Chiellini and Co

[COBBLE]

Have we got it wrong about defenders over 30 years old?

[Buxtonclaret]

About as good a defending pairing as you can get.

[tim_noone]

Quality

[bobinho]

They were excellent tonite, and he knew exactly what he was doing when he took out saka when the break was on. That was an old head at work. Brilliant.

Best team won, no question.

[ksrclaret]

They are an outstanding pair but we did their job for them tonight when we stopped playing and Kane stopped pulling off in front of them which was causing them huge issues.

From then on in, they had their cigars out.

[Herts Clarets]

They could have had their deck chairs out from half time, we offered so little. Your tactical genius Southgate totally exposed tonight.

[thelaughingclaret]

Italy had what England didn’t, a world class manager, experience and calm heads. That is what wins you trophies. Best team won.

[boatshed bill]

Italy had what England didn’t, a world class manager, experience and calm heads. That is what wins you trophies. Best team won.

Yet, had it stayed at 1-0 to England everyone would have called Southgate a genius.

[Spijed]

How on earth do Italy produce so many world class defenders who become some of the greats of the game?

[TheFamilyCat]

Defending wasn't our undoing tonight.

[TsarBomba]

Deep into the second half of Extra Time, Chiellini makes a lung busting sprint down the left on the overlap.

Just phenomenal.

Said it before when we were looking at Young; age is becoming increasingly irrelevant.

Obviously it is dependent on the player, and their desire, but there is no reason why players can’t get to mid 30’s still playing at the top level, when you consider the whole sports science, nutrition and medical stuff behind the scenes.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

How on earth do Italy produce so many world class defenders who become some of the greats of the game?

They focus on defence more than attack quite simply.
They encourage their defenders to play out from the back, they protect their defenders very well and they've been like it for decades.

[boatshed bill]

They focus on defence more than attack quite simply.
They encourage their defenders to play out from the back, they protect their defenders very well and they've been like it for decades.

totally different game to our PL.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/wh ... -defenders

This is a good article about Italy and defenders

[Stayingup]

They focus on defence more than attack quite simply.
They encourage their defenders to play out from the back, they protect their defenders very well and they've been like it for decades.

If our teams played their domestic style we would all be moaning. Another thing they have fewer foreign defenders in their league. But no mistake there two central defenders are good. As were ours tonight against a player like Cheisa. He is very good.

[BurnleyFC]

Maguire and Stones were just as good.

[tim_noone]

Italy had what England didn’t, a world class manager, experience and calm heads. That is what wins you trophies. Best team won.

We Wont win owt wi kids...

[Alanstevensonsgloves]

They are an outstanding pair but we did their job for them tonight when we stopped playing and Kane stopped pulling off in front of them which was causing them huge issues.

From then on in, they had their cigars out.

No wonder they had issues if Kane was pulling one off infront of them. Red card offence surely?

[damo_whitehead]

Chielline was colossal and as much as it hurts they are worthy winners. Proud of this England side and losing in a final hurts, but the future is exciting. Remember losing to Iceland... perspective!

[Vegas Claret]

if you don't appreciate Chiellini and Bonucci then you don't understand footy - two ultimate professionals, warriors and talented footballers.

[Taffy on the wing]

The commentator on ESPN....Ian Darke? Half way through the 1st half......."If Italy are to win this, they'll have to do it to England from behind"
As we know they love doing it from behind.

[jtv]

As we know they love doing it from behind.

Those are the greeks

[Grumps]

Yet, had it stayed at 1-0 to England everyone would have called Southgate a genius.

But it didn't!!!

[CaptJohn]

Both on yellow cards for the entire extra time and Southgate did not bring on Sancho to run at them along with Saka? Big mistake IMHO.

[warksclaret]

The Italians responded after a disastrous start and from the 46th minute totally managed the game. And yes you can see why the central defenders have played together so often for club and country

[willsclarets]

I remember being skeptical when we brought in John McGreal and Mitchell Thomas. Different level of course, but It's one position where class stays a bit more permanent. The game's in front of you, and with so much experience and positional sense you can compensate a lot for the decline in athletic ability

[fanzone]

Last night could possibly have been their easiest night of football in both their careers.

