England squad...

[Bert]

On 26/05/2021 at 14:20, AKCJ said:

Do what you like mate, I just find it weird that an English football fan doesn't support the English national side.

Crazy innit. Absolutely baffling. 

[purpleronnie]

It's weird that if we finish 2nd the draw is better.  Makes me wonder if winning our first game will actually be a disadvantage.

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

1 hour ago, purpleronnie said:

It's weird that if we finish 2nd the draw is better.  Makes me wonder if winning our first game will actually be a disadvantage.

Like the 2018 World Cup all over again 

[Sly]

We are more than capable of winning this. I’d love, love it, if we did. 

[Tielemans63]

Wrong thread!

Edited 11 June 2021 by Paddy.

[goody2028]

1 hour ago, Wasyls Pec Deck said:

Like the 2018 World Cup all over again 

Just remember watching that Belgium game where neither team wanted to win 

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

28 minutes ago, goody2028 said:

Just remember watching that Belgium game where neither team wanted to win 

Yea that was our excuse!!! 

[goody2028]

2 minutes ago, Wasyls Pec Deck said:

Yea that was our excuse!!! 

It’ll do for me 

[Tielemans63]

Hope England approach this game like Italy have and are aggressive from the off, and not as Turkey did by sitting deep and hoping for the best. We've not got a good enough defence to do that for a starter but what we do have is an abundance of talent in attacking areas. Really believe we should go for it and play to our strengths.

 

 

[Super_horns]

6 hours ago, Wasyls Pec Deck said:

Like the 2018 World Cup all over again 

Yes - we’d potentially play Sweden as well if we both come 2nd in the group but not at Wembley ?

 

Then again could be Spain (beatable though )

[Chocolate Teapot]

The clamour for Grealish to start is a bit of nonsense isn't it.

 

Hes a great player but he's scored one goal since December and none for England. He's had a few assists but really should be contributing more than that.

 

In his position hes competing with Foden (who played virtually every game in the best team in the league), Mount (Chelseas best player) and sancho (another ridiculous season in the bundesliga). That's not to mention Rashford and Stetling who have more England experience, although I don't think they're as good or should be ahead of him.

 

I'm not Southgates biggest fan but I can well see his detractors piling on him for this. Fully agree with Barney Ronay here.

 

Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) Tweeted: Not sure where the idea Grealish is so good he *just has to start* has come from. Maybe people need tension. Maybe it’s a culture wars thing. Maybe it’s a trap being set for Gareth, knowing it probably won’t happen https://twitter.com/barneyronay/status/1403240217306402818?s=20

[Sunbury Fox]

Really struggling to bring myself to support England, which I know is ridiculous but it's how I feel. Haven't forgiven Southgate for the way he treated Vardy and more recently Maddison. Plus I just can't warm to this group of players, in fact I actively dislike many of them. Maybe I'll come around once the games start but I'll be honest I'm not feeling this at all. 

Edited 12 June 2021 by Sunbury Fox

[Royston.]

1 hour ago, Sunbury Fox said:

Really struggling to bring myself to support England, which I know it's ridiculous but it's how I feel. Haven't forgiven Southgate for the way he treated Vardy and more recently Maddison. Plus I just can't warm to this group of players, in fact I actively dislike many of them. Maybe I'll come around once the games start but I'll be honest I'm not feeling this at all. 

I too dislike everyone in the team 😒

 

I'm 100% leicester City so it's hard to get behind these players, even if they are representing my country.

 

 

 

 

[Duquesne Whistle]

1 hour ago, Sunbury Fox said:

Really struggling to bring myself to support England, which I know is ridiculous but it's how I feel. Haven't forgiven Southgate for the way he treated Vardy and more recently Maddison. Plus I just can't warm to this group of players, in fact I actively dislike many of them. Maybe I'll come around once the games start but I'll be honest I'm not feeling this at all. 

I'm not struggling to support England, even though I'm not overly fond of some of those who will play. Where I'm struggling, is in feeling much anticipation or excitement around the England team. In my lifetime, there's been more than 25 World Cups and Euros and we've been shat at most of them. We've had some unlucky exits, but that doesn't tell the whole story. We've been teetering on the edge of exit before only to shithouse our way through too (I'm thinking Cameroon '90 and plenty of 3rd group matches), so we've had our luck, just haven't been good enough.

