England v Spain

[Day]

Were Spain the better team on the night? Yes, overall they were, but I think it's a stretch to say they outclassed us. 

It should have been a draw, and that's not venturing into the world of had that shot been 6 inches to the left or had the ball been played to Kane and all that, the ball went in the net and the ref incorrectly disallowed it. 

Should have been a 2-2 draw. 

Does feel like the defence of La Liga is being taken to international level now and all things English are rubbish. 

[ViewsFromTheMiddle]

Not saying I agree with the rules, but having watched it again De Gea had two hands on the ball and Welbeck (unintentionally) headed it off him.

It was harsh but all part and parcel of the overprotection given to goalkeepers.

[Sexydadbod]

7 minutes ago, David said:

Were Spain the better team on the night? Yes, overall they were, but I think it's a stretch to say they outclassed us. 

It should have been a draw, and that's not venturing into the world of had that shot been 6 inches to the left or had the ball been played to Kane and all that, the ball went in the net and the ref incorrectly disallowed it. 

Should have been a 2-2 draw. 

Does feel like the defence of La Liga is being taken to international level now and all things English are rubbish. 

What’s La Liga got to do with anything? Every manager in England wants their teams to play like Spain after seeing Guardiola dominating the premier league last season in the Spanish style. The English style of long balls is rubbish which is why Southgate wants to change the philosophy , he said as much in the post match interview that he wants England to continue to be patient with possession rather than the English tradition of long balls and this explains why players like Stones and Maguire are rightly getting game time rather than old fashioned centre backs like Shawcross.

Heck Lampard manager wants us to play like Spain with patient build up play from the back, the full backs playing high, the wingers playing like inside forwards and getting the ball back as quickly as possible when we lose it. It’s because it’s effective. It takes time but it is effective. 

[Day]

1 minute ago, McLovin said:

What’s La Liga got to do with anything?

Exactly. 

[ViewsFromTheMiddle]

7 minutes ago, David said:

Were Spain the better team on the night? Yes, overall they were, but I think it's a stretch to say they outclassed us. 

It should have been a draw, and that's not venturing into the world of had that shot been 6 inches to the left or had the ball been played to Kane and all that, the ball went in the net and the ref incorrectly disallowed it. 

Should have been a 2-2 draw. 

Does feel like the defence of La Liga is being taken to international level now and all things English are rubbish. 

This is nonsense. If England had been the better side I’d have said so, but they weren’t.

Outclassed might’ve been a strectch, it wasn’t far off though.

[Sexydadbod]

Just now, David said:

Exactly. 

Who suggested that the new England are rubbish? 

[Day]

1 minute ago, ViewsFromTheMiddle said:

This is nonsense. If England had been the better side I’d have said so, but they weren’t.

Outclassed might’ve been a strectch, it wasn’t far off though.

See, but it's the "outclassed" statements which come over all gooey eyed for the Spanish, without the hyperbole and a simple Spain were the better side, doubt many would disagree with you there. 

[Sexydadbod]

Just now, ViewsFromTheMiddle said:

This is nonsense. If England had been the better side I’d have said so, but they weren’t.

Outclassed might’ve been a strectch, it wasn’t far off though.

Outclassed in the midfield would have probably been a better description. Henderson, Alli and Lingard v Busquets, Saul and Thiago wasn’t really a contest. We were out of our depth in the midfield. England only really came back into it and put pressure on when Spain went more defensive after taking Thiago and Alonso off.

 

[G STAR RAM]

14 minutes ago, ViewsFromTheMiddle said:

Not saying I agree with the rules, but having watched it again De Gea had two hands on the ball and Welbeck (unintentionally) headed it off him.

It was harsh but all part and parcel of the overprotection given to goalkeepers.

Welbeck didn't even put a challenge in. De Gea literally dropped it on his head.

[G STAR RAM]

16 minutes ago, McLovin said:

What’s La Liga got to do with anything? Every manager in England wants their teams to play like Spain after seeing Guardiola dominating the premier league last season in the Spanish style. The English style of long balls is rubbish which is why Southgate wants to change the philosophy , he said as much in the post match interview that he wants England to continue to be patient with possession rather than the English tradition of long balls and this explains why players like Stones and Maguire are rightly getting game time rather than old fashioned centre backs like Shawcross.

Heck Lampard manager wants us to play like Spain with patient build up play from the back, the full backs playing high, the wingers playing like inside forwards and getting the ball back as quickly as possible when we lose it. It’s because it’s effective. It takes time but it is effective. 

Which English teams play this traditional long ball game?

When was the last time the national team played this traditional long ball game? 

[Sexydadbod]

7 minutes ago, G STAR RAM said:

Which English teams play this traditional long ball game?

When was the last time the national team played this traditional long ball game? 

