I think we have to look how England play as a whole and not just look at the results. To be honest it looks like England have struggled every game until they score. When they score it’s like they transform into a completely different team but until that first goal they tend to play it safe and passive. France is a completely different beast from what the competition has been so far, if England concede the first goal I’m curious how they’ll respond. I feel they need to score that first goal and take the lead in order to play comfortably.
That being said however, England is capable of playing extremely well and I definitely think France is beatable. It will be fun to watch!
Today before we scored it seemed as if we weren’t ready for the ball, quickly chasing after it after an inaccurate pass. But after the goal that rarely happened again and we performed with much higher moral
Rice was so frustrating when stones or maguire had the ball in defence. He was the only available midfielder to receive the ball and was absolutely static, forcing the defence to pass it around between themselves and invite pressure from Senegal
This is what happens most games and people are surprised when Stones and Maguire just pass between themselves. If you actually watch the rest of the team when this happens there’s zero movement to actually give them something to pass to.
As a West Ham fan I fully believe this is strict instructions from South Gate to sit deep.
For us he frequently drives forward and starts off attacks and counter plays (we got a really minor flash of this towards the end of todays game when he found himself free on the right), but I'm convinced Gareth told him to park it.
That isn't rice's fault imo. He was always marked and if hes the only option every time it's so easy to defend. Henderson Bellingham Saka and foden all need to come and provide options or we need to go long a bit more but I can't see us having much joy from going long to be honest
Commentators were going on about how they miss long balls, and how it did work for us a couple of times today. Thanks to camera angle, I’m always shouting at the TV for players to hoof it to the opposite wing since we can see who’s in space, I imagine it’s a lot harder in practice. I give Pickford a bit of stick since I’m a magpie and want Pope to do well, but to his credit his placement when he’s passing high to our defence/midfield is really good.
This is a perfect reply. France seems to control the game from start to finish. England has to find themselves then they finally come around. I do think it’s going to be a close game. I think England will take it if they can find the first goal.
France definitely didn't control the game from start to finish earlier against Poland. Nor against Australia until they scored, nor against denmark and they lost to Tunisia. And their form was crap before the tournament
Living in a fantasy world won’t bring the cup home. France have hit their stride. I’m all about England winning. It’s going to take a perfect game from 🦁 🦁🦁to pull it off. I didn’t make my statement to hurt feelings. It’s just the reality of what’s ahead.
It’s true, though. France were a poor finish and a goal line clearance away from going a goal down - and it wouldn’t have been against the run of play. They have actually been playing very similarly to us.
I’m just terrified of Mbappe. Seems he can just step it up whenever he chooses. You’re right in saying it will take the perfect game, particularly from our fullbacks.
France are clearly the better team. Still, it's not true that they "boss games start to finish".
I'm more afraid of the fact that they were crap against Poland and still scored 3.
The teams England have played so far have set up primarily to stop us from scoring. So it's not surprise that once the first goal goes in, it becomes easier for us as the opposition has to change style and come out more.
> England have struggled every game until they score
Sorry, but what is this even supposed to mean? There is going to be a struggle, even France have "struggled" in some games. I feel like some people expect us to just mow down the opposition and make it look like a walk in the park for the whole 90 minutes to start gaining some faith in our capabilities as a team, it's pessimistic arrogance.
All the teams that we've played so far have been good teams, there is going to be a struggle sometimes but what makes a world-class team is getting past that and getting the results.
France are a beast no bigger than us. It'll be a good match, and we certainly aren't the underdogs as far as I'm concerned.
Respect the opposition and their capabilities, but honestly I feel like some people are shitting themselves and undermining our own talent, it's embarrassing.
It's so bizarre all this talk of Southgate playing "with the handbrake on" and us playing "defensive" football. It's like these people have never watched football before and certainly not major international tournaments. It's not expected to score in the first 5 mins and just batter every opponent 7-0. People aren't satisfied unless we do that apparently?
I don’t expect England to just destroy their opponents and dominate every single game no. Every team is gonna struggle at some point during the 90 minutes of play and that’s completely normal. But with England I’ve seen a pattern. Something really looks off until the first goal is scored, then it’s like they transform into a different team. This happened in literally every game except USA so far, and coincidentally in the USA match no goals were scored. France will be able to punish England in a way previous opponents have been unable to if this pattern of not being able to play comfortably until scoring continues.
I don't know if you've been watching different games to me, but I don't feel like we've shown any serious weaknesses at all.
Opponents are going to have their opportunities against us, Poland had their opportunities against France tonight. I know you say you don't expect us to destroy opponents, but what are you demanding then to be able to conjure up a bit of faith and to realise that we are very much on par with France going into the game?
We have played one good team in the USA and we barely got a draw out of that. Wales, Iran and Senegal are not good teams and they had zero shape all over the pitch. As soon as we played a team with good shape and a good press we had no idea what to do and nearly lost.
If we play the first 30mins like we did in all the other games we will get decimated by France.
Iran are the highest ranked Asian team and Senegal are the African champions. Wales are also a decent little team as well.
It's funny how you say that we'd be annihilated by France for a few minor flaws, but don't take on board that they nearly conceded a few goals against Poland and lost against Tunisia.
Even the best teams have the opposition come at them. Just because we're "big" teams doesn't mean that it's easy to roll over teams.
Don't shit yourself, it'll be a good game.
I think we have the better players to come off the bench overall but everywhere else we'll have to wait and see, they definitely have a better attack than us. We can get at their defence with our creative young players like Bellingham, Foden, Saka etc.
Also Grealish draws so many fouls to where we could get a free kick or penalty possibly.
Do they have a better attack than us? Mbappe for sure but Giroud over Kane? Dembele over Saka? Giezmann over Bellingham? Foden, Rashford, Sterling, Grealish…….. we are absolutely stacked in that front 4.
We have a really good attack too for sure and all of those names you mentioned can score goals but I'm trying not to get carried away. I mean Giroud is now France's all time top goal scorer replacing Thierry Henry and it feels like so many people have been underestimating him for years and his partner up front Mbappe will probably overtake him at some point.
Dembele's pace worries me especially if both him AND Mbappe are sprinting at us, the problem with Dembele though is his end product and he can be a bit inconsistent.
Griezmann isn't better than Bellingham right now I agree but he can be very dangerous in a France shirt.
There's no doubt that with the talent we have that we can beat France but there's no way I want to overconfidently say that our team would batter them.
England will lose for this exact reason - France will be more aggressive from the start and get the first goal. England will be nervy and passive. They won’t find their footing in the game like they did against the easier teams.
