 Welcome to Toffy TV back by Vanorama, driving fan TV this summer. We're doing an England preview, it's a semi-final, it is a big game. It's a massive game, let's not care that stuff, it's a massive game. We've done reaction videos for the World Cup and obviously we did some previews for all the groups but we just thought it was important to have a little chat about this game in particular because it's the biggest England game for 22 years since the Euro 96 semi-final. Obviously first World Cup semi-final since 1990. Unbelievable. And it's huge isn't it? It is absolutely mammoth because there's been a whole generation of kids who have never seen this. Yes, it's massive. The difference last time when we were there in 1990, I was 18 and the feelings were so different but I think I've said a couple of times certainly on the reaction videos, we've done stuff and on the footie show. I quite like this England team and it's weird because I come into this tournament with no feelings either way about it. It wasn't any bothered but Saltgate grown on me massively. The players, there's no one I've really, you know, I even don't even like Delhi Alley in this tournament and he's not someone I like particularly. Or Jordan Henderson? Henderson's been brilliant to be fair to him, Pickford's been marvellous, obviously Harry Kane's fantastic but team just seems like a team without, we haven't had wags and we haven't had all the nonsense that has gone before and these lads have come into it with probably the lowest expectation of any England squad for years for as long as I can remember. And they've gone about the business and people can go, they've had an easy route and all that. You can only beat what's in front of you? I think, you know, going back to 1990, 86 was my first World Cup and I remember being young and obviously very young and being quite disappointed by it all but thinking well England got a good team and then the God thing gave almost like an out. 1990 was again getting to a semi-final and almost being like, England are a good team, it's what you'd expect. And again, maybe like the same in 1996 it was like, well it's England, you expect them to do okay. But as I said, there's been a generation who've seen nothing but overhyped England teams and little coming out of it. And that's been the major problem and I think that's why, that's where the, I think the issues have sprang from is that all these teams have been, all these players have been overhyped, there's problems with the media and as you just said, it's always been like a circus. You know, 2006 you had all the wags and you had like Sven who wasn't exactly an example and all these egos and the things like playing players you were in fate and playing players you were in the wrong positions and almost fitting together a team that PRWs looked at peace, making sure that all the players that are featured on all the sponsorship posters or whatever are there where there's every time there's been a degree of success or a degree of doing better than you thought England have had players that have come in and done a job and I think back to 1996 and I think I'll put important people like Steve Stoneway, you know, people like that who had no right to be in there and you know, 1990 everyone remembers it for Gaza but Gaza going into the tournament, there's question marks where he's going to be even in the squad and yet he grew as the squad's going on and I think that's something that's happened with this 18 months ago you look at that 18 months ago and you're just like, or some of those England players some of those players weren't even there 18 months ago, a year ago but you look at some of those players over the last 18 years and you go wow, what is that? What is that? and it's literally though what we've all been calling for and as Southgate got more comfortable with the job and he's gone out and seeked got into other sports and seeked the ideas of how to deal with them not only deal with the media but also how to get the percentages it's all just fallen right and he's worked with the media and I think that's why people fell out with the media over the leaking of the team and everything's just come together and it's everything everyone's quite positive about it and why not? Why not be? It should be positive, listen, it'll be there's people who follow England everywhere who love England and all that and we're up here on as, not patriotic but just on as inter we love our club more than that has changed I mean I might have always been the case, I think I've always loved Everton more than England but I always wanted England to do well and I remember the 1990 and he'd been devastated when Germany beat us because at the end of the day it's like the country, it's our country and that's what we're representing, that football so why wouldn't you want a bit of what Spain had or a bit of what France have had or a bit of Brazil and half Germany and that like, that thing, that bunch you know what else I think it's really really important for would be grass roots football which is really on its ass let's be honest because it's ignored the amount of money sloshing around in professional football grass roots should be well-stocked because they're the opportunities of the future and I think if we were to win it, it just, it, the bounce I think for the country as a whole and in change Well I think what it shows is, I think what it shows is is that if England were to win it and all the, all the riches or you know whatever you want to call it that come with it you do get that bounce and you do get that feel good factor and then there's a pressure then to put money into it it was supposed to happen with the Olympics in 2012 it never happened, it just never they were promised all kinds afterwards because the feel good factor of the country was so high we never got it and there's obviously political reasons why we never got it but you hope that from this you won't get it because I think St George's Park has changed a lot because you know for some, you think about it for years before major games and stuff or tournaments or whatever you know before they flew out of these places they trained like at the back of a hotel complex and things like that they've got professional, you've seen the younger players winning you know doing the 17s, the 20s, 21s the winning trophies and these players have come through that and I think I think the academy system seems to be bearing fruit now for these young lads but I think it's got to work further down I've got to sit down and look at the England start in the 11th now the weekend against Sweden the zone, the Harri Kay and one more Jesse Lingard everybody else and being at academies like Staling's or QPR follow the Bill Bottom, Stones, Bansley, McGuire, Chef United Walker, Chef United Trippie, McGuire I know Trippie was city as well wasn't he but he'd gone and gone then Pickford had been at so I think it's nine of the 11th or eight of the 11th that started with a team championships academies and