Yep, cant agree Wales have more quality than Poland, who I thought were excellent last night. Can't believe im about to say this, but I have this weird feeling all over me body - I think I agree with Fats... For me this is less about quality though (tempo, passing) and more about confidence. IF,IF we get this clicking I think we would improve in both those areas. But Fats was right in my opinion that we struggled to get the passing going which against poor opposition is unacceptable Also, not sure it was just me (I wasn't as I was agreeing with mu brother about this) but was the grass too long or not watered against Wales? It seemed to slow the play and I thought that did make a slight negative difference. I notices player slipped a bit but thought that may be if it was too long (or a bit like me) a bit too thick...
I see such a corolation between Saints and England. Watching the game against Russia and the first half of the Wales game with Saints fans, it was like watching us when we struggled against Villa, Norwich and Sunderland. Loads of procession but crosses and through balls just failing to find their man, Missed half chances etc BV, you are right that speeding the game up, not taking the second and third touch befo passing and speed up front changes all this
Wales have Gareth Bale ffs. That's more quality than half the squads in this competition. Ramsey wouldn't be out of place in any other team. Ashley Williams is arguably a better centre half than either of England's. Joe Allen is orobably a better player than most of the Italian squad. So yeah, Wales have more quality than Poland. And Italy.
each to their own, Archers! Bale is work class, other than a free kick that should not have been fumbled, what else did he do? And why exactly was that? Because Joe Allen isn't very hood, Ramsey is ok and Williams is good, so three players out of 11, surely not better than Poland who have miles more quality, not that I can recall all their names, but Lewondowski, Milik, the right winger, Szceszny, that Tim bloke we were trying to get, their full backs...
Poland versus Wales as far as quality goes.......in all honesty I don't think there is much difference. Poland probably edge it on Technical ability but Wales more than make up the difference through pure pride and guts. If the two ever play each other I would not bet on either as a winner. It really could go either way.
In all honesty I was far, far too drunk to analyse the game properly. But I thought first half we were pretty awful, much better in the second! Get in there!! So nice to actually win a game
Plot lost - if found, please return to Archers I know this is generally regarded as a poor Italy squad, but it's poor for Italy. A country of multiple World Cup wins and great players. I agree with the principle of your original post, in that Wales are not amongst the poorer teams in this tournament, but you could have selected at least half a dozen other teams that don't also have world class players like Poland and Italy. Hungary, Ukraine, N.Ireland, Rep of Ireland etc
I think it's funny the media keep talking about teams "doing a Leicester" ie achieving against the odds. Last time I checked England hadn't won a trophy for 50 years, and Roy Hodgeson had the opportunity to fill the team with ACTUAL Leicester City players, fresh from their successful campaign.
I agree with many of the comments, above, that we improved second half, once we started moving the ball quicker, but we still lacked a cutting edge and the guile to unpick a defence that was hell bent on blocking everything. It was a Welsh player, who provided the assist to Vardy. I am going to single out Lallana, not because he is an ex-Saint and a twat, but because he is a very talented player who constantly under performs. I can't fault his work rate, because he chases and closes down superbly, but he should be doing, for England, what Payet is doing for France. Payet performs how Lallana used to perform for Saints. He takes control of situations, beats players, brings others into the game with slick passing and crosses and scores goals. Everything that Lallana is capable of doing, but for some reason hasn't done, consistently, since leaving us. He has become "Mr Percentage", playing simple passes to less talented players, like Walker, instead of taking responsibility and imposing his talent on teams. I despair at some of his off the ball movement. He regularly makes aimless runs across the 18 yard line, away from the ball, instead of moving towards the ball and demanding it. As I have said above, his work rate is superb, which leads many to say he is playing well, but, for me, this isn't so. He is a playmaker with a great deal of skill, who should be impressing us with those skills, not his ability to chase the ball and close teams down.
Which would be good. I don't mind a player (well striker) looking crap if they then scuff a toe poked winner. Sturridge did not look great until that moment, Rashford and Vardy looked a little more dangerous than him.
I'm torn on Lallana. He definitely deserved to be brought into the England team early with his form at Saints at the time and he should be in the squad now. However, he hasn't become the star that I thought he might be. The fact that he looks one of England's most consistent players is more a reflection on England than on him. None of our present team look like superstars, so England will have to work hard and be better than the individual parts. If things go our way and we get a following wind (which we don't always get) England could win it. I see us as good second stringers...and such teams do win sometimes.
I didn't say Wales were a better team than Italy - clearly they aren't. I said they had more quality, ie at least one, possibly two, players who would walk into any side in the tournament. Perhaps I stretched the poi t to make it. Even then though, Williams and Allen wouldn't look out of place in that Italy side either.
It took Payet nearly 90 minutes to break down an Albania side with even less quality than Wales. I honestly think people here are deluded. What you see when you look at this tournament is not that the best sides are getting worse, it is that the worst sides are getting better. A bit like the Premier League this year. England struggled to break down an 11 man defence. Big shock. We've seen the same from every team. Even Spain. There are no walkovers any more.
Yep, lot of sense in that. The weaker teams have still had to qualify to be at this tournament, and even the weakest of these have beaten sides that have improved overall. The closer footballers and teams get to perfection the harder it gets to improve. It's much easier to make improvements from a lower baseline. Improved tactics have also helped to level the game much more. So not only is more likely that weaker teams have got closer to the better ones, it's practically inevitable.
It's true although I'm not sure we're talking perfection, but competence Two laws cover this situation 1) The Leicester law - Hard work beats talent when the talent doesn't work hard. The small teams work their socks off, although may not have the quality to actually score a goal And as you say, are tactically better and well organised (Plus the big teams and players are in cruise mode in the group stages) 2) The Matty law - The one thing no-one can defend against is genius, but its a rare commodity
