Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

2-2

Quick decisive passing and we have a couple.

Bloody hell Pope, another defensive cock up.

Saka never looked like scoring that.

First touch when he took the pass from Kane was poor, but decent shot heading for the corner, keeper got a finger tip touch.

At least we showed positivity going forward but only because we had no choice going 2 down.

Defence is crap, and we still don't commit enough players forward unless we go a goal or two down.

budgetmeansbudget wrote:Things couldn't have gone worse for Macguire, responsible for both German goals, and the first one was embarrassing.

the second was equally awful, for me. Goes wandering off like a rogue elephant, loses the ball, then ends up miles away from where he should be leaving Havertz unmarked to fire in the second

budgetmeansbudget wrote:Defence is crap

which is hard, when playing a 7-2-1 system

at least there was a reaction from England

I was expecting a 3-0 defeat after the second Germany goal went in. The England players looked shorn of any confidence. Fortunately the subs changed all that, Sako in particular played very well, I thought. Two quick goals and heads went up again. First time that's happened in months

I'd like to say that SG just got lucky and his obligatory 2 changes on 60 mins were at best hopeful, but that would be churlish of me, so I'll give him credit for the changes (even though I really do think he got lucky and he put them on with no clear idea of what he was doing)

Pope had a poor game tonight. Not just the error, he was pretty dozy in the first half when dealing with pass backs and his distribution looked rushed all night as the Germany players tried to capitalise on it. Did his WC chances no favours at all, which is a shame for him because he's been great for Newcastle

Durhamfootman wrote:

budgetmeansbudget wrote:Things couldn't have gone worse for Macguire, responsible for both German goals, and the first one was embarrassing.

the second was equally awful, for me. Goes wandering off like a rogue elephant, loses the ball, then ends up miles away from where he should be leaving Havertz unmarked to fire in the second

You could tell he was trying to make up for his double error with the first goal, charging up the pitch like a man possessed and then predictably losing the ball when surrounded by 3 or 4 German players. Bu the time he got back to cover the German counter he was knackered, his internal GPS malfunctioned and Havertz had all the time in the world to curl the ball past Pope.

I'm pretty sure Macguire will start against Iran, as it shouldn't be a tough test defensively.

Bellingham and Saka should also play. I think Bellingham will but Saka will be used as an impact sub, unfortunately.

Unlike Pope, Bellingham has done his cause no harm whatsoever this last week. He's been the standout player

However, never underestimate the power of Sir G, to ignore form and stick with his favourites. If Phillips is fit in November, he'll start

and SG will probably play 7-2-1 against Iran too

I watch a lot of German football, and Bellingham is a once in a generation talent imo. He might get injured or get bad luck, but on pure talent he's insanely good.

Rest of England is starting to catch up.

only 19 years old too

Durhamfootman wrote:only 19 years old too

I have to applaud German football's attitude to youth talent, because so many of the top clubs give their outstanding youth talent the opportunity to play. When you think Bellingham, Sancho, Bynoe-Gittens and Musiala all chose the option of going to Bundasliga to play as teenagers on the sole fact they were promised first team football despite being 16-19 years old, where as if they had all stayed at a City or Chelsea, they probably have been released at 21 to go play in the Greek league after 4 years of loans at Rotherham.

Musiala is the biggest example. Chelsea didn't have much of a development plan for him, Bayern offered him football despite him being 16..... he's now 18, has played 70 First team matches, and has chosen to represent Germany after previously declining them (he was born in Germany, grew up in England, considered himself English)....

The German press are absolutely flabbergasted England allowed it to happen. He's seen as one of Germany's brightest stars in years.... and yet, Chelsea decided he wasn't worthy of involvement.

I mean, the best player in the League also never got a game at Chelsea as a youngster, so times havent changed much in 12 years.

I can't remember where we discussed the WC in '26. 48 teams, groups of 3.... all that open to collusion nonsense

it seems that FIFA have had a rethink and come to the inevitable conclusion that they were wrong and everyone else was right, so it's 12 groups of 4 for the next one.

they are sticking with their round of 32, though, so it's to become a 104 match format

bloody hell.......... 104 matches

England 2-0 up away in Italy in what should be their hardest group game (will games against Ukraine actually be played in Ukraine, or on neutral territory, I wonder?).

Should win the group if they take this game out, you would think.