stuff which is incredible nearly every single one of them has played in the championship at some point whether it be on loan or starter there and that shows you again that playing football at a young age really helps as well all this players being whether you like the loan system or not players need to play and whether it be the start in the championship and make their way up whatever it is they need to play but going back to what you said about grass root yet it's got to be a key part of anything that happens now it's got to be happening it's got to because it's all right saying St George's Parkway or the academies way or whatever but it's way to find them before that that's got to start happening there's got to be more there'll always be kids that come through later than academy level always there will be but don't get me wrong not sitting here going to say that's all this government's job or fault or that government fault or whatever the teams and the Premier League have got to start putting that money in they've got to start putting in to grass root football wherever it takes with a stone's throw away from a new pitch that's getting done up not far from here a pitch that's been getting used for years and they've just put a couple of astral taff pitches in they've put better changing rooms in and those kind of things it means that hopefully that those pitches will allow kids to have to get called off now for weeks cos that's the problem now it's like six, eight, seven weeks games are getting called off every single week so we need to eliminate that kids need to be playing all the time and hopefully that'll start happening hopefully that'll be the bounce from this but as you were saying I like these, I like them I think they're a good group of players but ultimately it comes down to whether you like them or not because they're teams of football and you've got to look at Southgate and say he's done a brilliant job he's took risks, people questioned putting Walker in the side a centre back, a trip here at right wing back but it's all worked you know what I mean so one of the set pieces are absolutely fantastic Walker not naturally a great defender in that position but his pace gets him out of a lot of trouble so football some wise he's built this team and it's working and from that point too I think he's done really well he's done brilliantly the thing is they're like just stailing as well just get so much thick and it's just an agenda against them he was brilliant on Saturday he just didn't score a goal but he's running, it's direct running terrifies team and it allows a bit of space for Harry Kane or for Jesse Lingard to ghost in so people have to look at the bigger picture everyone, the reason why England are doing so well is everybody is doing Dave Roll, I don't particularly like Harry McGuire, I think he's a liability most of the time Saturday, where it was a physical battle he was fantastic, absolutely fantastic Henderson was no lover of him but in this tournament he's been a real leader they're all put together perfectly well, actually young at left back you've got Danny Roses, Natalie but actually young's being cut and it's got that little bit of nastiness in them there's all those things of taking chances with those players as well and letting them bed in and ignoring the media asking for your joe hearts that plays never been so big so we'll let them grow together the thing about the stailing thing is what I like about the stailing thing is everyone can see there's an agenda whereas in the past it mightn't have been seen everyone can see there's an agenda and everyone doesn't like the agenda so therefore straight away you can shine a light on the problem and go we're not having this and that's what's really good as well if we win the game I hope he gets to win it, I really do because I said that we don't have a thing for ballseater the start of it and it was like use the unlikely hero and I went for stailing because of the stick he's had and I still think if you actually go and look at the games he's been one of all right he's finished and let them down but he's been vital in every game and I think tonight against these just how much do you think Pep Guardiola's tactics in the coming into the Premier League have influenced this style of play well I think Shelfgate as a he's always played but if you look at Middlesbray he played the three if you look at England 96 he was part of a three that was kind of where he was his most comfortable because he was a defender who liked to bring the ball out he was a midfield player first he dropped back and was then he was like a player like a John Stones a little bit more cultured that was his role and in that back five Venables it was really so he adopted that I remember Middlesbray that's the style he likes I think what Guardiola's done is he's enabled a style like that to grow because he's influenced some players in the Premier League so people like, I mean it's easy for the likes of Stones he plays that way but the likes of Kyle Walker has got you should play in that way Fabian Delph comes in and he's playing that way and other managers are looking and going what do I play here and it's becoming that way of playing that continental feel is taking over that fits in almost perfectly with Garret Selkies we could have been sat here with San Aledysus the England manager if he wouldn't have been sleeping on pint of wine and it would have been a totally different style but the manager everything when sometimes these kind of things happen every bit falls into place perfectly at that time this is what it feels like the draw's gone favourably but other teams have been knocked out on this fault the way it felt Jan as I goal in terms of faith almost you know, we know that Pickford deliberately went with his the wrong arm but you know how important could that be and it's all the stars have aligned perfectly I just think that it's really interesting that we're looking at rather than every term, every other year people say why aren't we looking at the French way why aren't we looking at the Dutch way why aren't we looking at the Spanish way why aren't we looking at the German way the manager's actually gone in the country because this is what this is what always made me laugh years gone by when he had whenever the England manager might have had a Beckham a Scholes a Neville half of the Man United team wasn't playing the Man United style who were the best team in the land for years and years and you're thinking why didn't England adopt that style essentially that's what Spain did adopted the Barcelona style because they knew they were the best team in the world and said well we've got we've got the court and the other players who were mostly well made play against that style and they'll counter that style so they know how to play that style because they've got to counter it they adapted to it and it worked perfectly we had the hybrid of it didn't you because you had a bearded team that could mix it and go alright