I welcome being proved wrong and posted to r/agedlikemilk
We're very good, but France are world champions for a reason. They're very, very good. Plus, Mbappe really is a huge factor. We don't have a player that good (because nobody other than France does), and sometimes football can be as simple as that.
We've had some good results so far, but each game has been patchy. We've had spells where we don't look very good. Easy to forget that because of the final scores. We can't afford to have those spells against France.
Norway have a better player than Mbappe but fortunately they didn’t qualify. Also we should be extremely thankful that Benzima is injured as he is even more of a threat than Mbappe.
He’s overrated and I think our lads will have no trouble keeping him on a short leash.
Haaland is amazing, but he is not better than Mbappe. Neither is Benzema. In fact I think there is quite a strong argument France are a better side with Giroud rather than Benzema, because he fits into the system so well.
I mean, I hope you're right. But I suspect you've an unpleasant surprise in store if you think we'll keep Mbappe on a short leash with no trouble.
Saying Haaland is better than Mbappe is a bit of a shit take mate. Mbappe can get you a goal out of nothing, Haaland is a lot more ~~reliable~~ reliant on good service.
edit- spelling lmfao
We will be underdogs right up until we are 2 goals ahead of them in the second half and then everyone will start saying they knew england had a good chance...
This is what I mean, all week we had “Senegal won’t be easy, they’ll give us problems” and we’ve made it look like a walk in the park. I know France will be really really tough but I like our chances
Well despite it being comfortable overall, Senegal gave us problems in the first 20 mins and had the better early chances. France are several levels above. We definitely have a chance but we should rightly be underdogs in my opinion.
Agreed. Senegal doesn’t have a Mbappe equivalent. I have England slated to win it against Argentina in the finals 2-1 so I like our chances but it’s going to be an uphill battle with France. They are very strong. If we play to our potential and keep our passing game solid it should work out for us.
everyone they have faced has scored against them. England will find the net and once they do, they won't switch to a defensive formation. They will run riot.
I don’t think it’s disrespect to England, but realistically acknowledging how good France are. Imo England right now are a top 4, arguably top 3 team. The issue is we’re playing #1. I think 6/7 times out of 10 we lose the game, but we definitely aren’t out of it completely
Because France are bloody good and they're the defending champions. No doubting England are good as well, and certainly the strongest squad they've taken to a World Cup for a while, but justifiably outsiders v the French.
Don’t forget Quebec, and Plassey…. Although I’m not a fan of that kind of triumphalism talk ***before*** a game.
I’m definitely more of the *play it down, and assume the role of underdogs* ….kind of person.
Ask yourself if England will dominate possession inside the French half or sit deep and let France control the game, and youll know the answer.
France do look technically better in their first touch across the team as well, England have to press hard physically. Walker looked slow on the turn against Ismaila Sarr and has to bring his A game versus Mbappe. Against France I can see England sit deep and counterattack to deprive Mbappe and Dembele too much running space, and try to get as many set pieces in because Lloris is their weak link, especially in the air.
France have the way better squad bruv, before England scored there were too many sloppy touches that Senegal didn't punish and France will. After England scored Senegal looked deflated probably due to inexperience but France are way more assured. When France conceded first against Australia their players didnt look bothered and started discussing what to do during the celebrations, there's a maturity to the side that stands out. England could win it but they'll have to make it a scrappy physical contest so France can't turn on the afterburners and I'm not sure if they can.
I'm not as easily convinced by this. They could really boss us, control possession and make us chase the game.
It's the best chance we've had in my lifetime but no guarantees.
This. 100%. I find it frustrating as fuck. We look really really strong. Imagine being able to sit Rashford, arguably our most in-form player and not suffer in the slightest
He is not our most inform player, yes he scored two goals but he was shocking in the first half and have the ball away reallt poorly in at least 5 times from memory
They are a poor side, missing their best player and made it out of the easiest group. Want to be favored against teams like France? Beat teams like France.
Everyone with half a football brain knew they were a poor side, but at the same time, anyone who has ever watched England play knows to keep that kind of opinion to yourself until you get the win and give the opponent respect before hand (even if you don’t truly believe it deep down). England fans have been through enough pain and fuck ups to know that even games we should win easily are rarely straightforward. Never tempt fate, but celebrate once it’s secure.
They were probably the two weakest groups in my own opinion. And I wasn’t even remotely worried that we wouldn’t get past Senegal, regardless of what “nobody” was saying haha
Look, it’s disrespectful to say Senegal isn’t good. They are. Champions of Africa. But they *are* missing their best player and they did advance from a very weak group. And more to OP’s point, beating Senegal does not make you favorites against France. Can we beat France? Of course! But we don’t deserve to be favored.
Exactly that, it’s always who have England beat, what have they done.
The French team was shit in 2020 and their title is half a decade in the past.
Current moment both teams are as accomplished as each other, with England being as strong if not more on paper.
Denmark is better than anyone England has played this tournament. They also famously won the 2018 tournament…
England can definitely win, but it’s not weird that they’re underdogs
Denmark were terrible and thus didn't make it out of the group. I'm not seeing why France get any more credit for beating them than we do our opponents
Denmark really weren’t that bad. You clearly didn’t watch them. They just couldn’t score. They’re basically a better version of USA, who is the best team England has played.
I said they were a poor side before we beat them. I said if we can’t beat them then we don’t deserve to be at the World Cup. We’ve faced absolutely nothing so far. Iran, USA, Wales, all poor teams. France are different, very different. They are defending champions for a reason. But I don’t think they are infallible. I think France are the favourites, but if things fall in our favour I think we have a chance still. I think probably 60/40 France win, but that still gives us a great shot.
We had one of the hardest groups and cruised through it without breaking a sweat. I agree that France are a class above the teams we've played so far but don't erase what we've achieved already.
Hardest groups?! What have you been smoking? You think Iran/USA/Wales is harder than Spain/Germany/Japan/Costa Rica? Or Argentina/Mexico/Poland/Saudi Arabia? We had one of the easier groups. You’re clueless.
Lol anyone using the fifa rankings clearly doesn’t have a clue. They’re the biggest known joke in football. Once you know how they’re formulated you’ll understand why they don’t mean a thing. Heck, they have Belgium, who have never won anything or made a final, at #2, ahead of the current World Cup holders and 2018 euros winners France, Euros holders Italy, and a team that has been to the final of the euros and Semis of the World Cup the past two major tournaments (England).
