#30 England 6-1 Panama ~ Group G

[fmgod]

fmgod

You want England to fail

Your opinion should be considered accordingly

No, I will judge us when the games get serious and it is do or die, that's when it really matters to me, we've been through plenty of groups in the past and then got knocked out in the do or die games, if we turn up in the do or die games or at least put in a good battle, I will be happy. Beating Tunisia, Panama, doesn't mean much to me, the big boy sides turn it on when it matters and that's when I want us to turn it on. I mean we could've gone through this group what 3-0, 7-0 and then drawing to Belgium, and then get knocked out to Japan on pens, I'm just keeping realistic at the moment

[steveyrockstar]

Yup, Henderson has been absolutely superb in his role so far. And they were utterly unable to deal with Lingard today, so far play to the pair of them.

Sign him up Pellers! £200m plus Antonio ought to do it...

[James P]

Fair play.

I just don’t understand why an England fan with any sense of history would be looking for negatives today.

This is as good as it gets after two group games for England. If you’re pulling apart the weaknesses after a 6-1 win then I can’t help but feel then you’re grasping for negatives

[jastons]

Yes, it was only Panama but two years ago we lost to Iceland. Eight years ago we drew with Algeria I'm happy that we scored a hatful today.

[Bend it like Repka]

I'm just keeping realistic at the moment

The same. Of course I am enjoying us being through after 2 games. But I would say that we are performing as I would expect England to do so at group level against 2 lesser teams. However I do appreciate that historically we have repeatedly failed to perform as expected in such situations, so this is a massive improvement.

However just as I don't hit the lows some others do (I thought we were decent last WC against Italy and Uruguay and unlucky) I won't climb the highs either when we have simply dispatched the worst team in the competition. Defensively I still saw a lot to worry me.

I've noted the first comments in some boards and press articles about us going to win the World Cup. Steady on everyone, we've beaten Tunisia and Panama. Good yes, fun yes, but proof we are a major danger, not sure.

That said I do believe offensively we have the tools to go all the way, but I just can't see our defence not being picked open at will by teams like Brazil, Croatia and Belgium. Hopefully I'm wrong!

Unless of course we beat Brazil 4 - 3 in the final.

[e17]

Wouldn’t want to play Columbia if we can help it

[Faithless]

I can understand what you're saying fmgod but these games do matter, you're right of course that we could draw and then loose on penalties and so could any team. In the past we'd have won today with a couple of goals in the last 15 when the opposition tired (or even drawn/lost like jastons said). Today we didn't we got stuck in a took the initiative which is all you can ask you team to do.

I don't think though to look at the things that weren't perfect today is negative James P as long as it's constructive. I know we're fans but we all like to think like managers (well I do )and now is the best time to look at what could have gone better. Southgate said it after the match he wasn't happy with the opening 20 min or conceding near the end. It's what Fergie and Cloughie used to do...you won but it wasn't good enough we need to work on this and this etc. The time, counter intuitively, to not look for negatives in when it's all turned to

[Harry Hound]

"James P"fmgod

You want England to fail

Your opinion should be considered accordingly

No, I will judge us when the games get serious and it is do or die, that's when it really matters to me, we've been through plenty of groups in the past and then got knocked out in the do or die games, if we turn up in the do or die games or at least put in a good battle, I will be happy. Beating Tunisia, Panama, doesn't mean much to me, the big boy sides turn it on when it matters and that's when I want us to turn it on. I mean we could've gone through this group what 3-0, 7-0 and then drawing to Belgium, and then get knocked out to Japan on pens, I'm just keeping realistic at the moment

Very true, it was a great result and an OK performance where we could have tripped up but let's be honest we're in one of the easiest groups. Replace Tunisia for Mexico, Japan or Columbia and "maybe" we would be facing some very different results. Kane scored 3 today, two penalties and a lucky deflection and the other goals were down to us being in a different league to the opposition and not from fast incisive attacking play. Jamie Vardy looked a little rusty and looks like he needs a bit more time to get up to speed, starting him today may have been a better idea. When we take on the stronger teams that's where we'll see if we've got a team that justifies the hype following this result.

[e17]

Absolutely brilliant that we’re discussing Vardy or Sterling etc, rather than desperately needing points against Belgium

What a weekend for football

[James P]

If we’d have played different opponents then we’d have approached the game differently

f*** my actual life

We’ve won 6-1 in the World Cup Finals and supposed fans are trying to pull apart the result for reasons to predict failure.

