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Reply | England Thread 🏴
at 23:54 15 Jul 2026
I just don’t get it though. You go ultra defensive, but you still have to have that out ball, that hoof up front and some legs to chase. We had nothing. We had better players, no one will convince me there’s were better although you will easily convince me they were more of a team that wanted it more. Southgate was hated for his negative approach, this was soooo much worse in a game he was supposedly made for. |
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Reply | England Thread 🏴
at 23:15 15 Jul 2026
Sums it up perfectly. A manager coated for being defensive (Southgate), has just been outdone by Tuchel in terms of reverting to a negative, defensive approach. We had better players tonight, they had a better manager. What a wasted opportunity. |
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Reply | England Thread 🏴
at 22:08 15 Jul 2026
100%. Southgate absolutely coated for doing what we’ve just seen. 1-0 up and we went defensive and allowed them to come onto us. So poor. |
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Reply | England Thread 🏴
at 16:37 6 Jul 2026
Got to say I agree with all this. To have one of the best 90 minutes in many year, a cracking game and then to have a dig at those thinking TAA should have been in the squad was odd, especially given the full back (centre back by trade) playing in his position, got sent off for a reckless tackle that nearly cost us. Hardly a ringing endorsement, and as has been said, surely even now, while gloating in the delights of last night, TAA over Chalobah would have been a better choice?
Last night was always going to be a test of character, being able to win your duels and deal with a hostile occasion, and even if available I wouldn't have started Trent. We were fantastic.
BUT, Norway will be a very different game, as will the semi final if we make it. We will have a lot more of the ball so not just about winning your duels. Let's hope Konsa or Spence can perform. |
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Reply | England Thread 🏴
at 10:54 6 Jul 2026
Great call for once staying up to watch that one. A real old school defensive performance - passion, heart and total comittment to the cause. Loved every second of it. Agree the subs made a really useful contribution, Dan Burn's header on the overhead kick was real guts personified. I think the red card was the right call, he was playing really well up until that point as well which was a shame. And what more can you say about Jude, surely a future England captain.
There's a pathway opening up to the final here...Let's not blow it in our next, very winnable game. |
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Reply | England Thread 🏴
at 18:04 2 Jul 2026
3-7 days is the worst you can do. You either spend 2 or 3 weeks getting ready and acclimatise or you do a short 1-2 days and get out before the full impact hits. Not sure of the science behind it but that's the recommendation. From what I understand England Team are flying in 2 days before kick-off. |
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Reply | England Thread 🏴
at 13:49 18 Jun 2026
I thought that was an enjoyable watch, all pace and power and trying to apply a premier league, aggressive style. What’s not to like, other than some poor defending at times.
BUT, will that approach work when the temperature gage is touching 40. Mexico City, humid as anything, it’s just not physically possible to play how we did yesterday where we had perfect playing conditions, (aircon facility), and up against one of the older teams in the competition, with a centre midfielder in his 40s. It was a game where if we were physically up for it, we would definitely outrun and out battle them which eventually is how it turned out. But as we move on to other parts of the US, can we adapt?
The Manager has said he doesn’t want to give up that strength and change our style, but I think we’ll have to, and it’s at that point when we can’t play 100 miles an hr, I think we'll miss one or two of the guys left at home. Let’s see, I hope we can maintain it as I enjoyed the game. |
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Reply | England
at 13:59 23 May 2026
Skelly didn’t make the squad? |
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Reply | England
at 11:03 23 May 2026
Bobby Robson managed Rooney? Can’t remember that but agree with all your points, not sure why a typo needs to be called out and no relevance to view of player.
In terms of squad largely agree with Hunter and the players he’d taken over some that made the plane. The only one I’m slightly more concerned about is left back - an injury to O’Reilly and we’re in serious trouble and back to a right back playing left side which as Trippier showed last tournament, it seriously weakens your ability to progress/attack down that side. I don’t count Burn as a realistic replacement. |
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Reply | Where’s the progress?
at 15:35 6 May 2026
It’s a tricky one.
For me, the progress isn’t really about where we finished this season – which is only marginally better than before – it’s more about the position we’re in now, which to me looks quite promising and gives us a platform to kick on next year. On paper, you can see it, but whether the people running things (and working under them) are actually up to delivering is still a big question.
Squad wise though, there are reasons to be positive. If we recruit well and get even a bit more luck with injuries, we should be aiming for top 6 next season.
Up front, Burrell, Kone, Kolli and Obikwu feels miles ahead of Dykes, Armstrong and Kelman – and the fact they’re all at good ages only strengthens that.
At the back, Dunne, Edwards and JCS are, on their day, top defenders at this level. You can see a really solid partnership there, especially with Dunne and Edwards, if they stay fit.
Then you’ve got Chair and Poku – if we can actually get them on the pitch regularly, they could be massive for us. Big “if”, I know, but you’d like to think Chair is past the worst now. If he’d been available more this season, I think we’d have finished comfortably higher. Add in the younger lads who’ve picked up experience (Mbengue included) and they should all kick on again – just look at Madsen as an example of that.
The only real worry for me is the mentality side. It’s been as weak as pi*s for too long. Recruitment can’t just be about ability – we need a few players who’ll raise standards and drive things on. My concern is that doesn’t really fit the model or sell-on focus, so there’s a risk this decent position we’re potentially in just ends up fizzling out again and we end up back in 16th place.
