Could’ve finished 5-0 today. Good reality check.
Bit harsh - it was mainly all us in the second half. They were under the kosh aside from a couple of breakaways as we had so many committed forward and nicked an undeserved second at the end.
Draw / pens wouldn’t have been unfair after the second half
What today's game told me is that Delph should have been in for Lingard and Alli out for Dier to support Henderson in the midfield, maybe even Lingard out for Loftus. That would have given us more bite in midfield imo.
Nothing to be ashamed of this tournament on reflection, we need to unearth a midfield battler though and we need a proper leader going into euros and if players like Alli and Kane aren't 100% then don't play them.
Side note, I don't wanna come across delusional, but I don't think there is a better crosser of the ball in the world than Trippier? Insane accuracy on the whip ins and the height and dip of them look a nightmare for a defender or goalie to read.
We got absolutely destroyed today. We could play that match 10 times and we would have lost it 10 times. Could’ve finished 5-0 today. Good reality check.
Fuck me you must have been watching a different match.
We got beaten, fairly. But destroyed? Sure it isn't your disappointment speaking?
England deserved a goal in the 90 minutes based on the chances created but Belgium were worthy winners. 2-1 (or failing that, 1-0) would've been a fair scoreline. To lose by two goals was harsh on us.
We got absolutely destroyed today. We could play that match 10 times and we would have lost it 10 times. Could’ve finished 5-0 today. Good reality check.
Bit harsh - it was mainly all us in the second half. They were under the kosh aside from a couple of breakaways as we had so many committed forward and nicked an undeserved second at the end.
Draw / pens wouldn’t have been unfair after the second half
Come on they had 6-7 clear cut chances. They’re another level to us. We could have played all
We got absolutely destroyed today. We could play that match 10 times and we would have lost it 10 times. Could’ve finished 5-0 today. Good reality check.
Fuck me you must have been watching a different match.
We got beaten, fairly. But destroyed? Sure it isn't your disappointment speaking?
They just looked like they could score on demand to me.
I reckon Belgium moved out of first gear at least 3 times in that game . They were more than comfortable but I shall be eternally grateful for them turning us over in the group and providing us with a once in a lifetime opportunity to get to the final , although hopefully the over hype on us may see somewhat of a reality check after today . We’re decent but need a lot of work and a good few more players before we will realistically be challengers for the World title . Italy and Holland will come again , Spain and Germany won’t be so weak , a big chance missed in this tourney .
I did the same, but I did tape it and watch it later without knowing the score.
Belgium B 1 England B 0 group
Belgium A 2 England A/B 0
The bizarre statement is England played decent 2nd half with lots of pressure but no cutting edge. Sorry to say that because Harry Kane had a fantastic season but a couple of games too long by the look of the last couple of matches.
Agree, Dier is a difficult player to work out because he can play in different positions and is under instructions from Spurs and England to do a job for the team. Deserved a goal today for that good move. Still plenty of room for improvement.
Why did Southgate appear to lose faith in Loftus-Cheek in the Quarter and semi ?
I reckon Belgium moved out of first gear at least 3 times in that game . They were more than comfortable but I shall be eternally grateful for them turning us over in the group and providing us with a once in a lifetime opportunity to get to the final , although hopefully the over hype on us may see somewhat of a reality check after today . We’re decent but need a lot of work and a good few more players before we will realistically be challengers for the World title . Italy and Holland will come again , Spain and Germany won’t be so weak , a big chance missed in this tourney .
Spot on. If we'd had won the group there is no way we'd have been looking at a semi-final. May have stumbled against Japan and certainly would have gone out v Brazil in the Qtrs (although that was expected and would have been deemed a success). In the main, our football was laboured, pedestrian and without any real innovation or penetration (set piece goals etc). Getting to the semi has simply papered over the cracks of how inferior we still are on the World stage.
This will only change if the youngsters are given a chance at the big clubs or get the opportunity to move to Europe to ply their trade (e.g. Lookman).
With the ability of the youngsters coming through and the 'system' at St George's Park, the future is still bright though; but only if we can manufacture a creative 'Gascoigne-esque' type player again.
Trouble with the big sides giving youngsters a go is that they are under instant pressure for results and success.
The new guy at Chelsea won't last long if he plays the likes of RLC and other youngsters which would be good for the long term but doesn't Chelsea get the results they crave (clearly winning the League and FA Cup in 2 seasons isn't enough...) in the very short term.
Guess you can point to Alexander Arnold at Liverpool though as an example of somebody being given a chance in a winning team...
Trouble with the big sides giving youngsters a go is that they are under instant pressure for results and success.
The new guy at Chelsea won't last long if he plays the likes of RLC and other youngsters which would be good for the long term but doesn't Chelsea get the results they crave (clearly winning the League and FA Cup in 2 seasons isn't enough...) in the very short term.
