England vs Argentina - Weds 15th July - 20.00 (BST)

[Chelmofox]

1 minute ago, RowlattsFox said:

I don't think Tuchel has changed anything compared to Southgate. But I'm not sure anyone can with the pool of players we have, this is our level, just behind the very best. 

You could argue he has, but not for the better. There was a decision to leave some very big players out, so he took the call to simply not work with the big personalities. Good decision or cowardice?  At the time i thought it was the latter, and many of the additional options he brought in barely got a look in.

[foxfanazer]

1 minute ago, Chelmofox said:

It's easy to criticise Kane for not turning up in the big, big games. But he has dug us out of so many holes in the last few years. We would be nowhere near this semi final without him.

 

My concern moving forward is that, without him, where will we be? My first world cup memory was 1986, so vividly remember the disappointments. Young lot (like my son) now think semi finals are the bare minimum.  But i look at the squad Tuchel took and still think we are overachieving to a degree - i don't believe our defence is anywhere near good enough.

 

Father time is going to catch up with Kane, and it sometimes happens quickly - he's 32. When that happens, i have a horrible feeling we go back to where we were quite quickly. 

 

 

No doubt about that. But in reality we shouldn't be in those holes to begin with against that kind of opposition 

 

We scrape through these games by the skin of our teeth, using far too much physical and emotional energy and then when we finally face a decent side we're spent. 

[Foxdiamond]

Overall Argentina deserved the win but my goodness what a despicable bunch they are. The early fouls that should have been followed by yellow cards. Bringing on the Falklands banner during the post match celebrations. They just can't help themselves. No class despite their talent. 

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

8 minutes ago, Manwell Pablo said:

This is going to be a typical Manwell Pablo outspoken opinion that is actually correct but it’s right so I’m going to say it. 
 

I’ve listened to people say the difference between Southgate and Tuchel is he knows when to make the right tactical change. 
 

I can’t even be arsed to go into detail but for what he did last night and his initial squad selection he needs sacking, the fa won’t do it and that’s fine but we will win nothing while he’s in charge, 

 

Don’t even feel bad about losing to Argentina as we beat ourselves. 

 

Unpopular opinion guys but Tuchel got it wrong last night

[CruzNoir]

38 minutes ago, fox_favourite said:

I genuinely think Argentina will be lost when Golden boy retires. They are so engrained in worshipping him and playing to his strengths, they won't know what to do when he isn't there. 

Stars on the shirt

 

That’s all that matters

 

I don’t think the Argies will mind that much if they are a little less competitive when their talisman Messi steps away

 

especially if he actively secures them another star that will be there for ever

 

thats memories made, banked, locked up for generations to enjoy

 

its been 60 years for us, I’m 41 years old, no idea what it’s like, when we get to these stages and lose generations continue to not know what it’s like, the Argies have got plenty of experience of what it’s like in the bank 

Edited 1 hour ago by CruzNoir

[Foxdiamond]

23 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

It's easy to criticise Kane for not turning up in the big, big games. But he has dug us out of so many holes in the last few years. We would be nowhere near this semi final without him.

 

My concern moving forward is that, without him, where will we be? My first world cup memory was 1986, so vividly remember the disappointments. Young lot (like my son) now think semi finals are the bare minimum.  But i look at the squad Tuchel took and still think we are overachieving to a degree - i don't believe our defence is anywhere near good enough.

 

Father time is going to catch up with Kane, and it sometimes happens quickly - he's 32. When that happens, i have a horrible feeling we go back to where we were quite quickly. 

 

 

England will need to adapt to a Kane alternative quickly. 33 later this month. Too often in the past we have kept on picking the same leading players 

[JonnyZeroFox]

Got to say it, the Argentinians are morons with their flags and the like. Well done 👏 you won a football match, doesn’t change the more important matter.. the Falklands 

Edited 1 hour ago by JonnyZeroFox

[Chelmofox]

4 minutes ago, foxfanazer said:

No doubt about that. But in reality we shouldn't be in those holes to begin with against that kind of opposition 

 

We scrape through these games by the skin of our teeth, using far too much physical and emotional energy and then when we finally face a decent side we're spent. 

But that just shows deep down nothing has really changed. We've been blessed with a world class goalscorer, and Jude and Rice are excellent, but other than that? Last year i was really excited at the prospect of a World Cup with Foden, Saka and Palmer, but those 3 have fallen off a cliff. 

 

Another big missed opportunity.

[st albans fox]

24 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

It's easy to criticise Kane for not turning up in the big, big games. But he has dug us out of so many holes in the last few years. We would be nowhere near this semi final without him.

 

My concern moving forward is that, without him, where will we be? My first world cup memory was 1986, so vividly remember the disappointments. Young lot (like my son) now think semi finals are the bare minimum.  But i look at the squad Tuchel took and still think we are overachieving to a degree - i don't believe our defence is anywhere near good enough.

 

Father time is going to catch up with Kane, and it sometimes happens quickly - he's 32. When that happens, i have a horrible feeling we go back to where we were quite quickly. 

 

 

Modern football is a broad church 

I think we’d all agree that Spain are the best footballing side and yet they don’t have a star striker. 
If fit, we will have the best pair of wingers in world football in four years (Rio and Dowman ). We need to find a way of playing to complement that and it doesn’t need to be a world class CF 

[foxfanazer]

3 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

But that just shows deep down nothing has really changed. We've been blessed with a world class goalscorer, and Jude and Rice are excellent, but other than that? Last year i was really excited at the prospect of a World Cup with Foden, Saka and Palmer, but those 3 have fallen off a cliff. 

 

Another big missed opportunity.

