With this talk of licenses for teams, it sounds like a fiddle so the FA scum can get their favourite rich teams in and change the rules to suit that.

It’s because good footballers are exciting to watch mate.

On the actual game, I thought for the first 30 minutes we did have the killer ball we usually lack. Some of the way we got players running in behind was exceptional. I think it caught Tunisia by surprise and, once they equalised, they got everyone deeper and became less adventurous. Then we struggled. Having said that, we also have seen Brazil, Argentina and Germany have similar problems but also concede goals and not be as dominant in the midfield. I don't think Tunisia had a meaningful touch in our box all of the second half. Loftus Cheek and Rashford gave us some much needed impetus back late on although their refusal to cross, to try that one extra touch or try a little flick frustrated. It's not normal to praise a former dingle but Trippier has it right. When your in a decent position get it in with quality as soon as possible. Many times, the best chance you get to put a cross in is the first chance you get to put a cross in. Sterling and Young were poor. At the moment I'd just consider swapping Young for Rose. Impressed with Maguire's determination to step out with the ball and try and force the team forward. That's got to be credit to the manager. Worrying that there is only 1 proper finisher in the side though. Kane took both simple chances well although I could see some players panicking at the end and heading it down and wide (Morten - I'm looking at you !!!). Vardy is the only other player that would probably have stuck most of the chances that came our way away but he'll be difficult to fit in that formation. Overall I'm quite pleased with how that went. Panama looked relatively harmless so a win should see us through next weekend. Final word on Southgate. I never wanted him to get the job and I expect he will fail like everyone else. However I find it hard to dislike the guy. Speaks sensibly, picks who he wants to pick rather than bowing to influences, and his goal reactions show a genuine passion.

A lot of negatively after a solid performance IMO. Kane did his job. I'm not a big Henderson fan but played some great passes. Players looked like they understood the formation, we pressed well. Their penalty decision was a joke, we should have had 2 that were more penalties than theirs. Stones and Lingard should have both had goals, on a different day they might have finished them. Thought at the back 4 (bar a few mistakes) we were sound, couple of nervy mistakes but rather they get them out of the way early doors. I actually enjoyed watching England for once in the first half, can't remember last time I enjoyed England playing. Only negatives for me were Dele Ali and Young. We carried Ali in the euros and we carried him yesterday, he looked leggy and lacked creativity, didn't look like he suited that formation at all, slowed us down on the counter, not quick enough. If Southgate is picking players based on form then Rashford should be starting instead of him. I think it's absolutely crazy that Young is playing ahead of Rose, he's clearly a better left back, he's actually a left back for a kick off.

If I was Southgate I'd be demanding an explanation over the absence of VAR last night. We've already seen at least one penalty given by VAR for wrestling in the box, so where was it last night when it blatantly happened twice? Yes we won in the end, but we were badly let down by the implementation (or lack thereof) of the VAR system. How can anybody have confidence in it if such obvious fouls are missed/ignored?

I would suggest Nixon is full of shit

I can understand there being a few teething issues, and there may never be a 100% clear view of something which is deemed an "obvious error", but even a casual football viewer would have clearly been able to see that Kane was fouled twice in the box last night. It wasn't even debatable. How supposedly professional officials can't see that is beyond me. There's no excuse for this kind of incompetence anymore, and if genuinely terrible decisions like last night are made then somebody should be held accountable. Of course Southgate and England won't rock the boat because that's not their style, but we really should. Goal Difference could still be a decider in this group, after all, and I'd say we were robbed of at least two chances to score from the spot yesterday. Should we convert one and the game goes 2-1 then it changes everything - Tunisia have no choice but to press forward a bit and chances are we slip in behind them and finish it 3 or 4-1. Instead the officials let Tunisia get away with murder the entire match, allowing them to sit deeper and deeper and drag the game quality down to the depths with fouls, play-acting and time wasting.

Sky are reporting that we are interested in Hakeeb Adelakun from Scunthorpe, along with Hull and Bristol City, who have had a compensation offer rejected, mayby one to keep an eye on.

I've never really understood the criticism of Williams. He was a standout player for us in the run of games under Mowbray in the Championship, so I don't see any reason why he would struggle all of a sudden next season. He did have a few games at the start of last season where he did look poor (at home to AFC Wimbledon springs straight to mind), but even he's admitted that he grew into the season. Across the season he was one of our more consistent performers, which has culminated in an international call up. I'm looking forward to seeing him kick on next season.

