Euro qualifiers 2024 (5 Viewers)

[David O'Day]

Italy were in the middle of the longest unbeaten run in international football history. As I said, blame Southgate for not putting them to the sword in the final, but not many teams were managing that in 2021. Spain, Belgium, and every other team they played at the tournament certainly couldn’t.

And? I am talking about during the game.

We went 1 up and they were arguing and shouting at each other. Did you miss the final? You can probably find it on youtube or somewhere like that.

 

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[SBT]

And? I am talking about during the game.

We went 1 up and they were arguing and shouting at each other. Did you miss the final? You can probably find it on youtube or somewhere like that.

So a team who hadn’t lost in three years were there for the taking because they were arguing after they went a goal down? Inconceivable they could survive such turmoil.

 

[Otis]

So a team who hadn’t lost in three years were there for the taking because they were arguing after they went a goal down? Inconceivable they could survive such turmoil.

They were there for the taking in that first half. I think that's undeniable.

Southgate definitely cocked up that day.

We were looking really good going forwards and forsook all that to try and sit on a 1 nil lead.

I'm sure, to give him the benefit of doubt, that Southgate felt we could hit them on the break and grab a second, as Italy pushed forward.

 

[David O'Day]

So a team who hadn’t lost in three years were there for the taking because they were arguing after they went a goal down? Inconceivable they could survive such turmoil.

ok buddy, a team that is falling apart on the pitch in a game is not there for the taking. It wasn't just arguing over the goal.

You probably should watch the game, it might help you.

Until you have I will leave you to chat your usual whiff

 

[David O'Day]

They were there for the taking in that first half. I think that's undeniable.

Southgate definitely cocked up that day.

We were looking really good going forwards and forsaked all that to try and sit on a 1 nil lead.

I'm sure, to give him the benefit of doubt, that's Southgate felt we could hit them on the break and grab a second, as Italy pushed forward.

he's doing his weird argumentative thing again

they were clearly there for the taking

 

[Deleted member 5849]

They were there for the taking in that first half. I think that's undeniable.

Southgate definitely cocked up that day.

We were looking really good going forwards and forsaked all that to try and sit on a 1 nil lead.

I'm sure, to give him the benefit of doubt, that's Southgate felt we could hit them on the break and grab a second, as Italy pushed forward.

He's not alone in that of course. Guardiola's bizarre selection for the Champions League final against Chelsea stands out as one of the great mysteries of our time!

But is nice to actually have a manager get us to a final, to get it wrong rather than the other half a century of dismal failure!

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

The final that we only lost because Rashford decided to hit the post with all the goal to aim at?

There was me thinking it’s because Southgate removed all the pressure and tried to sit on the lead for an entire half.

 

[SBT]

ok buddy, a team that is falling apart on the pitch in a game is not there for the taking. It wasn't just arguing over the goal.

You probably should watch the game, it might help you.

Until you have I will leave you to chat your usual whiff

We were 1-0 up early on which is clearly a great position to be in, but Italy were still a very strong team and so it proved. As I said earlier, it’s quite fair to blame Southgate for how he managed the game but the idea that our victory should have been inevitable because a few Italian players were exchanging words after 5 minutes is laughable.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

We were 1-0 up early on which is clearly a great position to be in, but Italy were still a very strong team and so it proved. As I said earlier, it’s quite fair to blame Southgate for how he managed the game but the idea that our victory should have been inevitable because a few Italian players were exchanging words after 5 minutes is laughable.

We had them on the rack first half then took a super defensive approach in the second. So we dropped deeper and deeper until conceding-when you have your opponent under pressure and pinned down, why take it all away?

 

[Nick]

We had them on the rack first half then took a super defensive approach in the second. So we dropped deeper and deeper until conceding-when you have your opponent under pressure and pinned down, why take it all away?

Not to mention the random penalty subs

 

[SBT]

We had them on the rack first half then took a super defensive approach in the second. So we dropped deeper and deeper until conceding-when you have your opponent under pressure and pinned down, why take it all away?

