UEFA EURO 2024 (35 Viewers)

[BlueSkiesForever]

Love the euros, absolutely mad scenes in the Croatia game, what a curler from that Italian geezer, sign him up!

 

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[Nick]

They are now talking like Modric is dead.

 

[Johnnythespider]

Granted, it’s not quite a goal line clearance against Serbia.

I bet they're going mad where you are now

 

[wingy]

Think that Italian goalkeeper moved off his line for the pen plus delaying tactics plus playing it back into play from his saves!!

 

[Tommo1993]

Lucky gits

 

[SBAndy]

Absolutely. Gallagher brings exceptional energy which we've undoubtedly lacked but is not someone who will control possession. If we are to press high & intensely from the off then fine but that needs the whole team to do that & we've not looked to even attempt it thus far.

I'm in total agreement with you & @CCFCSteve we need to control the ball better & despite being so inexperienced, Wharton is the best we have at that.

What we then need is pace, width & someone prepared to run behind. With the exception of Saka, that's only really Gordon from this squad so, once again, forget about who our best players are & pick the most balanced team.

Let's not worry about getting the best from Foden or TAA if it means unbalancing the whole team. Leave them out & get the best out of Kane, Bellingham, Trippier & Rice instead.

Was with you until you said Trippier, now trying to figure out whether I’m drunk.

 

[Frostie]

Was with you until you said Trippier, now trying to figure out whether I’m drunk.

Ha ha. I just meant that having a right footer at LB & the fact that he always turns back inside. At least if we've some natural width in front of him it's less of an issue.

 

[rob9872]

I know he won't, but if I had free choice, I'd play Saka instead of Trippier as more of a LWB role instead of him cutting in on the right, move Bellingham to play deeper only just more advanced than Rice in a kind of 8, play Foden in the 10 and get Palmer and Gordon into the side. Would be more balanced, more attacking and greater ball retention. Still, I'm sure Gareth knows best

 

[napolimp]

Why is the italian crying the wet fart

Are you serious?

My man was 30 seconds away from sipping Aperol at a beach on the Amalfi coast for the rest of the summer, after Italy spent the last 3 games trying to get knocked out of the Euros. Of course he's upset.

 

[SBAndy]

I know he won't, but if I had free choice, I'd play Saka instead of Trippier as more of a LWB role instead of him cutting in on the right, move Bellingham to play deeper only just more advanced than Rice in a kind of 8, play Foden in the 10 and get Palmer and Gordon into the side. Would be more balanced, more attacking and greater ball retention. Still, I'm sure Gareth knows best

I recall he actually tried that at the last Euros. It didn’t go well.

 

[Mcbean]

Now we are pretty well guaranteed a place in the last 16 with the Spain result against a plucky Albania it signals a shit game against Slovenia

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Now we are pretty well guaranteed a place in the last 16 with the Spain result against a plucky Albania it signals a shit game against Slovenia

You talk as though Southgate wasn’t already plotting another crime against football

 

[OffenhamSkyBlue]

They're looking very smooth tonight. Playing a quicker tempo than they used to do makes them far more watchable, too!

But scraping a 1-0 against Albania, ranked even lower than Scotland, is not a test of quality.

 

[San Francisco]

But scraping a 1-0 against Albania, ranked even lower than Scotland, is not a test of quality.

Funny that as I recall the talksport commentators creaming themselves over Spain last night despite spending the last 15 minutes holding on to the 1-0.

 

[OffenhamSkyBlue]

Funny that as I recall the talksport commentators creaming themselves over Spain last night despite spending the last 15 minutes holding on to the 1-0.

Maybe it is the old scenario of only needing to be good enough to beat what is in front of you. I thought they looked really impressive against Croatia, and based on that they would be my favourites for the title, but last night not so much. Portugal, as mentioned by others, haven't had a great deal of opposition, but struggled to beat Czechs, and i thought their style was dullsville.
Obviously discount Belgium, as they never win anything, despite their inexplicably high world ranking (currently #3????).

