It’s the BIG game today. I am on enemy territory but that is NOT going to stop me from engaging in the activity of BIG drinking in a local USA bar.
America is a bit weird with away fans, they kind of don’t fuss over them too much. I’ve sat at games next to away fans in a home section, and they sing. In the UK, you’d get a slap, here, they shrug. In fact, at a basketball game, I once asked why no one was going after the away fan in the home end.
‘Sir, this is a civilized country, we don’t do things like that here’
Ok.
Will that attitude carry over onto the international scene? Who knows, I’m about to find out.
All that matters this afternoon is a win, a Bukayo Saka masterclass, and no injuries to our players.
I was a little unnerved to see Neymar ruled out for the rest of the group stages with an ankle injury. This is the problem with World Cup games, subpar players can’t win, but they can be the guy that smashed up one of the best players in the world. I don’t want that happening to our players.
Brazil didn’t start with either of our two players. They rolled with Richarlison as the 9 and he scored one of the best goals I’ve seen this year. An unreal bicycle kick. Some were making the point that he only got himself into that position because of a janky first touch, but whatever, he delivered two goals. If that means he gets more minutes than Jesus, I’m not against it, though I do suspect his limitations will be exposed as the tournament progresses.
So what have we learned so far?
England, Brazil, Spain, and France are all pretty decent.
I really don’t know if anyone is head and shoulders above the rest, but at the very least, England is in with a shout.
They have to do it against USA today. The Americans aren’t in a good shape, which is odd, considering some of the talent they have. The worry is this game will be like a derby day for them, they might show up with a point to prove, and we might think it’ll be easy because the culture in the UK is write off anything America does in the beautiful game.
My gut says that this side just has too much quality these days. There are too many winners in our side. Too much technical know-how at the highest level.
… but I guess Germany thought that as well and look where they are right now. Mudded. Wiping their spectacles clean. Not good.
I also worry that Trippier and Harry aren’t the full ticket and Southgate is in fuck around / find out mode with them as he thinks they are besties. Get Benny Blanco into that backline and we’re cooking on the finest of fumes.
Little bit of Arsenal news before we go. The hot talk on the internet is that we’ll move on Danilo to cover us at #6. I honestly have no idea how good he’ll be, but Edu knows that market, and Arsenal haven’t missed too many times lately. It’s just a shame we can’t get him to our training camps early so he can bed in. Or can we? I am not sure of the rules. Anyway, one to watch!
ON THE WHISTLE AFTER THE GAME. MAKE SURE YOU TUNE IN BELOW!
And no way in a country mile is Declan Rice better than Casmeiro. Specially not the one we all watched last night
Saka not that involved in the match not helping that others seem to refuse to pass to him
Sterling is wank. That back four are limp and slow to move the ball forward and Mount is dim as the third man in midfield. Southgate leaving better game changers on the bench. They look petrified and slow. The pace needs to pick up second half or its a draw or USA might steal a lucky goal.
Does Declan Rice know you can pass the ball forward or does he think it’s rugby rules
Mount is shit
Why is he even on the pitch when we have foden ad Grealish
Very very impressed with USA here. Very competitive.
That Musa lad in midfield looks mustard
Rice has potential and he has been a bit consistent for a while now. But Casemiro is different level. He had a slow start at United but he has regained his form. He is elite, sadly as an Arsenal fan. He is quality.
How the fuck is rice playing?
Bati
He is an Ex,-Arsenal academy player. Plays for Valencia now. Very impressed.
Looks like the ref is good for once
For me Brazil hands down has the best forward-line and GK in the tournament.
I would say that France have the strongest defence and for midfield I think that despite their opening game shocker loss that you could make a real case for Germany having the best CM options in Kimmich, Goretzka, Gundogan.
They had 26 shots on goal with 74% possession against Japan, mental that they lost.
Rice is better than Casemiro
Boom 💥
We are witnessing peak Southgate ball. Very average and quiet devoid of anything exciting. Graham Potter would’ve been better than the damp squib.
Most US attacks are coming on the left of England, where Maguire and Shaw are placed. Not really a coincidence if you ask me.
Habesha
First time im seeing him, didnt know he was one of ours
Merica baby
Turner really is a decent keeper. He has impressed me so far. We could do much worse than him for a backup.
Get mount and Sterling off please for foster and Grealish
Little bit of flair and invention is sorely needed
USA players look much faster and hungrier
Saka out Foden in
Yunus Musah is barely 20years old but is a baller. His spell with us must have been really short but have been hearing good things about him the past 2 years. You never know how these kids will turn out but good that he went to develop in Spain.
