Accessible for more than a year With England’s tournament concluded, what lies ahead? Rick Edwards and Lloyd Griffith are accompanied by Guy Mowbray and Adam Crafton to examine the team’s third-place outcome, ask whether a stronger performance was achievable in the semi‑final against Argentina, and explore what the future holds without the likes of Harry […]
Continue ReadingFor the time being, Tuchel can still count on skipper Kane. The forward from Bayern Munich will reach 36 by the time the following World Cup arrives, yet he appears far from ready to retire from international duty. Kane, who netted six times during this World Cup but remained on the bench against France, shared […]
Continue ReadingThomas Tuchel stressed he has no desire to participate in assigning fault for England’s tournament exit and pledged to narrow the distance to the top teams. Even Donald Trump weighed in on the tactics Tuchel used during the semi-final loss to Argentina, the US president wondering why Harry Kane was turned into “a defensive player” […]
Continue ReadingIn her work Hope in the Dark, writer Rebecca Solnit explores whether one can sustain hope in the face of widespread human misery. She cites Bulgarian thinker Maria Popova: “Reason without hope becomes cynicism, yet hope without reason is mere naivety.” By most measures, this presents a persuasive case for hope as a driving force […]
Continue Reading“I desired for it to be you. I desired it desperately.” As England’s World Cup ambitions fade into yet another chapter of sorrow, let down in Atlanta by the latest dashing, gaunt Mr. Perfect, a touch more melancholy, not much more enlightened, sunburned, broke, spooning Jägerbomb ice cream straight from the tub, this is an […]
Continue ReadingFuture coaching manuals might well use England’s display against Argentina as the textbook example of how to squander a narrow advantage. The statistical evidence from the match strongly supports such a judgment. When the inquest began, a host of unflattering numbers surfaced. The most striking observation came from a leading stats account, which revealed England […]
Continue ReadingAcross the last three men’s World Cups, England have now fallen at the semi-final stage twice, and they also suffered defeats in the European Championship finals of 2021 and 2024. “There isn’t a lot to say – everyone is devastated,” remarked England captain Harry Kane. “When you are that close, just 10 minutes from the […]
Continue ReadingEngland will go up against France in the third-place play-off on Saturday (22:00 BST) — a victory would give them their strongest men’s World Cup showing since 1966. “Getting this close and falling short is devastating,” Bullingham said. “The players and Thomas gave absolutely everything today and the entire group — coaches and backroom team […]
Continue ReadingJordan Pickford: The first-choice goalkeeper appeared far more composed than in the prior outing. With the opposing team defending deeply, he frequently had possession and looked to launch attacks with his long distribution. One careless pass nearly sparked a counter-attack. He made a superb point-blank save from a header to preserve the lead, but was […]
Continue ReadingIn the lead-up to the World Cup, the entrenched hostility that had accompanied Jude Bellingham virtually from his breakthrough at senior level grew more vociferous. Numerous scribes, commentators and one-time professionals doubted whether one of the country’s most gifted footballers could become a divisive presence within the team. The starkest articulation of this position appeared […]
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