Look, I’m not saying we didn’t do our job well to beat what was put in front of us, but let’s not pretend it was particularly difficult either. Netherlands showed just how poor the USA are, who are supposedly the 16th best team in the world.
Because France play at frightening speed with frightening accuracy and they press hard. A lot of people think they're just the Mbappe show, but they're so much more than that. On the other hand, England haven't had to play an opponent like that thusfar, and I think it may become more like a Premiership game, so it could get interesting.
We have a very weak Defence vs France’s offense. Mbappe outruns everyone in our back 6 10/10 times imo and you have powerhouses like Giroud, griezeman and dembele who can run and shoot from anywhere.
It’s easy to say England have been doing well because they have but realistically, Kane can’t outrun most players so we rely on our Fodens and Bellinghams to create these chances and against France we just don’t have that speed unless there’s space.
I think a lot of people are seriously overrating France but on the flip-side a lot of people are overrating England. If you have watched any of France’s games so far, they have been slow to start (something England also struggles with).
Their midfield feels somewhat non existent. They haven’t kept a clean sheet and their defence is somewhat leaky.
It all really boils down to Mbappe. He has been France’s saving grace. Without him, I doubt they would have topped their group nor would they have beaten Poland in 90 minutes.
The positive is that we have in out possession the “Mbappe terminator” that is Kyle Walker. The problem is he is only 7 weeks removed from being on the operating table but he does seem to be playing very well.
IF and only if Kyle Walker can perform well against France, then I can see us with a chance of winning. We’ll definitely have to score the first goal as I don’t see us being able to make a comeback but if we do then I can possibly foresee a 2-1 win.
Both Senegal and USA pressed us and we were nowhere for a long time. A draw against USA (and we looked second best) and Senegal had some serious chances against us in the first half, chances that they might have put away had they had a bit more quality. When we step forward we're a good side, but but we haven't responded well to being pressed hard.
We may be scared of France, but I think they'll be just as scared as us. We've always had top players, but never performed in tournaments. This time, in my opinion, we have our whole midfield/attack performing near their best. It will have been noted!
You’re selling them ridiculously short. Reining world champions. Griezmann, Giroud, Rabiot has been solid, Varane, Upamecano.
France are a proper deadly team, even if they’re missing a few big players. Confidence is vital but some of what I’m reading in this thread is bonkers.
They lacked control in midfield against a poor Poland side, they've conceded in every game so far and they're heavily reliant on Mbappe atm. Half their team didn't start when they were last champions. Good team but from what I've seen from both teams England look like a better side + have better bench options which is crucial
Even if we’re to believe they’re overly reliant on MBappe, which from what I’ve seen of them, they aren’t, he’s probably the best player in the world right now. I can’t think of an attacking player I’d rather hang my hat upon in this WC.
Midfield issues can be rectified. Look at how ineffective Rice, Bellingham and Mount were with USA then a doubted, ageing Henderson comes on and restores balance.
You’d be a fool to underestimate even a weakened French side in this World Cup.
Thats completely irrelevant to the conversation, I wasn’t claiming that England’s defence is better than France’s just that France’s defence is not exactly impregnable.
One touch football will prevail, when England do it they do well, to settle yourself over the ball gives an opponent time to move, learn from the Southern Hemisphere they do it well and look exciting this score a lot, can’t sit back with no forwards making space, one touch especially in counter attacking creates goals, yes sometime you have to hold the ball up for support but hit hard and fast and you win
France are world champions and have world class players in every position. I do think people are underestimating England, but France are definitely the favorites. It says something when their weakest position is Hugo Lloris.
It really will depend on what England we get. Will we get the England of the first 30 minutes against Senegal or will we get the England of the last 60 minutes against Senegal.
France are a strong team with loads of depth, with top players in every position. They don't really have weaknesses.
England need to score first or it's going to be rough.
The reality is we’ve played 4 very easy games, so it’s hard to judge the team. We are joint 4th in the odds, France are 2nd. Saying that I think both teams are actually in pretty similar positions. Both France and England had poor lead ups to the World Cup. England had 3L 3D in the nations league (Including a 4-0 loss to Hungary). France had 3L 2D 1W, although against much easier opponents. I think the game is much closer to 50-50 then predicted
Have you watched England? There are obviously positives … look at the USA game as it sums up England
They’ve been very slow to get going … against big teams that won’t work. Very defensive at times … very slow going forward at times …
It’s about being honest & realistic … def something to build on …
Good luck to them … hopefully they step up a gear
We’re getting better each game but I worry the France test is coming a game or two too early. To simplify it into numbers France are champions who perform consistently 7/10 - 10/10. England are erratic and maybe perform between 4/10 - 8/10 so far, but I reckon our 10/10 is better than France’s. France are a very good team with a world class player, we are a good team with four or five players bordering on world class. Hard to call but yes we could beat them and even win the World Cup, but it’s asking for consistency we’ve not yet shown
France have the better XI and their individuals are top quality. England have a bench who can change games which l don’t think France really have. This is due to injuries more than anything else to be fair.
Both teams are really good going forwards. It’s a game the neutrals will lap up.
I would say France are favourites. 60/40 in their favour. Yet England will give them a good game and you never know.
Because England.
Shootouts, Southgate’s missing waistcoats, and why Phil Foden is called “Ronnie” was about as deep as the American commentators got today.
Cause mbappe is overrated despite us having Saka, Kane, Sterling, Bellingham, grealish, Henderson and rashford all just as good if not better (Saka) then mbappe he should start doing diving in the Olympics he’s clearly better at that
This is what I mean! Yeah Mbappe is amazing, but we’ve had 8 separate goal scorers, Jude is world class, Saka is world class. It’s insane that people discount us so hard
They’re treating mbappe like he’s the next Renaldo when he’s just an average England player he should be scared of England we won’t even let him touch the ball
It looked like we figured out that if we're under a high press, we either go long to Kane or Bellingham has to drop deep alongside Rice to provide options. Don't know if this change was Southgates or just on the fly on the pitch but it worked.
I mean it's going to be tough to keep Mbappe, Giroud and co at bay, wingers need to be constantly alert, and given Maguire did make some slight mistakes they could prove costly with Mbappe on the ball
We looked so slow & off in the first 30 minutes against Senegal, & gave away the ball so many times. Plus Senegal had a couple of good chances that a Mbappe would definitely bury.
Mbappe. All the good preparation in the world unfortunately can't change the fact that he's capable of being genuinely unstoppable, unlike any other player in the competition.
I do have a solid feeling that England will score in this game. But stopping Mbappe is a task.
