Just watching the Sweden team applauding their fans and walking off the pitch. Can actually see quite a few fans clapping them off too. Massive difference in mentality compared to say our fans who would be giving them hell!
The Nations League results mean they have a very good chance of the playoffs so will he use that as a reason to stay till then.
The average England fan is completely irrational which often creates an unnecessarily toxic atmosphere but this is worse imo. If a team isn't held to proper standards and isn't harshly criticised when it deserves to be, it creates a culture of accepting low standards. You avoid the toxicity but players just get way, way too comfortable. There's undoubtedly a healthy midpoint between that and what we have with England but Sweden's end of the scale is definitely worse imo.
Northern Ireland will be annoyed by that game. Let in a soft set piece to lose a tight game. Seemed like it was the type of game they desired but they couldn’t get anything out of it.
England haven’t lost a World Cup qualifier since 2009, Sweden have lost 2 in 4 days, the level of expectation, performance and mentality is just massively different between the two nations.
With the fixtures left they could still conceivably finish second in the group as well. But they collapse this qualifying round is quite remarkable given some of the talent in that team.
Oh yeah definitely but there was a real level of hope with this current crop that they would at least get to the World Cup, still might but I doubt it. JDT getting a bit of a rough ride with Swedish studio guests in post match interview.
Getting a play off places guaranteed through a nations league is unfair. If a team is shit in qualifying that should be it
7% less than when they beat us in 2016! though they managed to muster up 5 shots on target for their two goals back then.
Has been so for a while, neither Theate nor Debast would have gotten near the Belgian NT squad never mind the first eleven for arguably all of the 2012-2020 period. Probably longer than that. Even guys most people outside Belgium have probably long forgotten like Nicolas Lombaerts, were so much better CB options. And Lombaerts was like the third tier for a lot of the time when he was on the squad. We have decent fullback options coming up, but unless Koni Dewinter makes the leap, no clear good prospects at CB.
I think we have decent young prospects at fullback, in midfield, wingers. Less so at CF and absolutely none at CB. Also lots of good young goalkeepers.
You have good quality in other areas but centreback is a million miles from vamealon vehrtongen kompany and aulidiweireld. Excuse the spelling
Looking at the current Nations League group winner rankings, if they don’t finish second there’s a high probability that they will be one of the four wildcards from that ranking that qualify for the playoff round.
I would also add that I think that the hostile, “turn on the team” style receptions only happen during genuine horror shows. Algeria in 2010, Iceland, losing 4-0 at home to Hungary are genuinely appalling results and performances where the fans are fully within their rights to let the players know what they think. I don’t think anybody responds that way when we come up short against the good teams in major tournaments, if anything I think we’re not critical enough. There was a real “it’s the taking part that counts” style response after we lost to Italy despite it being an absolutely golden opportunity. Not saying we should’ve booed the players and team off the pitch, but do think there should’ve been more disappointment expressed and criticism in the wake of that than there was.
Graham Potter might replace him. Graham Potter has said he is “open” to managing the Sweden national team and that he “has feelings” for the country.“I’m open to anything where I feel I can help,” he said in an interview with Swedish outlet Fotbollskanalen. “The job as (manager) for the Swedish national team… pic.twitter.com/ngBy67uio3— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) October 14, 2025
South Africa have become the 23rd team to Qualify for the World Cup. Nigeria are into the CAF play off’s. (With Cameroon and two more to decided this evening)
Saudi Arabia also qualified for the World Cup this evening. Iraq will play the UAE for a spot in the inter confederation playoffs.
Senegal and Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) are the last two automatic African qualifiers. Gabon, Cameroon. DR Congo and Nigeria will enter the playoffs for a single sport and inter confederation playoffs.
Yeah the Italy one was weird. I guess our first major final since 1966 was always going to produce a positive reaction regardless but I do think there were pockets of very intense criticism. I think people have probably become more critical of that one over time too.