UEFA Euro 2024 Thread

[G STAR RAM]

56 minutes ago, 1of4 said:

If they're not being given the ball in positions that can hurt the opposition, they may as well not be on the pitch. Passing the ball back and forth across our back four, for large portions of the game isn't good enough. We need to be adventurous in our approach, if that means we then lose possession and we have to work to win it back, so be it. 

Last night our cautious approach gave the opposition the confidence to press our defence. At times Slovakia had six players closing us down

Yes fair point. It's why I'd be tempted to drop Bellingham in alongside Rice and have him driving forward with the ball.

 

[G STAR RAM]

45 minutes ago, 1of4 said:

Last night Slovakia weren't set up to defend they pressed high up the pitch with up to six players. Even when they went in front they continued to press. We were to caution in our play, to win games you somethings have to take risks with the ball. And Southgate is reluctant to take risks.

I missed the first half but second half I thought they sat deep and looked to catch us on the break.

[Alph]

2 hours ago, The Scarlet Pimpernel said:

 I wish during interview someone would ask the players or Southgate who is responsible for the slow sideways play with minimal shots on goal. Is it incompetence from the players or are they playing to instructions? Needs to be asked directly. 

 

You would think these are conversations that are going on in team meetings. This is where character is important.

Players have to be able to demand more from each other in the right way. They should be asking why everyone keeps coming short and why we shrink the pitch. Ask who's job it is to spring whatever trap we think we have. They need to say they're unhappy with playing safe. Southgate himself needs to be able to answer concerns both on the pitch and in meetings. Has to show them what he wants is effective or before long they stop believing. 

Suppose it's tough to do in the right way. Could easily turn to finger pointing. 

There's just no way Declan Rice is only good enough to be a ball boy for defenders. John Stones is not there to do lay offs for Pickford. 

It's going to be so infuriating if we go out of this tournament because every player ticking over. And the older players shouldn't be accepting it. Harry Kane should be outraged that he has nothing to attack instead of feeling sorry for himself (If he is)

[The Scarlet Pimpernel]

1 hour ago, Alph said:

You would think these are conversations that are going on in team meetings. This is where character is important.

Players have to be able to demand more from each other in the right way. They should be asking why everyone keeps coming short and why we shrink the pitch. Ask who's job it is to spring whatever trap we think we have. They need to say they're unhappy with playing safe. Southgate himself needs to be able to answer concerns both on the pitch and in meetings. Has to show them what he wants is effective or before long they stop believing. 

Suppose it's tough to do in the right way. Could easily turn to finger pointing. 

There's just no way Declan Rice is only good enough to be a ball boy for defenders. John Stones is not there to do lay offs for Pickford. 

It's going to be so infuriating if we go out of this tournament because every player ticking over. And the older players shouldn't be accepting it. Harry Kane should be outraged that he has nothing to attack instead of feeling sorry for himself (If he is)

Totally agree. Players post matches generally say in interviews however they are happy with how things have gone....staggering!

Edited Monday at 12:49 by The Scarlet Pimpernel

[Ram-Alf]

1 hour ago, Alph said:

Harry Kane should be outraged that he has nothing to attack instead of feeling sorry for himself (If he is)

He's our talisman...65 goals in 95 games, It's no good him coming deep for the ball as we've witnessed on namouras occasions, He needs to find space and run into it...but we need the players to have the ball to do that, Our back line constantly move it to themselves, Our midfield and support attackers need to move 30/40 yards further up the pitch.

Damage the opponent in and around their penalty area not ours, Switzerland are very organised and deny you space, They'll challenge us to put the ball where they want...we have to be brave and cute, We have the players, Have we the balls 😉

[1of4]

So what is it going to be for the next game?

Will it be the players accepting their performances have been below par and they need to up their own game. The manager realising he needs to change the tactics, the players or both. Or will it be carry on as we are because we're still in the competition, why change.

I sincerely.hope it's not the latter.

[Bris Vegas]

5 hours ago, therealhantsram said:

Sorry, that doesn't wash. His predecessors wins were Paraguay, Belgium, Cameroon, Spain (H), Denmark and Ecuador.