 

There's a shout out to the 1990 squad, who I genuinely believe had the capacity to win the World cup but, for the most part, we've been overhyped before finals and generally fallen flat on our face at some point during each one. Age and experience tells me not to invest too much excitement around my own team, best to just enjoy the games as you watch them. I will watch each England game and support them, I'll enjoy any win and any loss will still hurt, I do want them to win, but until they are leading 2-0, with 2 minutes left in the final, I'm going to keep my expectations low. 

 

Maybe @Foxy_Bear is correct, that we have been spoiled as England fans. He's about to watch his country compete at a finals for the first time this century. That must be a wonderful feeling for a fan. I'm not sure being spoiled tells the whole story though. The expectations of the two nations are very different due to population and finances and England fans under 55 years old have seen nothing but failure, most of it not too glorious either. It's not entitled to believe England should have won something in the last 55 years, with their financial muscle and, latterly, the easy qualifying groups, it has been consistent underachieving.

 

After that positive post. Come on England 

[Scotch]

35 minutes ago, Duquesne Whistle said:

I'm not struggling to support England, even though I'm not overly fond of some of those who will play. Where I'm struggling, is in feeling much anticipation or excitement around the England team. In my lifetime, there's been more than 25 World Cups and Euros and we've been shat at most of them. We've had some unlucky exits, but that doesn't tell the whole story. We've been teetering on the edge of exit before only to shithouse our way through too (I'm thinking Cameroon '90 and plenty of 3rd group matches), so we've had our luck, just haven't been good enough.

 

There's a shout out to the 1990 squad, who I genuinely believe had the capacity to win the World cup but, for the most part, we've been overhyped before finals and generally fallen flat on our face at some point during each one. Age and experience tells me not to invest too much excitement around my own team, best to just enjoy the games as you watch them. I will watch each England game and support them, I'll enjoy any win and any loss will still hurt, I do want them to win, but until they are leading 2-0, with 2 minutes left in the final, I'm going to keep my expectations low. 

 

Maybe @Foxy_Bear is correct, that we have been spoiled as England fans. He's about to watch his country compete at a finals for the first time this century. That must be a wonderful feeling for a fan. I'm not sure being spoiled tells the whole story though. The expectations of the two nations are very different due to population and finances and England fans under 55 years old have seen nothing but failure, most of it not too glorious either. It's not entitled to believe England should have won something in the last 55 years, with their financial muscle and, latterly, the easy qualifying groups, it has been consistent underachieving.

 

After that positive post. Come on England 

That last bit actually made me feel for England fans to a degree. 

 

The pressure of expectations that the media put on you makes it impossible to enjoy the occasion of it. You can't enjoy watching England play due to the fear of failure. 

We as Scotland fans will enjoy this regardless of what happens. It's sad that you can't. 

 

For example, if England shithouse a 1-0 win against us on Friday, we will enjoy it more than you will because we will be praised for losing in such a manner and you will be criticised for winning in such. 

[Duquesne Whistle]

23 minutes ago, Foxy_Bear said:

That last bit actually made me feel for England fans to a degree. 

 

The pressure of expectations that the media put on you makes it impossible to enjoy the occasion of it. You can't enjoy watching England play due to the fear of failure. 

We as Scotland fans will enjoy this regardless of what happens. It's sad that you can't. 

 

For example, if England shithouse a 1-0 win against us on Friday, we will enjoy it more than you will because we will be praised for losing in such a manner and you will be criticised for winning in such. 

I bet it wasn't much of a degree 

 

Definitely wrong foxy, well in my case at least. Having grown up with Home internationals every season, any shithouse 1-0 win over Scotland will be heartily celebrated! I get what you are saying generally though and it isn't far from the truth.

 

[Scotch]

3 minutes ago, Duquesne Whistle said:

I bet it wasn't much of a degree 

 

Definitely wrong foxy, well in my case at least. Having grown up with Home internationals every season, any shithouse 1-0 win over Scotland will be heartily celebrated! I get what you are saying generally though and it isn't far from the truth.

 

Haha, aye. It lasted all of 30 seconds.... Gone now. 

