The UEFA European Championship 2020 Thread

[sage]

8 hours ago, Andicis said:

 

We got pushed back because their midfield gained control. They then passed us into exhaustion. Southgate didn't tell the players to just defend, they got forced into it. We need to develop midfielders who can accept the ball in tight situations and create from deep. We develop hard running tackling DCMs and skilful, creative CAMs, but any English CM with a good touch, gets pushed too far forward and doesn't learn a rounded game.

Maddison has been ruined by playing in a 10 role when he is an 8 and I fear the same is now happening to Mount.     

[TimRam]

Too soon?

 

[Grumpy Git]

I watched most of the games in the tournament, maybe only missed 3 or 4 group games.

My excitement actually decreased as it went on and I can't say exactly why. I think it must be because we we awful to watch apart from one game and although I'm disappointed we lost, I'm not one bit "gutted".

The penalties we missed sum it up for me, they were half-arsed, just put your laces through the fecker.

Pickford must be distraught!

Edited July 12, 2021 by Grumpy Git

[Marriot Ram99]

Will probably have to wait another 55 years for a final now after we bottled our chance, those pens were ducking shocking. Sakas was so telegraphed. Would rather we have another manager than Southgate negative ducker didn't utilise our players to their full potential despite getting us to a final,Mount should have been taken off for Grealish after 65minutes not in extra time and I'd rather we have chucked Calvert Lewin on and played with 2 upfront for the last 15 minutes of extra time. 

Edited July 12, 2021 by Marriot Ram99

[Ghost of Clough]

Only 3 players from the squad who're over the age of 28 - Walker and Henderson (31) and Trippier (30). Next on the list is Coady, Maguire, Mings and Johnstone (all 28).

The core of this squad will be together for at least the next 3 tournaments - The likes of Chilwell, Rashford, Mount, Rices, James, Sancho and Foden will only just be hitting their prime by that 3rd one, being 24 or younger now. Bellingham will only be 22 when North America host the World Cup in '26.

Then there's also the ones who missed out on this competition. Abraham, Alexander-Arnold, Greenwood, Tomori, Hudson-Odoi, Gomez. The depth and competition for those future tournaments will only become more intense.

[rammieib]

We played 118 minutes without looking like scoring.

Three attackers on the pitch. It was really poor.

I'd sooner go into these games with the belief we can win instead of playing not to score.

If that was Rooney's tactics, we'd be crucifying him.

 

[Bob The Badger]

57 minutes ago, Steve Buckley’s Dog said:

Well, it was a metaphor but let’s move on and concentrate on our impending relegation battle and financial obliteration. ?

Don't forget global warming and an economic collapse when landlords can start collecting on arrears again. 

[Ghost of Clough]

1 minute ago, rammieib said:

We played 118 minutes without looking like scoring.

Three attackers on the pitch. It was really poor.

I'd sooner go into these games with the belief we can win instead of playing not to score.

If that was Rooney's tactics, we'd be crucifying him.

 

For the Euros and World Cup, I don't care about style - it's all about the results.

Who knows how successful a more adventurous style of play would have been? Maybe we would have got knocked out in the groups.

Southgate's tactics almost worked. They worked better than any other England manager in the last 53 years and bettered only once over 81 years.

[rammieib]

1 minute ago, Ghost of Clough said:

For the Euros and World Cup, I don't care about style - it's all about the results.

Who knows how successful a more adventurous style of play would have been? Maybe we would have got knocked out in the groups.

Southgate's tactics almost worked. They worked better than any other England manager in the last 53 years and bettered only once over 81 years.

Yes and that is why it is difficult to be too critical in all fairness.

However - we didn't win and will that style ever give us a win?

 

[Bob The Badger]

18 minutes ago, Ghost of Clough said:

Only 3 players from the squad who're over the age of 28 - Walker and Henderson (31) and Trippier (30). Next on the list is Coady, Maguire, Mings and Johnstone (all 28).

The core of this squad will be together for at least the next 3 tournaments - The likes of Chilwell, Rashford, Mount, Rices, James, Sancho and Foden will only just be hitting their prime by that 3rd one, being 24 or younger now. Bellingham will only be 22 when North America host the World Cup in '26.

Then there's also the ones who missed out on this competition. Abraham, Alexander-Arnold, Greenwood, Tomori, Hudson-Odoi, Gomez. The depth and competition for those future tournaments will only become more intense.

Plus, there will be others we aren't even aware of at the moment.

I've followed England since the  1970 World Cup and I cannot remember such incredible strength in-depth.

Look at the 2014 squad and tell me how many you would be desperate for now?

When you consider that no manager was able to combine Gerrard and Lampard and Rooney never delivered at major chanpionships, this squad is light years behind the current one imho.

GK Joe Hart Manchester City

GK Ben Foster West Brom

GK Fraser Forster Celtic

DF Glen Johnson Liverpool

DF Phil Jagielka Everton

DF Gary Cahill Chelsea

DF Phil Jones Manchester United

DF Chris Smalling Manchester United

DF Leighton Baines Everton

DF Luke Shaw Southampton

MF Steven Gerrard Liverpool

MFJack Wilshere Arsenal

MFJordan Henderson Liverpool

MF Frank Lampard Chelsea

MFJames Milner Manchester City

MF Raheem Sterling Liverpool

MF Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Arsenal

MF Adam Lallana Southampton

MF Ross Barkley Everton

ATT Wayne Rooney Manchester United

ATT Daniel Sturridge Liverpool

ATT Danny Welbeck Manchester United

ATT Rickie LambertSouthampton

[JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta]

I'm still gutted, but still proud of the team. England are a bloody good side, getting to a world cup semi and a Euro's final is not a fluke. Southgate might not be an elite level tactician but the mentality he has instilled in the team is the big difference between this group and the ones that have gone before.

