UEFA Nations League

[Fosse69]

Group A England 1 Spain 2, England and Croatia in a relegation fight then?

[elav trop 1876]

whats this competition about,

 

crazy so close to the end of the world cup,

 

players spend all summer away then start a league then out on international duty in something that I heard as the davis cup of football...

 

crazy by those who run football, should just play B teams

[Fosse69]

An alternative to slow paced friendlies, winner gets a place in the Euros, or if already qualified passed down, 4 levels of teams, each level split into 4 groups with 3 or 4 teams in each, winners of top level(A) groups play-off. Winners of groups in levels B-D are promoted and take the place of the teams bottom of the groups above. Covers all European countries 55 about.

[The Kalamazoo Kid]

Lingard and Alli were completely anonymous yet again.

 

Kane was poor, for the 5th England game in a row is that now? (not that I'm advocating dropping him, of course - just disappointed and frustrated as he's our talisman)

 

We are so desperately in need of a creative spark in the middle of the park - oh for someone with half of Gascoigne's ability! Loftus-Cheek should play simply because he's the closest that we currently have to do something like that.

 

Saying all of that, we were robbed of a draw by that pathetic decision to disallow Welbeck's equaliser just because De Gea f00ked up and landed on top of him.

 

Not a chance for us to top this group now with away games to come in both Croatia and Spain (even though the Croatia game will be played behind closed doors).

[Paul6754]

Any team that fields Alli, Henderson/Dier and Lingard as the three in the middle of the park (not counting the wing backs) is going to struggle.

 

What does Lingard offer, what is he good at, he may make runs but when he gets the ball at his feet the next move is almost always a side or backwards pass of a few yards.

[Warren]

That was a top level game last night and I really enjoyed it. Should have been a draw. England team can only benefit in the Euros from playing top level competitive games like this.

[Warren]

Lingard and Alli were completely anonymous yet again.

 

Kane was poor, for the 5th England game in a row is that now? (not that I'm advocating dropping him, of course - just disappointed and frustrated as he's our talisman)

 

We are so desperately in need of a creative spark in the middle of the park - oh for someone with half of Gascoigne's ability! Loftus-Cheek should play simply because he's the closest that we currently have to do something like that.

 

Saying all of that, we were robbed of a draw by that pathetic decision to disallow Welbeck's equaliser just because De Gea f00ked up and landed on top of him.

 

Not a chance for us to top this group now with away games to come in both Croatia and Spain (even though the Croatia game will be played behind closed doors).

 

We look like a counter attack team and may do better away to Spain. Stirling in for Lingard and we will pose a massive pace based counter attacking threat.

[RailwayRowdy]

When all the talk is about “too much football”, UEFA comes up with this !

 

I suspect that a lot of this is to appease (and get votes no doubt) smaller nations and actually give them some competitive games in which they have a chance of winning. But do the main nations really need this ?

 

Guardiola and all his foreign legion are continually bleating about a congested fixture callendar and yet here UEFA are adding more pointless “competitive” games.

 

I fail to see how this can be of any benefit whatsoever to any of the top teams.

 

Indeed, I personally think that these midweek friendly dates should be scrapped all together so as the domestic callendar can carry on uninterrupted by this unwelcome intrusion.

[Fosse69]

When all the talk is about “too much football”, UEFA comes up with this !

 

I suspect that a lot of this is to appease (and get votes no doubt) smaller nations and actually give them some competitive games in which they have a chance of winning. But do the main nations really need this ?

 

Guardiola and all his foreign legion are continually bleating about a congested fixture callendar and yet here UEFA are adding more pointless “competitive” games.

 

I fail to see how this can be of any benefit whatsoever to any of the top teams.

 

Indeed, I personally think that these midweek friendly dates should be scrapped all together so as the domestic callendar can carry on uninterrupted by this unwelcome intrusion.

How else do international teams develop? Better to play against similar ranked teams than in some of the Euro qualifying games against minnows.

[TylerB]

Lingard and Alli were completely anonymous yet again.

 

Kane was poor, for the 5th England game in a row is that now? (not that I'm advocating dropping him, of course - just disappointed and frustrated as he's our talisman)

 

We are so desperately in need of a creative spark in the middle of the park - oh for someone with half of Gascoigne's ability! Loftus-Cheek should play simply because he's the closest that we currently have to do something like that.

 

Saying all of that, we were robbed of a draw by that pathetic decision to disallow Welbeck's equaliser just because De Gea f00ked up and landed on top of him.

 

Not a chance for us to top this group now with away games to come in both Croatia and Spain (even though the Croatia game will be played behind closed doors).

 

Give it a couple of years and we'll have Phil Foden and James Maddison in there.

[TylerB]

I thought we generally did fine last night against an outstanding team that were all motivated to play under their new gaffer, Luis Enrique.

 

Obviously we do lack real quality in the middle of the park but that should hopefully change down the line with the likes of Foden coming through and James Maddison already looking like a quality Premier League player, among a few others. Harry Kane just doesn't look right to me. I don't know ehetehr he's just not match fit or whether he's tired mentally, but he doesn't look half the player we know he can be. You can only admire Southgate sticking to his guns in the way we play though, regardless of the opposition, and down the line we will benefit from that.

[blackdog]

Smiling at Southgate "Hinting" that the national side will struggle in the future due to English players not getting game time at their parent clubs.

 

Wheres he been for the last 10 years ?

[Fosse69]

Smiling at Southgate "Hinting" that the national side will struggle in the future due to English players not getting game time at their parent clubs.

 

Wheres he been for the last 10 years ?

Will depend on any change in the visa rules for EU players, maybe the Prem will have to use more English players?

[Phil]

Will depend on any change in the visa rules for EU players, maybe the Prem will have to use more English players?

 

That would be Utopia! Won't happen.

[Paul6754]

I thought we generally did fine last night against an outstanding team that were all motivated to play under their new gaffer, Luis Enrique.

 

Obviously we do lack real quality in the middle of the park but that should hopefully change down the line with the likes of Foden coming through and James Maddison already looking like a quality Premier League player, among a few others. Harry Kane just doesn't look right to me. I don't know ehetehr he's just not match fit or whether he's tired mentally, but he doesn't look half the player we know he can be. You can only admire Southgate sticking to his guns in the way we play though, regardless of the opposition, and down the line we will benefit from that.

 

This is exactly the tournament we should blood the likes of Foden, Maddison and Sessignon.

 

I also can't fathom out Harry Kane, world beater for Spurs but looks off the pace for England, tad nervous and high expectation at international level?, burdened by the captaincy?, style of players around him? (Can't be this cause he plays with Alli), no player like Ericksen in the England team?, mystery to me.