roversfan99

😂 everything must come back to England! Not been a good watch, Serbia are a good side and Brazil's attacking talents have not had their best games.

I disagree as you can only play 7.

As you touch on, it is the relentless obsession with turning every single discussion into England based discussion that frustrates. There are 32 teams and so many different sub plots to the tournament, including Saudi Arabia and to a lesser extent Japan pulling off shocks. I have been watching the games on their individual merits, not comparing everyone to England. Pedri, Busquets and Gavi are for me the best trio in the competition, that doesn't mean that I think that Spain are the best side in it because I have question marks over both their defence and surprisingly after today, their cutting edge. But that was a standalone comment that didn't require another England debate. For what it is worth, I think Bellingham is an excellent talent, Foden is our best player aside from Kane, Rice is a very good albeit not elite holding midfielder and Mount is a decent enough player to have around. And is it is, Iran aren't very good, the majority of their players do not play at a good standard. Costa Rica are poor too, as are Australia, comparing between 3 poor teams (all of whom have been referred to as such) is bordering on pointless.

Spain look very good, albeit against a woeful Costa Rica side. That midfield 3 are the best in the tournament.

100%. The lazy comparisons are rife on TV comparing the 2, but the Japan side is packed full of players playing at the highest level. It is obviously a shock to see them beat Germany, but Japan are no mugs.

Agreed. Should have gone off at half time at 3 up, never mind post injury.

Great.

France can just click into gear, Mbappe is incredible, best player in the world.

Seems like the person in charge of the graphics for ITV is a budding "analyst" with stats including defensive line breaks.

Must every game be about how each team compares to us, whether we can beat them, how individual players compare and how decisions prove how FIFA hate England? Saudi Arabia (even if they aren't an underdog that I will be rooting for) beating Argentina is an incredible story in its own right.

For a team with Van Dijk, not to mention Gakpo, De Jong, Bergwijn etc, Summerville is their best player?!

Saka is deserving of his place, has been performing very well for a while and offers real pace. Performing at a level far above Sterling and Mount. Gary Lineker also has a very good record for England.

Is promotion now the target, rather than the initial stage of the "journey?"

To be fair, you could have said the same about yourself and Rovers in recent years! I hope he does, but I dont think the opinions are unfair, especially compared to Foden who I think is a brilliant player.

Mount is ok. Sterling also far less deserving of a start.

We need more than 1 or 2. No full back cover, no experienced central midfielders and needing a striker or most likely 2.

Says in the Daily Mail that the side tomorrow will likely be Pickford, Trippier, Stones, Maguire, Shaw, Rice, Mount, Bellingham, Saka, Sterling and Kane. Southgates continued inability to fully utilise Foden is criminal.

If Tom Sutton recommended him then perhaps he needs a P45!

A week in hiding and this is the best counter argument you could think of? It shows bias beyond the point of constructive debate to just pass off the blame onto the players when we lose, yet praise the manager upon victory. Tomasson made a series of strange tactical/personnel decisions that IMO led to a very comprehensive defeat. I am aware of our league position and have praised it numerous times. It has no real relevance to a post specifically dedicated to 1 game. Also, on social media, if any player is tone deaf enough to post that they are going to whatever location after being battered by our local rivals the day before, and I am as understanding as anyone of the use of a week rest prior to a mini pre season. But if they post it at that point, they deserve the criticism thrown their way.

I know what has been said, but I have many questions. The ultimate reason that he hasn't made squads so often is IMO because he is shit, simply not good enough. I have questions about who actually wanted him, Broughton or Tomasson and have never swallowed the "number 1 striking target" nonsense. Tomasson would never come out and say "I never wanted him" or "he isn't very good hence why I don't play him" so I guess that we will never know.

Out of interest, how much of your interest in a World Cup starts and ends with England's involvement? I find the whole thing exciting, all 8 groups, I will be wishing England to win as much as anyone , but I love the days with 4 matches and I am excited to see all teams. The big teams and the big players like Mbappe, Neymar, Messi etc that I don't see weekly, the strong underdogs like Denmark, Serbia, Uruguay, Senegal, Croatia and even USA with really talented players, and even the more minor countries like Canada, Morocco, Poland etc with a couple of stand out players trying to drag average players with them. I think you come across as someone who is so fixated on England that even when you watch other games, your whole mindset is based on how those teams compare to England, and if we went out in the group stage, your general interest would fizzle out. Not that there is anything wrong with that. I shall put Qatar v Ecuador on shortly and will no doubt be frustrated with a continued over emphasis on England to the point that minimal research about todays 2 teams will be done and a long interview in the England camp will take priority.

Ive always felt that Dier was a poor defender prone to making errors like ve did against Liverpool. Maguire has had 18 months of horrendous form since which cant be ignored and again I dont rate him as a defender, very succeptible to pace in particular. I do think that you could paint any England player in a positive light in your defence.

It is a clear weakness in the team, Maguire has been shocking for ages and bas been dropped to 4th choice at United and Dier has always been a poor defender IMO.

A defence with Dier and Maguire in it will likely be a huge weak point against any good forwards, if we did end up against France then Mbappe would be licking his lips. I think you struggle to not be overly biased towards England to the point whereby an injury to a totally different team in a different group instantly is spun back in your head to England. When you watch games in other groups, do you do so purely to watch those 2 teams or simply to weigh up the competition for England?

Iran have Taremi at Porto but also Azmoun at Leverkusen, Ghoddos at Brentford and Jahanbaksh at Feyeenord who was previously at Brighton. Plus a few other players in more minor European leagues. Probably the weakest team in the group though. I feel like America have some really good young talent.