World Cup 2026

[IronCitySaint]

It is the same old pattern. The first truly good team played ends in defeat. Take the lead in semis or the final, sit back, lose. You would think that, simply by the law of averages, that it would eventually lead to a win. But, no. It will just never happen. Given the players England have had over the years, the return of one single win is a total joke. I am already resigned to the fact the I will never see England win anything in my lifetime. But it would be nice to actually see the team be brave and try and win rather than hope for the opponent to fail. Tuchel needs to go.

[Whitey Grandad]

Their first goal reminded me of Saints v Ipswich a couple of seasons ago. Pack the box but leave acres of space on the edge of the area.

[sfc4prem]

It did look like men vs. boys at times. Argentina's two goals could well have been four.

[Whitey Grandad]

Just now, IronCitySaint said:

It is the same old pattern. The first truly good team played ends in defeat. Take the lead in semis or the final, sit back, lose. You would think that, simply by the law of averages, that it would eventually lead to a win. But, no. It will just never happen. Given the players England have had over the years, the return of one single win is a total joke. I am already resigned to the fact the I will never see England win anything in my lifetime. But it would be nice to actually see the team be brave and try and win rather than hope for the opponent to fail. Tuchel needs to go.

At least I saw 1966.

[Wade Garrett]

Tuchel turned into Southgate tonight.  Shite management.  Spain will fucking destroy the Argies on Sunday.

[die Mannyschaft]

2 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Their first goal reminded me of Saints v Ipswich a couple of seasons ago. Pack the box but leave acres of space on the edge of the area.

Carbon copy of Saints,  Tuchel must have spied on Saints 

[Turkish]

3 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

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.

Yep. That’s what happens when you have years of left wing propagandists dominating the country spreading their soft as shit participation medal, you can be what you want to be and dont let anyone tell you otherwise ideology. A nation of entitled losers who expect to win just by turning up. They’re probably now in the dressing room saying they’re the real winners because we had a more diverse team 

[James]

4 minutes ago, qwertyell said:

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. 

 

Completely agree. The media would be hounding Southgate out tonight but that was worse. I’m struggling to remember an instance of such appalling in game management. 

[SouSaint]

Think we deserved to go 1 up but the reaction after that was an absolute disgrace. We had warning signs before their equaliser that we were sitting far too deep. After the equaliser we got even deeper and ended up deservedly losing that game. 

What a cowardly performance from the manager. 

[RedArmy]

With a competent manager we have won 2 euros and been to at least 1 World Cup final. 
 

Tonight is as bad as Euro 2020. 

[saintant]

Someone shut Micah Richards up.

[pingpong]

On 12/07/2026 at 00:24, pingpong said:

This feels like every other world cup, we make hard labour of beating our peers, but we will lose to the first proper team we play.  Argentina probably.

I was right. This is every world cup in my lifetime.  That Messi fella is half decent though, hard to believe there was ever an argument between him or Ronaldo as the goat.

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

Where was the experience from Henderson? Oh right it was exactly the same versus Croatia, then Italy.

[Turkish]

12 minutes ago, aintforever said:

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

Fuck of you whopper “not very good at football” a made semi final two of the last three world cups and two European finals. You talk so much shite 😂😂😂

[Turkish]

2 minutes ago, RedArmy said:

With a competent manager we have won 2 euros and been to at least 1 World Cup final. 
 

Tonight is as bad as Euro 2020. 

Nah we’d probably have beaten Italy and Croatia but Spain are a much better team than us. 

[SWLondon Saint]

What I don't get is with all the experienced players and supposedly a good manager and team around him, not a single person realised that you simply cannot be so passive when the other team is at your level or above.

Normally in sport you're meant to 'trust the process' - do what you've practiced, what you planned for, have some structure. I am 100% sure they did not practice defending with 10 players on the edge of our box.

[Dark Munster]

25 minutes ago, skintsaint said:

Pickfords positioning on both goals was awful too by the way.

 

Harsh, he made some good saves. TT is 100% to blame for this meek surrender.

[SWLondon Saint]

1 minute ago, Turkish said:

Nah we’d probably have beaten Italy and Croatia but Spain are a much better team than us. 

But when we equalised Spain definitely were rocking - and if we'd kept up the pressure we could have won despite them being better. But we went passive again and then they did us.

[Wade Garrett]

Tuchel - we got too passive after we scored the goal.  Might have something to do with all the fucking defenders you brought on.

Would love to see Guardiola replace him.  

[whelk]

Tuchel “we became passive” yeah cos of you you negative twat who couldn’t read the game.

[Whitey Grandad]

Tuchel Just now,

"We decided to go to a back five to close up the holes because we couldn't stop their crosses "

Er... 

[Wade Garrett]

5 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Fuck of you whopper “not very good at football” a made semi final two of the last three world cups and two European finals. You talk so much shite 😂😂😂

But we always fall short when it counts.  We capitulated again tonight.  We can’t beat decent sides.

