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Match The ENGLAND thread

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He has been giving them the middle finger for a decade and they still refuse to see. He has a solid case for best ever English player. Bobby Charlton with his winners medals is the only other one in the conversation.

Rooney is definitely in that conversation.

Probably Gerrard too. Beckham if we are talking England only performances.
 
Difficult to judge the ‘golden generation’ when they were so poorly managed. Tuchel might have a less talented first 11 overall but he is probably a better manager than all of what we have had since Hoddle or Venables. You can have prime Messi but if the manager if shit you will struggle.

In terms of of pure ability Rooney is the best 10 I have seen in the prem (he is more a 10 than Kane is even) and while I think Bellingham and Rice are really good, they are still a level below Gerrard and Scholes who where at their peak among the very best midfielders in the world. That won’t however stop us trying to win the WC if the team is better run and better organised.
 
Difficult to judge the ‘golden generation’ when they were so poorly managed. Tuchel might have a less talented first 11 overall but he is probably a better manager than all of what we have had since Hoddle or Venables. You can have prime Messi but if the manager if shit you will struggle.

In terms of of pure ability Rooney is the best 10 I have seen in the prem (he is more a 10 than Kane is even) and while I think Bellingham and Rice are really good, they are still a level below Gerrard and Scholes who where at their peak among the very best midfielders in the world. That won’t however stop us trying to win the WC if the team is better run and better organised.

The golden generation stuff is well overblown. We are better relative to other nations now than we were then.

During the golden generation there were several uber talented national teams who were even better than us. The Brazil team that beat us at the WC was beyond stacked.

I think this is the mos talented English team relative to other national sides ever. There are a few other nations on the same level but none very clearly a big step above, imo.
 
The golden generation stuff is well overblown. We are better relative to other nations now than we were then.

During the golden generation there were several uber talented national teams who were even better than us. The Brazil team that beat us at the WC was beyond stacked.

I think this is the mos talented English team relative to other national sides ever. There are a few other nations on the same level but none very clearly a big step above, imo.

You do make good point regarding Brazil, that was a sensational team. Still the use of Carrick, Scholes Gerrard etc and the failure to build the best team but rather play the best individuals often out of position was a disaster. You could see it at the time, so desperate to get Lampard in the side they blew the structure. Tuchel would never have done that I don’t think and this is where we have more hope. We might have a team rather than randoms, Spain are better than us on paper perhaps, if we are better set up they are beatable.
 
Difficult to judge the ‘golden generation’ when they were so poorly managed. Tuchel might have a less talented first 11 overall but he is probably a better manager than all of what we have had since Hoddle or Venables. You can have prime Messi but if the manager if shit you will struggle.

In terms of of pure ability Rooney is the best 10 I have seen in the prem (he is more a 10 than Kane is even) and while I think Bellingham and Rice are really good, they are still a level below Gerrard and Scholes who where at their peak among the very best midfielders in the world. That won’t however stop us trying to win the WC if the team is better run and better organised.

Football as a whole isn't quite at what it was 15-20 years ago. The likes of Germany, Italy and Netherlands are weaker. Croatia and Belgium are nowhere near what they were just 5 years ago. You could also say the same for Brazil and Argentina if you compare their 11 man to man from some of their teams from yesteryear.

Even Spain. They're probably the best team in the world right now but they still don't compare to the team they had when you would see the likes of Torres, Fabregas and Alonso on the bench.
 
Difficult to judge the ‘golden generation’ when they were so poorly managed. Tuchel might have a less talented first 11 overall but he is probably a better manager than all of what we have had since Hoddle or Venables. You can have prime Messi but if the manager if shit you will struggle.

In terms of of pure ability Rooney is the best 10 I have seen in the prem (he is more a 10 than Kane is even) and while I think Bellingham and Rice are really good, they are still a level below Gerrard and Scholes who where at their peak among the very best midfielders in the world. That won’t however stop us trying to win the WC if the team is better run and better organised.
I'm not English and would argue that this generation is a much better side. Quality all over the pitch, and their not ego monsters like they were back then.
 
Kane is the GOAT and we won't see another in our lifetimes.
Football Player GIF by TCL Electronics Europe
 
I'm not keen on Tuchel as a 'personality', but fair play to him and the squad - they've sent out a message to the rest of the world. It's an impressive, praiseworthy achievement. Hopefully they can continue to build on it in the Summer.
 
Kane is a cheat code. Tried our hardest to stop him, but just couldn't. England have a real shot in the WC with Tuchel.

I thought you were rock solid until you tired a bit and we bought on the energy of Foden and Rashford. You could have even gone ahead. I see it as a very good away victory. But sadly, a lot of casual and clueless England fans will think "it's only Albania" and will wonder why we only scored twice.
 
You do make good point regarding Brazil, that was a sensational team. Still the use of Carrick, Scholes Gerrard etc and the failure to build the best team but rather play the best individuals often out of position was a disaster. You could see it at the time, so desperate to get Lampard in the side they blew the structure. Tuchel would never have done that I don’t think and this is where we have more hope. We might have a team rather than randoms, Spain are better than us on paper perhaps, if we are better set up they are beatable.

Oh yeah I agree .. but I think even all that stuff aside there’s a tendency to act like the golden generation should’ve swept all aside. Even if we got everything right there were better teams then.

Right now I think the overall most talented (depth and XI) is definitely France. Having Mbappe, Olise, Dembele, Ekitike, Doue is nightmarish in transition. Spain have the best football identity and highest technical benchpoint and when Spain have that and a star forward or two they’re a monster. Argentina probably have the best team spirit/competitiveness.

I think within that England could have space to be the most adaptable/tactical team under Tuchel. Combined with easily being one of the most talented teams. The favourites will be Spain, France, England, Argentina & Portugal. I don’t think among that group anyone is massively ahead of anyone else.

Palmer is the key imo. Him in top form is a difference between us winning a tournament and losing it. Think he’s the most magical, light up a tournament player we have.
 
I’d love that. The only team I genuinely fear or dread facing is Spain. Lots of others sides could beat us but I can see ways past them. France for example - exceptionally talented but not horrific to play against imo.

Spain is just a slow death, now with added Yamal so parking the bus doesn’t work as well .
South american teams tend to do well in their own continent. England have a chance. Tbh I will start watching it from Qf onwards.
 
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