World Cup 2026

[obelisk]

England were the poorest of the semi-finalists and that will be emphasised on Saturday I fear.

[Oldandtired]

6 minutes ago, StrangelyBrown said:

Who next from the England manager tombola?

 

The Leicester manager awaits the call.

Edited 1 hour ago by Oldandtired

[The Kraken]

I tend not to get too upset about losing when you don’t deserve to win, and we didn’t deserve to win.

Just so frustrating for it to be self inflicted by some shocking management decisions then panic stations with Dan fucking Burn up front. Mike Bassett stuff at the end.

[SWLondon Saint]

When I saw us sit back after we scored, I expected Tuchel to be tearing the players a new one, getting them up the pitch. I cannot believe how bad the game management there was, he should take the blame and resign tbh.

[die Mannyschaft]

9 minutes ago, adrian lord said:

Only England can score take the lead yet  the entire country knows we will lose in the big game. For decades and decades and decades, it’s been the same story.

Why sit back for 20 mins or more. 1 up need keep going. Tactical failure to change to a low block so low they may as well be in the tunnel. Think they panicked and just stayed behind ball in number in fear of letting goal jn.

[skintsaint]

Just now, Whitey Grandad said:

The first. Maybe. But the header?

Looked like he got under the cross by being too close to the near post, but haven;t seen the replay. Was too busy looking for a cat to kick.

[saintant]

We'll likely finish 4th which is about right for this team.

[Gloucester Saint]

1 minute ago, HarvSFC said:

Probably the most amateurish game management I've seen, and we've had some pretty awful managers on the south coast. Take the lead, take a load of attackers off for defenders. They dominate, no change, they equalise, no change, they win the match.

What an utterly miserable couple of months of football, right guys? We've been so close to two finals and had it snatched away.

Fuck football.

English cricket in an awful state as well after sacking McCullum too late - another one trick, overpaid pony.

How much is Tuchel paid? Got Saka, PL winner, on the bench. Very good v Norway. Why the fuck hasn’t he used him to spin in behind and help Kane with somebody working off him?

I don’t blame the defenders or Pickford, they will unpick the lock if you drop that deep that early.

[whelk]

Just now, obelisk said:

England were the poorest of the semi-finalists and that will be emphasised on Saturday I fear.

Who gives a flying fuck about 3rd v 4th?

[Stripey McStripe Shirt]

7 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

No-one,  nothing to blame except ourselves.

Tuchel.

[whelk]

No fucking bank holiday either

[HKsaint]

Spencer is the culprit. He couldn’t stop Messi to deliver two assists. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

I only got back at 70mi s. England weren't defending a lead. They were hanging on. They looked disjointed, had no out ball at all, and gaps were showing. Argentina could have levelled a couple of time before they did.

England far too slow to get out and close down the shot. Basics, but they looked so tired. Spence got caught between being injured, trying to fake one for a few kick and closing a player down. That allowed the good cross for the second.

Not picking out just Bellingham or Spence. For an elite side, England have looked a bit disjointed in most games. Tuchel bringing on Burn has worked before. Tonight, it was just another body failing to stop a bit of an onslaught.

Argentina had to bring on attackers. England then got stuck with defenders on, and no plan on turning it round. Toney and Rashford on too late to make a difference.

[Polaroid Saint]

Tuchel did "a Southgate". 

Or did he? (Well, yes, he did). But, this is the thing with England; even IF @egg's dog was in charge, I'd bet they'd also make daft overly defensive changes too. Nails or not. It's the England Way.

Going five at the back and taking Jeff off was the wrong decision today, but I also think 'we' did alright to get to this far in the World Cup overall.

One day maybe we will have a different attitude. Maybe we need to win a Euros first.

Anyway,

When does the proper football start again?

 

 

[IronCitySaint]

Seemed like a classic Southgate performance to me. Weren't we told it would be different under Tuchel. Everyone in that stadium and watching on TV could see that defending deep after the goal was suicidal. The only way we were going to win was by getting a second goal. Yet with each additional defender that came on, they had more and more chances. Same old story. Nothing is EVER going to change.

[Southner]

Football is rather cunty. 

[die Mannyschaft]

1 minute ago, saintant said:

We'll likely finish 4th which is about right for this team.

Probably up the defence from 6 at back to 7 in last 15 mins 

[Gloucester Saint]

5 minutes ago, Suhari said:

I don't think we ran out of ideas.

The manager closed down our options to have ideas.

If we'd played as we were for another 10-15 minutes after scoring, I think we'd have seen the job through.