Guess you can point to Alexander Arnold at Liverpool though as an example of somebody being given a chance in a winning team...
Sadly RLC's best bet would be go out on loan to Palace again.
Genuinely feel like our time will come. Fantastic chance blah blah blah but we are finally getting it right at St George’s Park and it will happen
With the pipeline of talent we have coming up, it will make the golden generation look insignificant.
Add the likes of Sessegnon, Gomez, Sancho, Foden etc - along with Oxlade Chamberlain who wasn’t there - to the likes of Kane, Trippier, Stones, Maguire, Pickford, Lingard, Sterling.
Genuinely feel like our time will come. Fantastic chance blah blah blah but we are finally getting it right at St George’s Park and it will happen
With the pipeline of talent we have coming up, it will make the golden generation look insignificant.
Add the likes of Sessegnon, Gomez, Sancho, Foden etc - along with Oxlade Chamberlain who wasn’t there - to the likes of Kane, Trippier, Stones, Maguire, Pickford, Lingard, Sterling.
It’s hard to think anything but positively
I think our future success hinges on whether we can produce three high quality players, possibly one at the back, one in midfield and one up front. I don't think we have any at this stage, but with a young team and more coming through, there is good reason to be more optimistic than we were after the previous two tournaments.
No complaints, they were the better side, but we did well second half. We need to find two or three players to make us really strong. We have a good foundation and many of the players in this tournament will get better. Trippier was the best right back in the tournament and Magure the best central defender for me.
Comments
Hopefully City, Everton, Utd fans (as a small example) pressure their respective clubs to play the Fodens, Lookmans, Angel Gomes’ rather than dumping £28m on players like Cenk Tosun as a perhaps harsh example.
It’s all very well having talented youngsters but absolutely pointless if you’re going to block their route to the first team.
Although I expect the FA will solve the issues with Premier League B teams rather than tackle the actual issue at hand.
This is the golden generation - they simply had to win it. It was now or never in my eyes.
They failed (because after Brazil I was convinced they would win it).
One player versus us winning everything in the junior tournaments. I know what position I would rather be in.
England’s future for me rests on whether these players get the game time they need.
Jaden Sancho did the right thing going to Dortmund - hopefully Foden follows his lead.
Played well in patches today but tired/injured legs and back up players like Phil bloody Jones don’t help
Draw / pens wouldn’t have been unfair after the second half
Nothing to be ashamed of this tournament on reflection, we need to unearth a midfield battler though and we need a proper leader going into euros and if players like Alli and Kane aren't 100% then don't play them.
Side note, I don't wanna come across delusional, but I don't think there is a better crosser of the ball in the world than Trippier? Insane accuracy on the whip ins and the height and dip of them look a nightmare for a defender or goalie to read.
We got beaten, fairly. But destroyed? Sure it isn't your disappointment speaking?
Belgium 1.08
England 0.33
Second half xG
Belgium 0.66
England 0.80
England deserved a goal in the 90 minutes based on the chances created but Belgium were worthy winners. 2-1 (or failing that, 1-0) would've been a fair scoreline. To lose by two goals was harsh on us.
They were more than comfortable but I shall be eternally grateful for them turning us over in the group and providing us with a once in a lifetime opportunity to get to the final , although hopefully the over hype on us may see somewhat of a reality check after today .
We’re decent but need a lot of work and a good few more players before we will realistically be challengers for the World title .
Italy and Holland will come again , Spain and Germany won’t be so weak , a big chance missed in this tourney .
Belgium B 1 England B 0 group
Belgium A 2 England A/B 0
The bizarre statement is England played decent 2nd half with lots of pressure but no cutting edge. Sorry to say that because Harry Kane had a fantastic season but a couple of games too long by the look of the last couple of matches.
Deserved a goal today for that good move.
Still plenty of room for improvement.
Why did Southgate appear to lose faith in Loftus-Cheek in the Quarter and semi ?
This will only change if the youngsters are given a chance at the big clubs or get the opportunity to move to Europe to ply their trade (e.g. Lookman).
With the ability of the youngsters coming through and the 'system' at St George's Park, the future is still bright though; but only if we can manufacture a creative 'Gascoigne-esque' type player again.
The new guy at Chelsea won't last long if he plays the likes of RLC and other youngsters which would be good for the long term but doesn't Chelsea get the results they crave (clearly winning the League and FA Cup in 2 seasons isn't enough...) in the very short term.
Guess you can point to Alexander Arnold at Liverpool though as an example of somebody being given a chance in a winning team...
Add the likes of Sessegnon, Gomez, Sancho, Foden etc - along with Oxlade Chamberlain who wasn’t there - to the likes of Kane, Trippier, Stones, Maguire, Pickford, Lingard, Sterling.
It’s hard to think anything but positively