Euro 2024

[Pickles]

Eze scored 11 goals last season , Palmer 22 who would you put on ?

Would change game by game. Quite different players.

[ecc]

Palmer's 22 included 9 penalties. Eze's 11 included one penalty.

[Goalposts]

A fact that says it all for me in the 24 games england have played against the FIFA’s world top ten sides he’s won 4 , with the talent at his disposal he has won just 4 . No-one is surprised at the performance. Against minnows he does ok in tournaments when it matters he fails. And the worry is we haven’t played any team of merit

[spt_claret]

England have gone backwards under Southgate as the squad gets better.
The 2018 world cup 3rd place was a huge over performance.
Euro 2021 final was impressive but choked at the crunch.
Since then all backwards as on paper it's better.

Bellingham was completely anonymous tonight and I'd have hooked him first, Kane had absolutely no service or support. Bellingham is better as a central playmaker with some freedom to attack, an Iniesta or Modric or Zidane, but Southgate doesn't set up with him as that for whatever reason. I do think he's a tad overrated anyway- if he was truly all that I'd have expected him to impose himself on a game like this rather than be the missing man - but he's certainly not in a role that suits him.
Trippier isn't a LB. Trent, I could see as an old school Beckham style wide right midfielder but he's never a central pivot.
The England team as a whole look so short of passion or intensity compared to pretty much every side so far at the tournament. They don't look like they're nearly as proud to be there as some much smaller sides. I do sometimes wonder about a total radical experiment of playing a whole squad of uncapped players for a round of internationals just to see if they step up and have that extra edge, if only because I no longer have faith in England to see through good results regardless of how strong a set of players we have. And right now we just have a gaggle of good individuals, some of whom are being misused to accommodate, rather than a team.

[Swizzlestick]

We beat Germany in the previous Euros but this is always dismissed for some reason. (This was in response to goalposts - forgot to quote)

Very poor performance tonight - astonished he didn’t change the team. Trent didn’t work there last time, I’m not sure why it would now. We just looked to be lacking intensity throughout the team which is a worry tbh. Tactically, they didn’t seem to know what to do. I’d be tempted to drop Jude deeper, put Foden in the 10, and either Palmer or Gordon out wide. How neither of them have seen a minute is beyond me.

[burnleymik]

Southgate post match ( via the BBC )

"It's an experiment. We don't have a natural replacement for Kalvin Philips but we are trying different things"



F*cking clueless

I saw this and it's absolutely astonishing. He is away with the fairies.

[Vegas Claret]

Neal Maupay
https://x.com/nealmaupay_/status/1803848427844845579

[Clive 1960]

My partners Son in law went last night to the game supporting Denmark and he was astonished how a team like Denmark made England look ordinary given the players we have , he just said they did a Dyche job chased and got stuck in and they were very disciplined , i said they were one of the favourites before tournament started, he said on paper but football is played on grass not paper and he said to go further in the tournament Southgate would have to take some players out of the team including captain Kane...

[bumba]

Which natural left backs are available?

Chilwell, Henry, Burn, Gomez, cresswell, Mitchell all better left backs than Trippier

[NottsClaret]

A fact that says it all for me in the 24 games england have played against the FIFA’s world top ten sides he’s won 4 , with the talent at his disposal he has won just 4 . No-one is surprised at the performance. Against minnows he does ok in tournaments when it matters he fails. And the worry is we haven’t played any team of merit

That’s basically it. He’s perfected the art of getting a reasonably strong squad to beat minnows consistently. Our record against ‘top’ sides is no different to any other manager’s we’ve had, maybe worse.

That comment about Kalvin Phillips makes me worry about where he is mentally now, seems confused.

[Burnley Ace]

Tournoi de France 1997

Alan-Shearer-Le-Tournoi.jpgn

Was that the in invitation warm up tournament before the 98 World Cup? for all his personal accomplishments he’s got 1 Premiership medal and many years in an underperforming England Team, so I suppose he is talking from experience!!

