As much as I generally supported Southgate’s mentality of having the team peak and go through the gears once we got to tournaments, it really is a travesty that we have ended up playing at this level of the Nations League, whilst every other major nation is still in the top tier. It also leaves us at a disadvantage because they are playing against each other (France Italy last night) and gaining valuable experience whilst we are playing against garbage and are not developing anything from it. I agree that we look like a much more well oiled unit with the ball, but this Ireland side is dreadful. It would genuinely be tougher for our players to play against each other in training.
Very enjoyable half of football that, love the freedom the players seem to have and the Irish don’t know who to pick up. The movement off the ball is night and day compared to what we saw at the Euros.
Did you not see Denmark, Serbia and Slovenia? Thry aren’t too much better and we couldn’t create a chance.
There are aspects of this game that our players are making look much easier than they actually are. Particularly some of the balls our defenders are dealing with.
You have to laugh at Rice ruefully dismantling Ireland. An apologetic strike into the top corner here, a grimly necessary one-two in their penalty area there. The saddest Judas. Good performance though. I'm not going to get too carried away with us doing this to what - with all due respect - is not a top side, but it has to help Carsley's chances if he can avoid any early hiccups.
Respectfully, I disagree, particularly Denmark. They are not world beaters but they’ve got a decent recent pedigree for a nation of their size. They’ve been at the last three tournaments, reached the knockouts in two, getting to a semifinal without one of their best players in one of them. They’ve given some of the favourites stern tests in that time as well, aside from us, they also gave France a good game in 2022 and were slightly unlucky against Germany this year. Ireland on the other hand, have done absolutely nothing of any note for years now.
It’s the sheer amount of time and space we have on the ball. Difficult to tell whether it’s down to Ireland giving us far too much respect and being poorly set up and/or limited, or whether it’s down to improved movement off the ball
Another Matterface classic. Ireland were "serial qualifiers" in the 80s and 90s. That would be 1988, 1990, 1994, and that's it.
He gets respectable numbers for Newcastle so I think he generally can finish, but yeah - certainly he should have been putting his chance away in the move that led to Rice's goal.
New-look England? They've scored more than once in the first half of a match for the first time in their last 16 games. pic.twitter.com/TPhU8K0hbp— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) September 7, 2024
Kane has been absolutely horrific. He kills all our attacks. Him and Trent have killed so much momentum. Trent poor passing. Kane is physically unable to keep up and Saka constantly cutting inside.