Agreed mate. Rice basically wasn't at the tournament, Saka like you say has fallen off a cliff, Kane only seems to do it early rounds and then you're solely relying on Bellingham which against the bigger teams is a big ask to do it by himself 

 

Same old story

[The Guvnor]

Ah well the World Cup final dream has gone. Stinking tactics by Tuchel in the end, 72 mins he decides to go to a back five takes creative players off for defensive players and immediately wave after wave of Argentinian pressure. Everyone could see a goal was coming. Then with one minute left he puts on 2 strikers Ivan Toney and Rashord WTF!
The man’s a ####

[Jonezy]

Bit of a wimper way to go out. Understand the frustration. You want your team to play to their full potential in a WC semi, but you seemed to have run completely out of the steam that 2nd half.

Simeone should have had a yellow, but as a neutral, I actually think the ref did a good job in that chaotic first half. It could have ended in total chaos with yellow and red cards everywhere. 2nd half was about the football and Argentina clearly won that battle. 

Loved that Spence and Gordon were the ones stepping up for you. That tackle by Spence was gorgeous.

Heads up guys. It could be worse; you could be a Leicester and Denmark supporter....

[Manwell Pablo]

21 minutes ago, Miquel The Work Geordie said:

 

Unpopular opinion guys but Tuchel got it wrong last night

😂 I was talking more about the sacking him part, I mean anyone whose ever watched football knows he got it wrong. 

[Manwell Pablo]

27 minutes ago, VLC86 said:

Are you still pissed 😂

 

Completely agree with the second part though, and it’s clearly not an unpopular opinion.

As stated it’s hard to say sacking someone is a good idea after reaching a semi final. 
 

I mean if it’s not an unpopular opinion let’s get it done 😂

[VLC86]

1 minute ago, Manwell Pablo said:

As stated it’s hard to say sacking someone is a good idea after reaching a semi final. 
 

I mean if it’s not an unpopular opinion let’s get it done 😂

I think in the context of the tournament, we hit par but in the context of yesterday alone we were well below it and the reason for that was the manager. For that reason I don’t think it’s hard to sack him for reaching the semi final.

 

We won’t though, we offered him a new contract.

[MattFox]

People cheering and celebrating when Dan Burn came on sums up everything wrong with our mindset

[Chelmofox]

1 minute ago, MattFox said:

People cheering and celebrating when Dan Burn came on sums up everything wrong with our mindset

Felt very Leicester actually, as he went up front. Much like our fans getting boners when we put Vestergaard up front.

[Manwell Pablo]

2 minutes ago, VLC86 said:

I think in the context of the tournament, we hit par but in the context of yesterday alone we were well below it and the reason for that was the manager. For that reason I don’t think it’s hard to sack him for reaching the semi final.

 

We won’t though, we offered him a new contract.

There was something in his existing deal to do with an extension that was performance based wasn’t there? Hard to see a semi final not triggering that. 
 

like you say though in the context of last night alone he needs binning. 
 

 

 

[Manwell Pablo]

25 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Modern football is a broad church 

I think we’d all agree that Spain are the best footballing side and yet they don’t have a star striker. 
If fit, we will have the best pair of wingers in world football in four years (Rio and Dowman ). We need to find a way of playing to complement that and it doesn’t need to be a world class CF 

Mikel Oryzabal (spelling) is highly under rated. 
 

He’s not a Kane or a Haaland or an Mbappe but he’ll find that net and links up well 

 

Hes one of the main reasons Sociedad have got back where they should be 

[Fox92]

39 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

But that just shows deep down nothing has really changed. We've been blessed with a world class goalscorer, and Jude and Rice are excellent, but other than that? Last year i was really excited at the prospect of a World Cup with Foden, Saka and Palmer, but those 3 have fallen off a cliff. 

 

Another big missed opportunity.

I like Saka, I think he's our best winger, but surely he's not fit. Didn't he spend the back end of the season injured? Foden has never done anything in an England shirt but either him or Palmer had to go given Saka's fitness. I don't think our options out wide were great outside of these, no way should Rodgers have been pushed wide.

[Blue ROI]

Was that Gary Rowett in charge of England last night?

[Number 6]

What was with the personality transplant post Croatia though? There we got the England and manager we wanted. Everything about that game was the direction we've been clamouring for, and we didn't see it again all tournament.

[bovril]

57 minutes ago, JonnyZeroFox said:

Got to say it, the Argentinians are morons with their flags and the like. Well done 👏 you won a football match, doesn’t change the more important matter.. the Falklands 

[Blarmy]

2 hours ago, Chelmofox said:

Did you not go to the Southampton game at the KP. I knew we were going to lose when we were 3-1 up. 

Didn’t go, but also called it at 3-1, same as at 1-0 last night. But I maintain it’s a weird feeling as I just don’t understand how professional sports people can collapse so predictably, even more so in team sports. They’ve been playing all their lives, surrounded by professional coaches, sport psychologists etc and managed by someone paid millions, and yet do the single one thing that maximises the chance of turning a winning position into a defeat.

 

England didn’t even switch it up after two amazing Argentina chances that didn’t go in. Even then they didn’t manage to collectively realise the simple fact that it was going much better before they parked the bus.

 

I, and I’m sure many millions of other England fans, were screaming for them to play further up the pitch and stop allowing wave after wave of Argentine attacks, but the players and manager couldn’t grasp this simple concept, even though the players had demonstrated for 50-odd minutes they were perfectly capable of playing executing it. 
 

It blows my mind.

[Number 6]

Dropping deep can be ok, but you've either got to retain the ball well when you do have it, or maintain a counter attacking threat. We did neither so it was just wave after wave of Argentina attack.