Will the missing players come back to haunt Tuchel??

[Nick Bateman]

Its been a great achievement to get to the semis; the win against Mexico was the most memorable one, but having gotten this far will the German manager regret omitting some of the established squad members as some of his current squad are showing their lacking capabilities.

Why did he leave out Harry Maguire but pick John Stones who missed almost the entire season through injury and gave away a goal in City's loss to Villa? Maguire had one of his best seasons last year and England miss his threat at corners (and his towering defending at the back).

Cole Palmer scored 10 goals from midfield in the league from 22 appearances yet is not included. We have no decent set-piece taker yet Trent-Alexander Arnold wasn't even given a cap by this manager. Rice's kicks have been average, he only received an overrating because the PGMOL allow Arsenal to foul goalkeepers and others to get their 27 goals from set-pieces last season, rules incompatible with the rest of the footballing world!

And I haven't mentioned others like Phil Foden, Danny Welbeck, Jared Bowen, Jack Grealish, Mason Mount, Luke Shaw, who might have been better replacements than sad Madueke, unfit Saka, off-form Rashford, ordinary Eze, back from long injury Reese James.

Against old adversary Argentina we will need to match the performance we did against Mexico and I hope the players we chose will not leave us just short of an historic victory!

[Fulham Tup North]

Its been a great achievement to get to the semis; the win against Mexico was the most memorable one, but having gotten this far will the German manager regret omitting some of the established squad members as some of his current squad are showing their lacking capabilities.

Why did he leave out Harry Maguire but pick John Stones who missed almost the entire season through injury and gave away a goal in City's loss to Villa? Maguire had one of his best seasons last year and England miss his threat at corners (and his towering defending at the back).

Cole Palmer scored 10 goals from midfield in the league from 22 appearances yet is not included. We have no decent set-piece taker yet Trent-Alexander Arnold wasn't even given a cap by this manager. Rice's kicks have been average, he only received an overrating because the PGMOL allow Arsenal to foul goalkeepers and others to get their 27 goals from set-pieces last season, rules incompatible with the rest of the footballing world!

And I haven't mentioned others like Phil Foden, Danny Welbeck, Jared Bowen, Jack Grealish, Mason Mount, Luke Shaw, who might have been better replacements than sad Madueke, unfit Saka, off-form Rashford, ordinary Eze, back from long injury Reese James.

Against old adversary Argentina we will need to match the performance we did against Mexico and I hope the players we chose will not leave us just short of an historic victory!

It hasn't happened so far!!
But you keep playing the pessimist card... you are up there with Gabriel Clarke... 

[Nick Bateman]

It hasn't happened so far!!
But you keep playing the pessimist card... you are up there with Gabriel Clarke... 

As the infamous boxing commentator Larry Merchent once said, "I'm building myself down for a let up!"

[_Putney_]

It hasn't happened so far!!
But you keep playing the pessimist card... you are up there with Gabriel Clarke... 

As the infamous boxing commentator Larry Merchent once said, "I'm building myself down for a let up!"

My last order was like a cheeseburger with nothing on it, so people call me boring and stuff, but they appreciate i'm a good person at heart.

[cookieg]

No doubt you already have your "told you so" post prepared if and when England lose.

[Terry Towling]

Its been a great achievement to get to the semis; the win against Mexico was the most memorable one, but having gotten this far will the German manager regret omitting some of the established squad members as some of his current squad are showing their lacking capabilities.

Why did he leave out Harry Maguire but pick John Stones who missed almost the entire season through injury and gave away a goal in City's loss to Villa? Maguire had one of his best seasons last year and England miss his threat at corners (and his towering defending at the back).

Cole Palmer scored 10 goals from midfield in the league from 22 appearances yet is not included. We have no decent set-piece taker yet Trent-Alexander Arnold wasn't even given a cap by this manager. Rice's kicks have been average, he only received an overrating because the PGMOL allow Arsenal to foul goalkeepers and others to get their 27 goals from set-pieces last season, rules incompatible with the rest of the footballing world!

And I haven't mentioned others like Phil Foden, Danny Welbeck, Jared Bowen, Jack Grealish, Mason Mount, Luke Shaw, who might have been better replacements than sad Madueke, unfit Saka, off-form Rashford, ordinary Eze, back from long injury Reese James.

