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Today's Football 2018-19 Season
- Thread starter ToffeeDan
- Start date
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Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
England have had a hard time in Podgorica in the past with objects thrown, chanting, fighting, and here it was again with definite and clear racist abuse. Montenegro can disgracefully deny it as much as they want.
Montenegro had promised a “hellish atmosphere but for this version of hell let them be condemned.
They only beat Montenegro and their racist fans last night but England’s performance in such a febrile and viciously ugly cauldron and this sweeping victory confirmed themselves in the words of the Montenegro coach, as one of the best teams in the world.
After two ties in their qualification group for Euro 2020, they have scored 10 goals – five goals in each game, back-to-back for the first time since 1984 – and their dominant form is such, and with such a young and uninhibited team, that the rest of the world is taking note.
What is so pleasing is the rate of progress is now accelerating. England have moved on and moved up from the World Cup. Southgate is becoming increasingly bold, increasingly brave, but also increasingly assured.
England have now beaten quality in Spain and Croatia on their way to the inaugural Nations League semis and shown adaptability and class allied to blooding precocious young talent that augers well not just for the next finals, but for many to come, they really are now on the verge of achieving something.
Montenegro had promised a “hellish atmosphere but for this version of hell let them be condemned.
They only beat Montenegro and their racist fans last night but England’s performance in such a febrile and viciously ugly cauldron and this sweeping victory confirmed themselves in the words of the Montenegro coach, as one of the best teams in the world.
After two ties in their qualification group for Euro 2020, they have scored 10 goals – five goals in each game, back-to-back for the first time since 1984 – and their dominant form is such, and with such a young and uninhibited team, that the rest of the world is taking note.
What is so pleasing is the rate of progress is now accelerating. England have moved on and moved up from the World Cup. Southgate is becoming increasingly bold, increasingly brave, but also increasingly assured.
England have now beaten quality in Spain and Croatia on their way to the inaugural Nations League semis and shown adaptability and class allied to blooding precocious young talent that augers well not just for the next finals, but for many to come, they really are now on the verge of achieving something.
International kopites
The Welsh?
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
Yes mate... of course
Win a couple of games and suddenly turn into 1970’s Brazil lol
You hear us you see us you all wanna be us YWNA
YoboCopter
Player Valuation: £50m
Stick to rugby bro
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Big Fat Sam
Guest
While England do look pretty good, I am certain as soon as they come up against a semi decent opposition they'll lose, similar to in the World Cup.
Can you really imagine Barkley controlling a midfield against a Spain or a France? Or the likes of Keane and Maguire being able to keep Neymar, Messi, Suarez or Mbappe at bay? Or Kane finding time and space around the likes of Ramos, Godin, Varane, Chiellini or van Dijk?
Can't see it myself, but I suppose it's nice to see them swotting awful teams away with relative ease.
Can you really imagine Barkley controlling a midfield against a Spain or a France? Or the likes of Keane and Maguire being able to keep Neymar, Messi, Suarez or Mbappe at bay? Or Kane finding time and space around the likes of Ramos, Godin, Varane, Chiellini or van Dijk?
Can't see it myself, but I suppose it's nice to see them swotting awful teams away with relative ease.
goodisonopheliac
Player Valuation: £30m
Callum Hudson-Odoi's interview made me furious. Not at him, he came across very well, but the fact that it's 2019 and racism is just another part of the game for black players.
As in Spain away, or the same Croatia team from the World Cup? England are also a much better side than they were in the World Cup.
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Big Fat Sam
Guest
England will obviously qualify at a canter. Probably get to the quarters at least of the next competitions, as they should. But I think you can't expect them to get so lucky with the draw again and bigger teams undeperforming.
The bigger teams aren’t actually that good though, England have caught a lot of them up and in fact look like they’ve surpassed them. Obviously France and Belgium are still way out ahead of the other European teams, but I’d fancy England to put away the likes of Germany, Portugal and Italy. They’ve already beaten Spain and Croatia competitively since the World Cup.
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Big Fat Sam
Guest
They might have beaten them both since, but in relatively low-pressure games. Croatia, when they needed to deliver, bummed England at the World Cup.
I agree England have improved a lot, but that they still have to use players such as Henderson and Dier so often is quite a concern. Also, if Kane gets injured they have no proven target man up front to come in. Sterling's added goals is huge though.
The penalties from the last World Cup were a great psychological hurdle to overcome.
I'd like to see them getting in the mix for a trophy in my lifetime. I don't count getting beaten in the only difficult game in the last World Cup as having been in the mix, though, and found it embarrassing at the heroes welcome they got upon their return to England.
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