3-0 was the minimum.
Another over hyped performance from Southgate’s England saunter their way past a clueless bunch of Taff lumpers, that had all the makings of England v Ireland at Italia ’90, one of the worst games in World Cup history.
Southgate is his own man, there’s no way he’d pick a player after media calls for it. No, he was just resting others, that’s why Foden started.
So Saka and Sterling were replaced by Foden and Rashford and in yet another dire first half you couldn’t tell the difference. Actually that might not be correct, as during that half I started to say something and the person I was watching with started saying the same thing. That Rashford had so far probably been worse than Sterling.
Wales were nothing, as said above, clueless lumpers, it’s sub 80s/90s Wimbledon stuff, just hump it up the the big guy and hope something sticks and pays off. It didn’t as Wales barely had the ball, before they gave it back. But while England had the ball they did sod all with it.
Everything in white was slow, and generally backwards/sideways. It was all done at walking pace and it caused Wales no real problems. Again the only creativity for Southgate’s team came from Kane dropping deep. He played one perfect ball through for Rashford, who buggered up the chance with a weak attempt to lift it over a poor keeper.
Other than that Foden and Rashford were just mimicking Saka and Sterling. All personal glory and no team work.
Southgate had made other changes from the first game. Walker was in at rightback and offered nothing more than Trippier had, maybe just offered it a little faster. Doing that usual stopping the ball, rolling his foot over it and then banging a cross miles past everyone.
While he put Jordan Henderson in midfield. Throughout this tournament Jermaine Jenas has moaned about Harry Kane, talking about dropping him because he hasn’t scored. Kane has assisted more goals than any other player at this World Cup so far, he’s the only creativity England have, but Jenas wants him dropped because all his favourite players – Belligham, Foden, Saka, Rashford – haven’t passed Kane the ball. Meanwhile Jenas was eulogising Henderson all night, even though he had the worst passing percentage out of those not in the front three as he contributed nothing but what Jenas claimed was pivotal. Shouting. Yes, Henderson was great because for 90 minutes plus he shouted at people he hadn’t passed the ball to.
Nothing changed for the second half but England did come out faster. It’s the exact opposite of the norm, maybe someone else is giving the halftime talks these days.
Five minutes in and Kane is fouled. Lining up the free-kick just outside the box, Rashford was only going for goal, which he scored thanks to that dope in goal taking a couple of steps towards the part of the goal his wall was covering, opening up the side he should have been covering for Rashford to hit.
It was seconds later when Foden doubled the lead. Thanks again to Harry Kane, with his third assist of the tournament.
People are shocked that Kane has only five touches and two shots so far. Yet haven’t asked why, why all their golden boys haven’t played a decent ball to Kane in three games, while he’s put balls like this one to Foden on a plate for others.
The game was over 50 minutes in. With the Yanks beating Iran Wales needed a bundle to even have a sniff and they didn’t look like getting a corner never mind a goal. Their talisman had departed at halftime, Bale having done two things in his two and a half games, and one of them was being fouled. While Ramsey had done even less but stayed on. Henderson was still shouting.
Wilson replaced Kane, Phillips for Rice and Alexander-Arnold for Walker, later Shaw came off and Trippier was on at leftback, which was about as productive as him being rightback – back pass, lads.
Ten minutes into his first appearance Phillips – who has hardly played any football this season – and he produced more than Rice has in the three group games and Bellingham has for most of them. With one forward ball. A chip over the Welsh defence to Rashford and being greedy Rashford only had one thing in mind when he picked up the ball. Nope, no thought of passing to anyone, he was out for personal glory and he got it through the legs of the keeper.
Wilson and the rest getting to know what it’s like being Harry Kane as Rashford ignored them. Though normally they miss when ignoring Kane.
So after an awful first half and two gifted goals, of course the pundits were screaming that Rashford is back. But then they were screaming about Saka’s two goals a few days ago. Though everyone is saying Southgate can’t pick Sterling now but you know he will, after all he was only being rested for this game.
And Wales slump off home. Doing a Jockland, home before the postcards. It goes to show having a two bit actor spout off about the chip on his shoulder doesn’t make up for having the worst team at the World Cup. Though with all the eulogising from the BBC you’d have thought they lit up the tournament not been even more boring than Southgate’s England.
So the hyperbole started, from Rashford and Foden to Maguire, Stones and Southgate. Senegal up next. Big lads, powerful lads, play some football, certainly the toughest opposition they’ll have had to date.