VAR.
VAR.
VARtle
What the fuck is going on in Brussels? Seems like a bit of a mad reason to abandon a game of football unless there's some sort of link to it.
Apparently two of the folk shot were in Sweden tops but I don't think it is connected to football. The video going about showing the bloke shooting them they don't even look like they're in Sweden tops so it's either a shite about the tops or the video is something else
Also the game was irrelevant. Glorified friendly.
Phillips starting tonight.
The players on both teams apparently refused to come back out after half time.
Starting Phillips is lol, but a line-up out of Southgate which shows some actual intent is nice.
4 attacking players counts as intent?
Maguire and Phillips must have more minutes for England than their clubs this season.
Not a serious nation.
If I were going to be fair to him, which I'm not really, I'd ask who his other options are in that double pivot alongside Rice on the assumption that Bellingham is a free role ahead of them from now until 2034. What you'd really want would be a Modric-type player who is reasonably mobile and can dictate the tempo, but I don't think such a player really exists.
Don't play the fucking double pivot with the worst back 4 in the history of English football. Pragmatism requires an ability to defend, which we don't have.
I'm holding out hope for a Ned Flanders freak-out in the dressing room.
England's bench probably beats the team the badger has put out, although they'd probably have to shunt Colwill to left back unfortunately.
Wait, we're mad at this lineup?
Outside of Maguire for Dunk it looks like exactly what you'd want England lining up with against a strong nation.
You can argue Maddison/Grealish/Rashford/Foden but it's fractional differences.
"England boss Gareth Southgate, speaking to Channel 4 about selecting Kalvin Phillips: "It is tactical. I felt Kalvin did a really good job against Scotland. He is a different sort of player to Hendo."
Did he seriously say Hendo?
As you all know I am a proud English patriot and champion of liberty, but I'm afraid the people who boo opposition national anthems at England football games should all be killed by the state. No other country in the world does it and it's fucking pathetic.
'This is the self-preservation society' a very apt opening number from the benighted band in the face of Southgate's England.
God I'm turning into a shitter Henry Winter.
A Phillips red would be tremendous.
I look forward to Waistcoat claiming this complete disorganisation and inability to defend properly is because we guilted him into dropping 'Hendo.'
Missed his chance with the first minute Nani effort.
He won't be close enough to anyone for the rest of the match to have a look in.
The Stones-Maguire axis of doom is just so bad.
I know it's been said a million times but it really is incredible how turgid England manage to be given the quality of players at their disposal.
Aside from Pickford, Maguire and Phillips these players are all nailed-on starters for some of the best clubs (yes United are shit but Rashford isn't and replace him with Grealish if you want anyway) in the world.
In Kane and Bellingham you've got arguably the best 9 and 10 in world football.
And this is what we're served up.
Why are the frogmobiles looking at this for ages?
Not really a Kane special but it's ridiculous that that is a penalty, there was no possibility Bellingham could have taken another step, he was at full stretch to earn the contact. More a fault of the rule though really.
Football's about kicking the ball, Bellingham kicked it, right back then kicked him, penaltí.
I think these type of penalties have been broken for a long long time.
Your goal once in these situations is to kick the ball out of play knowing the opposition is going to kick you half a second later. It's why going round the keeper died out, more profitable to just boot the ball out of play and get taken out.
Jesus, Bellingham is something isn't he.
So the tackler is allowed to be at full stretch and toe the ball away, preventing the attacker from taking the ball under control, but if the attacker responds in kind they are fair game to be fouled? Can you not see how ridiculously advantaged defenders would be with your rules?
I agree that you can't really solve the problem with rules, although phonics understands what I am saying. It would have to be discretion based, which would be more disastrous.
The wider complaint probably doesn't apply in the instant case as at least Bellingham is in the middle of the box and the ball was still within the field of play and potentially playable at the point of contact, but more broadly, the penalty rule was clearly conceived in an era where the threshold as to what constituted a foul was much higher than it is now, and the logical argument that "anywhere else on the pitch and that's a foul" means it is now much more advantageous to use the rules to win a penalty, than it is to try and score a goal from many situations, which is a bit shit.
Liam Cooper still getting call ups for Scotland is beyond ridiculous. One of the worst 40 mins you’ll see so far. Absolutely horrendous
I know it could never happen but I would like the idea of the shitty toe poke the ball out of play knowing you'll get fouled plays to be turned into indirect free kicks rather than penalties.
Speaking of, what happened to indirect freekicks? I grew up watching teams have to set-up two players to do anything but now I have no idea what causes a free kick to be indirect.
Obstruction and goalkeeper offences like picking up a back pass are the main ones aren't they?
Obstruction probably doesn't exist anymore as by the point of physical contact both parties are rolling about on the floor claiming a foul which is given one way or the other. [/soundingold]
Is point 1 and 3 not also known as 'a foul'?An indirect free kick can also be award to a team if the opposing player:
Plays in a dangerous manner
- Prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball
- Impedes the progress of an opponent
- Commits any offense that stops play that does not warrant a direct free kick
Could say the same for point 2.
What's the ref signal for indirect, a hand in the air? It is weird that that whole thing seems to have fallen out of the game.
That was the best goal I've seen England score for a very long time. Rashford was great at the end but this guy Bellingham is just a joy.
I do like this new aura Bellingham has. He knows he’s the best in the world.
He's a fucking phenomenon, isn't he?
He's what we always hoped that Rooney would become.
In fairness to Rooney he played with the same impetuosity until he broke his foot/was crushed under the weight of the Gerrard/Lampard midfield debate.
And the granny stuff, obvs.
It's the pure luck of the draw of the family around you. His Dad seems to be very on it from the moment he knew the kid could play. Every decision has been informed by the decision he'll have to make several years later. From forcing Jude abroad to save Birmingham from bankruptcy instead of joining a United for half a million to turning down City for Real Madrid because joining a 'plastic club' to quote the Dad would ruin his legacy.
M'Bappes mum could take a lesson or two from him.