Todays' games 2017/18

Ireland simply not at the races. In truth, we had no business going to a World Cup with that team. O'Neill is a one trick pony Manager and his teams consistently park the bus. Boring and nauseating to watch.

England's result was impressive last night. The best managers use friendlies to blood players. Sounds simple and obvious but amazing how many mangers won't do it to protect their results record.

 

Looks like Luongo will be at the World Cup. Aussies two up.

 

I believe at last the penny has dropped with England and credit to Southgate

We need a team that is focussed on tournament football next year nothing more

If that means playing players none of us even thought of then that is where it should be. Extremely refreshing performances by England recently and all of us should be proud that we are not just making up predictable teams with predictable players for a one off tournament. We need to fully accept that history is only good to look back on. We deserve nothing from that imo ... we failed time and time again because the nations expectations never matched the reality of our team and its members.

Hopefully this is watershed moment for the nation team. Young and hungry lions who have license to expression I hope rip up the legency of the England Team. It’s about each match now and England should fear no one

 

they win 3 1
only one more place left for the world cup

 

I just think that Hart's distribution isn't good enough now that we're trying to play out from the back.

 

Hart overall is nowhere near the level of Pickford or Butland now IMO. Would be tragic if we gave him yet another chance in Russia as #1 with the other options. I wouldn’t swap him for Smithies.

Ditto Henderson. We aren’t blessed in midfield but surely it’s worth the relative risk of Winks or Loftus-Cheek who might actually do something useful.

 

I agree with all of that although I would say that we really could have won the World Cup in 1990 and the Euros in '96, so we have had decent sides in the past. We've also had a lot of very good players, but our coaches over the years have failed dismally to get the best out of them............Scholes is a prime example. He was one of the best midfield players I've ever seen yet England stuck him out on the left in a 4-4-2.

At last we seem to be more progressive in our coaching and I really like the way Southgate is going.

 

Henderson is not an international class player.

 

I'd absolutely play Pickford from now on or Butland.
In midfield, we're suddenly a bit better off with Winks and Loftus Cheek. If we're playing 3-5-2 then we must have a holding player that can drop into the back line and the only player we have that can do that and is disciplined enough is Dier. He needs to play forward more often but he's doing OK imo. I'd put Lallana amd Delle or Wiltshire in there with him. I wouldn't start Henderson, but he'd be in the squad along with other two I've mentioned.
Gomez was a revelation against Brazil and could well start on the right of the three. Maguire also did very well and can at least bring the ball our of defence.

 

Maguire gives the ball away too much to be relied upon to bring the ball out of defence. But then so do Jones and Cahill.

 

I've always thought Phil Jones as a bit of a donkey, but Southgate rates him as his best defender.

 

I know just about everyone else thinks he's a donkey, but I actually think he is a good player. Problem is he's clumsy as **** and always looks to have a mistake in him. I often watch him though and think he looks really good. Quite quick too which is a bonus.
Gomez has given Southgate a real headache for that right sided CB position. He's even quicker too!

 

That doesn't say much for Southgate's judgment.

 

Alex Fergusson rated him very highly too. He knew a thing or two.

 

I’d have Jones over Cahill and I think Southgate feels the same way. You can’t really play both but Jones and Stones complement each other well. The third spot is up for grabs and currently is with Maguire but Gomez is an interesting option as are the Burnley CBs who deserve a chance on form.

 

I am more than happy to be proved wrong, and he is the player of the tournament in Russia.

 

Watching Billericay v. Leatherhead in the FA cup, great passion. Who says this competition is dead.

 

And the 'millionaires' of Essex got turned over by little Leatherhead, obviously a £20,000 a week budget and several former Premier League players doesn't cut it at this level...

 

Thoroughly deserved win by Leatherhead too, good game to watch.