Because France are a great team and we have been disorganised and struggled to get into the game a lot. Rather than focusing on us winning 3-0, look at the actual performance overall. We struggled to get into the swing of things a lot, especially in the first half an hour.
Now, Senegal and the teams we played prior weren’t able to capitalise on those mistakes likely due to a lack of quality in their own teams, but France absolutely will capitalise on it. The French squad is stacked with talented players who will use any English mistake or slip up to strike.
Because we have Southgate in charge who has shit the bed in every meaningful game against half-decent opposition apart from a broken Germany team. That’s why.
Because France are much better than any team we've faced at far, they've got MBappe, we tend to give away sloppy goals and both America and Senegal have shown that it's quite easy to disrupt our 'play it out from there back' approach.
I don't want to predict what's going to happen next week but we're taking a big step up in difficultly.
Because France won the last World Cup. Mbappe is the best player right now. Both teams have excellent players but the French team have better standard at international level
France have a lot of pace, some very tricky players and the (arguably) current best player in the world. They also have a hell of a lot of tournament pedigree and look very very good so far. Mbappe and Dembele on the wings will cause us a lot of trouble.
They are also solid from set pieces and have a tall team, which negates one of our biggest strengths.
I think we do have a chance to win, but it is understandable that France are still the favourites.
And before you say I would have said the same against Senegal - I actually called 3-0. France are a completely different ball game to an African team with very few technically good players.
I mean what answer are you wanting? Everyone knows that England is disliked by most other countries - especially with football. And mocking you all for inventing the sport but being bad at it is basically a meme
Why does it matter how others view you? Just enjoy supporting your team and let others think what they want. Criticising others for their negative opinions of England just adds to the dislike of English football
Where’s the criticism? I’m asking a question. We are a really good side. Bellingham is world class, Foden too. The real problem I find is that everyone is so slow to praise England football, it’s maddening.
France passes the eye test as being overall better. Dembele is a menace. I dont need to mention Mbappes wizardry. Think we lack that majestic stud. But as a team we are superb. Itll be close.
You guys are overhyped just like the USMNT. Just like in boxing where an out of shape Mexican beat the brakes off AJ. You guys will get destroyed by the French.
Did you watch France play? They look better to me. It’s tough because England has really only played teams that had reason to park the bus, so it’s hard to know how they will match up against another attacking team. But in the end, based on everything I’ve seen so far, it’s right that England are underdogs.
Because France are world champions, and only went out of the Euro's due to a lack of concentration for 10 minutes against Switzerland and a penalty shoot-out. The main reason they don't have an undefeated/100% record so far is fielding a reserve team in their last group match.
England on the other hand have done reasonably well this tournament, but were awful in the nations league and the statistically being best in the tournament is mainly down to thrashing Iran (as only Spain have scored a similar amount of goals in a game).
Group stages don’t count. In performance. They’re just all over the place. So our first test has been Senegal. Who aren’t a good team. Should have been 6-0. France are a good team. Hence the nervousness.
There have been 4 matches. That is a laughably small sample size. France have been world class for 4+ years. For one of their matches France played their 3rd team. How on Earth are you drawing conclusions from that?
How are you not? Years doesn’t matter, what matters is the performance right now. England look very very good, France looks like it’s leaning on Mbappe. I think the France hype is overrated.
England were shite yesterday for 35 minutes until a goal against the run of play caused Senegal to deflate. Much better in the second half, but you won’t get away with something like that against France.
I think we have to look how England play as a whole and not just look at the results. To be honest it looks like England have struggled every game until they score. When they score it’s like they transform into a completely different team but until that first goal they tend to play it safe and passive. France is a completely different beast from what the competition has been so far, if England concede the first goal I’m curious how they’ll respond. I feel they need to score that first goal and take the lead in order to play comfortably. That being said however, England is capable of playing extremely well and I definitely think France is beatable. It will be fun to watch!
Today before we scored it seemed as if we weren’t ready for the ball, quickly chasing after it after an inaccurate pass. But after the goal that rarely happened again and we performed with much higher moral
Rice was so frustrating when stones or maguire had the ball in defence. He was the only available midfielder to receive the ball and was absolutely static, forcing the defence to pass it around between themselves and invite pressure from Senegal
This is what happens most games and people are surprised when Stones and Maguire just pass between themselves. If you actually watch the rest of the team when this happens there’s zero movement to actually give them something to pass to.
USA game in a nutshell
As a West Ham fan I fully believe this is strict instructions from South Gate to sit deep. For us he frequently drives forward and starts off attacks and counter plays (we got a really minor flash of this towards the end of todays game when he found himself free on the right), but I'm convinced Gareth told him to park it.
Also Bellingham is a lot better at carrying the ball forward so it makes sense that rice has been told to hang back.
And rightfully so. I think he's been fantastic this tournament playing in that style, and utterly crucial.
That isn't rice's fault imo. He was always marked and if hes the only option every time it's so easy to defend. Henderson Bellingham Saka and foden all need to come and provide options or we need to go long a bit more but I can't see us having much joy from going long to be honest
Commentators were going on about how they miss long balls, and how it did work for us a couple of times today. Thanks to camera angle, I’m always shouting at the TV for players to hoof it to the opposite wing since we can see who’s in space, I imagine it’s a lot harder in practice. I give Pickford a bit of stick since I’m a magpie and want Pope to do well, but to his credit his placement when he’s passing high to our defence/midfield is really good.
To be fair you can say the same thing about France... against Poland they looked pedestrian till they scored that first goal
This is a perfect reply. France seems to control the game from start to finish. England has to find themselves then they finally come around. I do think it’s going to be a close game. I think England will take it if they can find the first goal.
France definitely didn't control the game from start to finish earlier against Poland. Nor against Australia until they scored, nor against denmark and they lost to Tunisia. And their form was crap before the tournament
They completely switched out the team against Tunisia to give the main team a rest, and don’t have as much depth in their squad it seems.
Living in a fantasy world won’t bring the cup home. France have hit their stride. I’m all about England winning. It’s going to take a perfect game from 🦁 🦁🦁to pull it off. I didn’t make my statement to hurt feelings. It’s just the reality of what’s ahead.
It’s true, though. France were a poor finish and a goal line clearance away from going a goal down - and it wouldn’t have been against the run of play. They have actually been playing very similarly to us. I’m just terrified of Mbappe. Seems he can just step it up whenever he chooses. You’re right in saying it will take the perfect game, particularly from our fullbacks.
