Hazy2 wrote:If England win the W C it will be despite Raheem WHEN they get K O it will be because of Raheem, Yet ALI and Lingard had mares and all is good for them.
Was rooting for England mainly because of this.I'm sick of the press preferring a negative story about the squad and waiting for and revelling in failure.
The truth in the past may have been that English squads thought higher of themselves than their mediocrity deserved, but i don't think that has been the case
for several years now.
I thought Lindgard, Alli and Raheem all looked nevous. Alli looked well out of sorts and Lingard probably should have had a hatrick.
But Raheem in particular looks debilitated in an England jersey.
That to me looks to be a direct result of the constant negativity he gets. It's like he is terrified to make a mistake. It's not right. What has become very clear though is that your media would rather carry the club bias into the international team, for their own gain, rather than actually support the team.
They don't back England at all. They back a predetermined agenda. Yes there is that word again and I'm sure I'll be slated for it, but I'm trying to look at England as objectively as I can and it seems very clear to me that, certainly since City players have started to appear in the England squad again and our rise to success,
it is more of a priority to destabilise them and knock their confidence than to wish the team well no matter who is playing for them.
I know it is not a new thing to England bash and there have always been the scapegoats, but let's face it, you've had better teams in the past that just didn't perform for one reason or another.
I think you have a decent squad that could do a very decent job if the manager sorted out exactly how he wants to play, and played to your strengths.
For a bout ten minutes it looked like he wanted them playing a very City-like game, winning the ball back quickly and moving it in one and two touch breaks.
reality is you could have been 3-0 up, before the penalty setback.
Too often after that though I was wondering what way Southgate wanted them to play.
You were set up for the lions share of possession but hadn't really got anything creative in the middle of the park.
Henderson pinged a few decent crossfield diagonals second half but in the first half you split the defence by playing sharp balls throug the channels.
It was all a bit hit and miss and didn't look cohesive at all.
You'll beat Panama and hopefully grow in confidence.
Whatever happens in the media I would hope Southgate backs our boys to the hilt.
I do think if he plays three at the back against Belgium you'll be punished. I don't think Walker should be in the centre.
You'll get through to the next round though and if your squad was confident, barring Spain I haven't really seen anyone to be worried about.
I really want to see all our players do well. I just think it's a total shame that our English guys are the only ones that have to take this negativity from their own.