Engerland

[TylerB]

Very good win against a pretty pedestrian team. The Czechs I remember had a really good side in the 90's and a bit after, but clearly aren't at the same level any longer. Great to see Sterling really start to produce the same performances as he does for his club every week. I thought Sancho was a bit nervy and there's a lot more to come from him, but he got an assist and was only a block away from a goal himself. Hudson-Odoi looked a really threat every time he touched the ball and I thought Jordon Henderson was the pick of the midfielders. I just wish Ross Barkley would play with a bit more belief in himself because he really could be something special, but his mentality seems to let him down.

 

Can't argue with a 5-0 win even if a couple of the goals were jammy. I don't even think England ever got out of 3rd gear either. We're well and truly on the way to becoming a genuine force on the International stage.

[Heatwave]

Even so, when that result is broadcast all over Europe it's going to give the shivers to a few coaches and players.

[The Kalamazoo Kid]

Exciting times ahead.

 

Lots of really talented, young, players - including a number not involved tonight.

 

We're going to be real contenders to lift the trophy at Wembley in 15 months time.

[TylerB]

I still don't like Henderson and Dier starting together. It should be one or the other, and for me, Henderson is the better overall player. Barkley replacing Dier was a Godsend because for all of his faults, Barkley can turn and run away from opponents. Dier turns in phases he's that slow and cumbersome. There's Phil Foden to come into the midfield down the line. Oxlade-Chamberlain is a brilliant player on his day if he can get back to his Liverpool form before his injury. James Madison can certainly pick a pass and can't be too far away. This was also a team not featuring Gomez, Shaw, Alexander-Arnold, Lingard and Rashford...

[Birches Head Fred]

It was a good game to start the campaign, especially being at Tottenham's ground.

It's a group we should easily qualify from and that's good for team building and morale although I do think for us to really improve we need tougher opposition, perhaps that's where friendlies should be looking.

Sterling is now becoming the player we all knew he could be and seems to be forming a good partnership with Kane.

Almost too many good players in many positions but it's very nice to have that luxury and the great thing at the moment is that Gareth is not afraid to turn to youngsters and give them a chance which augers very well for the future of the National Team.

[The Kalamazoo Kid]

Admittedly it was against 3rd & 4th rate European teams but 10 goals in 2 games is magnificent. We are looking absolutely superb & devastating going forward.

 

Seems like all of a sudden but we have lots of young exciting players.

 

We are a top 4 team in Europe.

 

The other game in our group was a good result for us - we're already 4 points clear.

 

Roll on June next year!

[TylerB]

Job very well done in the end. We got a bit sloppy at times but I think that's always likely to happen when you know your levels above the opponent as the concentration can wain.

 

Pickford 6 - Didn't have a lot to do and could do nothing about the goal.

 

Walker 6 - Had a decent enough game but not at his best. Don't think it will be too long before he's behind the likes of Alexander-Arnold and Wan-Bissaka.

 

Keane 7 - Looked vulnerable at times but did score an important goal at the time. Won't be in the starting 11 when Gomez and Stones are fit.

 

Maguire 7 - His type of game against a slow and physical forward line.

 

Rose 6 - Typical Rose performance. Sloppy, with some good and not so good moments. He would be my third choice left-back behind Shaw and Chilwell.

 

Rice 7 - One poor pass apart that could have got us into trouble against a better side (and he attoned for it to be fair) I thought he looked very assured. Has a big future.

 

Alli 5 - Poor tonight. Didd't offer anything and can look lost in this system. Unless you can play him behind a striker as Spurs often do then I wouldn't start him at all no matter how talented he is.

 

Barkley 9 - Two goals and an assist, you can't argue with that. I still feel at times he could offer even more, but he's really thrown himself into the mix for a starting place over the last couple of games.

 

Hudson-Odoi 7 - Lots to be pleased and excited about. He's so direct and although not as technically good as Sancho, he will surely go on to be just as effective for club and country.

 

Sterling 8 - Thought his all round game was very good tonight even without his goal. What a player he now is and long may it continue.

 

Kane 7 - Pretty quiet at times but only ever needs one chance a lot of the time. He's a much more complete player than many give him credit for and his passing is on another level to the likes of Aguero and Lewandowski etc.

 

Subs:

 

Henderson 7 - Great pass for Sterling's goal. Very good impact in both of these games in my opinion.

 

Ward-Prowse/Wilson - n/a

[TylerB]

Going by how some have performed over these two games I'd say this is England's best 11 right now when everybody is fit.

