Reply With QuoteI enjoyed the Euros but the team seem to have regressed alarmingly.
Not helped by injuries to key players.
That was not really worth watching apart from the odd flowing counter attack by the unfancied Haiti.
Wow, what an absolute shambles. That match against Haiti was an embarrassment and I'm not even sorry if people are offended by that. I'm all for equal rights and still hope to see mixed professional teams in my lifetime, but that was not good football... worse than Sunday league. How on earth this a televised tournament is beyond me, I've seen better sport hidden away at 3am on Eurosport channel 8. 😳
At least it can only get better from here. I'll carry on supporting our girls, but I won't be tuning in for 90 minutes of THAT again. Anybody else have the misfortune?
I enjoyed the Euros but the team seem to have regressed alarmingly.
Not helped by injuries to key players.
That was not really worth watching apart from the odd flowing counter attack by the unfancied Haiti.
Originally Posted by petay993
Ditto, take nothing away from the team, the Euros were hard fought and well deserved... but this game was a shocker.
Agreed. Probably the worst performance I've seen in my time watching them.
Haiti had a real chance of a draw, i expect England to get to last 8 and lose unless they can improve from today.
Benn listening to all this week (listen to talksport) been rammed down our throats about the women’s game and how it’s becoming a must see etc etc.
Actually thought I’d give it a watch and had a bet on England winning by at least 5 goals, how wrong was I. Slow, ponderous and I reckon a half decent men’s amateur team would beat them, that women’s team should be embarrassed by that football today.
It’s not for me and I don’t think I’d watch them if they were playing in my garden.
Enjoyed the last world cup and went to some matches, even made a fool of myself on TV.
Doesn't have the same buzz for me this time, and I don't have that sense of optimism.
Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
I actually started watching attending some womens football matches last season and quite enjoyed it. These were third tier matches, the players probably only get a few quid for expenses but they play with a passion that you don’t usually see in the mens senior game now. The standard isn’t great, possibly schoolboy B team level, but it can still be an enjoyable watch, and it’s a cheap Sunday afternoon out.
What I don’t like about the womens game is all the BS hype that’s forced down our throats about it. Matches attended by a few hundred friends and family broadcast on primetime television, probably watched by even fewer on the tv than actually attend. Ludicrous comments about the games being sold out when anyone watching can clearly see only one stand is open and that one’s half empty. Campaigns for equal pay despite the income being considerably lower. Today we had comments about how the Haiti teams success could lead to political change there, and hundreds of thousands had probably bought televisions for the first time just to see them, obviously complete rubbish.
Yes, it was good to see the women win the Euros, but the womens game is more heavily subsidised here than anywhere else. Most other European leagues get nowhere near our level of support, most players aren’t full time, so anything other than a victory in the Euros would have been a disaster. The comments stating that the women were showing the embarrassing men how it’s done were laughable, it’s a completely different set up when your playing other countries that are fully professional and have been for years.
I hope the game progresses and I’ll continue to watch my local team, but I can’t help thinking the false hype is turning more people off than it attracts and it would be better to let the game develop naturally.
And yes, the performance today was terrible.
Netherlands vs Portugal this weekend. On the world’s southernmost football pitch…
It ends up boiling down who wants to watch them outside of tournaments. Bill Burr nails it. There loads of videos on YT of women’s National teams getting hammered by school boys or over the hill male ex pros so it is not a comparable sport in that sense. But the women are generally pretty skilful. The goalies are normally woeful in the main I find. Having a really good women’s goalie makes a big difference to their teams. But I’m not that invested to watch early am given it clashes with work.
I’ll watch any football but the women’s game is a garbage level of football. I read something recently about the USA World Cup winning team getting beat by an under 15’s boys team.
The best 11 each country has to offer would be non league over here.
Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
I think that the school boys vs the national team is an odd comparisson. And it doesn’t ‘stick’. The Dutch female squad did a practice game against an amateur team (17-18 y/o boys) and the girls won. 2-1.
But, l et’s take the field hockey national squad. I don’t know how England performs, but the Dutch national team easily fills a stadium here. (And during London 2012. I was there). And no-one would consider a hockey game between school boys and the female national squad.
It has to do with training an technique. We watched Team USA soccer in the south of Florida during training a few years back. My oldest: “I won’t say again that girls can’t play!” He was impressed.
Back to the national squad vs school boys: when soccer follows the path of field hockey, things will go up and up.
And therein lies the problem; men compare it to the men’s game and it shouldn’t be compared. It’s a game in its own right and if you like watching it then watch it. If you don’t, don’t.
