We didn’t really sort ourselves out in the final third in that half. A bit too wasteful but still it was a dominant positive display. Best display of the campaign.
I only saw the last 30 mins or so,but it looked like a training ground attack vs defence for most of it.
Can't remember who told me Barnes was better than Grealish but tonight was another proof that he's behind by some distance. Not that he was awful, but clearly not as gifted on the ball. I like wan bissaka, he's a bit different to the other options we have at senior level but there's something about him.
These last too games have been our best by far under Boothroyd in terms of controlling the game and letting the players create at will.
fantastic strike from Dowell for the #EngU21 pic.twitter.com/OuI0MYaQ8h— 𝐓𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐄 𝐓𝐕 (@ToffeeTVEFC) October 16, 2018
I thought he had a decent game. He’s not a player that gets talked about much but I like his composure on the ball.
Saw quite a bit of him on loan at my club. Got this 'lazy' elegance about him which some fans might not think to well of but there is no denying his talent. Just needs a manager to trust him and believe in him and he comes to gold in the attacking third.
Qualified: 🇮🇹 (hosts), 🇩🇪 (holders), 🇧🇪, 🇭🇷, 🇩🇰, 🏴, 🇫🇷, 🇷🇴, 🇷🇸, 🇪🇸Play-offs (draw Friday): 🇦🇹, 🇬🇷, 🇵🇱, 🇵🇹How the #U21EURO qualifying groups ended👇https://t.co/3p50AFJYVQ— UEFA U21 EURO (@UEFAUnder21) October 16, 2018
Dowell is really talented, lovely left foot. Just will probably get squeezed out by even more talented players. Likely to be competing with Lookman, Sancho, Mount, Maddison, Solanke, Nelson, Sessegnon, Foden, Barnes, Gray + Nketiah for a spot in the squad.
You’re probably right. It’s a shame he doesn’t favour a deeper position. His calmness on the ball and ability to slow the game down, could work really well in a Carrick type role. He’d obviously have to alter his game and add more defensive nous. Reckon it’s possible?
Don't think his passing is consistent enough besides the defensive side of the game. Definitely an attacker in the 3.
Well I felt the same way about him with Roberts and Ojo in his same position and look what's happened.
May I be the one to suggest that, contrary to the prevailing view on here, Aidy Boothroyd actually isn't doing a half bad job at this under-21 gig? I mean we're not exactly overachieving but we're not underachieving either. Give credit where credit is due, just so long as he's not being groomed as Southgate's successor I'm happy with him continuing in the role the way things have gone overall during his tenure.
Disagree. With the talent we have we should've been racking in goals against everyone, but Holland really while we struggled many times to create and finish out games. That's because Aidy set us up to defend and allow pressure, which we never had to do.
No I try and catch as many games as possible on tv or on a stream. Granted we don't play with the flair of Steve Cooper's squads at this level but we always look to have games under pretty good control and to be a well organised unit; the players knit together well and seem to know what their job is. Granted things could be more dynamic but I think we'd be a difficult team for any nation to beat. Maybe expectations are just excessive after recent successes at youth level.
The recent run of... Andorra - Ukraine - Romania - China - Mexico - Qatar - Scotland - Mexico - Ukraine - Netherlands - Latvia, was honestly the worst stretch i've seen from our U21 side in years, possibly ever when taking the low level of opposition into account. We were pretty open and fortunate to beat Romania + Ukraine at home. We only just scraped by Andorra away. Toulon was a whole month of the side playing below their standards with some bizarre set ups.