****ing hilarious. Seriously though, how long before FIFA has a little shake-up on the qualification structure to ensure this financial travesty never occurs again? It's all squaring nicely for us, there's about 4 teams we could capably beat on there at the moment. The real question is; who will make it further, us or Iran? And will an NUFC player make it to the world cup considering Johnny Mitro and Diame will be gone by January?
I watched the Italy v Sweden game last night, the Italians just didn't have the quality (or the luck) to score past the Swedes. They could have played all night and not scored.
They were pretty pedestrian but they probably would have scored if they had received a penalty when their player was kneed in the chest. My impression of Italian skill and Swedish honesty both tumbled last night.
God I look at that list and think we should be reaching the QF's (and from there its a lottery) minimum although knowing England we will draw Saudi Arabia in the R16 and get knocked out!
Of the qualified teams, I would expect the following to be able to beat England more often than not: Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Columbia, Belgium, Poland, Germany, Spain, Portugal, France. That's 10 out of 28 or about 1 in 3. QF's if the draw is kind.
Colombia nor Poland are better than us and Portugal and Uruguay don't have great squads - I don't think any of them are that great and shouldn't be looked at as anything more than equals to ourselves. Germany, Spain, Brazil and Argentina from those listed you'd bet will be the 4 semi finalists. Belgium, Portugal and possibly France (if they don't capitulate) could be there or thereabouts but outside of that 7 I'd say we are on par at worst with the rest of the teams in terms of squad and squad depth. Just about tactics for each game and the team not throwing games away due to pressure, but not sure how you coach playing under national pressure.
How quickly we forget that we lost to Iceland at the Euros and probably qualified from the weakest Qualifying group in the European Group.
I would have to say I think the following would beat England as it stands: Brazil Argentina Uruguay Colombia Mexico Germany France Belgium Spain Portugal Iceland Poland Russia Nigeria Tunisia Iran I think we'd beat Panama, Saudi Arabia and South Korea. Sweden, Serbia, Morrocco, Costa Rica, Japan, Egypt, Senegal, Switzerland, Croatia would be tight games. I think we'd have the edge in a lot of them though. I'm just going off my experience of watching England in recent years and our ability to perform in tournaments. I am more positive about 2020 and 2022. Particularly as we host the semi finals and finals of the 2020. I think we will thrive in Qatar too despite the heat. All that said its based on our junior team successes and there is plenty of time for a lack of action in the PL and them becoming overpaid prima donnas to **** all that up.
Not forgetting but that was a shambles, tactically we were awful and individually inept, hopefully a few of the U20's can push for their chance next summer as they seem to have the passion and hunger for success. Does anyone really feel Iceland's squad is superior to England's? I think they were better set up on the night and took their chances while we just assumed we'd score a few and half arsed the game. Like i say I think the QF's would be considered an success and can't see us getting any further but anything less for me would be a failure (again).
I don't think its about looking at individuals and thinking "man for man we're better than them". A good team will always beat a collection of good individuals. I have seen nothing under Southgate to suggest we are suddenly a good team or that we've rectified the obvious issues in midfield. Essentially at international level (and most levels actually) games are won and lost in midfield. Having a quality holder and guy who dictates the game is crucial. We have Dier who I rate but we have no one to make us tick. The only way around the midfield issue is to be a really strong united team. I don't see that with this bunch of players. We will produce the odd performance for sure to give us hope, but generally we are pedestrian and fairly easily picked apart from each other with steely determination. We lack quality to be a top side, and lack cojones to be a team that will overcome a lack of quality. The English mentality remains that lowly Iceland are inferior to us so we should just batter them. In actual fact there is not a great chasm in quality so we need to be a really good unit. Our arrogance stops us from doing so. Arrogance is only good if you have the quality to back it up.
QFs definite success. With a few of the bigger teams out or looking **** you can hope to get a kind draw there but if we make it to the quarters we've probably used up all our luck from the round of 16. I want to believe a few players hitting the right form in time would increase our chances but with Southgate in charge I fail to see anything inspiring coming out of us. Iceland, player for player, aren't as good but, like you say, the reality is they set up to their strengths. I reckon a similar result might occur if we meet them in Russia. Old England teams would have won that match I reckon, we always had the right level of belief to close those kind of games down. Worrying thing is we have historically never been able to beat the bigger teams, but are now too complacent for the likes of Iceland (who beat Croatia, turkey and Ukraine so perhaps I'm doing a disservice) If I was England's opposition I'd just say sit back, watch Henderson fanny around for the whole match without leaving the centre circle, wait for the inevitable 20 minute period where they allow us to look like Brazil, close back down afterwards and watch them chase a goal in vain until the end. Anyone else think big fat ****ing Sam might have sprung a surprise at the WC? I do, but the football would have been ball-achingly bad
Every team we face must think this but you've hit the nail on the head. Teams like Germany, Brazil, Spain don't have trouble breaking down the "smaller" teams but we seem to have no penetration what so ever and that is purely tactical. We can play that one and two touch football and get forward quickly a la Man City but we seem to think holding on to the ball and knocking it the defense and midfield around while the opp gets 10/11 players behind the ball is going to work. Scrap that bullshit possession football and make it counter attacking, fast flowing football and play to our strengths. 5 passes to get the ball forwards and around the box and get a shot off.
Spot on, we have the players for it. It amazes me we aren't trying to imitate spurs fast style of play since that's the spine of our team. When Lallana returns it just makes more sense. Add to that Walker, Sterling, Ox, Rashford, even ****ing Lingard and I'm left wondering why the hell we play slow pedestrian football when you've got the perfect hold up man in Kane to feed all this. Honestly how Southgate got the job is beyond me. I'm assuming we can consider Aidy Boothroyd as the next in line to the throne.
Italy's problem through qualifying has been their coach. Refused to change system even though his own players asked him to. The Italians will get rid of that dud, appoint someone like Ancelotti and will probably win the next Euros.