^^^ Better answer than mine ^^^
It’s not just men that compare it to the mens game. The narrative after the Euros that was being pushed by those forcing it down our throats was that the women had done something the men couldn’t do and had ended the however many years of hurt. They hadn’t.
I think the increased profile of woman's footie and woman's sport more generally is a really positive thing, and should be encouraged and supported.
It's really having a positive effect on girls and providing great role models for them.
Today's game wasnt great, but that's all part of it isn't it? Bound to be a hangover from the Euros. Hopefully they can find a bit of form over the next couple of games.
Sent from my M2101K6G using Tapatalk
That’s the very important big picture.
2 world class players in leah williamson and beth mead (golden boot winner) are not replacable.
You can see millie bright make mistakes which she did not when leah was her partner at the back.
The game was very end to end but not much to hit in the box with only russo in the box most of the time.
It would of been better to start daley as shes more mobile up front.
Still i dont expect england to get past the semis based on that performance and the injuries.
I do enjoy the less cynical game that the womens tournaments have and will continue watching.
I just cannot bring myself to watch woman’s footie the little bit I have seen just made not want to watch it. Each to their own
The standard of goalkeeping is genuinely horrific.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Its not for me, I have tried in the past to get into it but the standard was just terrible.
It's just weird, the goals should be smaller but that would be sexiest, it's not, its simple biology, women generally are smaller than men, female goal keepers look like children in the goal, basically stick the ball in the top corner and it's a goal everytime.
Female football is like top amateur level, there are some cracking players, but the general level is poor. It's family led, no chanting about opposite players, no swearing....I like those elements of the men's game so I guess I'll leave it...
Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk
In other words it’s just plain wrong. But they are not doing harm.
United States vs The Netherlands last night: 1-1.
It was played around 3am Dutch time. (Prime time in the US...). But the takeaway from the Dutch journalists who've been watching: "The men's squad should take an example!" Raving reviews about the way the Dutch Ladies' team played. 'Fierce fight', 'total dedication', 'take no prisoners' and more like that. The US team has a habit of being 'physically' in 1-to-1 duels, but the Dutch ladies came prepared and countered that way of playing with equal tactics.
That 'The men's squad should take an example!" says a lot.
I watched the game and it was excellent, a very high standard. Quality-wise it was the best game of the tournament so far. I thought the Dutch edged it but a draw was probably fair.
Good to read your comment. I only had journalists' word for it. Often, their 'mood' swings a lot when it comes to soccer...
Quality from LJ
Sent from my M2101K6G using Tapatalk
That’ll be an ACL and a year out for Walsh. So much research needed into why ACLs are so prevalent in the women’s game.
Not the greatest of performances again. Great goal and had more chances and possession but I thought they were lucky to hold on for the win. They need to step up the intensity but I’m not sure they have it in them, they looked very tired in the last third. From what I’ve seen so far it will be a second round exit.
I was flicking I and out of it today and it was better, but still not great. I hate to put a downer on two wins but in reality we've been flattered by worse opposition and a rewarded bit of luck.
Fingers crossed they find their top form, because looking at some other teams (Brazil are terrifying, for example) we're in trouble.
Great improvement though. A half decent subbuteo team would have beaten the 11 who faced off against Haiti
It doesn't look promising, especially with Walsh now out. In the Euros (admittedly with home advantage) it looked in every game like they were destined to win, the belief just shone through.
Now it's the opposite, bumbling past weaker opposition, limited creativity, losing the ball too easily and looking very shaky at the back.
Of course injuries explain some of the drop off in form but I'm still at a loss to understand how far this team has fallen from it's peak.
I guess losing Ellen White, Fran Kirby, Leah W, and Beth Mead has an impact. Plus Milly Bright is only two games back from injury. And now Walsh too! Half the Euro team out.
But they have won 2 from 2 so far and hopefully can improve. Maybe they can be like a Germany, slow starters but rise to the challenge the further they go in the tournament.
Sent from my M2101K6G using Tapatalk
Last edited by xxnick1975; 29th July 2023 at 07:48.
Some have retired and some are injured, and the success has possibly got into the heads of a couple. There doesn’t seem to be a strength in depth behind the usual starters and that’s due to the way the WSL has gone. I picked Arsenal at random and looked at their squad, 27 players of which only 7 are English. There’s the problem.
Really, it doesn't matter what a bunch of predominantly middle-aged men think about womens' football. Don't watch it if you don't like it, maybe it's just not for you?
