England surrendering in the World Cup semi-final had nothing to do with their \u2018DNA\u2019; it was down to a problem summed up by Harry Kane.<\/p>\n
Send your thoughts on not-Spurs-bound Kane<\/a> and anything else to theeditor@football365.com.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Yeah, fair play<\/p>\n Aren\u2019t all the rankings of players<\/a> and conclusions about their ability for England a bit premature? We still have a game against France in which someone could score or have a great game and cement their reputation, couldn\u2019t they? \u00a0<\/p>\n We still believe<\/p>\n it\u2019s coming home,<\/p>\n it\u2019s coming home,<\/p>\n it\u2019s coming\u2026<\/p>\n 3rd place coming home. \u00a0<\/p>\n Oh, look everybody, England are 4-0 up against France at half time<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0France!\u00a0\u00a0We\u2019re brilliant at football aren\u2019t we?<\/p>\n Well, except when we insist on hiring crap managers, playing \u201cI\u2019ll just go deep\/missing\u201d Kane or when we\u2019re playing a game that actually MATTERS.<\/p>\n Both the manager and players have some explaining to do. Not the French though.\u00a0\u00a0They clearly couldn\u2019t have given two less f*cks about the \u2018bronze medal\u2019 match.\u00a0\u00a0Which sums up our mentality perfectly. \u00a0<\/p>\n Third\u2019s the dirty donkey (these were sent before the daftest game)<\/p>\n I see the usual whining has started over the third place play-off<\/a>. In a tournament comprising 102 matches, 70% of which were meaningless and only resulted in elimination of teams that should never have made to the world cup in the first place, people are really whining about this one match? Really?<\/p>\n I mean, you have the right to whine, so whine away to your heart\u2019s pleasure all you like, but in the list of complaints about FIFA and this world cup, this shouldn\u2019t be even in the top 50 for any rational human being.<\/p>\n And to be honest, there\u2019s been a sheer lack of quality teams in this world cup. Spain has been outstanding, France has the best attack but utterly flawed as a whole, Argentina limping along only by the magic of an ageing but still a sprinkle of magic dust left\u00a0 Messi, England team full of potential but too scared to explore it, and the usual suspects Germany, France, Belgium, Portugal, Brazil and Netherlands have been varying degrees of awful.<\/p>\n I feel the final should be straight forward and if England don\u2019t wet their pants before the match even starts, the England France rubber could be a lot more exciting and competitive than the final itself. MC \u2013 Quite<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Nobody wants the third place playoff except infantino. I\u2019m not even going to watch it. I asked AI what happens if we just sack it off?<\/p>\n Awarding the match to the other team by forfeit (typically 3\u20130).<\/p>\n Fines.<\/p>\n Additional disciplinary measures against the team or its national association.<\/p>\n In exceptional cases, further sanctions depending on the circumstances and applicable regulations.<\/p>\n Sounds worth it to me. \u00a0<\/p>\n Bin the 3rd\u00a0place playoff? No way. That was fu**ing wild. \u00a0<\/p>\n Re Ian Watson.<\/p>\n That was enjoyable to watch. \u00a0<\/p>\n I can\u2019t help but feel that this match might be the moment that England<\/a>, particularly its media, begins to recognize the value of the 3rd Place Match.<\/p>\n Personally, I have never understood the whining about it from anyone-other-than-the-players\/coach. They would often want to go home after losing the semi-finals, no doubt. But if you adjust your perspective\/mindset and see this as a valuable opportunity to play against a team that also managed to reach the WC semi-finals, it becomes valuable in a self-fulfilling kind of way.<\/p>\n Germany has always\u00a0valued the 3rd Place Match. Smaller nations like Croatia likewise. It has existed since the second WC, it is not a money spinning exercise. It is an opportunity to win a bronze medal. It\u2019s not what you were aiming for, but it\u2019s a real accomplishment. Davor Suker is right to be proud of it.<\/p>\n Counter-proposal, to address the fact that semi-final losers do not want to immediately play this match after losing the semi-finals: why not host the 3rd Place Match as a separate event, like the Super Cup or CWC, at some point over the next months\/2 years? It would likely appeal to almost all involved (FIFA, sponsors, teams, coaches, players) while also respecting the 3rd Place Match as part of WC heritage. \u00a0<\/p>\n The third place playoff should not count towards the golden boot. Goals in a throwaway game after being knocked out should not register. This is a hill I will die on. \u00a0<\/p>\n No one wanted the third-place playoff, but it turned out to be the game we wanted, which is apt as none of it made any sense whatsoever!<\/p>\n Perhaps most importantly, it was a great deal of fun, like playing in the park when defences only occasionally decide to defend, the score doesn\u2019t matter really until you pick up the ball and declare the game over, and your best player turns up for the last 20 minutes.<\/p>\n My own view is: let\u2019s keep Tuchel. The Argentina game was a sore spot and I still don\u2019t understand why Saka did not feature<\/a> but, judged as a whole, this tournament has been a success. Third place cannot be ignored; we have never done better outside of home territory<\/a>. Anyway, thoroughly enjoyed that 90-odd minutes of craziness. \u00a0<\/p>\n England ran out of puff<\/p>\n This isnt an excuse but an observation \u2013 England just ran out of steam.<\/p>\n No team travelled as much as England<\/a>. We had energy-sapping matches against Mexico and Norway. You can\u2019t watch the last 15 minutes of that Argentina game and not think we looked knackered. Quansah being mysteriously suspended and extra game didn\u2019t help either.<\/p>\n Between James, Saka and Rice, three of our best players were just clearly, obviously not fit. Again, in the deep waters of a semi-final that is going to hurt. And then chuck Hendo\u2019s accident in for a laugh. Tuchel must have felt this squad was a patchwork.<\/p>\n Onto the Euros you wonder where the next stars are coming from<\/a>. Scott, Rio, Dowman, Brainthwaite? Can any of these lads make themselves undeniable? Can Palmer or Foden get back to their best? Can Anderson and Guehi get to higher levels? Spain aren\u2019t gonna be any worse.<\/p>\n Overall, England have done brilliantly to get into the latter stages of so many competitions after a decade of abject failure. But Kane\u2019s window is closing and we have zero strikers ready to take the spot. \u00a0<\/p>\n Captain slog<\/p>\n
Paul in America (maybe no one will be watching but I\u2019m still interested)\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bad Hamster (ever the optimist)<\/p>\n
Mark (Still, altogether now, \u201cFootball\u2019s coming home\u2026) MCFC.<\/p>\n
Adeel\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adam G, NUFC<\/p>\n
Nic, Cork<\/p>\n
Paul<\/p>\n
Oliver Dziggel, Geneva Switzerland (might be the team to come closest to deserving to beat Argentina lol)<\/p>\n
Mike, LFC, Dubai<\/p>\n
Remy the Saint.<\/p>\n
Keith. Worthing<\/p>\n