World Cup 2022
- Thread starter KingHotspur
- Start date
-
Please bear with us on the new site integration and fixing any known bugs over the coming days. If you can not log in please try resetting your password and check your spam box. If you have tried these steps and are still struggling email [email protected] with your username/registered email address
-
Even we would have been leading at half time against Qatar! 
Are you sure? Ecuador play positive football England don't. I could see Gareth talking about being satisfied with a goalless first half.Even we would have been leading at half time against Qatar!
I only watched the last 20 minutes. Lots of empty seats! Surely it wasn’t like that at the start of the game?
It looked pretty much full at the opening whistle
Most of the sheikhs buggered off sometime between half time and the last ten minutes
They needed a stiff drink after seeing a ghost on the pitch
No, wait, that's the tournament mascot
You must log in or register to see images
Last edited:
Okay, the club do acknowledge that Pape Matar Sarr exists
You must log in or register to see media
Maguire and Sterling to start surely! We know that being out of form is now seen as a positive thing when playing for England. And I'll keep asking the question, but Kane and Sterling have played together loads of times. How many assists has Sterling made for Kane? Simple question, really dunno, whatever the answer it's not enough. But apparently Sterling played well two years ago, well that's ok then. Not that I think he was that good. Missed a few chances, was a bit selfish, gave the ball to a German who should have scored an equalizer. But at least he's never let England down. Well apart maybe from a couple of Euros ago when he was dreadful (ok, so were the rest of the team), and the last World Cup when he got one assist (which was the one for Lingard's impressive strike so probably shouldn't count). Yes of course I am anti-Sterling, but as an Englishman I would be happy to be wrong. But apparently Pep knows something about football (maybe not as much as the pundits think, but probably more than Southgate) and he seems to prefer Foden and Grealish over Sterling. Yet for England Sterling will probably play in preference to them (again, hope to be wrong). And maybe Sterling will do something right, and then suddenly his inclusion will be justified. Yet maybe someone else might have done better?
I forgot that not all Spurs fans are English. So yes, Spurs would have beat them as would any PL team, I think.I was referring to 'us' not Ingerlund
Maguire and Sterling are very experienced internationals. Both were part of the 2018 and 2021 teams who went further than expected in tournaments. They were picked for the squad, not because of recent club form, but because of their experience. international football (especially at major tournaments) is very different to club football. Different tempo, teams often sit deep, are hard to break down and look to manage the game in a low risk way. So for younger players it takes some adjusting too. But it’s a squad game; five subs can now be made - and it’s humid and hot there. So there will be changes during the game. Foden might be a better option off the bench later in the game if Iran are holding out. But whoever starts rather than comes on as a sub is probably not that significant v Iran. Southgate might just be doing a bit of man management - saying to senior players that he stills backs them to build their confidence, whilst keeping younger players keen to show what they can do and take their chance when they get it. England are quite blessed with players in the wide attacking positions, although the options are more limited elsewhere. Kane and Rice need to start every game in their pivotal positions because the replacements are not as good and/or are unproven.
I am not Sterling biggest fan, but I thought in the Euros he was one of our most influential players scoring important goals that took us out of the group. So I think he has credit in the bank. As for Pep preferring both Grealish and Foden, when he had all 3 to call upon last season, Stirling started more games than both of them, but he didn't want to sign a new contract so the club sold him.
Based purely on his England form of the last 2 years he is light years ahead of Grealish as a starter, the majority of Grealishs good games for England have come from the bench which is where he should start today. We as fans get fixated by starting 11s, where in the modern game with 5 subs sometimes it's the team that finishes that is most important. In our last game v Germany the impact of Saka and Mount from the bench changed the game, as has Grealish in the past and it is important to have players who can have that kind of impact late off of the bench as not all players are effective as subs.
I hope that the talk in the media is right and that we are going to play 4 3 3 today, but I hope that the 3rd midfield place goes to creative player and not a Phillips or Henderson. We have better attacking players than defensive ones so let's play to our strengths.
FIFA now saying any captain wearing the OneLove armband will be booked
That's pretty much asking the two captains for the final to wear them
That's pretty much asking the two captains for the final to wear them
So if the Captain is substituted and passes the armband to another player does that player get booked too? It's so ridiculous it also means that if Kane were to where it in all 3 group games he would be banned for the last 16 tie.