Macedonia v England

[Holy Joe]

Var strikes again.

Difficult to see that being a penalty

 

[Tribal Chief]

Astonishing decision

 

[GNH]

Games gone mad, never ever a penalty.

 

[londonblue]

I can't believe that was given. I'm literally sitting laughing!

 

[Tribal Chief]

I'm grateful that we don't need anything from this game, or we might be on a war footing here in Western Oregon.

 

[londonblue]

The pitch is awful too.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

Amazing, unbelievable! KANE

 

[johnlattimerssponge]

The more games I watch with VAR the more I hate it with a passion. Not only can it suck the joy out of goal celebrations the best moments in a game I swear it helps make more wrong decisions than it does correct original on pitch refereeing mistakes.

 

[Holy Joe]

We think NL refs are bad - blimey this guy has had a shocker so far

 

[londonblue]

We think NL refs are bad - blimey this guy has had a shocker so far

Just about to say the same. He's atrocious.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Presumably the footage the ref was reviewing was the actual foul in the area about 10 minutes earlier by Maguire rather than the Rico Lewis clearance. Otherwise that’s the worst decision I’ve seen in years - and I’ve spent the last few years watching games ruined by NL officials.

 

[GNH]

Baffling decison making throughout the entire game, obvious fouls not given and so many players falling to the floor winning a free kick.

I'd suggest they were all out of their depth.

 

[PrawNZ]

I didn't think they had VAR in this match after the maguire rugby tackle didn't result in a pen! Shocking 20 odd seconds for him

 

[Dave Smiths Love Child]

I find it hard to fathom how football gets it so wrong and yet in Rugby its hardly wrong.
I suppose the other thing in Rugby ,players accept the referees decision without the in your face approach

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Saw the first 15 mins .live and realised that it was going to be much more difficult than the Malta game.Also saw the pen .live (which was fully jus¡tified IMO.Seem to rememember LB saying after the Matla game that England had made a habit in qualifiying of playiny one bad match then a good none.Well this makes two poor perforamnces in a row ,which doesn't augur well for Germany.

 

[Swiss Tony]

Saw the first 15 mins .live and realised that it was going to be much more difficult than the Malta game.Also saw the pen .live (which was fully jus¡tified IMO.Seem to rememember LB saying after the Matla game that England had made a habit in qualifiying of playiny one bad match then a good none.Well this makes two poor perforamnces in a row ,which doesn't augur well for Germany.

Whilst I agree T two dead rubbers doe’s take the edge off.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Two fairly drab performances aside, I think Southgate will have taken more from this international window than he would have done had England coasted to two fairly routine wins with a full strength side.

If you thought English football had a problem with the standard of refereeing, then last night was an eye opener. Woeful officiating, and if that’s the standard we can expect in Germany next summer then expect fireworks.

Guehi’s assured himself a spot in the squad, if not a starting berth alongside (a hopefully fit) Stones. He’s clearly surpassed Maguire, albeit against some fairly ordinary opposition.

I think 2024 will be too soon for Rico Lewis, but I thought he acquitted himself well and showed good maturity to not let that dreadful decision disrupt his play. You’d still be crossing everything that Shaw and Chilwell recover properly, mind.

Kalvin Phillips needs to leave Man City this window or Gallagher’s going to take his place. Rice and Bellingham are now out in front as 2 of Southgate’s 3 - it’s just deciding who, tactically, accompanies them depending on the opposition.

Henderson’s done. The longer Southgate considers him a viable option for the Euros, the more time he’s wasting. He looked pedestrian against Malta, and between him and Maguire, caused the team to lack any real impetus in moving the ball forward.

I think the three late withdrawals from the squad will have something to do with this, but there just wasn’t the same kind of balance to the squad in this window which, save for that awful stretch at the end of last season, hasn’t been true of many of Southgate’s selections. Last night was crying out for Sterling, for example.

 

[Sandbach Shrimper]

Only watched the first half. A predictably lacklustre performance - you can almost predict where every pass is going to go with England. Absolutely ludicrous penalty decision although they probably should've been given one earlier so it evens itself out. Glad we don't have to put up with VAR every week, it seems to be getting worse and worse.

Don't like to be harsh on Maguire as he's had a lot of unfair stick lately but he can't be one of our first-choice centre-backs at the Euro. Take him in the squad yes, but hopefully Stones can get back to full fitness and then I'd have either Guehi or Dunk alongside him.

Our lack of depth is slightly worrying. Without players like Kane and Bellingham in the starting XI we look pretty average at the moment. Too many players not in form for their clubs - Rashford, Grealish etc.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Saka’s the biggest concern for me at the moment. He’s gone from being arguably our most potent weapon to looking a spent force, and is in dire need of a rest. He won’t get that though, because Arteta’s committed to grinding him into the ground.

 

[GNH]

Saw the first 15 mins .live and realised that it was going to be much more difficult than the Malta game.Also saw the pen .live (which was fully jus¡tified IMO.Seem to rememember LB saying after the Matla game that England had made a habit in qualifiying of playiny one bad match then a good none.Well this makes two poor perforamnces in a row ,which doesn't augur well for Germany.

Agree it was another lack lustre performance that England deliver on a semi regular basis, however am I right in interpreting your above post that the penalty was justified?

That was one of the worst decisions I have ever seen,