No sooner had I posted yesterday, than the announcement that Sokratis had landed as our brand spanking new defender.
What a day.
The 29-year-old has come in from Dortmund for £16m. He’ll bring leadership, fear, and prison yard bully-boy tactics to the dressing room. He’s so scary, he already has Aubameyang calling him Papa online. Total and utter dominance of other men is quite the skill.
I’d still quite like to see another young centre-back coming in. Someone with a touch more experience than Holding and Chambers. I’m not sure where the deal for Soyoncu has gone, but you’d imagine after the retirement of Per Mertesacker and the horrible injury of Koscielny, it’ll be something that’s top of mind.
I was also mulling over the new deals for Chambers and Xhaka. I know there’s a lot of love in the fanbase for both, but I’ve always been under the impression that they’re lacking in the pace department. Odd deals, but I guess you just have to trust in the new process.
The deal for Torreira has yet to happen, but I guess with Uraguay still firmly in the World Cup, it’ll be at least another week.
Mesut Ozil has finally picked up the number 10 of Jack Wilshere, which means he’s certainly playing an important role next season.
The other deal that’s still on the table is the Aaron Ramsey one. We’re pushing into ‘OH GOD NO PLEEEEASE SIGN DA TING’… you’d have to imagine there’s a deadline on this. No way we can let him head into the last year of his deal. According to rumour, he’s been rejecting deals like bad swipes on Tinder. As I mentioned before, his agent will be pushing for Ozil like money, because why not? He’s the best performer at the club. However, you can see it from the clubs perspective. You can’t level out that sort of money on a player who goes missing with injury… that said, you have Mesut who goes missing in big games and on random holidays when the going gets tough.
Tough times.
At least we know he’ll be floated out the back door if he doesn’t decide to stay on. We’re in a ruthless regime now. Though I do wonder what you do if he says he doesn’t want to leave? Do you threaten him with U23 football all year? That’d be mean. Let’s see where this goes, I don’t like the ‘he’s waiting to see what the squad looks like’ banter.
England is up a bit later this afternoon. We saw Belgium beat Japan after going 2-0 down. A lot of talk of Belgium being frauds, but the boys stepped up in the end and kept the flicker of the golden generation dream World Cup win alive. I love how the internet has rallied against people calling out Lukaku for lacking intelligence. It’s amusing to now watch it go the other way, people clamouring to be the first to congratulate him on intelligently passing the ball 3 yards into space. It was a lovely dummy for the final goal yesterday, but the genius post-rationalization commenatary is a bit much.
I also have to say, regardless of the ‘I need to be offended’ brigade online, the idea that it’s now a bit racist to comment on a player’s physical stature or attributes is next level. Sport, literally the one living in the world where being a genetic freak is exactly what lands you big dollars, is largely down to your power and pace. You think Per Mertesacker is making £90k a week if he’s 5ft5? You think Aaron Ramsey is anywhere near the Premier League without the engine he has?
I appreciate there are levels to this, and it’s certainly nuanced, but I think we lose our damn minds sometimes.
Right, England up in 4 hours, see you in the comments!
x
Colombians have to calm down or they’re f*cked. just play some football.
Ishola
“England cheating with the best of them here Pierre.’
Pierre doesn’t think England stand a chance at play-acting on the pitch.
Pathetic that the game of football has sunk to such a low.
No wonder rugby fans take the piss
raptora
“Half of this English team are serial cheaters, yet ppl say that latins are the divers. Joke.”
In a way not bad to see really.
Seen too many times in the past Latins being far superior at it and grinning about it.
Yeah Colombians are losing the plot. Least football played out of any K/O games so far.
At least we saw the best game last night.?
I see the non English are out in force on here…
The comments are pretty similar to an Arsenal game…
England showing a bit of nous so far.
Mixing the ugly side of the game with the Colombians.
Harry Kane will set a record this world cup when he wins the golden boot. It may be as inconsequential as Oleg Salenko’s in 1994.
3/6 of his goals are penalty kicks, the fourth a deflection he knew nothing about.
Ishola,
Problem is that in the EPL probably 90% of the serial cheaters have been English for a while. Basically most of the NT plus Rooney and Townsend and the rest.
Bring Rashford on
The sooner both of these teams get knocked out the better… for humanity
Vardy for last 15 mins off the last man?
The man mountain Maguire could become a bit of a cult hero in this side.
Marko
Careful…you’re coming close to being “anti-England”
You don’t want to be tarred with that brush.
Just need to bring on Loftus Cheek now to smash a few Colombians.
I see the non English are out in force on here…
The comments are pretty similar to an Arsenal game…
You know 90% of your comments are you complaining about the comment section. You know you can fuck off at any time that you want. You do know that
England win the world cup with set-pieces
Marko
Ha.. You will be sick as England progress further and further
Your Comment Here
Puke football
Another one who threw himself down at the first chance. Gentlemen team.
Lingard 🙂
Want to see England take it to the corner flags last 5 mins
Walker is always making mistakes
Lingard is so basic lol
Cuadrado was a revelation against Poland, but he’s been awful tonight.
Shit control of the ball from Lingard
England are kind of gash
This is someone whose routing for England to win.
England are abit like Mexico. In the sense Mexico are dangerous from counters and England are dangerous from set pieces but both sides lack that quality that polish with the final ball or finish.
Good heart though
Columbia have no playmaker with James injured.
