I know it’s ups and downs with international football and tournament form is another beast but the team wasn’t great against Malta either. Are the players just not that bothered? End of year playing in the motions?

Well these friendlies don’t mean much but it’s still a part of building team chemistry in the build up the Euros. The lack of creativity is still a key issue that has lingered since the Last Euros too, I think Maddisons badly missed and Sakas been far from his best.

  • Jazzlike-Mistake2764@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    Win some friendlies

    Breeze through qualification

    Disappointing but ultimately meaningless pre-tournament losses <– you are here

    Speculation as to whether it’s possible to replace Southgate before the tournament

    Stick with Southgate

    It’s coming home

    Group stage has one impressive win, one routine win and one boring draw

    Grind out knockout wins by 1 or 2 goals

    It might actually be coming home

    Play well against a top team, have a few horrible decisions go against us, crash out with a narrow loss

    It will come home next time

  • amanset@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    People were saying the same thing before the Euros in 2021.

    We got to the final.

  • 2ManySpliffs@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    Not sure what people were expecting from this game where there was nothing to play for. England players going through the motions and just hoping not to make a bad fuck-up or get injured or get a red card. I would do the same thing in their shoes.

  • seshtown@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    I think it’s easy to look at a game like this and say it doesn’t matter but England don’t ever look convincing under Southgate.

    • Sealeydeals93@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      I would disagree, we have very convincing performances. We deservedly beat Italy home and away this time round. It’s consistency we lack, for every good match there’s a 0-0 against the US around the corner.

  • Ciderhead@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    One of the main problems of conversation around international football is it’s so spread out people have such short memories. We were very convincing against Italy and Scotland. We beat the same Macedonia side 7-0 in the home leg. But a couple of fairly dull games after we’ve already qualified and now the sky is falling again

  • Jitsu_apocalypse@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    Hard to get motivated for a pub team when you’ve already qualified and you’re not getting paid for your time

  • Formal_Ad2091@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    England have great attacking players but a manager that plays it too safe.

    Southgate is a man that was at the right place at the right time. Always get found out by tougher competition.

  • Sealeydeals93@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    These games didn:t matter a jot and Southgate was experimenting, I wouldn’t read much into it. We deservedly beat Italy home and away and qualified with relative ease from one of the toughest groups. Aside from Portugal and France I’d say we were as convincing as anyone.

  • Bitter_Birthday7363@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    You can’t look much into these games it’s a dead rubber players don’t want to get injured or exert themselves to much when they are challenging for trophies, European spots etc. England qualified easily out in some really strong performances along the way. No team is gonna be at their creative best all the time all great teams have periods of grinding out results.

    Say city qualify from their cl group with 2 games to spare then play out a few bore draws or scrappy 1-0 wins in the dead robbers nobody looks into it or cares do they ?

  • Soft_Author2593@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    German here. Wanna swap?

    Edit: actually, let’s go for a quick 24 hour war. After that we create the great British empire of German nations, combine teams and be unstoppable!