The World Cup 2018

[Kenneth]

Sterling, Young and Ali really stank the place out - it was shocking how many attacks broke down when the ball came to them, their decision making was terrible.

Tripier, Kane and Pickford probably the only players that came out of that game looking like they had actually played football before.

Hopefully this was the low point and things can only get better.

[Kenneth]

Talk that Vardy picked up a ground injury in extra time, which is why he wasn't a penalty taker and is a doubt for Sweden. He's even holding his crotch in the celebrations after Dier's pen went in.

And England could really do with James Milner in midfield.

[Alex]

Milner, Hendo and Ox in Midfield and we would be walking to the final.

[The_weatherman]

Southgate probably should have gambled on Lallana, would be a good option now.

[Saveloy]

I wonder what Southgate will do about Sterling. He's got to drop him, surely?

[RichC]

Sterling and Alli should both be dropped for the next game.

[Buzzo]

I wonder what Southgate will do about Sterling. He's got to drop him, surely?

He was sooooo bad. He just cant get involved in that formation. Needs to be able to ghost in from wide on a fast paced attack, with Du Bruyne pulling the strings.

The game was so disjointed though, it was a struggle for Lingard Alli and Sterling, and Kane kept wandering which was totally throwing the tactics.

How the **** are teams this bad progressing...?

...- Congrats etc though obvs

[Liverpool]

Don't think the system suits Sterling at all . Needs to be able to counter with his pace or we ( ffs) need to get in behind them. Wingbacks won't do that.

The whole alli/lingard/sterling thing is a bit muddled

[S-RED]

I can't see Sterling being dropped, he is an enigma & appears to bring nothing to the party; but in the system Southgate plays he actually creates a huge amount of space for others & is pivotal to how GS wants the team to play. I don't think there is anyone in the squad to replace him with without impacting on the system; certainly Vardy & Rashford aren't suited to it.

[Saveloy]

He was sooooo bad. He just cant get involved in that formation. Needs to be able to ghost in from wide on a fast paced attack, with Du Bruyne pulling the strings.

The game was so disjointed though, it was a struggle for Lingard Alli and Sterling, and Kane kept wandering which was totally throwing the tactics.

How the **** are teams this bad progressing...?

...- Congrats etc though obvs

He needs the team to be playing the full width of the pitch so he has acres of space to run into. I'm not sure you get that kind of space in international football (unless you're playing Argentina or hitting Japan on the break)

[Buzzo]

As mentioned last night the amount of times Sterling tries to shoot, pass or run though a defender who can easily block, because he is basically right in the way, is staggering.

[The_weatherman]

I'd consider playing only one of Lingard or Sterlinga against Sweden. I think Sweden are taking the Lagerback/Icelandic approach, work on the shape, play a compact 4-4-2 and use set pieces. There will be very little space for Sterling to run into. I'd play two up top, Kane and Rashford or Vardy. Maybe three at the back is a bit of a waste as well? You end up having three CB's guarding Toivonen on the counter.

[Shaggy]

Needs to be able to counter with his pace or we ( ffs)

[Phoenix07]

Read Tim Vickery's little piece on the Colombia manager tactically changing the entire midfield, just because they were missing James Rodriguez.

Colombia coach Jose Pekerman was clearly terrified of the prospect of facing England without his star player, so he set up his team with three purely defensive midfielders. Aware that Falcao offers little when isolated, he pushed Cuadrado close to him, advancing right-back Santiago Arias, with Carlos Sanchez covering the vulnerable space down that flank. Wilmer Barrios played the holding role, and there was also a place for Jefferson Lerma to complete the midfield block. This was a strange option. A far more logical choice would have been Matheus Uribe, sufficiently dynamic to get up in support of the strikers, offer Quintero a positive pass and carry out marking duties as well. Lerma could supply none of this, and his selection rendered Colombia impotent with the ball.

http://www.espn.com/soccer/club/colo...icked-his-team

I said it last night, Colombia would regret not winning it in extra-time. They put on a ****e showing, which didn't help when their manager decides to make several tactical switches because they lose one player, thus changing their style altogether.

[Exiled_red]

Sterling and Alli should both be dropped for the next game.

That attacking 3 of Sterling Alli and Lingard have largely been ineffective. Lingard has had a few moments making him the best of the 3, Alli seems to be injured for half the minutes he's played and Sterling has just been anonymous since he missed that sitter in the first game.

I know i'll be accused of being negative but I don't think that the attacking side of the game is working well at all. I know it sounds crazy to say given Kane has 6 goals but most of England's threat comes from set pieces, and I think that they are going to need to show more from open play in order to keep progressing .