[Harry Hound]

No idea how old you are, but I’ve seen it all before. This has a feel of Italia 90 and Kane is not dissimilar to Lineker. even plays for the same club.
It took us beating Belgium to start believing back then and it will take at least as much this time.

[sendô]

I'm not going to bother reading back through the thread again.

Say what you want about the opposition, but our attack were every bit as ruthless today as they were profligate against Tunisia.

We could well have had more, but second half we clearly sat back, slowed down, and Southgate brought on defensive players to defend the lead.

Players that I was expecting average things from like Trippier and Henderson have so far been excellent both games.

It's a long way to go. We not played a decent team, our suspect looking defence hasn't been tested and we've not had any proper pressure yet, but at the moment let's just sit back, enjoy this optimistic feeling and dream of what might be come 15th July.

[Patito]

James P and sendo

Ps. It’s definitely coming home

[James P]

No idea how old you are, but I’ve seen it all before. This has a feel of Italia 90 and Kane is not dissimilar to Lineker. even plays for the same club.
It took us beating Belgium to start believing back then and it will take at least as much this time.

If this is aimed at me then I’m 36 and I remember Italia 90 very well. That’s when I fell in love with England and why I have always wanted them to succeed ever since.

Don’t patronise me. I know how average we were in that group stage. But we got through and we did what we did. The fact we’re so much better this tournament should be a cause for joy. Why try to suggest this doesn’t count because it doesn’t fit your pessimist view.

We are so far having one of England’s best ever World Cup’s. Nail your colours to the mast. Are you for England or against?

[Faithless]

We’ve won 6-1 in the World Cup Finals and supposed fans are trying to pull apart the result for reasons to predict failure.

If that's aimed at me i resent the implication

[e17]

If we’d have played different opponents then we’d have approached the game differently

**** my actual life

We’ve won 6-1 in the World Cup Finals and supposed fans are trying to pull apart the result for reasons to predict failure.

Easier not to worry about the Sky mentality of over analyzing from some quarters and just enjoy yourself mate

Generally, this is the first time I’ve enjoyed football for about 2 years. Us being absolutely superb to watch for the first time genuinely & for large spells since Hoddle was in charge is the icing

[James P]

If that's aimed at me i resent the implication

It wasn’t mate

[Bend it like Repka]

We are so far having one of England’s best ever World Cup’s.

James, I appreciate your sentiment, I appreciate your positivity but that is a pretty ridiculous statement.

We have beaten Tunisia and Panama. If that gets us into the HOF then it does really show how repeatedly pathetic we have been.

Our greatest ever world cups are actually 1966, 1970 1986 and 1990. Pretty much all the rest have been dreadful or we didn't even make it.

When we beat a proper nation, be it Belgium or maybe Columbia in the 16 then I'll start getting properly excited. Then we will have achieved something we've not done for a long time.

I'm not trying to be a downer, just realistic. Panama were so bad. If we'd only beaten them 2 - 0 questions would have been asked. They had no idea how to defend set pieces. They gifted us 2 pens. Our 6th was a fluke. Yet still we looked shaky at the back.

I respect Southgate a lot. He has said Tunisia was a better performance and I agree.

It's says a lot about our own low standards how upbeat we all are. To the Germans (apart from this tournament) in every previous WC over the last few decades they would just be meh, business as usual.

[James P]

Easier not to worry about the Sky mentality of over analyzing from some quarters and just enjoy yourself mate

Generally, this is the first time I’ve enjoyed football for about 2 years. Us being absolutely superb to watch for the first time genuinely & for large spells since Hoddle was in charge is the icing

I’ve been defending England on this site for near on 15 years. I’ve mugged myself off defending the indefensible more times than I care to count. I never thought I’d have to defend the boys after a 6-1 win but some people are determined to run the national team down no matter what.

[e17]

No idea how old you are, but I’ve seen it all before. This has a feel of Italia 90 and Kane is not dissimilar to Lineker. even plays for the same club.
It took us beating Belgium to start believing back then and it will take at least as much this time.

We’d been absolutely appalling at Euro 88 & Bobby Robson bless his heart looked like a broken man before we’d even kicked a ball in Cagliari, not helped by being drawn against the Dutch and Eire at a point where both were fresh victors against us in that tournament.

Hardly similar groups, managers, or history