Football Forum | Ticket Forum | Off-Topic Forum | All

toadinthehole 5:27 Sat Oct 8
England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

Hart, Walker, Stones, Cahill, Bertrand, Henderson, Alli, Walcott, Rooney, Lingard, Sturridge

Antonio on the bench

icwhs 2:09 Tue Oct 11
Re: England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

Vexed 12:46 Sun Oct 9
Re: England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

Ag ag ag

Kaiser Zoso 9:38 Mon Oct 10
Re: England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

Why are you so desperate for attention, you boring zed?

cup of tea 9:35 Mon Oct 10
Re: England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

I literally do not give a single fuck about England and haven't done since 1996

Grumpster 9:01 Mon Oct 10
Re: England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

Think Rooney has been unlucky in that he keeps getting played in midfield by people who are meant to be managers, as he's clearly a striker.

Bizarre considering how many goals he was scoring when up front in the last qualifying, as sturridge, Kane etc haven't managed it themselves.

Couldn't really care about internationals nowadays, which incidentally seems to be the players attitude as well.

swindon hammer 8:54 Mon Oct 10
Re: England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

"We are Div 4 on the world circuit, and have been for some time".

If we were Div 4 on the world circuit we would be on par with the Georgia's, Slovenia & Finland's which is obviously not true as we nearly always qualify for major tournaments and at least half the time we advance out of the group to the knockout stages.

In International terms we are probably like Everton where we have expectations of challenging for the top 4 (reaching semi finals) but in reality we are just a top 10 mid table side (reaches 2nd round) who occasionally flirts with relegation (knocked out in group stages).

daveyg 8:40 Mon Oct 10
Re: England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

Respect for Rooney there.
Some of our politicians could take a leaf from his book

Texas Iron 5:56 Sun Oct 9
Re: England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

Antonio would have done well with all those crosses to the far post...

Rooney looked poor against lowly rated Malta....The bell is tolling for him...Manager needs to have Plan B...

GreenStreetPlayer 3:41 Sun Oct 9
Re: England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

It's like trying to flog a dead horse.

Let's face it, we have a bunch of very average players. These look thoroughly exposed when they haven't got their better foreign club mates around them. They look like lost boys.

Rooney has been so lucky as regards to the amount of times he has played for the country with the lack of quality coming through.

We are Div 4 on the world circuit, and have been for some time.

Yes that band. Sure it reared it's head during the Sven days, and we have gone more downhill since. Can't blame them though, just annoying hearing them alongside a very mediocre team.

theaxeman 3:19 Sun Oct 9
Re: England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

The thing that annoys me most about England, more than their shithouse football and their arrogant entitled players is that CUNT BAND!!!

ornchurch ammer 3:10 Sun Oct 9
Re: England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

It isn't the lack of a Plan B but inverted snobbery. England managers, players and the media, think that we are too good to use the far post header tactic when 1. We are not and. Sometimes that is exactly what is needed.

Loads of possession yesterday but we just passed it in front of them for most of the se one half.

FOREVER IRON 2:38 Sun Oct 9
Re: England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

Sir Alf

And not forgetting Sir Bob started every one of his England games and was never substituted in any of them, don't know how Rooney's stats stand up against a record like that.

Westside 1:49 Sun Oct 9
Re: England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

In a match that we we were always going to dominate, i thought an attack minded full back like Antonio, would have been a great asset.

zico 1:17 Sun Oct 9
Re: England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

TeVaz 8:32 Sun Oct 9

Absolutely. Even in his interview Southgate said each match is different so he will pick the team accordingly and yet in a match when the opposition sat deep he plays a player like Walcott who isn't going to run behind a defence who is sitting 15 yards from it's goal line. Not mentioning Antonio because he is a West Ham player (ok I am) but crosses into the box are what you want. Antonio at the back stick against a 5'7 pizza salesman would frighten the life out of him!!

It's frightening how many Managers at the games top level don't have a plan B. I still reckon if England had taken Carroll as a plan B in the Euros they would have beaten Iceland but from the last two games we have sown we still haven't really learnt anything.

