Round of 16 | England vs Slovakia | Spain vs Georgia

Nearly 20 years from England’s ‘Golden Generation’ and somehow we haven’t learnt that playing your best players with no system doesn’t work.
 
Goos news for England is Jude looks much better today

I'd keep this shape but get Foden out for Palmer and TAA in for Saka. The latter stops the ball too much and you need a right footed player there given you already have the problem of Trippier on the other side

Might actually be a good idea to take off Trippier for Gordon actually

Saka to LB, Trippier off. Palmer to the right.
Gordon for Foden on the left.
 
England can’t pass between the line so many times mainoo asking for it and the go back. Ffs
Players don’t back their ability to hit short passes into him, thus rendering what he offers redundant.

No balls and no mental fortitude.
 
Foden is clearly not our problem, Kane and Bellingham are absolutely useless.

I don't think he's necessarily getting into the game either. In his current position, he's not our solution. He's not adding enough to the play, and the players around him aren't helping either. It's just not working and we have to do something different.

Kane moves like a 70 year old.

He's painfully slow. Slovakia are having such an easy time containing him. They probably can't believe their luck with how easy they've had it.
 
Let’s face it, the writing was on the wall when Southgate took a bunch of midfielders to the tournament and then decided to play a defender in midfield. Fecking shambles from day one, if we get through here it will only be because Slovakia scored too soon and run out of steam.
 
Walker is playing like he’s channeling Joe Biden in debate mode.
 
never thought id say it, thank feck we’ve decided to keep ETH because Southgate is gonna be in the market soon
 
Kobbie has been playing with such a low intensity so far, is it nerves? Very poor look imo, at least Rice and Jude are getting on the ball and making runs.

Agree. I noticed this in the previous game too. The media will waste no time in labelling him lazy for his lackadaisical style.

I’m not saying he needs to be a Robbie Savage type headless chicken, but he needs to step his intensity up, make an effort to make himself available, make runs etc even if it’s for optics.
 
Even if England pull it back they been utterly unconvincing at this tournament. I would prefer to lose now than somehow scrape it to a final or semi and lose to a proper team.
 
That ball by Foden was the right option. A better ball and we're in behind them. That's what we need to be doing.
 
It really does. It is absolutely fascinating. The sheer refusal by a whole country to learn anything from their mistakes is so funny.
Absolute bollox. Basically every England fan wanted Southgate out and acknowledged that any success would be in spite of him, not because of him. Which says it all - the squad is teeming with quality but is hamstrung by an inept manager. That's been the prevailing consensus to anyone with functioning eyes, ears and a brain.
 
England’s front three have been horrifically bad. Foden and Kane putting in 1/10 displays