England V Tunisia 19.00 Hrs Monday 18 th June (Volgograd Arena)

[Kaka Tim]

England were pretty decent overall i though. Very good for the first 30 mins - but they seem to have difficulty sustaining that.
Tunisia were not push overs - they are not a bad team, certainly defensively.
Thought young was a bit shit - hope danny rose replaces him. Sterling was crap - drop him for rashford.
Tripier was superb. Maguire was very good. So was henderson. And its a good sign that Kane is on form - that header at the end was superbly and calmly executed.
Southgate i like - hes calm and confident whilst refreshingly lacking in ego mania. Its good that hes relatively young and hes an ex england player - means he understands tournament football.
England will beat panama and qualify for the next round - q - finals a realistic possibility .

 

[editor]

One factor was the imbecility and obstructionism of Tunisia themselves. By constant, cynical, niggling tactics such as tackling English players and not allowing them a clear route to goal, they failed to understand that their role was to act as a guard of honour, allowing England’s stars clear and safe passage without let or hindrance into the penalty box.

A further factor was the weather. It is well known that Tunisians as a people are so accustomed to hot conditions that they can go 40 days without water. For this reason, the fixture should have been played in January in Stoke-On-Trent, so as to negate any unfair advantage.

World Cup Report - England v Tunisia

 

[Spymaster]

Absolutely loving this

 

[imposs1904]

No you don't, you hate it because you know it's true.

'fraid knot.

 

[Wilf]

Might be getting ahead of myself, but if England get through, they'll be playing somebody from group H (Poland, Senegal, Colombia, Japan). Could be close against Poland and Colombia, England would be favourites against t'other 2.

 

[Wilf]

World Cup Report - England v Tunisia

I'll just post this to annoy you Ed (from the guardian - part of a very positive review):

But when has it ever been straightforward with England? Kane had already scored from one corner and the team had played so thrillingly it was bordering on absurd that the game had reached the end of normal time without them being in a winning position.

England really were better than in previous tournaments - no disasters, reasonable pass accuracy. They were well organised and fairly flexible and you'd have to say Southgate looks to be doing a good job. I do like the way he's made some tough decisions. Same time they were still a bit pedestrian.

 

[1927]

One gets the sense that association football may well be on a return journey to its place of original domicile.

How the fuck did you get that feeling from last nights performance? It was Tunisia, not Brazil you just beat!

 

[JimW]

How the fuck did you get that feeling from last nights performance? It was Tunisia, not Brazil you just beat!

For a supposed comedian you severely lack any sense of humour

 

[JimW]

 

[kabbes]

To be fair, I couldn’t really see the first thirty minutes as the Greeks insisted on putting the match on via an OHP outside the taverna despite it not getting properly dark until about 9:40 (with the match starting at 9). I saw lots of indistinct players apparently playing with an invisible ball.

From 9:30, though, it was shockingly bad. The second goal was 100% awful defending. Why did Tunisia have a defender in the middle of the goal playing everyone onside but nobody marking the posts from a corner?

 

[planetgeli]

Started well against a team obviously more nervous than we were. A team with 7 or 8 Sterlings (and a really good goalkeeper). Scored one, should have scored more. Gave away softest penalty possible and now we know England have to beat the other team, the ref and all the VARs. Shockingly bent (Kane wrestled to the floor). That'll learn us not to let their spies die here.

Shit for the last 60 mins, Kane's head excepted.

#Sterlingout.

 

[Lord Camomile]

That's a great shot, and more than anything exposes Tunisia's defending. That guy who actually moves aside for Kane to go round the back, completely unchallenged

 

[TruXta]

Wait, so suddenly these world ranking are something we should pay a lot of attention to? Gotcha. No, you're right, It was an amazing victory. England were awesome.

Fuck me, there's no in between with you is there? And please stop putting words in my mouth.

 

[tommers]

It's tempting to look at the match by just looking at England. Maybe Tunisia changing their shape at half time and playing much more defensively had something to do with it as well.

 

[TruXta]

It's tempting to look at the match by just looking at England. Maybe Tunisia changing their shape at half time and playing much more defensively had something to do with it as well.

No, that's the amazing thing about this thread, there's only one team that did anything. The rest was just hot air, mosquitoes and vague shapes.

 

[Teaboy]

I predict England will be quick out of the blocks and score early. As the game goes on we'll miss a couple of good chances (Sterling probably) and Tunisia will begin to come back into it. We'll drop deeper and deeper trying to cling on the slender lead. Final score 1 - 1.

Well, I wasn't far off tbf. I don't know how I came up with such a spooky premonition. The only thing I didn't foresee is that later winner and Tunisia being as negative as they were.

Strange night really, game should have been over in 20 minutes and Tunisia didn't really show any ambition - had they, they might have come away with something. As it stood I think they probably got what they deserved. England's finishing was garbage and the ref had a very strange night (he seemed entirely unbothered by a Tunisian player stopping every free kick from being taken and what's with stopping the game because the ball hit somebody on the hip? Its a football ffs not a cricket or hockey ball). The VAR situation was a bit of a mess to say the least.

