Reluctant Striker

Yes, there's a range of things off the radar of well meaning people who are just far too removed from anything other than office admin jobs. There are zero hours workers, which means no set weekly hours. Is still an entry on a CV. Is still work experience. For sure it will suit those who are not pushed into accepting the work or do not necessarily need to pay the bills. But it can suit both employee & employer. A bit like part time perhaps. And at the same time there are jobs where they do minimum 12 hours per day, starting at 6am, or earlier. Often more than 5 days per week. With intense pressure to accept any available overtime. And it very much happens in the UK. Not just far off places that we see on clothes labels. And the work force is primarily those where English is their 2nd language. Very much doing the kind of work we (British born) are pretty much taught to study to avoid. By teachers, parents & society.

On England there are plenty not happy with how the side have been playing. There's no tangible tactical masterclass going on. We have won 1 match all tournament within 90 minutes. 1 further match in extra time. And 3 draws with 1 penalty shoot out win. At our best, they have been matches we would win easily. At our worst they are the matches we can easily mess up. And now it's Netherlands & if we squeak through that, it's Spain or France. Will it be celebrated if they win the tournament? Absolutely. Had we won in 96 & 20/21 we may have had more room for true perfectionism. But right now we just need a big W. I don't see Southgate continuing even if we win the tournament. I think he'll consider it the right time to let someone else try at the North American World Cup.

I do think Watkins would add far more energy. And could still be replaced by Kane or Toney if penalties seem possible. To an extent I'd stick with Foden, as Palmer seems like a really effective impact sub. And takes penalties. I wouldn't back Foden on penalties.

To an extent, this is the best bunch of players England have had for a long time. But we also are missing any genuine left wing players. If Shaw is now fit we have a left footed left back. There is a very good case to say Southgate could have come up with something better to make the left side work. And that TAA & Gallagher should have been behind Mainoo from the start. We don't have too much choice in midfield. Or too many options behind Pickford. We have the same patchy squad issues many others have. Or star players just tend to be main stars for clubs in various leagues.

Right now England are still a bunch of individuals. Southgate just can't seem to stumble on a fully functional lineup. 2 consecutive matches relying on someone pulling a rabbit out of a hat at just the right moment. And today they actually took penalties like players who expect to be on the winning side. It will get no easier. And it is 3 big semi finals from 4 tournaments. Unimaginable to me just a few years ago.

Absolute lunacy, to change formation, but maintain the exact same issue of 2 right footers on the left & 2 left footers on the right. TAA on for Trippier & swap flanks with Saka, to get some penetrating overlaps. Please.

Yes, sounds similar to me. My constituency is one of the new revised ones, but has basically switched straight back to Labour after its 1st time Brexit Conservative. But, votes were 12k Labour, 8k Conservative, marginally ahead of 8k Reform, 1.5k Green, the Lib Dem & 2 independents all under 1k each. The order pretty much similar to any other election I've known. As those numbers suggest, I do encounter plenty that would seem right at home chatting things over with Nigel Farage etc. In addition, I did have 2 Irish grandparents & 2 Welsh great-grandparents. It does always feel noticeable to me how the English-British far right genuinely can't seem to comprehend the UK is actually a collection of nations. They certainly never seem to approach things with that in their mind. For me I think they all totally missed the point that even their non English backers looked at the EU as being an extension of what the UK itself was all about & what they liked about it.

Really is amazing the size of the swing from Conservative Brexit majority, to this Labour majority. The biggest 1 election swing since 1945. Blair had a similar size win in 1997, but was from within a few seats prior to that election. I think it's fair to say some significant portion is because of how bad the Boris, Truss & Sunak self destruct rollercoaster has been to real people. It is quite troubling exactly what portion of the vote Reform got. If people want to protest vote, what is wrong with the Greens? But, we can hope to have a sensible PM making some sensible choices. I do wonder how long before proportional representation voting is put forward. It sounds good. Probably is. Whether it's Labour or Conservative, if they currently get a big majority, it's always with under 50% of votes. PR near guarantees coalitions & somewhat empowers nationalists, whether Reform or the non English ones. But on balance, is probably the socially responsible way to go, especially within a nation of nations.

Netherlands quietly starting to look a serious contender. Gakpo has to be one of the players of the tournament so far.

Yes, it certainly sounds like we got a player who Juve were less keen to lose, compared to McKennie. And maybe an upgrade on Iroegbunam. But I think Kamara is out until November. Jacob Ramsey, for me, is much better in the left wing spot, with Rogers & returning Buendia for competition. Which then leaves McGinn, Tielemans (who can expect many more minutes now) the very much for sale Dendoncker & now Barkley. So options to be using Ramsey & Barrenechea quite a lot in a midfield 3. But Barkley in his new 6 role, behind McGinn & Tielemans seems the current first choice.

I can see the idea of this one. Still sad that Champions League preparation seems to be get rid of Douglas Luiz & bring in Barkley. Think I'd still like 1 more midfielder, into June & 2024/25 now? Must be a good chance they will look at a centre back or right back. Maybe both. Depending if young right back Nedejlkovic is considered 1st team ready. Any Moreno & Digne sales could perhaps help balance out bringing in a few players needed in other positions. I think any attacker coming in will only be if someone does buy Duran, who does seem to be part wanted at Villa, as Watkins back up, but also slightly available at the right price.

At the moment Spain look very impressive. But that side of the draw is stacked. Germany vs Spain perhaps deserves to be at least a semi final. But Portugal, France & Belgium too. Whoever gets through from this side of the draw will be favourites vs whoever gets to the final from the other side.

