International Football thread

[st_brendy]

Until Wilshire is fully up to speed (if it ever happens before he gets injured again), then I don't particularly care if it's him, Drinkwater, Milner or Henderson who gets picked. But we have to play one of them, and tell them to forget about breaking forward, because Dier needs all the support he can get in protecting that defence.

Vardy and Kane through the middle. Alli and either Rooney or Lallana providing the midfield support behind them. The fullbacks, whoever they may be, providing the width when they can.

PS. Vardy is quickly on the course to be one of the most hated players in the PL, with this way he tries to win penalties.

[sussexpob]

Well the defence is the worry. England look capable of goals, but look set to have to score 3 or 4 to keep a world class team at bay.

Stones was at fault for the first goal for me. Hart has a right to go for that ball, but Stones should have the awareness to understand if his keeper isnt getting there, there is no use him running into the same ball. He left the Turkey man to drift into the space and knock it in. It was his rubbish defensive header with no pressure on him that gave the ball back in an advance position as well.

Stones did the same thing about 2 or 3 times.....running out of position to go for a ball that another defender was already dealing with because it was in his zone. No need for him to do it.

In short, Stones needs to improve a lot and I am speechless as to see the quality that people rave about.

[yuppie]

Stones is only 21, and for me looks to have a bright future. The problem is he should not be a first pick CB for England at present. The problem is the lack of suitable CB for England. So he is being thrown in there well before he is ready.

[Durhamfootman]

bit worrying when the main striker misses from the spot.... normally England only have to worry about the 5th pen taker, not the 1st

Hard to tell from the highlights, but England looked poor; a bit stretched, and rather naive in defence. Lucky to get the first goal, mugged for the reply and scrappy for the second.

Not too encouraging, irrespective of what Roy thinks

[budgetmeansbudget]

I've been saying it for a while, what do people see in Stones?

Seems to have gained a massive reputation and price tag for sod all. It seems to be all based on the hope that he can become the next Bobby Moore or Rio Ferdinand without much evidence that he really can.

He massively overplays in dangerous areas and doesn't seem to learn from his mistakes. Probably suffers from an over inflated opinion of his footballing ability.

Still he is young and could improve, but he is nowhere near international standard yet.

[sussexpob]

Most English football fans cant separate physical attributes with those of a mental nature. So when we see a player who is strong, got some good pace, and additionally a decent touch at CB, people purr and salivate about how great the player he is or could be. Yet at CB its often the invisible attributes that are important. Positioning, judgement, anticipation, keeping a calm head......

Stones doesnt really display any of those decision making attributes you want in a CB. The Turkey goal showed problems with each of those attributes. Firstly, under a little pressure he headed the ball forward and straight to the Turkey player, when a sound and calm defender steers it to Hart or puts it out realising neither FB is in position. He then doesnt anticipate the run and gets caught out of position. He then makes a very bad judgement call to chase the ball, leaving the attacking midfielder to walk into the pocket infront of him and give an easy goal scoring opportunity to a winger playing the ball in. He was never getting there to close down the ball, he was too far away to impact play at the first point of contact.

Had he at first point of losing the ball, drifted back to his left to allow Rose to then drift and cover the left, they close the space. If he had then tracked the runner arriving late in the box then going to the ball he makes it impossible for the Turkey player to poke the ball to his teammate, and he is better positioned to clear his lines if the ball comes aerial. At the very least he buys time for Hart to get back in position and close down an easy goal scoring chance into at the worst situation a 50-50 header.

Its not an isolated case for Stones either. That away game to Liverpool recently he was out classed and found wanting, and again its not isolated. He hass very regularly been caught by average attacking teams in EPL games this year.

[budgetmeansbudget]

There has to be an alternative to him starting in the Euros. If he does we've got to be looking at scoring a minimum of 3 goals to stand a fair chance of winning a game.

[sussexpob]

Ferdinand was often a player who people would talk of as this great ball playing CB, which he was, but that discredits just how great he was at reading attacks and dealing with them. Sol Campbell was a physical force but again, he knew how to play his position and was a great judge of play. Both where not finished articles but noticeably good by Stones age.

Id rather see a player displaying good judgement and be slow, lack a bit of height, and a bit of physicality. Someone like Cannavaro is legitimately one of the greatest players of the games history, and he was 5ft 9, hardly massively strong, wasnt that quick.... but his decision making ability bought him an extra yard, he was never out of position, and always in the right place.

[sussexpob]

There has to be an alternative to him starting in the Euros. If he does we've got to be looking at scoring a minimum of 3 goals to stand a fair chance of winning a game.

Id have taken Shawcross personally. Not the perfect player, but a better option. Often been a good player in an average team struggling to stand out.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Footballing awareness and judgement seems to come below athleticism, size, pace and ease in possession when deciding what makes a good footballer these days in this country. That applies in all areas of the pitch.

[budgetmeansbudget]

There has to be an alternative to him starting in the Euros. If he does we've got to be looking at scoring a minimum of 3 goals to stand a fair chance of winning a game.

Id have taken Shawcross personally. Not the perfect player, but a better option. Often been a good player in an average team struggling to stand out.

Out of the current squad I'd probably start with Smalling and Cahill.

[sussexpob]

There has to be an alternative to him starting in the Euros. If he does we've got to be looking at scoring a minimum of 3 goals to stand a fair chance of winning a game.

Id have taken Shawcross personally. Not the perfect player, but a better option. Often been a good player in an average team struggling to stand out.

Out of the current squad I'd probably start with Smalling and Cahill.

I think they were always going to be the starters with the current crop of players, but Id have taken the more experienced and currently capable Shawcross over Stones.

[Gingerfinch]

Smalling and Cahil will start, so unless there's an injury, Stones may not get a kick.

[budgetmeansbudget]

I guess Rooney can be a back up centre back, he's playing deeper and deeper these days.

[Durhamfootman]

There has to be an alternative to him starting in the Euros. If he does we've got to be looking at scoring a minimum of 3 goals to stand a fair chance of winning a game.

Id have taken Shawcross personally. Not the perfect player, but a better option. Often been a good player in an average team struggling to stand out.

Out of the current squad I'd probably start with Smalling and Cahill.