I said maybe
Thomas Tuchel was right. We did not play well and were second best for long periods of the game, but we, or shall I say Jude, found a way.
Jude Bellingham is force of nature, a driving force of nature and it is onto the World Cup semi’s for just the fourth ever time.
We started in reasonable control without creating anything but the first advert break completely threw a wrench into us, and we a had a few mad moments before we went behind to an unfortunate rather than a good goal. Pickford might have nightmare’s about it though, and defensively we continued to be suspect.
But, as the half approached there was Bellingham, picked out superbly by Gordon, to glide into the box and smash home.
At the break Rice and Madueke made way, the former not fit, the latter poor, and Eze and Saka came on. I always say we are better with Saka in the team, but for a lot of the second half Norway controlled the tempo and the chance creation.
VAR disallowed a Norway goal, and an extra time England penalty and the Vikings even complained about the first goal hitting a camera wire. The game used to be so much simpler!
I think we played our most cohesive football in extra time. I have to say the subs were excellent, especially Spence and Rogers, and with special ops Dan Burn on, we tightened up at the back.
Yet, hey, it was Jude that scored an instinctive winner in the third minute of extra time and when Haaland didn’t come out after the break, you could hear the first strains of Wonderwall.
We certainly made hard work of the game. Next up, Argentina !!
Whatever the outcome of that game. England have done better than I expected, for sure.
What a player Jude Bellingham has become!
He stood out in a lacklustre performance by England with Kane having a very average game by his standards.
I see that the infamous Rattin died recently at the age of 89. Is that some kind of weird omen? Being a Charlton fan, I was brought up to believe in fair play, but I can’t see Argentine suddenly adopting that doctrine. I am not looking forward to the match.
I will be surprised if Eze gets on the pitch again.
Hopefully we will get through to the final but we will probably be up against France the best team and the best divers.
Let’s get past Argentina who will surely kick and wind up Bellingham throughout the game.
And wind up the referee. I fear that we will be down to ten men at some point, as the Argies are past masters at game manipulation.
I really am impressed that we have got this far and Bellingham and Kane are the reason….our defence still looks shakey and need to consolidate before we take on Argentina.
God now needs to give us our turn for a “hand of God” moment as he owes us a favour 😃…..maybe Messi to score an OG ?
I was at 1966 England game against Argentina with my dad and still can visualise Rattin kicking every England player who dared trying to pass him….nothing has changed !!!!