It is crazy & sort of indefensible now that nothing has changed. There are 2 clear & obvious options. 1 is for a Konsa or Gomez to play LB, ask Stones to step up to DM, in possession. Which Stones randomly did himself today on 1 moment of frustration. Gives Mainoo & Bellingham much more licence to go & do whatever they feel like. The other option is to use Saka at LB, for the balance of having someone with pace & a left foot offering some blatantly missing width on the left. Both options have different risks. But it's much more risk to stubbornly & blindly go with more of the same vs Switzerland.

Trippier, Saka, Eze & Konsa all took a turn at left back. Trippier was possibly the worst. Foden definitely making me feel that we just can't play like Man City. And that any of the replacement options would do better. Rightly or wrongly, we have probably seen the last of Ollie Watkins in this tournament. He's not a penalty taker.

One way or another, however it's happening, it really is bordering on scandalous how bad this bunch of players have been under this coach in this tournament. But Bellingham is also going to be a true, genuine, legitimate star. And that's what those players do.

He & others that talk that way are just grabbing at straws. Of course super loyal 1 club fans might walk away. And certain clubs bring more to the table than others. But I can't say my perception of the NFL has changed with the transition from New England Patriots to Kansas City Chiefs being the near annual Super Bowl participant. And the NHL's current Stanley Cup is Edmonton Oilers vs Florida Panthers. Not the 'big names' like Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers or Pittsburgh Penguins. I find I envy American team sports.

I read Illing Junior is also a left back (signed as part of the Douglas Luiz 3 player Juve swap deal) So Lucas Digne & Alex Moreno likely available. I have read Villa will 'comply' with the rules now. And yes, if business had not been done, It does sound like multiple clubs could have been facing points deductions.

No way selling Douglas Luiz was part of any cheat. His £40m+ sounds to have been the large chunk of £60m Villa needed to 'comply' with the rules. Kellyman adds near £20m. Iroegbunam near £10m. That's near £70m. Less first instalments of incomings. I'm reading Villa are where they needed to be, to avoid any points deductions.

Yes, was a greedy decision to have 24 teams. Many years ago the Euro's going from 8 to 16 & World Cup from 24 to 32 was good. I don't see them changing back though. More likely is next seasons Champions League format could catch on. Play teams from each pot. But 1 league table.

Southgate is in danger of becoming a victim of his own success. Or staying around long enough to be seen as the problem. Back in 2018, every England fan, bar-non, were cartwheeling at losing to Belgium in the group, because it meant an easier looking path in the knock out rounds. Including Gary Neville & Lee Dixon. Just 2 short years after Iceland had knocked them out at Euro 2016. We did better in 2018. But we still got beat by Croatia in the semi. And for a 2nd time by Belgium in the 3rd place match. But it was massive progress. At the last Euro's, if the England side had a little bit more about them, Italy were very beatable. There had been more progress. The last World Cup, we lost out to France. Acceptable. But certainly having a different feeling than when a bunch of apparent no hopers lost twice to Belgium in 2018. I do think some need to get a bit of perspective. There maybe is a case that a tactical genius could turn England into world beaters. And if someone does in the years soon ahead, Southgate has laid the foundations for all the renewed expectations.

Well that was dreadful viewing. The big positive is, we've avoided being on the France side of the draw, by out performing the French.. Obviously lots of negatives. Bellingham & Foden looked miles off it. Right footed left back is just inverting absolutely everything. I'd be tempted to go 5-3-2. TAA back in as wing back. Mainoo & Rice 2 of the 3. Foden & Bellingham rotating who the 3rd is & who is playing off Kane. It really can't lead to much worse. While the other option is keep 4-3-3, but with a LB-CB, with Stones stepping up to DM, around Rice, with Mainoo & Bellingham? Or Foden & Bellingham, and Gordon or Palmer in Foden's wing spot? It has to be changed up in some way. We can't just assume it will work out better when a side comes at us more.

It would be getting a bit beyond the ridiculous if they find genuine issue with things. The rules were set to protect the establishment. You can pay £100m+ for 1 Declan Rice or 10x Tim Iroegbunam. Or £50m+ on 1 Moussa Diaby or 2.5 Omari Kellyman's. If there is anything to look at, there's, well, the bigger picture. Not just the area where Villa are looking to make it 3 seasons in a row to be ahead of Chelsea & Spurs. Why would Chelsea actively help Villa? They see a player to invest in. It's on their owners, but that's what they see. And maybe Everton are covering Onana in advance? And it seems to be rolling over for Chelsea's magic accounting in the recent past that is causing questions. The x sale £'s straight in. The x purchase £'s costed over the contract length. They made the rules. As far as I can see the club's are playing by them. And playing to win. Which is the part that is ruffling the feathers.

I noticed the Frankfurt pitch looked really bad. Chunks of turf coming up like when it's a freshly laid pitch. Most pitches now have undersoil heating & a drainage system. I would guess those with chunks coming up are a bit behind on drainage.

Difficult to know what to make of this. Douglas Luiz has been a star player for Villa. Not like we're clearing the rumoured PSR figure here. But Weston McKennie priced himself out of the deal.

I'm not sure what the correct fix is, but TAA in midfield is not working. I do still think my pre tournament feeling to have a LB-CB to let Stones move up to DM would be better than what we have seen. Perhaps Rice-Bellingham-Foden, as a midfield 3, but would that be too open vs better teams? Gordon on the left would suit England's & Kane's style of play. Foden would work better with Watkins. We haven't seen either as yet. Still worth keeping in mind this is still as good a start as any other recent tournament. There were actually more questions after the 2nd match draws with Scotland (Euro 21) & USA (WC 22)