French Squad vs Englands squad

[Soutra]

Bukayo Saka 20yo
Phil Foden 22yo
Jude Bellingham 19yo
Mason Mount 23yo
Declan Rice 23yo

Check this lot out in the Euros and the next world cup!

Our very own Josh Coburn is still only 20, Newcastle's Elliot Anderson at 20yo looks promising, Sunderland's Chris Rigg is making waves at 15yo.. rumoured to be moving to Liverpool for £2.5m

Folarin Balogun is still only 21 Fikayo Tomori at 24yo will be somewhere in the mix

We have depth and I think are moving into an era of top three international sides. semi finals and finals until 2032 at least (Bellingham will be 29yo)

Paul Gascoigne was 23 in the 1990 World Cup, but didn't progress on. I suspect some of the younger players from this 2022 group won't be in the next World Cup squad, just because that's how football is.

History is littered with players who were good but just didn't or couldn't make the final step.

As always with England squads, there is too much discussion about who are the best individuals, not what the best team is. Griezmann looked a threat all night to England, but Southgate's defensive focus was on Mbappe.

 

[Dybuk]

Paul Gascoigne was 23 in the 1990 World Cup, but didn't progress on. I suspect some of the younger players from this 2022 group won't be in the next World Cup squad, just because that's how football is.

History is littered with players who were good but just didn't or couldn't make the final step.

As always with England squads, there is too much discussion about who are the best individuals, not what the best team is. Griezmann looked a threat all night to England, but Southgate's defensive focus was on Mbappe.

He was 31 when England next qualified

 

[atypical_boro]

He was 31 when England next qualified

true, but that's not 'too old' is it?

Obviously he was injured for Euro 92.

Owen 98, Rooney 04, sadly examples of players who kind of peaked for England in their teens. Hope the same doesn't happen to Bellingham.

Mount/Foden haven't really hit top gear for England yet. Saka had the better tournament of the attacking bunch.

 

[newyddion]

Paul Gascoigne was 23 in the 1990 World Cup, but didn't progress on. I suspect some of the younger players from this 2022 group won't be in the next World Cup squad, just because that's how football is.

History is littered with players who were good but just didn't or couldn't make the final step.

As always with England squads, there is too much discussion about who are the best individuals, not what the best team is. Griezmann looked a threat all night to England, but Southgate's defensive focus was on Mbappe.

The core of the group we have now and we have quality still coming through the ranks.

 

[Nano]

The good thing about our young players is they are all playing regularly for top level teams. Since the "Golden Generation" we haven't always had our best players playing for the best teams but now we do.

Pickford, Rice and Saka were the only ones that started that haven't played Champions League football. In the 00s the majority of the team was from the top 4 clubs and then we went through a bit of a lull where the players were either ageing and we were hanging on too long or they were at best back-ups at the Champions League clubs but now most of them are regulars.

Future looks bright for this group. Major issue is obviously Kane because we're light behind him.

 

[zzzzz]

Man for man I reckon we shade the French squad.
Difference on the night IMO, apart from the obvious, ended up being the tactics employed and the managers.
Give me Deschamps any day of the week.

 

[BoroMart]

It is a fact. It only says since 2002 because we beat the Argies in the group stage but you have to go back to the opening game of 1982 since we last beat one of the other big International teams at a World Cup (Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands). Since the 66 World Cup we haven't beaten any of them in a knockout. We don't play them that often, partially because we get knocked out before we get the chance to play the good teams.

The World cup record by match is available here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England_at_the_FIFA_World_Cup#Qatar_2022

1970 Brazil (Groups), W Germany (Knockout) Lost both
1974 Did not Qualify
1978 Did not Qualify
1982 France (G) Won, W Germany & Spain (2nd Group) drew both
1986 Argies (K) Lost
1990 Netherlands (G) draw, W Germany (K) Lost, Italy (K) Lost
1994 Did not Qualify
1998 Argies (K) Lost
2002 Argies (G) Won
2006 N/A
2010 Germany (K) Lost
2014 N/A
2018 N/A
2022 France (K) Lost

I'd also argue that France in 1982 were not seen as historically a major nation. Nowhere near. Their record going into the 82 WC at that point was really poor:

- failed to qualify 4 times
- lost at group stage 4 times
- round of 16 once
- quarter final once
- 3rd place once

By today's standards thats similar to South Korea.

The 5 WC tournaments leading up to 82 france had managed 1 group stage win in total. They did go into it with a legitimate claim on the best player in the world in Platini.

They lucked out massively on the weird two group system in 82 to finish 4th in the tournament. They beat Kuwait and drew with Czech in the first group. Second group they lucked out with Northern Ireland and Austria and beat them both. They then lost to Germany in the semi and Poland in 3rd/4th playoff......and people say england had an easy route to the semis in 2018!