[RedArmy]

3 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Nah we’d probably have beaten Italy and Croatia but Spain are a much better team than us. 

Not sure about that, Rodri was off the pitch and again we got timid after scoring instead of trying to win the game. 
 

Undoubtedly a better team this year though and we’d have lost the final anyway. 

 

[whelk]

Fuck me 12% possession after we went ahead. Unforgivable 

[Gloucester Saint]

7 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Yep. That’s what happens when you have years of left wing propagandists dominating the country spreading their soft as shit participation medal, you can be what you want to be and dont let anyone tell you otherwise ideology. A nation of entitled losers who expect to win just by turning up. They’re probably now in the dressing room saying they’re the real winners because we had a more diverse team 

He’s many strengths but never been quick and needs that around him. Had it on the bench but didn’t use it. Conceded up to 25 yards, edge of our D and the wide areas as well with all of the centre backs on and said ‘take your aim’.

And they did. 2 goals and two on the woodwork, Pickford saved well twice.

Defence v Attack and with no deterrent on the counter attack, their midfield and defenders piled on too.

[sadoldgit]

10 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Tuchel turned into Southgate tonight.  Shite management.  Spain will fucking destroy the Argies on Sunday.

I agree about Tuchel tonight, but to be fair to him he has taken an average team to the semi finals. As for Spain, yes, I think they will win, but I don’t think that it will be easy for them.

[Turkish]

Just now, Wade Garrett said:

But we always fall short when it counts.  We capitulated again tonight.  We can’t beat decent sides.

Yeah but his “England are not very good at football” is a load of shit. Our last five tournaments have been a quarter final, two semi finals and two finals. Yeah we’ve fallen short at winning something but that isn’t the record of a team that’s not very good at football. Ridiculous to even suggest it

[aintforever]

7 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Fuck of you whopper “not very good at football” a made semi final two of the last three world cups and two European finals. You talk so much shite 😂😂😂

Just not as good as Argentina or the other top sides - Norway is the only decent side we have beat. Face it, the record doesn’t lie, England are just not a top footballing nation.

[Wade Garrett]

Rooney is spot on with his analysis tonight.

[Whitey Grandad]

As Rooney said a few minutes ago, with a back four everybody knows their spacing. When you go to a back five nobody knows where they stand an tgey start leaving the ball to each other. Their second goal tonight was awful defending. Their player was effectively unmarked. 

[Turkish]

4 minutes ago, SWLondon Saint said:

But when we equalised Spain definitely were rocking - and if we'd kept up the pressure we could have won despite them being better. But we went passive again and then they did us.

Maybe but Italy at Wembley will forever be the one that got away. 1-0 up too against a pretty average team we will never have a better chance 

[Suhari]

2 minutes ago, whelk said:

Fuck me 12% possession after we went ahead. Unforgivable 

But we were brave, yes?

[whelk]

Just now, Wade Garrett said:

Rooney is spot on with his analysis tonight.

Yeah many slate him but being very honest and spot on 

[egg]

20 minutes ago, Patrick Bateman said:

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

Fucking fuming.

Yep. I'm getting more annoyed as the the evening goes on. I've never seen such daft tactical changes. Their danger is from out wide, full backs and wingers. Gordon and Rogers pushed their full backs deep, and our full backs sat on their wingers. Then the change, then sudden it's 2 v 1 on both sides, their men having all night to ping balls in, and no outlet. 

Absolute clusterfuck. 

[Patrick Bateman]

Just now, Wade Garrett said:

Rooney is spot on with his analysis tonight.

I turned it all off in a proper vile mood. Watching the Parliament channel in the background ... 

[Dr. Kucho]

Anyone see that Argentine reserve player hold a banner up that the Falklands are from Argentina? Just saw it on a Dutch website. 

We played pussy football in the second and this will be a terrible final with Spain and Argentina. Do hope that some Argentinian players snap their ACLs or achilles tendons Sunday.

[Gloucester Saint]

13 minutes ago, Turkish said: They’re probably now in the dressing room saying they’re the real winners because we had a more diverse team 

Nothing diverse about 6 defenders on the sane time 🙂

[saintant]

Joe Hart praising the Argentina manager for his use of subs 🙂 Come on, England went full on defensive so why wouldn't he just bring on extra forwards and midfielders? It wasn't rocket science Joe!

[Wade Garrett]

2 minutes ago, sadoldgit said:

I agree about Tuchel tonight, but to be fair to him he has taken an average team to the semi finals. As for Spain, yes, I think they will win, but I don’t think that it will be easy for them.

Fair enough, but we have only beaten sides that we should be beating.  We’ve done nothing extraordinary and shown no improvement in my opinion.

I don’t think Tuchel should lead us into the Euros.  That was really shite management tonight.