Awful management.

Sorry, I meant the manager ran out of ideas, don’t think the players did. I’d have put Mainoo and Saka on, we needed pace and energy at that stage, stretch the game again, But all the eggs in one basket with the 541 and you can’t undo it again that late on.

Edited 1 hour ago by Gloucester Saint

[Suhari]

2 minutes ago, saintant said:

We'll likely finish 4th which is about right for this team.

That still makes the playoffs though, right?

[Morse]

Holding on for a win v Mexico is one thing, holding on v Argentina another. That Tuchel didn't realise that is why were out. If we had pressed forward for a second we'd be in our first WC for 60 years ffs!

[Cabrone]

Typical England, somehow they always manage to find a way to shit the bed. Been watching them screw up since 82, they'll never change.

Thinking you can score and then shut the shop for a half against the world's best is the English disease. Once they inevitably score you have nothing left because you abandoned any pretence of attacking football back in the 1st half. 

Anyway, screw them, they aren't worth the bother.

It's finally back to the only team I give a damn about. Come on you reds.

 

[The Kraken]

1 minute ago, saintant said:

We'll likely finish 4th which is about right for this team.

This is what it boils down to. As usual of recent days it’s the way we go out rather than the fact that, while we’re a top ten side, perhaps a top 5 one, we’re not right up there amongst the best in the world as a team. Argentina more than the sum of their parts, they knew how to win and we knew how to shit our pants, and they punished us for being weak.

[Sunglasses Ron]

Fuck me, what a shambles.

This could easily have been Saints v Man City, with a tin pot effort to shut up shop with only one likely outcome.

We will simply never win anything with this mindset and it’s utterly baffling that we even tried.

[John Boy Saint]

People complained about Southgate being negative - that was on Tuchel stacking the defence to hold out, Rashford or Watkins parked on halfway would have given them something to think about.

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, Cabrone said:

Typical England, somehow they always manage to find a way to shit the bed. Been watching them screw up since 82, they'll never change.

Thinking you can score and then shut the shop for a half against the world's best is the English disease. Once they inevitably score you have nothing left because you abandoned any pretence of attacking football back in the 1st half. 

Anyway, screw them, they aren't worth the bother.

It's finally back to the only team I give a damn about. Come on you reds.

 

Saints find even more ways to fuck up, it wasn’t even on the pitch last season. Some gormless twat underneath a tree. 

[adrian lord]

I don’t know why they have that awful dead rubber so-called “bronze” game because none of the participants are in the slightest bit interested in playing it everyone wants to just get home for their holidays

[sfc4prem]

Tuchel has to go though, right?

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, John Boy Saint said:

People complained about Southgate being negative - that was on Tuchel stacking the defence to hold out, Rashford or Watkins parked on halfway would have given them something to think about.

Forgot about Watkins, we also had Saka sat there as well. Not as if that was the only option he had.

Awful, no future with Tuchel.

[tdmickey3]

5 minutes ago, saintant said:

We'll likely finish 4th which is about right for this team.

It is a overachievement 

[saintant]

1 minute ago, IronCitySaint said:

Seemed like a classic Southgate performance to me. Weren't we told it would be different under Tuchel. Everyone in that stadium and watching on TV could see that defending deep after the goal was suicidal. The only way we were going to win was by getting a second goal. Yet with each additional defender that came on, they had more and more chances. Same old story. Nothing is EVER going to change.

Yeah, too much fear. All eleven decided they were going to defend and we weren't brave enough to keep players in their normal positions and give us options to relieve the pressure or even score another goal because the Argies obviously had to throw caution to the wind and would have left gaps - with nobody forward you have no chance of exploiting these gaps.

[Morse]

Just now, sfc4prem said:

Tuchel has to go though, right?

Hasn't he just signed a 2 year extension? 

[Turkish]

6 minutes ago, Suhari said:

I don't think we ran out of ideas.

The manager closed down our options to have ideas.

If we'd played as we were for another 10-15 minutes after scoring, I think we'd have seen the job through.

Awful management.

Exactly 

we only had Kane as a striker and for all his qualities pace isn’t one. Every time it went forward it kept coming back, no outlet wide and as has been said give players of that quality of the ball around the area they’re going to hurt you. 
 

so disappointing

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, sfc4prem said:

Tuchel has to go though, right?

If you’re paid the extra £ms to not panic like Southgate did at the crunch moments, and you panic even more, than yes

[Whitey Grandad]

2 minutes ago, John Boy Saint said:

People complained about Southgate being negative - that was on Tuchel stacking the defence to hold out, Rashford or Watkins parked on halfway would have given them something to think about.

