Euro qualifiers 2024 (23 Viewers)
- Thread starter Otis
- Start date
Sky Blue Harry H
Well-Known Member
Well done, but some questions remain re: tactics, when ahead and comfortable.
mark82
Super Moderator
Sat way too deep. Changes should've come earlier.
Although, when you look at the bench it has a bit of city about it. Decent first XI, not a lot behind it.
mark82
Super Moderator
Because there wasn't one.
I'd say that's qualification pretty much wrapped up already!
It'd be nice to see some other players get some more minutes during the qualification campaign, and not rely on the same players playing every single minute.
Paul Anthony
Well-Known Member
Made hard work of that, really thought they were going to get at least a point out of it when we should have been comfortable, and 3-0 up. Maguire absolutely gifting them the chance to get back into it really put them on top and from then on we didn't offer anything to test them.
Still, we won it.
Still, we won it.
Nuskyblue
Well-Known Member
I don't know what you/ everyone thinks but at international level in game management and motivational skills are what you need to succeed, specifically at a top nation like England. For all the control we had in the first half we never looked like scoring
I just don't think we have that in Southgate, we probably have a generational pool of talent to pick from which will ultimately go to waste.
.
I just don't think we have that in Southgate, we probably have a generational pool of talent to pick from which will ultimately go to waste.
.
Nuskyblue
Well-Known Member
All out attack. That is what a top team does or some sort of oppressive control...
You'd rather lose the ball on the edge of their box than your own
covmark
Well-Known Member
Really? Foden, and James came on along with Trippier. Rashford wasn't even available.
It’sabatch87
Well-Known Member
I think Kane was different gravy tonight, our best striker and defender.10/10
Nuskyblue
Well-Known Member
He was so good, when we got it to him his hold up play under pressure was incredible. He ooozes class. Still annoys the fuck out of me for no particular reason
Nuskyblue
Well-Known Member
I do think he is at the point where he needs a strike partner, a Rashford playing off him would be absolutely lethal
Same old cliches - his game management was fine tonight, hence us winning the game.
England have a generational pool of attacking players, and have done for three or four years now, but until they can cobble together a back four (which they haven’t been able to do in god knows how long) then they will always have to play conservatively to succeed. The emergence of Bellingham in the past couple of years has at least allowed us to move away from the back five.
Nuskyblue
Well-Known Member
I don't know, my eyes saw a first half that largely worked and a second where we were on the ropes. Our slow play and lack of threat from open play concerns me, even against Italy away whom I think are generally quite poor.
I personally think there isn't much wrong with a back 3/5 provided you have 3 in the middle for what it's worth.
Bellingham was excellent in the first half tho, I'll give you that. Can't believe he is 19
I personally think there isn't much wrong with a back 3/5 provided you have 3 in the middle for what it's worth.
Bellingham was excellent in the first half tho, I'll give you that. Can't believe he is 19
There is when you only have one vaguely decent CB in the country. But with our total lack of CM options until very recently we didn’t have much of a choice.
Until the last World Cup our only option at CM/CDM with more than a handful of caps was Jordan Henderson (when he wasn’t injured that is).
CAM sure, take your pick.
David O'Day
Well-Known Member
Southgate's game management was pretty shite tonight. He sat back and watched us get overrun in midfield and did nothing.
Winning and shite game management are not mutually exclusive.
Winning and shite game management are not mutually exclusive.
Nuskyblue
Well-Known Member
I take your point, established CMs have been in short supply, but now you could argue we have squad wise a perfect blend.
In the past I think personally players like foden could play there (cm) and others, in Spain this would be his defacto position and he'd be louded as great over here we stick him out wide.
So what you're saying is that he was playing too many forwards and should have gone more defensive sooner? Classic Gareth.
Foden's not a CM, he's a really good attacking midfielder in a team with a plethora of them. Maybe a Spanish manager would play him deeper but his club manager uhhhh (checks notes) Pep Guardiola doesn't seem to want to.
Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
Pep Guardiola doesn’t even believe Foden has the discipline to play CAM yet. Let alone deeper.
This isn’t fantasy football.
We won a game away in Italy, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since before most people on this forum was born. A team ranked 8th in world. Addressing a key criticism of Southgate was his record against top 10/20 ranked teams.
We’re moving in the right direction, for sure.
alexccfc99
Well-Known Member
Never ever turning your nose up at a win away to Italy
For the first time under Southgate we mastered the dark arts and won very ugly - That is exactly how the Italians would have played against us if they were 2-1 up
An extremely satisfying performance
For the first time under Southgate we mastered the dark arts and won very ugly - That is exactly how the Italians would have played against us if they were 2-1 up
An extremely satisfying performance
Exactly. Also with a ref that was poor and put us under additional pressure by giving yellows out for taking 10-15 secs to take a throw and rice for no reason. Seeing out last 15 mins with 10 men. That’s not to mention Grealish should’ve put us 3 up before half time
I also thought Southgate could’ve maybe made a midfield change a bit earlier to freshen things up but saying that Phillips, who I thought might be flagging after little game time, was still doing a job at the end of the game. Great away result so not sure there’s much to complain about
Bertola
Well-Known Member
I was critical of Phillips for most of the night, but once we went down to 10 men, he was Excellent.
Decent performance first half, but looked tired and mistakes crept in, but that's to be expected when players are playing in key positions have barely played much football recently.
Stones was excellent. Rice was superb early on, but once he was booked he started playing within himself. Kane brilliant as ever, but Bellingham (especially first half) was phenomenal. We have a real talent on our hands
Decent performance first half, but looked tired and mistakes crept in, but that's to be expected when players are playing in key positions have barely played much football recently.
Stones was excellent. Rice was superb early on, but once he was booked he started playing within himself. Kane brilliant as ever, but Bellingham (especially first half) was phenomenal. We have a real talent on our hands
Frostie
Well-Known Member
If you asked England fans who he should have picked last night you'd have ended up with something like this:
Otis
Well-Known Member
Do we really need a goalkeeper?
You may laugh, but that team cleans up on FPL every week - do you not want us to win or something?
Sick Boy
Super Moderator
In reality, Italy are a poor side these days.
David O'Day
Well-Known Member
David O'Day
Well-Known Member
Exactly, a pretty poor team that is in transition.
People talk about Napoli but they are very heavy on non Italian players
It was poor game management, and we got away with it thankfully.
It was very similar to the Euro 20 final. In the lead and in control, Italy started coming back into it and it was clear as day that we needed to change something.
Southgate is clearly very good at setting a team up. His team selection and plan for how to beat a team are generally very good, but game management is clearly his biggest weakness. If that starting plan doesn’t work, or needs to change, that’s where he struggles. He always has done.
It was very similar to the Euro 20 final. In the lead and in control, Italy started coming back into it and it was clear as day that we needed to change something.
Southgate is clearly very good at setting a team up. His team selection and plan for how to beat a team are generally very good, but game management is clearly his biggest weakness. If that starting plan doesn’t work, or needs to change, that’s where he struggles. He always has done.