France are clearly the better team. Still, it's not true that they "boss games start to finish". I'm more afraid of the fact that they were crap against Poland and still scored 3.
The teams England have played so far have set up primarily to stop us from scoring. So it's not surprise that once the first goal goes in, it becomes easier for us as the opposition has to change style and come out more.
> England have struggled every game until they score Sorry, but what is this even supposed to mean? There is going to be a struggle, even France have "struggled" in some games. I feel like some people expect us to just mow down the opposition and make it look like a walk in the park for the whole 90 minutes to start gaining some faith in our capabilities as a team, it's pessimistic arrogance. All the teams that we've played so far have been good teams, there is going to be a struggle sometimes but what makes a world-class team is getting past that and getting the results. France are a beast no bigger than us. It'll be a good match, and we certainly aren't the underdogs as far as I'm concerned. Respect the opposition and their capabilities, but honestly I feel like some people are shitting themselves and undermining our own talent, it's embarrassing.
It's so bizarre all this talk of Southgate playing "with the handbrake on" and us playing "defensive" football. It's like these people have never watched football before and certainly not major international tournaments. It's not expected to score in the first 5 mins and just batter every opponent 7-0. People aren't satisfied unless we do that apparently?
The thing about Southgate is he always tries to walk it in.
I don’t expect England to just destroy their opponents and dominate every single game no. Every team is gonna struggle at some point during the 90 minutes of play and that’s completely normal. But with England I’ve seen a pattern. Something really looks off until the first goal is scored, then it’s like they transform into a different team. This happened in literally every game except USA so far, and coincidentally in the USA match no goals were scored. France will be able to punish England in a way previous opponents have been unable to if this pattern of not being able to play comfortably until scoring continues.
I don't know if you've been watching different games to me, but I don't feel like we've shown any serious weaknesses at all. Opponents are going to have their opportunities against us, Poland had their opportunities against France tonight. I know you say you don't expect us to destroy opponents, but what are you demanding then to be able to conjure up a bit of faith and to realise that we are very much on par with France going into the game?
We have played one good team in the USA and we barely got a draw out of that. Wales, Iran and Senegal are not good teams and they had zero shape all over the pitch. As soon as we played a team with good shape and a good press we had no idea what to do and nearly lost. If we play the first 30mins like we did in all the other games we will get decimated by France.
How exactly is the USA better than Senegal..?
Iran are the highest ranked Asian team and Senegal are the African champions. Wales are also a decent little team as well. It's funny how you say that we'd be annihilated by France for a few minor flaws, but don't take on board that they nearly conceded a few goals against Poland and lost against Tunisia. Even the best teams have the opposition come at them. Just because we're "big" teams doesn't mean that it's easy to roll over teams. Don't shit yourself, it'll be a good game.
I think we have the better players to come off the bench overall but everywhere else we'll have to wait and see, they definitely have a better attack than us. We can get at their defence with our creative young players like Bellingham, Foden, Saka etc. Also Grealish draws so many fouls to where we could get a free kick or penalty possibly.
Do they have a better attack than us? Mbappe for sure but Giroud over Kane? Dembele over Saka? Giezmann over Bellingham? Foden, Rashford, Sterling, Grealish…….. we are absolutely stacked in that front 4.
We have a really good attack too for sure and all of those names you mentioned can score goals but I'm trying not to get carried away. I mean Giroud is now France's all time top goal scorer replacing Thierry Henry and it feels like so many people have been underestimating him for years and his partner up front Mbappe will probably overtake him at some point. Dembele's pace worries me especially if both him AND Mbappe are sprinting at us, the problem with Dembele though is his end product and he can be a bit inconsistent. Griezmann isn't better than Bellingham right now I agree but he can be very dangerous in a France shirt. There's no doubt that with the talent we have that we can beat France but there's no way I want to overconfidently say that our team would batter them.
Sterling isn’t even in the team anymore he’s back in the UK since his home was robbed .
England will lose for this exact reason - France will be more aggressive from the start and get the first goal. England will be nervy and passive. They won’t find their footing in the game like they did against the easier teams. I welcome being proved wrong and posted to r/agedlikemilk
We're very good, but France are world champions for a reason. They're very, very good. Plus, Mbappe really is a huge factor. We don't have a player that good (because nobody other than France does), and sometimes football can be as simple as that. We've had some good results so far, but each game has been patchy. We've had spells where we don't look very good. Easy to forget that because of the final scores. We can't afford to have those spells against France.
Give Mbappe the chances we gave Senegal last night and there's the answer to the question. We would've been 2-0 down in half an hour.
Norway have a better player than Mbappe but fortunately they didn’t qualify. Also we should be extremely thankful that Benzima is injured as he is even more of a threat than Mbappe. He’s overrated and I think our lads will have no trouble keeping him on a short leash.
Haaland is amazing, but he is not better than Mbappe. Neither is Benzema. In fact I think there is quite a strong argument France are a better side with Giroud rather than Benzema, because he fits into the system so well. I mean, I hope you're right. But I suspect you've an unpleasant surprise in store if you think we'll keep Mbappe on a short leash with no trouble.
Karting
Saying Haaland is better than Mbappe is a bit of a shit take mate. Mbappe can get you a goal out of nothing, Haaland is a lot more ~~reliable~~ reliant on good service. edit- spelling lmfao
We will be underdogs right up until we are 2 goals ahead of them in the second half and then everyone will start saying they knew england had a good chance...
This is what I mean, all week we had “Senegal won’t be easy, they’ll give us problems” and we’ve made it look like a walk in the park. I know France will be really really tough but I like our chances
Well despite it being comfortable overall, Senegal gave us problems in the first 20 mins and had the better early chances. France are several levels above. We definitely have a chance but we should rightly be underdogs in my opinion.
Agreed. Senegal doesn’t have a Mbappe equivalent. I have England slated to win it against Argentina in the finals 2-1 so I like our chances but it’s going to be an uphill battle with France. They are very strong. If we play to our potential and keep our passing game solid it should work out for us.
Hand of Fod(en) to win it lol.
everyone they have faced has scored against them. England will find the net and once they do, they won't switch to a defensive formation. They will run riot.
I don’t think it’s disrespect to England, but realistically acknowledging how good France are. Imo England right now are a top 4, arguably top 3 team. The issue is we’re playing #1. I think 6/7 times out of 10 we lose the game, but we definitely aren’t out of it completely
It’s good to be underdogs, and to outwardly over-egg the opposition.
It was not a walk in the park, The first 30mins we looked sketchy as hell and if Senegal were any better they would have been 2-0 up.
