England

[Husky]

Poor officiating.

Conceding from corners, free headers. Rovers is happening.?

Edited October 15, 2018 by Husky

[Husky]

What a poor win in the end.

The chances of progressing in this competition all but over now (after typically conceding in the last second) after a thoroughly negative 2nd half performance.

 

 

[roversfan99]

Incredible first half performance and result. Front 3 absolutely superb, great to see Sterling tear Spain apart.

Alarming how deep we ended up in the second half and 2 really poor goals to concede.

Pickford is like an outfield player in net. Passing as good as anyone and key to our 3 goals. If he didnt have that hed be nowhere near the England side.

Chilwell was superb, Barkley impressed too, as did Joe Gomez and Maguire 

A very entertaining match.

[AllRoverAsia]

Great win. Road our luck quite a bit second half. Well worth staying up for which makes a welcome change.

[joey_big_nose]

9 hours ago, joey_big_nose said:

Think we will get humped. Only top players - sterling and Kane - look out of sorts. Every other player except maybe trippier (if he plays) would get nowhere near the Spain first XI.

Could be brutal.

Also Henderson and Stones are out.

Shows what I know.

I thought we were brilliant tonight. Southgates doing a phenomenal job. Really impressed that he's changed the formation, tactics and personnel around so effectively.

Rashford, Kane and Sterling as a three looks like it has legs.

Very impressed with Barkley. Allround midfield looked much better than at the world cup. Lingard and Alli must be feeling a bit nervous. Lost their places I think. Winks and Barkley looked a lot more composed.

I like the flexibility we have to switch between 352 and 433 with basically the same team out there. Never really been able to see England do that mid game before so comfortably.

 

[roverandout]

2 hours ago, K-Hod said:

Sterling and Rashford, the two lads that needed goals the most, have a brace and one respectively....

Doing pretty well this half and tbh, it could have been more! Doesn’t look like Spain have a full side out, but then again, it could be argued that we don’t either!

Dont make excuses for spain..typical english disease...we played a full strength spain side and we decry our own achievements

[oldjamfan1]

8 minutes ago, roverandout said:

Dont make excuses for spain..typical english disease...we played a full strength spain side and we decry our own achievements

Spot on mate. 

[oldjamfan1]

40 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Shows what I know.

I thought we were brilliant tonight. Southgates doing a phenomenal job. Really impressed that he's changed the formation, tactics and personnel around so effectively.

Rashford, Kane and Sterling as a three looks like it has legs.

Very impressed with Barkley. Allround midfield looked much better than at the world cup. Lingard and Alli must be feeling a bit nervous. Lost their places I think. Winks and Barkley looked a lot more composed.

I like the flexibility we have to switch between 352 and 433 with basically the same team out there. Never really been able to see England do that mid game before so comfortably.

 

Fair play to you mate - you weren’t the only pre-match pessimist though, not by any means?

[roversfan99]

50 minutes ago, roverandout said:

Dont make excuses for spain..typical english disease...we played a full strength spain side and we decry our own achievements

Did Southgate bottle it again tonight ?

Think we need to continue with the back 4, hopefully Southgate has learnt that the 4-3-3 is much better for us in terms of both keeping the ball a bit better (I thought wed struggle v arguably the best 2 midfields in terms of ball retention) and also getting a third man in attack.

One interesting thing is where do Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard fit back in when they are fit? We arent in a position to discard them entirely as they are 2 good playees but both are number 10s which we dont play. Ross Barkley has impressed me with his intelligence and discipline in both games. Also think Chilwell deserves a run at left back. Henderson and Stones would also warrant a start youd think. 

Need to ensure that we dont try and shoe horn 2 right backs in just because we are strong there. Walkers never a centre back.

 

[joey_big_nose]

7 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Did Southgate bottle it again tonight ?

Think we need to continue with the back 4, hopefully Southgate has learnt that the 4-3-3 is much better for us in terms of both keeping the ball a bit better (I thought wed struggle v arguably the best 2 midfields in terms of ball retention) and also getting a third man in attack.

One interesting thing is where do Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard fit back in when they are fit? We arent in a position to discard them entirely as they are 2 good playees but both are number 10s which we dont play. Ross Barkley has impressed me with his intelligence and discipline in both games. Also think Chilwell deserves a run at left back. Henderson and Stones would also warrant a start youd think. 

Need to ensure that we dont try and shoe horn 2 right backs in just because we are strong there. Walkers never a centre back.

 

Agree with this. Basically we've been trying to shoe horn in both Lingard and Alli but last night showed better balance is key, even if you have less proven players.

I think Lingard could still get a game as one of the front the three if someone is out injured. He's full of running, has great movement and scores goals. Alli on the other hand I am less clear. He's an awkward player to fit into a team - really needs to play as a proper 10. He might find himself relegated to a mini Fellani role where he is brought on late in games to win stuff in the air.

[K-Hod]

I do think the 4-3-3 is the system to go with in the future to be honest, it gets the best out of our players, but at the same time, doesn't really leave much room for a no.10 role......

I had hoped to see Maddison get a run out as well. Still, we beat Spain in their own back yard, we've got to be pleased with that!

[K-Hod]

9 hours ago, roverandout said:

Dont make excuses for spain..typical english disease...we played a full strength spain side and we decry our own achievements

I'll take that on the chin! With watching Rovers and England so much over the years, the cynic in me always fears the worst!

When I'm proven wrong, we all win anyway!

