Today’s Football 2022/23 Season

[Billy Dean]

Neither do I. That's my point. England do, more or less, what they should do. The only criticism I do have of them is, for the size of the country, they should have won maybe one title over the last 40 years. France and Italy - comparable football countries - show them up. So has Spain, with a good 15 million people less. Euro 2020 was that chance...

Euro 2024 will be another chance and probably Euro 2028 too, which may very well be on home soil

 

[April1970]

I see a Scunthorpe defender called Richards-Everton has scored an own goal for Notts County. I somehow doubt we will ever see him in a blue shirt.

 

[Drico]

Euro 2024 will be another chance and probably Euro 2028 too, which may very well be on home soil

It will be a chance, yes. But I'm a firm believer that if a team or sportsperson does not seize the first or second serious chance of glory that presents itself, they are very unlikely ever to scale the peak.

So, my position with this England side is that after a near miss in 2018, an incredibly close shave indeed in 2020(1) and going close again in 2022 (in my view, England would have beaten Argentina if they had overcome the pre-flu French), that England's players have now built up psychological battle scars that will make any journey to the top that bit harder, perhaps significantly so.

And this is before we consider that Spain will be a bit more mature, Germany less complacent (and at home), and France will have many injured players back (in all likelihood). We must also remember than if England could not capitalise fully on an incredibly soft passage to the last four in 2018 and effective home advantage in 2021 that it seems less likely they would do even as well with a harder draw next time.

As for 2028 - that's more than enough time for the Italians and Germans to have rebuilt successfully. And there will be no Harry Kane then - England's one truly world-class player.

So, not to be a downer, I don't think things are quite as rosy as they might be for England. They will definitely contend next summer. But it only takes one good side to beat them. And the evidence even of the match on Thursday suggests that they still do not control the midfield - even against poor sides like the current Italian team.

 

[Billy Dean]

It will be a chance, yes. But I'm a firm believer that if a team or sportsperson does not seize the first or second serious chance of glory that presents itself, they are very unlikely ever to scale the peak.

So, my position with this England side is that after a near miss in 2018, an incredibly close shave indeed in 2020(1) and going close again in 2022 (in my view, England would have beaten Argentina if they had overcome the pre-flu French), that England's players have now built up psychological battle scars that will make any journey to the top that bit harder, perhaps significantly so.

And this is before we consider that Spain will be a bit more mature, Germany less complacent (and at home), and France will have many injured players back (in all likelihood). We must also remember than if England could not capitalise fully on an incredibly soft passage to the last four in 2018 and effective home advantage in 2021 that it seems less likely they would do even as well with a harder draw next time.

As for 2028 - that's more than enough time for the Italians and Germans to have rebuilt successfully. And there will be no Harry Kane then - England's one truly world-class player.

So, not to be a downer, I don't think things are quite as rosy as they might be for England. They will definitely contend next summer. But it only takes one good side to beat them. And the evidence even of the match on Thursday suggests that they still do not control the midfield - even against poor sides like the current Italian team.

Kane will most likely be gone but I think there’s a good chance we’ll have other genuine world class players then, as well as midfielders who can play football. Although that is conjecture a little bit.

 

[steven]

Broadhead with a goal on debut for Wales. FairPlay to the lad. Always thought he had something about him.

 

[Rich1878]

Broadhead !!!!!

 

[TheBigIguana]

Brazil loss without Allison proves he's the best keeper in the world @Saint Domingo

 

[Billy Dean]

Why did the U21s win so easily against France? Did France have a weak side out or something?

 

[RomanReigns]

Why did the U21s win so easily against France? Did France have a weak side out or something?

our u21's are so good that a 19 year old starts for the england first team these days

 

[Nymzee]

Why did the U21s win so easily against France? Did France have a weak side out or something?

It’s on the weaker side in some areas, but overall a strong outfit, England U21 squad is just really good as well. Nkounkou came on for them too. Gutted I missed it now, forgot it was on.