I think i would plump for Germany to win.

 

[PVA]

So it's rumoured to be just the one change tonight, Gallagher in for Trent...

Lineker and Shearer were fairly scathing of Southgate last night, he needs a big performance tonight to shut everyone up.

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

Funny that as I recall the talksport commentators creaming themselves over Spain last night despite spending the last 15 minutes holding on to the 1-0.

The kind of performance that, had it been England, the team and Southgate would have been pilloried.

Our performances haven’t been good, granted, however, every big team has had a bad game so far. A convincing win today will get people believing again. To be honest, I don’t think we need to change too much in terms of personnel. The TAA has been tried and the position is awkward but I’m glad we tried it.

I don’t think putting Bellingham deeper as an ‘8’ and Foden in the ‘10’ will be the magical fix some people think it’ll be.

 

[Evo1883]

The kind of performance that, had it been England, the team and Southgate would have been pilloried.

Our performances haven’t been good, granted, however, every big team has had a bad game so far. A convincing win today will get people believing again. To be honest, I don’t think we need to change too much in terms of personnel. The TAA has been tried and the position is awkward but I’m glad we tried it.

I don’t think putting Bellingham deeper as an ‘8’ and Foden in the ‘10’ will be the magical fix some people think it’ll be.

England have been alot worse than Spain last night , Portugal haven't had a bad game , not taking chances doesn't equate to bad

 

[AOM]

I'm expecting a much better England performance tonight and in the next round, but then an inevitable return to caution when we face one of the higher ranked teams.

Still predicting a semi-final finish...

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

England have been alot worse than Spain last night , Portugal haven't had a bad game , not taking chances doesn't equate to bad

There’s no doubting that at all, the task is to just get out of the group and we’ve done that comfortably.

There’s been many teams in many tournaments who looked rubbish in the group stages and gone on to win a tournament.

Let’s not get it twisted, I’m not saying we’re on track to do well but winning the group tonight, get a favourable draw and we could have a decent chance at a semi final or a final.

Spain, since 2012, tend to be a team that look good in the groups but bottle it in the KO rounds.

As for Portugal, a last minute winner masks the fact that it was a v laboured performance against a team you said were shite earlier in the thread.

 

[ovduk78]

So it's rumoured to be just the one change tonight, Gallagher in for Trent...

Lineker and Shearer were fairly scathing of Southgate last night, he needs a big performance tonight to shut everyone up.

I'd change the formation of the team and play a 3412 and play the following

Pickford
Walker Stones Guehi
Bowen Rice Wharton Gordon
Bellingham
Toney Watkins

I don't like Trippier at left back & I think we are just trying to get best players into a team & that doesn't work. I like Saka & Eze but I'm not sure if they can play wingback. Kane doesn't look fit & I'd want Toney & Watkins to stay up the pitch & if they do drop back, eg for a corner, then the wingbacks push forward. Team would probably not work but then neither is the current one.

 

[Evo1883]

There’s no doubting that at all, the task is to just get out of the group and we’ve done that comfortably.

There’s been many teams in many tournaments who looked rubbish in the group stages and gone on to win a tournament.

Let’s not get it twisted, I’m not saying we’re on track to do well but winning the group tonight, get a favourable draw and we could have a decent chance at a semi final or a final.

Spain, since 2012, tend to be a team that look good in the groups but bottle it in the KO rounds.

As for Portugal, a last minute winner masks the fact that it was a v laboured performance against a team you said were shite earlier in the thread.

They are shite , again .. having 19 shots to 5 mean you really need to be better infront of goal , they totally controlled most of the game .

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

They are shite , again .. having 19 shots to 5 mean you really need to be better infront of goal , they totally controlled most of the game .

I’m sure you’d have took the same view of that game England put in the same performance.

If this is Southgate’s last tournament and he’s so bad, we can look forward to golden age of English football where we win everything…

 

[Evo1883]

I’m sure you’d have took the same view of that game England put in the same performance.