[47er]

I must admit to being distressed when Southgate got the job. I thought that if some of the most experienced managers in the world couldn't succeed how could Southgate have any hope?

In retrospect Southgate has set England players free whereas the experienced managers repressed them.

[benhben]

The players look much more comfortable and flexible in the 4-3-3 formation compared to the World Cup. Reminded me of watching Rovers. Dominated for 45 mins then dont turn up for the second half. Spain were always going to come into the game at some point and were relentless in their posession second half.

It could have been worse if Pickford was peanalised for his brain malfunction in the second half. 

Agree with others above, the front three of Rashford, Kane and Sterling is a good mix of pace, movement and quality. Id struggle to see Alli or Lingaard in that three. Would have liked to see Maddison given a go as hes an attacking player who looks promising. 

[speeeeeeedie]

What a good result and performance. Kane, Rashford, and Sterling were very good. Can they do that against teams that sit back? I hope so. Spain were always going to dominate possession so counterattacking played into England's hands.

I've always been far too positive regarding England but I do think that there is some hope for a decent side over the next couple of tournaments.

Pickford is young and will improve. There are good options all across the back (Trippier or Walker at right back for one). Plenty of young attacking talent available. Ideally we find a midfielder who can knit play together, and a central striker who can deputise and eventually take over from Kane.

Edited October 16, 2018 by speeeeeeedie

[Ewood Ace]

Surely that performance means that we have seen the last of Henderson in the midfield, there are so many better options than him.

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, Ewood Ace said:

Surely that performance means that we have seen the last of Henderson in the midfield, there are so many better options than him.

Theres no way, regardless of an admittedly excellent performance last night, that we should shut the door on our best player (with Trippier) at the Euros, and a staple of a very successful team at Liverpool.

[bazza]

It was just like Rovers away at Stoke.  3-0 up and we are struggling to hold on to the lead in the second half. In both games we could have and should have lost.

However I'm as delighted with the result as an Iceland fan would have been when they beat England.

[Ewood Ace]

5 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Theres no way, regardless of an admittedly excellent performance last night, that we should shut the door on our best player (with Trippier) at the Euros, and a staple of a very successful team at Liverpool.

The Euros? I assume you mean the World Cup, where if you think Henderson was our best player then you must have watched a different tournament to me. As for Liverpool this 'successful' Liverpool team you talk of what exactly have they won to make them successful? He isn't a nailed on starter in their team now and once Keita and Fabinho adapt he will be on the bench a lot more. A team that has Jordan Henderson starting in the midfield will struggle to win anything as has been showcased in the last few months when he has been up again high quality midfields like Real Madrid, Croatia and Spain. 

[roversfan99]

29 minutes ago, Ewood Ace said:

The Euros? I assume you mean the World Cup, where if you think Henderson was our best player then you must have watched a different tournament to me. As for Liverpool this 'successful' Liverpool team you talk of what exactly have they won to make them successful? He isn't a nailed on starter in their team now and once Keita and Fabinho adapt he will be on the bench a lot more. A team that has Jordan Henderson starting in the midfield will struggle to win anything as has been showcased in the last few months when he has been up again high quality midfields like Real Madrid, Croatia and Spain. 

Apologies, yes the World Cup. And hes in the Liverpool team, one that finished 2nd and got to a Champions League final, over both players you mentioned, and played a big role in them doing so, as he did in England getting to a World Cup semi final. 

Im not claiming that he is as good as the likes of Kroos, Modric, Rakitic, Thiago, Busquets and Saul but neither are any of our midfielders. The 3 in midfield did well last night but Barkley and Winks arent regulars at their club. To suggest that we may have "seen the last" of Henderson is fanciful in the extreme, that we can discard a Liverpool regular in our weakest area after 1 game.

[roverandout]

10 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Apologies, yes the World Cup. And hes in the Liverpool team, one that finished 2nd and got to a Champions League final, over both players you mentioned, and played a big role in them doing so, as he did in England getting to a World Cup semi final. 

Im not claiming that he is as good as the likes of Kroos, Modric, Rakitic, Thiago, Busquets and Saul but neither are any of our midfielders. The 3 in midfield did well last night but Barkley and Winks arent regulars at their club. To suggest that we may have "seen the last" of Henderson is fanciful in the extreme, that we can discard a Liverpool regular in our weakest area after 1 game.

Henderson and dier would be perfect players to come off the bench to shut games down when we are winning..henderson is by no means a poor player..hes just better at chasing lost causes like what savage was when he was at rovers.  Cant believe dier is still only 24..thought he was at least 27..hes been around for ages.

[Husky]

Talk about the devaluation of International Games . . this is taking it to new depths. . .

Mr Blobby's Return

I can hardly believe this is even going to count as a cap.

[Rover_Shaun]

It's taking the piss. Yes donate proceeds to his charity and invite him as a GUEST but there's no need whatsoever to pick him to play in a full international as some kind of smaltzy sendoff that nobody cares about. Nobody likes him anyway ? it totally demeans the England cap. Just after they have done so well trying to make England games relevant again. Plant pots

Edited November 5, 2018 by Rover_Shaun

[Oldgregg86]

Happy the nspcc are going to benefit from what is now a shambolic, backwards step farce. 

[AllRoverAsia]

The FA are in this for the dollars from increased sales tp US channels.

Prostitutes.

No problem with a Charity getting some but for Rooney to accept a full cap is cringeworthy.