World Cup so far

[BlueinPLtwenty]

So disappointing, it was always that the winner of tonights match will win the World Cup (and it should have been us)

The French team were extraordinarily lucky. They gave away two definite penalties and, almost certainly, another should have been given in the first half. Teams playing with such aggression and disregard do not win from skill but from good fortune.

With stronger refeering, we would have won the game.

I concur, whatever our negative contingent it is just the usual rhetoric. The long and short of it was the Referee was useless

[Betelgeuse]

Get rid of Southgate, not ruthless enough when facing quality opposition. Too defence minded.

[pompeygunner]

Get rid of Southgate, not ruthless enough when facing quality opposition. Too defence minded.

Just not true. Up until last night England were leading scorers. Did you actually watch it last night? 2nd half in particular & for the 2nd period of the 1st half they really took the game to France.
As others have said the ref was next to useless, he allowed France to keep fouling Saka. Indeed how their LB wasn't sent off for accumulation of fouls was baffling. He even didn't give the most blatant pen right in ft of him until VAR got involved. On another day with a decent Ref England would've won that game.

[Blue Walter]

Get rid of Southgate, not ruthless enough when facing quality opposition. Too defence minded.

I would agree that Southgate is too cautious normally. As seen in this tournament against the likes of the USA and, to a certain extent, against Wales. Against that he has made England a force to be reckoned with and is meticulous in the qualifying and group stages. I think he has been lucky in as much of the young talent coming through at his disposal, especially in attacking areas. Last night I thought he got it right and he could not have been described as over cautious or defensive. The England team took the game to France and did not deserve to lose on the overall context of the game. France have a fantastic team, even without their missing players, and took their chances well but they rode their luck too. The ref was poor and France benefited more from his dodgy decisions. None more so than the lead up to their first goal where Sako was tripped. The non penalty decision against Kane was, apparently, explained by VAR that there was a foul but it was outside the box but the rules don't allow play to be stopped and brought back for a free kick.

I am very disappointed in the result but against that I believe we have an emerging English team that can go all the way. If Southgate could be encouraged to be more attacking minded more often maybe he is the man for the job. Other than that if he were to go who would we replace him with? I can't think of any Englishman who could do the job except Eddie Howe but he is not long in his job at Newcastle so perhaps too soon to move.

I was pleased with England last night and content with the knowledge that on this occasion we were out of luck and at the wrong end of poor refereeing decisions.

[PakefieldBlue]

I think we were helped by France scoring first, it made us have to attack and we're probably better at chasing the game rather than being on top (against top opposition). Personally I think that Southgate has earned the opportunity to see if he can win a trophy with this team - he's got us to a WC semi, a Nations League semi, a Euros final and now a WC quarters. That's a good record in anyone's book and the best since Sir Alf.

[Blue Walter]

I think we were helped by France scoring first, it made us have to attack and we're probably better at chasing the game rather than being on top (against top opposition). Personally I think that Southgate has earned the opportunity to see if he can win a trophy with this team - he's got us to a WC semi, a Nations League semi, a Euros final and now a WC quarters. That's a good record in anyone's book and the best since Sir Alf.

I think that is true to a certain extent but the first French goal was a break away from an English attack. I think we were quite attack minded from the kick off. The knock out stage of the World Cup is usually better to watch as teams obviously need to win to progress. I agree with you that Southgate has earned the opportunity to have another go at winning a tournament if he could be encouraged to be less cautious. His record, as you say, is good but he has had the advantage of having the best crop of collective players that I can remember at his disposal. That memory of mine goes back before 1962 and for years thought of playing foreign teams caused trepidation and the expectation to be outclassed. That's different now where foreign teams face us with trepidation.

[Betelgeuse]

Get rid of Southgate, not ruthless enough when facing quality opposition. Too defence minded.

Just not true. Up until last night England were leading scorers. Did you actually watch it last night? 2nd half in particular & for the 2nd period of the 1st half they really took the game to France.
As others have said the ref was next to useless, he allowed France to keep fouling Saka. Indeed how their LB wasn't sent off for accumulation of fouls was baffling. He even didn't give the most blatant pen right in ft of him until VAR got involved. On another day with a decent Ref England would've won that game.

He's too cautious when playing quality opposition. We didn't actually create very much in the way of chances and we had to attack because France scored first. Yes I saw the game and it was crying out for a more mobile CF, Kane spent a lot of the time deep.

[Blue Walter]

Get rid of Southgate, not ruthless enough when facing quality opposition. Too defence minded.

Just not true. Up until last night England were leading scorers. Did you actually watch it last night? 2nd half in particular & for the 2nd period of the 1st half they really took the game to France.
As others have said the ref was next to useless, he allowed France to keep fouling Saka. Indeed how their LB wasn't sent off for accumulation of fouls was baffling. He even didn't give the most blatant pen right in ft of him until VAR got involved. On another day with a decent Ref England would've won that game.

He's too cautious when playing quality opposition. We didn't actually create very much in the way of chances and we had to attack because France scored first. Yes I saw the game and it was crying out for a more mobile CF, Kane spent a lot of the time deep.

I actually think he is too cautious playing against inferior opposition. I don't think it is fair analysis by saying we over cautious against France because we did create chances, and probably more than the French. Yes France did score first but that was a break away from an English attack with the aid of a foul on Sako.

[StMonkton]

I understand the ‘too defensive ‘ comment but disagree.
In tournament football group stages it makes life much easier if you don’t lose to the strongest of the other 3. We didn’t and went through easily. The job at the group stage is to do just that.

I thought Saturday was a real ‘That’s sport’ situation. On another day we would have gone through playing the same way.

[Kingo]

I see Messi was so disgusted with the ref in their game against Netherlands that he's had him sent home. Obviously didn't appreciate being allowed to do whatever he liked, while everybody else was getting booked for looking at each other in a funny way.

[BlueinPLtwenty]

I think we were helped by France scoring first, it made us have to attack and we're probably better at chasing the game rather than being on top (against top opposition). Personally I think that Southgate has earned the opportunity to see if he can win a trophy with this team - he's got us to a WC semi, a Nations League semi, a Euros final and now a WC quarters. That's a good record in anyone's book and the best since Sir Alf.

I think that is true to a certain extent but the first French goal was a break away from an English attack. I think we were quite attack minded from the kick off. The knock out stage of the World Cup is usually better to watch as teams obviously need to win to progress. I agree with you that Southgate has earned the opportunity to have another go at winning a tournament if he could be encouraged to be less cautious. His record, as you say, is good but he has had the advantage of having the best crop of collective players that I can remember at his disposal. That memory of mine goes back before 1962 and for years thought of playing foreign teams caused trepidation and the expectation to be outclassed. That's different now where foreign teams face us with trepidation.

We have a history of bad luck in the World CUp. I go back a little further. In 1958 prior to the World Cup in Swden that year there was the Munich air crash which decimated the England team with 5 or 6 English Players being killed or too injured and therefore unable to play again. It could be argued that we would have won the World Cup in 1958 & 1962 with the Manu players who sadly perished in Munich

[Blue Walter]

I see Messi was so disgusted with the ref in their game against Netherlands that he's had him sent home. Obviously didn't appreciate being allowed to do whatever he liked, while everybody else was getting booked for looking at each other in a funny way.

Looking at each other in a funny way has to be stamped out and removed from the game. If not there will be players suffering mental stress leading to time out of the game and seeing shrinks. Referees need to stamp down on this and hard by giving players a nasty glare when booking them. Barging players in the back is perfectly acceptable as is tripping opposition players and then going on to score.