coalman

Vestergaard versus Saka seems like a red card waiting to happen

Given he's there for passing ability....

Scotland can lay claim to being the most clinical side at this tournament. They've scored one goal from 0 shots. And now they've had a corner too.

Slovakia are playing some really nice football here. Belgium having a proper scare.

To get the best out of Harry Kane you need pacy wide players to feed off him (think Son at Tottenham or Musiala/Sane at Bayern). Saka gave us width but Foden naturally gravitates to playing as a 10. Which doesn't work when Kane also gravitates there. Have to say that expecting Kane to make something of the barrage of long balls fired his way is not playing to his strengths. Get the ball on the deck and he'll open teams up. Have pacy players breaking past him and he'll have space to play. Treating him like an old fashioned number nine and lumping it is just madness. Particularly against a physically strong time like Serbia. Alexander-Arnold is not a midfielder. If you give him space and time to spray the ball around he'll look fantastic. If you put him under pressure he'll cough up possession. For Christ's sake play a specialist in that position. Playing a man down in midfield is inviting disaster. Our midfield was too predictable. Nobody wanted to take the ball on the half turn and break (with the exception of Bellingham who looks like an utter beast). That made it easy to defend against us. There were no out balls either over the top or short. We were tidy for four or five passes then back to Pickford an punt. Then expecting Kane, Saka or Foden to compete for those balls (they aren't those kinds of player). Foden had a mare as did Kane but we didn't give any service. Rice was the glue that protected our defence. Without him we'd be in all kinds of trouble. Serbia didn't really have a sniff of goal for all their possession in the second half. The trouble is - we managed to create almost nothing. One chance for the goal which was a deflected cross. One cross from Bowen for Kane in the second half. We simply didn't play with any width with the exception of Saka. But, it's tournament football. We played badly and we top the group with 3 points and a clean sheet. So many times England have fluffed their opening lines so it's nice to be sitting pretty despite being pretty awful.

As long as it's the centre circle before kicking off, sure.

Sticking Trent in midfield is a lot like signing Rothwell on loan. Fixing a problem that doesn't exist.

Classic Saints goalkeeper low to his left as well. Classic Saints low to the keeper's left as well.

Germany score a brilliant headed 5th.

Another VAR save.

I don't think I've ever seen as one sided a set of stats at a football match and I say that as a Saints fan. Scotland.... 26% possession, 0 shots, 0 shots on target, 1 touch in opposition box

One of the many downsides of Gunn is when the opposition realise just how worthwhile shooting from distance is.

Germany well on top with 69% possession.

Smart move. Save him for the quarters.

Che's at his most dangerous when people are speculating how little his transfer is worth. Just sayin'.

You can really see the effect that the goalkeeping coaches at Saints had on Gunn. That was a textbook weak save palmed out into the middle of the six yard box.

Gotta be a pen and a red. That was a horrific tackle.

I think Scotland will fade out of contention. They can't maintain this level.

Got to think Germany need at least 2 more to feel comfortable with Che lurking.

I would have no problem with Scotland winning. Always good to start off with an upset.

One thing's for sure. The German defence will never have come up against a player like Che before. It's hard to defend against a player who can score with literally any part of his body apart from his feet.

Acthung das Banjo kommt!

I vote for @Turkish for an absolute commitment to trolling interspersed with some thoughtful posts.

His arrival with Rothwell unsettled our midfield. There was the odd good touch but between them a whole lot of giving the ball away and almost zero tracking back. Started well and became more anonymous the more games he had. I thought Edozie offered more threat in the playoff final and before. As did Fraser.

25-30m for a player that couldn't get into the starting line up at Fulham seems pricey. I'd take a punt for 10-15m but he's shown nothing recently to suggest he's worth paying more than that. The news report smacks of Chelsea trying to start a bidding war.