Internationals September (World Cup Qualifiers)

Sylar

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Impressed with Rice tonight. Would love it if we got him next year.
What I like at West Ham is how he also drives with the ball to make an extra option, and his passing and reading is really good. I do think he would be great at us.
 

ivaldo

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Emma Hayes: 'England should be happy with a point.'
 

Matt851

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What I like at West Ham is how he also drives with the ball to make an extra option, and his passing and reading is really good. I do think he would be great at us.
I think his ability to drive forward with the ball is an underrated part of his game
 

FootballHQ

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It's pretty difficult to get a tough group to be honest. Don't think any other big european nation can say they have a tough group.
TBF Hungary were 6 minutes from qualifying from euros group of death so not like Hungary are no hopers like a decade ago.

England generally have air of team now that are very confident and can swat away mid tier nations very easily once the first goal goes in. Did it to Ukraine two months back and now won easily in what can be very tricky away game.
 

Adam-Utd

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TBF Hungary were 6 minutes from qualifying from euros group of death so not like Hungary are no hopers like a decade ago.

England generally have air of team now that are very confident and can swat away mid tier nations very easily once the first goal goes in. Did it to Ukraine two months back and now won easily in what can be very tricky away game.
Agreed, we are genuinely good now. IF anything we don't play with the swagger and confidence we should have.
 

0le

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I thought the first half was dull. England seemed to play with a higher tempo in the second half and deservedly got several goals.

Off the pitch more racist chants and no doubt nothing meaningful will be done about it.
 

saivet

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That's true, still feels like Andorra and San Marino is overkill, though.
Yeah, looked at the pots and Andorra are bottom of pot 5 and San Marino bottom of pot 6.

The top seeds for those respective pots are Armenia and Malta
 

siw2007

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Very solid display from England away from home. First half was a bit tepid, but far too good in the 2nd.
 

FootballHQ

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Italy drawing with Bulgaria who really struggle nowadays is a bit of a shock. Swiss have two games in hand so that one isn't done and dusted just yet.

Spain lost and now trail Sweden by two points and Swedes also have game in hand so think Spain going to end in play offs.
 

LDUred

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Rice has a bit of everything in his locker. Defensively sound but can also drive forward with the ball. Decent shot on him, too.

Can't help but feel a bit of envy for West Ham.
 

always_hoping

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Routine 2-0 it could or should have been for England but ended up as 4-0 because of a hopeless Gulácsi. A half decent goalkeeper would not have conceded those goals to Maguire, Rice.
 

Wolf1992

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That's true, still feels like Andorra and San Marino is overkill, though.
It is indeed

Something like Denmark, Sweden, Croatia,Wales,etc would spice things a bit more than Andorra,Hungary, or San Marino.
 

Sassy Colin

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When was the last time England had a bit of a difficult group?

I remember they didn't qualify to Euro 2008 because of Croatia and WC 1994 because of Flo's Norway(very good team, the equivalent of today's Denmark) and Netherlands.

I wonder what would happen to England in a bit more difficult group
Well, if we had at least 1 decent team in our group, it would make for at least a couple of proper games in our group.

Twatface still trying to big up our group, what a cnut. Tell it how it is, our qualification is a formality.

At least a few of our players are getting some much needed match practice to improve their fitness.
 

PepG

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Finally a decent match for Bulgaria after a decade of shambolic performances :lol: Its alwayas a pleasure to see a sad italian faces ha!
 

