What's right with football?

[Private Fraser]

Tibet 1-0 down after only 2 minutes.  Going to be an uphill struggle from here.

[McGurk's Missus]

Tibet 1-0 down after only 2 minutes.  Going to be an uphill struggle from here.

Have Northern Cyprus peaked too early though?

[McGurk's Missus]

Love the Nigerian GK jersey.

[Samdy Gray]

It's football related and a nice touch, so it can go in here:

My old man cycled Football to Amsterdam for Prostate Cancer UK. He was diagnosed last year.

He was cycling alone, whereas most people do it in teams associated with a club. So he ended up joining up with the Northampton team, including their chairman, who let him tag along for the whole ride. There's a few pictures of him lurking around in their group on their Twitter.

[Private Fraser]

It's football related and a nice touch, so it can go in here:

My old man cycled Football to Amsterdam for Prostate Cancer UK. He was diagnosed last year.

He was cycling alone, whereas most people do it in teams associated with a club. So he ended up joining up with the Northampton team, including their chairman, who let him tag along for the whole ride. There's a few pictures of him lurking around in their group on their Twitter.

Good stuff! All the best to your dad.

[Legends-Lounge]

Have Northern Cyprus peaked too early though?

The Sherpa playing in midfield is carrying the team.

[horlock07]

England managing to encapsulate their entire forthcoming World Cup performance in one game.

One dimensional and devoid of ideas with no ability to adapt if the other team change their approach, Sterling still has no end product (just shows what playing with better players can do for you) and his dive was frankly embarrassing.

At least the hope won't get us....

Oh but Jordan Pickford has a foot like a traction engine....

[woolster]

England managing to encapsulate their entire forthcoming World Cup performance in one game.

One dimensional and devoid of ideas with no ability to adapt if the other team change their approach, Sterling still has no end product (just shows what playing with better players can do for you) and his five was frankly embarrassing.

At least the hope won't get us....

Oh but Jordan Pickford has a foot like a traction engine....

yes, 2nd half was (Eric) Dier

[adje]

Dier is totally pointless in my opinion

[Red Frog]

Reading this lot, I hardly dare open the What's Wrong With.. thread.

[McGurk's Missus]

I saw it differently, as with most friendlies. Started with the majority that will start in Russia. However, Captain Henderson and Maguire were both not involved. I thought Cahill played himself back into contention. The pressure on Sterling to score (for the media' sake) was clear to see. The squad were clearly trying to create for him and play got lost in the process. Having said that, 1st half we actually looked like scoring most of the times we went forward. I'm confident that the team that started the match would have scored one or two more.

Players who disappointed when coming on;

Loftus-Cheek: Put in a few cute balls but never found the player, looked out of his depth and wasn't on the same page.

Danny Rose: Not a fan of his on this season. Was static with the ball and as soon as he received it all he wanted to do was give it back, momentum gone instantly.

Welbeck and Rashford looked threatening but midfield creativity was zapped and they struggle to make a case for a start.

Player who came on and did well;

Delph: Considering he had the least time to impress, I thought he settled the threat that Nigeria may had and helped close the game out. If there was a question over that position I'd start him over Rose and potentially over Young. Good option to have.

Others of note, although they both started, I thought Lingard was better than Alli yet Lingard always seems to be the fall guy when being subbed. Has a better all round game and more unselfish than Alli. He deserves to see games out.

Dier doesn't warrant a full game atm, he's simply quite vacant. Trippier has proven he can provide and is converting that at International level. He should be one of the first names on the sheet. Most of the defence and GK were pretty solid. The error for the goal came from Alli not tracking his man, who waltzed in for the follow up.

Kane was good value, got lucky with his strike but a goal is a goal. If Sterling had done that the keeper probably would've just got down to it. In essence, it was a keeper error. Sterling  is just lacking the end product he does so well at club level, it's not at club level and there is enough quality around him, with Lingard and Kane, as well as the service provided from Trippier. It's not hope but I do think when it matters it'll come good.

Nigeria did disrupt with about 7 changes, most all before England had made one. Therein lay the main problem. In a true match scenario that wouldn't have been an option.

So while we all air on the side of caution, I think it was good that we did get tested eventually as in the 1st half it could have been a rout and we'd be saying it wasn't much of a warm up. Work to be done and a few players asking questions of GS over a starting birth. Chiefly Cahill and Delph.

That'll do, can't be arsed to go on *satire*

[woolster]

In a true match scenario that wouldn't have been an option.

In a true match scenario the opposition will be better than Nigeria

[Bob's Orange]

In a true match scenario the opposition will be better than Nigeria

Not in 2/3 of our group games they won’t be.

[McGurk's Missus]

In a true match scenario the opposition will be better than Nigeria

In a true match scenario against different opposition, we'd set ourselves up differently. You can only prepare and deal with the threat that is set out on the pitch at that time. We dealt with it. Job done. Food for thought of course but nine games without defeat.

Would you rather we concentrate on the media's constant pressing, and trying to make an issue out of every breath of air that Raheem Sterling breathes?

When all is said and done, it was just a fudging friendly.

[suttonred]

Might have been a friendly but 50p says we'll watch that  sideways, backwards turgid crap 3 more times in Russia. Luckily just the 3.