The Football Thread.

Shrews

Germany 2 Hungary 0

Ball camped in the Hungary half 0-0 HT Germany score on 70 mins, Hungary have to attack but concede again late on

Croatia 1 Albania 1

Albania fail to control Modric who scores but play well nevertheless

Switzerland 4 Scotland 0

Oh dear. 

TTony

Shrews said:

Germany 2 Hungary 0

Ball camped in the Hungary half 0-0 HT Germany score on 70 mins, Hungary have to attack but concede again late on

Croatia 1 Albania 1

Albania fail to control Modric who scores but play well nevertheless

Switzerland 4 Scotland 0

Oh dear. 

I'd say the Germany/Hungary and Croatia/Albania scores are realistic, but Switzerland/Scotland isn't really credible.






Only 4 ??

DrCornelius

Shrews said:

DrCornelius said:

Honestly we need to give Wharton a go - the lad is calm is can be and always seems to have time on the ball. Very rarely loses it and nearly always picks the right pass.

Worth adding "for his club" to the above point I think. 

I agree but we've won the first game whilst looking pretty toothless.  We have one of the worlds top strikers who isnt getting any service and our midfield is packed full of players who want to go past people or who want to drive forward with the ball. Wharton is neither - he lets the ball do the work and is always making himself available to link the play up which I think is what we are missing.

I managed a hugely unsuccessful Sunday league team in Croydon for half a season so I know what I'm talking about ;-)

guitars4you

Placidcasual79 said: 

I have to confess that I really struggle to watch Ronaldo play. The petulance, the egotism - we're all supposed to admire his winning mentality and relentless pursuit of excellence but it in reality I just think c*nt..... surely having a player like that in your team/squad is bad for morale? 

He is the king of cringe

Your team has got a late winner, great celebrate with your team mates don't try to be a clever git and gloat to your opponents keeper.

 

Unprofessional, well out of order and maybe sums up who he has become 

Rocker

I expect Scotland to win this evening but they need to score first. If they do, the drubbing by Germany will fade from their minds 

munckee

Rocker said:

I expect Scotland to win this evening but they need to score first. If they do, the drubbing by Germany will fade from their minds 

There’s obviously a good side in there as they sailed through early qualifying beating some decent opposition.  Just depends whether they are determined to come back from the Germany performance or their heads drop and confidence is shot. 

sev112

Personally I think one of the things that England lack is one or two overtly extremely confident egotists.

I feel we have made everyone “too nice” to each other.  The best of our players should expecting and therefore raising the game of the others and they do this by immediate feedback which can be very beneficial to the team.  Of course, if a crap player does it then it’s not good, but if Kane and Bellingham showed their belligerence every so often , and if Foden and some others was a bit more selfish more often then I think it makes us a better team.

I have never managed a Croydon Sunday team, so I know what I’m talking about

Lestratcaster

I've been a long time admirer of Ronaldo for ages, but recently his attitude and the way he left Man Utd last year (or the year before) has really disappointed me. His throwing-his-arms-up-in-the-air movements just cos you didn't pass him the ball and general body language isn't something you associate with a player who's had a fantastic career, I forget sometimes he played at Euro 2004 and has made 6 major tournaments I think. I'm definitely team Messi now after he won the world cup.

Good luck to Scotland tonight vs the Swiss, as far as England are concerned Southgate must play either one of Foden or Bellingham, not both as it didn't work on Sunday, I'd drop Foden but just a question of who comes in instead.

RaymondLin

Ronaldo’s confidence has turned into arrogance and now firmly into the egotistical realm.  He is not the same player he was at United or even Madrid.  He think of himself highly because of his record but his record can’t put goals in the net.  He still have to do it and there have been a couple of chances last night where the old Ronaldo would have put it away or taken a defender on.  Most of the time now he wiggles his foot in the air, the crowd goes Ooooooooo and then he passes it backwards.

Shrews

With regards to England and the now Foden/Bellingham issue.

Foden progressed last year to become the Prem's best player. That's a fair old accolade and Southgate would be mad to drop a player of that calibre.

It's just one game and IMO it's worth trying to grow the partnership over the next two to see if it improves. They're obviously both very capable and also both very capable of adapting their club game a little.

Get it right and we have a great chance but taking out potentially our best player (and yes that includes being better than Bellingham) seems like it won't get us the win we desperately want.

We have got to give it at least a few matches to develop IMO. 

Shrews

Another fabulous game of football. Really great championships so far

guitars4you

Shrews said:

With regards to England and the now Foden/Bellingham issue.

Foden progressed last year to become the Prem's best player. That's a fair old accolade and Southgate would be mad to drop a player of that calibre.

It's just one game and IMO it's worth trying to grow the partnership over the next two to see if it improves. They're obviously both very capable and also both very capable of adapting their club game a little.

Get it right and we have a great chance but taking out potentially our best player (and yes that includes being better than Bellingham) seems like it won't get us the win we desperately want.

We have got to give it at least a few matches to develop IMO. 