If this is Southgate’s last tournament and he’s so bad, we can look forward to golden age of English football where we win everything…

Not sure what you're protecting

FACT , England have been woeful even called out by all the pundits

Pretending other nations were shit when they weren't to make you feel better about our own terrible performances doesn't make sense , we've been terrible .. full stop

You can argue with me all day , but it won't change the fact we've been shit ..

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

Not sure what you're protecting

FACT , England have been woeful even called out by all the pundits

Pretending other nations were shit when they weren't to make you feel better about our own terrible performances doesn't make sense , we've been terrible .. full stop

I’m sorry, but you’re missing my point entirely. I agree we’ve been below par but at this stage of the tournament, it’s irrelevant.

We’re on course to win the group and it doesn’t matter if we win every game 5-0 or we come top with 5 points. Case in point is the World Cup where both teams lost in the group stage or in 2016 where Portugal finished 3rd and won 1 game in 90 minutes against Wales.

We can agree the performances haven’t been good, where we disagree is on how important that is.

 

[Evo1883]

I’m sorry, but you’re missing my point entirely. I agree we’ve been below par but at this stage of the tournament, it’s irrelevant.

We’re on course to win the group and it doesn’t matter if we win every game 5-0 or we come top with 5 points. Case in point is the World Cup where both teams lost in the group stage or in 2016 where Portugal finished 3rd and won 1 game in 90 minutes against Wales.

We can agree the performances haven’t been good, where we disagree is on how important that is.

I'm not missing anything , you are and always do

Here's my post after the first game

But after the second game and comments made by the manager about squad fitness , kalvin Phillips and players like harry kane suggesting the side have no idea when to press .. it gave me little confidence .


We have the tournaments 2nd lowest XG , we've been terrible and MUST improve

 

[Evo1883]

Portugal winning a tournament that they would have dropped out of in the groups 4 years before kind of proves how the competition was watered down btw

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

I'm not missing anything , you are and always do

Here's my post after the first game View attachment 36420

But after the second game and comments made by the manager about squad fitness , kalvin Phillips and players like harry kane suggesting the side have no idea when to press .. it gave me little confidence .


We have the tournaments 2nd lowest XG , we've been terrible and MUST improve

This is what I’m saying. I don’t care about the performances too much as this stage as long as win the group. The tournament starts (properly) next week. Plenty of teams have had mediocre group stages and won tournaments so it’s not like we ‘need’ to dominate every game.

To be honest, a fit and in form Phillips would’ve been asset as he was our POTS in the last Euro campaign.

Enjoy the game tonight stress-free Evo, even if we lose, we’ve qualified for the next round!

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

Portugal winning a tournament that they would have dropped out of in the groups 4 years before kind of proves how the competition was watered down btw

Agreed, it’s so easy to get out of the group you really need to have a stinker as a ‘good’ team.

 

[Nuskyblue]

But scraping a 1-0 against Albania, ranked even lower than Scotland, is not a test of quality.

10 changes to the first 11. Looked really fluent in the first half too.

 

[Evo1883]

 

[David O'Day]

I'd change the formation of the team and play a 3412 and play the following

Pickford
Walker Stones Guehi
Bowen Rice Wharton Gordon
Bellingham
Toney Watkins

I don't like Trippier at left back & I think we are just trying to get best players into a team & that doesn't work. I like Saka & Eze but I'm not sure if they can play wingback. Kane doesn't look fit & I'd want Toney & Watkins to stay up the pitch & if they do drop back, eg for a corner, then the wingbacks push forward. Team would probably not work but then neither is the current one.

Saka is the one who has actually played wingback

 

[San Francisco]

Lovely finish there from Malen, shame it was in the wrong goal!

 

[Tommo1993]

Come on then Austria!

 

[Earlsdon_Skyblue1]

How many own goals in this tournament? Absolutely ridiculous.