I think overall we were pretty poor, and so were Sweden, who while marginally better were basically just ruthless punishing our (totally unforced) mistakes and otherwise not up to much. Despite playing a back 4, and conceding as many, I don't think we looked, in general, fragile in defense or like we had much presence in midfield. Garbett, Bell & Stamenic all excellent players but surely nobody could look at them and say they are combining to form an fluent, effective midfield unit. We still look like it is almost always our instinct to play along the back and up the wings. Our midfielders don't demand to receive the ball in central areas, most of the time looking like they are hoping the ball won't go anywhere near them. And when we did try to play through the middle we were often very easily dispossessed, the most notable example being Sweden's third.
Agree with others that Sail was poor, I think the third goal was the only one he had no right to save. The other three were very saveable for a decent keeper at the top of his game. Hoping to see Crocombe vs Qatar.
Playing Payne at RB is incomprehensible. He has never looked international quality in a white shirt. Primarily at fault for the second goal. He shouldn't be making the squad at RB, with Roux, Kirwan and Elliott all superior.
I thought Tuiloma got caught ball watching for the third goal, haven't watched a replay but seemed to me that Boxall already had the left side of the box in that moment and Bill needed to be more aware of the space and Swedes to his right. He also got burned badly for the 4th (though recovered reasonably well, Sail should still have been able to save it). In general I don't think he showed he can be defensively reliable enough to operate in a CB pair on that performance alone.
Waine unfortunately offered little evidence he can be any more effective as a Wood alternative than Grieve or Mata. Could still be the case that he forms part of a full strength front 3 (for me it would be Rojas, Wood, Waine).
Surely Darren can't have much chance of getting the role full time after that result. Hope he doesn't revert to a back 5, he might as well go all out vs Qatar, he must have very little to lose at this point.
Agree with others that Sail was poor, I think the third goal was the only one he had no right to save. The other three were very saveable for a decent keeper at the top of his game. Hoping to see Crocombe vs Qatar.
Playing Payne at RB is incomprehensible. He has never looked international quality in a white shirt. Primarily at fault for the second goal. He shouldn't be making the squad at RB, with Roux, Kirwan and Elliott all superior.
I thought Tuiloma got caught ball watching for the third goal, haven't watched a replay but seemed to me that Boxall already had the left side of the box in that moment and Bill needed to be more aware of the space and Swedes to his right. He also got burned badly for the 4th (though recovered reasonably well, Sail should still have been able to save it). In general I don't think he showed he can be defensively reliable enough to operate in a CB pair on that performance alone.
Waine unfortunately offered little evidence he can be any more effective as a Wood alternative than Grieve or Mata. Could still be the case that he forms part of a full strength front 3 (for me it would be Rojas, Wood, Waine).
Surely Darren can't have much chance of getting the role full time after that result. Hope he doesn't revert to a back 5, he might as well go all out vs Qatar, he must have very little to lose at this point.