[egg]

13 minutes ago, saintant said:

Someone shut Micah Richards up.

It'll take a while to wear off. 

[aintforever]

7 minutes ago, SWLondon Saint said:

But we went passive again and then they did us.

Good teams don’t do that. 

[SWLondon Saint]

1 minute ago, Turkish said:

Maybe but Italy at Wembley will forever be the one that got away. 1-0 up too against a pretty average team we will never have a better chance 

Yeah, I agree on that one. Great goal where we cut them open and then that was the end of any kind of initiative or attacking play. Could see the equaliser coming a mile off that game too. Just don't understand how our managers haven't been able to, don't they do any kind of planning for these situations? 

[Suhari]

Just now, egg said:

Yep. I'm getting more annoyed as the the evening goes on. I've never seen such daft tactical changes. Their danger is from out wide, full backs and wingers. Gordon and Rogers pushed their full backs deep, and our full backs sat on their wingers. Then the change, then sudden it's 2 v 1 on both sides, their men having all night to ping balls in, and no outlet. 

Absolute clusterfuck. 

The first two unchallenged crosses from the right, in particular, should've been a wake up call.

How there was no adjustment after that is shocking.

[egg]

7 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Tuchel Just now,

"We decided to go to a back five to close up the holes because we couldn't stop their crosses "

Er... 

He said what? The changes invited crosses!! Fucking cretin. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

8 minutes ago, die Mannyschaft said:

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.

I agree. They knew they weren't capable of hanging on, and were just hoping that every effort would miss.

Kane was a waste in the part I saw. Nothing useful came to him. He looked knacked, and no one else was capable of running off him. He'd have no options, even if it had got to him.

That shows how broken the game plan was by then. Couldn't strengthen the midfield, and couldn't get it out wide. So it all fell in on itself.

I'd caught the line up before I left. I noted James and Rice at the very edge of their fitness; Stones without a real season; Spence in off the back of a decent finish in the last game,  but weak in others and there because of Tuchel not wanting extra full backs; Rogers out of position because Saka isn't fit, and Madueke hasn't clicked.

As disjointed as it's been, that was likely to be even more so. Dropping back and back, just showed up those frailties more and more.

Rice not being fit was a big blow. Anderson doesn't do the same job, and has been passive. O'Reilly is another "versatile player" pitching in, but not the best in that role. A bit like TAA was, when he got put in there. Not having game changing Saka was probably the other big miss. He can change things regardless of how the others are doing.

Disappointing to go out in a muddled defensive whimper. But credit to Argentina for their relentless approach to turning games around. England were just the latest to not be able to cope with it.

[Turkish]

1 minute ago, aintforever said:

Just not as good as Argentina or the other top sides - Norway is the only decent side we have beat. Face it, the record doesn’t lie, England are just not a top footballing nation.

Not being a top nation doesn’t mean we’re not very though does it. 🙄

[Patrick Bateman]

4 minutes ago, Dr. Kucho said:

Anyone see that Argentine reserve player hold a banner up that the Falklands are from Argentina? Just saw it on a Dutch website. 

We played pussy football in the second and this will be a terrible final with Spain and Argentina. Do hope that some Argentinian players snap their ACLs or achilles tendons Sunday.

What a cunt. Hopefully someone serves him up.

[aintforever]

1 minute ago, Turkish said:

Not being a top nation doesn’t mean we’re not very though does it. 🙄

Depends what you rate as good.

[OneMrsWallace]

7 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Tuchel Just now,

"We decided to go to a back five to close up the holes because we couldn't stop their crosses "

Er... 

Not surprisingly he's coming out with utter BS to justify his awful substitutions. Why he just didn't let us carry on as we were is beyond me. Argentina looked a beaten side after we scored and bravery might have got us a second. Managers constantly talk about wanting their players to be brave when it counts, then Tuchel pulls the rug from under them in a desperate attempt to hold on. Somec are saying he should go. Might be a bit harsh with a home Euros to look forward to but fuck me he better show he's learned from this debacle if he stays.  

[Badger]

25 minutes ago, aintforever said:

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

 

23 minutes ago, sadoldgit said:

I’ve been watching them screw up since 1968.

 

19 minutes ago, stknowle said:

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

There’s a recording in the song ‘footballs coming home’ of Jimmy Hill saying “and we’ll go on getting bad results “. I think he said this after another poor exit from a tournament and was criticised and ridiculed for it at the time, but he’s been proven right.

 

In the late 1970’s the French reorganised their game, the Germans have done something similar in the past, possibly more than once. How many trophies have they won since ? 
 

We reorganised didn’t we with the centre somewhere ? but have won fuck all. 
 

In that time we’ve gone through some world class players in the80’s, “the golden generation”, two Euro finals and a WC SF with Southgate, and tonight. But just don’t have the nous ,organisation, or nerve to see it through.