Pickford tastes victory in World Cup bow

England's finishing is schoolboy stuff. They should be at least three or four up.

I see a lot of sleek athletes in the side now but I'm still not convinced there's what you'd call a football brain there in the squad.

Also - I'm assuming Chelsea won't send Loftus-Cheek out on loan again next season? Potential superstar there in my opinion. But if they dont want him, we should buy him.

I would like to see Cahill, and Rose, replace Maguire and Young, but England have got a young team so the late deserved win should really help them.

They kept playing, and got their reward in the end, because goalscorers win games, which is something they have now got with Harry Kane?

Apart from the finishing, Walker and Sterling, England were excellent in the first half.

On the triple centre backs, what I saw was Stones being too ponderous on the ball - he slowed the game down when there were clear out balls to immediately carry the game to Tunisia again. He is usually sharper and quicker than this. Walker looked the least assured and had already been caught in possession twice before he coughed up a cheap pen.

The most dynamic of them was Maguire. He regularly and tellingly carried the ball out of defence to confuse the Tunisian midfield and defence: to stick or twist, to hold position or go to close him down. He can also claim 2 assists for Kane's goals.

As opposed to Jim Bennings and Bill Watson, I saw plenty of intelligent football and guile. Quick slick passing, movement and running and technical skill all night from England. They also stuck at it the whole game when, in the 2nd half, Tunisia were much improved in closing the gaps and spaces England exploited so well in the 1st half.

Southgate merits praise for going with so many young 'uns who grew up together at international level through the different age groups.

Unlike some in this thread, I was hugely entertained and encouraged by what I saw from England.

I think they deserve credit as does the manager Southgate.

Good on them, a good result against Panama and England are into the knock-out stages when and where anything can happen.

It could have been 3-0 to Belgium in the opening 10 minutes.

If England play as well as they did in the opening 45 minutes tonight against Panama in the next game, with better finishing, anything could be the score.

The key game, of course, will be the final winner-takes-all versus Belgium, but even then, the 1st game results thus far may mean England WON'T meet Brazil or Germany in the quarter finals as the draw - based on historical form - may have predicted.

We got his second choice, Keane!

I thought our performance was much better than we are used to from previous tournaments and sense a hiding is coming to Panama who were very poor today. If we hit Panama for more than 3 and Belgium only narrowly beat Tunisia a draw will see us win the group...

If England turn up and really play to their potential against Panama, I wouldn't be surprised to see them turn Belgium over.

However, that's all for tomorrow but I thought the team did as well as could be expected tonight. No complaints from me!

Rashford for Lingard or Sterling maybe, and Walker is playing without confidence going forward, he was our best right-sided attacker at the Euros, still Trippier did well enough though.

Southgate was slow with his subs, left Alli on far too long... l felt England got out of jail a bit tonight, still, another win and we should get through.

㿊 million — what a bargain.

Hugely encouraged without getting carried away a very good start.

Henderson (spit!) played very well in the nuts and bolts holding midfield role. He hit a beaut of a pass 40 metres that completely opened up the Tunisian left flank in the first couple of minutes of the game that led to the first of many great chances.

That pass was excellent in its vision and execution.

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/romelu-lukaku-ive-got-some-things-to-say

Hopefully we can give the country the feel-good factor again.

Tunisia having got what they wanted dropped in and to be fair England were laboured but patient. The deeper set defence neutered both Lingard & Sterling and there running game fell off a cliff.

Oddly the best attacking came down the right were there was balance but we persisted in going down the the left. With Young clogging play up it was left to Maguire to move forward with a left foot.

It was a bit like stomping ogre but it started to attract defenders. For me Rose has to play to give us genuine balance, and he also has a relationship with Kane.

For me a plan, albeit only partially executed but I think Southgate will encourage the back three to keep playing, it will be exposed but worth persisting with.

Kane is lethal, that's what we have so he might just get us out of jail on occasion.

It's obvious but a ball player instead of either Lingard or Sterling is absolutely necessary.

Landon Donovan upsetting his fellow countrymen for lending his support to Mexico at the World Cup.

Link

But I guess some strikers are just there to score and if they do, they've done their job. We've probably had that conversation to death on this site!

Walker showed that he has a lot to learn about being a center back and I don't see where he is going to get that experience other than when he plays for England.

I would like to see Loftus-Cheek and Rashford start in place of Lingard and Sterling against Panama.

He did it for the money. End of. Shitbag stance. Americans can't root for Mexico, full stop.

Now an unadulterated opinion of the England game.

Best England performance I've seen in my time following "soccer." They look a proper team. If they could just finish their chances, they win 6-1.

Penalty was just soft and stupid. Otherwise they dominated.

They stand in my mind currently where I thought - second in the group, final 8 finish.

But England fans should be happy. That was a team and a performance you can be proud of. And what a dramatic finish to that game!

Be happy. Good stuff.

So says the American.

You wont have seen too many teams who play with a three at the back all of whom are more than happy to come out with the ball and carry the counter threat. Personally I've never seen it before at top level and I'm watching how Southgate can develop it, very closely.

