Euro 2020/21 (more football, sorry Brian)

seanoconn

Pickford makes me nervous. You need a solid calming influence at the back, everything he’s not. Good shot stopper but could catch the ball once in a while and learn to chill.

mrb123

seanoconn said:

Pickford makes me nervous. You need a solid calming influence at the back, everything he’s not. Good shot stopper but could catch the ball once in a while and learn to chill.

Yeah, his kicking last night was awful. He gave it straight back to a Danish player in a dangerous area more than once.

Jezyboy

DeVlaeminck said:

Now the Danes know what it feels like to be English in a semi final - arguably the better team but didn't get the run of the ball or the key decision.

Thought Southgate going to a back 5 was mental given we'd been dominant the previous 15 but against 10 knackered men it didn't matter.

Intrested in why you think the Danish were the stronger team? Danes scored off a soft free kick themselves then didn't really look like creating many more chances.

England managed to create chances in open play, scored one, had two soft penalty calls and were given one.

skyblueamateur

England will beat Italy as long as Grealish doesn't get on the pitch.

Lost the ball on quite a few occasions and failed to track back allowing the Danes to counter attack. Italy will punish that.

Is too much of a luxury. Foden controls the game better.

skyblueamateur

I'm sure this will come back to bite me on the **** come Sunday

First.Aspect

Italy play on the break. So England will need to sit deep. Henderson will need to calm down and the whole team not rise to their sh1thousery.

I'm English, so my natural inclination is to assume they will fall short.

skyblueamateur

First.Aspect said:

Italy play on the break. So England will need to sit deep. Henderson will need to calm down and the whole team not rise to their sh1thousery.

I'm English, so my natural inclination is to assume they will fall short.

In one.

With Sterling and Saka or Sancho's pace though could play them at their own game.

I really fancy England to win 2-0. Massive cliche but the first goal will be crucial.

rick_chasey

First.Aspect said:

Italy play on the break. So England will need to sit deep. Henderson will need to calm down and the whole team not rise to their sh1thousery.

I'm English, so my natural inclination is to assume they will fall short.

England do as much shithousery, just without the theatrical rolling around afterwards.

skyblueamateur

rick_chasey said:

First.Aspect said:

Italy play on the break. So England will need to sit deep. Henderson will need to calm down and the whole team not rise to their sh1thousery.

I'm English, so my natural inclination is to assume they will fall short.

England do as much shithousery, just without the theatrical rolling around afterwards.

Yep. And rightly so as well. All part of the game but is galling when it's only 'foreigners what cheat'.

skyblueamateur

I don't think Chiellini will get away with slapping Harry Kane or Harry McGuire about.

seanoconn

skyblueamateur said:

I don't think Chiellini will get away with slapping Harry Kane or Harry McGuire about.

Certainly not McGuire who had another great game and looks so dangerous from set pieces. Walker can be a bit iffy with the odd aberration but makes up for most with his lightening pace. Shaw makes the odd poor choice or two with a silly tackle or bad pass but I wouldn’t change either player in the team. Stones and McGuire have been rock solid.

pinno

skyblueamateur said:

I don't think Chiellini will get away with slapping Harry Kane or Harry McGuire about.

The problem with that is that we cannot react to shitaboutery.
Historically, foreign teams have riled English players and we have a reputation for taking the bait.
Maguire almost spilled over into loosing calm last night.
I think that first 10 minute spell of England getting in their faces last night should be repeated against Italy so that we show a physical presence immediately.

elbowloh

First.Aspect said:

Italy play on the break. So England will need to sit deep. Henderson will need to calm down and the whole team not rise to their sh1thousery.

I'm English, so my natural inclination is to assume they will fall short.

Pickford!

surrey_commuter

skyblueamateur said:

England will beat Italy as long as Grealish doesn't get on the pitch.

Lost the ball on quite a few occasions and failed to track back allowing the Danes to counter attack. Italy will punish that.

Is too much of a luxury. Foden controls the game better.