 

Pickford

 

Walker

Gomez

Maguire

Shaw

 

Rice

Barkley

Lingard

 

Sterling

Rashford

Kane

 

Subs:

 

Heaton

Stones

Chilwell

Alexander-Arnold

Alli

Sancho

Hudson-Odoi

 

I like Lingard in an England shirt and his energy compliments the way Southgate wants us to play, so I'd have him in just ahead of Loftus-Cheek and Alli. When Oxlade-Chamberlain is back and firing he could replace Lingard. Went for Shaw just ahead of Chilwell simply based on club form currently. Sancho and Hudson-Odoi are two fabulous options and game changers to have on the bench right now.

[Houston Valiant]

I wouldn’t get too carried away just yet. The Czechs are a poor side , and Montenegro are even worse. England will surely win the group , especially with an Irishman in the squad😏, but stiffer tests are to come. Holland and Germany was a brilliant game on Sunday , and those two countries will be hard to beat.

[TylerB]

I wouldn’t get too carried away just yet. The Czechs are a poor side , and Montenegro are even worse. England will surely win the group , especially with an Irishman in the squad��, but stiffer tests are to come. Holland and Germany was a brilliant game on Sunday , and those two countries will be hard to beat.

 

We beat Spain on their own turf recently for the first time in God knows how many years and then deservedly beat Croatia, a team that could have been considering a bogie team for England somewhat. Czech's are an average side compared to what they used to be but not many other teams put 5 past them, and the same goes with Montenegro when they play at home. Germany are very beatable these days and although Holland are doing much better now than they have been over the last few years, they still rely on Ryan ******* Babel up front. He wasn't even up to much in his peak. England have absolutely nothing to fear from either side.

 

Can't wait to see what we can do against the Netherlands.

[The Kalamazoo Kid]

I'd put the current pecking order as :-

 

Tier 1

- France - clearly the best team/squad by some way, and a young one at that.

 

Tier 2

- Us

- Holland (experiencing a proper revival, despite them losing in the last minute to Germany, where they did superbly to come from 0-2 down again, just as they did in November. Seem to have a couple of top young players and Koeman is getting the best out of other "not so top" players)

 

Tier 3

- Germany (they're commencing another rebuild - similar to post-Euro 2000 - having just jettisoned Muller, Hummels & Boateng.......apparently you can never write them off though!)

- Spain (got more stars that have either gone - Villa/Torres/Xavi/Iniesta/Alonso or are going, going, not far off gone - Fabregas/Silva/Busquets/Ramos - than are coming through to take their place - Isco/Saul Niguez)

- Croatia (similar to Spain but in less quantity with Mandzukic gone & Modric surely close)

- Portugal (as much of a 1-man team as you can get but rely far too heavily on their no.7 and he's surely past his preening peak, although obviously still a match-winner against anyone when he's up for it)

Italy (see Germany above!)

[pvfc_loyal]

can't have Holland as tier 2 quite yet. Not qualified for the last two comps and a sample size of 4 Nations League games doesn't change that, daft things can happen over 90 minutes of football to wildly swing a 3-team group like that

 

England v Holland this summer should be a proper game though, two teams going at it, both fantastic going forward with questionable full backs to get in behind

[cheshirevaliant]

Next 2 summers should be fascinating (I'm going to stick my neck out and say we'll qualify for the Euros). I now look forward to watching England for the first time in my lifetime. Whilst Southgate rightly is taking much of the credit, the coaching in the Premier League and at St George's Park is now a level above anything in the past 30 years with the likes of Guardiola, Klopp and Pochettino. England has had better foreign players in the past, but I don't believe we've ever had a better selection of foreign coaches.

[TylerB]

Really looking forward to the Holland game in a couple of months time. The way both teams play football it should be a cracker. But looking at the Holland team that started against Germany, the only two players I would have in England's best 11 would be De Jong, who is brilliant, and obviously Van Dijk. You could make an argument for Cillessen over Pickford. Depay is good but I'd take both Rashford and Sterling over him.

[TheSage]

We are beginning to build a nice team, based on keeping the ball and using speed and trickery down the flanks.

All of a sudden we look to have an abundance of attacking options, yet a bit thinner at the back and in goal. Funny how it's all changed.

 

That said, we've done nothing yet and playing two poor teams hasn't proved anything. Once we've started beating the likes of Spain, Germany, Brazil and Belgium I'll be more inclined to beef us up but we need to win something before we get carried away.

 

It is much better on the eye, much better I fully agree. But I'm not convinced at the very highest level that a handful of them are good enough. The keeper is dodgy and not dominant enough. Keane isn't international class. I'm unsure about the full backs. Walker oddly doesn't seem as good as he was 12 months ago. And, clearly, we have to wait and see how the likes of Sancho, Rice and H-O develop in the next 12 months.

I thought the 2 wingers were excellent last night. H-O was simply wonderful for an 18 year old. No wonder Munich want him.

Kane also had a solid game without doing anything spectacular. He holds up the ball so well and brings others into the game. He's brilliant at that and a lot of what he does is unnoticed.

 

Makes a change to look forward to seeing England play!