Personally the only player I would focus on signing is a striker with an established goal record. I think we are well stocked everywhere else to be honest. Right back and reserve goalie would be useful. But really the only thing that really matters is a quality goal scoring forward.

I guess the counter to the bit in in bold is that we are third at the moment, and all of our young players seem to be having better seasons than the likes of Evans, Johnson, Smallwood etc.

Doesn't give you any faith in the player ratings if they can't get the formation right...

Thought we defended and broke on the counter really well, though we seemed under the cosh for most of the game It felt like both a good well earned win yet also a bit fortunate which is an odd mix. Anyway after a run of difficult fixtures we're back looking at a lot of winnable games ober the next couple of months and we are third. Great position to be in....

Terrible at this world cup though...

Yeah, a France-Croatia repeat is not particularly enticing. I am hoping for Argentina-Morocco! Really hope France get beaten tomorrow, not because I have anything against them, but just will make the final a lot more interesting. Morocco do have a kind of Greece 2004 vibe going on (though to be fair to them they are much better technically than that Greek side, and much more exciting to watch on the break).

Thought we were the better team if not vastly so. Created more, controlled the ball better... Just France pulled off two sensational finishes whereas we couldnt convert our chances. Probably our best performance against a top team in knockout in the last 30 years. Does feel different to previous exits in that it does just feel a matter of time till we win something. Squads so young, more top talent coming through, looking across the squads across the world no other nation in such a strong position. For me if Southgate wants to stay he should.

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.