Keano was having a pop at Partey yesterday so I hear?
Izzo
Exactly that
This is muel head reverting to type
And wafth him sink further into prime midsboro tactics
Southgate really might fail with England’s best generation for a while. The Football is an eyesore whenever he faces some decent opposition.
USA the better side in the 1st half.
Never mind Southgate will come up with some inspirational tactical changes that’ll bamboozle the US in the 2nd 45.
Or maybe not…
Urgh. Don’t you hate it when England play like they’ve been hitting the spliff before the match. Need a massive massive kick up the arse at half time.
I don’t think that it’s fair to call Gareff a failure. He’s already surpassed the vast majority of past England managers with an inferior talent pool imo, those England teams of the 2000s were just insanely stacked with talent and they did fuck all and never progressed past a QF in a tourney.
A WC SF and losing the Euros on pens is impressive regardless of how they fare in this WC. Even if the draw was fortuitous in the last WC.
Eagle
Yep, Brazil are favourites. Pains me to admit it. Let’s see how it pans out and also how they react to Neymar’s injury for the next two games apparently.
Although they could even be better given their multiple options.
Having said all that, he has England playing some laboured football to say the least.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are more interesting.
Whew…..Cagey affair…Think the surprise 4-4-2 messed England up US midfield is keeping us very competitive And Robinson US left back is playing well versus Saka. The issue is US team is not deep and when the starters start to get tired in the second half Englands bench is ridioulous in comparision The US number 9 position though starting a dude who has only played 4 matches ever for us tells you how desperate we are for a striker.
Wenger Eagle
I get that but in the end no one remembers semifinalists and finalists. The Netherlands have been reaching a lot of Finals and Semifinals the last 30 years and they are still not a title winner. Germany and Spain won with theirs recently. And Chances like that don’t come again for a while when you miss them.
Karim
France still have a ridiculous group of players but I just worry for your CM against the better teams. Your WC winning CM are all gone with Matuidi retired and Pogba/Kante injured. No Nkunku or Benz either.
You have in my mind the best player on the planet in Mbappe though so you definitely have a chance with him.
Habesha
Fair but is not winning the tourney a ‘failure’? Would anyone barring maybe Un consider England to be the best team at the WC?
Gary Neville “Foden is the biggest talent in this country by far”. How disrespectful to Saka and Bellingham
Mount, Sterling and Kane are a triangle of cluelessness. You have to put in a Foden to replace either Mount or Sterling if you want something intelligent to happen in attack Saka is being shunned and not meshing well with those three and Trippier does not complement Saka and leaving Ben White who is literally the best right back in the set up and PL on bench is idiotic because he knows Saka’s game and movement to a T.
Name one manager who couldn’t get more style out of this England side I dare you.
Southgate plus the 800 pound gorilla of nations expectations weighing them down means England will have another whatmightvebeen WC.
Neville is a tool
I agree that Foden is the best English talent but it’s definitely not by a mile. Saka is very close to him.
Neville talking shite.
France’s midfielders need time but they will be serious. This world cup came a bit too soon for them I think. Tchouameni and Camavinga are class. Guendouzi has been quietly good in France too. Rabiot has been poor for Juve for ages now. Might turn it on for France, you never know. I don’t know if they are experienced enough to win this. Their defenders have some rookie player too now Hernandez is out, Varane is still not back. Theo, Konate, Upamecano, Saliba all haven’t been to a big tournament. That’s all.
Foden on for Sterling, Grealish for Mount
”Name one manager who couldn’t get more style out of this England side I dare you.”
Capello, Sven, Woy.. etc.
Have England ever been an entertaining watch in WCs?
Wenger Eagle
Fair enough. But this England team should be at least as Semi finalist in this tournament. It has the talent for it. Not sure it has the manager.
Eagle
Still hopeful of a favourable outcome as you may imagine. But their bench is ridiculous. So much quality depth. And even if Thiago Silva couldn’t last the whole tournament, I imagine someone like Eder Militao could do a decent job. They even have two good keepers….
England with possession but not able to do anything with it. US more energetic and more likely. Who scored first has become a key factor.
Like I also said, the only thing that would hold this England side back (outside of France) is Gareth donkey Southgate
This is bloody piss poor! Our forward players need to track back and pressure them with more agreession
Have England ever been an entertaining watch in WCs?
Weagle
Erm
Hoddle 98
Robson 90
Ramsey 66
🤷🏻♂️ 🤷🏻♂️ 🤷🏻♂️
Don’t let your bias get in the way of reality
Mounts touch is woefull
Habesha
Agree for the most part but Rabiot has been good this year for Juve. And Varane starts tomorrow too. Not the greatest midfield overall but still quite solid imo.