[gandhisflipflop]

Was that the in invitation warm up tournament before the 98 World Cup? for all his personal accomplishments he’s got 1 Premiership medal and many years in an underperforming England Team, so I suppose he is talking from experience!!

He knows what he’s talking about when it comes to Kane though. I’d have Shearer in over him every day of the week if he was in his pomp.

[Colburn_Claret]

Chilwell, Henry, Burn, Gomez, cresswell, Mitchell all better left backs than Trippier

In all seriousness if our best left back plays in league 2, pick him. Playing round pegs in square holes doesn't work.
Given time that the Premier League offers, it might in time, but in a group that comes together so little it's a disaster.

[claretonthecoast1882]

I wouldn't have minded Southgate gone after the surrender to Croatia in 2018, he should 100% gone after the final against Italy. It is no surprise to see he has learnt nothing and it still more scared to lose than a will to win. His comments about Kalvin Phillips leaves me thinking he has fully lost it.

Still he has got the weakest side of a fairly weak group to come and a draw is all he needs so he will be quite happy with the progress

[Dyched]

England have gone backwards under Southgate as the squad gets better.
The 2018 world cup 3rd place was a huge over performance.
Euro 2021 final was impressive but choked at the crunch.
Since then all backwards as on paper it's better.

Bellingham was completely anonymous tonight and I'd have hooked him first, Kane had absolutely no service or support. Bellingham is better as a central playmaker with some freedom to attack, an Iniesta or Modric or Zidane, but Southgate doesn't set up with him as that for whatever reason. I do think he's a tad overrated anyway- if he was truly all that I'd have expected him to impose himself on a game like this rather than be the missing man - but he's certainly not in a role that suits him.
Trippier isn't a LB. Trent, I could see as an old school Beckham style wide right midfielder but he's never a central pivot.
The England team as a whole look so short of passion or intensity compared to pretty much every side so far at the tournament. They don't look like they're nearly as proud to be there as some much smaller sides. I do sometimes wonder about a total radical experiment of playing a whole squad of uncapped players for a round of internationals just to see if they step up and have that extra edge, if only because I no longer have faith in England to see through good results regardless of how strong a set of players we have. And right now we just have a gaggle of good individuals, some of whom are being misused to accommodate, rather than a team.

I thinks it’s quite obvious a lot of England fans have never seen Bellingham play. He’s playing a similar role to what he does at Madrid. He isn’t some kind of playmaking CM, who’s gonna dominate the ball and run the game. He goes missing. I’m not saying I’ve seen him a lot. But I watched all Madrid CL knockout games and last night was a typical Bellingham performance.

The only way I’d move him is into a false 9 role and drop Kane. Have Saka/Gordon/Watkins doing the running each side, swapping throughout the game. This will then open him up a little and bring Foden into his preferred position.

The TAA and Trippier situation are pretty easy fixes imho. But for me Kane is more damaging for the “team” than helping.

[Colburn_Claret]

As for people calling for Kane to be dropped, Bellingham to play higher, Foden to switch wings..........
It's irrelevant. No matter which players are on the pitch, they still won't have any tactics, still no team understanding, they'll still look poor.
Top players have the best coaching in the world, all Southgate has to do is organise them. Failed miserably.

[beddie]

I thought Shearer summarised the shambles perfectly. In our first game it was clear the system wasn’t working, late in the first game TAA went off for Gallagher, last night it was almost repeat. The starting eleven should have looked different, Gordon and Palmer should have played some part. The midfield players needed a rocket up their -rse.

[bumba]

In all seriousness if our best left back plays in league 2, pick him. Playing round pegs in square holes doesn't work.
Given time that the Premier League offers, it might in time, but in a group that comes together so little it's a disaster.

I agree, Leif Davis had a brilliant season in the championship I'd rather he started than Trippier at left back.
He can't even use his left foot and will avoid it even to put us in danger, the one he hooked with his left foot in the second half was drunken Sunday league stuff

[Rileybobs]

Crap game, crap performance. Yesterday’s game reminded me of England’s draw against Scotland in Euro 2020 when we seemed content to take a comfortable point which guarantees progression to the next round and also leaves us as favourites to top the group. In that tournament the performances gradually picked up and we were a penalty shootout away from winning the tournament.