All in all another frustrating night to be an England fan, but we've had a lot worse of late so you take what you can.

 

[Kaka Tim]

Might be getting ahead of myself, but if England get through, they'll be playing somebody from group H (Poland, Senegal, Colombia, Japan). Could be close against Poland and Colombia, England would be favourites against t'other 2.

England only have to beat panama to qualify (unless tunisia beat belgium somehow - then its down to the last game) - so yeah second round against teams they could realistically beat. Its all set up for a cruel exit on penalties to germany in the q-finals.

 

[The39thStep]

It's tempting to look at the match by just looking at England. Maybe Tunisia changing their shape at half time and playing much more defensively had something to do with it as well.

I one read a review of a Man Utd Stoke game in the Guardian which limited any mention of Stoke to a sentence saying that they equalised.

 

[The39thStep]

I wasn't aware that Tunisia are the highest ranked African team.

 

[JimW]

I wasn't aware that Tunisia are the highest ranked African team.

I thought I banged on about it enough after they equalised
/excuses in first

 

[Wilf]

Well, I wasn't far off tbf. I don't know how I came up with such a spooky premonition. The only thing I didn't foresee is that later winner and Tunisia being as negative as they were.

Strange night really, game should have been over in 20 minutes and Tunisia didn't really show any ambition - had they, they might have come away with something. As it stood I think they probably got what they deserved. England's finishing was garbage and the ref had a very strange night (he seemed entirely unbothered by a Tunisian player stopping every free kick from being taken and what's with stopping the game because the ball hit somebody on the hip? Its a football ffs not a cricket or hockey ball). The VAR situation was a bit of a mess to say the least.

All in all another frustrating night to be an England fan, but we've had a lot worse of late so you take what you can.

The var and reffing really was that bad - and pretty much all at England's expense (though I'm not offering any conspiraloonery on that). Var of course works perfectly well as a technology, I just wonder whether they are not giving the person reviewing it long enough to make the interventions - or even enough camera angles? On that last point though, I thought I'd heard they have the full set of camera views on one screen (?).

 

[Wilf]

England only have to beat panama to qualify (unless tunisia beat belgium somehow - then its down to the last game) - so yeah second round against teams they could realistically beat. Its all set up for a cruel exit on penalties to germany in the q-finals.

Ah, I hadn't worked out the permutations as to what happens after the round of 16! Anyway, at least we've got goal line technology now - Frank Lampard will be watching through gritted teeth*.

* mangled metaphors.

 

[Wilf]

I wasn't aware that Tunisia are the highest ranked African team.

Yeah, I thought that was Egypt (without, of course, checking).

edit: Egypt miles behind in 45th.

 

[JimW]

Once Tunisia have beaten Belgium the naysayers will shut the fuck up

 

[Teaboy]

The var and reffing really was that bad - and pretty much all at England's expense (though I'm not offering any conspiraloonery on that). Var of course works perfectly well as a technology, I just wonder whether they are not giving the person reviewing it long enough to make the interventions - or even enough camera angles? On that last point though, I thought I'd heard they have the full set of camera views on one screen (?).

The thing about VAR was that it was supposed to give the ref on the pitch more opportunity to reach the right decision. With either of the Kane incidents the VAR team should have given the ref the chance to review it on the side of the pitch. With everything going on at corners its hard to have eyes everywhere so that's what VAR is for. The ref had already decided what was OK in the box and what wasn't so he should have been given the chance to adjudicate. As it happens I thought the 1st one was a clear pen (given what he'd already penailised Walker for) and the second one was less clear cut and the ref had a better view.

Its a clear failure of the system and everyone expects some problems but it would be good to get some sort of clarification from FIFA.

 

[Teaboy]

Once Tunisia have beaten Belgium the naysayers will shut the fuck up

Hmm. It will mean Tunisia have to attempt to cross the half way line which going on last night may be beyond them. Belgium will gub them.

 

[Badgers]

Changes for the Panana match?

Start Loftus-Cheek and rest Deli
Rashford starts over Sterling

I would like to see Vardy play maybe GS will give Kane a second half rest against Panama.

 

[JimW]

Hmm. It will mean Tunisia have to attempt to cross the half way line which going on last night may be beyond them. Belgium will gub them.

Obviously they were pinned back by our superior passing play, particularly second half.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

I think this sort of problem was inevitable with VAR tbh. I think a certain level of what are technically fouls has always been an accepted part of the game and even though that's changed a lot in recent years I still don't think anyone wants to see penalties given for every infringement in the box. The Kane wrestling was a pretty extreme example but they're opening a can of worms if they give it - every corner is going to have examples that at least require a review.

 

[Pickman's model]

England only have to beat panama to qualify (unless tunisia beat belgium somehow - then its down to the last game) - so yeah second round against teams they could realistically beat. Its all set up for a cruel exit on penalties to germany in the q-finals.

yeh? the only thing you can be sure of with southgate as manager is they *will* have practiced penalties exhaustively.