Off Topic International Break Thread

I've not seen very much of him this season but I'm told he's much improved and is producing more end product. As far as I'm concerned, that still leaves a deal of room for further improvement. However, we need to beef up the numbers. I can see Lamela as a possible departure and that would leave us very, very light behind the main striker until we sign Isco and Barkley..

 

Just seen Coleman's injury on twitter. An awful picture and a definite leg break. Hopefully he is able to make a speedy and full recovery. Everton will miss his enormous talent.

 

Kane torturing himself:

I wonder how useful it is to have the England squad use our training facilities?
It does send out a message to the players and it's good that our own don't have to travel, I suppose.

 

I'd just like to say that Chris Coleman is a ****:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39392781

Don't defend that ****. There were some horrendous tackles in that game and a man's got a broken leg.

 

As long as they stay fit and well it has to be a good thing.

Not everybody's cup of tea, but I am pretty impressed with the way Southgate has opened his account in charge, playing in a PL pressing (Spurs?) style, with a core of our players and training at Enfield only reinforces this message.
Time will tell whether or not it is another false dawn or the beginning of something however.......

 

And come the "competitive" matches / tournament will he revert to the same trap as previous managers - try to shoehorn the "best" players into the team whether they can fit into the team or not? Will he try and get Barclay, Sterling and Rooney in?

We all remember the previous false dawn in Germany, when immediately having found a good formula, Woy abandoned it in order to fit in Rooney et al. And then the pundits say that we can't play competition football - well no, not if we don't pay attention to what works or try to play like an actual team!

 

There's a price to be paid for encouraging a more physical game and not having the officials able to control behaviour by banning people that make dangerous tackles and seek to wind-up opponents. There have been too many incidents this year that have been missed by officials or seen and punished insufficiently.

The primary duty of the FA is to protect those involved in football - players, officials, fans. Currently, there's a long way to go to achieve that and dangerous play must be addressed severely. No more letting players and clubs away with it. If you go in 2 footed and dangerously it's time to get 6 games or more. That's what Dembele got for not gouging Costa's eye. I'm sure someone who, unseen, spat at an opponent would get far more than a player that goes in with intent to really hurt an opponent and gets 3 games because the ref saw it.

 

Even worse have been the dangerous tackles that the ref sees and does nothing about.
Yeah, I'm looking at you Marcos "Never gets a" Rojo.

 

Neil Taylor's track record this season is appalling: the (unpunished) yakuza kick to Walker's face, breaking Coleman's leg, and being unceremoniously shipped off to Villa in the January transfer window.

 

...the unkindest cut of all....et tu Brucey?

 

He's pretty ****, to be fair. Swansea should've sold him years ago.

 

Booting McClean in the midriff is perfectly acceptable

 

The ref certainly seemed to think so!

 

Isn't it mandatory??

 

I'm watching Belgium v Greece and I can't get used to seeing Martinez as an International manager.

The phrase "mutton dressed as lamb" comes to mind.

 

It's an uphill struggle for Gibraltar to qualify

 

His lineup makes absolutely no sense. What formation is he playing?
I'm watching Holland get Leicestered by Bulgaria. Break, goal. Break, goal.
Looks like they're going to score every time that they get the ball, despite rarely having it.

 

Okay people, let's try and work out what Belgium's formation is based on their starting lineup:
Courtois, Alderweireld, Ciman, Vertonghen, Chadli, Fellaini, Witsel, Ph'nglui Mglw'nafh, Carrasco, Mertens, Lukaku

I'm thinking they've gone the full Bielsa and started with a 3331 formation, i.e....
Courtois; Alderweireld, Ciman, Vertonghen; Witsel, Fellaini, Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn!; Carrasco, Mertens, Chadli; Lukaku

Any other ideas?

 

74% possession, no attempts on target
Their team looks weak these days. PL B listers, some kids and somebody very tall

 

Blind Sr may well be looking for a new job soon.
Sticking in a 17-year-old left-back that's played a handful of games for Ajax hasn't worked well.
Who could've guessed that would happen?