Will football be coming home this year?
England Discussion | Finish 4th
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Will football be coming home this year?
I'll rate England by how well Lukaku does against us.
Lose to Belgium 2-1, draw 0-0 with Tunisia and 1-1 with Panama, home in time for Sunday lunch.
I'm very optimistic.
I'm very optimistic.
All depends on how good Kane is I think. You see shit teams carried by great forwards or even centre-mids - so this average England side should do well if Kane can produce.
I will be listening to 3 Lions and Vindaloo on repeat and getting irrationally excited only to be let down and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Embarrass ourselves against Tunisia and Panama but then shockingly beat Belgium.
52 years of hurt.
Who will be the scapegoat this time?
Who will be the scapegoat this time?
Kane this time. Media have been building him up & he's just back off an injury (probably rushed). All points to a very poor tournament then the knives will be out.
Why the negativity? I will be shocked if we don't make it to the next round. We topped our qualifying group with a perfect record. Granted, we are champions in qualification but shit when the tournament starts but surely we can get past Tunisia and Panama?! The teams we faced during qualification are much stronger. In fact, we should be targeting for the 1st place and I actually think we can beat Belgium to the group winner spot. I reckon both England and Belgium will beat Tunisia and Panama comfortably and our last game is just a "dead rubber" to decide the group winner.
You guys are so negative with your nt.
Justified
Anyone having great expectations with this England side is a fool. Average manager leading some mediocre midfielders and defenders. Their attack is decent on paper. I would say anything beyond group stage is a bonus.
What are the odds of Wenger being England manager this time next year? 
I'm really looking forward to the World Cup. And i'm ready to get fully patriotic. Flags on house, car, face.
We should comfortably get out of the group. Belgium are beatable too.
We'll come up short against one of the better teams in the quarter final, I think.
We should comfortably get out of the group. Belgium are beatable too.
We'll come up short against one of the better teams in the quarter final, I think.
I really looking forward to the fashion how England will go out this summer.
What i do every 2 years.
Although i think losing to Columbia is the best we can hope for.
I reckon they'll do well. It's a side built around the players available to it, and the skills they have. by do well i mean get out of the group stages and maybe even get to the QF's.
If England reach the Quarter finals, Brazil or Germany will most likely be the opposition. To get to the Quarter finals, England would need to beat one of Poland/Senegal/Columbia/Japan in the Last 16, and obviously qualify from the group stages.
Seems plausible that we'll lose in the quarters then
quarters will be a good result for you with the squad you have imo, which is probably 7th-10th best.
it's not a great squad (especially compared to other nations) and yet the last few friendlies have shown a pretty good understanding and approach imho
Southgate has at least cultivated a good, together group so hopefully they at least feel comfortable and play for each other.
i don't think they'll disgrace themselves like the last lot but i also wouldn't expect them to get very far, they will win the games it should and lose the games they should too.
Belgium showed at the last tourney they can be flaky so it's not beyond the realms we nick top spot in the group (they've arguably a worse manager than us!)
From then it depends on the draw but reaching the quarters will be a success given our quality.
Southgate has at least cultivated a good, together group so hopefully they at least feel comfortable and play for each other.
i don't think they'll disgrace themselves like the last lot but i also wouldn't expect them to get very far, they will win the games it should and lose the games they should too.
Belgium showed at the last tourney they can be flaky so it's not beyond the realms we nick top spot in the group (they've arguably a worse manager than us!)
From then it depends on the draw but reaching the quarters will be a success given our quality.
Scrape through group in 2nd. Lose to Poland in second round.
England gonna England.
England gonna England.
Smalling couldn’t get into this squad? That’s odd.
Southgate doesn't rate him, doesn't think he has enough nouce on the ball to be effective, which is a bit disappointing considering I think he's a better defender than Harry Maguire.
Probably be Mourinho for not playing Rashford enough
We've been punished enough.
We were good 30 years ago and should have won the World Cup in 1990.
Arguably could have won Euro 96 too.
Downhill since there. Looked okay under Hoddle, in decline under Sven, and disastrous under Mclaren, Capello and Roy.
Could only manage a draw against USA and Algeria in 2010. Whimpered out of the group in 2014.
We expect nothing.
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Last time Argentina won something was 25 years ago. Brazil won the wc in 1970 and the next was 24 after that.
I think we all need a balance between big expectations and pessimism.
Exactly what I was going to say
If England's last two games are anything to go by, England will likely deploy the following:
Kyle Walker will probably occupy the right sided CB spot. He has the recovery speed to compensate for Alexander Arnold's weakness when it comes to cross field diagonals between the full back and central defence. Walker has acclimatised to a system which demands playing out from the back, and given the paucity of ball retention in the midfield department, this could be a useful asset. Stones will most likely be the CB situated centrally, a position he excelled in England's penultimate game. It was the first time (in a considerably long time) I'd witnessed England playing out from the back with consummate ease. The choice as the LCB seems to be the one that's up for grabs. I reckon it'll be between Maguire, and Jones. Maguire for the quality he posses on the ball, as well as the fact, he had one of the best games of his career in a three at the back system. In contrast, Jones hasn't looked particularly convincing when played in a back three at club level. Conversely, it wasn't too long ago when Southgate was singing Jones' praises, albeit that was a period when England were playing with a flat back four. Trippier has been poor for England, but I suspect he'll be in the starting berth initially. I then suspect TAA to at to some point oust him. His quality on the ball will be pivotal in accelerating the transition from the first and second phase of play to the third and fourth phase. Rose or Young will be the LWB I'd imagine, although I think England would be better off, if it was between Rose and Delph.
