Two holding midfielders was not working but Southgate was to afraid to change it. My biggest worry about him is he is a bottler. Having said that, it was actually a decent result as if we win the group, there is no way we are beating France, Portugal or Germany. As it stands second would give us a last 16 game against Slovakia, Sweden or Poland. But unless the manager grows a pair, that is probably as far as we will go.
Grealish should have come on for Phillips and Rashford for Sterling (who was poor) and Calvert-Lewin on for Cane. I though James was a bit anonymous and I'd have Chilwell above Shaw every day of the week just for that extra bit of quality he has. Mount left his nine iron at home too which was frustrating!
Surely it's better to play the 2nd team in Group F in the last 16 than the 1st team in Group F in the Quarter Finals?
No because we probably won't get past the quarters. Better to get there than get knocked out in last 16.
In tournament terms, we were the winners. We just need a draw and Scotland need a win. The stupidity of having 24 teams makes these games more likely. Potentially, England could repeat the farce v Czech of East Germany v Austria (I think they were the two sides) who played a dead 0-0 draw so that they both qualified in the WC. It kinda makes sense - preserves players, avoids injuries.
If Stones had scored rather than hit the post, it would have been 3-0. If the ref had gone to VAR, we would have missed the penalty.
Good enough, I say, albeit dire to watch but I never had high expectations from this game.
Just to be a pedant, it was West Germany and they won 1-0, which result put them both through at the expense of Algeria, who had beaten the Germans 2-1.
Scotland did a job on us, and did it well. Southgate just didn’t have the balls to tinker his system and just replaced like for like. Looks like Kane’s been a bit found out at international level, or at least the system doesn’t work for him. Sterling looked off the pace today, needed to do what grealish was doing when he came on - taking the ball into contact. Foden was our best player, was making great runs and asking questions, once he came off we had nothing.
stones should have scored. Could’ve been 3-0 if he did.
Comments
Play Grealish in there v Czech Rep, give Sancho a game over Sterling. Push the full backs up.
Don’t think he will change to be honest, shame because we have so many good players but he plays two defensive midfielders virtually every game.
Crying out for an old fashioned forward today, he rightly took Kane off but should have put the Everton guy upfront as a target man not Rashford.
No Gareth, you can try to change something so you do win it.
Can't say we need more energy when he had the most and you took him off first.
Watched all but 2 of the other matches & I can honestly say all the other teams look so much more threatening in attack.
stones should have scored. Could’ve been 3-0 if he did.