BromleyMonkey
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England
It’s all about him and the team dynamic suffers? Yes definitely
Funny how Portugal suddenly put nine past Armenia without Ronaldo
England team
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Funny how Portugal suddenly put nine past Armenia without Ronaldo
Dean made some decent saves and spared a few blushes with that last ditch tackle.
Hard to judge Wharton. Midfield was too crowded with Stones pushing up and Bellingham dropping back.
None in that area had a decent game and was telling we scored from crosses rather than through the middle. Anderson still very much has that shirt though.
Hard to judge Wharton. Midfield was too crowded with Stones pushing up and Bellingham dropping back.
None in that area had a decent game and was telling we scored from crosses rather than through the middle. Anderson still very much has that shirt though.
Sorry but this is tosh. Who’s to say they would’nt have put 11 past them with him in the team. Don’t fall into the United problem of thinking Ronaldo and his high standards are the problem.
The competition up top is fierce. Barcola, Dembele, Mbappe, Olise, Ekitike, Nkunku, Thuram: and I am probably missing a few. He does offer something different with his physical presence but they do not play a system that caters to the strength of his link-up play. If he were English, he would be the obvious back-up to Kane
It's a shame LaCroix hasn't had a sniff
I suppose he is now the only first-team choice who has yet to win a full cap. His last representative outing was 6 years ago
Houston Eagle
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Mateta does offer something that the aforementioned superstars may not. I see his role as similar to Eze which will be a late impact substitute if needed!
LaCroix is certainly better than Konate and somewhat overlooked so far!
I reckon he might burst late onto the scene especially if Palace continue to impress this season.
CPFCSaturn
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England
Quite a few French fans are pointing out that Mateta has matched Thuram's international goal tally already... JP did it in 2 games, Thuram has had 31.
As you say, France's attacking depth is scary (I'd add Doue to your list above), but I think JP is on track to make their WC squad - he's very different in profile to most of those mentioned, and he's already showing what a good goalscorer he is.
CPFCSaturn
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England
Lacroix is definitely in that bracket with the likes of Konate - I think the fact he rarely plays in a centre-back pairing will work against him, as it would be a big transition from his central centre-back role with us to playing in a conventional back four.
Feels like this WC will come a little soon for him, but he's certainly good enough to work his way into that squad long-term.
BromleyMonkey
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England
actually I think you’ll find it’s far from tosh in Portugal, much as they love him it’s been a thing with their fans and media for sometime now
There’s been games in recent tournaments where everyone was commenting on it, his ego wanting to run the show, demanding he took every free kick, waving his arms in frustration when he didn’t get the ball, it stood out like a sore thumb.
Armenia actually beat Ireland, and it does look like the Portuguese team did play with a freedom without having to pamber to Ronaldo
silvertop
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England
England improved when Southgate dropped Rooney.
France won the World Cup and Euros when they dropped Cantona and Ginola.
They are generational players, but they unbalance a team.
Messi is an outlier, but he always plays in the team for his country.
On which, Argentina stuck with Maradona too long. Ditto Ronaldo.
ASCPFC
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Ireland
Luckily they've picked Mateta so both might feel they'll get international football by staying with us. However, the opposite is someone like PSG or similar thinking they might do a job for them. Which they probably would. Particularly Lacroix in my opinion. He'd do a job for any defence.
Jude Bellingham: Ian Wright says midfielder's treatment shows some people 'not ready for black superstar'
Former England striker Ian Wright does not think some people are "ready for a black superstar" following the media treatment of Jude Bellingham.
www.bbc.co.uk
Yet again the BBC allow Wright to have his says with little or no counter argument.
Many black England players have played with distinction and dignity, not behaving like Prima Donna’s. It's insulting to imply that criticism of a player known to have ego issues is racist.
Beckham, Rooney, Lampard, Terry and Gerrard Bobby Moore even, all big names for England and were rightly criticised in the press for their on or off field behaviour, so the idea that black player get it more is rubbish.
Guehi has played for England and acquitted himself well. Morgan Rodgers is showing Bellingham what being a team player means.
So no Mr Wright being a big name and black does not entitle you to behave as you like and not be part of the team.
This is the counter argument that should have been put to Ian Wright.
CPFCSaturn
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England
Jude Bellingham: Ian Wright says midfielder's treatment shows some people 'not ready for black superstar'
Former England striker Ian Wright does not think some people are "ready for a black superstar" following the media treatment of Jude Bellingham.
Yet again the BBC allow Wright to have his says with little or no counter argument.
Many black England players have played with distinction and dignity, not behaving like Prima Donna’s. It's insulting to imply that criticism of a player known to have ego issues is racist.
Beckham, Rooney, Lampard, Terry and Gerrard Bobby Moore even, all big names for England and were rightly criticised in the press for their on or off field behaviour, so the idea that black player get it more is rubbish.
Guehi has played for England and acquitted himself well. Morgan Rodgers is showing Bellingham what being a team player means.
So no Mr Wright being a big name and black does not entitle you to behave as you like and not be part of the team.
This is the counter argument that should have been put to Ian Wright.
That was basically Wright's point - that black players are only truly 'accepted' by our media when they're humble like a Guehi or Saka.
Any black player with a bit more personality, like a Sterling or Bellingham, generally gets a hard time in the press.
ASCPFC
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Ireland
Maybe I'm wrong but I always thought all the footballing superstars get hounded. And generally have some kind of fall from grace at one stage or another. Unless they're totally media managed like Messi or Ronaldo. I can't think of England equivalents - Gascoigne springs to mind as talented yet obvious flaws. I can say with some certainty that the same will not happen with Bellingham. I noticed that street sellers abroad have one England shirt - Bellingham. That's all I saw on my recent travels.
Who knows. Just watched a five-minute clip from Martinez saying how much value Ronaldo brings to the team both on and off the field. About how he's scored 25 goals in 30 games for his country. He certainly won't accept any talk of the team being better sans Ronaldo...and he's the manager of the bloody team.
He's the greatest to ever do it. And even at 40 years of age, there are but a small handful of better players inside the goal box. (Thankfully, one of them is Harry Kane.)
My two cents on it anyway 🙂
Plenty of white players with big personalities get criticised as well.
I think Wright is just excusing bad behaviour. I gave you a list of England "greats" who have been rightly criticised for their off field conduct.
The best thing Bellingham can do to shut his critics up is to answer them on the pitch. He did that for Madrid the other day, so more of that please.
CPFCSaturn
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England
What has Bellingham done to have his off-field conduct compared to the likes of Rooney and Terry?