Reportedly, Southgate was disconcerted with Wilshere's energy levels, as he looks to have a midfield capable of pressing the opposition. For this reason, I believe Lingard will be a starter. Lingard is ranked the highest in the league, when it comes to players who have won possession the most via pressure. Chamberlain was 2nd in that list, which explains why he was giving an opportunity alongside Lingard, although he (Ox) was underwhelming. Lingard was a key player in the two friendlies against Netherlands and Italy, namely his relationship with Sterling. Alli was 11th in the aforementioned list. Perhaps Southgate thinks Delph could do a job. It would be an inherently risky strategy, given Delph has only (domestically) started in midfield in the league once this season, that game being against West Ham, and he didn't finish the game in midfield either. I think the midfield will be Dier + Lingard, and one other. If he wants someone that offers something different then RLC could be appealing, given his press resistance.
The front two will most likely be Sterling, and Kane.
Kyle Walker will probably occupy the right sided CB spot. He has the recovery speed to compensate for Alexander Arnold's weakness when it comes to cross field diagonals between the full back and central defence. Walker has acclimatised to a system which demands playing out from the back, and given the paucity of ball retention in the midfield department, this could be a useful asset. Stones will most likely be the CB situated centrally, a position he excelled in England's penultimate game. It was the first time (in a considerably long time) I'd witnessed England playing out from the back with consummate ease. The choice as the LCB seems to be the one that's up for grabs. I reckon it'll be between Maguire, and Jones. Maguire for the quality he posses on the ball, as well as the fact, he had one of the best games of his career in a three at the back system. In contrast, Jones hasn't looked particularly convincing when played in a back three at club level. Conversely, it wasn't too long ago when Southgate was singing Jones' praises, albeit that was a period when England were playing with a flat back four. Trippier has been poor for England, but I suspect he'll be in the starting berth initially. I then suspect TAA to at to some point oust him. His quality on the ball will be pivotal in accelerating the transition from the first and second phase of play to the third and fourth phase. Rose or Young will be the LWB I'd imagine, although I think England would be better off, if it was between Rose and Delph.
Reportedly, Southgate was disconcerted with Wilshere's energy levels, as he looks to have a midfield capable of pressing the opposition. For this reason, I believe Lingard will be a starter. Lingard is ranked the highest in the league, when it comes to players who have won possession the most via pressure. Chamberlain was 2nd in that list, which explains why he was giving an opportunity alongside Lingard, although he (Ox) was underwhelming. Lingard was a key player in the two friendlies against Netherlands and Italy, namely his relationship with Sterling. Alli was 11th in the aforementioned list. Perhaps Southgate thinks Delph could do a job. It would be an inherently risky strategy, given Delph has only (domestically) started in midfield in the league once this season, that game being against West Ham, and he didn't finish the game in midfield either. I think the midfield will be Dier + Lingard, and one other. If he wants someone that offers something different then RLC could be appealing, given his press resistance.
The front two will most likely be Sterling, and Kane.
The only postive this time around being the lack of expectation. This England squad is comfortably the worst we have sent to a major competition since... forever? That said, no one is realistically expecting much from this lot, so they should by rights be able to play without fear of judgement. Who knows, they may just surprise us all.
Indeed. Even so, I think I'm going to put a cheeky £5 bet on England to reach the semi finals. Just need to figure out, where I can get the best odds
State of that image. Looks like an intern on MS Paint.
I think you would be more effective with Vardy in place of Lingard. He can do a job as a winger and probably has more pace than Lingard.
The England anthem is the most beautiful in the world, good luck guys!
The England anthem is the most beautiful in the world, good luck guys!
So he selected Jones...
I have this weird thing with England where I don't expect much from us and think we'll did rubbish so I won't be arsed about us...
But then as soon as we go out I'll be as annoyed/upset/angry as I would be when United lose.
But then as soon as we go out I'll be as annoyed/upset/angry as I would be when United lose.
Another easy group to predict, actually.
Belgium win comfortably over everyone but England, who somehow scrape a draw against the run of play. We absolutely smashed Belgium in the Euros, even an England team this disjointed and average can draw with them. England come second having beaten Panama 3-0 and Tunisia 2-0.
Neither top qualifying team amounts to much beyond the group stage - Belgium get to the quarters and crash out hard. England drop at the first hurdle.
Belgium win comfortably over everyone but England, who somehow scrape a draw against the run of play. We absolutely smashed Belgium in the Euros, even an England team this disjointed and average can draw with them. England come second having beaten Panama 3-0 and Tunisia 2-0.
Neither top qualifying team amounts to much beyond the group stage - Belgium get to the quarters and crash out hard. England drop at the first hurdle.
Think England will do quite well to be honest. No, I haven't been drinking.
They probably thought he'd be in a mardy if they didn't give him it.