I mean, I doubt any of us were in much of a state to offer real-time tactical analysis. We looked to go for a smash and grab victory and it worked fine in the first half. Italy made good changes and equalised. Our changes didn’t help things much (including moving from the dreaded back three to the hallowed back four). Italy definitely looked the better side. We still could have won the whole thing on pens. I was gutted, of course, but I still to this day don’t think it merits going full David Beckham effigy.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

I mean, I doubt any of us were in much of a state to offer real-time tactical analysis. We looked to go for a smash and grab victory and it worked fine in the first half. Italy made good changes and equalised. Our changes didn’t help things much (including moving from the dreaded back three to the hallowed back four). Italy definitely looked the better side. We still could have won the whole thing on pens. I was gutted, of course, but I still to this day don’t think it merits going full David Beckham effigy.

We do have a match thread to look back at…

 

[SBT]

We do have a match thread to look back at…

Have at it!

European championships 2020 thread

9-1-1 formation from Southgate Bold move playing with an extra man (GK doesn't count in the formation;) )

www.skybluestalk.co.uk

It’s not a bad read - the mood changes a LOT after half time. Obviously the postgame stuff is a classic forum shitshow.

 

[Otis]

Have at it!

European championships 2020 thread

9-1-1 formation from Southgate Bold move playing with an extra man (GK doesn't count in the formation;) )

www.skybluestalk.co.uk

It’s not a bad read - the mood changes a LOT after half time. Obviously the postgame stuff is a classic forum shitshow.

Definitely confirms the Italians were rattled. That's how I remembered it too.

We really looked like we could cut through them with ease that first 15-20 mins or so.

 

[Sick Boy]

I wonder

Definitely confirms the Italians were rattled. That's how I remembered it too.

We really looked like we could cut through them with ease that first 15-20 mins or so.

Here they saw it as the complete and utter humiliation of England, which was a pretty fair assessment.

 

[SlowerThanPlatt]

Just the 14 for France tonight…what’s the point?

 

[SkyBlueSoul]

Just the 14 for France tonight…what’s the point?

Gibraltar down to 10 men after the 3rd goal as well. Some "good" goals but the level of defending was shocking.

 

[SBT]

Just the 14 for France tonight…what’s the point?

If it was England, our fans would be fuming that Deschamps started with two holding midfielders

 

[Evo1883]

Not SBT sticking up for Southgate again surely not , most people and many pundits are already past this boring bastard already

 

[Evo1883]

But that's going on past reputation. The draw is, by definition, the draw and those teams proved themselves better at the time than more established nations.

But I'm off from this thread now before Evo starts banging that drum!

 

[Evo1883]

So a team who hadn’t lost in three years were there for the taking because they were arguing after they went a goal down? Inconceivable they could survive such turmoil.

Since the final

Italy

Won 12
Drew 7
Lost 8

We should have beat them , the 3 year run was full of shit teams up until the tournamnent and Italy will soon drop out the world top 10 again, any competent manager would have beat them at home in the final

 

[Grendel]

Not SBT sticking up for Southgate again surely not , most people and many pundits are already past this boring bastard already

Bit harsh calling SBT a boring bastard

 

[Sick Boy]

Since the final

Italy

Won 12
Drew 7
Lost 8

We should have beat them , the 3 year run was full of shit teams and Italy will soon drop out the world top 10 again, any competent manager would have beat them at home in the final

From an England perspective, the final was just humiliating.

 

[Evo1883]

The only thing I can commend Southgate on is his man management during a camp and how he looks after his players , although his recent treatment of raheem sterling and his past treatment of maddison and grealish can put that into disrepute

Shit tactically
Boring football
Boring person
Too many favourites
Contradicts himself

 

[Otis]

The only thing I can commend Southgate on is his man management during a camp and how he looks after his players , although his recent treatment of raheem sterling and his past treatment of maddison and grealish can put that into disrepute

Shit tactically
Boring football
Boring person
Too many favourites
Contradicts himself

It's astonishing that we play such dull football at times with such a rich vein of attacking talent within the squad.