We completely lost our shape with a Grealish on the pitch and Southgate had the balls to sub him back off.

Kane has well and truly found his diving boots so with Sterling there is no need for Grealish

surrey_commuter

skyblueamateur said:

I don't think Chiellini will get away with slapping Harry Kane or Harry McGuire about.

Surely wrong response - when punched on the jaw Alba should have gone down and out sh1thoused them.

kingstongraham

I don't see why people have an issue with players falling over when someone has kicked them. That's not diving. I didn't see any diving yesterday. If they try to stay on their feet when they've been unbalanced by a foul, it gives the advantage to the player committing the foul because it's almost never given.

DeVlaeminck

First.Aspect said:

DeVlaeminck said:

Now the Danes know what it feels like to be English in a semi final - arguably the better team but didn't get the run of the ball or the key decision.

Thought Southgate going to a back 5 was mental given we'd been dominant the previous 15 but against 10 knackered men it didn't matter.

The match stats don't reflect that. Something like 20 shots to 8, 60:40 possession etc. They could have won, but on another day, Sterling would have had a brace and McGuire would have scored. It was quite England-Croatia 2018 really.

Or to use a rowing analogy, anyone can win the first 1000 metres.

Probably true on reflection - better team for decent periods but England were always dangerous and when they were on top created more - never a penalty but arguably their free kick was generous.

DeVlaeminck

surrey_commuter said:

skyblueamateur said:

England will beat Italy as long as Grealish doesn't get on the pitch.

Lost the ball on quite a few occasions and failed to track back allowing the Danes to counter attack. Italy will punish that.

Is too much of a luxury. Foden controls the game better.

We completely lost our shape with a Grealish on the pitch and Southgate had the balls to sub him back off.

Kane has well and truly found his diving boots so with Sterling there is no need for Grealish

Don't agree - we were under the cosh until Grealish came on and whilst I'm not claiming he made the difference we did better with him on the pitch. Going to a back 5 handed back the initiative for a spell - it was a back 5 not a 3 - and if we weren't playing against 10 tired men that last 15 would have been tricky.

First.Aspect

rick_chasey said:

First.Aspect said:

Italy play on the break. So England will need to sit deep. Henderson will need to calm down and the whole team not rise to their sh1thousery.

I'm English, so my natural inclination is to assume they will fall short.

England do as much shithousery, just without the theatrical rolling around afterwards.

The rolling around IS the sh1thousery, largely.

elbowloh

Grealish went off because we had the lead and Southgate wanted to change to 3 at the back to close out the game.

rick_chasey

First.Aspect said:

rick_chasey said:

First.Aspect said:

Italy play on the break. So England will need to sit deep. Henderson will need to calm down and the whole team not rise to their sh1thousery.

I'm English, so my natural inclination is to assume they will fall short.

England do as much shithousery, just without the theatrical rolling around afterwards.

The rolling around IS the sh1thousery, largely.

Diving for pens is lol.

DeVlaeminck

Jezyboy said:

DeVlaeminck said:

Now the Danes know what it feels like to be English in a semi final - arguably the better team but didn't get the run of the ball or the key decision.

Thought Southgate going to a back 5 was mental given we'd been dominant the previous 15 but against 10 knackered men it didn't matter.

Intrested in why you think the Danish were the stronger team? Danes scored off a soft free kick themselves then didn't really look like creating many more chances.

England managed to create chances in open play, scored one, had two soft penalty calls and were given one.

I don't really it was just an off the cuff post - I do think for decent periods they were able to play through us far too easily though and a team with better movement like Italy might exploit that. For me Rice and Phillips at times weren't offering the protection they have for most of the tournament - was that them or credit to a stronger opposition?

I disagreed with taking Grealish off I think he holds the ball in advanced areas unlike Saka and to an extent Sterling who do everything in top gear. With Grealish it gives time for the FBs - especially Shaw - to join and give an overload on the left.

Denmark looked like it was a game too far for them - a lot of those changes were enforced and extra time they just weren't a force.