But the team is playing without any spark or passion. They look so pedestrian and short of ideas. Last night was a chance to win the group and completely take the pressure off for the final game. Also a chance to build some momentum and confidence.

Southgate made another poor team selection and really needs to rethink how he sets this team up which may include making one or two unpopular calls. But the players also need to step up because they’re miles short.

[chekhov]

Haven’t seen anyone mention Declan Rice. It was bizarre lots of his passes were either short or misplaced. He just seemed to be on his heels and really sluggish the whole game.

Even the mistake by Guehi that led to a chance for Denmark late on was the result of a short pass by Rice.
It was a very strange England performance though maybe not when you consider the history of England teams in tournaments. I suppose it’s just that England will always be Englandy in the same way that Spurs will always be Spursy.

[taio]

Opportunity for things to improve considerably if Southgate has the ability to adapt and not keep doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome. Some of his decisions have bizarre - it's unbelievable that Palmer and Gordon haven't played. Trippier and TAA should be dropped.

[RVclaret]

This is fantastic from Jonathan Liew this morning

[THEWELLERNUT70]

I saw this and it's absolutely astonishing. He is away with the fairies.

That's Southgate's "Sunak/Sky TV" moment, where you can see someone sinking and sinking quickly to the point they don't realise how ridiculous what's coming out of their mouth sounds

[willsclarets]

I think 352 suits us better but you'd have to drop some good players.

Pickford

Guehi
Stones
Walker
TAA right
Gordon left

Rice
Bellingham
Foden
These three are intelligent enough to cover each other defensively.

Kane in more of a 10
Watkins stretching the defence


You get the best of TAA, you get Foden central seeing more of the ball. No one is playing on the wrong side. Kane can drop deep without leaving no one as an out ball.

[Darthlaw]

Wills, I'd suggest dropping Saka, who has been arguably our only real threat going forward (only player with an assist?) is a very Southgate-like tactical move - Ergo... mental.

Saka to left wing back, maybe but drop him?

TAA needs dropping. Rice and Bellingham need a rocket after the Denmark game and Kane needs to be told not to leave the penalty box.

[willsclarets]

Wills, I'd suggest dropping Saka, who has been arguably our only real threat going forward is a very Southgate-like tactical move - Ergo... mental.

Saka to left wing back, maybe but drop him?

I don't think any of them can claim they're undroppable on those performances except maybe Guehi. Saka is a good player, what he gives you is a bit of directness and pace. You have that here with Gordon and Watkins, while adding some quality with the crossing ability of TAA in his favoured position. I don't think its mental at all.

[expoultryboy]

What does amaze me , is that it sounds as though the team hasn't trained/been coached how to "press" together. Southgate to Wales ?

[THEWELLERNUT70]

The intensity, passion and belief from players is instilled by the manager, it looks to me like all faith in Soughgates mantra have collapsed from a player point of view

[South West Claret.]

England were indeed awful with Kane playing far to deep.

Incidentally who was captain when Kane went off please anyone?

[Clovius Boofus]

Walker.

[Darthlaw]

I don't think any of them can claim they're undroppable on those performances except maybe Guehi. Saka is a good player, what he gives you is a bit of directness and pace. You have that here with Gordon and Watkins, while adding some quality with the crossing ability of TAA in his favoured position. I don't think its mental at all.

Saka is probably the only player to come out of both games with credit. TAA is the only player to have been definitively ruled as ineffective in both.

He's also the only player with an assist, if you rule out the pinball goal yesterday which thankfully fell to Kane.

Dropping Saka and keeping TAA in the team would be very Southgate-esque based on that.

[Sproggy]

You could take a dump in the middle of the pitch and it would be an adequate replacement for Kalvin Phillips.

How have we ended up taking two untried midfielders and experimenting with a right back in midfield (who earlier in the season wasn't even making the squad)? Was Kalvin Phillip's decline more sudden than I remember? It seems to have come as a late surprise to Southgate.

[South West Claret.]

Walker.

Thanks CB.

