Pickford already looking ready to bollock everyone

[WeegieSuperb]

Bless Pickford, he is a grumpy bastard. You can't blame him for having his game face on, ready to scream at the rest of the team to get the fuck down the other end 😂 Who'd want to be this team's keeper.

Cannot say I'm optimistic about this game tbh.

Go on lads, less slow walking today please!

Did they?!?! I thought they got through half asleep by fluke!! I honestly thought the swizzles were going to ruin us.

As a lifelong Evertonian, I do love Pickford. He’s actually done a load of work with a sports psychologist to help him focus and calm down and now there is far less of this behaviour from him during games.

There were a number of notable examples of him getting lost in the moment in matches and it affecting his performance and ultimately, the result. The obvious example that comes to mind was away at Newcastle about 5 seasons ago where the Geordies were giving him dogs abuse (as a Sunderland fan and ex player). He got pulled into it, sticking his tongue out and gurning at them and we ended up losing 3-2 after leading 2-0 at half time, partly due to errors made by him.

It amazes me how much stick he gets from pundits etc, as there really is no credible alternative GK for England capable of putting in the same level of consistently high quality performances.

For the talent England has, and it's more than any other team in world football, they are playing way below themselves, and that's due to the bang average manager. They should be dominating games not scraping through. There is no pattern of play, no method. They aren't coached.

Trent is one of the most gifted footballers on the planet, amazing vision and ball striking ability, but Southgate doesn't know what to do with him. As Gary Neville said it's criminal. He is such a basic, "meat and two veg", manager. He is a nice guy, and he is clearly well liked by the players, but he has no clue how to set up a cohesive team (emphasis on TEAM), as England are playing like individuals.

I cannot be critical of any player as ultimately if the manager doesn't know how to coach them they are largely on their own, which makes it very difficult for them to perform to their ability. Imagine Klopp or Guardiola in charge of Bellingham, Trent, Saka, Foden, Kane, Palmer, Rice...that's an insane amount of talent. They would clean up and smash everyone.

There’s a lot here I agree with. Tactics have been far too cautious, Southgate is much too slow in reading the game and responding with substitutions and that’s without even starting on some of his selection choices in the first place…..

What I would say though is the players playing as individuals (who look like they’ve only met each other that morning), rather than as a cohesive team unit, isn’t anything new and not unique to Southgate and his tenure as manager. I remember it being exactly the same when Lampard and Gerrard were in the midfield, when we had (arguably) and even higher calibre of squad and continued to underperform and bottle it when the pressure was on.

Well in the last 5 mins they did - which was ultimately what counted. It's hard being an England fan though - they never make it easy for themselves or for us!

Most goalkeepers would have saved that one, it was a poor penalty, it will give the Swiss player nightmares.

Some sort of sport. I wouldn't have a clue until someone actually said what sport either.

I was going to suggest changing your house removal company but I gather it's something to do with football?

it is a funny position goal keeper, wonder what the attraction is.
so much waiting and then VERY important save.
he is great though Pickford,
anyone see the wink he gave one of the opposing attempted goal scorers

Glad Trent scored the last one. Woefully underused in this tournament!

Love Pickford, he's such a shithouse!!

Glad England are through but imagine if they had a motivational, inspiring manager who could make the best use of that massive pool of talent!

I think they should develop the idea of different colour jerseys, like they have in the Tour de France, for specific attributes. I know they've made a start with the Goalie Keepers and the Referee but perhaps the red polka dot jersey for daftest hair style, green for best gurner and yellow for most childest celebration?

Just an idea to make it a bit more fun. 🎉🎈

The first post gives you an inkling. If you’ve got access to internet (which you clearly do) then you must just think you’re being funny.

I think he's great, far more Captain material than Kane who frankly appears passed it.

When he screamed over a near goal at Stones I agreed with him, Stones stood there like he was lost and did nothing to defend.

Frankly I am baffled how we've got to the Semi final. I groaned when Alexander Arnold stepped up for the penalty as he's been a poor substitute for Grealish and Maguire.

@gillefc82 Pickford is excellent, we were all gutted when he left SAFC. Still a Mackem through and through but he’d have loved to have saved that penalty from Schar! Look out for Sunderland’s current keeper coming through, Anthony Patterson has been brilliant for us and is England U21 keeper.

I think he's great, far more Captain material than Kane who frankly appears passed it.

@WillimNot My son agrees, he was grumbling about Kane during the match, saying that he didn’t run enough and started calling him “ Old Man Kane.” 😂

Yet he’s a big Ronaldo fan who’s considerably older.

@LlynTegid Maybe, we just enjoyed the moment. I felt so sorry for the Portuguese keeper on Friday, he misjudged every shot. We were rooting for Portugal!

The players playing like individuals I think is partly because England is a weird country to play for, in that it's not a real country. They're British. And partly because they all mostly play in the same domestic league week in week out where they're rivals. It doesn't naturally lead to much national pride and unity. I don't think it will ever change regardless of who the manager is.

I don't get why the English media have been advertising that Pickford had a cheat sheet on his bottle. Surely if we go to pens in the semis then penalty takers will shoot the opposite way to what is expected 🤷🏼‍♀️ Or is it common practice for goalies to have cheat notes in international games?

How is Kane team captain with the kind of conduct that earned a yellow card? It was like watching school boys squabbling!

Why aren't they dropping Kyle Walker? The off pitch antics of his mistress are clearly disrupting his ability to play properly so he shouldn't have even been in the squad until it was resolved.