DeVlaeminck

elbowloh said:

Grealish went off because we had the lead and Southgate wanted to change to 3 at the back to close out the game.

Yes that's obvious but what it actually did is hand the momentum to Denmark - sitting on a lead for 15 minutes when you've dominated the previous 15 isn't my idea of good tactics - I'd say he got away with it rather than it worked but it's subjective.

elbowloh

DeVlaeminck said:

elbowloh said:

Grealish went off because we had the lead and Southgate wanted to change to 3 at the back to close out the game.

Yes that's obvious but what it actually did is hand the momentum to Denmark - sitting on a lead for 15 minutes when you've dominated the previous 15 isn't my idea of good tactics - I'd say he got away with it rather than it worked but it's subjective.

Normally I hate when we try to close out a game, because traditionally we've been terrible at keeping possession, but last night the team did it terrifically, completely neutralised the oppo and it was almost easy in the last 15 mins

First.Aspect

rick_chasey said:

First.Aspect said:

rick_chasey said:

First.Aspect said:

Italy play on the break. So England will need to sit deep. Henderson will need to calm down and the whole team not rise to their sh1thousery.

I'm English, so my natural inclination is to assume they will fall short.

England do as much shithousery, just without the theatrical rolling around afterwards.

The rolling around IS the sh1thousery, largely.

Diving for pens is lol.

It was a pen. 90% of the strikers in this tournament will have gone down. If he'd have stayed on his feet he would have been clattered in to touch a quarter of a second later.

skyblueamateur

First.Aspect said:

rick_chasey said:

First.Aspect said:

rick_chasey said:

First.Aspect said:

Italy play on the break. So England will need to sit deep. Henderson will need to calm down and the whole team not rise to their sh1thousery.

I'm English, so my natural inclination is to assume they will fall short.

England do as much shithousery, just without the theatrical rolling around afterwards.

The rolling around IS the sh1thousery, largely.

Diving for pens is lol.

It was a pen. 90% of the strikers in this tournament will have gone down. If he'd have stayed on his feet he would have been clattered in to touch a quarter of a second later.

Don't be daft. Never a penalty. You're correct all strikers would go down, doesn't make it a penalty though.

rick_chasey

And like Kane doesn’t hold the ball up, back into a player and fall down clutching his back on contact when it suits him.

orraloon

"He touched me, he touched me..." Dontcha lurve non-contact kickball? Maybe there should be a book on the number of dives committed in the final: Kane vs Immobile.

pblakeney

DeVlaeminck said:

surrey_commuter said:

skyblueamateur said:

England will beat Italy as long as Grealish doesn't get on the pitch.

Lost the ball on quite a few occasions and failed to track back allowing the Danes to counter attack. Italy will punish that.

Is too much of a luxury. Foden controls the game better.

We completely lost our shape with a Grealish on the pitch and Southgate had the balls to sub him back off.

Kane has well and truly found his diving boots so with Sterling there is no need for Grealish

Don't agree - we were under the cosh until Grealish came on and whilst I'm not claiming he made the difference we did better with him on the pitch. Going to a back 5 handed back the initiative for a spell - it was a back 5 not a 3 - and if we weren't playing against 10 tired men that last 15 would have been tricky.

Look at the bigger picture.
The Danes made 3 subs at the same time as Grealish coming on which disrupted their play.

kingstongraham

elbowloh said:

Watching highlights on the beeb. Two things to note

1) they're using ITV's commentary. They normally have their own commentators.

2) Lineker, Shearer and Jenas are all wearing the same trainers.

Just watched this on the iPlayer. It was Jermaine Jenas and Guy Mowbray. He just has the same pompous tones for an England game as Sam Matterface on ITV.

What I noticed was the kickoff was at 2 minutes into the programme, and the final whistle was at 18 minutes in. So that's 16 minutes out of a 32 minute programme.

Is watching three ex players chatting really as interesting as actual football? Maybe they feel they need to get their money's worth.