England v Colombia

[BigLadonOS]

Both Sterling and Alli are being played on the basis of what they might do which works in league football but dodgy on knockouts.

It's not as though we don't have suitable replacements, we do have them.

As for Alli playing out of position, well where's the sense in that? Sometimes you have to do it when other players are injured but that's not the case here.

Dele Alli seems to be a manager's favourite playing in a mates team.

Alli is not playing out of position he is just taking up a deeper role which is also natural to him. He is more stable in that role than Dyer is and thats the only reason he is playing there.

It's actually a good strategy if you think about it as it gives Southgate more room to maneuver with the formation and make seamless changes to the team.

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

Alli is not playing out of position he is just taking up a deeper role which is also natural to him. He is more stable in that role than Dyer is and thats the only reason he is playing there.

It's actually a good strategy if you think about it as it gives Southgate more room to maneuver with the formation and make seamless changes to the team.

So for both Sterling and Alli we keep picking them on the promise of a decent performance ?

Seems a good way to get knocked out of the tournament

[caytonmiller]

I find it strange how welbeck doesn't get more game time...
I realise he's a bit Marmite though goals win games

Kane England stats
Started 22, 5 sub.. Scored 19. Min per goal 104 min.,.

Welbeck England stats
Starts 25. 15 sub. Goals 16
Min per goal 141 min..

Sterling England stats
Starts 33 starts. 8 sub.
Goals 2 min per goal 1348 min

Vardy England stats
Starts 13. Sub 12. Goals 7. Min per goal 187

[BigLadonOS]

So for both Sterling and Alli we keep picking them on the promise of a decent performance ?

Seems a good way to get knocked out of the tournament

Alli is playing well in the role he has at the mo so I don't see where people are coming from saying he is playing badly as he is just playing a different role to normal. Sterling on the other hand I agree with you and I would much rather have Rashford playing that role because it makes more sense than having Sterling playing there. 1 substitution can take the place of 2 by moving Rashford to the left and pushing Alli up and bringing Dyer on but with Sterling that is a poor option because he just runs in to nowhere doing nothing other than giving the ball away.

If Sterling reproduces the form he has shown with City he is some player and a game winner but he has not shown it yet in an England shirt so far. Hopefully things might change on Saturday because that is the type of game a player with the skills of Sterling should be relishing.

[Ronners]

I would have taken alli off at half time as I thought he had done nothing and he didn't look fit. Ironically, at the time we took him off , I thought he was getting into some really good areas and looked dangerous so was surprised he was pulled, but maybe he was injured in some way?
Out of all our players, lingard is for me, the one who gets into some great area's, but then his first touch seems to let him down, but if he can work on that area then both Man Utd and England could have a he'll of a player.
I thought Harry Maguire was absolutely immense against Colombia and will eventually play for a top 4 team in premier league, maybe even next season.
As for the referee, other than not sending off the guy for the headbutt on henderson, I (as an ex referee) thought he handled it as well as he could and with commonsense, and even with the headbutt, he must have been told that it was only a yellow card or surely he himself would have deemed it red.
Anyone who has ever refereed at any level (I think grist has?) Will tell you how difficult a job it is at any level of football, and I really did think this guy did a decent job, but just my opinion.
Anyway the result was right and we move on so bring on Sweden.

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

I would have taken alli off at half time as I thought he had done nothing and he didn't look fit. Ironically, at the time we took him off , I thought he was getting into some really good areas and looked dangerous so was surprised he was pulled, but maybe he was injured in some way?
Out of all our players, lingard is for me, the one who gets into some great area's, but then his first touch seems to let him down, but if he can work on that area then both Man Utd and England could have a he'll of a player.
I thought Harry Maguire was absolutely immense against Colombia and will eventually play for a top 4 team in premier league, maybe even next season.
As for the referee, other than not sending off the guy for the headbutt on henderson, I (as an ex referee) thought he handled it as well as he could and with commonsense, and even with the headbutt, he must have been told that it was only a yellow card or surely he himself would have deemed it red.
Anyone who has ever refereed at any level (I think grist has?) Will tell you how difficult a job it is at any level of football, and I really did think this guy did a decent job, but just my opinion.
Anyway the result was right and we move on so bring on Sweden.

At the start of every game you get this charade of players shaking hands with each other, shaking hands with the officials, smiling at mascots and they all wear that “respect” badge. FIFA itself issues edicts that haranguing the ref is to be punished and crowding the ref is a complete no-no.

So theoretically that ref could have (and should have) issued more cards when the Colombian players literally went nose to nose with him, but fir some reason he wanted to act “Mr Cool” and let them get away with it.

His performance in s way reminded me of Howard Webb’s game in the World Cup final when he tried to keep players on the pitch regardless of what they did and as a result the game was completely ruined. Ditto last night which other than penalty shootout drama was really a crap game spoilt by the ref not controlling it properly.

[Ronners]

I didn't think he spoilt it grist, I just thought that whatever he did that someone would think he was wrong. It wouldn't have even mattered that he was abiding by the laws of the game, more than a few people would have thought he was wrong, which is exactly , in my opinion, how Howard Webb is viewed.
I thought webby had a great game in his world cup final, in a match that I viewed as unrefereeable, just like the colombia game.
Do referees keep sending players off to the point where the game gets abandoned as there aren't enough on the pitch? Because if that happened at a world cup game then I'm pretty sure who will get blamed for it........the ref.

[BigLadonOS]

I didn't think he spoilt it grist, I just thought that whatever he did that someone would think he was wrong. It wouldn't have even mattered that he was abiding by the laws of the game, more than a few people would have thought he was wrong, which is exactly , in my opinion, how Howard Webb is viewed.
I thought webby had a great game in his world cup final, in a match that I viewed as unrefereeable, just like the colombia game.
Do referees keep sending players off to the point where the game gets abandoned as there aren't enough on the pitch? Because if that happened at a world cup game then I'm pretty sure who will get blamed for it........the ref.

The ref is there to see that the rules of the game are adhered to and punish players for breaking those rules. I'm not being funny here but the ref should have no interest in how the game turns out even if its down to 5 v 5 that should not be his concern and if you are saying that it is we may as well play goalie when needed and throw the rule book out of the window. He was utter ****e and should not ref another game in the comp.

Also that ***cing idiot running VAR should only tel the ref he might want to look at the footage and not give his opinion on what the punishment should be as that should always be down to the man on the pitch, any ref worth his salt would have done that but this ref bottled it and let someone else take the responsibility for that decision.

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

Bottom dollar is that Colombia kept all of their players on the pitch and nearly, very very nearly their spoiling tactics and thuggery nearly got them through to the next round.

Their “style” needs on the spot punishing so that chances of profiting from it are reduced to basically nil. That on the spot action is in the hands of the ref.

Just enforce the existing rules for god’s sake, it’s that easy.

[sawmiller]

Bottom dollar is that Colombia kept all of their players on the pitch and nearly, very very nearly their spoiling tactics and thuggery nearly got them through to the next round.

Their “style” needs on the spot punishing so that chances of profiting from it are reduced to basically nil. That on the spot action is in the hands of the ref.

Just enforce the existing rules for god’s sake, it’s that easy.

Diego Maradona slagging off both the referee and England in the press - saying we shouldn't and didn't deserve to win and that we robbed Colombia - see link


https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44716774