Erm it was a joke
Internationals March (Euro Qualifiers)
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
perhaps if you’re Irish..
This is the most stacked squad England have had for a long while and probably will for the next 30+ years, it's just a shame it's with Southgate. A better manager wins the Euros final and/or makes the right subs in the France WC game. Nice guy and all but a terrible in game coach.
Egg on your face
I love Argentina's friendly plan - just absolute whipping boys and the only reason can be so Messi can absolutely haul. I mean is the Curacao one going to actually count as a legit friendly? Come on.
These two are just getting silly taking games like this so seriously.
These two are just getting silly taking games like this so seriously.
What?
Jokes on you
Great start to the qualifiers for Bosnia. 3-0 win vs Iceland without Džeko, bunch of younger players coming in and looking very good. Great to see. Amar Dedić for sure will get a big move at some point, developing nicely at Salzburg but he's built for the prem and a big club at that the way he can play. Ahmedhodzic will be getting promoted with Sheffield too so that will be good for him. Tahirovic, I can see why Mourinho likes him. Only 20 but plays in a very mature way in midfield. Very composed.
Biggest worry for us going forward is the lack of talent in attack and lack of wingers. Dzeko was on the bench today and we did well despite that, but he's still our only reliable goalscorer. Demirović is decent but nothing more, basically just playing with hard workers up top with average pace. Will lead to games that just don't go well when you don't have cutting edge. Only pace comes from the wing backs, which won't always work. Anyway, great start and hope we keep it up vs Slovakia.
Biggest worry for us going forward is the lack of talent in attack and lack of wingers. Dzeko was on the bench today and we did well despite that, but he's still our only reliable goalscorer. Demirović is decent but nothing more, basically just playing with hard workers up top with average pace. Will lead to games that just don't go well when you don't have cutting edge. Only pace comes from the wing backs, which won't always work. Anyway, great start and hope we keep it up vs Slovakia.
Not really, our midfield is really defensive.
Nah, it was ball to hand, arguably still a penalty , but you make it sound like ye were stitched up by the ref where really ye just stopped playing at half time. That was the biggest factor in making it a game but you have a pop at the ref and the opposition. Winning with bad grace is not a good look.
Good result in the end. Never an easy game against the Italians no matter how poor they seem to be.
The ref lost control of the game and the yellow cards for time wasting, especially Shaw, were evidence he was caving in to the crowd.
England deserved the win throughly.
That's a very impressive result for England
It's oversaturated with matches (Euros, Friendlies, Nations League, WC) and there are more minnow teams who allow for stat padding for at least half the teams. Too much of anything is typically not a good thing.
Ball to hand doesn't mean anything - if a defender stood in the goal with their arms wide open, and the ball hits their hand rather than going in, that would be "ball to hand", and it doesn't prevent it from being a handball.
In this case the defenders outstretched arm caused the ball to not hit Harry Kane in the chest, which could have set him up for a shot within the 6 yard box. Given the current rules, it's unquestionably a penalty.
You're right about England basically not turning up for the second half, but England fans have every right to have a pop at the ref and the opposition. The yellows in the second half for Shaw and Walker for "timewasting" were nonsense, neither player had time to get set before they were booked, and the Italian team were embarrassing with the ridiculous playacting and everyone constantly waving cards.
nah @DomesticTadpole and I both noted he was not very good.
I was expecting more than an accurate corner if I’m honest and him being ‘heavily involved’ in someone missing a sitter.
No agenda here. Just a working set of eyes.
Totally, should have won by more.
We never ever beat Italy.
I know this is a weak Italy but to go there and beat them is very good.
I know this is a weak Italy but to go there and beat them is very good.
Yep, I never said it wasn't a penalty.
The ref was talking to England players from the middle of the first half about slowing the game, I'm all for yellows to back this up.
Beating any of the traditional powerhouses at home is always a good result.
Yeah definitely.
We’ve never traditionally played for time until Southgate started to use it. Trying to play the Italians at their own game on home soil is ludicrous, fortunately we just about got away with it but it’s unnecessary ugly football.
Rasmus Højlund hat trick for Denmark against Finland in what I believe was his first start for the national team
Exciting potential in him
Exciting potential in him
Only cos that's how Gareth sets it up. Rice, Bellingham, and Mount/Foden/Maddison has much more about it.
I actually thought Dion talked a lot of sense tonight.
I think that was just a 0-0 draw.
They missed a player like him at the WC… Could have been a different story for them.
Yes it was 0-0 and played at the Stadio Olympico back in 97. I remember Ian Wright rattling the crossbar with an absolute screamer from about 40yards out.
No.
Nah, not thoroughly. Couldn’t complain if they ended up with a draw after the way they spectacularly shat the bed in the second half. Which happened long before the red card.
If you remember that then you're fecking old because it was in 1961
Pickford didn’t have a save to make. Even with 10 men.
So? Italy totally dominated that half from start to finish. Didn’t get the break of the ball but could easily have nicked a goal. And wouldn’t have been undeserved.
So? it was comfortable in the end for England despite 10 men.
Not sure where you’re going with this.
Shaw was stupid, we already had 2 players booked for time wasting and if you take off rose tinted glasses that's exactly what they were doing, the referee was pretty generous with time added on, that probably should have ben 9-10 mins not 5
It wasn’t comfortable. England were dominated by a not very good Italy side for the whole of the second half. That’s my point. It’s basic enough. Feels like I’ve repeated it way more than I should have.
Wasn't that the Terry Butcher bloody one?
Except they won so it was more of a potential shart which turned out to be a referees fart misallocated.
I wait to see the new application on time wasting rigorously applied across the board.
not.
Feck off the Italians and Mancini waving their arms around and imaginary cards, embarrassing stuff. No idea why people are querying the penalty, clear handball. As ever however, in game management from Southgate was poor. Stick Bellingham and Rice and one of Foden or Maddison and England would have won by a margin.
Wouldn't say comfortable but TBH Italy didn't really look like they were going to score