England v Croatia 13.06.21 2pm ko

[not-bono-ever]

1-1. Maybe even an ingerlish single goal win.

 

[Lord Camomile]

I'm a bit out of touch with Croatia, what're they like these days?

 

[Sasaferrato]

Going to start with tea and toast.

Once I get out of bed.

Glad to know I'm not the only one still in my pit.

Hydraulic pressure is about to change that.

 

[Buddy Bradley]

I'm a bit out of touch with Croatia, what're they like these days?

Their performance has been a bit chequered recently.

 

[Badgers]

The telly coverage is not starting till 1pm? This is too late

 

[blairsh]

Are you sure you haven't started drinking?

It's coming home. Etc.

Taking the piss

 

[Lord Camomile]

Their performance has been a bit chequered recently.

 

[Badgers]

England Starting XI vs Croatia:

Pickford, Walker, Mings, Stones, Trippier, Rice, Phillips, Foden, Mount, Sterling, Kane

 

[Lord Camomile]

No Grealish, interesting, though not entirely unsurprising. Likewise Rashford.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Hm, also wonder if we're lacking width? Walker and Trippier, sure, but one of them (Trippier, I'm assuming) will be on the wrong side and meanwhile dunno how much support they'll get. Also, usual about two defensive midfielders (although appreciate it can be an attacking move if it frees up the forwards and fullbacks to go forward).

Anyway, I know very little to fuck all about such things. We'll see how it goes.

 

[Badgers]

I can understand starting Sterling over Grealish, mainly due to his pace but Trippier at LB??

Shaw, Chilwell and Saka can play LB so why start Trippier there?

 

[Lord Camomile]

I can understand starting Sterling over Grealish, mainly due to his pace but Trippier at LB??

Shaw, Chilwell and Saka can play LB so why start Trippier there?

"Experience", I'm guessing.

Speaking of Saka, what's the latest on his injury? Got the sense it maybe wasn't too bad?

 

[Badgers]

"Experience", I'm guessing.

Experience is good but putting players out of position for experience is very England

 

[Lord Camomile]

Experience is good but putting players out of position for experience is very England

Well, quite.

As (nominally) a left-footed full-back/winger, it's always been that little bit more frustrating that it's been such a problem position for England during my football-watching lifetime.

E2A: just to be clear, I've never played in an organised 11-a-side team in my life, not school, not Sunday league, nuttin. Just if I were to, then that'd probably be my position. Just don't want the universe thinking I'm giving a false impression of myself

 

[Badgers]

Sterling will either be awful or excellent. The good things about leaving Grealish on the bench are that he can be a supersub and he is still recovering from injury. He slowed down a lot towards the end of the friendlies.

 

[Steel Icarus]

I'm not happy with this selection really. Experience over form in a lot of cases. Mings an accident waiting to happen. Shaw and Chilwell both in great form and Grealish a huge talent. Sterling is shite.

 

[Badgers]

I'm not happy with this selection really. Experience over form in a lot of cases. Mings an accident waiting to happen. Shaw and Chilwell both in great form and Grealish a huge talent. Sterling is shite.

Have you sent a WhatsApp to Gareth?

 

[Lord Camomile]

Sterling will either be awful or excellent. The good things about leaving Grealish on the bench are that he can be a supersub and he is still recovering from injury. He slowed down a lot towards the end of the friendlies.

Aye, fair point on both counts, really.

I'm not happy with this selection really. Experience over form in a lot of cases. Mings an accident waiting to happen. Shaw and Chilwell both in great form and Grealish a huge talent. Sterling is shite.

I do think Sterling has improved a lot since his earlier career, but arguably has also since fallen back a bit from his heights of the last couple of seasons.

Still, I do also believe players can have an impact on the opposition/game beyond just what they do on the ball, and while Sterling can be frustrating as all hell, I do think he's the type of player that can cause opposition players problems/irritation just by being on the pitch.

I may be falling to false hope a little there, though

 

[Badgers]

 

[Badgers]

Chilwell not in the bench?

 

[xenon]

Got a tenner on the drawer at 16/5.

 

[Badgers]

Got a tenner on the drawer at 16/5.

You mercenary fucker

 

[Badgers]

No Sancho on the bench either

 

[xenon]

You mercenary fucker

It's alright, we'll beat Scotchland 5 nill.

 

[JimW]

Sole parent tonight and it's bedtime local time. Can I get both bathed and asleep in the hour? Mind, holiday tomorrow so maybe we can all watch together.

 

[Lord Camomile]

No Sancho on the bench either

Whit??

 

[Lord Camomile]

Sole parent tonight and it's bedtime local time. Can I get both bathed and asleep in the hour? Mind, holiday tomorrow so maybe we can all watch together.

Was going to say "go for it, great memories for the kids to stay up late watching football", but it's England, so you may be subjecting them to England v Algeria from 2010 rather than something like England v Netherlands from '96.

 

[Wilf]

Your queen will give the signal by casting a white plastic chair off the roof of buck pal.

With her nonce of a son sat on it.

 

[xenon]

no beer yet. Another cup of tea for me.

'aaaveee it!!

 

[Steel Icarus]

Have you sent a WhatsApp to Gareth?

I couldn't, he's too lovely and of course he's never let me down yet