On occasions we have torn teams apart with our forward play, but most of the time we have been very ponderous. And I am one of those who has been supportive of Southgate playing the likes of Rice and Phillips together, because our defence has looked very weak.

But still, we have shown on more than one occasion, that when we attack we are a threat to any team in the world

 

[SBT]

The only thing I can commend Southgate on is his man management during a camp and how he looks after his players , although his recent treatment of raheem sterling and his past treatment of maddison and grealish can put that into disrepute

Shit tactically
Boring football
Boring person
Too many favourites
Contradicts himself

Some of my Southgate praise is clearly tongue in cheek, but I think the man management part of his approach is seriously under-rated. The structure and togetherness that Southgate has bought to this team has been seriously lacking in the past and proved to be the undoing of England teams that were just as talented (and probably a bit more balanced) than today’s team is. Him being a boring and conservative person is good! Because modern international football is generally the same.

 

[Fysnkysc]

Just taking a check at future coventey City player, Callum Styles.

 

[TomRad85]

So I was just browsing through the groups and stumbling across the fact Luxembourg have 17 points! I swear Luxembourg were always a team that would finish a group with 0-1 points, like Malta and co, so I looked at their group of players and they are actually spread across some reasonable standard European football clubs.
My question is, have Luxembourg suddenly started producing or are they just letting anyone that's taken a holiday there play for them. Feel like I've missed something.

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[Otis]

So I was just browsing through the groups and stumbling across the fact Luxembourg have 17 points! I swear Luxembourg were always a team that would finish a group with 0-1 points, like Malta and co, so I looked at their group of players and they are actually spread across some reasonable standard European football clubs.
My question is, have Luxembourg suddenly started producing or are they just letting anyone that's taken a holiday there play for them. Feel like I've missed something.

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Surprise to me too.

 

[SlowerThanPlatt]

So I was just browsing through the groups and stumbling across the fact Luxembourg have 17 points! I swear Luxembourg were always a team that would finish a group with 0-1 points, like Malta and co, so I looked at their group of players and they are actually spread across some reasonable standard European football clubs.
My question is, have Luxembourg suddenly started producing or are they just letting anyone that's taken a holiday there play for them. Feel like I've missed something.

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Luxembourg are no longer Europe's whipping boys after transformation

HARRY SLAVIN: The saying goes that there are no easy games in football. Those that subscribe to the well-worn theory clearly never had the privilege of facing Luxembourg.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Evo1883]

Think the reality is all the middle ground to shite teams are simply just that .... shite

Lose 9-0 to Portugal but beat Iceland and Bosnia, both used to be considerably better

 

[TomRad85]

Luxembourg are no longer Europe's whipping boys after transformation

HARRY SLAVIN: The saying goes that there are no easy games in football. Those that subscribe to the well-worn theory clearly never had the privilege of facing Luxembourg.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Good read, thanks.

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[TomRad85]

Think the reality is all the middle ground to shite teams are simply just that .... shite

Lose 9-0 to Portugal but beat Iceland and Bosnia, both used to be considerably better

You know I'm generally in agreement with you that the standard of the middling teams has dropped but reading that piece, Luxembourg have definitely gone the other way and a lot of hard work has gone into that.

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[SeaSeeEffCee]

Some of my Southgate praise is clearly tongue in cheek, but I think the man management part of his approach is seriously under-rated. The structure and togetherness that Southgate has bought to this team has been seriously lacking in the past and proved to be the undoing of England teams that were just as talented (and probably a bit more balanced) than today’s team is. Him being a boring and conservative person is good! Because modern international football is generally the same.

Interesting that a lot of the complaints thrown towards Southgate could also be thrown against Robins as well yet the same posters will endlessly slag one off while defending the other to the hilt.

 

[Evo1883]

Interesting that a lot of the complaints thrown towards Southgate could also be thrown against Robins as well yet the same posters will endlessly slag one off while defending the other to the hilt.

Robins has won things , big difference really

So it's not that interesting