Looks like were going to have the inverted wing backs again too. Though actually I suppose theres a chance of 4231 with Carter at right back and Brittain at left back, and Hedges playing right wing. Very mysterious.

Could be 343 or 352 depending whether he plays Dack in midfield or up front. I hope midfield, think we're better with three in there personally.

I doubt we will be changing the team. If we do it will be probably to drop a striker and play a third centre back. Could go to : Pickford Walker Stones Maguire Trippier Henderon Rice Bellingham Shaw Saka Kane But... Saka, Foden, Henderson, Rice and Bellingham have all been so good I can't see one of them being dropped. I think we will take our chances in 4231 but tell Walker to sit deep at right back and play an almost entirely defensive game against Mbappe.

Yeah and to be fair even in 2008-2012 they had players like Torres and Llorente who could play a physical striker role. I don't think you can get away with not having a striker at all unless you vastly outmatch your opponents, which Spain have not.

Wow didnt see that coming from Portugal at all. Look so much better without Ronaldo leading the line. That new forward looks an outstanding talent. Quality from the bench too. Brazil, France, Portugal and England all really looking strong. Netherlands and Argentina have turned it around too. Shaping up to be a top set of quarter finals.

Also I guess taking over a national team with an aging squad is not really that attractive either, as he would have little opportunity to beat Martinez's third place at a world cup or Euros and make a name for himself. Cant really see him going for it.

Yeah... hard to disagree. The other main contenders - France, Brazil, Spain, Argentina - have all really struggled at times. I've been surprised how much really. England had a flat performance against US but were never looking like they could actually lose the game, unlike France vs Tunisia, Brazil vs Cameroon, Argentina vs Saudi Arabia, Spain vs Japan. I know the France, Brazil, Spain were all playing weakened teams, but still.... they should have won those games comfortably given the players they put out. I wouldn't say England are the favorites though, still think Brazil and France have slightly better chances of winning the trophy.

Id go the other way personally - Deschamps and Southgate both conservative defence first coaches. I think it could be quite a stodgy game till the first goal goes in.

They had a good chance, give you that. But equally nothing like Polands domination of France for 20ins before Gorous scored... So meh.

I think weve now evolved to a 433 with Bellingham, Rice and Henderson, with Walker sitting back at right back to help out the centre backs as needed. Looks good! Assurance across the defence with numbers in midfield.

Fabulous performance from England, cant wait to watch back the highlights tonight. 100% in control from start to finish. I think anyone watching that around the world will put England in the same bracket as France and Brazil. Does that mean we will win the world cup.... Not really, weve got a 50/50 against France then two more ties if we make it we are not going to have better than a 60/40 chance of winning. So statistically we are far more likely to be knocked out than getting the cup.... But great performance, Southgate continues to get so much out of the team, and anyone will really fear us. The real innovation for me is sticking with four at the back and playing Henderson, Rice and Bellingham in midfield. Senegal didnt get a sniff and I know Deschamps will be thinking long and hard about how to compete with those three without Kante and Pogba...

France in the quarters very likely if we get past Senegal. We havent managed to beat a top team in the quarters since 66.... Will give Southgate a chance to lay the easy draw criticsm to rest against the best team in the competition, should we get through.

Intyrestingly England have never played Senegal. Indeed Senegal have played very few teams outside of Africa. I guess because with the ACN and world cup qualifying the schedule is absolutely rammed with games against other continental teams. Even France, the former colonial power, have only played them once (that amazing win in 2002). Very odd really. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senegal_national_football_team

Good performance, played really well all round. That said Wales were absolutely miles off it... Dont think I can get excited about us though till we beat a good side. Probably not till the quarters we will meet a real contender, assuming we get past Senegal who look talented and athletic, but maybe not top end.

