Pickford clean sheet ruined by Hjulmand strike

In Fairness it has only been two years since Phillips was regularly playing football. Another chestnut from Southgate:

"Our press wasn't intense enough and it meant that our backline had a problem with the players dropping either side of our pivots. So, that's something that has to be better. We know with the profile of players that we've got, we don't feel the way to press is really high up the pitch.

“I don't think that's the physical level of the team at the moment either. But we've got to find a way of being more compact and more difficult to play against than we found in the last three halves of football.”

So we are playing a pressing game poorly because our players aren't fit enough? OK so why are we playing a pressing game then. Also Harry Kane said players "aren't sure" where to go. Brilliant tactical masterpiece here.

Next game.

1 Pickford
2 Walker 5 Stones 4 Guehi 3 Trippier - where is the fit left-footed left-back?
6 Rice 8 Bellingham
10 Foden
11 Bowen 9 Watkins 7 Gordon

If Bellingham has a calf injury, which it looked like he had to me, then leave him out and put Palmer there.

No pundit mentioned that if Slovenia beat us and Denmark win against Serbia, England finish 3rd!

Partnerships in teams are important and Phillips and Rice have played well enough together in recent tournaments and to be fair England have been reasonably successful in these tournaments with them at the heart of the midfield.

And before people jump in with their but this, but that etc, I appreciate perhaps whilst England could also have done better in the tournaments, who is to say that without Phillips and Rice together, England may have fared worse.

And yes, there should be players able to step in to replace players as and when needed without there being too much negative impact but life is never that simple.

Of course, the worrying thing, for England fans, is that the team just looks unbalanced and disjointed. Not quite sure of the tactics just yet. If it's to hold back the team and not tire them out for the knockout stages, then the cunning plan is working okay.

He hasn't got Phillips, but he's got Cole Palmer instead. He could use another wide player, and push Foden inside and closer to Kane.

He's using a quarterback (Arnold) but playing a centre forward, who doesn't want to run in behind.

Hopefully England can grow into the tournament, like we have seen both the Germans and the Italians, do many times, but you could see after 20 minutes of the Serbia game, that the English system was wrong, and yet the manager never changed things for the Denmark game.

Be brave Gareth, because it's not as if you haven't got the players, who can cause any team problems, imo.

A player who's not particularly effective as a defender and is even worse in MF. I get it that he's a brilliant passer of the ball and has great vision at times but he doesn't have the runners as he has at club level.

Southgate, like Sven, is ruining these players. Sven obsessed with Beckham and Southgate the same with Kane, ie, play them whatever their physical condition. It must be soul-destroying for the players on the bench knowing quite well that, unless one of his untouchables is injured they'll never get a chance. No wonder Ben White told him to get stuffed as he was never going to replace a semi-fit Stones.

I've never liked Southgate. I make no bones about it. He was always a well-spoken, media friendly, yes man as a player. He has fine tuned that toadiness as a manager. He allows the media to pick his squads and play their favourites.

After Christ knows how many years he's been manager, he's still faffing around trying to find a blend and formation to get the best out of this crop of excellent players.

I'm getting to the point that I even think Dyche could do a better job.

ps: Pickford was MotM.

I feel bravery is one of the things missing from Gareth Southgate's armoury.

And this is not the start of a Phillips/Rice love in, but if anyone has the time to read this article, it's an interesting one and probably explains Gareth Southgate's thinking:

'Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips: England's dynamic duo with a partnership forged of silk and steel'

We haven't replaced Kalvin Phillips. Why? Is that because the only English quality holding midfielder is Declan Rice? Is there no other? So if you want 2 holding midfielders, pick two in the squad and face the wrath of the press by leaving at home someone who doesn't fit your tactical plan.

Apart from Luke Shaw, are there no other left-backs who are
English? No, let's put a right-footed player over there do they cannot defend anyone going outside them, cannot overlap but always come inside.

Want to play with two wide men? But then always pick for one of them someone who normally plays inside and then be pilloried because we didn't have two wide men.

Sadly, the vitriol from the press means the manager picks the team based on the least amount of flak he will get from not picking a good player who is slightly less good than someone who plays in exactly the same position. Tell the better player he is only on for 60 minutes so don't spare yourself and then the less good he will come on for the final 30.

Watching and listening, it was like they were reporting on Everton when we sit deep. If England want to succeed, they need to be bolder.

Germany and Italy are masters of tournament football. Get through the group stages. Germany have always done it.

Both have won 4 world cups. Germany on 3 Euros, Italy with 2. I still fancy France for this one. Maybe Spain as the dark horse.

Edited low lights from the BBC reports of those matches. Key findings are similar to the last 2 games at this year's Euros.

World Cup 2022: England 0-0 USA - Three Lions labour to goalless draw

'Gareth Southgate's side were second best for long periods as they failed to match the energy and intensity of the USA..'

