Todays Games

Poland hadn't looked like scoring but then get one on a plate. All this passing sideways and backwards is disappointing with our talent...

 

Like you said t’other day, we’re lacking a creative midfield playmaker. Lots of individual talent, huffing & puffing, but fudge all to show for it.

 

Bloody Poles, coming over here taking our points...

 

Excellent referee in the England game.

 

We’ve got loads of playmakers. We just don’t have a manager capable of utilising any of them to their potential.

 

Really?

 

Ten minutes left no changes yet. Is Southgate awake?...

 

Southgate is England’s weak link

 

Belt & braces man. No plan B...

 

Subs must be thinking “how $hit am I if I can’t get on now”.
Good goal McGuire.

 

That's better.

 

Nice goal, Stones headed it back for Maguire to score. He made up for his mistake.

The scoreline is much more realistic based on how the game has gone.

 

2-1 to Macedonia.

 

Yes, we made very hard work of it. Trouble is Southgate seems set on this lineup regardless of how pedestrian we look. The players are better than this system...

 

It wasn't even the whole of Macedonia, just the Northerners.

 

He's changed the system.

I've kept off this thread during these England games because, to be frank, there's often a lot of nonesense talked on here when England play.
Comments like, 'we have no creative players' are strange to put it mildly.
This is arguably the most gifted generation of England players in my lifetime. I agree with comments that Southgate is a little too defensive, but he's changed the formation in these games, enabling us to have another attacking player.
Everything will depend on whether Southgate gets it right when it matters.
Tonight, England totally, completely and utterly outclassed a decent Poland side in the first half.
England sat back at the start of the second half and Sousa made some good tactical changes too. They never looked like scoring though, till we gifted them one. We must be more clinical when so on top.
Sterling was both fantastic and frustrating tonight, but his pace and ability to run at players means he must start for me.
Without injuries, we would have had many more options from the bench.
Stones has been so good this season and it's his form that has pursuaded Southgate to change to a back four. Such a shame he dropped another clanger tonight, but showed great character to provide an excellent assist for the winner. I actually think that, had Pickford been in goal Stones would have knocked it back to him, but Pope is worse than Rob Green on the ground and totally unsuited to the way England play.
We showed great character to come back and win after conceding such a poor goal and our habit of scoring late goals is an excellent one.
Get everyone fit for the Euros and we have an excellent opportunity to go and win it imo.

 

Great to have you back.

 

Oh and a special mention for young Calvin Phillips. I tipped him a while back to be a top defensive midfielder for England.
Plus, Rice has improved beyond all recognition.
Suddenly, we have good players in that area, as well as all the attacking options.

 

Fair points Col. Where I continue to see problems with Southgate is often he doesn't react to changes the opposition make. A classic example being the semi final against Croatia when the changes they made 2nd half began to take the game away from us and we just ran out of ideas. The measure of a good coach is how they handle situations in play rather than looking great against modest opposition. I think all 3 games in this break we have been a bit short of the mark for the quality of our squad, tonight when Poland scored we suddenly looked vulnerable against a team that we had been all over previously, I fear better sides will find us out...

 

I think most sides struggle for a while after conceding a goal in that manner.
I agree that Southgate can be slow to react to changes by the opposition. Sousa's changes last night highlighted that last night.
I do think he's getting better though. He changed the system for these games and changed formation during the first half against Albania.
I also noticed that the full backs push inside the wide forwards at times, al la Pep.
He's evolving imo.
Some of the football in that first half was fantastic and I do think England don't always get the credit they deserve, especially now that we have so many good players.