IMO they need to adjust the line up - still 4-2-3-1

Bellingham + Rice in the midfield 2 role

Saka. Foden. Gordon across the pitch in the 3 role

Kane as the striker

Bellingham is a box to box player and can come from deeper as required and I think he will find more space to stroll into - He can still come into the box late, a super his goal the other night - Very much in the mould of Charlton, Gerrard, Matthias - Rice to be disciplined in that role and stay and protect the back 4 and mop up as he does so well - Think you'll find next season at R Madrid that Bellingham will be in a deep midfield role, although they play 3 across the middle - But with V Jnr, Mbappe and Rodyrgo upfront, he will be sitting deeper and coming thru' as required 

Saka + Gordon wide and that gives Foden the free #10 role to link up with Saka/Gordon/Kane and Bellingham as required - He is not a LW player in the true mode

scrumhalf

I'd love to have seen the immaculately groomed Ronaldo at the Baseball Ground in the 70s in the rain. 

Shrews

scrumhalf said:

I'd love to have seen the immaculately groomed Ronaldo at the Baseball Ground in the 70s in the rain. 

Make no mistake, Ronaldo is a hard as they come and has proven he can play great football in all sorts of weather. Likely he would've been a revelation on the '70's Baseball Ground pitch in the rain. Fitter, stronger, more determined than the half-time whisky and fag types of the period. 

guitars4you

Shrews said:

scrumhalf said:

I'd love to have seen the immaculately groomed Ronaldo at the Baseball Ground in the 70s in the rain. 

Make no mistake, Ronaldo is a hard as they come and has proven he can play great football in all sorts of weather. Likely he would've been a revelation on the '70's Baseball Ground pitch in the rain. Fitter, stronger, more determined than the half-time whisky and fag types of the period. 

But brute force and ignorance was legal then with regards to tackling - Every team had a Norman Bites Yer Legs - Ball was heavier as was the pitch - Red Rum would have struggled on some of those pitches 

Shrews

guitars4you said:

Shrews said:

With regards to England and the now Foden/Bellingham issue.

Foden progressed last year to become the Prem's best player. That's a fair old accolade and Southgate would be mad to drop a player of that calibre.

It's just one game and IMO it's worth trying to grow the partnership over the next two to see if it improves. They're obviously both very capable and also both very capable of adapting their club game a little.

Get it right and we have a great chance but taking out potentially our best player (and yes that includes being better than Bellingham) seems like it won't get us the win we desperately want.

We have got to give it at least a few matches to develop IMO. 

IMO they need to adjust the line up - still 4-2-3-1

Bellingham + Rice in the midfield 2 role

Saka. Foden. Gordon across the pitch in the 3 role

Kane as the striker

Bellingham is a box to box player and can come from deeper as required and I think he will find more space to stroll into - He can still come into the box late, a super his goal the other night - Very much in the mould of Charlton, Gerrard, Matthias - Rice to be disciplined in that role and stay and protect the back 4 and mop up as he does so well - Think you'll find next season at R Madrid that Bellingham will be in a deep midfield role, although they play 3 across the middle - But with V Jnr, Mbappe and Rodyrgo upfront, he will be sitting deeper and coming thru' as required 

Saka + Gordon wide and that gives Foden the free #10 role to link up with Saka/Gordon/Kane and Bellingham as required - He is not a LW player in the true mode

Yes, I think that could work. Might even challenge Bellingham to be better than he's already shown.

Tournament winners tend to have a great player or two playing out of their skin and raising the standards of all the others. It's putting a lot on his young shoulders, but if he wants to win on the international stage then stepping up to the greatness plate needs to be in his mind. And personally I think he's capable. 

guitars4you

Shrews said:

Germany 2 Hungary 0

Ball camped in the Hungary half 0-0 HT Germany score on 70 mins, Hungary have to attack but concede again late on

Croatia 1 Albania 1

Albania fail to control Modric who scores but play well nevertheless

Switzerland 4 Scotland 0

Oh dear. 

Well you got the draw right for the Croatia game - Poor defending for the 2-2 last minute equaliser, on the edge of the 6 yard box

scrumhalf

Shrews said:

scrumhalf said:

I'd love to have seen the immaculately groomed Ronaldo at the Baseball Ground in the 70s in the rain. 

Make no mistake, Ronaldo is a hard as they come and has proven he can play great football in all sorts of weather. Likely he would've been a revelation on the '70's Baseball Ground pitch in the rain. Fitter, stronger, more determined than the half-time whisky and fag types of the period. 

Maybe so, but that immaculate appearance would have taken a battering on a pitch that was largely composed of mud, sand and standing water after August bank holiday.

guitars4you

Surely a foul on the Hungarian defender - He wouldn’t have fallen over without that nudge from Gundogan

Shrews

guitars4you said:

Surely a foul on the Hungarian defender - He wouldn’t have fallen over without that nudge from Gundogan

Yes, foul and checked as well. I can only assume it was a German with a sight impairment doing the checking. 

I am watching it on Belarus TV and don't understand a word they're saying but as they've played the clip about 10 times now I assume they feel the same.