u/That_Cool_Guy_

This was not a perfect England performance, but it was a proper tournament win.

Mexico had the crowd, the altitude, the momentum and then the extra man after Quansah’s red card. That is normally the exact sort of game where England start to panic, drop too deep and invite wave after wave of pressure.

This time, we actually adapted.

Tuchel did not try to pretend the game was still normal. England became more compact, protected the middle, defended the box properly and still carried enough threat to win the penalty that made it 3-1. It was not pretty by the end, but it was organised chaos rather than blind panic.

That is the difference for me.

Southgate deserves credit for changing the culture around England, but I think this game under him probably becomes much more passive. We score, sit off, lose control, and I could easily see it ending 2-2 and going to extra-time or penalties.

With Tuchel, there just seems to be more in-game problem solving. The shape changes. The tempo changes. The players look like they know what the plan is when things go wrong.

For years England have had the players. Against Mexico, it felt like we had the manager too.

I need to get the wet belt done on my 2015 Fiesta. I did a quick quote online and this is what they said:

£1050
What's included
The price including all parts, labour and VAT where applicable will be £1050. This estimate is for a Wetbelt only and includes the following:
All Parts and Labour
Cambelt kit
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Sump clean

I understand why people are worried. We haven’t looked particularly cohesive, especially defensively, and there’s still a feeling that we haven’t found our best back four.

But we’ve seen World Cups won by teams that weren’t flawless.

Argentina in 1986 weren’t the complete package. Italy in 1982 scraped through the first group stage before Paolo Rossi caught fire. Even Argentina in 2022 had games where they looked vulnerable, but when the big moments arrived Messi delivered.

International football isn’t like a 38-game league season. You don’t have to dominate every match or look like the best team throughout the tournament. You need to stay in games, improve as the tournament goes on and have players who can decide the biggest moments.

That’s why I’m still optimistic. England’s defence does need to settle down, but we have two players who can win games almost on their own.

Jude Bellingham has already shown he can produce when England need him most, while Harry Kane is still one of the best finishers in world football.

If one of those two goes on a run over the knockout stages, suddenly nobody is talking about how cohesive we looked in the group stage. They’re talking about England being in another World Cup final.

Look, we all know England’s issues at right back, but I’m not going to put all the blame on Tuchel. Losing two specialist right-backs, and potentially a third, is an incredibly difficult situation for any manager.

Where I do think he deserves criticism is that England still don’t seem to have a settled back four. However good your attack is, if your defence isn’t used to playing together, mistakes and misunderstandings are far more likely. At this point, with the injuries we’ve got, it looks like O’Reilly, Konsa, Guehi and Spence are the most likely back four, and I’d stick with them.

Ironically, for years England’s defence was usually our strongest area, but we struggled to score. We often lacked players willing to run at defenders or take risks, apart from the occasional maverick like Gazza, and we regularly found it difficult to break down deep defences.

Ghana defended with a very low block and offered very little going forward. Their priority was clearly to stay compact, keep men behind the ball and make England work for every chance, and they executed that game plan well.

With Gordon, I do wonder whether all the speculation around a possible move to Barcelona has affected him. That’s only my opinion, but players deal with pressure and outside noise differently. It’s one reason I’d like FIFA to ban transfers during the World Cup and extend the transfer window by a couple of weeks instead.

Most of the chances we’ve conceded have come from our own defensive mistakes rather than teams carving us open. Whether it’s runners not being tracked, the defensive line being out of shape, or simple communication errors, the chemistry just doesn’t look quite there yet.

I also thought Bellingham was excellent as the No. 8. He drove the team forward all game. The question is where Rice fits if that continues. There have been rumours about him potentially filling in at right-back. If Tuchel went that route, it would allow Rogers to stay in the No. 10 role, where I think he’s looked very good for England. I’d put his last performance down as an off day rather than the norm.

I don’t see much benefit in risking either of them. Tuchel picked a deep squad with cover across the pitch, so this is exactly the sort of game where those players should be trusted.

I think Kobe Mainoo is more than capable of doing a job in midfield. The main trade-off is that we’d be without one of our strongest set-piece takers.

Given Reece James’ injury record, I’d be inclined to manage his minutes. Against Panama, we should be confident enough to rotate, and this feels like a good opportunity to give other squad players a chance.

I’d probably rest Harry Kane as well. Ollie Watkins’ pace and willingness to run in behind could cause Panama plenty of problems.

With the news that he is leaving Portugal after the World Cup, would you have him back in charge?

