Portugal v Germany

tommytwojags

Well-known member
Looking forward to this one, especially as we could be playing one of them. Germany could be on their way home tonight but somehow I doubt it.
 
Both sides seem to be able to handle tournaments better than England. Souness made a comment that England's players are concerned only with passing the ball to a team mate and we have nobody in midfield who will take responsibility for splitting the opposition defence and I think he's right. Maybe Grealish in midfield will do that.
 
Great match, they play proper footy with a proper tempo unlike us. Last night was the utter pits, gobsmackingly shit, but I've watched England since 1982 and it's been endless garbage. Even 1990 was shit until we played Germany in the semis, 96 had home advantage and the last WC we played dross until the semis.
 
Why won't England bomb forward like the Germans? Southgate's defensive tactics?
Possibly but the FA's demands for how England teams should play (Spain but in slow motion to get around the lack of technical ability) has a lot to do with it.

We've seen it at Blackpool in low moments because NC has been put through the same coaching courses and is learning the same default methods. Kenny Dougall joking about how he's been told not to shoot etc

4-2 now unless VAR decides otherwise. Enjoying this.
 
Possibly but the FA's demands for how England teams should play (Spain but in slow motion to get around the lack of technical ability) has a lot to do with it.

We've seen it at Blackpool in low moments because NC has been put through the same coaching courses and is learning the same default methods. Kenny Dougall joking about how he's been told not to shoot etc

4-2 now unless VAR decides otherwise. Enjoying this.
I know an Arsenal fan who works with a Swiss guy. Xhaka moved to the same area as the Swiss guy when he joined arsenal and through other Swiss they got to know each other. He was told by wenger not to shoot unless it was absolutely nailed on as a chance. That was when Wenger was already 5 years out of date and you can imagine the FA big knobs thinking it’s the way forward now.
 
I know an Arsenal fan who works with a Swiss guy. Xhaka moved to the same area as the Swiss guy when he joined arsenal and through other Swiss they got to know each other. He was told by wenger not to shoot unless it was absolutely nailed on as a chance. That was when Wenger was already 5 years out of date and you can imagine the FA big knobs thinking it’s the way forward now.
I wonder how many stupendously good goals we would never have witnessed over the decades if everyone applied that philosophy ⚽
 
I know an Arsenal fan who works with a Swiss guy. Xhaka moved to the same area as the Swiss guy when he joined arsenal and through other Swiss they got to know each other. He was told by wenger not to shoot unless it was absolutely nailed on as a chance. That was when Wenger was already 5 years out of date and you can imagine the FA big knobs thinking it’s the way forward now.
More chance of scoring off a 20-pass tap-in to appease the xG gods and not feel like you might lose control through taking risks.
 
I said Portugal were a one man band.
One man more than us. Ronaldo would be our best player. Fernandez would be our best player. Silva would be our best midfielder. Jota would easily get in England team. Silva scored 28 in 32 games in the Bundesleague.
 
I thought Portugal were dreadful defensively. They just had two banks of 4 which consistently retreated in front of the Germans until they were finally getting in their tackles in front of their own penalty area. There was no pressuring in midfield and the Germans had the time and space to just play the ball around for dozens of passes until they found an opening. Lazy Portugal made it easy for them.
 
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