A good performance from a set of good young lads. Tunisia were not the greatest opponents, but they were well practiced in the dark arts and that would have been good experience for the young England lads.

I can't claim to be England's greatest fan, but having watched a few games because Pickford was selected, I find myself warming to this group.

It barely registered with me when Southgate was made manager, I didn't particularly rate him, more to the point I didn't care, but he has been a breath of fresh air, a manager who is prepared to ignore the press and do it his way, give youngsters a chance, try fresh ideas and has somehow managed to explain to his players the difference between being confident and being a gobshite.

I'm on board. After being indifferent to the English set up for as long as I can remember, I found myself throwing my arms up when Kane buried the winner. Maybe the fact that I actually like the management and a lot of these players has made me biased and is clouding my judgment, but I said before the tournament started. I think this England team may still be in there once the quarter-finals have been settled.

Despite poor refereeing and cynical tactics employed by the opposition. This was the best football of the tournament so far and (can't believe I'm saying this) I find myself looking forward to the next game.

D Hind
Stony Stratford
Middle England

There's nothing to apologize for or be embarrassed about.

This is an England TEAM. Not a group of overpaid dicks (some of them are but bear with me ).

There's a squad picked upon talent and how they set up in a system. There's players who are playing for their shirt and their country. There is a coach who is setting up a system to play to collective strengths, not individual egos.

I hope they do well. You have a team. Get behind them.

Straight from Trump's hymn-sheet as Mexican parents are separated from their children at the border under new Trump directives.

FYI Here in Chicago nearly all Americans I know supported Mexico and loved their win v Germany and unlike Jamie had the decency and dignity to respect how well Mexico played as a team.

Steve Ferns is far more eloquent than me, but even he got himself into a bit of an awkward situation when he tried the other day.

A huge percentage of this city's inhabitants (for various reasons) don't even consider themselves English – that's too long a story though, for another time.

It's been explained to me. I get it.

But if you have any soft spot in your heart for your national team, I'd argue this is the one and the coach to get behind.

It doesn't diminish your individuality or your independence as a scouser or a Liverpudlian in my opinion. It's your country.

Same country that banded together when threatened in the 1930s / 1940s when they were attacked by an evil empire.

You don't have to sing God Save the Queen, you can keep your identity, but this is an England team you can pull for.

My opinion, from afar, no insult intended in the least. And stated admittedly with a ton of naivety and lack of understanding from the mindset from an American.

Take it or leave it. ;0)

I can't root for Mexico. Just can't. If they do well, good for them.

Has nothing to do with Trump. The man is a cunt. Has everything to do with the rivalry, how we beat Panama in 2014 with nothing to play for and saved the Mexican team's ass, then watched them do nothing in 2018 when we needed them to help us out.

We sucked. We don't belong at the Big Dance. But I still harbor a lot of resentment and you'll never see this red, white, and blue fella pulling for El Twat.

Take care of Chicago, friend. And stop being a stranger on these pages.

My best.

Myself and the Crowley brood of five sons aren't among them. We'd like to see Mexico out.

It's like a Yankee fan pulling for the Red Sox. Or an Evertonian pulling for Liverpool. Shit doesn't add up.

In my mind at least.

Great to see a post from you and hope the colonies are treating you well, mate.

As for your post... usual nonsense!

As for last night and England, I was very encouraged. The first 35 minutes in particular was excellent with pace and movement and energy all over, pretty much what I wish to see from Everton. After that, it was harder and we struggled against an unsympathetic (poor) referee and a team (as Darren puts it) well versed in the dark arts. And yet we were the only team looking remotely like scoring. It must be noted that Tunisia are no mugs, they are ranked 21 in the world above the likes Iceland, Serbia and Sweden and just behind Croatia and Italy. They were ranked 14th a few months ago.

Yes, it required a late winner but we mostly outplayed them and hugely deserved the 3 points.

I love this formation with 3 ball playing centre-backs able to bring the ball out and I think this team can cause problems for any team out there. We've already seen the likes of Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Spain and France struggle at times so I think the whole lot are there for the taking. The biggest challenge will possibly be the mentality and whether or not they can continue to play this no fear, high energy football once they (hopefully) reach the knockout stages.

I agree. Perhaps saying it was the best football of the tournament so far might be stretching it slightly – I think that was probably on show in the Spain-Portugal game – but other than that, I'm with you.

Apart from penalty decisions, he let the Tunisians time-waste at will and then had the audacity to hurry Jesse Lingard of the pitch when they found themselves behind in injury time. From what I can remember, not a single decision went our way in the penalty area and every time a Tunisian player flopped to the floor they got a free kick.

Brazil have apparently lodged a complaint against the ref in their game against the Swiss and we should do the same just to make sure that doesn't happen again.

Unless they are playing the US (especially Mexico) I always pull for the teams from our conference in the WC.

The thing with Landon is that he was Public Enemy #1 with Mexico supporters since we beat them 2-0 in the 2002 World Cup. He scored the second, clinching goal, but why he was singled-out for their venom I don't know.