Summary Argentina in 2002 are the only superpower we have beaten at the WC since '66

 

[BoroMart]

As always with England squads, there is too much discussion about who are the best individuals, not what the best team is. Griezmann looked a threat all night to England, but Southgate's defensive focus was on Mbappe.

It looked like Bellingham was asked to pick up Griezemann on the transition after about 30 mins. He still caused problems, but not as high up the pitch

 

[zzzzz]

It the 'we gave it a jolly good go' menatility that's has a big part to play in our consistent failures in major tournaments despite having some world class players.

 

[atypical_boro]

I'd also argue that France in 1982 were not seen as historically a major nation. Nowhere near. Their record going into the 82 WC at that point was really poor:

- failed to qualify 4 times
- lost at group stage 4 times
- round of 16 once
- quarter final once
- 3rd place once

By today's standards thats similar to South Korea.

The 5 WC tournaments leading up to 82 france had managed 1 group stage win in total. They did go into it with a legitimate claim on the best player in the world in Platini.

They lucked out massively on the weird two group system in 82 to finish 4th in the tournament. They beat Kuwait and drew with Czech in the first group. Second group they lucked out with Northern Ireland and Austria and beat them both. They then lost to Germany in the semi and Poland in 3rd/4th playoff......and people say england had an easy route to the semis in 2018!

Summary Argentina in 2002 are the only superpower we have beaten at the WC since '66

Yeah, we call them a superpower, but until last year they'd won nothing since 1993, their last WC 7 years before that.

And thats a country that'd won 14 Copa Americas prior to 1993 (6 more than Brazil have won to this day!).

 

[Jedi boro]

France we’re regarded as a credible threat simply because they had one of the worlds best players in michel Platini, forget his head of uefa persona and all that came with it he really was an exceptional player for France and juve.

That’s why France were regarded as a good side.

 

[Glover_elbow]

France we’re regarded as a credible threat simply because they had one of the worlds best players in michel Platini, forget his head of uefa persona and all that came with it he really was an exceptional player for France and juve.

That’s why France were regarded as a good side.

That's an unbelievable show real of skills and goals what a pitty he's such an **** at uefa

 

[Jedi boro]

That's an unbelievable show real of skills and goals what a pitty he's such an **** at uefa

It really is but he was one hell of a player.

 

[BoroMart]

France we’re regarded as a credible threat simply because they had one of the worlds best players in michel Platini, forget his head of uefa persona and all that came with it he really was an exceptional player for France and juve.

That’s why France were regarded as a good side.

he was an exceptional player, but it's a team game and the french team wasn't that great and had never been great. Platini was good but he couldn't carry a team like Messi or Ronaldo can

 

[Glover_elbow]

he was an exceptional player, but it's a team game and the french team wasn't that great and had never been great. Platini was good but he couldn't carry a team like Messi or Ronaldo can

i don't know how old you are mart but I remember how great that team was Tiguana platini giresse as gifted as any midfield of that era they were a fabulous team. They didn't make the final only because of the most outrageous of assaults in the history of football by German keeper Schumacher which should have resulted in a penalty and red card.

 

[Dynamo Kev]

we have mount they have griezmann lol. they are far more creative than up from midfield. rabiot griezmann are more flair than hendo, bellingham and rice. our midfield is more leggy and rightly was more dominant. but they didnt do anything much. we should have had a more creative guy in the middle. we have them players. but southgate is more craft over style. we'll always struggle vs the flair teams. no magic in the team. its all coached out of us.

 

[TeaCider]

we have mount they have griezmann lol. they are far more creative than up from midfield. rabiot griezmann are more flair than hendo, bellingham and rice. our midfield is more leggy and rightly was more dominant. but they didnt do anything much. we should have had a more creative guy in the middle. we have them players. but southgate is more craft over style. we'll always struggle vs the flair teams. no magic in the team. its all coached out of us.

Griezmann isn't a midfielder.

He was played there this tournament because of France's injury struggles.

The fact he's thrived there is a stroke of fortune for them.

 

[Glover_elbow]

Griezmann isn't a midfielder.

He was played there this tournament because of France's injury struggles.

The fact he's thrived there is a stroke of fortune for them.

fortune or smart decision. i dont think it it was down to luck.

 

[TeaCider]

fortune or smart decision. i dont think it it was down to luck.

Deschamps made the decision, and its working, but he's 31 years old and has played almost his entire career as a forward.

I don't think he's a great example of "see how much better their midfielders are than ours" when he's only being played their because of an injury crisis.

 

[WindyNook]

i don't know how old you are mart but I remember how great that team was Tiguana platini giresse as gifted as any midfield of that era they were a fabulous team. They didn't make the final only because of the most outrageous of assaults in the history of football by German keeper Schumacher which should have resulted in a penalty and red card.

Not sure the ref the other night would have given a foul either!