UEFA EURO 2024 (69 Viewers)

oscillatewildly

Well-Known Member
For me the problem is I can't actually see what we're trying to do.
In previous tournaments, although not always pretty, I could see a plan, a style of play, an end goal where 'once it clicks' etc. we'd be a decent bet.

Now, I have no idea what the plan is. Chuck your best XI players on the pitch & hope they work things out for themselves?
But isn't that what we'd all prefer against Southgate's rigid and negative game 'plan'?
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Interesting he said the younger players ‘need to be eased in carefully’. They’re already playing regularly for some of the best clubs in England, Wharton aside.
 

Great_Expectations

Well-Known Member
The glimmer of hope is that he sees the positive impact Mainoo had and he starts next game, and it’s a slimmer hope, but the same with Palmer and Gordon.

The side needs an absolute revamp next round. At the very least it won’t be what the opposition will have set up for.

Bellingham needs to be dropped - and he has an easy cop out with the tiredness/carrying a knock thing. He won’t drop Kane and I sort of get that, he’s Captain and talisman etc. But he needs to be prepared to sub him.

Other one I’d be tempted to switch is Saka, he’s been quiet the last two games.

Go for it with; Palmer Foden Gordon.
 

SBAndy

Well-Known Member
For me the problem is I can't actually see what we're trying to do.
In previous tournaments, although not always pretty, I could see a plan, a style of play, an end goal where 'once it clicks' etc. we'd be a decent bet.

Now, I have no idea what the plan is. Chuck your best XI players on the pitch & hope they work things out for themselves?

Feel like I’ll be preaching to the choir, but there’s so much more to putting players on the pitch than position. Foden can play left wing, we know this, we see it at club level. What he has around him, however, is a striker that doesn’t drift further backward than the penalty spot, an overlap from a full back or midfielder. Saka shows time and again he’s a great player but you always have Ben White drawing a player away. Kane has been absolutely lethal in front of goal for years, but a huge part of his game for the last 4-5 years has been dropping and exposing the space for flying wingers/inside forwards to utilise. Trent has shown he can dictate games from central areas, but he cannot be relied on in there defensively and has runners to hit with his raking diagonals. I could go on.

We are not putting the players on the pitch with a system in mind. We’re going “he’s played there before” and puking names onto a team sheet. I always look at how a team would score their ‘perfect goal’ and I’m convinced with England that is a penalty.
 

Frostie

Well-Known Member
Feel like I’ll be preaching to the choir, but there’s so much more to putting players on the pitch than position. Foden can play left wing, we know this, we see it at club level. What he has around him, however, is a striker that doesn’t drift further backward than the penalty spot, an overlap from a full back or midfielder. Saka shows time and again he’s a great player but you always have Ben White drawing a player away. Kane has been absolutely lethal in front of goal for years, but a huge part of his game for the last 4-5 years has been dropping and exposing the space for flying wingers/inside forwards to utilise. Trent has shown he can dictate games from central areas, but he cannot be relied on in there defensively and has runners to hit with his raking diagonals. I could go on.

We are not putting the players on the pitch with a system in mind. We’re going “he’s played there before” and puking names onto a team sheet. I always look at how a team would score their ‘perfect goal’ and I’m convinced with England that is a penalty.

Spot on.
It's very un-Southgate like tbh.

Might just be me but everything just feels a bit 'off' this time around... Southgate's admittance that he's "experimenting", the barbs from the players about criticism in the media, even the behind the scenes & training glimpses seem like they are feeling the pressure. They look tired, dejected & dispirited which has never been the case under Southgate. Most importantly, the performances are laboured, disjointed & smack of a team that isn't sure what it's meant to be doing.
 

Alkhen

Well-Known Member
We’re a semi final team at least.

once someone finally attacks us we’ll destroy them.
Part of me is hoping we get Netherlands next, they would at least commit people forward.

Austria look a nightmare to play against. Ralf what's his name loves a press
 

SBAndy

Well-Known Member
We’ll get pasted by the first decent side we face. Seems to me no matter who we put on the pitch or what tactics we try we’re just completely devoid of any real threat going forward.

Would require us to try “a tactic” first.

It’s fucking painful (I promise this rant isn’t aimed at you). Formations aren’t tactics. In exactly the formation we played tonight you could play with north of 10 ‘tactics’. We haven’t got a fucking clue what we want to do. It goes to the other football cliche that players “aren’t on the same wavelength”. You need to understand what you’re aiming to do if you have any hope of playing successfully. At the moment, we’ve got a fella playing chess by moving random pieces around a board.

I’ve always been fairly defensive of Southgate but fuck me, I’ve come to the end of my tether.
 

SBAndy

Well-Known Member
Part of me is hoping we get Netherlands next, they would at least commit people forward.

Austria look a nightmare to play against. Ralf what's his name loves a press

I’ll (figuratively) stick my fucking house on Austria if we end up playing them at any stage.

Just looked and that would be a semi final if we both made it. Setting the pressure and the performances so far aside, you’d absolutely back us to beat Italy/Switzerland in a quarter final. You could reasonably be looking at our half of the draw being England / Switzerland / Italy / Austria / Romania / Turkey / Netherlands / Hungary.
 

Alkhen

Well-Known Member
I’ll (figuratively) stick my fucking house on Austria if we end up playing them at any stage.

