2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar.

[Coastalraider]

Canada showed how to go down swinging this morning.

 

[Tevor]

Canada showed how to go down swinging this morning.

The Pen was very poorly taken but gee that had a go, was good to watch.

 

[Big Dog]

Seriously, 1:30 in have a look at Leckie's cover.


We'll have our work cut out for us against Tunisia. Thought they were the better side against Denmark

 

[FFC Mariner]

Canada showed how to go down swinging this morning.

Is that because they have a really good coach, really good players playing in higher leagues?

 

[sydmariner]

 

[sydmariner]

live q & a with cumdog

 

[sydmariner]

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Seriously, 1:30 in have a look at Leckie's cover.


We'll have our work cut out for us against Tunisia. Thought they were the better side against Denmark

Lot of basic mistakes. Pause at 36. 4 players on two but doing nothing to stop the play. Then 4 players tied up marking two again. Then almost dead centre, Laboit with a free run all the way to the six yard box to head home, while beside him another two of our players are 2 on 1. Ridiculous.

Can talk about France's quality all you like. If you don't mark and allow free run down the centre of the box any half decent side will score against you.

Second goal... A domino of unforced errors - unless you want to count a standard press.

- 1. We're under the pump. So a decent option is to slow it down as long as possible and play it long as per Bozza's commentary. But sure, if we don't want to and want to build form teh back, and keep some possession fine, but expect to be pressed and so move the ball quickly forward or backward or protect it. Can't rely on them just to be bloody nice and stand off you. Again, little to do with France's ability and much more to do with our mistakes.

2. Atkinson - poor touch. Slow decision making. Fails to protect the ball. Awful.

3. Once Atkinson is losing possession Souttar is way too slow to give Atkinson a safe passing lane back.

4. Souttar and Rowles are far too slow to react and close down. Souttar is still marking a potential future sideline run that future Mbappe may make instead of the route t goal. So Rowles thinks he has to come, but can he, should he, maybe yes, maybe no... maybe I should.... ahh damn... And manages to put zero no pressure on and cover nothing.

3rd goal.

Perfect cross. But Rowles HAS to be jumping and competing for that header. Reaction is wrong and too slow. Jumps and he may well have gotten it and at the very least even if he misses it's now a much harder header for Mbappe to time and direct.

And can someone please tell me what the actual f**k Goodwin is doing on that cross. Took his goal well. But that is some of the worst defending you will see at this cup.

Fourth, yes Big Dog... Leckie... shocking. Mate your 70 minutes into the opening game of a bloody world cup match. You shoudl be able to RUN. And even if you can't, you RUN till you drop you bastard.

But nope, there's a massive hole in behind Atkinson, and he just let's his runner go, and so Souttar has to go and starts to get pulled out of position - form which our giant defender is no longer in the middle to compete for headers.

At which point Mbappe could have played the runner in, but hey why bother, I'm one on one with a player I'm twice as fast as and this other lazy bastard can't be arsed helping him close me down. So I'll just go round him. BUT only to be foiled by Leckie's last gasp lung busting run and lunge to block the...

Oh wait. Nope. Sorry. It's a clayton's sprint. 85% speed, followed by a Claytons block of a lazy outstretched foot.

I don't care how hard he's worked previously. Great assist. But that kind of lazy shit is unforgivable at this level at any time, let alone in a WC match.

 

[Wombat]

The back four were shite. Leckie was lucky to get picked. Mooy looks like he is struggling to defrost from storage. Arnie is a GREAT AL coach but clueless at this level.

 

[StensnessGOAT]

You can say the back 4 as a collective were shite but individually Behich had a really solid game I thought, arguably our best player other than Irvine.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

You can say the back 4 as a collective were shite but individually Behich had a really solid game I thought, arguably our best player other than Irvine.

Completely agree. Thought he was our best on field.

 

[finally retired]

Completely agree. Thought he was our best on field.

That says it all though.

 

[booney]

Our lack of physicality was a surprise.French players outmuscled us on many occasions.Mbappe as well as having incredible skill and speed is also so strong.

Leckie is usually our most physical player but Hernandez the replacement LB pushed him off the ball repeatedly.Rowles did some good things but also was beaten in the air ,leading to a couple of their goals.However he and Souttar should be our CB pairing for the next couple of years.The fact that both had only come back from injury showed as they were slow to react and caught out of position at times.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

So… Must win game. Pessimism which is perhaps realism has to be put aside to have a chance. So how do we set up against Tunisia?

People are saying Hrustic in, but another player with little game time worries me. Players need to be razor sharp to have any chance and hard to argue Rowles and Souttar were at their best.

What changes would people make?
What strategy would you use?

 

[Ironbark]

Montyball

 

[BrisRecky]

one for the England WC team fans

 

[sydmariner]

one for the England WC team fans

This is our year

 

[StensnessGOAT]

Hrustic is class, if he is fit and if he doesn’t start he has to come off the bench no later than the hour mark.

 

[scottmac]

So Iran has come out a different team against Wales. Exactly what we need to do against Tunisia.

 

[Tevor]

So Iran has come out a different team against Wales. Exactly what we need to do against Tunisia.

Amazing what happens when you have to win, first round of pool games are always defensive bore fests. Has been a good game so far, nice and open. Come on Wales.