Or Nixon is full of !@$%

They should mic up the ref and the var official so we can hear exactly what is going on between them, as they do in the rugby. At least that way you can tell if the ref has asked the var official if he has seen any holding in the box etc.

Remember when Jake Kean got a move to Norwich; even worse than Steele. Backup keepers can make a career of never being good enough to have to play.

A win is a win however hard it was. Their penalty was soft, especially when England didn't get any. Decent; Kane (largely anonymous but goals win games), Trippier, Stones, Henderson. Fair; Maguire (mistake tarnished a good display), Walker, Pickford. Poor; Lingard, Sterling, Alli, Young. I'd bring in Rose for Young against Panama and stick with the rest. Young was wasteful, got caught out a few times, had poor delivery, and consistently slowed down play when he had to cut back onto his right foot. Dier, Rashford and Loftus-Cheek could easily replace the other poor performers so they need to improve. That competition should hopefully beget a reaction. England don't have a free kick specialist either.

We did what was needed in a tricky opener.Kane was being manhandled throughout the game but still came good. Slightly off topic but does this stadium remind you of somewhere famous in Lancashire folks ...

We won for fecks sake..be happy..some miserable barstewards on here..tunisia are the highest ranked team in africa

Some of the worse refereeing I’ve ever seen.

You have to laugh at the at the BBC coverage it is so anti-Russian that it is embarrassing.

But it will expose bias. The officials last night conspired to cheat. Almost certainly because it was England.

Where you watching the same game as me?Henderson played some lovely foward balls last night and Lingards finishing was poor but he didn't have a bad game always looked busy and got into good positions

It must be me then because I don't see a player at all in Williams. Technically awful and his passing is poor. The championship will find him out straight away. Can't play him in a three, he doesn't have the pace or technique on the ball.

Would take all three

I agree with what he has said too mostly but after we beat panama im not too bothered about the belgium result as we will have likely qualified by then and im not at all scared of colombia or poland

Please tell me that was meant to be a text to someone ?

If things go as tonight regarding decisions i don't think we will go that Var

I've little to no knowledge in what goes on with Rovers Women but notice that Man Utd have had no difficulties in obtaining a licence for next season having only just bowed to public pressure and formed a women's team. I've no idea what the difference is between the Women's Championship which they are trying to prevent us entering and the Women's Super League which United have gone straight into but I suppose they need to make room for their favourite clubs somewhere along the line. Wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them, but expect some elaborate and confusing 'criteria' to emerge as justification for it all, when really the only criteria here is ££££.

Certainly is some turnaround in form.

I suspect had it been a team like Brazil that had played with dominating intensity for 90 minutes in 2 games whilst crushing the opposition scoring worldies in the process the press would be creaming themselves. About that intensity, it was really nice to see, trying for a 4th goal instead of dropping off, time wasting and generally being bores. It would be interesting to see how many minutes on the pitch the Russian players played last season as there wasn't any drop off (as we saw with England last night). I know Russia haven't been pegged back yet - so there's been no psychological test in that regard, but from a purely physical point of view, if players are used to playing 90minutes then they should be fitter than those that have been rotated and substituted a lot.

BBC are instructed by the government to be anti-Russian in their news coverage so hardly surprising they're also showing anti-Russian bias at the World Cup. Russophobia widespread in the UK media.

Bet Lewandowski is praying for an ash cloud to prematurely end this one

Find your comments on Henderson totally baffling. Always seems to be an easy target but he was probably our best player, made quite a few penetrative passes forward, obviously within that role there will be some sideways passes, even from the best in that position, but in the main he looks forward and has a good range of passing. Not only that, you choose Dier as the man to hopefully eradicate too much passing backwards and sideways! Dier really is crap. Overall, thought we were excellent in the first half. Full of energy, pressing, forward momentum, only problem is we need to be far more ruthless. Second half we ran out of ideas. Sterling is not the same player in an England shirt as you mention, but id play him v Panama as youll never get a better chance to boost your confidence and get off the mark. Trippier was superb down the right, Maguire was very good too. Lingard was as guilty as anyone in front of goal but he gives us so much energy, and he can score as hes shown for United. An important player, again Southgate needs to say, same again on Sunday, but have more to show from it. Would bring in Rose for Young to give us some balance, if theres any risk with Alli then Loftus-Cheek can come in, otherwise id leave it as it was.

