Harry Kane is ‘terrible’ at one thing and it is holding this England side back | OneFootball

England surrendering in the World Cup semi-final had nothing to do with their ‘DNA’; it was down to a problem summed up by Harry Kane.

Send your thoughts on not-Spurs-bound Kane and anything else to theeditor@football365.com.

Yeah, fair play

Aren’t all the rankings of players 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’t they? Paul in America (maybe no one will be watching but I’m still interested) 

We still believe

it’s coming home,

it’s coming home,

it’s coming…

3rd place coming home. Bad Hamster (ever the optimist)

Oh, look everybody, England are 4-0 up against France at half time.  France!  We’re brilliant at football aren’t we?

Well, except when we insist on hiring crap managers, playing “I’ll just go deep/missing” Kane or when we’re playing a game that actually MATTERS.

Both the manager and players have some explaining to do. Not the French though.  They clearly couldn’t have given two less f*cks about the ‘bronze medal’ match.  Which sums up our mentality perfectly. Mark (Still, altogether now, “Football’s coming home…) MCFC.

I see the usual whining has started over the third place play-off. 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?

I mean, you have the right to whine, so whine away to your heart’s pleasure all you like, but in the list of complaints about FIFA and this world cup, this shouldn’t be even in the top 50 for any rational human being.

And to be honest, there’s 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  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.

I feel the final should be straight forward and if England don’t wet their pants before the match even starts, the England France rubber could be a lot more exciting and competitive than the final itself. Adeel 

Nobody wants the third place playoff except infantino. I’m not even going to watch it. I asked AI what happens if we just sack it off?

Awarding the match to the other team by forfeit (typically 3–0).

Fines.

Additional disciplinary measures against the team or its national association.

In exceptional cases, further sanctions depending on the circumstances and applicable regulations.

Sounds worth it to me. Adam G, NUFC

Bin the 3rd place playoff? No way. That was fu**ing wild. Nic, Cork

Re Ian Watson.

That was enjoyable to watch. Paul

I can’t help but feel that this match might be the moment that England, particularly its media, begins to recognize the value of the 3rd Place Match.

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.

Germany has always valued 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’s not what you were aiming for, but it’s a real accomplishment. Davor Suker is right to be proud of it.

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. Oliver Dziggel, Geneva Switzerland (might be the team to come closest to deserving to beat Argentina lol)

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. Mike, LFC, Dubai

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!

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’t matter really until you pick up the ball and declare the game over, and your best player turns up for the last 20 minutes.

My own view is: let’s keep Tuchel. The Argentina game was a sore spot and I still don’t understand why Saka did not feature 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. Anyway, thoroughly enjoyed that 90-odd minutes of craziness. Remy the Saint.

England ran out of puff

This isnt an excuse but an observation – England just ran out of steam.

No team travelled as much as England. We had energy-sapping matches against Mexico and Norway. You can’t watch the last 15 minutes of that Argentina game and not think we looked knackered. Quansah being mysteriously suspended and extra game didn’t help either.

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’s accident in for a laugh. Tuchel must have felt this squad was a patchwork.

Onto the Euros you wonder where the next stars are coming from. 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’t gonna be any worse.

Overall, England have done brilliantly to get into the latter stages of so many competitions after a decade of abject failure. But Kane’s window is closing and we have zero strikers ready to take the spot. Keith. Worthing

Captain slog

Just a word on this supposed English DNA being built on failure. Historically outside of football that’s clearly not the case, but setting that aside, I think back to the successful English sides of the last couple of decades. The United sides were filled with excellent English players, who never threw in the towel; it wasn’t just about getting more time added on, it was actually being able to use that time to good effect that made it such a thing. Liverpool overcoming deficits and winning was also a thing in Europe at least. Chelsea likewise.

You can say whatever else you like about them, but surely no one looks at the likes of Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes, Neville, Owen, Rooney, Rio, Terry, Shearer, Sheringham, Cole, even Carragher and Butt and so many others let alone likes of Anderson and Bellingham (and a few others) and thinks they didn’t have the heart or head for the fight, or regularly wilted like a flower in the Sahara. Certainly not at club level.

What they *did* have, however, was leadership on the pitch that demanded more, that demanded focus.

Kane is an excellent striker of the ball, one of the best I’ve ever seen, and can pass like a reasonable midfielder. But he is a terrible on-pitch leader. Actually terrible. Yeah, obviously, he is just about credible in interviews but screw all that… on the pitch he did absolutely bollocks all to rouse the team. And he never does. Ok, maybe it’s not his style, but you *need* someone who does.

On pitch leadership is as vital as a solid defence and sensible tactics. Which we also don’t have.

When you are sending a bunch of players onto the pitch especially out of position and no one has a clue what their job is, that’s a problem. Likewise if they did do their job (keep narrow) then that’s a problem. And if they didn’t do their job, that’s also a problem.

But none of it comes down to English DNA. Badwolf

Arsenal’s alternative target

Dear MC,

Forget Rogers, I’m over that. We need to go for the big guns and sign Bellingham. JazGooner (Stones on a free as cover for Saliba?)

I’m just going to say it now – Jude Bellingham will be the greatest English player ever. Maybe a few have been more talented – only a few mind – but none of them have contributed as many great performances and match-winning moments at the top level. And he’s only 23. He delivers time and time again in conditions where many have wilted. When England are in peril, he takes a sad song and makes it better. Yes, I did just say that.