Just looked and that would be a semi final if we both made it. Setting the pressure and the performances so far aside, you’d absolutely back us to beat Italy/Switzerland in a quarter final. You could reasonably be looking at our half of the draw being England / Switzerland / Italy / Austria / Romania / Turkey / Netherlands / Hungary.
Yep looks like we have got into the more doable side of the draw but somehow are in the hardest half of that.

I'd fear the Italians just doing us mentally again like they did in the last euros final. We look a timid bunch led by an even more timid manager.

Is there any system to which 3rd place teams we get or is it random?
 

LastGarrison

Well-Known Member
We’re a semi final team at least.

once someone finally attacks us we’ll destroy them.
But why would a tactically astute manager of a better side not also operate the low press and then look to hit us on the break?

Slovenia nearly got away a couple of times tonight and we literally offered fuck all going forward.

Almost like letting a boxer punch themselves out and then destroy us when we’re fucked knowing full well that Southgate’s response will be just to throw another right back on in the 93rd minute.

There literally seems to be no game plan and his refusal to switch tactics or make early changes is infuriating. He might have a go at the press and pundits but when everyone is saying the same thing maybe you should consider whether the problem is you.

Southgate is an absolute c**t and I want to punch him in the throat.
 

Earlsdon_Skyblue1

Well-Known Member
Tell them we’re missing Kalvin Phillips 😂

I think the writing was on the wall with that comment.

The pundits have been proved right. They had tonight to fight back and show that the negative criticism was wrong. They responded by cucking.

I can only see at this moment in time that we will bow out without a fight. Other teams might not all have much quality, but they have spirit. We look dejected and down beat. It's worrying how mentally fucked we look.
 

Earlsdon_Skyblue1

Well-Known Member
But why would a tactically astute manager of a better side not also operate the low press and then look to hit us on the break?

Slovenia nearly got away a couple of times tonight and we literally offered fuck all going forward.

Almost like letting a boxer punch themselves out and then destroy us when we’re fucked knowing full well that Southgate’s response will be just to throw another right back on in the 93rd minute.

There literally seems to be no game plan and his refusal to switch tactics or make early changes is infuriating. He might have a go at the press and pundits but when everyone is saying the same thing maybe you should consider whether the problem is you.

Southgate is an absolute c**t and I want to punch him in the throat.

He's clueless. He said we would get relegated when O'Hare got injured. Wouldn't pay much attention.
 

robbiekeane

Well-Known Member
Sometimes I wonder though are we just becoming the fans of the golden generation, creating a specific environment, and becoming a self fulfilling prophesy
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
England rank 17th out of 24 teams for the amount of shots taken in this tournament - 29 - and 19th for expected goals - 2.26.

That's such a pathetic stat isn't it and tells you all you need to know.
 

hamertime

Well-Known Member
Every time we put a player on the country have been calling for Mainoo, palmer and Gordon we looked a bit better each time.

I’ve never hated an England manager so much as Southgate, he cannot lead men. He’s more interested in player groups with a group hug at the end, men want to be led ffs he’s incapable.
 

PVA

Well-Known Member
Well the good news is that, bar Kane, this exciting group of attacking players have got plenty of tournaments left to play in under a proper manager. It'll be fun to see them play with the shackles off.
 

skybluejelly

Well-Known Member
I honestly look at England like Coventry , we play absolutely dog shit against teams that park the bus unless we score an early goal and force them to play, teams that play openly we play so much better,at least now there's such low expectations it will probably be the year we win it

Sent from my CPH2025 using Tapatalk
 

CCFCSteve

Well-Known Member
I honestly look at England like Coventry , we play absolutely dog shit against teams that park the bus unless we score an early goal and force them to play, teams that play openly we play so much better,at least now there's such low expectations it will probably be the year we win it

Sent from my CPH2025 using Tapatalk

Not sure about winning it but agree that we’ll probably look better against better teams that open up. I’m a massive fan of Bellingham but why is Southgate leaving him on and running him into the ground ?! Bizarre. He’s not looked right for the last two games and needs a breather

Big positives with Palmer and Mainoos performances. For all the pedestrian play, finally looking more like a proper ‘team’ after the bizarre experiments

Still hoping it can click
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Not sure about winning it but agree that we’ll probably look better against better teams that open up. I’m a massive fan of Bellingham but why is Southgate leaving him on and running him into the ground ?! Bizarre. He’s not looked right for the last two games and needs a breather

Big positives with Palmer and Mainoos performances. For all the pedestrian play, finally looking more like a proper ‘team’ after the bizarre experiments

Still hoping it can click
Against the bus parking teams you need all the more to play at higher tempo rather than patiently waiting for them to get fully set in front of you.

The few times we saw some one touch passing yesterday it opened them up.
 

LastGarrison

Well-Known Member
So after sleeping on it and having a period of reflection I’ve actually decided that he is still a tactically inept wetwipe who is doing his best to ruin a whole new ‘golden generation’.
 

OffenhamSkyBlue

Well-Known Member
There was NO tempo, NO movement off the ball, and VERY little quality in any of the passing, except that ball through the middle (was it Mainoo) towards the end.
There is no system - they are a bunch of disparate (though individually very good) players who have to move all over the pitch trying to find a way of getting someone to put a decent ball into them.

They said on the radio this morning that they are still struggling to find someone to partner Rice. Well, is that the problem? Trying to build a team around him is maybe a fool's errand!
 

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