England created fuck all really, they had one or two excellent moves where the final ball left them lacking. They don’t have anyone creative enough to unpick a defence and rely on brute force horsing the ball into the area, or clever set pieces.
The Swedes are more than capable of defending their 18 yard box and England don’t have anybody with the nous to unpick a defence, also they run very predictable angles. Sterling kills space. Dele Ali is a nothing player and Lingard doesn’t have a position.
They will hope Kane does what he does and wins a lorry load of free’s and hope to benefit off one of them.
would very much disagree with that. It was a shite game, but England were still poor. they created fuck all clear cut chances and relied on a dodgy enough penalty to win it. Similar penalties have been awarded in this tournament, and in the request on referees to clamp down on infringements in the box, they are missing the instigators of this and lads who just bulldoze themselves at a defender and get pulled down then.
England had much of the first half possession and but for a few corners, did fuck all with it. For the last 20 minutes they were hanging on big time and Colombia had a few chances to equalise before they did. Extra time was probably the most even section of the game, with neither lighting it up but both having good chances.
Either way, England were not the better team by a distance. Not at all. I agree with fancying them over Sweden however, a side who are toothless enough up front with Berg not anywhere near the class of Kane.
They should have brought Wiltshire or even Mark Noble. Very poor selection of midfielders who can play the position in the squad. Henderson is a game lad but he’s absolutely rubbish as a footballer, the only thing good to say about him is he’s twice as good as Dier
You’re down on Alli for whatever reason but he’s nowhere near 100% and he’s a fabulous footballer for all his character flaws, there’s no manager in the world would put out an England 11 without him fully fit, he’s had a bad world cup granted but he’s class.
Lingard has been a decent performer in Russia.
Wilshere is what they need out there though, Shelvy was unlucky not to go.
I don’t like Ali as a player cos he can’t open up the pitch. He’s so one footed he can’t open the play out to the left. Watch the next time. Everything is the way he’d facing or out right.
He has athleticism and a knack for getting on the end of a ball in the box.
I don’t think he’s up to it at the very top. Nowhere near in fact
Scholes was good, you’re correct there. Gerrards best postion was playing off the striker and roaming around the top half of the pitch. A shame he wasn’t played there earlier in his career and managers didn’t persist with the CM bullshit… Not that it would have mattered for England…They were 4-4-2 merchants for his best years.
England had the players to win it all around then but they were too busy accomodating lads to pick a team with a formation. They let the tail wagging the dog.
They had g.neville, Terry, Ferdinand, Cole, solid as fuck.
Beckham, scholes, Gerrard and lampard and Rooney all in their pomp
