23 Jun 2026 23:12:00
Just watched England game. Ghana defending was brave and not one defender turned their body sideways when blocking shots. Many shots blocked with chest. They kept their eyes open, not like us this season always turning sideways.
Whoever thought making the body shape thin with your eyes closed helps wants shooting. Highly unlikely to get an eye injury from a football and closing an eyelid won’t prevent much.
24 Jun 2026 07:28:26
Possibly one of the worst games I've ever seen. It was very much like watching Liverpool last season. We have no clue what to do with a low block. Slow, no energy or effort, and how does Madueke not get subbed earlier!! Absolute garbage.
24 Jun 2026 07:40:08
Turning away from a shot is a thing I truly hate Bauldy, yet it's common nowadays. I don't even do that when playing fives. For the amount they get paid, they shouldn't be scared of getting hit by a ball. If a ball ever deflects and goes in after a player turning away, I blame the player even if it's against us. It's pathetic.
24 Jun 2026 08:26:00
Just to address a point in the original post surrounding eye injuries being unlikely.
I was hit in the eye by a ball hit with some power and it caused serious damage.
The doctors explained that, if relatively close to the person striking the ball, as a defender would hopefully be, the impact is not dissimilar to if they simply kicked you in the face.
I played at a low level and do not doubt that those at the top level will be striking the ball with far more ferocity than the one that struck me.
So, yes, defenders should be brave and put their body in the way, but I see no reason why they shouldn't protect their eyes.
It's a game when all said and done.
24 Jun 2026 09:12:55
Bauldy 1966, that's because kids growing up playing football in Africa are not trained to turn away or turn their backs when the ball is coming at them at pace. It is seen as a sign of weakness.
24 Jun 2026 09:49:58
The dreaded low block reared its head, with a committed defence who were well drilled. Probably needed a sub option of someone like Palmer or Trent to do something off the cuff, on a night where our defensive shape wasn't so important.
24 Jun 2026 09:58:14
Bellingham got motm, which speaks of the game. Bizarre. England were very lucky with decisions.
24 Jun 2026 10:19:24
I stopped watching the game after an hour. We have to be the most boring team in the World C
Cup... Pickford getting the ball n whacking it down the pitch is our tactics, embarrassing.
24 Jun 2026 11:09:50
Talking of Pickford, how on earth has that guy got so many caps for his country? He's an absolute liability.
He is out amongst the centre halves most of the time, which means when they're pressed, they have no out ball because he's too close to them, shouting and waving his arms around.
I wouldn't mind if he was decent with his feet, but his kicking is just like the rest of his game, rushed and erratic.
You don't win major tournaments with a dodgy keeper, you're always one idiotic mistake away from disaster which very nearly happened against Ghana.
24 Jun 2026 11:28:18
He's a decent keeper but not world class. His caps are a reflection of a lack of better alternatives, in a position England used to excel where other countries struggled.
France and Argentina are the obvious stand out teams so far, although I haven't watched Portugal, Morocco, Spain or Japan who are all getting good reviews.
24 Jun 2026 11:48:10
England were "lucky" (terrible, corrupt ref) because Pickford should have seen red, and Konsa gave away a stone wall penalty, but they gave a fantasy offside that clearly was onside. Someone was praising the officials yesterday, but this game was pathetic from the refs.
24 Jun 2026 12:23:29
England have been very lucky in both games with the refereeing.
24 Jun 2026 14:37:28
ArneSlotsBarber, yeah, I know they called offside, but I didn't see it as a clear cut offside. Funny VAR didn't go check that.
Now having said that, this ref. perf. is the outlier, not the norm even tho, I agree, the ref made some bizarre calls.