A few stand out for England for me
Possibly the most frequently mentioned is the
Germany 1 England 5 in 2001
A night where everything England tried seem to come off. That big Munich scoreboard shining the scoreline and the shock of seeing Germany demoralised by English talent. It was a highpoint of Sven's reign and the team went onto reach the quarters in the World Cup and even led Brazil for a long time in that match.
Spain 2 England 3 last night
This was in many ways better than the Germany result as they just folded and Spain fought back and were desperate to turn it around, they looked devastated by the result. This game seemed and felt like far more than a nations league match.
Easily the best international involving England in recent times by such a long way, they played like one of our top premier league teams in a tough champions league away tie.
Ruthless and clinical in the first half with some excellent movement and determined to not let it go in the second.
Four at the back means more players in midfield and more support in attack, he's moving on and developing a core of young talent
This was a landmark performance for England. The kind of performance that vindicated Gareth Southgate’s bold approach, that showed tactically he can go toe-to-toe with the best coaches in world football and that England are doing all the right things in personnel and approach. And have the players.
England 4 Croatia 2 Euros finals 2004
Wayne Rooney came of age and reached heights he possibly never ever reached again on the international stage. This was an England team well capable of winning this tournament and on the night Croatia, themselves very useful, found England in blistering form.
Croatia took the lead and they fought to the end but this was an occasion when the overwhelming quality in England’s side was just too much for them. This was to be Scholes’ penultimate game for England and he pulled the strings in midfield. Rooney’s finishing was of the highest order and Lampard was emerging as an excellent international. It should have been the start of something but this team never recaptured that form again.
Croatia 1 England 4 World Cup qualifiers 2010
Walcott and Rooney ripping Croatia apart, they just had no answer
And then the 4-1 vs Holland mentioned in an above post from the Euros 96.
For me last night was as good as any
Having read a few posts on this and other Everton forums, there does seem to be a very strong anti-England brigade, who seem to share a begrudging, almost mean spirited attitude where England are concerned, giving only faint praise where absolutely unavoidable and, almost as if through clenched teeth, qualifying it with as many negatives as they can.
A sort of 'belittle any victories and make hay when they lose' attitude.
Even about last night..
I keep seeing it was a 'friendly' from the anti-England brigade. That may suit the whole 'big wow' narrative but it's just absolute bollocks isn't it?
Whether anybody respects the Nation's League or not, it's a competitive game and I have to say I've been enjoying the NL.
It was an outstanding result by England and it does, in my view, confirm that England belong at their ranking and maybe, just maybe they deserved to make the WC semi and it wasn't just some big fluke.
I don't share this negative mindset at all, as to me it's not at all generous and it's definitely not a particularly good look either.