Against old adversary Argentina we will need to match the performance we did against Mexico and I hope the players we chose will not leave us just short of an historic victory!

It hasn't happened so far!!
But you keep playing the pessimist card... you are up there with Gabriel Clarke... 

Gabriel Clarke is just another journo trying to sow division to get a story.

[Terry Towling]

TT has laid his strategy on the table for everyone to see, way before the World Cup started. He is all about the team, no player bigger than the team and all having to work to keep their places. We are in the semi-final and we haven't had anyone throw their toys out of the pram and no lurid stories that the british press can use to sow division and destroy morale. The players you mentioned obviously didn't fit into this. IF we beat Argentina, will you give him the praise he deserves?

Whilst I am here I also want to say what a great job Southgate did, he built belief and a team spirit which TT has built upon.

[Fulham Tup North]

TT has laid his strategy on the table for everyone to see, way before the World Cup started. He is all about the team, no player bigger than the team and all having to work to keep their places. We are in the semi-final and we haven't had anyone throw their toys out of the pram and no lurid stories that the british press can use to sow division and destroy morale. The players you mentioned obviously didn't fit into this. IF we beat Argentina, will you give him the praise he deserves?

Whilst I am here I also want to say what a great job Southgate did, he built belief and a team spirit which TT has built upon.

Hopefully we beat Argentina, and then we can expect the usual post of: "Yes, but we won't beat Spain / France, as the only players who could do it are sat at home watching it on the telly". ... even a broken clock is right twice a day 

[spoonffc]

Nick, can you just recite your 💩 stirring tosh to chatgpt - you are so antagonistic.

[General]

Think people honestly forget how far England have come, but also beyond that, how unlikely winning a world cup is. Only 1 team out of 48/36 ever win.

All those great players and teams who've played and not progressed through the group stages, or further, or into a semi finals, let alone a final.

Tuchel has been dealt as good a hand as you can get in international football.

Lots of talented players, at top clubs, all near the peak of their powers and, alongside that, a track record and familiarity with getting to the semi finals of a world cup before, and two European finals.

There's never been a more primed England setup.

If you add in to this, the restructuring of how England approaches international football to be more aligned to the Germanys, France, and Spains of this world, culminating in st George's Park becoming England's base for all age groups, knowledge sharing etc, the whole approach and infrastructure has gone up a whole new level too.

But, as is always the case with managers, you (well in England more often than most), only ever get given credit if you win the competition..

It's a slightly absurd logic, primarily because you can only get one winner per tournament, and there's an element of luck that plays into it.

It's great we're in the semis, but if for some reason we ended up losing 3-0, it'd not have really necessarily been worth it.

I originally felt we should've kept Southgate for another one or two tournaments, as his consistency on getting results and the team bonding he'd created I felt was, with time, likely to break our duck - there's only a certain amount of times you can get to a world cup semi or European finals without learning the lessons to figure out how to take it all the way.

What that's all to say is, that I think if you get to a semi final of a world cup, then, regardless of how you play to get there, your decisions are roughly justified by default, because at that point you are simply considered in the top 4 countries in the world, and likely playing one of the others.. in Argentina, we're up against a team ranked higher then us in Fifa rankings, which arguably should just mean it should be harder to get past them, regardless of which players are picked. England to date, in our entire history have only ever been to three semi-finals before, not including the 1966 world cup which we went on to win, in twenty attempts in world cups.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England_at_the_FIFA_World_Cup

I personally think he should've brought players like Trent Alexander Arnold personally. His logic about team cohesion has been disproven to a degree by Jude who's strong character has been a key differentiator, and Judes essentially just adapted to Tuchels wants in some way to appease him, whilst often still playing his way too.

What's unknown or perhaps not reported is why Tuchel has the views he has and where do they come from? Did he have a chat with Gareth about the team, players, and why Gareth felt they didn't succeed? If so, it'd bring a whole new meaning to leaving players like Cole Palmer and TAA behind.

Anyway, to be in a world cup semis is a success in my book, to win is an even bigger success.. to have a competitive game is expected, if that's the case then fine margins means things can fall either which way, I just hope two things..

One, VAR doesn't ruin the game..

Two, noone gets a second yellow or a red card and we end up losing key players for the final, should we get through

[Ludlow Richard]

Think people honestly forget how far England have come, but also beyond that, how unlikely winning a world cup is. Only 1 team out of 48/36 ever win.