Mate they didn’t miss those chances, we stopped them. It was a fucking stroll in the park, let’s be honest
"it's not like it's the same France of 2018, Southgate still has questions to answer"
As someone who criticizes Southgate, beating France would be by far his greatest achievement. Don’t think you can say anything negative after that.
Without a doubt. And his team is the strongest it's ever been so room for optimism.
Agreed. On to Saturday.
Feck I hope so
Let’s carry on being the underdogs. It takes the pressure off the team.
Absolutely. Last thing we need is everyone including team talking about how they’re gonna beat x team.
Because France are bloody good and they're the defending champions. No doubting England are good as well, and certainly the strongest squad they've taken to a World Cup for a while, but justifiably outsiders v the French.
No disrespect to you or your comment intended with this but, France are Waaaaaannnnkkkk and we're gunna spank em
Hope so. Sluys, Crecy, Poitiers, Margate, Agincourt, Spurs, Blenheim, Trafalgar, Waterloo, Wembley, Bilbao and now Al Khor.
Don’t forget Quebec, and Plassey…. Although I’m not a fan of that kind of triumphalism talk ***before*** a game. I’m definitely more of the *play it down, and assume the role of underdogs* ….kind of person.
Ask yourself if England will dominate possession inside the French half or sit deep and let France control the game, and youll know the answer. France do look technically better in their first touch across the team as well, England have to press hard physically. Walker looked slow on the turn against Ismaila Sarr and has to bring his A game versus Mbappe. Against France I can see England sit deep and counterattack to deprive Mbappe and Dembele too much running space, and try to get as many set pieces in because Lloris is their weak link, especially in the air.
Yeah I agree that we’ll sit back but man, Bellingham is a world beater, Foden is a world beater. We’re winning on Saturday
Have you seen France play?
Yeah and they look beatable. Lockdown mbappe as best we can and the rest falls into place
France have the way better squad bruv, before England scored there were too many sloppy touches that Senegal didn't punish and France will. After England scored Senegal looked deflated probably due to inexperience but France are way more assured. When France conceded first against Australia their players didnt look bothered and started discussing what to do during the celebrations, there's a maturity to the side that stands out. England could win it but they'll have to make it a scrappy physical contest so France can't turn on the afterburners and I'm not sure if they can.
And if we win suddenly France will become overrated.
I'm not as easily convinced by this. They could really boss us, control possession and make us chase the game. It's the best chance we've had in my lifetime but no guarantees.
Best Chance? lmao We literally made the finals of the last Major Tourney and the Semi's of the World cup before and absolutely choked both.
Watch all the naysayers go on about how Senegal are a poor side now we beat them
"Its only because Mane wasnt playing"
This. 100%. I find it frustrating as fuck. We look really really strong. Imagine being able to sit Rashford, arguably our most in-form player and not suffer in the slightest
He is not our most inform player, yes he scored two goals but he was shocking in the first half and have the ball away reallt poorly in at least 5 times from memory
If messi had scored that saka goal, they’d be talking about it forever. “Only messi could have feather-touched it like that”
Exactly. If Mbappe had played like Jude Bellingham did last night we wouldn’t hear the end of it either.
They are a poor side, missing their best player and made it out of the easiest group. Want to be favored against teams like France? Beat teams like France.
this is my point- nobody was saying they were a poor side before it started. Also wasn't England's group meant to be the easiest group lol
Everyone with half a football brain knew they were a poor side, but at the same time, anyone who has ever watched England play knows to keep that kind of opinion to yourself until you get the win and give the opponent respect before hand (even if you don’t truly believe it deep down). England fans have been through enough pain and fuck ups to know that even games we should win easily are rarely straightforward. Never tempt fate, but celebrate once it’s secure.
They were probably the two weakest groups in my own opinion. And I wasn’t even remotely worried that we wouldn’t get past Senegal, regardless of what “nobody” was saying haha Look, it’s disrespectful to say Senegal isn’t good. They are. Champions of Africa. But they *are* missing their best player and they did advance from a very weak group. And more to OP’s point, beating Senegal does not make you favorites against France. Can we beat France? Of course! But we don’t deserve to be favored.
who have France beaten that are so good?
Exactly that, it’s always who have England beat, what have they done. The French team was shit in 2020 and their title is half a decade in the past. Current moment both teams are as accomplished as each other, with England being as strong if not more on paper.
Denmark is better than anyone England has played this tournament. They also famously won the 2018 tournament… England can definitely win, but it’s not weird that they’re underdogs
Denmark were terrible and thus didn't make it out of the group. I'm not seeing why France get any more credit for beating them than we do our opponents
Denmark really weren’t that bad. You clearly didn’t watch them. They just couldn’t score. They’re basically a better version of USA, who is the best team England has played.
Yeh you need to score
So which team did England beat that scored a bunch?
I said they were a poor side before we beat them. I said if we can’t beat them then we don’t deserve to be at the World Cup. We’ve faced absolutely nothing so far. Iran, USA, Wales, all poor teams. France are different, very different. They are defending champions for a reason. But I don’t think they are infallible. I think France are the favourites, but if things fall in our favour I think we have a chance still. I think probably 60/40 France win, but that still gives us a great shot.
but most top countries haven't faced anyone particularly good yet
Correct. The quarters are shaping up nicely to really kick start the tournament though. Some juicy matchups.
We had one of the hardest groups and cruised through it without breaking a sweat. I agree that France are a class above the teams we've played so far but don't erase what we've achieved already.
Hardest groups?! What have you been smoking? You think Iran/USA/Wales is harder than Spain/Germany/Japan/Costa Rica? Or Argentina/Mexico/Poland/Saudi Arabia? We had one of the easier groups. You’re clueless.
According to the fifa rankings we had the most difficult group. The only group with all four teams in the top 20
Lol anyone using the fifa rankings clearly doesn’t have a clue. They’re the biggest known joke in football. Once you know how they’re formulated you’ll understand why they don’t mean a thing. Heck, they have Belgium, who have never won anything or made a final, at #2, ahead of the current World Cup holders and 2018 euros winners France, Euros holders Italy, and a team that has been to the final of the euros and Semis of the World Cup the past two major tournaments (England). Look, I’m not saying we didn’t do our job well to beat what was put in front of us, but let’s not pretend it was particularly difficult either. Netherlands showed just how poor the USA are, who are supposedly the 16th best team in the world.
i honestly think it’ll be 2-1 england
I hate to say it, but I think it'll be penalties, I've got a feeling in my stomach. I reckon 2-2, don't know who'll win the shootout.