Good win for England. The way the tournament is looking, I wouldn't be surprised to see ye in a semi. In fact I think it's a great opportunity for some unfancied team to have a good run Poland poor, what a calamity for the second goal.

Adelakun and Chapman on the wings would do me just fine.

paying 2 million pounds for a player with 12 months left on his contract is far too much. Charlton based sport reporter saying asking price is 2 million now https://www.londonnewsonline.co.uk/charlton-athletic-offer-new-deals-to-joe-aribo-and-tariqe-fosu-and-price-tag-for-blackburn-target-bauer-set-to-scare-off-bidders/ Nixon says officials were in London over the weekend. I would suggest Charlton have change their asking price now. 2 million pounds for a player with 12 months left on his contract is far too much I would suggest we move on to player B now and look to agree a price with Scunthorpe for Adelakun instead

How could they be fair challenges. Kane was wrestled over and thrown onto the ground ! I'm glad he got his own back in the best way possible at the end of the game.

He had an off night in front of goal but to say he has no technical ability is nonsense.Not saying I think he's brilliant but he didn't have a bad game overall last night.

I thought it was also because England is largely an impoverished country these days and people just can't afford it.?

Looks like our travelling hooligans have been well and truly spooked by the Russian Ultras and their antics in France it has to be said...never seen so few England fans!

Konichiwa!!

I understand that but if their first or second choice are injured he would play..........in the Premier League.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/sports/world-cup-countries-of-birth/?ex_cid=SigDig&utm_term=.110a34c00df5 Group F is uniquely homegrown! Especially Germany's Gundogan, Ozil, Gomez and Khedira... Great article showing how wonderfully interconnected the world is now and so much for the better.

The Who - Behind Blue Eyes

Williams in talks over new contract http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/16298751.Rovers_in_talks_with_Derrick_Williams_over_new_contract/

What shambles? Walkers was a 50/50, unlucky it happens, and he was in an awful body position. One of Kane's he had his arm round the defenders throat too. The rugby tackle to the ground, yeah was blatant. But it's strange how the folk that hate VAR are now the ones wanting every single decision scrutised at length. The game generally flowed tonight, wasn't broken up by technology, and we had the odd decision not go our way. Thems still the breaks. Just as it was before.

For wrestling maybe. It surely can't be football based on that display. Absolute joke of a team and I was delighted to see them crying at the end. They should be ashamed of coming to the World Cup and playing in such a negative, cynical, boring fashion. You might only get one shot, have a go for goodness sake, don't spend the match falling over (special mention to the Tunisian who fell over after the ball was kicked at his midriff), wasting time, hitting Rock Bottom's on opponents in the penalty area and just generally being a nasty, dirty team. It's no way to make a reputation. For the record I have no problem with playing tough, but Tunisia tonight were disgraceful and were very lucky the ref seemed to be either blind or bent.

Not according to the groundsman... https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2018/may/pitch-up-look-sharp/ ‘Trevor, who has worked for the club for over 35 years, said: "All that's happening is what we do every season, which is stripping the old turf off, adding some fresh root zone, freshening everything up and reseeding. "People get it in their head that it's a brand new pitch, but it's not. It's more of a make do and mend job.’

I don't want us to be signing " back up " players at this point. We want players who can come into the first eleven and improve it.

£3m from season tickets still sounds like a lot when you consider that there’s probably a few hundred free under 8s in the family stand and then a lot more concessions including loads of under 21s which are half the price and then a lot of senior tickets at around £200 I think £2m is more likely which is whittled down by matchday costs as well

I’d lean towards cheating but if he’s acted within the rules it’s most definitely against the spirit/etiquette and as such leaves his reputation in tatters even if the rules cover him. Hits a putt that’s heading off the green, decides it’ll take him more than 2 shots to get back so hares after it to whack it back and suck up the punishment because it was preferable to ending up where he started.

Me! Once tipped myself to become the next Shearer but women, booze, and undersized goals made from jumpers and with imaginary crossbars (that was in, that was in!) meant that my goalscoring record was a pitiful one in six pints.

When are they planning to increase the budget for stadium maintenance? The roof on the Blackburn End is leaking, close to where I sit. Looking it around the stadium, it needs a good clean too. I also would imagine there’s other issues.