England vs Germany

[Crabbycanary3 994]

Totally underwhelming against a team who are there for the taking.

Southgate out

[keelansgrandad 6,680]

Just a lack of excitement from both teams.

If people are happy to accept this if we win then fair enough.

For me, I want to see our flair players on the pitch.

[TheGunnShow 6,928]

1 minute ago, Fiery Zac said:

And that’s the frustrating thing, look how good our attacking talent is, look who’s on the bench.

Play to your strengths is a fundamental. Then what the **** are we doing playing a back 5 and two creatively limited DMs??

Yet both defensive midfielders have ended up in the book and Pickford pulled a big save off to deny Werner. Playing to your strengths is a fundamental, but against this German side they'd probably be a goal or two behind. Especially as Kimmich and Gosens are two of their more dangerous players.

Saka's done quite well here. Kane's the problem.

[Capt. Pants 4,709]

Decent first half but we're not really creating much. Kane has got to start moving about.

Luckily their chance fell to Werner and not Havertz and ours fell to out of form Harry.

[Fuzzar 1,796]

3 minutes ago, keelansgrandad said:

Just a lack of excitement from both teams.

If people are happy to accept this if we win then fair enough.

For me, I want to see our flair players on the pitch.

I don't get why we take years to build St George's Park, to help develop players like Foden, Grealish and Mount to enable us to better compete with the bigger teams, who were historically better technical players, then leave them all on the bench. 

[Ken Hairy 4,136]

4 minutes ago, keelansgrandad said:

Just a lack of excitement from both teams.

If people are happy to accept this if we win then fair enough.

For me, I want to see our flair players on the pitch.

If we win I'll be delighted how it comes, don't care about entertainment like I do with Norwich. However we have a lot of good young attacking talent, if this doesn't work I'll be joining Crabby calling for a new manager who's not afraid to use them. 

[Crabbycanary3 994]

I am all for respecting the opposition but ffs, we are at home, and a chance to get to a Q/F of a major tournament. This is not playing for a point to secure qualification or similar. 

I am sick of us putting our English reticence to the fore. This is not little ol England. Grow some and go out fighting, trying to win the freaking game. (Also pass the bloody ball in front of players so as not to slow the game up even further). Get on the front foot and let the opposition fear us

[Ward 3 447]

Kane shouldve smashed his left foot through the ball for me.

[Midlands Yellow 4,479]

We do have some quality, unfortunately most of it is on the bench so it’s safety first from Southgate once again. 

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

14 minutes ago, king canary said:

The constant pissing and whinging that we're not Brazil 1970 gets quite tiring.

I think people just want to see the team play to its strengths. IMO one of Foden or Grealish HAVE to start, every time. We clearly have the most talent in the squad in the forward positions - particularly attacking midfield. Yet we appear to be favouring the rugged types in the centre, with only 3 attacking players on the pitch, and we lack any incisiveness, tempo or flair as a result. 

It’s just quite uninspiring, it would be understandable if we didn’t have the options up top and had a great defence to back it up - but neither of those caveats are true in this case.

And I’m not sure why you are taking the argument to such an extreme. Do you believe this 4 games has been even close to the best that England can play, and using the best players we have available?

When we all wanted Hughton out as Norwich fans, it wasn’t because we wanted Norwich to play like Brazil 1970, we just wanted to see players like Holt play like how we saw him under Lambert just the season or two before. Similarly I want to see players like Grealish, Foden, Sterling and our full backs on the front foot like we see week in week out in the premier league. 

If we nick through this game then fair enough, and if we nick our way to the trophy then fantastic. But Southgate is going to be questioned the whole way when he’s utilising the assets available to him in this way, and if we fall short in poor fashion I think a lot of fans will be totally alienated with him at the helm and our play style / team selections (myself included). 

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

Also surely we have to cut our losses with Kane now - it’s like playing with 10 men and a traffic cone up front  

[Fiery Zac 1,066]

England fans being deprived of some of the best attacking players for a long time because it’s a better idea to defend against a team that’s there to be got at.
 

Not playing to our strengths and not playing to exploit opposition weaknesses. We’re playing to nullify and edge the game. I just thought with all the talent we have at our disposal, we’d actually use it. Silly me.

[NFN FC 1,142]

2 minutes ago, Hank shoots Skyler said:

Also surely we have to cut our losses with Kane now - it’s like playing with 10 men and a traffic cone up front  

Traffic cones are useful and easy to find. Don't offend the traffic cones! 

Edited June 29, 2021 by NFN FC

[Fiery Zac 1,066]

Pickford our best player, says it all.

[Crabbycanary3 994]

Get Foden and Mount on and watch the German midfield and defence cr*p themselves and get on the back foot

[Ward 3 447]

Kanes so so out of form

[TheGunnShow 6,928]

Just now, Ward 3 said:

Kanes so so out of form

He's the problem. That's why the attacking play's not clicking. Put Sterling up there, get Foden on alongside him as those two know each others games inside out, and see what happens.

[keelansgrandad 6,680]

I think if I see Declan Rice drop short to pick up a ball from Stones and then give it back to him, I'll scream.

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

Sterling goes forwards and there’s about 8 Germans in the box defending and only Saka infront of him. They clear it and all of a sudden it’s 2 on 2 going the other way?!

[sonyc 5,958]

Perhaps the plan has been to bring on our most creative players for the last quarter? Grealish, Bellingham, Rashford, definitely Foden... Southgate needs to now take the game to Germany. He needs to create some momentum with his subs.

[Crabbycanary3 994]

It says Germany on the tin, but this is not one of those previous German teams we used to have a mental block with, but our players haven't been told different.

No movement from players off the ball. 

[Van wink 2,994]

Pedestrian no pace 

[Fiery Zac 1,066]

We’ve been told all week that the players have no fear of Germany as many weren’t born in 96 and don’t remember the other tussles. So why are we playing like it? Giving a poor side far too much respect 

Edited June 29, 2021 by Fiery Zac

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

Loudest noise from the crowd when Grealish on the bench comes up on the big screen…. Says it all 

[Crabbycanary3 994]

Germany will be more than happy how this is going. Influence the game Gareth FFS

[Midlands Yellow 4,479]

2 goals in nearly 4 home games, you don’t win tournaments when your frightened even against very modest opposition. 

Edited June 29, 2021 by Midlands Yellow

[Fiery Zac 1,066]

We had magic Monday. We’ve now got turgid Tuesday.

[Van wink 2,994]

Anybody play walking football?

I imagine it’s a bit like this!

[ricardo 7,751]

Like watching paint dry.

[TheGunnShow 6,928]

Looks like both teams are doing the same thing with the subs... Grealish on for England, Gnabry on for Germany.