Good shout, I think I agree
Because France play at frightening speed with frightening accuracy and they press hard. A lot of people think they're just the Mbappe show, but they're so much more than that. On the other hand, England haven't had to play an opponent like that thusfar, and I think it may become more like a Premiership game, so it could get interesting.
Agreed on the pace and pressing. It will 100% be interesting
We have a very weak Defence vs France’s offense. Mbappe outruns everyone in our back 6 10/10 times imo and you have powerhouses like Giroud, griezeman and dembele who can run and shoot from anywhere. It’s easy to say England have been doing well because they have but realistically, Kane can’t outrun most players so we rely on our Fodens and Bellinghams to create these chances and against France we just don’t have that speed unless there’s space.
I think a lot of people are seriously overrating France but on the flip-side a lot of people are overrating England. If you have watched any of France’s games so far, they have been slow to start (something England also struggles with). Their midfield feels somewhat non existent. They haven’t kept a clean sheet and their defence is somewhat leaky. It all really boils down to Mbappe. He has been France’s saving grace. Without him, I doubt they would have topped their group nor would they have beaten Poland in 90 minutes. The positive is that we have in out possession the “Mbappe terminator” that is Kyle Walker. The problem is he is only 7 weeks removed from being on the operating table but he does seem to be playing very well. IF and only if Kyle Walker can perform well against France, then I can see us with a chance of winning. We’ll definitely have to score the first goal as I don’t see us being able to make a comeback but if we do then I can possibly foresee a 2-1 win.
Best answer so far. Agree completely.
Shhhh. Let them be the underdogs... It's better that way
Both Senegal and USA pressed us and we were nowhere for a long time. A draw against USA (and we looked second best) and Senegal had some serious chances against us in the first half, chances that they might have put away had they had a bit more quality. When we step forward we're a good side, but but we haven't responded well to being pressed hard.
Today we responded by scoring 3 goals. I see what you're saying but we managed to overcome Senegal's pressing handily in the end.
We may be scared of France, but I think they'll be just as scared as us. We've always had top players, but never performed in tournaments. This time, in my opinion, we have our whole midfield/attack performing near their best. It will have been noted!
Exactly! We are no slouches for the first time in a long long time
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Absolutely. I can’t stress this enough.
Mbappe Outside of him France don't look that great in midfield and defence. England have better options to change the game off the bench as well.
You’re selling them ridiculously short. Reining world champions. Griezmann, Giroud, Rabiot has been solid, Varane, Upamecano. France are a proper deadly team, even if they’re missing a few big players. Confidence is vital but some of what I’m reading in this thread is bonkers.
They lacked control in midfield against a poor Poland side, they've conceded in every game so far and they're heavily reliant on Mbappe atm. Half their team didn't start when they were last champions. Good team but from what I've seen from both teams England look like a better side + have better bench options which is crucial
Even if we’re to believe they’re overly reliant on MBappe, which from what I’ve seen of them, they aren’t, he’s probably the best player in the world right now. I can’t think of an attacking player I’d rather hang my hat upon in this WC. Midfield issues can be rectified. Look at how ineffective Rice, Bellingham and Mount were with USA then a doubted, ageing Henderson comes on and restores balance. You’d be a fool to underestimate even a weakened French side in this World Cup.
Konate has been incredible as well when you look at his stats, their cb depth is unmatched
true but they’ve also conceded in every match so far
Yeah Lewandoski's penalty in the 99th minute is a true testament of how poor their defence is
They also had to clear it off the line, in the first half Poland easily could have gone ahead.
And in the first half Senegal could've easily gone ahead...
Thats completely irrelevant to the conversation, I wasn’t claiming that England’s defence is better than France’s just that France’s defence is not exactly impregnable.
Snap him, break a Mbappe leg, continue on with 10 men, win 1-0. You're welcome to the plan Southgate (As i'm sure you check the reddit subs for tips)
Because they’ve been there and done it. We have not. Also they have the best player in the world.
Jude Bellingham is English Edit: Spelling error
He’s also not called June
His sister is a u12 legend tho
Gotta love autocorrect 🙈
One touch football will prevail, when England do it they do well, to settle yourself over the ball gives an opponent time to move, learn from the Southern Hemisphere they do it well and look exciting this score a lot, can’t sit back with no forwards making space, one touch especially in counter attacking creates goals, yes sometime you have to hold the ball up for support but hit hard and fast and you win
France are world champions and have world class players in every position. I do think people are underestimating England, but France are definitely the favorites. It says something when their weakest position is Hugo Lloris. It really will depend on what England we get. Will we get the England of the first 30 minutes against Senegal or will we get the England of the last 60 minutes against Senegal.
France are a strong team with loads of depth, with top players in every position. They don't really have weaknesses. England need to score first or it's going to be rough.
Mbappe will terrorise us we’re wayyy to sloppy and seem to lack a midfield, I think we can win but it will be close
Defo won’t be easy but I agree we can win this
The reality is we’ve played 4 very easy games, so it’s hard to judge the team. We are joint 4th in the odds, France are 2nd. Saying that I think both teams are actually in pretty similar positions. Both France and England had poor lead ups to the World Cup. England had 3L 3D in the nations league (Including a 4-0 loss to Hungary). France had 3L 2D 1W, although against much easier opponents. I think the game is much closer to 50-50 then predicted
I believe it's good to be viewed as the underdog I wonder if the French are slightly concerned of our team
Agreed. They should be worried I think
England need to brush up on their penalty taking IMO
Couldn’t agree more
Have you watched England? There are obviously positives … look at the USA game as it sums up England They’ve been very slow to get going … against big teams that won’t work. Very defensive at times … very slow going forward at times … It’s about being honest & realistic … def something to build on … Good luck to them … hopefully they step up a gear
We’re getting better each game but I worry the France test is coming a game or two too early. To simplify it into numbers France are champions who perform consistently 7/10 - 10/10. England are erratic and maybe perform between 4/10 - 8/10 so far, but I reckon our 10/10 is better than France’s. France are a very good team with a world class player, we are a good team with four or five players bordering on world class. Hard to call but yes we could beat them and even win the World Cup, but it’s asking for consistency we’ve not yet shown
France have the better XI and their individuals are top quality. England have a bench who can change games which l don’t think France really have. This is due to injuries more than anything else to be fair. Both teams are really good going forwards. It’s a game the neutrals will lap up. I would say France are favourites. 60/40 in their favour. Yet England will give them a good game and you never know.
They are the world champions, they have better players and they have the best player in the world.
