Football World Cup 2022.....Mens.

[PatMc]

Don, I don't think England are short of the right quality of players, England seem unable to produce a suitable "English" manager. Terry Venables was the last seriously capable English England manager, even the Premier division has never been won by a team managed by an English manager. Howard Wilkinson managed Leeds Utd when they won the 1st division in 1991, the following year the Premier division was created.

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

 

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[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Stats are pretty good on England, Loris the busier of the two keepers.

Bit of luck we could have won, Girouds header comes of defender otherwise it's maybe saved/misses.

I think Southgate will have a think then step down. You see any of the T.V pundits stepping up for the job ?

[GrumpyGnome]

Err........ no.

[PatMc]

Lloris may have been busier but even Joe Harvey wouldn't have been troubled with any of the shots he saved. OTOH Pickford made one save that was a real scorcher, in fact a much more difficult to save than the second French goal. I thought Pickford was on top form OTOH I'm surprised Lloris is the French 1st choice GK.

I think stats flatter England's performance, e.g. they tell how much of England possession was confined to their own half or the difference in quality between the shots on target or show the % of the passes that actually led to attacking opportunities.

It takes more than luck to win at this level.

The TV pundits are all too comfy in their present jobs, they have either never been a manager or are failed when they were.

I hope Graham Potter is offered the job, cause I don't want Eddie Howe to abandon the Toon - I believe Steve Bruce is also available 😆

 

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Stats do show we didn't lose because of a defensive mindset.

Doubt many would be unhappy if Eddie took job, he's won nowt as yet though, time will tell.

Couldn't give a Monkeys if it's English or foreign manager personally.

[Robert Cracknell]

Lots of discussion regarding Southgates future but the best method of improving the England team would be to ditch Kane. Lots of creative, inventive and talented players being held back by having to play to his needs. What did he do at WC22..?  Not a lot!

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

In case you missed it,,,

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Croatian fan tonight, Modric just keeps going and Gvardiol is a bit good.

[Peter Jenkins]

I fear that Modric and Co have been undone!  But, who knows if this will turn into a game of 2 halves?  45 mins to show that they can equalise with the Argies and then survive extra time to get to......penalties!  Yes, I know, whistling in the dark.😪

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Yep, It got a bit Messi.

[MattyB]

On 13/12/2022 at 00:12, Robert Cracknell said:

Lots of discussion regarding Southgates future but the best method of improving the England team would be to ditch Kane. Lots of creative, inventive and talented players being held back by having to play to his needs. What did he do at WC22..?  Not a lot!

 

Kane is by some margin the best English No.9 available, but the issue seems to be balancing what he undoubtedly adds outside the box when he drops deeper with making sure here is there on the spot to score when needed. Basically we need an English Son H-M to go alongside/jsut behind him as per Topttenham, but I'm not sure we have a player quite like that (Foden is the closest, but not an exact fit). 

 

Anyway, I am not certain Southgate is the man to solve this puzzle, but I can't think if many available managers who are, certainly not English ones (good luck getting Potter or Howe to take the gig at this point!). For that reason I prefer Gareth staying on til the Euros to give him one last crack  his is after all the second most successful manager that England have ever had. Who else of the available candidtes would be better - Tuchel? Pochettino? 

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Most of the ball by far Harry got was back to goal, hardly playing to his needs is it ? He also provided more assists on goal than our creative players. The few chances he got on goal in open play against France he created himself, Loris kept them out. So did our creative players "Fail" or did France defend well ? I would go with the later.

Kane is a country mile ahead of any other English number 9.

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

New manager ?

Tuchel would be a bold choice, not sure that the media wouldn't make his life hell, Poch built two good sides Southampton n Spurs, already been labeled a "Loser" by many though (I would love it personally).

Howe won't leave the Toon, he has a plum job with big backing, Potter, who knows, Potter takes England, Poch to Chelsea ? (God forbid).

[extra slim]

As far as I can make out, the possession based game Pep advocates, means the team defending, high press, making it tricky to play through. The ball inevitably ends out wide, but defensive team get 11 men behind the ball, so attacking team probe and prod along the lines waiting for some incisive run. England got done by a speculative long range effort, and a first time ball into the near post. Not easy to defend against the unpredictable. Many teams have gotten into the habit and art of defending the possession based attack, but are uncomfortable when the ball is played long, speculative efforts, or first time balls into the box. England did not alot of the above, and when the did they got a penalty (2nd)... I would like the team to mix it up a bit, play some possession and throw a bit of caution to the wind, get the front line making run after run again.. the players are very capable. Loosen the reins Gareth.

Edited December 14, 2022 by extra slim

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

France v Morocco Don't care who wins hope it's entertaining.

[Peter Jenkins]

I'd like to see Morocco win but then we won't be able to say we were put out by the WC winner!  Hmm.  Then again, I can't see Morocco beating both France and then Argentina so that would let Messi in!  Difficult decision.

[leccyflyer]

Good performance by Morocco, just lacking that bit of quality on front of goal. Smashing game to watch and a super win by France to set up a final with Argentina, Mbappe was electrifying on a few runs, made the second goal and had a great game, but MOTM was Grizemann -all over the pitch. Just one more win to retain their title. Allez les Bleus!!!

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

High quality game and very entertaining. Mbappe ? Hold my beer says Griezmann.

[leccyflyer]

It's all Argentina so far - France not on their game at all.

[leccyflyer]

Another soft penalty for Argentina - De Maria was going down before there was anything remotely approaching a contact there.

[leccyflyer]

That's more like it - stunning football from M'Bappe.  Come on France - you can do this.

[leccyflyer]

Argentina cheating right up until the final penalty. How can the referee let Martinez just throw the ball away, before the French penalty is taken?

[Peter Jenkins]

Great outcome.  Can't have France win when they only turned up for the last 10 mins of normal time.

 

Leccyflyer - did you see the replay where the French defenders knee knocked the Argentinian's foot causing him to trip.  It was a dead cert penalty and not a soft penalty at all.

 

The team that put in the better performance for normal time were the deserved winners IMHO.

[leccyflyer]

You mean the replay where the Argentinian player tripped himself up? That one? That's a soft penalty.

 

The team which should have been down to ten men in extra time and whose goalkeeper indulged in the most outrageous gamesmanship during the shoot-out won the game on penalties. In the end it went according to what the organisers wanted - a win for Messi.