His win ratio with Belgium and Portugal is nearly 70%, but 42% with us last time round. He did oversee our best points tally in the premier league with 72 points.

With the experience he has gained at international level, wining the Nations League while managing, is he worth bringing back?

I know he was sacked due to poor form. But we have money to invest this time!

If not Martinez, who do you suggest. Moyes time is up, he was the perfect choice to steady the ship but not the future.

I am going to max out my S+S ISA with Trading 212 shortly due to inheritance. Ironically I just opened an account this month and put in £100 on VWRP.

Research suggests, I should leave this on set and forget, but that I could leave say 10% for high conviction shares, or companies I like. Is this the best way? It is unlikely I will be able to max out next year.

Me, my partner and my dog are going down to Brighton for week, our son is also at University there!

Just wondering what car companies offer a single days rental for an electric car? We are coming down by train, but it would be nice to have a car for a day or two.

Thanks!

Ever since he made his debut, I’ve been hugely impressed by Elliot Anderson.

He’s exactly the type of midfielder we’ve been crying out for, someone who can win the ball back, drive the team forward, link defence and attack, and dictate the tempo of a game.

He combines tenacity with intelligence on the ball, and for me, he’s quickly become one of the first names on the team sheet.

Thoughts?

I mean the timing could not have been worse. Both play in same position and no confirmation if Rashford is staying.

Could it make things a bit spicy between the two? Or could it be that Rashford will have a point to prove.

Of course Barcelona could sign both!

There is a sell on clause that we get 15% of any profit over £45 million that we sold the turncoat for!

Just looking at the performances and also the fact that Bellingham is a genuine game changer, I think Roger’s will be first choice.

Don’t get me wrong, Bellingham is world class. However I feel that Roger’s has more positional and mental discipline for the way Tuchel is setting up the team.

If we are in the second half and need to change the game, Bellingham is the perfect player to do that. He is passionate, skilful and will drive the team forward. That’s how we get the best out of him.

Tuchel has made it clear, it’s about the system not necessarily the best players.

Thoughts?

The more I look at this England squad, the more it feels like Tuchel has picked for a very specific tournament system rather than simply taking the “best” players on paper.

I think he’s building a side around:
* pressing intensity
* transition football
* tactical flexibility
* athleticism
* players who can cover multiple roles

Which honestly explains a lot of the controversial calls.

**Djed Spence**

I actually understand the Spence selection. Tuchel loves aggressive wing-backs/full-backs who can recover quickly, carry the ball and defend space. It’s less about technical build-up and more about energy and recovery pace.

**Henderson**

I know people hate it, but tournament football managers always end up trusting experienced leaders who manage games well and keep structure. Tuchel clearly values tactical discipline and mentality.

**Ivan Toney**

Toney also makes sense as an alternative to Kane. England have lacked a proper physical option for years. Gives them aerial presence, penalties and a more direct approach late in games. He is also used to playing in the heat.

The omissions also feel system-related more than ability-related.

**Phil Foden and Cole Palmer**

Foden and Palmer are both elite, but they naturally want similar spaces. Neither are really touchline wingers or true central midfielders defensively. Tuchel probably doesn’t want a squad overloaded with players drifting into the same pockets.

**Trent Alexander-Arnold**

Trent feels like a tactical casualty too. If Tuchel wants aggressive pressing and fast recovery defenders in transition, you can see why he might prefer more athletic defensive profiles.

**Lewis Hall**

The one omission I really don’t get is Lewis Hall. Feels like exactly the sort of balanced modern left-sided player England usually lack. Progressive passer, technically clean, comfortable inside or outside, and fits modern systems really well.

**Summary**

Overall, this squad feels less like here are England’s most talented players. But more like
here are the players Tuchel believes can survive 7 high intensity tournament games in a specific tactical setup.

If you could have just ONE player that would be a perfect clone. Who would choose?

I just sent one back, as it had awful range compared to my other FP300. I would literally have it with 3 metres aiming across the sofa at an angle and would not see me on one side of sofa.

I have two others in kitchen and office both of which work great. I am assuming I just got a faulty one.

Anyone else have issues?

This is really strange, both my FP300 went offline at same time.

I have 42 thread devices. I also have an Apple TV 4K Ethernet with thread and an M100.

So far switched off Apple TV and disconnected the M100 and rebooted my phone.

However the FP300 are stuck with cannot connect to primary controller. I really don’t want to reset them, as I have so many automations linked to it

Any ideas?