[bumba]

What does amaze me , is that it sounds as though the team hasn't trained/been coached how to "press" together. Southgate to Wales ?

The comments in the interviews by players suggest they aren't happy with the coaching and that Southgate has lost them.
He's trying to hard to be their 'mate'

[willsclarets]

Saka is probably the only player to come out of both games with credit. TAA is the only player to have been definitively ruled as ineffective in both.

He's also the only player with an assist, if you rule out the pinball goal yesterday which thankfully fell to Kane.

Dropping Saka and keeping TAA in the team would be very Southgate-esque based on that.

I think that's very unfair on Guehi, he's definitely got credit in the bank. TAA has been pretty awful in central midfield agreed, but then he's not a central midfielder. I take your point about Saka, but I think something's got to give to make the team more balanced. In my opinion that team is much more balanced with Watkins in there plus a natural left-sided player and someone to deliver quality from wide areas. But each to their own!

[Poulton-le-Claret]

Saka is probably the only player to come out of both games with credit.

Guehi as well I would argue

[Darthlaw]

Fair play Guehi was solid in the first game and despite his Darikwa style 'cock up and recover' yesterday, probably the best player on the pitch.

Regards TAA, what is his position? It's fairly well known that his defending is suspect so quite why we'd push Walker into a back 3 to accommodate his potential crosses, whilst binning the player with the only successful crossed assist, just reeks of more square pegs in round holes.

Pick the best team with the best form players and go from there. For that reason, we have to be getting Gordon/Palmer, Mainoo/Wharton, Foden and Bellingham into the team.

Pickford

Walker Stones Guehi Shaw
Mainoo Rice
Saka Foden Palmer
Kane

And if Kane / Rice don't buck their ideas and press drop em for Wharton and Watkins.

[willsclarets]

Fair play Guehi was solid in the first game and despite his Darikwa style 'cock up and recover' yesterday, probably the best player on the pitch.

Regards TAA, what is his position? It's fairly well known that his defending is suspect so quite why we'd push Walker into a back 3 to accommodate his potential crosses, whilst binning the player with the only successful crossed assist, just reeks of more square pegs in round holes.

Pick the best team with the best form players and go from there. For that reason, we have to be getting Gordon/Palmer, Mainoo/Wharton, Foden and Bellingham into the team.

Pickford

Walker Stones Guehi Shaw
Mainoo Rice
Saka Foden Palmer
Kane

And if Kane / Rice don't buck their ideas and press drop em for Wharton and Watkins.

So you're dropping Bellingham, and I'm the mental one?

[Darthlaw]

I did forget Bellingham

Bellingham for Mainoo

But yes you are

[TheFamilyCat]

Saka is probably the only player to come out of both games with credit. TAA is the only player to have been definitively ruled as ineffective in both.

He's also the only player with an assist, if you rule out the pinball goal yesterday which thankfully fell to Kane.

Dropping Saka and keeping TAA in the team would be very Southgate-esque based on that.

Being pedantic, Saka's assist was deflected so technically we haven't provided a goalscoring chance directly ourselves yet.

[Rileybobs]

Slovakia winning 1-0. They look very good - well organised and lots of options on the ball. Shows how a well drilled team can be more than the sum of its parts. Ukraine look very poor on the flip side.

[Murger]

Was that the in invitation warm up tournament before the 98 World Cup? for all his personal accomplishments he’s got 1 Premiership medal and many years in an underperforming England Team, so I suppose he is talking from experience!!

Shearer gets in ahead of Kane every day of the week.

[Vegas Claret]

1-1

[Vegas Claret]

2-1 Ukraine

[South West Claret.]

The perverbial game of two halves Slovakia v Ukraine.

[Conroysleftfoot]

Liking this Austrian team. Talk about putting a shift in.

[Vegas Claret]

1-0 Austria

[Vegas Claret]

Liking this Austrian team. Talk about putting a shift in.

They'd beat our lot

[Conroysleftfoot]

They'd beat our lot

Too right, we'd be totally overrun.

[Vegas Claret]

1-1 this is turning into another great game