Well done to all of them. Wasn't to be, but it was quite the ride.

Now back to reality with our absolute circus of a club and what is shaping up to be a seriously tough season. Onward we push.

[Steve Buckley’s Dog]

19 minutes ago, Bob The Badger said:

Don't forget global warming and an economic collapse when landlords can start collecting on arrears again. 

The plastic pollution crisis shouldn’t be overlooked either. 

[sheeponacid]

I was a bit pissed off at full time with some of Southgates decisions, & I do wonder if he wishes he’d never made those last two subs... but hey what the duck do I know about top level football management...nowt...& it’s the first time in my 50 odd years that I’ve had the excitement, hope, & alas ultimately heartbreak of seeing England in a major final.

A huge, huge opportunity missed...yes definitely ... but what a journey, I loved every minute of it (well almost every minute lol).. but hey it’s just a game, the sheep are still grazing on the tops & life’s rich tapestry continues to unfold. 

The best team won... it would of been worse if we’d of been the better team & lost, but quite clearly we wasn’t. 

 

[Parsnip]

16 hours ago, Mucker1884 said:

When it comes to making fun of, and aiming our so-called wit at @DarkFruitsRam7, I like to be there, right at the front of the queue... but I can't help thinking on this occasion, your post is somewhat unfair.

I've never met him, in reality or on-line, but rightly or wrongly, I don't get the impression he can fairly be compared to those doing their worst on that video.

... unless you know him better than I do, in which case I take that back, and apologise to you for sticking my nose in.

Let's hope it was meant as a joke, and that "the target" recognises it as such.

 

?

It was a joke, he's a very good boy x

[ramsbottom]

And to think at approximately 20:03 last night the country was a wonderful place and it felt like anything was possible.  Then by midnight it a complete an utter poo hole full of disgusting racists & nutjobs who only seem to follow the national team as an excuse to be a dick head for a few days a year.

I wanted us to win more than anything because I know what it's going to be like for the three lads to fluffed their penos.  Yes they were crap, but there's no need to spew the racist bile that a lot of these gammon heads have subjected them to already.  Bar the Scotland match the whole team performed admirably and shouldn't feel any way ashamed of their achievements this summer.

Personally if I were Southgate I wouldn't have sat back in the 2nd half as much as we did, but you have to give the Italians some credit in sorting themselves out at half time and pressing us a lot more effectively.  Unfortunately once their goal went in you could only see one winner

[Dean (hick) Saunders]

Given tactics of England making penalties a high possibility and a plan to sub on penalty takers at the end, it would probably make sense to pick some of the squad who regularly feel the pressure as they takes club pens. They would of course still be good enough to be called on if needed.

Looking at Ings, Bamford and the like rather than selecting a kid who looks good at peno in training, pick someone who is proven.

 

[TimRam]

16 minutes ago, ramsbottom said:

Personally if I were Southgate I wouldn't have sat back in the 2nd half as much as we did, but you have to give the Italians some credit in sorting themselves out at half time and pressing us a lot more effectively.  Unfortunately once their goal went in you could only see one winner

Said that to my mate...spot on. I actually said 'get shoes on ready to be taken home!'

Edited July 12, 2021 by TimRam

[LittleEatonRam]

2 hours ago, sage said:

We got pushed back because their midfield gained control. They then passed us into exhaustion. Southgate didn't tell the players to just defend, they got forced into it. We need to develop midfielders who can accept the ball in tight situations and create from deep. We develop hard running tackling DCMs and skilful, creative CAMs, but any English CM with a good touch, gets pushed too far forward and doesn't learn a rounded game.

Maddison has been ruined by playing in a 10 role when he is an 8 and I fear the same is now happening to Mount.     

This is it. We'll never win anything until we develop technically proficient players who can control a midfield.

The idea that we just need to run at teams and they will be terrified of our pace has been tried and debunked many times. Sterling is quick but he barely got a kick last night. 

The usual comments about how we should have just attacked constantly not only does our opponents a disservice but is also a wildly simplistic view of football.

[Bob The Badger]

3 minutes ago, LittleEatonRam said:

This is it. We'll never win anything until we develop technically proficient players who can control a midfield.

The idea that we just need to run at teams and they will be terrified of our pace has been tried and debunked many times. Sterling is quick but he barely got a kick last night. 

The usual comments about how we should have just attacked constantly not only does our opponents a disservice but is also a wildly simplistic view of football.

Technically proficient players is exactly what we are developing. 

It's why we're world champions at almost every age level .

Did you see the end of the Denmark game? Do you not think that showed brilliant technique in closing out a game. 

The Dutch were technical geniuses in the 70s but still lost two World Cup Finals. 

[Ghost of Clough]

22 minutes ago, Dean (hick) Saunders said:

Given tactics of England making penalties a high possibility and a plan to sub on penalty takers at the end, it would probably make sense to pick some of the squad who regularly feel the pressure as they takes club pens. They would of course still be good enough to be called on if needed.

Looking at Ings, Bamford and the like rather than selecting a kid who looks good at peno in training, pick someone who is proven.

 

Ings and Bamford would have been 4rd and 5th CF behind Kane, Calvert-Lewin and Rashford... for 1 position

The top 4 English penalty scorers in the PL last season were Vardy (8), Callum Wilson (4), Kane (4) and Ward-Prowse (3). Sharp, Ings and Bamford only scored 2

Ward-Prowse is the only one of those who scored have been in the squad.