But in answer to the question, the progress is that we're now in a position where we "could" do something special next season. "Could" being the key word. |
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Reply | Walsh
at 10:16 15 Apr 2026
I thought Walsh was younger than what he actually is. I've praised the Rangers leadership for their approach to Madsen but think they've failed with Walsh. He's not played enough games, and a lot of "bad habits", I think he could easily get out of, are probably still a season or 2 away from being ironed out. At 22 I didn't think this was a problem but at 24 and having not played much slightly changes things.
End of the season during Madsen's first year, I thought we saw some glimpses of what he could do and so made a brave call to stick with him. I think now till the end of the season the coaching staff really need to keep a close watch on Walsh for that hint he can step up next season. I'm 50/50 now he's 2 years on from what I thought but if they think there is something there, I'd back them. |
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Reply | Player of the Year Vote Now Open
at 10:02 15 Apr 2026
Pleased to see Jimmy get a mention. I've been very impressed with him. Seems his stint at right back has really helped his all round game because he's back in the middle and looking the part. Great leader, great player. I hope we keep him for next season.
I'm pleased for Madsen and he probably deserves it. I thought people were too quick to judge him and tbh give up on developing him despite the sums spent on him. The leadership at Rangers receive a lot of criticism, much of it fair, but how they backed and developed Madsen, when most wouldn't have had the patience, is deserving of praise. |
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Reply | Walsh
at 19:42 10 Apr 2026
Walsh is only 22. The average age of a Championship goalkeeper is 27/28 I think. He’s very young. Now I fully agree about learning on our time isn’t ideal - he should have been out on loan developing - but now we’re here, now he’s going to have played a full season in the Championship minus some time out the side for injury and form, isn’t the call about whether he will be better next season/where his ceiling lies? If we think he’ll go from one of the worst records to a mid table one - while still having huge development potential - is he worth persevering with?
He’s still 4/5 years from his peak. |
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Reply | Kolli
at 17:14 26 Mar 2026
Kolli is 21, admittedly only turned 21, but when Eze was 21 he won our player of the season award and was bought by Palace for big money. Next season, I can't see Kolli getting close to that, and think his objective should be to try and establish himself in the first team. If he manages that, he'd have done fantastically well.
With Chair, when just turned 21 (so same age as Kolli), he did a league 1 loan with Stevenage, at the end of which their Manager said he was "‘the best player that has ever worn a Stevenage Football Club shirt’. Now, if Kolli went on loan to Stevenage or another league 1 club, I'm sceptical he would return with that level of praise but I could be wrong.
The key difference for me between the three is how they look after the football and their decision making which I think Kolli lacks at times. I can see him getting better at this, and can see him being decent for us, but I don't think its 'recency bias' to suggest he's not at the same levels as those two at the same age, which as I've made clear, isn't a criticism of him, because not many are. |
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Reply | Kolli
at 13:50 26 Mar 2026
Look, he’s not a bad player, in fact he’s a very good one and we don’t know where his ceiling lies. Getting the ball into him, with space to shoot…we could be onto something.
But I’ve not seen enough (yet), which convinces me he’ll be as successful or even close, to say a Chair or an Eze. And to be clear, there’s no shame in that. Eze is a generational talent, and I still think Chair’s our best player. But when you speak to some people, they see Kolli as being on their level or capable of getting to it. I don’t see that. Hope I’m proved wrong. |
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Reply | RND called up to the Welsh squad
at 19:09 18 Mar 2026
I think you called this one wrong. Larkeshe was lined up to get a fair run in the side but a serious injury scuppered those plans - the club were looking to develop our younger players. I know you felt Esquadina should then have been thrown in but as his performances showed, he was seriously out his depth. We needed someone who understood the position and Championship football, and RND has done ok.
If this season has taught us anything it’s the importance of mixing youth/inexperience with decent hardworking pros who we’ve pissed off a bit this season - Cook, Field. Getting in a young league 2 left back to play the bulk of the season, with the squad we have, would have been a mistake in my opinion. |
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Reply | Walsh
at 18:28 14 Mar 2026
Let’s hope this statement displays the accuracy of your Koki Saito is the next messiah one. I jest, I am worried about the keeper too. But I do think we give him till the end of the season to fully form our views. He is very young for a keeper so making a call on his future in the summer after a full set of games, especially as no promotion or relegation, seems sensible and fair.
At the moment, come the end of the season I think this may be one we have to move on from, but I would give him the remainder of the season to see if he can change our minds. |
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Reply | Blackburn Reflection
at 22:04 14 Feb 2026
But are you judging Kone’s “early performances” playing in an unfamiliar role behind the 9, or on the small sample size where he’s been the main man, the number 9? As a number 9, Kone is decent, as a number 10, dropping deep and trying to be a bit clever with the ball which doesn’t suit his skill-set, he’s not great. Next season, played in the right position, he’ll score a lot of goals for Rangers. |
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Reply | Blackburn Reflection
at 21:41 14 Feb 2026
The last home game Kone was MOTM? People raving about him being much better in his favoured number 9 role etc. Now I know we’re all annoyed, but come on, have some balance to what you say. |
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