They have lacked ideas all night
Arsene,Klopp,Poch and Pep have had massive positive influence on English football, I don’t remember when was the last time an England team played so many ground passes. Long aerial balls used to be the go to option all the time. Not exciting but still far better.
Poor game but England deserve to be in front.
Can’t believe Pekerman has waited until the 88th min to bring on Muriel.
TR7,
Yet their strongest weapon are set pieces.
So do England play Sweden next?
Such an easy draw, even Wenger wouldn’t have messed that up
Kane must be the best forward in the world at drawing fouls.
And another one joins the pack – Henderson.
Congratulations to England.
It w should be at least a semi-finals advancement, the first since the 1990 WC.
The better team won.
The usual.
Now England are toast.
Mina for Arsenal!!!
Yerry is at it again!!!!
England get done on the setpiece.
Anyone’s game now
He’s still a bit dodge at defending but attacking corners Yerry looks dangerous
You just knew that was coming, after that great save aswell
I knew this was going to happen……
Should have been headed off the line
Maguire got done.
Fair play to the Colombian though.
Towering header, Great header.
..oh dear
We all know this is going to penalties
Fukc
England have blown it
I thought it was over and then it happened.
hell of a player that kid 🙂
think he’s carrying an injury as well
Typical right?
Lol
Whatever happens, colombia are the biggest bunch of whining, cheating foulers in the competition.
Very good corner from Cuadrado as well given the circumstances with time nearly done on the match.
Would love to be optimistic, but I see Colombia scoring in ET.
England with the most Arsenal like performance you will ever see…
gambon
..and the team is full of spuds.
Alex,
Lol at Colombia being cheaters. All of England’s attack have dived for penalties vs Arsenal and the other teams in the EPL.
Raptora
‘Yet their strongest weapon are set pieces.’
I think it’s down to absence of a Xavi/Riqualme/Cesc type midfielder in the attacking midfield position. Not an issue of technical deficiency anymore.
Typical spurs.. Always bottle it..
Marko
Ha.. You will be sick as England progress further and further
Pierre that’s a big meh from me
I agree that Colombia have been shitty by circling the ref every couple of minutes. That’s unnaceptable. But ref’s fault for not being able to contain them.
Easily the most dramatic world cup I have watched and we are not even in to last 8.
Ashley left his boot in.
Dirty basket
And he gets the freekick
I’m not writing England off, but they lack a playmaker. The midfield is disciplined and athletic but there’s no craft in there.
Even quintero who’s not that great has shown a few bits of class. England ,although full of running , haven’t.
Anyway, here we go.
Columbia big favourites now.
England have zero quality to fall back on once the bottling begins.
Alexandry is correct.
Kane needs a Erickson
Sterling needs a debruyne
alexanderhenry
“”I’m not writing England off, but they lack a playmaker. The midfield is disciplined and athletic but there’s no craft in there.”
The little ballerina further up the pitch is meant to be the one that shows this craft and variance in this England set-up.
No longer on the pitch.
when England start to tire you can see the almost complete lack of invention in the side. like a glorified Pulis-era Stoke. huge, organised & corking at set pieces.
Colombia perilously close to reduced to 10 men.
Bring Welbeck on to get the winner or fluff a pen?
Ishola
If you mean Ali, I agree, he’s been disappointing.
Columbians are dirty bastards.
alexanderhenry
“If you mean Ali, I agree, he’s been disappointing.”
No Sterling
England will be sick if they mess up this opportunity
England still have set pieces. Lady luck can land on their shoulder.
Yeah how the fuck do England seem to tire before the Colombians
Ospina could be the hero here,
If he is a bit dodge with the aerials he is a decent shot stopper.
Or Colombia score from another headed in corner.
England really are bore fest. Can’t wait for them to go out so the real football can begin.
Falcao is amazing in the air for someone his size. great leap on him.
It’s been all Colombia since the equalizer
Colombians starting to smell that win.
Ishola
Yes, but I mean someone playing deeper who can pick a pass and inject some class into the proceedings, like Modric or Fabregas.
Trippier joins the pack of divers.
Disgusting didn’t touch Trippier.
Comes down to bottle now.
Southgate deserves it for not bringing a Wilshere or Shelvey and filling his midfield up with off the ball players that crap on the ball (Lingaard, Delli) and defensive types like Henderson and Dier that pass it backwards as soon as pressed.
Recipe for falling apart once the bottling begins.
We saw an hour of a new England who could actually hold the ball for once and exert some control on the game, but with little cutting edge.
Since then it’s been back to the same old England. Passive, negative, easily flustered etc.
No chance if it happens to go to a shoot-out.
tbf I don’t think England really bottled this.
You have got to give credit to Colombia for making that play so late in the match.
Very good corner, very good header.
Don’t always mean bottling if a team conceded whatever time.
Got to give props sometimes to the team that made it happen.
And if it goes to Pens Ospina will be the hero.
Your Comment Herewho could have predicted this after such great victories against Tunisia and Panama
Dissenter – Without off the ball players doing their thing and making runs beyond then England are nothing. They need that high tempo and third man runs to create chances because they are not going to do it with craft.
When players choke the first thing they do is stop making runs.
Fucking England’s back three, just stroking back and forth before turning around and slowly passing for Pickford to panick kick, how many times can you do the same boring shit, so stale.
Ospina has a great technique, good reflexes as well but is limited by his small frame.
England will win it….relax guys.
England better mentally. Being pro-active. Only way they can play.
England having a bit of a go second period of ET
I really hope Rashford takes a pen.