Interesting to read through these BBC Sport ‘neutrals’ comments, following on from England defeating Czech Republic.
The hosts going down to 10 men on 25 minutes after a bad challenge from Sulc on Elliot Anderson.
The final score reading Czech Republic 0 England 2.
Thomas Tuchel’s team getting a much needed victory after defeat to Spain at Wembley on Saturday night.
However, this game in Prague on Tuesday night producing more questions than answers.
Apart from a couple of exceptions who were a class above, a mixture of poor to average performances from the rest against an average team playing with a man down for some 70 minutes.
Always interesting to hear the neutral perspectives on the England players.
The BBC Sport readers comments from neutrals…
‘Fancy playing a left back at left back. Who’d have thought that would ever have worked. TT is a tactical genius.’
‘Lewis Hall should be England first choice left back from now on.’
‘No-one really stood out apart from Gordon again. Hall was decent.’
‘One cross does not make Trent Alexander-Arnold a good player as he can’t defend’
‘One cross? Maybe in this game, but an impressive one at that. His defensive abilites can be worked on.’
‘Saka must be carrying an injury. He seems to have lost the ability to sprint, or skin a fullback, and he has become predictable, always coming back inside onto his left foot and then always laying it off to a teammate.’
‘Maybe he’s just rubbish.’
‘Saka used to go around the outside of the defender. He now almost always turns back inward and passes backwards. Why?’
‘Comfortable win for England.
Still, hard to gage when you’re playing 10 men.
Can see why the Newcastle fans rave about Lewis Hall.
His commitment is unquestionable, a good performance from him.’
‘Hall is overrated did nothing special’
‘Having seen Hall play so many times he can defend really well and a very intelligent player, playing out from the back.’
‘(Aston Villa fan) Hall was poor.’
‘The decision not to take Hall to the World Cup looks worse and worse every day.’
‘Cost England a place in the final.’
‘Anthony Gordon with a strong performance again. He’s quickly becoming our best player in an England shirt.’
‘3 goals in 3. Impressive stuff for doing nothing.’
‘Gutted England won aren’t you. How did your country do? Concentrate on them.’
‘Before and during the World Cup Gordon was absolutely slated by talksport presenters as being an embarrassment and waste of money – they Abso laid into him about being nowhere near good enough for Barcelona and nice to see he’s having the last laugh!’
‘Two months in Arsenal’s midfield doesn’t make Lewis Skelly worthy of this England midfield.
Start Alex Scott at the weekend, he looks class.’
‘Agree, Scott and Wharton are better – I also question how sitting on Arsenal’s bench means Eze makes the squad and gets on the pitch. Same for O’Reilly – he would be nowhere near if he didn’t play for Manchester City.’
‘Excellent performance by Hall. Should be first choice LB. Finishing might not be as good as O’Reilly’s but every other part of his game is much better. Tackling, tracking back, overlapping runs.. what more do you want from your full back?’
‘I’m not too worried if my LB isn’t a great finisher.’
‘Hall was superb.
But I’d want to see him, and any player, play against a top team, not a minnow (ranked 70th?) who were down to 10 men for 70-odd minutes, before making any judgment on how well they fit.’
‘Hall was originally a centre mid. He can comfortably dribble past most.’
‘Every Arsenal player is awful for England. Been happening for a long time.’
‘At least Phil “allergic to England” Foden and Cole “fugitive to England” Palmer aren’t there.’
‘I wondered what Barcelona were thinking when they paid so much for Gordon, but he really has gone up a level these last two games.’
‘He had a good world cup.’
‘And he consistently skinned his man throughout, playing against 10 didn’t exactly do much to flatter Saka’s performance.’
‘Very good link up play between Hall and Gordon tonight. Hall should be a starter from now, accomplished performance.
Scott looked decent in the short time he was on as well.’
‘Even more reason why Hall should have gone to the World Cup. The relationship and link up with Gordon is a real advantage over O’Reily playing with Rashford.’
‘Gordon had a bad season at Newcastle in fairness but he wasn’t alone and probably needed a new challenge to find himself again.’
‘Kane needs to be dropped, he’s getting to the end of his career and realistically we ned to find another goal scorer to bed in before the next actual tournament.’