World Cup Qualifying: The Road to Russia

[~LiverpoolRed~]

Quote: Originally Posted by Brahvocado

England is really Englanding this game up

Glad this was just a friendly.

[Brahvocado]

Dembele and Mbappe together though, holy ****.

Those two are the real deal.

Pogba was fantastic as well, imagine how good they'd be if they had an actual coach.

[Brahvocado]

You know, if you think about it, it's actually impressive that Southgate managed a system/player selection combination that perfectly manages to NOT suit a single player on the field.

System seems to use neither a shadow striker (Alli) nor proper wingers (Sterling), which means Kane is completely isolated. Dier is part of a two man midfield (where he's proven to be ineffective) instead of sitting right in front of the CBs where he plays for his club (in this same formation no less), his partner is Ox who is a good dribbler but needs a good passing CM next to him to be effective in the middle. Cahill was largely in the middle of the back three which is not where he plays for us.

Then to cap it all off Southgate for some reason uses half his subs just rotating his defense around.

[ImTellinTim]

Quote: Originally Posted by Brahvocado

You know, if you think about it, it's actually impressive that Southgate managed a system/player selection combination that perfectly manages to NOT suit a single player on the field.

So basically it's like Hodgson never left.

[Brahvocado]

Quote: Originally Posted by ImTellinTim

So basically it's like Hodgson never left.

Hodgson is a better manager than Southgate, might as well have just kept him.

[KG]

I kept thinking to myself, "Why is Sterling coming centrally AND deep to pick up the ball". Every time he was released wide and/or over-the-top he was a problem.

Man that France team is going to be a problem. A lot of players entering their prime (Pogba, Griezman, Kante, etc...) and the young talent (Mbappe, Dembele, Tolisso, Martial, Umtiti, etc...) is just crazy.

13/2 right now for the next WC.

[Brahvocado]

Deschamps holds them back though, he is France's version of Wilmots. He really has shown nothing that would suggest he should be in charge of the kind of squad he has.

Imo France got to the Euro final despite Deschamps, not because of him.

[Tovarich]

Saudi Arabia lost to UAE so Japan can clinch by beating Australia Thursday. If the Aussies can get a point in Japan, it's 18-17-16 points Japan, Australia, Saudi going into the final game.

South Korea can clinch if they beat Iran-who is already in and then Uzbekistan lose @ China.

Japan win 2-0 so they have now qualified