FootballHQ

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It is indeed

Something like Denmark, Sweden, Croatia,Wales,etc would spice things a bit more than Andorra,Hungary, or San Marino.
Most of those are pot 1, pot 2 teams ffs. :lol:

Do get what people say though but problem here is I think they made sure this team ever top tier euro nation was in pot 1 (in past you've had France in groups with Spain and Italy). When I was growing up though England would draw likes of Italy and Germany and so you had epic duels to get 1st which I'm sure everyone remembers from late 90s/early 00s.
 

giorno

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Finally a decent match for Bulgaria after a decade of shambolic performances :lol: Its alwayas a pleasure to see a sad italian faces ha!
Feck you too:lol:

Still Champions of Europe :drool:
 

Peyroteo

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Spain in big trouble now I think

Sweden's next 4 games: Greece away, Kosovo at home, Greece at home, Georgia away. 4 wins and they're at the World Cup

Playoffs will have some tough teams and anything could happen there
 

FootballHQ

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Spain in big trouble now I think

Sweden's next 4 games: Greece away, Kosovo at home, Greece at home, Georgia away. 4 wins and they're at the World Cup

Playoffs will have some tough teams and anything could happen there
Is it same format as euros, two one off games at one venue or two legged format? That's the thing, 24 places for euros so teams get complacent thinking they can have a few poor results in world cup group but danger is you then end up in bloodbath of play offs and no guarentee you'll get in if it's just one off 90 minute games.
 

Classical Mechanic

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When was the last time England had a bit of a difficult group?

I remember they didn't qualify to Euro 2008 because of Croatia and WC 1994 because of Flo's Norway(very good team, the equivalent of today's Denmark) and Netherlands.

I wonder what would happen to England in a bit more difficult group
Who has a difficult group though? Everyone thought this was an easy group but then Hungary gave France, Germany and Portugal hell in the Euros so they were seen as a strong side. England make light work of them on their own patch and suddenly they're trash again. The typical narrative. Poland are not great at the moment but plenty of people claim they have the best player in the world. I'm curious which is the harder group?
 

Toshey

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Decent result and disciplined performance by Bulgaria, hard to believe.
Watch us feck up against Litva now :D
 

Sylar

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Uefa going to fine England players for inciting Hungary fans...
 

LDUred

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Have to say Phillips is a machine. The workrate is insane.

Disgraceful racism from Hungary's fans from start to finish has left a sour taste in the mouth.
 

0le

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UEFA/ FIFA will be more concerned about the flare than the racist chants.
 

saivet

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Who has a difficult group though? Everyone thought this was an easy group but then Hungary gave France, Germany and Portugal hell in the Euros so they were seen as a strong side. England make light work of them on their own patch and suddenly they're trash again. The typical narrative. Poland are not great at the moment but plenty of people claim they have the best player in the world. I'm curious which is the harder group?
No pot 1 team has a tough group from pot 1. Here are the pot 2 teams as well for reference.
 

Peyroteo

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Is it same format as euros, two one off games at one venue or two legged format? That's the thing, 24 places for euros so teams get complacent thinking they can have a few poor results in world cup group but danger is you then end up in bloodbath of play offs and no guarentee you'll get in if it's just one off 90 minute games.
Yeah people underestimate how easy it is to be in a bad position in these qualifiers. One bad day and qualification can get really difficult, the worse teams in Europe usually get beaten by a few goals by the top teams but they're used to parking the bus and it's often a tough game until the first goal goes in.
 

Inigo Montoya

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Rice has a bit of everything in his locker. Defensively sound but can also drive forward with the ball. Decent shot on him, too.

Can't help but feel a bit of envy for West Ham.
Also raw and makes errors that wouldn’t sit well with our fans. Just let him iron out this shit at West Ham. They don’t care as he’s the best thing since Bobby Moore to them
 

Dan_F

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UEFA/ FIFA will be more concerned about the flare than the racist chants.
Wouldn’t surprise me.

FIFA just needs to follow the same 3 game ban as UEFA, then if it happens again, move it to 4 etc. Their FA would have to try and sort something out as Orban won’t want an empty stadium constantly.
 

dbs235

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When was the last time England had a bit of a difficult group?

I remember they didn't qualify to Euro 2008 because of Croatia and WC 1994 because of Flo's Norway(very good team, the equivalent of today's Denmark) and Netherlands.

I wonder what would happen to England in a bit more difficult group
Are any of the other groups difficult? No.