'...this was an undistinguished display that carried none of the attacking verve that saw the Three Lions thrash Iran in their opening game...'

'Instead, this was a lacklustre effort that drew loud jeers from supporters at the final whistle '

'Jude Bellingham was unable to provide the drive that was a highlight of the Iran victory...'

England 0-0 Scotland: Impressive visitors claim point at Wembley

'It was The Tartan Army who were elated at the final whistle while England's players heard the sound of loud jeering from their supporters.'

'England, who were sluggish and disappointing...'

'England were efficient rather than spectacular in victory against Croatia...'

'Instead, England faded badly after a bright start. '

'That does not mean Southgate can be satisfied after what was a very disappointing night – especially as he faces a dilemma he could not have been contemplating before this tournament started.

Captain Harry Kane was poor before his substitution against Croatia on Sunday and was equally anonymous here. He looked sluggish, off the pace and short on threat. It was no surprise when he was replaced by Marcus Rashford with 16 minutes left, even though England were desperately chasing a winner.

In his defence, Kane has been starved of good service. To suggest his place is in question is unthinkable but there can be no doubt Southgate wants and needs a lot more from his world-class captain.'

The only decent thing he can do is strike a dead ball, sometimes even then not very well. Get him out the team, Southgate, otherwise we've no chance of winning this tournament. Mind you, after that garbage performance last night, we've no chance anyway.

I'd have skull dragged him off after that 18th. minute dream walking blunder.

Southgate suits the English FA he'll never say anything out of place, except if it's about football where he is out of place, we've had some beauts in charge of Everton's teams in the last few years, Southgate wouldn't be out of place alongside them.

I thought all those "important" friendly's were to give him his opportunities to experiment.

We cant keep going on about the individual talent within our squad. Germany, France, Portugal, Spain and Belgium all have world class players too. They all look stronger as a unit. They all play their players in their proper position and they'll have all done their experimenting long before they arrived at this tournament.

Disappointing doesnt begin to cover it.

Dave A

"Southgate suits the English FA".

There lies the problem mate. That`s always been the case. You will remember they didnt have the courage to give Cloughie the job when he was just about the best manager in football. They were more worried about him upsetting somebody than actually winning stuff

If Mike Barrett is unavailable then it's Ted Lasso for me.

I still say back at their clubs these so called superstars are surrounded by top continental talent who make them look better than they are and have managers who are used to winning. Southgate is not one of those managers. All he ever did was get Boro relegated.

He was an average player. A below-average club manager and the only reason he is the current England manager is because the FA ran out of options. They knew he wouldn't rock the boat and he's English. Which appears to be enough for a lot of fans in this country.

And you may ask yourself, am I right, am I wrong?

And you may say to yourself, My God, what have I done?

Thanks for saving me the trouble it is exactly as you say. It happens at every tournament.

Sooner or later people are going to twig that English players removed from their foreign comrades aren't really as good as claimed.

My attention span isn't the best but having watched England live playing that semifinal at Wembley (in attendance) and then the final against Italy on the television, it was clear to me that, when England are under pressure, they never have anyone who might stretch the game.

Two defensive midfielders, and a forward who keeps coming towards the ball, simply won't work against the better teams, because it condenses the play in the middle of the park, and continental footballers, are usually better at the short game than the English, have ever been, imo.

There are definitely ways around this now with the current crop of players in the England squad but Southgate knows his back four isn't the strongest, so he seems to be concentrating on this rather than trying to get his very exciting and interchangeable players higher up the pitch and into the danger areas. That's how I see it, anyway.

Southgate gets a lot of stick (often unfair - he was a penalty shoot out away from Euro victory) but this squad looks disjointed without any clear strategy or way of playing. You can watch most teams and see what their drilled patterns of play are or what they have worked on. This England seem under prepared and aimless. Exemplified by playing the world's most overated RB in CM.

He has many class players at his disposal but always starts the wrong eleven.

A right back at left back and an average right back in midfield. It failed in the first game and he went for it again only to fail. Omitting Maddison and Grealish from the final squad was a big mistake and not starting Eze yesterday was a very poor decision. Only dreadful defending by Denmark allowed England to score and quite honestly Denmark deserved to win overall.

Obviously a win against tough Slovenia will get Southgate out of jail for the tie being but surely most will agree that winning against the likes of Germany or Spain doesn't seem on the cards right now.

Serious question; Is there a sport that we actually approach with expectation, excitement and flamboyance, or are we just a nation of arrogant, pompous,conservative fucks. Too frightened to lose. Even more frightened to win

Then for Harry Kane who has been poor so far to say the team didnt understand how they were suppose to press, says everything about Southgate as a manager.

Soi disappointing!

TAA is fit to start on Tuesday.