Euro 2024 thread
Comments
-
Fair result.
0 -
Exceeded expectations. Perfectly set up now for crushing disappointment against Hungary.
0 -
Is my prediction in the work team chats earlier. Maybe I should start placing £ with bookies? Nah, not my thing.
0 -
I thought that, no p!ssing about, let the teams get on with it and didn't blow the whistle any time a player went down.
0 -
Thought Scotland had the better of the second half. Hungary have a lot poorer than I thought they would be, if Scotland produce similar to this evening they have a good chance. Main issue is now real goalscoring threat for Scotland.
0 -
Sums up my summary. 😉
The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
Bellingham pretty poor today.
0 -
I had the sense to go for a ride instead, so missed the first 60+ minutes, but according to the boy, England have been utterly shite again. And that's been borne out by what I've seen since I got back.
0 -
It's a bit dull isn't it? As soon as a team presses against them, there's very little there.
Foden actually ran with the ball today which was better, but nobody's moving.
0 -
...and yet they all trudge off looking absolutely shattered.
The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
Have they all got Covid or Noravirus or something?
0 -
It's bizarre, literally played both games at walking pace. I think it is all psychological, looks like the pressure is telling which leads to the negative approach, then the mistakes, then the recriminations amongst each other.
0 -
There has been more entertainment in the first 3 minutes of the Spain Italy game than the entire England match.
0 -
Spain look great. Young, hungry and exciting. Italy will probably win 1-0!
0 -
The two worst matches of the tournament, by a distance, have been the two England games (of those I have seen).
England's tactics are awful - did they think they were going to be playing at 3,000 metres in 40 degrees heat?
And why keep leaving on the bench the player who had the most goal involvements in the top 5 European leagues last season?
0 -
He should start Kane and Watkins together (but he won't)
0 -
España vs Italia rather more interesting to watch.
#ABE
0 -
You don't fancy Scotlands chances then? 😀
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
I'm still trying to comprehend how bad England were, it's like that team spirit and energy Southgate has nurtured in previous tournaments is nowhere to be seen.
0 -
2 things.
1) top of the group
2) I still think he’s falling for the trap of crowbarring players into a team. Build the system you want and if that means leaving out some top players, so be it.
0 -
I don't think the spirit has disappeared. Whatever the plan is, at present it isn't working and I don't think the players can fathom why and are getting frustrated (largely with themselves).
Southgate was saying earlier they miss Kalvin Phillips. Lots of England 'fans' laughing about this on BBC etc comments sections, but it is a key point. Rice needs a defensive player alongside him to allow him to play higher up. That is why we have had the TAA experiment, Southgate thought he could play a Phillips role. He now needs to play Mainoo or Wharton (not Gallagher), but I think he feels it is too much pressure for young players.
Others are right, too many players are out of position and it is causing confusion with who should be where and when.
Play Mainoo, push Rice higher. Play Gordon left and either Foden or Bellingham at 10. Tell Kane to sit on the 18 yard box and don't move, let Saka/Gordon/Foden do the running in behind and stretch defenses. If you want to play Trent stick him at LB over Trippier (we badly need Shawback for the knock out stages). And tell Kyle Walker to stop passing it backwards every fkin time.
0 -
"...but I think he feels it is too much pressure for young players."
Not on you but a question for Southgate. Did he watch the Spain/Italy game? If you're good enough, you're old enough.
The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
If the system is to play it so slowly that the opposition has time to get into perfect defensive formation every time and almost never try to go past anyone, then they have to win the tournament to justify it. It's low risk as long as you keep the ball, but yesterday they played boring possession football but kept giving the ball away, which kind of doesn't work.
Imagine paying to go to watch that.
0 -
What I don't get, is what is the point of putting Foden into this team. He does not play well in the system so yeet him out.
His club football form is barely relevant at this point. We have enough evidence to say he's not right for the system the boss wants to play.
What I see is a team which has 3 right backs starting, and everyone bar Walker and Saka seems to want to occupy the same space. Tripper doesn't even pretend like he could use his left foot - it always goes inside, and that's where he drifts.
Foden looks lost - Bellingham roams around too much and ends up bumping into Kane who is also dropping deep, and then into Foden who doesn't have world class players around him drawing people away.
The only area of any attack is Walker & Saka and then it's so predictable they basically pin walker back with a striker and double up on saka to run him into a corridor he can't get out of. It's not like they need to shift a player over to the left to do the same, is it?
Rice is so stressed out with TAA not behaving like a midefielder that he ends up sunking deeper than the centre backs. They're told to play out from the back because they're "world class players" but the shape doesn't provide the passing options to do that because those players are all out of position - it's not natural enough for them.
Get a left footed left back in, stick a fast winger on the left, bin off either Foden or Bellingham and they can be subs for each other, put a proper centre mid where TAA was and either have Walker or TAA at right back, or if you're feeling very defensive, Tripier.
0 -
A couple of my thoughts / observations (for what they're worth!)
As others have said (including me after the Serbia game) should be Bellingham OR Foden (as mentioned above) with Gordon. Imagine first half with Bellingham knowing he's only got 45 minutes and second half with Foden trying to prove his worth.
I sometimes wonder whether the players are used to playing in "better" systems in their clubs and find it difficult to adapt to Southgates "so last year" system and tactics.
Denmark played very, very well - I don't get to see them play in qualifiers / friendlies but I strongly suspect if you asked a Denmark fan they would tell you that's one of Denmark's best performance in "x" years.
England players (not Southgate!) gave the ball away an unusual number of times - surely this won't happen again.
The star man (Bellingham) had an off day(?)
England are top of the group and a draw on Tuesday will see them through.
Wilier Izoard XP0 -
The difference in the quality of passing between England and then Spain in the later game was staggering. England continually passed it behind the player or played balls that we're bouncing awkwardly or just missed the man altogether. The poor pitch may have had something to do with it but only minor mitigation.
0 -
Awful. Completely tactically inept - not even going to go over it as I agree with what everyone else has said about the press, the gaps etc.
We've got a 4231 with full backs that hardly get forward. Players never seem to leave their slots - just a lack of rotation. Has Stones stepped into midfield once? Has Trippier overlapped once ?
If we had Grealish at least we might be able to slow the game down in the final third and build some pressure - maybe Palmer could do that?
I want to see Grealish. Maddison. Palmer - 3 lads with a bit of arrogance that want the ball and show offf a bit - worst that could happen is we lose with panache.
[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]0 -
You are not going to see Grealish as he is not in the squad.
The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
Premier league player of the season, La Liga player of the season and Bundesliga top goalscorer. Playing exclusively defensive keep ball with them feels like a mistake.
Premier League young player of the season not made it onto the pitch yet. Maybe he's the left wing we need.
0 -
This is classic 00s thinking though. I'd ague you cannot have the "premier league play of the season" alongside the "la Liga player of the season" as they do too similar things.
You wouldn't play a team of 10 strikers - same logic applies here.
0