The point is that his predecessors, either couldn't get England qualified for a tournament, or couldn't get them out of the group stages.  Southgate has done that consistently.

Southgate’s group game wins have been against Panama, Tunisia, Czech Republic (H), Croatia (H), Iran, Wales and Serbia.

Also failed to beat USA, Scotland, Slovenia, Denmark and Belgium.

I mean, you can only beat what is put in front of you.

But I think a lot of previous England managers will be looking at Southgate’s run of fixtures with great envy.

Under McClaren, we faced Croatia and Russia in qualifying. One reached the 1/4 final and the other the semi-final at Euro 2008, knocking out Holland en route.

Southgate has managed to take us to a semi-final, final, quarter-final and now another quarter-final all without having to beat a single top 10 ranked side in the world.

 

[Van der MoodHoover]

15 hours ago, Bris Vegas said:

His 7 knockout wins have been Colombia, Sweden, Ukraine, Germany (H), Denmark (H), Senegal and Slovakia.

This is where perspective needs put in place before we start lauding Southgate something he isn’t.

There isn’t a single game there that we shouldn’t have won given our squad and the opponents.

 

Since the WC has expanded over time from 16 to 32 teams and the euros from 8 to 24, it's very difficult to compare just "in tournament" performances. Back in the day, just qualifying for the tournament was more like the group stages currently.

 

[Old Spalding Ram]

I’m with Alan Shearer on this one.

Pinched from his BBC article.

When Harry Kane got another goal to put us ahead - with our only other shot on target of the 120 minutes, by the way - you are thinking 'go and finish the game off' but instead we sat back straight away, and came under huge pressure.

It was another hard watch from then on until the final whistle. No-one wants to see us drop deep like that, but we have to accept that is the way Gareth Southgate wants us to play.

The evidence is there now that this is who we are, and this is our identity in major finals.

Everyone is crying out for him to give us some attacking football, but his England side have played like this in previous tournaments too - and it got us to the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup and the final of Euro 2020. He is not going to change now.

 

……………….sadly true. 👍🏁

[Mucker1884]

1 hour ago, Van der MoodHoover said:

Since the WC has expanded...

[Ram-Alf]

France Vs Belgium

If this doesn't get our juices flowing then footballs up 💩 creek 😊

[BucksRam]

1 hour ago, Old Spalding Ram said:

I’m with Alan Shearer on this one.

Pinched from his BBC article.

When Harry Kane got another goal to put us ahead - with our only other shot on target of the 120 minutes, by the way - you are thinking 'go and finish the game off' but instead we sat back straight away, and came under huge pressure.

It was another hard watch from then on until the final whistle. No-one wants to see us drop deep like that, but we have to accept that is the way Gareth Southgate wants us to play.

The evidence is there now that this is who we are, and this is our identity in major finals.

Everyone is crying out for him to give us some attacking football, but his England side have played like this in previous tournaments too - and it got us to the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup and the final of Euro 2020. He is not going to change now.

 

……………….sadly true. 👍🏁

Read this earlier and entirely agreed. 

Saw this from Michael Spicer, who I follow on X:

 

[ramit]

Belgium playing from the back

[ramit]

That was never a yellow, but it's okay, it's against France

[ramit]

[Gaspode]

57 minutes ago, Ram-Alf said:

France Vs Belgium

If this doesn't get our juices flowing then footballs up 💩 creek 😊

No chance of any juices flowing with the screechy witch on commentary....

[Bris Vegas]

Both Belgium and France are retreating out of possession. No pressing high at all.

Germany and Spain are the only sides doing it. Their 1/4 final should be the actual final, best two teams by a distance.

[ramit]

7 hours ago, Gaspode said:

No chance of any juices flowing with the screechy witch on commentary....

My commentators are not extra annoying, it's the game, it's so bad so far, it makes one wish that both teams crash and burn

[Ram-Alf]

20 minutes ago, Gaspode said:

No chance of any juices flowing with the screechy witch on commentary....

I can't even pronounce her name...

[Ram-Alf]

23 minutes ago, Bris Vegas said:

Both Belgium and France are retreating out of possession. No pressing high at all.