England - Nation's League.

[Workingman]

Not going too well, is it?

Starved by Hungary (pun), very lucky penalty v Germany.

We do have some very good players, we just do not seem to know how or where to play them.

Grealish is the male Lucy Bronze. Dribble, dribble, run, run, dribble - nothing. Stirling the same. Saka is getting there as well.

What is the system, and can we change mid game? 3-5-2, 5-2-3, 4-3-3? What is Kane doing in the centre circle - he should be in the box?

I am not against Southgate but you do have to wonder how Walker, TAA, Mount, get in the squad never mind the team.

[cromwell]

Lots of people are saying that about Kane WM.
He's a good finisher and he's not going to finish anything when he's 40yds from the goal.
I can see how the team might be tired but players who are top class for their clubs look really ordinary for the national team.

[JanB]

The standard of refereeing in the whole tournament has been dire. No consistency from the referees in any game we've watched. Almost make your mind up who you like and let them get away with everything.

Just watching the Portugal game and the ref gave a penalty, for a ball to hand, then took it away.

But the lad who got a yellow for "handball" still has a yellow.

If the penalty hasn't been given, no yellow card?

We have an assistant assistant video ref. Why not get two more back on the pitch, like it used t o be?

[Workingman]

I saw the England line up and knew it would be bad, but as a masochist I had to watch. I wasn't disappointed.

I was in Germany for most of the 1970s so watched a lot of German football. The spine of the side, seven or eight of them, and their positions and the system were known. They always played the spine then rotated the three or four possibles and probables in friendlies. Only a very few wild cards were ever considered, and then only for the squad unless they proved good enough for the spine. It was known as building a team, and it worked.

Southgate's pick 'n mix selections, along with his sideways crab football isn't the way.

[cruiser2]

I am not a football fanatic.
But I cannot understand why the ball is passed back to the goalkeeper who usually only pushes it a few yards forward.
I know possesion seems to be the priority, but surely getting the ball into the openents penalty area gives a better chance of scoring than
taping it back to your own goalkeeper

[miasmum]

How many of our 'top' premier league teams are made up predominately of players that wouldn't qualify for their national team? Thats why the likes of the ones you mention get chosen, Hobsons choice.

They need to find some keen and hungry ones down the lower leagues

[JanB]

Well, the French ref has certainly exceeded expectations.

You get a yellow card when some-one runs into the back of you and falls over.

Who on earth decides that French ref is on for an English match and a Spanish ref is on for a Portuguese side?

They hate each other.

Bonkers.

[cromwell]

True Jan.
Well that could have gone better. Losing 4-0 at home to Hungary is a bit of a shocker.
I know the nation's league is a Tupperware competition dreamt up by UEFA for tv money but even so.
We looked tired and careless, they looked organised.
What I would say is that their counter attacking was slick and their finishing was good.

[Workingman]

We were three nil down when Stones was sent off for a non-foul, so what does Southgate do? He takes off an attacker and brings on Maguire? That says a lot about his tactical nous.

Tired? There were 253 days between the start and end of the season. Most players will have played no more than 50 games - or parts of - one every five days. During an average game a player covers 10.4km (6.5) miles - 7km (4miles) - some running, jogging, walking or ambling. The average is slower than walking pace. Many people do that every day, then put a shift in.

The excuses are getting a bit thin. See C4 pundits for details.

[cromwell]

I felt a bit sorry for Maguire. Running on the field to play for your country and getting booed. Putting him on for an attacker smacked of an attempt to prevent things getting even worse rather than having a go.
We were shocking though. Four games and one goal, and that was a penalty.