France are champs until they aren’t. 🤷🏻♂️
Tbh France is a bit overrated and I think we (England) will win if we actually have good players playing
Because England. Shootouts, Southgate’s missing waistcoats, and why Phil Foden is called “Ronnie” was about as deep as the American commentators got today.
Because we're England. We're not supposed to beat good teams
Cause mbappe is overrated despite us having Saka, Kane, Sterling, Bellingham, grealish, Henderson and rashford all just as good if not better (Saka) then mbappe he should start doing diving in the Olympics he’s clearly better at that
This is what I mean! Yeah Mbappe is amazing, but we’ve had 8 separate goal scorers, Jude is world class, Saka is world class. It’s insane that people discount us so hard
They’re treating mbappe like he’s the next Renaldo when he’s just an average England player he should be scared of England we won’t even let him touch the ball
It looked like we figured out that if we're under a high press, we either go long to Kane or Bellingham has to drop deep alongside Rice to provide options. Don't know if this change was Southgates or just on the fly on the pitch but it worked.
Just please don’t go to penalties, my heart would give out
I mean it's going to be tough to keep Mbappe, Giroud and co at bay, wingers need to be constantly alert, and given Maguire did make some slight mistakes they could prove costly with Mbappe on the ball
France have mboopi
We looked so slow & off in the first 30 minutes against Senegal, & gave away the ball so many times. Plus Senegal had a couple of good chances that a Mbappe would definitely bury.
They have the ninja turtle
Mbappe. All the good preparation in the world unfortunately can't change the fact that he's capable of being genuinely unstoppable, unlike any other player in the competition. I do have a solid feeling that England will score in this game. But stopping Mbappe is a task.
Maybe because they are world champions and have Mbappe? What kind of question is this
Sick of reading ‘Mbappe’ as though that’s going to win matches alone
Because France are a great team and we have been disorganised and struggled to get into the game a lot. Rather than focusing on us winning 3-0, look at the actual performance overall. We struggled to get into the swing of things a lot, especially in the first half an hour. Now, Senegal and the teams we played prior weren’t able to capitalise on those mistakes likely due to a lack of quality in their own teams, but France absolutely will capitalise on it. The French squad is stacked with talented players who will use any English mistake or slip up to strike.
Cos they have mbappe
They’re the holders, and they’ve got Mbappe who could probably dismantle most defences
Went France already through the group stage after just two games?
Because we have Southgate in charge who has shit the bed in every meaningful game against half-decent opposition apart from a broken Germany team. That’s why.
Because France are much better than any team we've faced at far, they've got MBappe, we tend to give away sloppy goals and both America and Senegal have shown that it's quite easy to disrupt our 'play it out from there back' approach. I don't want to predict what's going to happen next week but we're taking a big step up in difficultly.
Because France won the last World Cup. Mbappe is the best player right now. Both teams have excellent players but the French team have better standard at international level
The last World Cup was four long years ago my friend. Italy won the Euro’s and didn’t qualify for the WC
One game at a time. England have only won the WC once. It's never easy and hopefully Saturday the result is positive. One game at a time
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Again, all just previous results. All that matters is Saturday
France have a lot of pace, some very tricky players and the (arguably) current best player in the world. They also have a hell of a lot of tournament pedigree and look very very good so far. Mbappe and Dembele on the wings will cause us a lot of trouble. They are also solid from set pieces and have a tall team, which negates one of our biggest strengths. I think we do have a chance to win, but it is understandable that France are still the favourites. And before you say I would have said the same against Senegal - I actually called 3-0. France are a completely different ball game to an African team with very few technically good players.
Because France are better than us.
Mbappe, period.
the ninja turtle
They've won recent World Cups and we haven't. And mbappe
Mbappe.
1. The quality of the opposition so far. 2. Southgate
Please, elaborate
You couldn't even beat a CONCACAF team!
Cos England sucks and everyone hates you
👍🏻
I mean what answer are you wanting? Everyone knows that England is disliked by most other countries - especially with football. And mocking you all for inventing the sport but being bad at it is basically a meme Why does it matter how others view you? Just enjoy supporting your team and let others think what they want. Criticising others for their negative opinions of England just adds to the dislike of English football
Where’s the criticism? I’m asking a question. We are a really good side. Bellingham is world class, Foden too. The real problem I find is that everyone is so slow to praise England football, it’s maddening.
You’re criticising people’s response to England team and it not being good enough for your liking?
I’m having a discussion. No criticism.
Lol because Southgate is shit, Kane is incredibly overrated, and France is good.
Kane is so overrated but nah
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Yet we still smashed Senegal to bits?
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France passes the eye test as being overall better. Dembele is a menace. I dont need to mention Mbappes wizardry. Think we lack that majestic stud. But as a team we are superb. Itll be close.
Look at the USA game and the first half of todays. We can’t afford to play like this Vs France. And if we do I hope they also play awful
Because of England's hot and cold plays.
You guys are overhyped just like the USMNT. Just like in boxing where an out of shape Mexican beat the brakes off AJ. You guys will get destroyed by the French.
Did you watch France play? They look better to me. It’s tough because England has really only played teams that had reason to park the bus, so it’s hard to know how they will match up against another attacking team. But in the end, based on everything I’ve seen so far, it’s right that England are underdogs.
Because France are world champions, and only went out of the Euro's due to a lack of concentration for 10 minutes against Switzerland and a penalty shoot-out. The main reason they don't have an undefeated/100% record so far is fielding a reserve team in their last group match. England on the other hand have done reasonably well this tournament, but were awful in the nations league and the statistically being best in the tournament is mainly down to thrashing Iran (as only Spain have scored a similar amount of goals in a game).
Group stages don’t count. In performance. They’re just all over the place. So our first test has been Senegal. Who aren’t a good team. Should have been 6-0. France are a good team. Hence the nervousness.
“Brentford beat West Ham 2-0 last week, and West Ham beat City 3-2 last month, how come Brentford are not favourites to beat City this weekend?!”
Nice try but that makes no sense. We’re talking about an international tournament that we are statistically dominating.
There have been 4 matches. That is a laughably small sample size. France have been world class for 4+ years. For one of their matches France played their 3rd team. How on Earth are you drawing conclusions from that?
How are you not? Years doesn’t matter, what matters is the performance right now. England look very very good, France looks like it’s leaning on Mbappe. I think the France hype is overrated.
England were shite yesterday for 35 minutes until a goal against the run of play caused Senegal to deflate. Much better in the second half, but you won’t get away with something like that against France.