World cup 2026

On the other hand, watching England is starting to feel a little like watching Palace in Europe.


This England side is built to play against good teams who come out and attack. They struggle far more against sides that sit deep, keep a low block and deny space. That’s exactly the same criticism Palace get. Against teams that have a go at us, we’re far more dangerous because we can break at pace.


I saw someone comment that Tuchel’s England are set up to perform better against the bigger nations, and I think there’s a lot of truth in that. Once teams leave space, England suddenly look much more creative and threatening.


No team that reaches a World Cup is going to be poor. But international football is often about pace, space, power and counter-attacking. If the opposition opens up, that’s when players like ours become dangerous.


A lot of the criticism of England reminds me of what people said about Palace in the Europa League. People expected us to steamroller the smaller sides, but football doesn’t work like that. The pitch is only so big. When a team sits everyone behind the ball, space disappears. The moment they come out and play, that’s when the game opens up, and that’s when both Palace and England look at their best.

Granted we’ve also got Adam Wharton to call on…
 
Nutmegyeti said:
On the other hand, watching England is starting to feel a little like watching Palace in Europe.


This England side is built to play against good teams who come out and attack. They struggle far more against sides that sit deep, keep a low block and deny space. That’s exactly the same criticism Palace get. Against teams that have a go at us, we’re far more dangerous because we can break at pace.


I saw someone comment that Tuchel’s England are set up to perform better against the bigger nations, and I think there’s a lot of truth in that. Once teams leave space, England suddenly look much more creative and threatening.


No team that reaches a World Cup is going to be poor. But international football is often about pace, space, power and counter-attacking. If the opposition opens up, that’s when players like ours become dangerous.


A lot of the criticism of England reminds me of what people said about Palace in the Europa League. People expected us to steamroller the smaller sides, but football doesn’t work like that. The pitch is only so big. When a team sits everyone behind the ball, space disappears. The moment they come out and play, that’s when the game opens up, and that’s when both Palace and England look at their best.

Granted we’ve also got Adam Wharton to call on…
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This.

But that defence looks one of the worst England defence I have seen for years (save Guehi). The full backs selected are mediocre; and Konsa's automatic selection never ceases to mystify.

I can't see it improving quick enough.
 
ASCPFC said:
England are a tough watch here. They look like good individuals, they don't look like a good team.
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Apart from the occasional performance here and there, it pretty much sums us up over the last 50 odd years really. Just having top players gets us passed most of the opposition we have to play, but that’s not enough when you come up against the top nations

Tuchel doesn’t even know what his best team is, our defence has been different every game, as soon as we play someone decent we’re buggered
 
Playing one defensive midfielder was a step forward and I hope that continues . For me its Rice or Anderson not both of them .
It gave the England side some much needed attacking purpose and if we had a decent focal point ie a Centre forward that plays like a centre forward I'm sure we would get the goals our possession demands .

Even when Watkins came on we looked more like a team that could hurt the opposition ,a stark contrast to the first half that had this past bedtime KO see half the country asleep on the sofa .

Seeing Henderson come on late in the game for another undeserved cap was enough for me to go and sit in the garden with a beer and contemplate why international football bores the life out of me ,why I think Harry bloody Kane is the most boring over rated footballer on the planet and why have the FA given Tuchel an extension on his contract

I hope we find out his worth in the KO rounds , I really do .
 
Someone will correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Tuchel criticise Southgate on the basis "England play like they are afraid to lose"?

Those of you watching the games (as opposed to myself who has just read a small amount of commentary), has Tuchel changed us for the better?
 
Part Time James said:
Someone will correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Tuchel criticise Southgate on the basis "England play like they are afraid to lose"?

Those of you watching the games (as opposed to myself who has just read a small amount of commentary), has Tuchel changed us for the better?
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Not at all . The attacking threat still has to involve boring and predictable Kane and the defence looks like a goal against at any time . Tuchel left all the creativity at home ,(unlike Southgate who at least picked them even if he didn't know how to use them ) He is going for the German playbook page 6 . Play safe and grind out a result
 
Tuchel has picked his full backs cos ‘they can play in a few different positions’. Quite right mate, except they can’t play at full back !
What a pile of crap our defence is. We’ll get blown apart by any decent attacking team…
 
Dogburger said:
Not at all . The attacking threat still has to involve boring and predictable Kane and the defence looks like a goal against at any time . Tuchel left all the creativity at home ,(unlike Southgate who at least picked them even if he didn't know how to use them ) He is going for the German playbook page 6 . Play safe and grind out a result
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This was the impression I got. I wasn't ever blown away with the football under Southgate but I felt like he did a pretty decent job. I'm not hearing that Tuchel has transformed us.

I accept that we might step up against better teams, as has been suggested by him and others, but I think to proclaim he was going to be an upgrade on a manager that took us to two finals was probably premature.
 
Runningman said:
Tuchel has picked his full backs cos ‘they can play in a few different positions’. Quite right mate, except they can’t play at full back !
What a pile of crap our defence is. We’ll get blown apart by any decent attacking team…
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Not the first to say it, but what has Mitchell got to do to at least be trialled in some pre tournament friendlies?
 
Part Time James said:
Someone will correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Tuchel criticise Southgate on the basis "England play like they are afraid to lose"?

Those of you watching the games (as opposed to myself who has just read a small amount of commentary), has Tuchel changed us for the better?
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I couldn't really see an identifiable game plan. A lot of individual stuff, became a bit more flowing second half. I reckon that was as Panama tired. So England are fitter than Panama.
What was worrying is that the most innocuous of long balls forward by them, looked worrying for England.
The left back was one of the weakest players I've ever seen. They started pressing and bullying him. Think playing Kamada at left back and you'll be about right. Anderson had to help out. Anderson played well. The right back non existent as there wasn't one. When Spence came on that improved.

But overall, I saw no particular identity or style. There was a formation. It looked like someone had said, "we're playing 4-3-3, get out there and have fun". Fair enough, they won. My current opinion is they'd struggle against countries like the USA, let alone France, Argentina, Spain etc. If I were to stick my neck out I'd put England maybe fifth or sixth. Which is where they are when you you consider it.
 
Part Time James said:
Someone will correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Tuchel criticise Southgate on the basis "England play like they are afraid to lose"?

Those of you watching the games (as opposed to myself who has just read a small amount of commentary), has Tuchel changed us for the better?
Click to expand...
At least Southgate had some sort of structure, it all seems to be a bit of a hotch potch from Tuchel so far. I know our last tournament was tough to watch, but can you see us keeping a clean sheet when this tournament gets serious? I guess this is when we can judge Tuchel properly when we come up against a top nation, because that was Southgate’s biggest criticism he got the big calls and selections and substitutions wrong in the big games against Croatia, Italy France and Spain in the quarters, semi’s and finals
 
Part Time James said:
Not the first to say it, but what has Mitchell got to do to at least be trialled in some pre tournament friendlies?
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Other than Palace fans, no one ever talks about him. It is Shaw, who is past his best but had a pretty good season or Hall - who is touted as a good attacking player but did F all at Newcastle last year. Spence did not even make the starting line up for a 17th placed team when Udogie was fit
 
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