Parrott has just been subbed off with Ireland winning 2-1, having played about 62 minutes. Didn't look out of place.
Shearer did score goals against Holland, France and Germany, but he also got them against some really **** teams. Moldova, Georgia, Tunisia, Hungary, Romania and four against Luxembourg, for example.
I don't think much has changed in terms of the quality of opposition faced has it? It's never a very useful exercise to compare though. There are too many variables. Stats prove what you want them to prove. Both are/were instinctive goalscorers. Kane's international goalscoring ratio is comparable to his club record. Shearer was a bit below par.
I don't think that the difference in quality has changed much from Shearers era to now, had Nat Lofthouse & Tom Finney been mentioned (who Kane also passed tonight) then there might be a case - Lofthouse scored his 30 goals in 33 matches! .........not that I know anything about football in that era so maybe I am just generalising!
I think the main difference is the number of games. Rough figures: 1872 - 1966 400 games that's 94 years at just over 4 games a year. 1966 - 2019 600 games that's 53 years at just over 11 games a year. So you have to look at games per goal to get a real perspective. IF it matters! Lineker has to support his tv mate. <laughter>
Harry Kane gets a hat trick in 36 minutes off the back of reliable service from his fullbacks I wonder if there's a lesson that Spurs can take from this?
I think that Rooney scored a lot of his goals against poorer opposition, or more specifically not in the finals of competitions.
Add to that how a fair share of his goals were penalties, which according to Arsenal fans don't count as goals
Within the first ten minutes Foyth got caught dribbling inside his own area, to which Brazil countered with Gabriel Jesus flinging himself to the ground On the plus side, Jesus took possibly the worst penalty I've seen in the last five years, tamely passing it a couple of yards past the post
Pau Lopez starts for Spain tonight. Not bad for a guy who was on loan here as third choice a few years back!
He was only 21, but we should've locked him down and loaned him out. Went with Gazzaniga instead the following summer, which you'd assume was Pochettino's choice. Remains to be seen whether that was the right decision.
Weird situation in Ireland's group. If Switzerland win or lose then Ireland will need any win against Denmark to qualify. But if Switzerland draw then they will need to win by two goals!