Sir Alf 11:13 Sun Oct 9
Re: England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

Many people (me included) started seeing Rooney's decline a couple of years back. He is finished at this level. Played a lot of football from a young age and relied on a turn of pace which he lost 2 - 3 years ago.

He even holds United back now. Reputation is what drives selection for England and a lot of managers. Look at Bilic with Noble and Kouyate even. If it was form they would be rested. But with Rooney this has been going on for 3 years. His past achievements made him a media superstar and quietly he got older and lost that half yard of pace and became just a decent footballer but the pundits and media found it hard to see.

Time up for Wazza but England's progression will be held up to allow him to get his record number of caps. Wayne's 120 or so caps will consist of about 40 - 50 decent contributions whereas Sir Bobby's 106 comprised 100 great games for his country and a World Cup. Quality not quantity.

Bias? Me ?

TeVaz 8:32 Sun Oct 9
Re: England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

Agree with Zico . What is it with all these holding / defensive midfielders ! That's what fucking defenders are for ! They say there are no easy internationals these days . I say , yes there fucking are .

Private Dancer 8:22 Sun Oct 9
Re: England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

We are the Watford of international football.

Rashford and Barklay should both be starting. Need some creativity in there. Even Lallana offers something.

Ronald_antly 3:43 Sun Oct 9
Re: England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

This was a good opportunity for Southgate to start with 3 or 4 'second choice' players to see how they fit into his preferred setup.
He failed to take it.

Does the Telegraph have anything on him?

zico 2:18 Sun Oct 9
Re: England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

Watched the highlights as can't sit through qualifiers anymore and can't get my head around playing two sitting midfielders against Malta?! Surely 442, pump balls into the box, Antonio back post would have got us more than a paltry two against such minnows.

Full Claret Jacket 1:40 Sun Oct 9
Re: England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

Boring, stale match against a truly woeful side. What is the point of these games other than to line the pockets of someone in the FA's.

The England team smacks of a lack of invention, desire and more importantly is a team of players who think their places in the team are safe.
Nobody seems to be able to beat a man, there is little quick interplay and they fail to take advantage of obvious weaknesses in their opposition.

Southgate was right in his comments that several players just protected themselves and wound down the game. They should be dropped.
The people that paid good money to watch deserve better than some half hearted effort when they are wearing that shirt. A hungry side today would have easily scored 5 or 6.

Vexed 12:46 Sun Oct 9
Re: England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

Any Old Iron 12:23 Sun Oct 9

I ignored your point because it's irrelevant. He's played shit in every position. A professional footballer knows that if he's playing in defence you probably need to do a bit of defending. Regardless of wether it's his preferred position.

If you read properly (perhaps get your carer to help you) I haven't accused you of anything.

Wheel yourself off to bed now, you sound overtired.

Ta ta wanker.

daveyg 12:37 Sun Oct 9
Re: England vs Malta - Official Match Thread

Southgate has a problem now. Several poor performances and he can't drop them all.
Rose and Walker were half the players that perform so well for Spurs. I think Antonio would of beaten his man more than Walker playing at right back..
Cahill looked vunerable.
Walcott never beat his man and can't recall him shooting.
Sturridge played more in midfield,scored with a great header but doesn't seem to learn that as a striker he should be in the box.
As for Rooney, I've always thought he was worth his place but after that inept performance and think his time is up.Hardly found his man with a meaning full pass all day. Made the keeper save well from a cross that turned into a shot.

Positives were Alli,Stones and Lingard linked up well but needs to learn to shoot on target. (as well as get rid of that cringe look when he misses ) .
Henderson was the biggest plus though,he seemed to do exactly what the manager asked him to do,maybe the Klopp effectis working.His delivery was exactly what was needed form playing deep and not further forward where he thinks he is Steven Gerrard,he's not.
He kept it simple.

Rashford actually looked poor when he came on but he should of started.He's the man in the box we need.

I feel over the course of the next few games Rooney,Sturridge and Cahill will be dropped as they will not be playing for their clubs enough,making Southgates job a lot easier.

Page 1 - Next