[SheppyFox]

We’ve got some of the best players in the world and we should be playing like it, not trying to shthouse 1-0s all tournament and being terrified to have a go at the big names.

[Aus Fox]

Southgate has had his preferred line up leaked, unfortunately injuries have prevented Gareth from putting out the line up he believed would win us the trophy.

 

Walker

 

Trippier

James

Ayling

Justin

 

Fredericks 

Wan-Bissaka

Alexander-Arnold

Aarons

 

Lamptey 

Cash

 

 

[Nick]

I just can't get up for this tournament from an England perspective. Enjoy watching all the football, but this England team for some reason (maybe it's the lack of Leicester players or the inclusion of ex-Leicester players) I just can't seem to get excited about it. I've travelled to so many Euros and World Cups just to watch football - never really to follow England because it was too embarrassing to be associated with half the morons out there and the way they behaved. But always supported England. 

 

I wonder if I've got a football hangover from the domestic season. I still feel quite cut up and disappointed to have not made top four.

[Facecloth]

20 minutes ago, Nick said:

I just can't get up for this tournament from an England perspective. Enjoy watching all the football, but this England team for some reason (maybe it's the lack of Leicester players or the inclusion of ex-Leicester players) I just can't seem to get excited about it. I've travelled to so many Euros and World Cups just to watch football - never really to follow England because it was too embarrassing to be associated with half the morons out there and the way they behaved. But always supported England. 

 

I wonder if I've got a football hangover from the domestic season. I still feel quite cut up and disappointed to have not made top four.

The problem with England for me is that we have a wealth of attacking talent yet we are likely to play ultra defensively, with players out of position. Walker at centre back for example. I read yesterday it might be a back 3 of Walker, Stones and Shaw. Why are we playing full backs in the back 3, and if we're doing that, why did we take 5 centre backs. We'll also probably play 2 defensive midfielders. We have Grealish, Foden, Rashford, Sancho, Saka, and Sterling, yet probably one will play.

 

I also heard the one that will start is Sterling. Of all those players, what has he done to get a start?

 

I want us to do well, but we have good players, we don't need to be shithousing our way through like Greece did. I can't get excited about that.

[Nick]

1 minute ago, Facecloth said:

The problem with England for me is that we have a wealth of attacking talent yet we are likely to play ultra defensively, with players out of position. Walker at centre back for example. I read yesterday it might be a back 3 of Walker, Stones and Shaw. Why are we playing full backs in the back 3, and if we're doing that, why did we take 5 centre backs. We'll also probably play 2 defensive midfielders. We have Grealish, Foden, Rashford, Sancho, Saka, and Sterling, yet probably one will play.

 

I also heard the one that will start is Sterling. Of all those players, what has he done to get a start?

 

I want us to do well, but we have good players, we don't need to be shithousing our way through like Greece did. I can't get excited about that.

Yep, ditto.

[Pliskin]

England have had quality sides since 2002…. We went to South African with a side packed full of talent, yet completely stunk the place out. Tournament after tournament we turn up looking disjointed, slow, ponderous and lack any attacking intent at all….

 

This England team is perfect to be set up to counter attack, there’s so much pace in the side and a striker who is nailed on to get the golden boot if he’s fully fit. There’s no excuses really, for me there’s only one team who are definitely better than England and that’s France, other than that we can give anyone a run for their money. 
 

I would also start Grealish, the reason being he’s a twat, but incredible at what he does. In a better side he would be the difference. Sorry to say but he shits all over Madders when on top form, I feel he will be the difference for England in this competition. 

[Chocolate Teapot]

9 hours ago, SheppyFox said:

We’ve got some of the best players in the world and we should be playing like it, not trying to shthouse 1-0s all tournament and being terrified to have a go at the big names.

No we don't. We have some good players but lots of other teams do too.

 

Only kane would be anywhere near a top 10 player in the world list right now.

[FoxesDeb]

I have never been as disinterested in a big tournament as I am now, and like others I'm not really sure why. Hopefully it will change later when we play, but unlike past years when I would have known all the groups and all the possible permutations of who and when we might play if we get out of the group, and I would have had time booked off work in anticipation, I struggled to remember who was actually in our group this morning