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Wanderers Ways. Neil Thompson 1961-2021

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Posted

If he makes that Rashford change on 70 mins I think we equalise

 

 

On the subject of Rashford, I suspect that if the DMB's do sign Ibrahimovic, the poor youngster won't get a look in for a while and will be missing out on top line skill honing from weekly PL competition.

 

What is wrong with English football in a nutshell. Now that we have fucked off the EU we should have a rule that you must field 6 Englishmen in League matches and team selections only be 'freedom of movement' affected when English clubs have to play in Europe.

 

To continue with my rant, fuck Hart off and the two centre backs. Our obvious weakness and in the heart of defence. Always was going to be our Achilles heel. Not sure who would be available (Stones looks like another powder puff to me) but I wish Robert Huth was English. I also wish we could find another Steve McMahon or some other similar midfield hard nut instead of persevering with injury prone halfhearts like Wilshere.

Posted

Our game is flawed from top to bottom.

 

Players aren't blooded properly to cope with tournament football.

 

Half of the squad pulled out of the last under 21 tournament ffs.

Posted

It is possible to convert an England flag into an Iceland. Just cover most of the white with blue and chop one sixth of the left side. JSL.

 

 

When Iceland flags are £2.48 at Amazon, why the fuck would you bother?

Posted

On the subject of Rashford, I suspect that if the DMB's do sign Ibrahimovic, the poor youngster won't get a look in for a while and will be missing out on top line skill honing from weekly PL competition.

 

What is wrong with English football in a nutshell. Now that we have fucked off the EU we should have a rule that you must field 6 Englishmen in League matches and team selections only be 'freedom of movement' affected when English clubs have to play in Europe.

 

 

Thought similar to this for a long while.  English teams' squads should be minimum 50% English.  With possibly a reasonable quota of home nation (max 30%) and to a lesser extent foreign players e.g. 4 - 5 per squad (max 20%).

 

£ and the Prem rule though so can't see something like that ever being imposed.  Until we invest properly in coaching, youth football at local levels (not just for the top 1% ability wise) and our leagues value and support the National team (like Iceland, funnily enough) things wont improve.  

 

Crazy to think Sterling cost around £50 million - what grass routes could do with that sort of wedge!  Not like it isn't about either . . .

 

Feels like we're on a merry go round with England (well not so merry) same things get said every 2 years and not a lot changes.  

 

Pretty sad indictment of where we are really.   Bah Humbug! 

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Posted

Thought similar to this for a long while.  English teams' squads should be minimum 50% English.  With possibly a reasonable quota of home nation (max 30%) and to a lesser extent foreign players e.g. 4 - 5 per squad (max 20%).

 

I don't see how that would help either the PL or the national team

 

Spain won 3 major tournaments in a row and they have plenty of foreigners in their leagues (plus top players playing over here)

 

there were hardly any foreigners in the 70s / 80s prior to the PL, and we were shite then as well

 

as we saw with Botlon last year, being "forced" for whatever reason into playing your academy (normally UK) born players may not work, if they aren't good enough

 

or they might be good enough, but the man in charge doesn't know what he's doing

 

like Hodgson (and Lennon)

 

for me it's down to player attitude and application, that's the difference between us and the likes of Germany and Spain

 

it was the difference between us and Iceland last night, I'm sure Hodgson didn't tell them to go out and be shit, though it's up to him to make sure they aren't by having a game plan etc - which right now is why BSA would be ideal for the job 

 

we just don't have the right mentality, we've won 2 knockout games in normal time in 30 years

Posted (edited)

Fair points and I agree about application/mentality last night (touched on this in another thread)

 

Don't give a fook about the PL per se; but surely if, as a collective FA from grass roots up, there was a genuine commitment to developing and nurturing, and then playing, a larger proportion of home grown players it could only be a positive for the English game and national team?

 

Perhaps not, but then we would have to admit we are just shit compared to other nations - which man for man I don't believe we necessarily are.  It would also possibly reduce buying similar talent from abroad because its cheaper!

 

Re. the Spain e.g.   Weren't most of that team raised, in a footballing sense, in one of 2 academies?  Which suggests that getting young talent together early has a positive effect in the long term.

 

We could have won the world cup in 1970 (by all accounts) possibly even 86/90 as well, and I would argue culture was a large factor why we were so poor internationally at those times.  

Edited by madthatter
Posted

Just watched the 'highlights' - fook me talk about bottling it in every way.  Icelandic lads wanted it so much more.  Couldn't, or wouldn't, match them physically.  Poor poor poor

Posted (edited)

'He has fucked up.

