England v Colombia Match Thread

Kieran Trippier is the best right back in the world right now. Fantastic crossing, great set piece delivery and very solid defensively. Using a formation where it relies on the wing backs for width, it's just a shame we don't have someone as good on the left.

Good point about Dier - bloody criningly awful performance but he buried his pen. Wish Hendo hadnt been booked though, he is far better

Best comment I’ve seen on beating Colombia was in the comments set of the Guardian: ‘Farc me!’

Quoted from Gaffer58

Can just imagine Sam Allerdyce sat at home thinking what a jammy  sod Southgate is, if he hadn't been such a berk he could have been there.

I don't think we would have been

just sat and gone through this thread and one thing jumps out and that's the negativity of Ipswin what a bell end, have you not got a decent word for anyone ,you're  pathetic, you pour scorn on everything MJ does and now its Englands turn, even when we win you have a go a GS,i truly believe your a Scottish gimp, and a f@cking boring one at that, jog on idiot ggrrrrr

Surprised forza is praising Southgate as we only needed penalties because he decided to attempt to shut up shop when we had Colombia on the ropes. Defensively, we're not good enough to try this and we were lucky to get away with it in the end. The fact that we were well-prepared for penalties doesn't forgive the tactical failings before then.

How can it be that we didn't once try to run the ball at their defence in that period immediately after their defenders were getting booked left, right and centre? Bonkers for me. Sterling not very effective (again) but he's still quick and strong and he should have tried to run at them a couple of times in an attempt to draw a rash tackle.

Sweden are very limited as a team but they are well-organised and competent. The way we collapsed mentally in the second half and for much of extra time (just whacking it forward in hope/panic) makes me worry whether we'll be able to apply our superior ability to do enough against them.

Could be penalties again.

Its tournament football ....a scraped win gets you through as Greece, Iceland have been showing in recent tournaments...however from a tactical / performance viewpoint ...

Kane - back to the goal for large parts, battling for himself. Zero service from either side. Excellent performance from him regards his own touches and hold up but hardly in the box. I am sure there will be a "heat map" of his positioning and touches popping up somewhere but to have a striker in the kind of form he is in and not give him a sight of goal isnt sensible

Alli/ Sterling - ? I could be being extremely ignorant of something else they were doing last night but regards assisting us in attacking the opposition they were non existent.

Young - not found wanting defensively but isnt a left wing back, didnt get a great deal of help from the anonymous Alli admittedly but Rose got around the side a couple of times in his brief spell and with a natural left foot can put the balls in when the strikers want them and crucially curling naturally away from the keepers. Whenever Young crosses he has to check back onto his right, that falters the strikers run and the ball naturally curls towards the keeper.

Really suprised that either Rashford/ Cheek/ Vardy didnt come on sooner.

Dont recall a clear cut chance created in open play in 120 mins .... need to have a good think on how to improve that.

Major positive though...every England penalty hit the target at least !!

I think Sterling did at least 'occupy' their defenders during the first hour or so of the game. Won a few free-kicks and linked up quite well with Kane and the midfield. Did little in attack but was actually present. Alli non-existent as a force either in attack or defence. I don't recall the last time he put in a decent performance for England, clearly isn't fit and clearly shouldn't be in the team.

It's a pity that Rose hasn't been playing regularly because of his problems with injury and depression over the past couple of years. If he was in the kind of form we saw two years ago, he'd be a real asset. I think I still probably prefer him to Young, however.

Pickford - Great, not really done anything wrong upto now but recieved stick for some reason. - 9
Trippier - Great game again - 9
Walker - Ok game but always seems to have a mistake waiting, probably needs more experience in role. - 6
Stones - Solid game for me - 7
Young - Solid enough but seems to have lost his wing play somewhat, missed his deadball in Belgium game. - 7
Maguire - MOM for me and been the most consistant player so far -9
Henderson - Ok game but to much sideways ball when better options going forwards -8
Ali - Did nothing for me but at least kept in advanced positions, game changed when he went off as we went too defensive and deep. - 5
Lingard - Some good stuff but quiet in the main, Like Sterling he is a player that can set a game alive with a trick. - 7
Sterling - seems to be getting poor or no service from the midfield and then when he does get it is double marked. i would keep on with him as i think teams are genuinely worried by him. - 7
Kane - Nothing spectacular really, held the ball up really weel and bought some valuable free kicks, no real chances in open play. - 8

Subs

Dier - As it says on his tin Dier. not great at all but can be forgiven for taking a huge penalty.
Vardy - No service or balls really for him to run at. hope he gets a goal at some point and may well get more space against better teams that leave space at the back.
Rashford - Did ok in short time he was on, time to make a difference.

The Manager
Think he made a very poor decision to bring on Dier for Ali, once this change was made we dropped too deep and didnt have an advanced mid for an outlet. Dier jogged around aimlessly and played the ball negatively. Henderson started to push up more in the second period of extra time which helped.
Loftus Cheek i feel would have been more effective than Dier and would have brought a more attacking  threat which may have kept more of the Columbians in their own half.
Negative changes changed the game for the worse, we need to keepp pressing we simply arent any good at sitting on a goal.

Pretty good summing up Monkeyboy. Dier held his nerve for the penalty but is he really England class. I've never really been a huge fan of Henderson but he's put a lot of hard work in and deserves his place. Ali seems injured so I would bring in Rashford and keep the rest of the team for Sweden with a query over Young/Rose.