Please for the love of god get Mount and Sterling off
@un….yes! Our front line have done fuck all the entire game…utter crap, kane also shit…dropping so deep to get the ball…stay up top ffs!…constantly inviting pressure on themselves
This lays English ambition bare. R16 / QF best. No ideas at all and looking suss at the back. US are all over them. Really poor from England.
England’s pressing is non existent. The US have been better on the balance of play so far. England’s midfield has been very poor too. Mount has been awful.
If they drop any deeper they will all be playing behind pickford!…put a fucking challenge in
Un was seriously telling me this England side is a competition for Brazil. I don’t think so. It is lacking quality in defense and the manager is shit. That is why they won’t be competition for Brazil.
All hepl will break loose if they somehow lose this 😂😂
All Hell*
Why is Mount still on the field?
“IF”…?
Mount is still on the field 😂😂😂
Turner really hasn’t been challenged yet has he?
England have been a miserable watch for decades. The difference now is that they have some of the best talent in the world instead of just a bunch of overrated self-proclaimed stars. Saying that you can’t argue with Southgate’s results is basically the pro Conte argument. He’s literally taking off Bellingham for Henderson as I type this. Talk about sufferball…
Fuck off Sterling
Habesha
We are still the highest scoring team in the tournament mate so suck my ball bags
Un
😂😂😂
Why so sensitive?
Get foden on Southgate you moooooose
Un forgot about Spain apparently
Southgate is the dullest man in football.
In my late 20s here Un and you’re going back 25 odd years for the most recent example, in all fairness.
Cor lee Dixon is a right grumpy shit
Have our players broken a sweat yet? It’s utter rubbish!
Eagle
?? Que?
Didn’t you say England don’t ever provide entertainment at world cups or some such?
Mount still on? 😆
25 years is a while Un. How many tournaments is that they’ve been shite to watch? A dozen odd?
GET FODEN ON
And Wilson while you’re at it
Southgate I donkey shit
Why is Mount still out there
Like I said
The only thing that will hold this team back is skinny head
Saka is going off I think. Rashford means it is Saka who goes.
Eagle
That’s 5/8 since 1990 if you consider many of our other teams shite to watch
Yep!
Why is Southgate so agaisnt foden
What has Foden done to southgate. Mount has done nothing apart from one shot at the end of the 1st half. Literally nothing. Having favourites will cost you.
Get mount off that fucking pitch!
Macguire motm
Saka non existent.
Stones and Maguire passing the ball 10 tens between themselves is making my blood boil. Move the fucking ball up the pitch!!!
Not sure how you can say this England team is better than the one in the mid 2000s.
James vs Pickford
Neville vs Trippier/TAA/Walker
Ferdinand vs Stones
Terry vs Maguire
Cole vs Shaw
Gerrard vs Rice
Scholes vs Bellingham
Lampard vs Mount/Foden
Beckham vs Saka
Joe Cole vs Sterling
Rooney vs Kane
I’d only choose the RB (any of Trippier, Walker, TAA are better footballers than Neville was), Saka and possibly Kane out of the modern team.
Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes, Cole, Ferdinand, Terry especially were literally elite top 5 in their position in the world.
Kane has also been shit to be fair.
I am hoping for a goal from USA.. after Saka and Bell were taken off I am all in on team USofA
@izzo completely agree playing like this we are a piece of piss to defend against,
I’m not sure that Harry Kane is fit?
I like Mount a lot and really rate him but he is badly out of form and even in form, Foden is clearly the superior footballer.
Favourites indeed.
Kane for some fucking reason decides to play anywhere but up front…hes crap, he should stay up top regardless and hold the ball up, bring others into the game. If he’s fucking about on the edge of our box, get the cunt off…hes doing nothing!
Tyler Adams has been superb everytime I have seen him. He has some limitations when it comes to passing between the lines. But he is a serious player when it comes to reading the game and breaking up play. Very impressive tonight again.
Another bore 0-0 fucking hell, how many has that been already this WC?
Turner MOTM
So the States basically need to beat Iran to go through as runners-up? Poised nicely that game, should be an interesting watch.
Yep pick ford.. boot it up the other end…..where not a SINGLE player is…..
Playing with Trippier+Shaw as fullbacks and Rice+Henderson in midfield is some prime sufferball. I’m not even English and I feel it’s a crime against football to have a player like Foden in the squad and keep him on the bench.
Turner has been solid in catching crosses and distribution but he has had nothing to do in terms of saves.
Has Turner had to make a save?
TAA would have been taolir-made for tonight. Such a waste having Trippier pottering about.