England v USA

Chris_Boro said:
It's not about being an attacking team, it's about making changes that turn the tide of a game. Attacking doesn't always mean scoring goals, it also means keeping the ball away from your own goal.

Such changes versus Croatia and Italy might have turned the game enough to prevent the inevitable goals we conceded in those games.
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He did make changes to change the tide of the game. We were getting overrun in midfield so he brought on Henderson who helped us get some control in midfield. I do think we should have brought on Foden for Mount, but I can see why he kept Mount on to keep the side more structured and disciplined.

Considering how people are reacting to a draw against a tough side who played well, I can't imagine how people would have reacted if we had the start Argentina or Germany have had.
 
Hoolio said:
4 points good as qualified we move on, we are not going to come close to winning it mind
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IIRC a lot said the same thing g more or less after the Scotland game last year too and we were a penalty shootout away which is about as close as it gets without winning the thing.
Still the likelihood of things panning out EXACTLY like that are slimmer tbh.
 
TeaCider said:
Nobody was more frustrated by our performance tonight than me, but we made proactive changes literally 4 days ago.

England conceded in the 65th minute against Iran, Southgate immediately made 4 substitutions and we scored less than a minute later through Rashford as a sub.
One of his other subs from that period scored 15 minutes later.

It just seems like many fans have a script written from before the World Cup and have immediately reverted to it as soon as we haven't battered a team.

The USA were by far the better team against Wales, and only dropped points because Bale managed to get fouled when he was doing nothing.

They got a fully deserved 0-0 against us, but I wouldn't say they deserved a win on the basis of that second half.

England should have done better, but very few teams have shone in this World Cup so far.

I don't think it's a coincidence that their coach asked them to play for a draw at the end tonight.
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Making changes when 4 nil up is not being proactive it’s being sensible and the fact they happened just as Iran scored was more coincidental than planned.

I can’t talk about other fans all I can talk about is my own thoughts and tonight was another game in a tournament whereby our manager took the easy option, which is bourn out in his interview after the game (happy with a point, this is a game we could have easily lost, we battled well).

Very frustrating imo, not really because of the result tonight but the fact that our inability or reluctance to change the course of a game is glaringly obvious again.

Anyway on the positive we are top of the group and should win the group from here so mission almost accomplished.
 
Jermaine jenas just said it Gareth trusts a certain group of players and he always has done.

That’s the issue. Too many favourites picked regardless of form of results.
 
TheYorkshireTerrier said:
I seem to remember a lot of the same comments after the Scotland game last year and no one remembers that when we look back on what England achieved in that tournament.

Group stage is the group stage, yeah they didn’t play well but at the end of the day we’re in charge of the group and looking good for qualification.

You only need to look at how other big teams have faired so far at this tournament to see you aren’t guaranteed to play well every game.

Calm heads are needed.
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At last someone with a little bit of savvy
 
Jedi boro said:
Jermaine jenas just said it Gareth trusts a certain group of players and he always has done.

That’s the issue. Too many favourites picked regardless of form of results.
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Given that we went out of the euros to Iceland, given that we went out in Brazil at the group stage, and given that in his two tournaments Southgate has got us to the semi final and final could the argument not be made that he is absolutely right to stick to his favourites.
 
allied_assault said:
At last someone with a little bit of savvy
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Top international manager but that doesn't mean he doesn't have faults, his team and tactics seem to get stuck sometimes and as a spectator you can see the same ineffectual patterns playing out with the same results, such as constantly playing out of the back tonight when it was obvious the USA had that number and the means to stop it, still I rather have that warning tonight in the group stages than possibly later in the playoffs, I hope it gives GS a sleepless night because he might devise the means to overcome it.
 
exeterboro said:
Top international manager but that doesn't mean he doesn't have faults, his team and tactics seem to get stuck sometimes and as a spectator you can see the same ineffectual patterns playing out with the same results, such as constantly playing out of the back tonight when it was obvious the USA had that number and the means to stop it, still I rather have that warning tonight in the group stages than possibly later in the playoffs, I hope it gives GS a sleepless night because he might devise the means to overcome it.
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We are into the last 16 with a game to spare barring a miracle
Job done
I have watched numerous world cups where the likes of the Germans and Italy have scraped out of the group stages and then they all of a sudden in a semi final
This is the model that Gareth is going to follow
We will be fine
 
At this point we are probably in the last 16 and who knows, but in real time tonight we allowed the opposition to play into confidence and the belief that they could win the match, it might not happen again during the tournament for England but if it did could GS learn from previous situations?
 
rbmfc1985 said:
Considering how people are reacting to a draw against a tough side who played well, I can't imagine how people would have reacted if we had the start Argentina or Germany have had.
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I wonder what message boards such as Llévame a La luna in Argentina and Flieg Mich Zum Mond in Germany have been like this week ? :ROFLMAO:
 
allied_assault said:
We are into the last 16 with a game to spare barring a miracle
Job done
I have watched numerous world cups where the likes of the Germans and Italy have scraped out of the group stages and then they all of a sudden in a semi final
This is the model that Gareth is going to follow
We will be fine
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Who is doubting you are going to get out of the Group? You seem a little irked that people are criticising the performance - everybody has a right to do that. Just chill and if you think you will be fine then all good and dandy. The performance was not good but fortunately it does not have any immediate repercussions except possibly on confidence.
 
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Scrug said:
Bellingham did **** all tonight. Which was predictable given the media jizzathon over him beforehand.

English players always look better than they are because they’re surrounded by gifted foreigners.
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Bellingham got a whack five mins or so into the game it clearly effected him. The lack of movement around and in front of him was pathetic and certainly didn’t help.
 
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TeaCider said:
Our main issue tonight, at least in my eyes, was that the USA were looking too threatening going forwards, I'm not sure Foden playing over Mount fixes that.
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It gives them something else to worry about, his close control and footwork would allow him to skip past when someone tried to press him, he would of taken up at least two of their players when we had the ball creating abit of space for others to work it, instead we had Mount who didn’t press, didn’t tackle, didn’t bring the ball forward other than running into trouble, couldn’t pass ten yards and I’d swear Jimmy Saville has a softer touch.
 
What has GS done to Rice. An all action MF powerhouse who often grabs games by the scruff of the neck, against some of the top teams, made to play football by numbers. The last two games he is being used as an extra centre half, which he clearly isn’t. Our passing out the back has been abysmal and for me he is the reason. Not that he isn’t a good player, it’s just that the centre backs have thought, ‘well if I pass the ball to him, i won’t risk giving the ball away myself’ That to me is worrying, as as they are both incredibly experienced. Whilst last night was worrying, GS still has a little time to get it right but Rice moving forward 15 to 20 yards to support an overran MF would be a start.
 
Abel Tasman said:
Who is doubting you are going to get out of the Group? You seem a little irked that people are criticising the performance - everybody has a right to do that. Just chill and if you think you will be fine then all good and dandy. The performance was not good but fortunately it does not have any immediate repercussions except possibly on confidence.
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I’m chilled
You need to tell the others that are worried to do that AT
It will be a completely different ballgame in the last 16 and our performances will improve as the tournament progresses I’m sure
 
I know we should all be resigned to it by now but it was just so frustrating seeing us play like (back back back sideways back) that and leaving key players on the bench.
 
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