Watkins! I'd forgotten he was even there.

[aintforever]

England are just not very good at football, whoever is manager is not going  to change that.

[James]

Tuchel has to go. That was Southgate on steroids. Moronic. 

[Patrick Bateman]

Defending for 40 minutes is unforgivable. Tuchel hasn't done much wrong, but that game management was wrong.

Fucking fuming.

[sadoldgit]

4 minutes ago, Cabrone said:

Typical England, somehow they always manage to find a way to shit the bed. Been watching them screw up since 82, they'll never change.

Thinking you can score and then shut the shop for a half against the world's best is the English disease. Once they inevitably score you have nothing left because you abandoned any pretence of attacking football back in the 1st half. 

Anyway, screw them, they aren't worth the bother.

It's finally back to the only team I give a damn about. Come on you reds.

 

I’ve been watching them screw up since 1968.

[egg]

12 minutes ago, adrian lord said:

Blimey, I’m finding myself agreeing with Wayne Rooney

I might have too of I could have understood a word he said. 

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, Turkish said:

Exactly 

we only had Kane as a striker and for all his qualities pace isn’t one. Every time it went forward it kept coming back, no outlet wide and as has been said give players of that quality of the ball around the area they’re going to hurt you. 
 

so disappointing

When you’ve got Saka and Watkins, one a PL winner and the other a European champion last term, and you don’t use them and bring on Burn, O’Reilly and James, you’ve just said to Argentina ‘don’t worry about tracking back on the counter, we’ve given up, park around our 25 yard areas and overload with crosses, runners and Messi weaving patterns, Harry didn’t have a prayer.

[badgerx16]

9 minutes ago, saintant said:

We'll likely finish 4th which is about right for this team.

The rankings are; Argies #1, Spain #2, France #3, England #4.

[die Mannyschaft]

4 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

I only got back at 70mi s. England weren't defending a lead. They were hanging on. They looked disjointed, had no out ball at all, and gaps were showing. Argentina could have levelled a couple of time before they did.

England far too slow to get out and close down the shot. Basics, but they looked so tired. Spence got caught between being injured, trying to fake one for a few kick and closing a player down. That allowed the good cross for the second.

Not picking out just Bellingham or Spence. For an elite side, England have looked a bit disjointed in most games. Tuchel bringing on Burn has worked before. Tonight, it was just another body failing to stop a bit of an onslaught.

Argentina had to bring on attackers. England then got stuck with defenders on, and no plan on turning it round. Toney and Rashford on too late to make a difference.

It was like a championship game plan go 1 up then just sit back which works very well v likes of Sheff Wed but not Argentina. Too negative, cant belive manager thought England probably won't get any more chances and decided to stay in 25 yard box and hope they miss.

[RedArmy]

We will never win a major tournament. 
 

Painful when you support a club that never wins anything either. 

[saintant]

Just now, badgerx16 said:

The rankings are; Argies #1, Spain #2, France #3, England #4.

Think Spain will beat Argentina.

[Micky]

2 minutes ago, sadoldgit said:

I’ve been watching them screw up since 1968.

1970 for me.  Peter Bonetti.....!

[adrian lord]

England are very Saintsy. Or vice versa.

[qwertyell]

Tuchel absolutely fucked it. Southgate would've been buried for that tactical disaster class. His entire reputation has been built on parking the bus to an unlikely champions league win with Chelsea. He was shite at PSG, and is about the only Bayern Munich manager in 15 years to not win a the one team Bundesliga. 

Aimlessly throwing on more defenders - none of whom could block crosses or mark shorter players in the box - was amateur hour. Just handed all the momentum to Argentina. 

Another Harry Kane no show, by the way, at the business end of a tournament. Total passenger out there. Happens every time: fills his boots in the groups, then disappears as the stakes rise. 

Got what we deserved, unfortunately. 

 

[benjii]

6 minutes ago, John Boy Saint said:

People complained about Southgate being negative - that was on Tuchel stacking the defence to hold out, Rashford or Watkins parked on halfway would have given them something to think about.

Yeah, scared to take Kane off. 

We also failed to get tighter on our left side, where virtually every attack was coming from.

[stknowle]

Same old story. For decades we’ve been doing this, we fail every time

[Toadhall Saint]

Same old - defend for 40 mins on the 18 yard box against a team that can pick a pass - they will get it right in the end and they did on at least 4 occasions (2 goals and 2 off the post). Until we learn how to play when we are in the lead we will win nothing.