To a degree but they also pick a team rather than a random collection of individuals, and some of those are simply not as good as they think they are! A tactically inept coach also does not help matters....
I think Southgate's devotion to not playing a left-winger left England with a missed opportunity. Some width at the death might've created something.
I have to say Rice was unimpressive all tournament and I am struggling to see why Bellingham is rated so highly. Only Cole Palmer looked to MAKE something happen and perhaps
Some width throughout the tournament would have helped massively. Look how much better Spain look with wingers even though the basic principles of their game remain the same.
The worry I now have is, is it too late? Kane’s prime will be beyond him, that’s not to say he still won’t be excellent for a few more years but by the World Cup he won’t be at his 100% prime. Then there’s Walker, Maguire and Trippier too who’ve all been excellent for country that possibly won’t be even be around. Stones isn’t getting younger either. There’s still enough quality but will it be enough? Tough to say. One thing’s for sure for me though is to build the team around Palmer. He’s special. Very special and he’s proven he’s not just a penalty merchant or a flash in the pan.
We appear to not want to use wingers anymore, a dying breed. It was crying out tonight for some width and pace down the flanks but if see them try to cut in one more time I think I'll explode!
I still think there’s enough quality there for England to have a real go in 2026. Not sure who the manager will be but they will still have decent options to choose from. Kane will still be around for a few years and for me he’s still the best striker around.
Palmer is special and Foden. I agree with @Spurf that Bellingham for me is very overrated. Had the one moment again tonight but sorry I don't get him at all.
Eddie Howe I suspect, or Graham Potter perhaps? The issue for me with Kane this tournament is that he was so obviously not fully fit....
He is indeed but is a very poor big game player. 5 finals ... no goals no assists 3 England semi finals ...1 goal no assists 2 fa cup semi finals...2 goals no assists 2 league cup semis...0 goals or assists in those 4 games That's 14 big games 3 goals (1 pen) no assists That's pretty poor tbh
No doubt. Any number of things could have happened and they'd still be playing. If two of them happened, they'd be lifting the trophy. But the thing is, they had all kinds of breaks to get this far...then couldn't get the last one or two they needed. Southgate has gotten to more semifinals in major tournaments than all his predecessors put together, true. But let's see how he looks in 3-5 years. If his successor can win a couple of trophies, or even one, his tenure is going to look a lot more like big opportunities missed. He had a very impressive collection of talent. Not bringing your one pure 10 when you have all kinds of scorers made no sense to me at all. Spain had what England lacked, which was enough people to knit play together and the ability to play as a well-organized team. Too many executives and not enough programmers, to update a now very un-PC phrase. Bringing only one LB, especially when he was injured, seemed and seems pretty daft. To give him his due, the tendency of his subs to get goal involvements soon after coming on was a little amazing.
All the pundits purring when Watkins came on made me laugh. It really isn't as easy as they think and you can tell none of them actually played in the final of a major tournament. He made two hopeful runs, touched the ball twice and picked up a yellow card. Kane didn't have a good tournament at all, but for the time being their isn't a striker on this island fit to lace his boots. The disrespect shown to him is laughable.
Decent options for sure, but as good as the last few years? Hard to say. Kane’s definitely got a good few years left at the top but I reckon come the World Cup we’ll be seeing 90% Harry Kane, instead of the 100% we’ve had for the last decade, if you see what I mean.
I think Bellingham’s superb albeit I do think he’s starting to believe his own hype and is playing on it to a negative effect. Palmer though. I think he may actually be a lot better than I initially thought - and I already thought he was quality.
He also scored an overhead kick, without which we’d have been discussing England’s last 16 exit a fortnight ago
All mercurial, good-at-everything, enigmatic players need to have their roles carved out for them with absolute clarity by master tacticians, or they end up jack of all trades master of none. There is no way Bellingham tore up the Bundesliga and La Liga without being a very special player. At Real, he is fortunate to have one of the game's best tactical masterminds in Ancelloti, who has brought the best out in him. Southgate as we know is extremely limited so I am remotely surprised that come the end of the tournament, the likes of Stones and Guehi are being talked up as our POTT, whereas enigmas like Foden and Bellingham are nowhere near the conversation.
Yeah Kane’s probably peaked but got the likes of Bellingham, Mainoo, Palmer all improving season by season so will hopefully be even stronger in a couple of years. Defensively could be a problem though, England could do with a young centre back superstar coming through definitely
England are a good side with some very talented players, but I know which teams football I want to watch. It's the same as us under Mourinho or Ange. Unleash the talent and '26 could be a really decent tournament for England, but it's difficult to see a WC victory with this resurgent Spanish team and the strength of South America.