It lasted for years after that and Landon responded by having some of his best games against them, especially in Azteca. He could be a moody bugger over his career, but never against them.

He took all of our corners. It was him got all the bags of shit and piss, d-cell batteries, and bottles thrown at his head in Azteca, with the local police doing little to nothing about preventing it.

When it ended, for me, was a friendly down there a few years ago. We actually won the game. During it a Mexican player was down and Landon went over to give him a hand up (surprise). The Mexican player took it (shock). That was the end of it for me. If he was cool with it, so was I.

For whatever reason, the Mexican supporters afford Landon some grudging respect. One reason, I suspect, is that he earned it. Another would be that he can't hurt them anymore, so why be mad at him.

As I said, if he's made his peace with it, that's good enough for me.

And Americans shouting "Fuck him" and calling him scumbag have some damn short memories.

Interesting on the Maguire issue. Personally, I thought he was poor and not international quality. We will get exposed by better teams.

I think it is the carry outs from defence, similar to Stones, that catch people's eyes and skew the opinion on his performance. For me, I look to him to defend first and foremost and in that respect I thought he looked decidedly ropey for large periods and better teams will punish that. Belgium will be an interesting test. All three in the central defence, Walker, Stones and Maguire, have a mistake waiting to happen in them IMO and I don't think you can go very far with that against top quality attackers.

Portugal - Spain and Germany - Mexico have been worth my virtual admission so far for different reasons: Portugal - Spain was on a knife edge, whilst Germany - Mexico was classic David and Goliath. Long time since I have cheered as a neutral for a World Cup game but that's what I was doing for Mexico!!

Sterling would be my first choice right winger in a 4-4-2. He might even get into this formation alongside Dele Alli. But as the second striker? No. Vardy or Rashford alongside Kane and this game would have been over before they got their penalty. Lingard works hard and tries, but I'm not convinced yet. And as predicted, Ashley Young cutting back onto his right foot slowed play down.

But if the manager can tweak the team on Sunday and they create the same number of chances. It is at least going to be fun while it lasts. How long since England fans have been able to say that.

I had never really thought about Southgate as a manager but if his sides continue to play this way he won't be short of offers after the World Cup is over. But hopefully he will be here for a few more years as England manager first.

Not everybody was at the top of their games last night, but they showed enough to beat a very resolute Tunisia who will be hard to beat. Funny how none of the back 3 play in that system for the clubs, but they seem to settle into the new formation.

I would just question, is Walker defensively good enough to play in the back 3. For Man City he bombs down the flanks which is his strength but has to be more disciplined in a 3. I think he might be better used in Trippier's position although you couldn't fault Trippier on last nights performance.

I thought both Rashford and Loftus-Cheek (someone I have been saying for months we should sign) did great when they came on. So there is competition for places which will benefit the team the longer they stay in the competition.

Walker, whilst not a centre-half, is never going to be ran, and when Tunisia were trying to break in the last 15 mins, it was Walker's pace that kept retrieving the ball to set England on their way again.

I enjoyed watching England but I've been watching them with interest for a while now because, ever since Southgate changed the system to suit his squad, I've thought they've got a chance.

They might not be good enough to go all the way, but a good team will always beat good individuals, even if I wish England had one in the middle of the park. That said, if they can keep up the intensity for a longer period, then they should be too good for most teams...

They kinda reflect my own reading of the story, namely, depending on your point of view:

* His words were uttered in some paid advertisement
* He is being criticised for uttering such words and taking the money
* He is being criticised for uttering such sentiments, Period! Yanks don't support Mexico – ever!
* Yes, he was paid for uttering the words, but he may also have been sincere in his sentiments, as he explained in a follow up Tweet.

Given the fractious nature of relations between the USA and Mexico, I can see how this can be viewed on partisan political lines, but overall – as James Flynn writes @ 44 – it strikes me as more of a 'Tempest in a Teapot.'

England would have to be judged on beating better teams than their opponents last night and so would the system they used; none of the defenders had anything to defend, especially after Tunisia scored, and there was wasn't much before that, they mostly conceded one half of the field to England so it was easy for the defenders to bring the ball out of defence and spread it around.

I thought England were crying out for someone like the Arsenal player, Wilshere, to open up the Tunisia defence. Nevertheless, England won and deservedly so. Can they repeat that victory against teams that attack them? We will soon find out.

It is so weird. I just feel if I get into this my Irish family will come back and haunt me and I may start talking with an Essex accent and start following the health of the monarchy.

Head vs Soul.

Weird for some of us.

This is not a mature team and a lack of a true #10 to put the scorers in better finishing positions may hurt later in the tournament.

I hope Southgate's style of play, balls when it comes to selection, and the aggressiveness of these young players is the beginning of a new era for England.

I think that Mexico might be hanging around for another couple of weeks. An odd team. I wouldn't have Hernandez at The Old Lady; Lozano, yes please. But they have something that Brasil with me-me-me-me-me Neymar (and other teams) cannot have: a genuine team spirit that turns a Hammers benchwarmer into a very good player.