Yeah, I have no issue us playing 352 or 343 if it's offensive and we push up high, and play offensive players in midfield. Pickford Walker Stones Maguire TAA Foden Bellingham Mount Shaw Kane Saka Would quite like something like that tbh. However wouldn't be surprised if we ended up playing quite a defensive 343 resting a few players.... Pickford Walker Stones Maguire Trippier Henderson Rice Shaw Grealish Rashford Foden

Based on the evidence so far very hard to look beyond either France or Brazil. No one else looks competitive really. Thought Spain might be contenders but for all their midfield quality lack a cutting edge or strong enough at the back. Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Netherlands and Argentina all disappointing.

I guess two ways Southgate could approach Wales game. On one hand and he can grind out a draw and defo go through. Or he can try and go for an eye catching victory, given our four goal cushion it's low risk, and the potential reward is to boost confidence. I suspect it will be the former as that has tended to be his pattern. Make sure we are tight as first priority. He's a believer that it's defence not offence that progresses teams through world cups. And that's probably sadly true really.

Yes - at major tournaments (WC, Euros) since 1990 we have only beaten the "big eight" (France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Brazil, Argentina) five times - Spain (96), Netherlands (96), Germany (00), Argentina (02), Germany (21). On the other hand we have lost to the big eight 11 times - Germany (96), Argentina (98), Portugal (00), Brazil (02), France (04), Portugal (04), Portugal (06), Germany (10), Italy (12), Italy (14), Italy (21). It would be interesting to see how this compares against the other big international teams... However I haven't got the bothered points to go through all eight teams results over last 30 years.

Interesting question - who'd everyone have in a combined Brazil and England XI? Its funny Id doubt Richalison would even make our squad but hes superb for Brazil. Probably for me : Alisson Trippier. T. Silva. Marquinos. A. Sandro Belligham. Rice Saka. Neymar. V. Junior Kane Brazil slightly edge us Id say 6 to 5. But in modern game the centre midfield is king and we have an advantage there now I think. That said in terms of quality on the bench Brazil are very good, as are England, but... I think Id rather have Jesus coming on to win a game over any of ours.

Looking back main differences from 18 months ago at the Euros is Belligham coming in and Saka and Rice having 18 months more experience. We do look a lot better for it. That said Nations League was pretty disappoining... So not wise to get carried away As Bellingham and Rice are real physical monsters I wonder if it will mean we will give 4231/433 a go? With Kante and Pogba out theyre probably the best physical pairing ok the competition so that means maybe we can loosen up a bit in competitive games? I guess we'll find out against Wales.

Yes agree its bizarre how few good matches there are. Hard to understand really since its 32 teams still. I guess some teams with good pedigreenot qualifying has diminished the interest quite a bit (Italy, Nigeria, Sweden, Chile, Russia, Ivory Coast, Norway) and having the lack of a host to get excited about. But surely who was scheduling the fixtures could have found a good game for the first weekend? Portugal v Spain in Russia really set the tournament going. You have to have one of those in the first few days.

If I was to pick one player who I wished Id seen live since I started following football (about 1991) I think Id go for Ronaldinho personally. Dont think theres anyone who can beat him for pure entertainment. Similarly just talking English players wish Id seen Le Tissier.

Yeah... the year we won the title Manchester United significantly out spent us, and I think Liverpool were there or thereabouts also. https://www.theguardian.com/football/when-saturday-comes-blog/2013/oct/23/blackburn-premier-league-title-earned-1995

Yeah - it's had completely reverse impact to what is desired by Qatar....Eight of the competiting teams have banned homosexuality, but they as hosts are the ones who are highlighted and attacked. They will get hammered relentlessly, as they should be. Hopefully it will deter horrible regimes from trying to co-opt sport. Also fans and media should step up going after the UAE and Saudis at the Man CIty and Newcastle games imo. Being very closely scrutinised should be the price of getting involved in sport.

I guess what I mean is all those players have grown up in a culture from the cradle where England are seen as someone to get one over due to the history. If you are drawing a parallel to the east lancs derby, I don't think we actually played any of the proper local lads who were emotionally invested in turning over Burnley. So I don't think it will be the same thing really. That said I've just been reading the Iranian players have refused to sing the national anthem recently due to the ongoing internal turmoil and repression and have a nascent revolution going on in their country, so maybe are not really going to be driven by patriotic ferver?