England International Matches

[PhoenixUnited]

Have to say, I paid no attention at all to the friendly international against Australia.

I will however try to take in the match against Italy on Tuesday although these International Breaks are as dull as dishwater

[Kennyb41]

You missed fck all, apart from a 33yo getting rightly booed.

And a fcking tedious boring as per feckin usual England.

[Byebyegeegee]

Not the greatest spectacle, but another victory for England and effectively an England second eleven at that. I’m always happy when Leeds United win and when England win.

[Chilli D]

It was England reserves basically

[1964white]

Couldn't be arsed to watch it.

No doubt some fans think England will win Euro '24

[1964white]

It was England reserves basically

No excuse!

England reserve team should be doing better than a boring 1-0 win against a tin-pot football nation.

Is this the level English football is at nowadays? The answer is yes to be perfectly honest.

As a kid & a young man, I used to love watching England & the home nations, not any more!

[Musicman1965]

England B ( what can the B stand for) v the Aussies.
A nothing game with about as much appeal as cleaning out your guttering..
It's out on DVD at Amazon.co.uk... You get a free rope with every copy.

[Barlow Boy]

Got that bored, switched over and watched Corrie which was pretty good.

[Chilli D]

No excuse!

England reserve team should be doing better than a boring 1-0 win against a tin-pot football nation.

Is this the level English football is at nowadays? The answer is yes to be perfectly honest.

As a kid & a young man, I used to love watching England & the home nations, not any more!

Not making an excuse 64, just stating a fact that it wasn't England's strongest line up. What it highlighted was that outside of our strongest 11, we're perhaps not that strong although there were several players playing with very little international experience. They need games like this to gain experience and for Southgate to see if they're up to it.

[Rook]

I didn't even know they were playing last night.

For some reason i thought they were playing today.

[Musicman1965]

I didn't even know they were playing last night.

For some reason i thought they were playing today.

You dodged a bullet of your valuable time....Most of us will never recover

[geronimo]

They are a irrelevant exercise that take too much time up in the football calendar that have gone on fo years the need to stop the top two divisions from playing for an England game is farcical

Especially when in the championship three games are then crammed in to the space of a week

[Byebyegeegee]

No excuse!

England reserve team should be doing better than a boring 1-0 win against a tin-pot football nation.

Is this the level English football is at nowadays? The answer is yes to be perfectly honest.

As a kid & a young man, I used to love watching England & the home nations, not any more!

I don’t agree with any of that 64.

Australia are not a tin pot football nation. They are currently ranked 27th in the world and got into the last 16 of the 2022 World Cup, and bearing in mind that any game in any sport against England is Australia’s “cup final”, I think a 1-0 win by what was effectively a second eleven England team was ok. As I said earlier the game wasn’t a great spectacle but the Aussies had clearly come to not get beaten, packed their defence and relied on breakaways and, as we know from watching Leeds this season, teams who play this way are not easy to breakdown.

England are currently ranked 4th in the world and I maintain that our record in recent major tournaments is pretty good. We generally qualify for finals with ease these days and got the last 8 of the last World Cup, got to the last 4 of the World Cup before that and got to the final of the last European Championship. This is at least on a par with Englands football record historically.

I always enjoyed watching England as a kid and a young man and still do.

[Rook]

They are a irrelevant exercise that take too much time up in the football calendar that have gone on fo years the need to stop the top two divisions from playing for an England game is farcical

Especially when in the championship three games are then crammed in to the space of a week

I fully agree.

[Jaydog]

When you look at Englands squad it’ll be criminal if GS doesn’t win a major tournament especially as some of the superpowers aren’t what they used to be.

[geronimo]

When you look at Englands squad it’ll be criminal if GS doesn’t win a major tournament especially as some of the superpowers aren’t what they used to be.

England have always flattered to deceive in major tournaments, the media build them up and when it comes to the crunch games and the pressure is on they crumble every time
I don't see England winning a major tournament in my lifetime a bit like Leeds
The Germans on the other hand always come good at the right time and have easily been the most successful team in Europe for donkeys years
Their records in world cups and European tournaments are second to none

[Jaydog]

England have always flattered to deceive in major tournaments, the media build them up and when it comes to the crunch games and the pressure is on they crumble every time
I don't see England winning a major tournament in my lifetime a bit like Leeds
The Germans on the other hand always come good at the right time and have easily been the most successful team in Europe for donkeys years
Their records in world cups and European tournaments are second to none

They wouldn’t win a raffle with Gazza Shitgate in charge. Utterly clueless. I mean Henderson ffs

[Phild]

The draw in major tournaments has always been kind to England.
Think any mediocre manager could have gotten us to the same stages as Southgate with this squad.
This is where a superior coach ( not sure who) could have possibly have taken us further.
Somebody said we are ranked 4th.
Wouldn’t fancy us against any ranked team above or around us with Southgate.

[YorkshireSquare]

Put it on, saw Kewell, turned it off. Watched the last 10 minutes and that was pretty dull.

Pointless friendlies, getting in the way of our actual season.

[PhoenixUnited]

When you look at Englands squad it’ll be criminal if GS doesn’t win a major tournament especially as some of the superpowers aren’t what they used to be.

Well the fundamental requirement is for the International Team manager to select his squad and then mould them into a winning team. It does not mean getting the best football players available as that does not necessarily mean they will form the best team. Need some water carriers too! Apologies for stating the obvious.

Also, there is the issue of the tactics to be employed. If you just review what Alf Ramsey did and how he did it with his wingless wonders in the 1966 World Cup winning team. Horses for courses.

With the Gareth Southgate teams what we seem to see is a set up that is sent out to play "tournament" football which is play 2 DMs in front of the defence and pass the ball sideways, back and across the park in our own half and then try to get a goal to scrape a win to get the points and qualify for the next round. By the time the team gets to the knock out stages, which fair enough the England team has a decent record of doing, the team is so regimental in its tactics and can't play any other way that it is just inevitable that we end up with trying to win games on penalties. GS is set in his ways and has his favourite players and he ain't going to change any time soon. I hope I'm wrong but I really can't see GS heading up a tournament winng team sadly