do you want to mix it for you but then when Jim they had loads of Bayern Munich players who were playing for so it just the same Pep keeps winning the last three real clubs the last two before the players at his club of influence the national team but that's the way I think it should be you shouldn't be looking outside you should be looking at your team and saying who have we got and how can their influence and you write stones walk it and the likes of the likes of the other players Henderson and Kane who play against them and know they're the best he doesn't take much to change their game so but you need what you've got is you're right you've got those players you play that way you've got a goalkeeper in pickford you can play that way quite comfortably he's being key to the way they want him to play as well again why would have got the nod over Buckland and Polk as well as just being better than the pair of them anyway and then you've got the energy of Henderson who play in the pressing game at Liverpool and things like that so you've got a way of playing you've got a hybrid of that because you've got different styles within that and at the top end of the pitch you've got fantastic world class centre forward and I've said it before I got him wrong I backed myself with players but I got Harry Kane wrong I didn't think he would develop the way he has he's phenomenal and people look at goals and he's Columbia he was incredible and people were telling me he was rubbish apart on the pen and it's like watch the game don't look at what everything else he does with the ball he carries the ball, protects the ball he wins those free kicks and everything and when you've got someone at the top under the pitch who can score goals and any people are scared of other people thrive Jesse Lingard's running kid never stops running they're a good side but they're not a great side and I think it's funny because I think they've got things that England haven't got and England have got things that they haven't got it should be a very interesting game you've got in Raketic, in Modric you've got two of the best football players in the world in my opinion, both fabulous footballers certainly two of the best in Europe without a shadow without playing at the top clubs you've got in Manzuchus you've got a real outlet, he's not quick but he's big and he's strong and he doesn't mind mixing it you've got Rebbots who's been really good off the left hand side, Perisic who's excellent, who can play right left and still got a little turner pace up around they're not blessed with pace which is one of the things I thought coming into it that they may struggle with and look, they've got through twice on penalties so it isn't as if they've cruised but they're a good side at the back, Wolverine's been excellent for them as has Vida then two have been really good but again, Cain can get at them there's no issue there so a good side as they are and they are a good side England it's a good opportunity to be honest, it's a great opportunity for both sides it really is an opportunity neither of them might get a game they play in each other, it's a game they know both can beat the other one and you've got the opportunity to play France in the final France have got some wonderful players but they're disjointed at times and you can get at them as well so there's a massive opportunity in England being in the final three which is what they're in out of the well cut what a performance, you know on a big push tonight beat these unbelievable opportunities of being Welsh champions as after all tonight will be the mental approach to the game because the worry my only worry would be that Rakitic, Modric and Manzucic have been there they are big game players who've been big fan being big fan you know, Modric and Ratovic do it every year, they collect trophies Modric has been winning your Champions League for fun that would be my only worry but then again they were a penalty kick away from being out against them Mark in the last round they got through it was Russia they beat on penalties it's the worst penalty you'll ever see it doesn't even hit the target so yes, you're right they have got a better team in Russia absolutely, by a mile by a country mile Russia had them all over the place at times yes Croatia the danger you're right, experience if England can play the way they have been manage the game because I thought against Sweden they were fabulous if they can approach it the same way and just go out and play that way with the freedom almost I think they can win the first goal like in a lot of football matches now is absolutely key and if England get it I think these set pieces are going to be a big thing in England they go there very well both sides are going to be fair both sides are a real threat of set pieces but England have been really good off set pieces in this which I don't know if you've seen a man that doesn't practice them and he goes out so it shows you that set pieces are key fan of armour have done a van well talk us through well it's the van of armour van this is what they do the clue is kind of in the name and they've got a local artist a date artist incredibly talented obviously by what he's produced so basically van of armour have done the outfit and there's a Harry Kane on one side but the thing that has a particular interest to us is that Joven Pickford saving the penalty against Cumbia is on the other side and it's incredible and there's a tagline of days of date you know it's the opportunity for England to do it but in terms of the artwork and in terms for us Joven Pickford are a goalkeeper getting that kind of basically what they're saying is the two stars of this England team are Joven Pickford and Harry Kane and that is an Evertonian you know can only be good and Everton's name's bounced all over the world at the moment because he is the goalkeeper the cat so hopefully he has another fantastic display but it's a really good let's hope he doesn't, let's hope he has a quiet night let's hope Harry Kane is the real hero let him have it now let's take the spotlight off of Joven he's all right now, he needs to chill and let Harry Kane get on get the gold boots get it sorted I really want Staling to score the winner he can get the winner in the final oh that's in that that's sticking a few people's throat wouldn't it? let him have the gold final Harry tonight click on Vanarram a van score, go on, get in a Vanarram a van drive it round there you go let us know your thoughts in the comments were you watching it, were you watching it at home behind the couch, were you going out to were you watching it I'll tell you, I'll tell you later let us know what you're up to are you going to a big fan park behind the couch at home with family like bass I'm sitting on, not going behind the couch then I'll have a crossbar challenge thanks for watching toffeeTV, if you haven't already please subscribe, click the bell for the alerts and if you want more videos join us on Patreon, we'll see you later