Its also got a lot to do with opponents will figure you out as the season progresses. Football is now at the stage where video analysis is at an industrial scale. After enough footage/data is available, opponents can track players and break down weaknesses in their game. Once this tipping point happens, the exposure starts to become more of a pattern than just a one-off. Pep gets away with playing people out of position at Barca/Bayern/City because his teams always have the highest possession stats in the League and the most expensive squads. Also in League format getting exposed one in every X amount of games never carries the same risk. Unlike (knockout) tournament football where one key moment often swings the trajectory of whether a team stays in the competition or books the next flight home.. Almost like this seasons first big test in the Champions League (knockout stages). That first Valverde goal at the Bernabeu, Cortois hoofs it over the top with Valverde knowing if O'Reilly switches off and he gets goalside of him, O'Reilly doesn't have the pace to recover. The entire sequence for that goal was pre-planned in the team tactics before the game. This is why I think its unnecessary and reckless to play midfielders in a back four in tournament football. Well organised teams dont have to constantly force it for 90mins. They'll be patient, recognise cues and triggers, they'll set traps that you wont even notice are there (until its too late).
Some crying about this on Twitter but I can't see anything too egregious 2039628451615768907 is not a valid tweet id
Kane trained on the exercise bike today rather than with the rest of Bayern team according to German media.
Yeah, fans get really confident in their opinions about these things but ranking national teams pre-tournament is hard. It's extremely unpredictable and some teams will just show up while others won't. I am curious as to why they think the Dutch will be such a force though. I can't claim to have watched them once since 2024, but at least on paper they look desperately short of difference makers up top to me. I also think the fact their best tournament in a decade still saw them lose to a completely out of sorts England side shows they're a bit short of the elite teams. Having them eight places above Belgium makes little sense to me. I think that'd be an extremely even game.
That and the Japan ranking were the two that did catch my eye. Japan gave a strong Belgium team a real tough time in 2018 and took the eventual 3rd placed team Croatia to penalties in 2022. They're a super-organised team with really high work ethic and will be a tough game for any top nation. Having them below Senegal, Ecuador, Mexico and Ivory Coast seems a little eccentric.
The Dutch in the last 10-15yrs have consistently outperformed most countries at World Cups. They're quite resourceful in spite of not having the superstars they had in the 70s/80s. I wont be that surprised if they reach the last 8 or last 4.
Croatia are the modern day equivalent of what Italy used to be in the World Cup. They're tournament animals who are psychologically perfect for knockout football
They failed to qualify in 2018 and were just decent in 2022. The last time they had a properly impressive World Cup was back in 2014 when they did still have superstars in Arjen Robben and Van Persie. I'm not saying they're a bad team, I think they're probably a QF side. They've got a good defence and some good midfielders and they've got the means to beat a top team in a one-off game. I just don't think they're more likely to do that than a few of the teams ranked below them.
Im not even sure if that’s a realistic ranking for us to be honest as I think Portugal are ahead of us and maybe Germany too. In fact think there’s a number of other teams that could beat us on current form like Columbia. I’m not even including the friendlies we have just played but I’m just not very confident at all at the moment. I have to see an uptick in form for a lot of our players for me to feel more confident which at the moment I’m not.
Germany at the moment are all attack, no defense. I know they almost made it to the final but I´d reckon a lot of that was due to home advantage and Kroos in his absolute prime who couldn´t be adequately replaced yet. I think they´d go out against Japan if they were to play against them, probably also a side like Morocco. Even against this current Mexico side which isn´t their strongest I´d expect a fierce battle that could go either way considering their fanatic home support and the climate.
I would put us 5th or 6th currently behind France Spain Argentina then its a very close call between England Germany Portugal Brazil
Can't really argue with much of that. I have no faith in this team going far right now. Too many players out of form. Over reliant on kane being fit. Bellingham not having played much. Our midfield when all available Bellingham rice and Anderson will be one of the best at the tournament but they've hardly played together. Tuchel’s tactics. I think konsa and Guehi will be a strong partnership. But too many players playing for themselves
Argentina is a team that on paper, doesn’t seem that strong to me but obviously they just have this big tournament vibe and connection between the players. I mean obviously they have good players like the forever young Messi, supported by Alvarez who I think it very vital for them but just can’t get past looking at the defence. Still picking a 38 year old Otamendi and a 33 year old left back along with an out of sorts liability in Romero. I dunno but out of all the top teams I think I would fancy our chances against them more than I would many others for some reason, maybe it suits us better stylistically but not sure.
Not sure how South Korea were put above Japan. Brazil beat South Korea 5-0 in October only to lose 3-2 to Japan. South Korea seem to be on a downturn.
Agree. On paper we have a stronger squad but their coach is first class and they have continuity, players playing alongside each other over a number of years whilst tuchel Is chopping and changing. I think we would be in a much better place right now if players and clubs didn't keep pulling out the England squad. Other countries' clubs help their national teams, in England the epl seems hell bent on doing everything to hinder the national team. too many selfish clubs
Ivory Coast beat them 4-0 last weekend as well. They did a bit better against Austria only losing 1-0 but their not in form.
You’re basing ‘current form’ on two friendlies played with a strangely large squad that had loads of fringe options in it. We played two completely different sides and most of our core best players didn’t even feature. People were lauding Tuchel before this break but now the world is ending. Personally I don’t think we’ll have a great tournament because the draw and conditions are as bad as it could get for us. That said there’s about eight teams that could win it and we’re one of them but we’ll need a lot of things to fall into place. I might sound annoying by this point but I really think we need to take Dowman as he’s the wild card that could change everything.
No, sorry I meant I’m excluding the recent friendly results, I’m just basing on the current form of our players in general from Premier League games etc. Other than Kane, Anderson and Rice, I’m not sure there is that many that are currently on top of their game. It can change of course, there’s still plenty of time but currently I’m not that confident if it continues. I’m not knocking Tuchel fwiw he has what he has to work with even if I don’t agree with some picks like Henderson and Burn but we will see what happens. I really hope I’m wrong but for some reason I’m not overly confident.
Dowman would have changed the outcome of both friendly games, there's no doubt in my mind that he's ready to go and will have another say in the title race.
Bayern are hoping Kane will be back for Tuesday but he won’t play tomorrow. Meanwhile Calvert-Lewin is a doubt for Leeds on Sunday due to a hamstring problem,
Athletic writers preferred starting line up. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/71...orld-cup-starting-xi-debate/?source=twitteruk Dan Sheldon - Pickford, James, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly, Anderson, Rice, Saka, Bellingham, Rogers, Kane Dan Kilpatrick - Pickford, James, Stones, Guehi, Hall, Anderson, Rice, Saka, Bellingham, Gordon, Kane Nick Miller - Pickford, James, Maguire, Guehi, Hall, Rice, Anderson. Saka, Bellingham, Rashford, Kane Steve Madeley - Pickford, James, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly, Anderson, Rice, Saka, Bellingham, Rashford, Kane Seb Stafford-Bloor - Pickford, James, Maguire, Guehi, O’Reilly, Rice, Rogers, Wharton, Saka, Kane, Rashford. Jordan Halford - Pickford, James, Stones, Guehi, O’Reilly, Anderson, Rice, Saka, Bellingham, Gordon, Kane