Very similar. Bundles of talent, cruise the qualifying groups. Bottle it at the business end.
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Very similar. Bundles of talent, cruise the qualifying groups. Bottle it at the business end.
Belgium , Holland , Denmark , France , Germany , Spain , ItalyQuote:
Originally Posted by William Treseder
All seem to have done more than England as European Sides go
England are definitely knocking on the door. Teams like Germany and The Netherlands are challenging as much as they did a few years ago, and the South American teams are way off the quality of the European teams, such as Italy England and France.
Think England have improved a lot over the last 10 years or so.
Remember they used to get bossed by better technical nations, now throughout the squad they have great ability and technique and an almost endless amount coming through.
Matter of time until something clicks for them.
Don't you think we have heard this time and time again ?Quote:
Originally Posted by The Bloop
It only takes great footballing nations to regroup .......Italy were pants recently and Germany , Holland and Spain have just to make a few tweaks and bingo
Daft question but what have they won ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Trigger
Wales were in a euro semi just 6 years ago
Belgium for me are the biggest culprits here. England always had decent players, but there were always a few weak links and they were until fairly recently, technically inferior to the top teams on and off the pitch. Belgium have top talent throughout their squad but have really screwed things up in tournaments. We took 4 points off them in the Euro 2016 qualifiers and then of course beat them in the Quarter Finals. Really expected more from them at Euro 2020 but of course they did get knocked out by the winners.
Until they beat a team worth paying attention to in a major tournament, I'd have to refute anything about this English team. As individual players, granted, they are fantastic. As a team? Not so sure.
2018 World Cup, play 2 in form teams and deservedly lose 3 times (Belgium twice).
Euro 2020, play 2 in form teams and struggle past one at home with a far superior team on paper and then deservedly lose against the other.
So in the last 3/4 years they haven't proved much other than taking advantage of comfier draws (not their fault) but only to a point. There's a number of teams in Europe who if they click will be better than or as good as England, how many more times are they going to get lucky with their draws in major tournaments and avoid them? Then a few tournaments pass and all of a sudden an ageing team is under immense pressure, well we've seen that movie before.
As a side note, they absolutely will not win anything with Southgate at the helm.
PS - Could even throw the nations league in there as evidence.
They were just in a European final and lost on penalties
I don't class that as bottling, as I wouldn't have said italy bottled it if they lost on pens.
What have Belgium done of any note that England haven't? Reached the number 1 rank maybe but means nothing if they can't get past a tournament semiQuote:
Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY
Replace Belgium with Greece, as European achievements go perhaps.Quote:
Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY
In all fairness to England, and it pains me to say it, they are on the cusp of winning a tournament, something I never thought I'd ever say.
As has been said, they are no longer technically inferior to their European opponents. It's taken a while but the skill levels of the foreign imports has finally rubbed off on the English players at the top clubs especially.
Having said that, teams like Italy and particularly Spain are still a notch above England if they play their A game. If Spain can find a killer goalscorer, the rest can forget it.
Bit of a daft argument. Wales have won nothing and England were in a Euro final two months ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY