My expectation was that England would struggle to get past the Group Stages. Who knew Iran would be so destroyed by upheaval at home, they'd roll over? I always thought the USA would beat us, but we knew after such a big win a draw would almost certainly do, so we got it, but weren't worth it. Wales arrived on life-support. Including Ramsey and Bale meant they started with nine men and had left out anyone likely to supply Moore with the ball. Last 16 dawned and as I expected Senegal took us to the cleaners, but after 35 minutes of embarrassment we scored and we shattered their dreams for long enough to build a 3-0 lead and cruise home as if we were good.
Despite all this England arrived at the Quarters, despite having nothing like the strongest team we could select. And the truth is we could have won last night. How an experienced referee from a major country like Brazil can be quite that poor is hard to explain. Upmecano, who is a good centre back, had certainly been told to be first to every ball and let Varane sweep up the bits. He achieved that with Saka by sweeping away his legs. It led to the opening goal which shouldn't have stood with VAR, but we should not have been so open and Pickford as ever succeeded in being unsighted - he does it for Everton too. Normal keepers take half a step to the side they think a shot is likely to come , or simply peer round - Pickford stands still and imagines his reflexes are super-human. Result he's a fraction slow going down and can't reach inside the post before the ball. Again on the second goal Pickford was culpable. Commentators and pundits being amongst nature's idiots will say, when a keeper makes a diving catch, "one for the cameras". That is ollocks! Goalkeeping is about catching as many balls as you can cleanly. Prior to his goal Giroud spun on a volley. It was a good effort, but it was a comfortable height, not that fierce, Pickford got both hands to it well and chose in his usual fashion to push the ball out for a corner. Argentina's keeper would have caught that ball every time, no problem. From the resulting corner England never cleared the ball properly, it came back in and Giroud did his stuff. A goalkeeper's job is wherever possible to end an attack. Catching the ball is perfect but sometimes you can only knock the ball away - if you are clever enough to find one of your own players, you've saved the day. Pickford is showy when he should be safe. Great saves are remembered partly because of their context. Had the corner resulting from Banks's save against Pele been bundled into the net by a relieved Pele no one would have much remember the previous save. Similarly Montgomery against Leeds in the Cup Final was brilliant, but it is particularly vivid because it illustrated Sunderland's impossible victory.
For long periods of the game last night the two best players were Bukayo Saka and Griezeman. Mbappe was dangerous, but you'd have needed more evidence to say he was the best player in world. Hernandez was almost unbelievably poor and if Rabiot is better than Camavinga I will eat any horse the French decided to make palatable. Dembele was surprisingly good without showing the devastating attacking that is meant to be his game. Henderson was Henderson -it's shame Bellingham loves him. Throughout the tournament we cried out for the passing and dead-ball skills of Alexander-Arnold. Luke Shaw resembled his own game, stocky, like an Oxo-cube. If we play Saka, Foden and Kane up front surely we have to tell the other two that they have the same freedom to roam and swap wings that we allow Kane - defenders hate finding themselves up against inter-changing players with different skills, and keepers hate forwards coming from different sides and using the other foot. Maguire didn't do badly, and certainly didn't let Killamarsh and Mosbrough down, but he's not as good a player as Fikayo Tomori. I'd play a back three of Guehi Tomori and Stones, but what do I know?
Whether France were actually better than us is questionable. Lloris certainly outplayed Pickford. Of their back four only Varane looked the part, but they were set up to make him feel good. Kounde looked a centre back and Hernandez looked like a refugee from I'm a Celebrity. In the middle Rabiot is a very hard worker, but he's nowhere near as good as Bellingham and Rice. Up front, yes Mbappe is excellent and potentially even better than that, but Giroud may be ageing like good wine but no man can outrun time, and I wouldn't pick Dembele ahead of Saka or Foden, or Grealish or Mount. But a Griezeman for a Henderson is a Derby winner against handicapper who does quite well at Southwell.
We lost because we missed a penalty. Had we scored we certainly would have tested whether there is a cheese-eating or surrender-monkey element to this French side. Morocco fully-fit could test France to breaking-point, but I fear they will be both depleted and tired for their biggest-ever game. If France hammer them everybody will be handing them the trophy but Croatia could destroy them from the middle of the park and Gvardiol and the defence round him have enough pride to make Mbappe's life difficult. And were it Argentina trotting out for the Final ..... does that French defence look capable of stopping an attack built from Messi, Alvarez, Martinez, Dybala and Angel De Maria? And if Argentina got a lead can you imagine them easily surrendering it short of having two players sent off?
Despite all this England arrived at the Quarters, despite having nothing like the strongest team we could select. And the truth is we could have won last night. How an experienced referee from a major country like Brazil can be quite that poor is hard to explain. Upmecano, who is a good centre back, had certainly been told to be first to every ball and let Varane sweep up the bits. He achieved that with Saka by sweeping away his legs. It led to the opening goal which shouldn't have stood with VAR, but we should not have been so open and Pickford as ever succeeded in being unsighted - he does it for Everton too. Normal keepers take half a step to the side they think a shot is likely to come , or simply peer round - Pickford stands still and imagines his reflexes are super-human. Result he's a fraction slow going down and can't reach inside the post before the ball. Again on the second goal Pickford was culpable. Commentators and pundits being amongst nature's idiots will say, when a keeper makes a diving catch, "one for the cameras". That is ollocks! Goalkeeping is about catching as many balls as you can cleanly. Prior to his goal Giroud spun on a volley. It was a good effort, but it was a comfortable height, not that fierce, Pickford got both hands to it well and chose in his usual fashion to push the ball out for a corner. Argentina's keeper would have caught that ball every time, no problem. From the resulting corner England never cleared the ball properly, it came back in and Giroud did his stuff. A goalkeeper's job is wherever possible to end an attack. Catching the ball is perfect but sometimes you can only knock the ball away - if you are clever enough to find one of your own players, you've saved the day. Pickford is showy when he should be safe. Great saves are remembered partly because of their context. Had the corner resulting from Banks's save against Pele been bundled into the net by a relieved Pele no one would have much remember the previous save. Similarly Montgomery against Leeds in the Cup Final was brilliant, but it is particularly vivid because it illustrated Sunderland's impossible victory.
For long periods of the game last night the two best players were Bukayo Saka and Griezeman. Mbappe was dangerous, but you'd have needed more evidence to say he was the best player in world. Hernandez was almost unbelievably poor and if Rabiot is better than Camavinga I will eat any horse the French decided to make palatable. Dembele was surprisingly good without showing the devastating attacking that is meant to be his game. Henderson was Henderson -it's shame Bellingham loves him. Throughout the tournament we cried out for the passing and dead-ball skills of Alexander-Arnold. Luke Shaw resembled his own game, stocky, like an Oxo-cube. If we play Saka, Foden and Kane up front surely we have to tell the other two that they have the same freedom to roam and swap wings that we allow Kane - defenders hate finding themselves up against inter-changing players with different skills, and keepers hate forwards coming from different sides and using the other foot. Maguire didn't do badly, and certainly didn't let Killamarsh and Mosbrough down, but he's not as good a player as Fikayo Tomori. I'd play a back three of Guehi Tomori and Stones, but what do I know?
Whether France were actually better than us is questionable. Lloris certainly outplayed Pickford. Of their back four only Varane looked the part, but they were set up to make him feel good. Kounde looked a centre back and Hernandez looked like a refugee from I'm a Celebrity. In the middle Rabiot is a very hard worker, but he's nowhere near as good as Bellingham and Rice. Up front, yes Mbappe is excellent and potentially even better than that, but Giroud may be ageing like good wine but no man can outrun time, and I wouldn't pick Dembele ahead of Saka or Foden, or Grealish or Mount. But a Griezeman for a Henderson is a Derby winner against handicapper who does quite well at Southwell.
We lost because we missed a penalty. Had we scored we certainly would have tested whether there is a cheese-eating or surrender-monkey element to this French side. Morocco fully-fit could test France to breaking-point, but I fear they will be both depleted and tired for their biggest-ever game. If France hammer them everybody will be handing them the trophy but Croatia could destroy them from the middle of the park and Gvardiol and the defence round him have enough pride to make Mbappe's life difficult. And were it Argentina trotting out for the Final ..... does that French defence look capable of stopping an attack built from Messi, Alvarez, Martinez, Dybala and Angel De Maria? And if Argentina got a lead can you imagine them easily surrendering it short of having two players sent off?