[Football] England V Wales

[Paxton Dazo]

I guess if Iran and USA draw beforehand, England win the group, bar a huge defeat right?

Last games of the group always KO same time, much like the last set of games in a domestic season. So we won’t know what we need to do by time we kick off.

Which shouldn’t matter. We need to play to win, and a wins enough to win the group.

Then we can enjoy the Welsh tears. 64 years of waiting to then rock up, draw to the USA, lose to Iran, then get knocked out by a country they hate the most.

Come on England!

 

[Weststander]

He sure did... with a little help of his friends (the footballers, who play some importance in where you end up in a football cup - or league for that matter).

To take one of the 6th-10th best squads in the world to a top 4 and top 2 finish is obviously good. But England had a fair bit of luck with the draws in knockout-rounds that just takes some glory away from the achievement. The only really good team England managed to beat in the knockout rounds of the 2018 / 2020 tournaments were Denmark. Obviously you can only beat what is in front of you, but IMO this (along with the usually pretty turgid football) is what puts some question marks behind those fine tournament finishes.

At Euro21 we also beat serial winners:

 

[S'hampton Seagull]

Yeah, Southgate getting sacked is the outcome we all want. Not progressing to the knockout stages.

Can we have both please?

 

[Questions]

Last games of the group always KO same time, much like the last set of games in a domestic season. So we won’t know what we need to do by time we kick off.

Which shouldn’t matter. We need to play to win, and a wins enough to win the group.

Then we can enjoy the Welsh tears. 64 years of waiting to then rock up, draw to the USA, lose to Iran, then get knocked out by a country they hate the most.

Come on England!

That’s the Scottish way you’ll find..

 

[Eric Youngs Contact Lens]

Southgate is the incumbent and, despite my opinions on his tactical nouse and conservative approach, will get my support tomorrow! I felt a bit sorry for Bellingham on Friday as he was let down, in my opinion, by Saka and Sterling not dropping in defensively and consequently being dragged out and over-run by willing USA runners and Pulisic happy to drop in too.. I would keep him in, unless tired/fatigued and drop Sterling and maybe Saka too for Grealish and/or Foden . In this context I have a tiny bit of sympathy for GS as he knows we get over-run as none of our wide front men are Solly March types.. and will play 2 defensive midfielders against better sides.. however, it is his puzzle to solve and his changes on Friday were again, too much "like for like" rather than giving the opposition a genuine new problem to solve.

Fingers crossed, an early goal, or at least the 1st goal against Wales and we will be set for knock-out stages.. I just don't want us to give Bale the signing-off opportunity that he will crave.. and his team-mates will want to deliver for him. (My belief that he will retire - not sure he has made any announcement on that front has he?)

 

[Paxton Dazo]

That’s the Scottish way you’ll find..

Absolutely no idea what you’re talking about, so I’ll put it down as a joke that’s gone over my head.

 

[Poojah]

Genuinely hadn’t realised that anything better than a 4-goal defeat sees England qualify tomorrow night.

Granted, with the Dutch almost certain to win Group A (we’ll know for definite before we kick-off) top spot is what we really need to be aiming for, to avoid them in the last 16, but even England couldn’t f*** it up so badly as to not qualify. Could we?

 

[beorhthelm]

Joe Cole suggests this team, just for this tie.

Pace, directness, Rice/Henderson allows the others to play, knackered Kane given a rest.


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was thinking along these lines. Henderson gives a solid, experienced base for the forward line to attack, can pass the ball around/though. if he doesnt go with an attacking intent against Wales, we'll be ground down to a probable draw or defeat. use our strengths.

 

[B-right-on]

Genuinely hadn’t realised that anything better than a 4-goal defeat sees England qualify tomorrow night.

Granted, with the Dutch almost certain to win Group A (we’ll know for definite before we kick-off) top spot is what we really need to be aiming for, to avoid them in the last 16, but even England couldn’t f*** it up so badly as to not qualify. Could we?

New to supporting England are we?

 

[Reddleman]

Walker needs to start for game time. If Henderson is starting then good, give Bellingham a rest before the knock out stages. I would start Foden for Saka for similar reasons. Saka and Bellingham are just kids and a World Cup is intense, let’s have them ready and firing for last 16.

 

[smillie's garden]

Genuinely hadn’t realised that anything better than a 4-goal defeat sees England qualify tomorrow night.

Granted, with the Dutch almost certain to win Group A (we’ll know for definite before we kick-off) top spot is what we really need to be aiming for, to avoid them in the last 16, but even England couldn’t f*** it up so badly as to not qualify. Could we?

I'm not sure I'd rather face Ecuador (if they advance) than the NL: BHAador were unlucky not to beat the Dutch in the last match.

 

[Icy Gull]

Seems Bellingham is going to be dropped for Henderson.

If it’s all about qualifying rather than getting cohesion and confidence going, it’s a master stroke

Worry not, I’ll keep off this match day thread once it kicks off, win at a canter, draw or lose

 

[jakarta]

This 2-3-5 we will be playing - who are our tricky wingers?

 

[fly high]

I'm not sure I'd rather face Ecuador (if they advance) than the NL: BHAador were unlucky not to beat the Dutch in the last match.

Also don't want to be the ones who knock out our boys.

 

[Weststander]

 

[Randy McNob]

Same idiots criticising Southgate after we drew with Scotland, we then got to the final and could have won the euros. Same again after USA game, same unwarranted criticisim despite still wiping the egg off their face from 2 years ago. Clearly don't know football

 

[Justice]

Same idiots criticising Southgate after we drew with Scotland, we then got to the final and could have won the euros. Same again after USA game, same unwarranted criticisim despite still wiping the egg off their face from 2 years ago. Clearly don't know football

Except England could have won the Euro’s and beaten Croatia both games England sat back and invited pressure until they conceded because dear old Southgate can only play one way. He has an army of young talent at his disposal and plays all the old plodders. Walker, Henderson should be Ben White, Maddison and Foden playing.
Italy didn’t qualify for this tournament they weren’t exactly world beaters.

 

[Randy McNob]

Except England could have won the Euro’s and beaten Croatia both games England sat back and invited pressure until they conceded because dear old Southgate can only play one way. He has an army of young talent at his disposal and plays all the old plodders. Walker, Henderson should be Ben White, Maddison and Foden playing.
Italy didn’t qualify for this tournament they weren’t exactly world beaters.

we are top of the group, he is rotating and resting. Its called utilising the squad. Wales are shite and we don't need to win

Fine if you don't like Southgate but judge him on results, judge him on what his predecessors acheived (under Keegan, Sven, Capello, McLaren, Hodgson we were a laughing stock) and he has done an outstanding job. He has brought pride back to the England team and we are a team to be feared

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Absolutely no idea what you’re talking about, so I’ll put it down as a joke that’s gone over my head.

Love him as we do (see also ‘Swanny’), Questions fires out 20-odd arrows a day, hoping one will hit the spot, unfortunately the majority rarely do.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Last games of the group always KO same time, much like the last set of games in a domestic season. So we won’t know what we need to do by time we kick off.

Which shouldn’t matter. We need to play to win, and a wins enough to win the group.

Then we can enjoy the Welsh tears. 64 years of waiting to then rock up, draw to the USA, lose to Iran, then get knocked out by a country they hate the most.

Come on England!

A draw and the US would need to win by 5 goals to win the group?

That is how Southgate will approach this game. He is a pragmatist's pragmatic. Avoiding defeat pretty much ensures winning the group. I can see it being a painful watch. I hope you are right - we go all out to smash them, but he won't do that. It will be risk management.