Stuart L

The paper that cheered for: - Brexit - Johnson - Truss - Farage - Reform Now cheering for Trump. Thereby remaining reliably, catastrophically wrong about pretty much everything… #DailyFail

@MiguelDelaney I don’t think so. Simple reason is we have never had a side good enough. 70,82, 90 and 22 best opportunities. Bear in mind England have not reached a World Cup final since 1966 whereas the Dutch have been in three. Circumstances around win in 1966 were particularly shady too.

On the second episode of Copa Independent: England and the World Cup Should England have actually won a World Cup since 1966? If so, which one? What are the actual reasons for such underperformance? On apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the… and spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/6HfwG6…

This.

@FootballCliches Dutch in 2002. Think they had a side that could have made a real impact. A tournament short on quality with Argentina and France (decimated by injuries to ZZ and Pires) flopping, and Italy being undone by South Korea. Just left Brazil. England in 1974 could have done very well.

I realise why you might do it before a World Cup (Italy, this time, for some) but have we ever looked *back* at a World Cup and wished a non-qualifier was there to have enhanced the tournament? (Don't say England at USA '94, we know that's not true.)

@footballitalia He’s one to talk. A shame he didn’t resign after the shambolic World Cup campaign he oversaw as England manager in 2010.

Fabio Capello was scathing in his assessment of Italy's World Cup play-off defeat. The former Milan & Real Madrid coach called it 'A sporting tragedy, a disgrace.' He added 'the most worrying thing' is 'nobody is resigning here.'

@henrywinter After the nuisance he caused from the bench yesterday, I think Maguire has likely played his way in.

England do have talent. Just didn’t show it in the two friendlies. But they have good players. Tuchel will travel around, checking on players before naming his World Cup squad at the end of May. Here’s the 26 I’d take to the World Cup… Pickford, D Henderson, Trafford; James, Alexander-Arnold, Konsa, Stones, Maguire, Guehi, Livramento, O'Reilly, Hall; Rice, Anderson, Bellingham, Rogers, Wharton; Kane, Watkins, Rashford, Gordon, Saka, Madueke, Eze, Palmer and Bowen.  Caveats: James, Stones and Watkins have to prove form/fitness. Would have had Garner in midfield but O’Reilly can cover there (and Hall a good left-back). Overloaded with attackers for impact from bench, pens after 120/players off and need to get Watkins in.  More significantly, the man whose decisions matter, Tuchel will go with Jordan Henderson, possibly Burn, definitely no Alexander-Arnold or Maguire. Watkins at risk. #ENG

He might not be mobile but he is excellent in the air. He could unsettle defences like Weghorst did for the Dutch in the last World Cup.

After watching England last night, I have done a total u-turn on Harry Maguire’s potential place in the squad. I don’t think he should be near starting 11 in defence but he could be very useful as an impact sub if Tuchel is chasing a game and wishes to go direct. He should be in.

@BrankoMilan West Germany were comfortably the best team in 1990 and deserved winners. I do agree that the editions in 1994, 1998, 2006 and 2022 were not necessarily won by the best sides.

The World Cups that were won by the really best team: (i begin with post WW2) 1958 Brazil 1962 Brazil 1970 Brazil 1986 Argentina 2002 Brazil 2010 Spain 2014 Germany 2018 France

@tancredipalmeri Cry more Terrone. It's now three World Cups in a row you're missing. Hopefully last night's defeat won't trigger any type of social disorder in the south of the country. I am always mindful of what happened to Falcone many years ago and the characteristics of Sicilians.

Triste, solitario y final

Watching the World Cup as a kid and thinking there wouldn't be an Italy for 3 editions would have been as absurd as suggesting Brazil would miss 3 editions. Unthinkable. Not sure how deep the rot goes ( coaching, academies, pathways etc) but imagine being a young Italian player or aspiring coach with virtually zero reference points to look at on the international stage.

@carlogarganese 1. Fundamental flaws in Italian football so you have a point. 2. Wrong. He picked best players available and won most games. 3. Wrong. Split second mis-timed tackle. It happens and nowhere near sufficient for him to never play again. 4. Blaming referees always a losers' excuse.

4 things 1. Every single chief in every area of Italian football - FIGC, Lega - needs to be purged. The whole system torn up & built from scratch 2. Sack Gattuso 3. Bastoni should never play for Italy again 4. Bosnia goal was handball by Dzeko. SCANDALOUS. Cheated again

Interesting to see that the much maligned Graham Potter has led Sweden to the World Cup. Navigated two play off matches. He gets a lot of stick in our country but I have long considered there is a competent manager in there.

The last two performances also demonstrate how indispensable Harry Kane is for England. He may be 32 but he's still comfortably our best player.

Really disappointing that from England. I get it's a friendly and a number of the best players weren't there but contenders for World Cups show form in friendlies in build-up. A draw and defeat at home to nations that would get to quarter finals at best is a cause of concern.

Little reason to doubt this. Southgate and Holland generally fostered excellent relationships with players and treated them with respect. White should never have been brought back into the England fold.

Shocked to read about Scott Mills’ sacking from BBC Radio 2. Thought he always came across really well. Was an excellent presenter.

@footballitalia The club rivalries with golden generation a myth anyway. They weren't collectively good enough and club rivalries is the convenient excuse. Better than saying they weren't good enough in say the World Cup of 2006; when Italy, for example, had a better squad of players.

A faction of Juventus supporters vented frustrations at the sight of captain Manuel Locatelli going out for dinner with a number of Inter stars while on Italy duty, but they would be wise to take a look at England’s ‘Golden Generation’ from the mid-2000s, Peter Young explains.

@CraigHope_DM It wouldn't at all. He's 33 and has no pace, so I suspect he would struggle in the heat against elite forwards. Guehi and Konsa are streets ahead of him. Stones goes if fit. Then Chalobah, who won the World Club Cup, goes too. Two players for each position as Tuchel said.

✍️ Why snubbing Harry Maguire for World Cup would be an outrageous call 👇 Big Sunday read on biggest talking point in England camp after Tuchel lists Trevoh Chalobah & others ahead of Man Utd defender… dailymail.co.uk/sport/football…

Having that horrible Thatcherite bastard at our ground on the very soil where there was once a coal mine would be the biggest insult to the City of Sunderland and the wider community of the North East, wonder what happened to keeping politics out of football…