England Euro 2020

After an hour it was like watching AFCB, sitting back waiting for Italy to score, and they did. It had become stale and something was needed. Mancini did just that just before the hour. The two subs galvanised them. The only question was when they would equalise.

Not hindsight, it was clear at the time.

We never recovered and looked lost as Italy zipped the ball around us facilitated by their movement. We had nothing in response.

Maybe Grealish and Foden or Rashford on the hour would have changed things.

Southgate has instilled a terrific spirit and belief in the players but his safety first/ cautious approach was never going to work against Italy.

As for two subs to take penalties right at the end? It was obvious what he was doing and this was a huge risk. Two cold players, not in the rhythm of the game. Seems Southgate worked out the penalty takers before hand. I think that’s wrong, should go with the 5 who put themselves forward at the end of the game.

As a football team Italy are light years ahead of us.
 
DJ: ‘Changed things continually and it got us to the final kick of a penalty shoot out in the final against the best team of the tournament’

That’s just it, he did in the lead up but didn’t last night. Italy are different. They must have been delighted that we started without Grealish.
 
fritter said:
After an hour it was like watching AFCB, sitting back waiting for Italy to score, and they did. It had become stale and something was needed. Mancini did just that just before the hour. The two subs galvanised them. The only question was when they would equalise.

Not hindsight, it was clear at the time.

We never recovered and looked lost as Italy zipped the ball around us facilitated by their movement. We had nothing in response.

Maybe Grealish and Foden or Rashford on the hour would have changed things.

Southgate has instilled a terrific spirit and belief in the players but his safety first/ cautious approach was never going to work against Italy.

As for two subs to take penalties right at the end? It was obvious what he was doing and this was a huge risk. Two cold players, not in the rhythm of the game. Seems Southgate worked out the penalty takers before hand. I think that’s wrong, should go with the 5 who put themselves forward at the end of the game.

As a football team Italy are light years ahead of us.
Click to expand...

Italy are light years ahead of England? Because they dominated the second half?
 
fritter said:
DJ: ‘Changed things continually and it got us to the final kick of a penalty shoot out in the final against the best team of the tournament’

That’s just it, he did in the lead up but didn’t last night. Italy are different. They must have been delighted that we started without Grealish.
Click to expand...

To be fair he did. He just may not have made the same changes that we might have made.

He switched back to wingbacks for the starting XI and the opening goal was made and created by them.

He switched back to a four at the back when Italy were level. So he wasn’t afraid to change things. But agree he always remained conservative.

Everything was built on percentages and relying on us being clinical with the few chances we would create. That was the case from the first game to the last.
 
fritter said:
After an hour it was like watching AFCB, sitting back waiting for Italy to score, and they did. It had become stale and something was needed. Mancini did just that just before the hour. The two subs galvanised them. The only question was when they would equalise.

Not hindsight, it was clear at the time.

We never recovered and looked lost as Italy zipped the ball around us facilitated by their movement. We had nothing in response.

Maybe Grealish and Foden or Rashford on the hour would have changed things.

Southgate has instilled a terrific spirit and belief in the players but his safety first/ cautious approach was never going to work against Italy.

As for two subs to take penalties right at the end? It was obvious what he was doing and this was a huge risk. Two cold players, not in the rhythm of the game. Seems Southgate worked out the penalty takers before hand. I think that’s wrong, should go with the 5 who put themselves forward at the end of the game.

As a football team Italy are light years ahead of us.
Click to expand...

You caught my train of thought and I would simply add two things that I believe gave Italy the crucial edge:

- their close passing game.
- leadership
 
fritter said:
DJ: ‘Changed things continually and it got us to the final kick of a penalty shoot out in the final against the best team of the tournament’

That’s just it, he did in the lead up but didn’t last night. Italy are different. They must have been delighted that we started without Grealish.
Click to expand...
What, after two minutes? Grealish isn’t the wonder kid he’s being made out to be.
 
Maybe Southgate learns from that and maybe given his time again, or put in that position again, he takes more initiative in the second half.

The first half it was controlled and measured, Italy had plenty of the ball but created nothing because we had the shape nailed and energy to keep focused. Good plan well executed.

But to think we could keep that going another entire 45 mins or more against that quality of opposition is a bit mad. Half time should have been the trigger to press forward for a period, either to get a second or at least to give the defensive shape a break. Revert back to soaking it up later.

Maybe doing that we get done on the counter, it happens. But what we did made an equaliser inevitable anyway.

RobTrent said:
One more thing. How about a bit of pride for what this team has done? You all sit here like world beating managers, slagging off this player or that.
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It's bound to be a right mix of feelings after something like that. There is pride, it's a young squad of talented nice lads from all corners of England, definitely a side we can take pride in. But there's going to be frustration and sadness as well. Sad is my overriding mood this morning, matching the weather!
 
SlowDownDerek said:
Danny Baker is a bitter drunken old fool. He's hated football for at least 20 years and does nothing but whinge and moan about it. He's upset his career has hit the skids, maybe that's happened because people have finally realised he's a bit of a bellend.
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Sorry ,sorry, ...just realised you are talking about Danny Baker ;)
 
tedisking said:
Southgate's a decent bloke says all the right things in interviews.....good manager ?
Imo hes very average....put him back into league management and dont think he would have much success . For example if he was in line for our job I would have been very disappointed if he had got it.
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I disagree, he got the team spot on for every game we played excluding Scotland. We conceded 2 goals across 7 games and looked so solidly defensively.

@DJ alluded it to another post would you want to watch that for 46 league games, probably not. But tournaments are all about grinding out results. First major final for 55 years. He’s done something right, the likes of bigger managers - Sven, Capello and co haven’t.
 
SlowDownDerek said:
Danny Baker is a bitter drunken old fool. He's hated football for at least 20 years and does nothing but whinge and moan about it. He's upset his career has hit the skids, maybe that's happened because people have finally realised he's a bit of a bellend.
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Well although he’s wrong on this occasion I’d rather listen to him than you!
 
blandford_cherry said:
I disagree, he got the team spot on for every game we played excluding Scotland. We conceded 2 goals across 7 games and looked so solidly defensively.

@DJ alluded it to another post would you want to watch that for 46 league games, probably not. But tournaments are all about grinding out results. First major final for 55 years. He’s done something right, the likes of bigger managers - Sven, Capello and co haven’t.
Click to expand...
I except he has had some success in the tournament, but so he should, all but one game at home.........in the final couldn't of drempt of such a good start.....second half he made no subs when he should have.....this is not in hindsight would think half the country was screaming for Grealish to come on....with the talent in that squad imo we should of beat the Italians, again imo
 
tedisking said:
Southgate's a decent bloke says all the right things in interviews.....good manager ?
Imo hes very average....put him back into league management and dont think he would have much success . For example if he was in line for our job I would have been very disappointed if he had got it.
Click to expand...

At the end of the World Cup I'd have said and probably did say the same thing.

We had one way of playing with one system, regardless of the opposition we played the same way with all of our weaknesses exposed.

During the Euro's we played different formations, different systems, different ways of operating those systems depending on team selection, we changed during games and for games.

He had a well thought out way of playing and got his players to not only buy into it but also know what they were doing under every scenario.

Will he regret not just going for it a bit in the final 20 minutes? Probably, we ultimately lost so he has to question himself to learn from it. But ultimately those ideas are what got us into that situation to lose it in the final.
 
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