That’s my point. Less English teams play the long ball than previously because managers have seen the successes of Spain and Spanish teams and think, I want to play like that. There are a few exceptions like Sam Allardyce, Pulis but these sorts of managers are going into extinction thankfully like the dinosaurs they are. The next breed of English managers like Howe, Lampard, Southgate, Nathan Jones etc want to play football in an exciting possession based style of football.

Southgate wants the national team to play patient football at the back which is why the likes of Stones, Maguire, Pickford, Trippier, Gomez are getting games, they would have never got games 5-10 years ago. They are good in their roles but most importantly they are all comfortable in possession to execute build up play.

[Sexydadbod]

On the formation 3-5-2 we(England) currently play, it’s fine against smaller team because we can overload them with crosses and push the wing backs right up but against better teams like Croatia, Belgium, Spain, I feel that we’d be better playing 4 at the back. Like Croatia did, Spain’s full backs Carvajal and Alonso were outballs for Spain and had so much time as Spain constantly switched play making it difficult for the England midfield to put pressure on them.

Trippier and Shaw had no protection in front of them last night either. Dropping Gomez(no fault of his own) and adding Sterling back in, going to 4-3-3 could be a solution against better teams with Rashford and Sterling providing cover to the full backs. The reason we switched to 3 defenders in the first place was because we were weak at the back in defence but we are a lot better now.

[Andicis]

Spain were better, but we probably could and should have got something from that game. Rashford and Kane missed some pretty simple chances on the night.

[MuespachRam]

16 hours ago, McLovin said:

I absolutely hate Madrid because they are everything wrong that is wrong in football but I admire that they are a great team with great players and have dominated football for years. I’ll be grateful them for years though and I’m sure that @MuespachRam will agree with me that we shall appreciate them for years after defeating the scousers. Doesn’t change my argument that England players aren’t faultless so let’s not act they are perfect angels.

Let’s be right here...:the victims did it to themselves with a little help from Madrid. Ha ha

[KCG]

Said it during the World Cup, Lingard and Alli are not the type of midfield players who will control a game against top class opposition. Really they are attacking players who play deep. We need to find the blend necessary to control the midfield, or we will continue to lose games like this.

[Bris Vegas]

I didn’t watch the game but it appears England put up a good fight against a superior side.

The main problem England have is generally a lack of quality, especially in the midfield area which is so vital when playing against decent sides. If you can’t compete in midfield you have no chance.

England’s side is mainly made up of water-carriers for their better foreign players at the PL’s big clubs.

Alli, Lingard and Henderson would get dominated by so many too sides at international level. You could name at least another 15 nations with a better midfield than that.

[AdamRam]

Thought Spain just about deserved the win, for al the possession though, it was probably England though that had the best clear cut chances. To say we were outclassed, or that we have the 16th best midfield are ludicrous statements, bit like saying there are hundreds of players better than Hughes playing in Spain, just makes you look as though you are a wind up or don’t know what you are talking about.

As for Ramos, he is a winner, he has done nothing wrong that justifies the boos or criticism he receives, he has the sort of attitude that wins you titles and world cups, Messi could do with his attitude, he may have been able to help his international team though the difficult games if he had.

[cannable]

16 minutes ago, AdamRam said:

Thought Spain just about deserved the win, for al the possession though, it was probably England though that had the best clear cut chances. To say we were outclassed, or that we have the 16th best midfield are ludicrous statements, bit like saying there are hundreds of players better than Hughes playing in Spain, just makes you look as though you are a wind up or don’t know what you are talking about.

As for Ramos, he is a winner, he has done nothing wrong that justifies the boos or criticism he receives, he has the sort of attitude that wins you titles and world cups, Messi could do with his attitude, he may have been able to help his international team though the difficult games if he had.

 

[StringerBell]

2 hours ago, McLovin said:

What’s La Liga got to do with anything? Every manager in England wants their teams to play like Spain after seeing Guardiola dominating the premier league last season in the Spanish style. The English style of long balls is rubbish which is why Southgate wants to change the philosophy , he said as much in the post match interview that he wants England to continue to be patient with possession rather than the English tradition of long balls and this explains why players like Stones and Maguire are rightly getting game time rather than old fashioned centre backs like Shawcross.

Heck Lampard manager wants us to play like Spain with patient build up play from the back, the full backs playing high, the wingers playing like inside forwards and getting the ball back as quickly as possible when we lose it. It’s because it’s effective. It takes time but it is effective. 

Lampard manager?

[AdamRam]

1 hour ago, cannable said:

 

Noting ironic, Ramos is a sort of player you want when you need a leader to pull you through. Messi the 2nd best player in the world with all that talent, is so used to winning that when things goes against on the international stage jistvhasnt got that attitude to become a true international great.

Has he quit again yet from international football because they didn’t give him the World Cup trophy because of his name?