 

[Billy Dean]

It’s on the weaker side in some areas, but overall a strong outfit, England U21 squad is just really good as well. Nkounkou came on for them too. Gutted I missed it now, forgot it was on.

Oh absolutely England have a strong squad. I was just surprised they beat France so easily. Looks like a ton of subs were made just before the goals started flying in

 

[Saint Domingo]

Brazil loss without Allison proves he's the best keeper in the world @Saint Domingo

If you say so. Right up there just ahead of Nick Pope and Ramsdale.

 

[dublinbluenose]

All systems go now for a bid to host the 2028 Euro's.

 

[Drico]

s for

Kane will most likely be gone but I think there’s a good chance we’ll have other genuine world class players then, as well as midfielders who can play football. Although that is conjecture a little bit.

Well, you might well have other world-class players then - but then so will other countries. The time to capitalise on your current lead over the likes of Italy and Germany was 2020(1) and the last World Cup. 2018 was a bit early - and the soft draw opened up a chance that probably wasn't really there. But it was most certainly there after a minute of the Euro 2020 final. And it was there again with 15 minutes remaining of the World Cup quarter-final. But those chances were spurned. The chance is there again in 2024 - but this time it comes with the baggage of failure. The draw will go a long way to determining how big a chance this will be.

As to England having "midfielders who can play football" - it's been a time-honoured problem for England. England has always produced one or two superb midfield players - Charlton, Brooking, Wilkins, Robson, Hoddle, Gascoigne, Scholes - but has, more often than not - distrusted those players. And the supporting cast has never been as consistently technical as those on the continent. Only Charlton and Robson were ever made the main man in the England set up. Quality ball-players like Wilkins and Hoddle were always looked on with suspicion. Scholes was shunted out of his best position to make room for inferior but more action-oriented players like Lampard and Gerrard. Even the great new hope, Bellingham, is more about action that brainy finesse.

Anyway, this is a good England side - and a real contender next summer. In my book, only France are clearly better. England are among a group of sides who could win the competition if the French don't.

 

[Billy Dean]

s for

Well, you might well have other world-class players then - but then so will other countries. The time to capitalise on your current lead over the likes of Italy and Germany was 2020(1) and the last World Cup. 2018 was a bit early - and the soft draw opened up a chance that probably wasn't really there. But it was most certainly there after a minute of the Euro 2020 final. And it was there again with 15 minutes remaining of the World Cup quarter-final. But those chances were spurned. The chance is there again in 2024 - but this time it comes with the baggage of failure. The draw will go a long way to determining how big a chance this will be.

As to England having "midfielders who can play football" - it's been a time-honoured problem for England. England has always produced one or two superb midfield players - Charlton, Brooking, Wilkins, Robson, Hoddle, Gascoigne, Scholes - but has, more often than not - distrusted those players. And the supporting cast has never been as consistently technical as those on the continent. Only Charlton and Robson were ever made the main man in the England set up. Quality ball-players like Wilkins and Hoddle were always looked on with suspicion. Scholes was shunted out of his best position to make room for inferior but more action-oriented players like Lampard and Gerrard. Even the great new hope, Bellingham, is more about action that brainy finesse.

Anyway, this is a good England side - and a real contender next summer. In my book, only France are clearly better. England are among a group of sides who could win the competition if the French don't.

Yes like I said it’s conjecture, and yes you probably don’t get a better chance than being 1 up in a final on home soil, but I do think there will be other chances. You basically said as much yourself at the end of your post.

You don’t have to be confined to your history and England are now starting to produce technically sound midfield players and think that’s likely to be reflected in the senior team in the next 5-10 years. For example the U21s started 5 ball playing midfielders last night and brought more off the bench. But there are no guarantees obviously. Re Bellingham, he’s no Pirlo but he’s also not your typical brainless English box to box midfielder that we’ve seen in the past. And also right now we’re judging him as a 19 year old which is easy to forget sometimes.