We now probably get a harder game, but we do not know our best team. And it is the second point that is the issue, what formation are we going to play ?

The build up to a tournament and even the early games should allow these things to get sorted, we are going into knock out games and hoping it falls into place.'
 

This is my quote from the Slovakia thread. We have ended a tournament with no idea of who are our best players and what is the best formation.

 

Rooney got shown up as they played 442 and he is not fit enough or strong enough to play Centre midfield, the idea that to win that battle we need Wilshire was amazing.

 

Someone said today Lallanna was injured which can be the only explanation of him not starting.

 

Wilshire has been injured all season but still got picked, sterling has been shit all season and still got picked. Kane was clearly knackered but they kept persisting. 9was his 41 metre free kick worse than Rooneys corner in south Africa ?), Alli was woeful, sturridge has been in and out of the Liverpool team and you saw why.

 

I just could not stop thinking that Iceland were very much a Sam Allardyce team with everyone working and knowing their job, whereas we were an Own Coyle team, not fit enough, not strong enough not playing as a team.

 

I have never been totally unbothered by an England defeat.like I was last night

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Ani
Posted

I've watched all Iceland's matches, and while they are obviously limited they make the most of their chances.

For Hoddle to dismiss long throws as old-fashioned, it simply reflects badly on him.

It is a weapon which works, because Gunnarsson with 2 hands can direct a ball better than anyone taking a corner.

Whether England practised facing such throws I rather doubt, but even if they did it would not have been with the speed and accuracy he provided. Clearly needed to borrow a bowling machine from Loughborough or somewhere.

Realistically, England could not have had an easier start with a very early penalty awarded and put away.

To then concede 34 seconds after the restart was a sign that they had switched off.

Repeatedly shooting from outside the crowded penalty area should have been stopped. Running into the penalty area and then shooting, or even trying a pass, would have given more genuine opportunities.

It will be interesting to see how France attempt to play against Iceland.

Posted

I'm sure people used to be properly pissed off when England went out of a tournament. Last night, the majority of people in the pub where I watched just didn't seem that bothered. I think I put it down to us not actually being all that surprised.

 

Payet and Kante got into the France team off the back of their performances for Leicester. They were the form players so were given a shot ahead of higher profile names.

 

We left Drinkwater at home and played a half-fit Jack Wilshere. We did at least take Vardy but Roy chose to play Sterling instead.

 

Someone needs to tell the next England manager that his job is to produce a team and not just pick our top 11 'stars'. And to do that does require having a pair of balls.

Posted (edited)

 

 

 

I just could not stop thinking that Iceland were very much a Sam Allardyce team with everyone working and knowing their job, whereas we were an Own Coyle team, not fit enough, not strong enough not playing as a team.

 

I have never been totally unbothered by an England defeat.like I was last night

 

 

 

 

I was laughing at it towards the end, which was a first.  Just all kinds of shit.  I don't even have a word or phrase apt enough for the abysmal tripe that was served up last night.  Iceland, on the other hand, were impressive.

Edited by madthatter
Posted

Short of an andy caroll type big lump to make a nuisance of himself in the box and a couple of wingers I can't say the squad lacked anything.

It was execution that was the biggest problem last night.

Posted

I was laughing at it towards the end, which was a first.  Just all kinds of shit.  I don't even have a word or phrase apt enough for the abysmal tripe that was served up last night.  Iceland, on the other hand, were impressive.

 

Our lass hates football and I tld at half time to come and watch because we were so bad.

 

Second half lived up to expectations.

Posted

Short of an andy caroll type big lump to make a nuisance of himself in the box and a couple of wingers I can't say the squad lacked anything.

It was execution that was the biggest problem last night.

 

 

We played unfit Jack and 5 fags Wayne in centre midfield.

 

if that is the best we have, it is not execution that is the issue.

Posted

We played unfit Jack and 5 fags Wayne in centre midfield.

 

if that is the best we have, it is not execution that is the issue.

It's not the issue but it could be the answer.

 

Lack of technique has always been the issue. There's more space in the Premier League, which places emphasis on athleticism. Tournament football, particularly against sides happy to sit back, requires a touch and speed of thought that most of our players just don't possess. Bombing up and down the wings and standing about waiting for something to fall right in the box isn't going to win matches, unfortunately.

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Posted

I was rooting for Iceland from 80 minutes onwards.

 

That's what those stroppy, disinterested, joyless cunts have reduced me to.

Posted

Out of all the four games England played I only watched the Wales game in the pub, the rest I watched in the house. Just couldn't be bothered going out last night and getting pissed.

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