My son's under 7s football team has one girl playing for it, she was the best player last season - much more determined and just as skillful as the best of the boys - and while we know as they get older she'll fall behind the boys physically, she is that good we think there's a good chance she'll end up playing professionally. There is a girls' team but it covers ages 4-7 and while the coach is superb, there are just two or three girls from each year group playing. That's compared to the boys' team with 12 or 14 players in each year group with waiting lists of up to 30 children. The football setup locally is excellent but there aren't enough pitches and aren't enough places to train on weekday evenings when the grass pitches in the parks are all out of action. The support from early years for the girls' game is just rubbish, and I guess it comes from parents and the idea that football isn't a game for girls. I don't really know. I watched a girls' match a few months back, I would guess U15s or so, being played on the pitch next to my son's match, and the quality of football was dire. The girl in my son's team would have run rings round most of them. My four-year-old daughter has just finished her first season of training (well, learning) and when I signed her up England had just won the Euros. There was just one other girl signed up from her year group and the coach said they'd had to consider giving up due to the complete lack of interest.
Over the last few years there's been a lot more investment and focus on womens' football and that will (hopefully) only help bring more girls into the game and raise the skill levels. There's still going to be loads of prejudice and men whining and crying about it but that's much like the mens' game. It's hilarious that ManU have made Fernandes their captain and role model, he's the biggest cheating diving cry-baby in football. Don't see any of that in womens' football.
"A man of little significance"
Generally at the younger ages you are talking about some girls are often physically bigger than boys anyway and can easily hold their own.
I've seen it first hand having helped my son coach our junior team from under 7's up to (currently) under 10's.
No need for separate teams, mixed teams are certainly allowed up to age 16 and I believe the FA has recently raised it to 18 years.
Our club, and most others we play against have their own grounds so no lack of pitches.
Regarding winter training, our boys train on artificial turf - are there none you can hire around your way?
Cheers,
Neil.
Apparently not following a scan, may yet still play in this tournament
Sent from my M2101K6G using Tapatalk
iirc goals have stayed the same size for 125+ years. The male goalies of the time were much smaller in stature and probably closer to a current woman goalie. So it is more the current males are much bigger. But my previous point holds that I think the weakest part of the woman’s game is the goal keeper standards.
Not in our team. The girl in question is one of the smallest and is knocked around all over the place in matches but bounces straight up and never ever gives up, she's incredibly tenacious. Hilariously the kid who supports Spurs is on the floor more often, rolling around in agony and hitting the ground with his fist. I guess the girls and boys aren't mixed in together because there's not enough room and it's easier to go for the training for the girls what with the big waiting lists for the boys' teams. I think if my daughter (who is also rather tenacious and tough) is still happy to be playing in a years' time I'll sign her up for the boys' team.
There are so many clubs in our area, the all-weather pitches are booked up through the winter every day of the week. I think we have 14 boys' teams and I don't know about the older girls, and our village isn't that big. The nearest all-weather pitch is about 10 miles away so they will be hosting many teams and not just our lot. Our village club is very well organised and run, we're very lucky in that regard.
"A man of little significance"
It sounds like your daughter would thrive in a mixed/boys team.
Recently we had a friendly against an under 10 team that had a girl at centre forward. She was bigger than the boys and absolutely lethal up front! A right handful.
Good luck to your daughter in her football. It's a great thing, teaches kids a lot, they make new friends and it gives them something to aspire too.
Talking of aspirations. Here's a young lad from our club who did fairly well - Gareth Southgate.
Cheers,
Neil.
Just watched first half of Eng vs China.
England look OK, China look dreadful.
Clicking into gear now. Always nice to stick a few in when you have the chance
Sent from my M2101K6G using Tapatalk
Typical, I didn't watch this one today and it sounds like we've finally found some form.
I'll give the next one a go (Nigeria?)
Much better performance from England but its not that hard to score against such a weak goalkeeping performance.
I reckon at least 3 of the goals would have been saved by a taller/more athletic goalkeeper as Daly volley aside, most of the shots seemed to passed into the corner of the goals.
Idiocy from James ... tough task now!
z
She has gone and done a Beckham!
So far we look better with 10
Smash & grab by the Lionesses !
z
Nigeria very much the better team, but what guts from the Lionesses. What fight they showed.
Similar to the Spain game in the Euros
Madness from LJ
Sent from my M2101K6G using Tapatalk
Crikey I've had an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach through all of that.
What about that for (whatever the female equivalent is for) cojones?
Resilience the key to this team so far but we've far better opposition to come and will have to improve significantly to beat them.
Nigeria had drawn two of their three games 0-0 prior to today so we knew they'd struggle to finish chances they created. A better team at least tests Earps more, if not finds at least one goal.
Posting Permissions
