Nobody interested in this match? Excellent goal to start things off and then four which were lucky either in build-up or finish. I'd settle for four lucky goals for Watford. Good performance, though, and two former Hornets on the pitch. Sterling excellent and I've never seen Barkley play as well as that. Sancho made mistakes but very promising; too early for Hudson-Odoi though.
I found it easier following England before we were in the EPL and having these players playing against us. It doesn't feel right being on the same side and cheering for the likes of Henderson and Sterling. The youngsters do look promising though.
I'm pleased for Sterling,especially given the stick he got ,mainly from Spurs fans at the club,during the WC.
Saw the lineup and felt that there isn't one single player in the team or on the bench that I remotely like. Quite surprised about how disinterested I still am about the England team. Maybe it's the band, maybe it's so many Spurs players being in the team, maybe it's the picking of players who've never stayed a Premier League game because they play for Chelsea. Maybe it's having an IRA supporter in the squad. I don't know. I just ******* hate them.
I know what you mean, but for me I think one of the reasons is they constantly overlook an established traditional English battering ram centre forward who brings guts and thunder to the game (who plays for a non big 6 club) for untried and reserve Big 6 players.
Yep. I cannot stand them and cheer for any team that plays England. Yesterday was a disappointing night.
It was well deserved. He played appallingly. It's all very well turning it on in home qualifiers and friendlies. And in the league when gifted goals that should be ruled out, but the problem comes when those performances in the easy games mean that once tournaments arrive, he is considered indispensable, despite being utter terds. Rooney clocked up a record breaking England career of scoring loads of goals against Azerbaijan in qualifiers and experimental sides in friendlies, but then being a complete burden one tournaments began.
I don't want the team to fail but I'm still irritated by the media perception that the WC was a success for our brave heroes rather than a weak and feeble surrender for what was the best opportunity to win the competition since 66 due to such luck with the draw and other results. Southgate getting knighted(?) off the back of this just rubs salt into the wounds.
Weak and feeble? We lost by the odd goal in three, in extra time, in the semis to a team ranked fourth in the world (now). And we all know that we would have been trounced by France in the final. Would you say it was “a weak and feeble surrender” if WFC lose to Wolves in a couple of weeks? We’ve subsequently beaten them, and Spain, to reach another semi-final. But sure, Southgate is doing a terrible job.
Ultimately it was a freebie draw to beat Colombia and Sweden to each the semis. Same as beating Belgium and Cameroon in 1990. Granted normally England would have messed even that up so some credit due. But Croatia in semis is as golden opportunity as it gets and we bottled it.
It's widely known that 'Wazzer' couldn't stay fit after the regular season. I've always wondered how he was allowed time off before major tournaments to go on holiday while other players seemed to stay in training. Surely the Captain should've been setting the example. God that seems like an eternity ago now thankfully.
We did better than anyone expected, and we have carried on with decent performances since the tournament, reaching another semi-final. England are playing better football than they have done for years. But still, I guess some people are only happy when they are complaining.
I think we are currently massive punching above our weight. That doesn't mean I can't look down 1 to 11 and find them utterly repellant and wish them all the worst. We only did "better than anyone expected" because we got a dolly group and dolly knockout games. When we got a dolly semi final we lost. You simply cannot hope for a softer semi final than Croatia.
And we have subsequently beaten Spain and Croatia. You choose to ignore that. We were twenty minutes from the World Cup Final. If Kane had squared it to Sterling we would almost certainly have made it. And Croatia are ranked 4 in the world, they’re not dollies. Still, whinge away if it makes you happy. (I agree that the players aren’t especially attractive individuals but I am afraid that is probably just the nature of modern football).
Of course England are not the best team in the world. Far from it; in fact, one reason I was not that disappointed about the semi-final was the thought that we would have been hammered by France. But - yes, I know it’s a cliche - you can only beat the teams in front of you. At least we did. Germany, ranked #1 going into the WC, couldn’t. And those complaining that we had an easy draw in the WC would have more of a point if we had then folded in the Nations League. But we didn’t. It may all fall apart at some point but at present I think Southgate, a relatively untested international manager, is doing a thoroughly commendable job with what is a pretty inexperienced squad.
It's easy these days for people to hate the England team. It's almost fashionable to want them to fail. Anyway, **** 'em. Up the England.
Troy Deeney and Marc Albrighton have never and will never get a solitary minute in an England shirt. Callum Hudson-Odoi and Dominic Solanke on the other hand..... I know they have to take the blend of the squad and various things other than talent and achievements into consideration when selecting squads but some things will never change.
Middle class people hate the England football team primarily because working class people love the England football team. And if there is one thing that a middle class person cannot abide, its to be personally associated with the working classes or anything they hold dear.
We got further than anyone expected due to the draw but didn't beat anyone ranked above or close to us. We won 3 drew 1 and lost 3 from recollection. And they are treated like heroes? As I said I don't want them to fail but don't get the incredible sense of achievement after the WC and an OBE for Southgate ?
I'm not sure he was. Alli was worse from what I saw and he escaped the backlash that Sterling received. However my enthusiasm for England died with Roy's attempts in the Euros.
Similarly, working class people hate the England rugby team primarily because middle class people love the England rugby team.
Potayto potahto. England reached a landmark semi final despite many players, including their talisman, golden boot winner, doing more or less **** all. Sterling seemed to make the whole team weaker whenever he was introduced, which made him an obvious target of criticism Imagine if Sean Dyche was there to grind even more result over performance from them.
I’ve been asked twice this week if I like rugby (with the presumption that I do). Am I really that middle class?
Football: Watford Cricket: England/Afghanistan/whichever franchise Gayle or Rashid Khan is playing for Rugby: switch off tv. Keep life simple.
The truth is, when Watford lose, England disappoint etc. Its galling. Real life disappointment or worse. When rugby fans lose, they have a Guinness with their opponent fans and laugh it off. It clearly doesn't matter
In fairness you have very little that’s good to say about the club you support despite having the best season for 30 years. I can understand that people dislike Ali but what is so bad about Chilwell, Maguire, Kane etc
