A saving equaliser from a long throw. Andy Robbo getting through some phenomenal work here. Snodger looks peripheral.
We need to fail to qualify to give them a jolt. For Kyle Walker to sit there on Sky and say we dont know what to do if plan A fails is embarrassing.
Robertson was excellent, Snodgrass didn't get overly involved in what I think was a free role he was supposed to be playing. I don't know why he wasn't taking set pieces, Ritchie and Bannan didn't hit any better than he does.
“It has never been hard to tell the difference between a Scotsman with a grievance and a ray of sunshine.” P.G. Wodehouse
Crap game but it says a lot where Jordan Henderson completed 5 more passes than the entire Malta team ! We won "comfortably" but not convincingly But enough of this England football rubbish as I really don't care if the overpaid & overhyped players get beaten every match ! Just given away a pair of Club Wembley tickets for the England v Scotland game as I'm away at the final round of Moto GP in Valencia that weekend
I was quite busy during the game, rewiring a right old mess of Chinese creation, so I wasn't paying vast attention to the full second half. We football fans seem to have an innate sense when something is happening so I think I saw all the good bits. Looked as if we tried playing a decent way, some nice touches and invention going on. Some better final ball control, a few crappy attempts at goal and a few very good saves from the keeper prevented us scoring a total bag full. Point is, we didn't look like a team completely lacking of any ideas this evening, it just didn't quite come off for us. Can't read anything into a game against a team like Malta anyway, positive or negative.
So predictable the way people see these qualifiers. They're always going to be turgid affairs with us having all the ball, them sitting back and us eventually breaking them down and as someone else said, winning comfortably if not convincingly. It's the same for all the big nations playing against minnows. The hysterical screeching is the same every time too. People always complain, whoever the manager is, that there aren't enough changes. People seem completely unrealistic in their expectations for England team selections. If they're relatively new players then it's wrong to pick them because they've only played x number of games. While if they're proven players it's the same old, same old, get rid of the old guard, bring the kids through, we need radical change etc. It's embarrassing to read some of this stuff.
Mbokani brace ensures DR Congo rout Hull City striker Dieumerci Mbokani netted a brace to guide the Leopards to a 4-0 emphatic victory over Libya in their opening Fifa 2018 World Cup qualifying tie on Saturday at Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa. Mbokani announced his return to the DR Congo side for the first time since March with a solid performance in front of a fully packed electric stadium with bouncing fans at every possession in the box. The Leopards came into this tie looking to end a winless streak against the Mediterranean Knights and indeed they showed their intentions as early as the sixth minute when Mbokani sent a left-footed effort past Libyan goalkeeper Khaled Elwerfelli from a Yannick Bolasie assist. Libya launched a search for an equalizer thereafter piling a lot of pressure on the Leopards back four but goalkeeper Ley Matampi stood tall between the goalposts. Elwerfelli denied Mbokani in the 24th minute before punching away Bolasie’s well-taken free-kick from 25 yards out minutes later. The home side was dealt a huge blow when Jordan Botaka was stretchered off the pitch following an injury in the 42nd minute. He was replaced by Firmin Ndombe Mubele. DR Congo was in charge at this point and indeed their hard work paid off when striker Jonathan Bolingi got to the end of a Joy Lomalisa pass to send a brilliant shot past the hapless Elwerfelli in the second minute of added time in the first half. In the 56th minute, Mbokani rose above the Libyan defense to head the ball into the net from an Issama Mpeko pass from the right flank to further deem Libya’s hopes of a comeback. A very cautious Florent Ibenge introduced defender Padou Bompunga 10 minutes later for Mbokani as he sought to seat back and defend the three-goal lead but in the 68th minute, substitute Mubele beat two Libyan defenders before adding his name on the score sheet. Defender Chancel Mbemba could have made it five but he squandered his chance in front of goal but the damage had been done and the Leopards walked away with three deserved points at home and a clean sheet for Matampi. DR Congo go top of Group A with maximum points while Tunisia will host Guinea in Monastir on Sunday in the other tie. http://www.supersport.com/football/...ws/161009/Mbokani_brace_ensures_DR_Congo_rout
please log in to view this image Richard Osman @richardosman 19h19 hours ago Pointless Celebrities on BBC1 right now. And a fair few playing against Malta on ITV as well.
Could someone have told that idiotic commentator and Hoddle that we were playing MALTA not Spain or Italy..Drawing 0-0 in the second half against Malta was as bad as losing to Iceland...We were $hit
