Key events
Karen Carney has some thoughts on how England should line up, and she’s gone for a back three. That happened in 1990 after a poor start, and though I’m not crazy about that way of playing, it might just cover weaknesses and accentuate strengths.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/jun/22/palmer-in-trippier-right-saka-left-england-slovenia-change-formation
I really like Jarrod Bowen as a player, but I’m not totally certain why he’s come in both England games. He just doesn’t seem the best option to change things – there are others in the squad with far greater game-breaking ability.
Wharton is, I think, the player England need – or at least one of them. His ability to take the ball on the half-turn and then pass it forward is one they’ve been lacking so far – but I do still have questions about Rice’s quality on the ball when deployed further forward.
This is such a shame. Tierney is a good player and seems a good character too; his frustration must be very taxing to assimilate.
Looking at the bracket, though, if both sides win their groups, that couldn’t happen until the final (I don’t think). But Spain might (I think) have to beat Portugal to get there – what a semi that could be.
Fabián is a player and Spain might just be the hardest team to beat. They lack a bit of firepower, but their ability to retain possession and work gaps, though not quite what once it was, is still better than anyone else’s. In particular, I think they’d be a dreadful matchup for England.
I actually think the reffing – and varring – has been pretty good so far.
Tremendous.
They might eventually find their lack of an elite-level centre-forward does for them, but Germany look decent don’t they? A midfield of Toni Kroos, Robert Andrich, Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala and Ilkay Gundogan is absolutely not to be messed with, and it’ll take something significant to stop them.
What a joy Georgia have been so far. They’ll need to beat Portugal now to stay involved and that seems unlikely – though perhaps Martínez, with his team qualified, will rotate – but even if they go home, they’ve enriched our lives over the last week.
If Roberto Martínez gets his Portugal side right, they’ll take some stopping. Bruno Fernandes ended the club season in rare form and looks right in the mood at this tournament, while Bernardo Silva is also at it. Behind them, João Palhinha and Vitinha supply ballast – and quality – while alongside them, Rafael Leão gives cutting edge and on the bench, a panoply of options mean no match-situation should faze them.
We’ll also have a look back at yesterday’s action. Belgium got themselves going, Kevin de Bruyne to the fore as they dealt with Turkey. They seemed to have better cohesion with Your Tielemans in the side – I was surprised he didn’t come on sooner against Slovakia – and Amadou Onana looked much better next to him.
Preamble
Hello there! And welcome to today’s blog, which’ll take you from now up until this evening’s games which conclude Group A. We’ll bring you Scotland v Hungary and Switzerland v Germany, but prior to then we’l have all the chat and news from what’s shaping up to be a classic tournament. Off we go