All those great players and teams who've played and not progressed through the group stages, or further, or into a semi finals, let alone a final.

Tuchel has been dealt as good a hand as you can get in international football.

Lots of talented players, at top clubs, all near the peak of their powers and, alongside that, a track record and familiarity with getting to the semi finals of a world cup before, and two European finals.

There's never been a more primed England setup.

If you add in to this, the restructuring of how England approaches international football to be more aligned to the Germanys, France, and Spains of this world, culminating in st George's Park becoming England's base for all age groups, knowledge sharing etc, the whole approach and infrastructure has gone up a whole new level too.

But, as is always the case with managers, you (well in England more often than most), only ever get given credit if you win the competition..

It's a slightly absurd logic, primarily because you can only get one winner per tournament, and there's an element of luck that plays into it.

It's great we're in the semis, but if for some reason we ended up losing 3-0, it'd not have really necessarily been worth it.

I originally felt we should've kept Southgate for another one or two tournaments, as his consistency on getting results and the team bonding he'd created I felt was, with time, likely to break our duck - there's only a certain amount of times you can get to a world cup semi or European finals without learning the lessons to figure out how to take it all the way.

What that's all to say is, that I think if you get to a semi final of a world cup, then, regardless of how you play to get there, your decisions are roughly justified by default, because at that point you are simply considered in the top 4 countries in the world, and likely playing one of the others.. in Argentina, we're up against a team ranked higher then us in Fifa rankings, which arguably should just mean it should be harder to get past them, regardless of which players are picked. England to date, in our entire history have only ever been to three semi-finals before, not including the 1966 world cup which we went on to win, in twenty attempts in world cups.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England_at_the_FIFA_World_Cup

I personally think he should've brought players like Trent Alexander Arnold personally. His logic about team cohesion has been disproven to a degree by Jude who's strong character has been a key differentiator, and Judes essentially just adapted to Tuchels wants in some way to appease him, whilst often still playing his way too.

What's unknown or perhaps not reported is why Tuchel has the views he has and where do they come from? Did he have a chat with Gareth about the team, players, and why Gareth felt they didn't succeed? If so, it'd bring a whole new meaning to leaving players like Cole Palmer and TAA behind.

Anyway, to be in a world cup semis is a success in my book, to win is an even bigger success.. to have a competitive game is expected, if that's the case then fine margins means things can fall either which way, I just hope two things..

One, VAR doesn't ruin the game..

Two, noone gets a second yellow or a red card and we end up losing key players for the final, should we get through

Yellow are cards wiped after quarter finals so if I've understood this correctly an England player picking up a yellow in the SF will not miss the final. The only risk of missing the final is a red card in the SF.

Very likely that England will pick up more yellows in the SF than Argentina.

[Willham]

Think people honestly forget how far England have come, but also beyond that, how unlikely winning a world cup is. Only 1 team out of 48/36 ever win.

All those great players and teams who've played and not progressed through the group stages, or further, or into a semi finals, let alone a final.

Tuchel has been dealt as good a hand as you can get in international football.

Lots of talented players, at top clubs, all near the peak of their powers and, alongside that, a track record and familiarity with getting to the semi finals of a world cup before, and two European finals.

There's never been a more primed England setup.

If you add in to this, the restructuring of how England approaches international football to be more aligned to the Germanys, France, and Spains of this world, culminating in st George's Park becoming England's base for all age groups, knowledge sharing etc, the whole approach and infrastructure has gone up a whole new level too.

But, as is always the case with managers, you (well in England more often than most), only ever get given credit if you win the competition..

It's a slightly absurd logic, primarily because you can only get one winner per tournament, and there's an element of luck that plays into it.

It's great we're in the semis, but if for some reason we ended up losing 3-0, it'd not have really necessarily been worth it.

I originally felt we should've kept Southgate for another one or two tournaments, as his consistency on getting results and the team bonding he'd created I felt was, with time, likely to break our duck - there's only a certain amount of times you can get to a world cup semi or European finals without learning the lessons to figure out how to take it all the way.

What that's all to say is, that I think if you get to a semi final of a world cup, then, regardless of how you play to get there, your decisions are roughly justified by default, because at that point you are simply considered in the top 4 countries in the world, and likely playing one of the others.. in Argentina, we're up against a team ranked higher then us in Fifa rankings, which arguably should just mean it should be harder to get past them, regardless of which players are picked. England to date, in our entire history have only ever been to three semi-finals before, not including the 1966 world cup which we went on to win, in twenty attempts in world cups.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England_at_the_FIFA_World_Cup

I personally think he should've brought players like Trent Alexander Arnold personally. His logic about team cohesion has been disproven to a degree by Jude who's strong character has been a key differentiator, and Judes essentially just adapted to Tuchels wants in some way to appease him, whilst often still playing his way too.

What's unknown or perhaps not reported is why Tuchel has the views he has and where do they come from? Did he have a chat with Gareth about the team, players, and why Gareth felt they didn't succeed? If so, it'd bring a whole new meaning to leaving players like Cole Palmer and TAA behind.

Anyway, to be in a world cup semis is a success in my book, to win is an even bigger success.. to have a competitive game is expected, if that's the case then fine margins means things can fall either which way, I just hope two things..

One, VAR doesn't ruin the game..

Two, noone gets a second yellow or a red card and we end up losing key players for the final, should we get through

Yellow are cards wiped after quarter finals so if I've understood this correctly an England player picking up a yellow in the SF will not miss the final. The only risk of missing the final is a red card in the SF.

Very likely that England will pick up more yellows in the SF than Argentina.

The argies have had so many decisions in their favour and lots of very fine margins between being here and not. If things really do balance out, surely we should be getting some decisions in our favour this time.

[Andrew]

I think we have been underwhelming, have got through by the skin of our teeth with too many players not fully match fit and a disregard for picking a settled fit back four. Having a sick note at first choice right back and no proper understudy is problematic. We are lucky to have been on the much easier side of the draw.  Against Norway Rice was clearly not match ready and he was foolishly started and had to be withdrawn wasting a substitution.

We have two class players and they have carried us...we have come a long way but we could have been so much better, I do not think France will be unhappy to play us in the final if we do get past Argentina, and for what it is worth I don't think they have been all that either.


If England do win the tournament I will be thrilled but I will know it will have been very lucky because the team is not firing on all cylinders.

[Nick Bateman]

Allow me to reiterate, Tuchel has won me over with his management style. He wants to win and is vociferous on the touchline imploring the players to stop playing the negative Southgate disease in just keeping the ball for the sake of it. At last we have a genuine top manager who is trying to change our boring style into something more positive.

But as I said, we would have been better off with some of the players he left at home and is beginning to see the Arsenal teammates for example, are overrated because the PGMOL awarded them the league. They look rubbish in a fairly refereed national game, but Argentina are very beatable.

[Terry Towling]

"The argies have had so many decisions in their favour and lots of very fine margins between being here and not. If things really do balance out, surely we should be getting some decisions in our favour this time."

Remember Infantino wants Messi to win again - they all love Messi and he makes money for their organisation.

[alfie]

I think we have been underwhelming, have got through by the skin of our teeth with too many players not fully match fit and a disregard for picking a settled fit back four. Having a sick note at first choice right back and no proper understudy is problematic. We are lucky to have been on the much easier side of the draw.  Against Norway Rice was clearly not match ready and he was foolishly started and had to be withdrawn wasting a substitution.

We have two class players and they have carried us...we have come a long way but we could have been so much better, I do not think France will be unhappy to play us in the final if we do get past Argentina, and for what it is worth I don't think they have been all that either.


If England do win the tournament I will be thrilled but I will know it will have been very lucky because the team is not firing on all cylinders.

I don't go with "luck", things happen because they happen.

[Fulham Tup North]

We have two class players and they have carried us...we have come a long way but we could have been so much better, I do not think France will be unhappy to play us in the final if we do get past Argentina, and for what it is worth I don't think they have been all that either.

Tbf I think we have a couple more than TWO class players... that's a bit harsh 😳

[Bassey the warrior]

The only player from your list we're really missing is Bowen, who could've done a much better job than Madueke. You could also argue Trent should be there but we all know he's a bit suspect defensively.

[Bassey the warrior]

England could have previously picked David Raya or Emiliano Martinez, they were eligible for a call up prior to their international debuts. Both are considerable upgrades on Pickford in my opinion. Spain have three top class keepers to choose from.

Don't get me wrong Pickford is very solid and consistent for England, but there's a reason no top club ever came in for him.