[Colburn_Claret]

Apart from one pass in the build up to our goal, they had Kane in their pocket. Everytime he got the ball one of them was up his backside, making it impossible to turn which is why he kept ending up on his arse appealing for nonexistent fouls.
We needed a more mobile target to at least pull the centrehalves about. I don't think Kane broke into more than a jog the whole 2 hours. Calvert Lewin should have come on at half time.

[Rileybobs]

Apart from one pass in the build up to our goal, they had Kane in their pocket. Everytime he got the ball one of them was up his backside, making it impossible to turn which is why he kept ending up on his arse appealing for nonexistent fouls.
We needed a more mobile target to at least pull the centrehalves about. I don't think Kane broke into more than a jog the whole 2 hours. Calvert Lewin should have come on at half time.

That’s not true. Kane was brilliant in the first half and was instrumental in linking play, as demonstrated by our goal. He faded badly in the second half but taking him off would have been a ridiculous decision.

[Jakubclaret]

We didn’t test the 2 30+ Italian centre half’s more than enough, they well & truly schooled our whipper snappers, around the 70th mark saka & rashford should have been introduced to inject some pace & run at them & eventually they would have tired, bad in game management in my opinion, he was well aware that the ageing Italian defenders were going to run out of steam towards the end if exposed.

[ecc]

Maguire's distribution is...easy on the eye. Ben gets a hell of a lot of stick for his but £75m buys you a stopper with the footwork of a bulldozer.

[conyoviejo]

He's moving on to Wigan Warriors next season.

FB_IMG_1626115081388.jpg (53.95 KiB) Viewed 2491 times

[ecc]

"totally different game to our PL."

It used to be but not now.

[Colburn_Claret]

That’s not true. Kane was brilliant in the first half and was instrumental in linking play, as demonstrated by our goal. He faded badly in the second half but taking him off would have been a ridiculous decision.

Try watching a replay and ignore the match, just watch Kane on and off the ball, especially the second half. He couldn't hold the ball up, he couldn't play passes, but most unforgivable was his unwillingness to run and press the play. He walked through the last 75 mins.
I'm not saying Kane isn't a great footballer, but not every great footballer suits every great team. Kane wasn't what we needed last night, we might as well have played with 10 men for most of the game. Once he went deeper he freed Chiellini and co to relax and focus on our other threats. The fullbacks were free to snuff out Shaw and Tripps because the centrehalves had nothing to do. A mobile centre forward causing probelms at the back could have pulled the fullbacks narrower and allowed the wide men the space they needed.

[Rileybobs]

Try watching a replay and ignore the match, just watch Kane on and off the ball, especially the second half. He couldn't hold the ball up, he couldn't play passes, but most unforgivable was his unwillingness to run and press the play. He walked through the last 75 mins.
I'm not saying Kane isn't a great footballer, but not every great footballer suits every great team. Kane wasn't what we needed last night, we might as well have played with 10 men for most of the game. Once he went deeper he freed Chiellini and co to relax and focus on our other threats. The fullbacks were free to snuff out Shaw and Tripps because the centrehalves had nothing to do. A mobile centre forward causing probelms at the back could have pulled the fullbacks narrower and allowed the wide men the space they needed.

I’ve got no intention to re-watch any of that game. But I remember Harry Kane having a very good first half where he dropped deep to collect possession, very rarely lost it and won free kicks. He was largely absent in the second half, but I wasn’t disagreeing with that. You said he should have been hooked at half time which would have been ridiculous. The pundits were also praising him at half time.

[boatshed bill]

Try watching a replay and ignore the match, just watch Kane on and off the ball, especially the second half. He couldn't hold the ball up, he couldn't play passes, but most unforgivable was his unwillingness to run and press the play. He walked through the last 75 mins.
I'm not saying Kane isn't a great footballer, but not every great footballer suits every great team. Kane wasn't what we needed last night, we might as well have played with 10 men for most of the game. Once he went deeper he freed Chiellini and co to relax and focus on our other threats. The fullbacks were free to snuff out Shaw and Tripps because the centrehalves had nothing to do. A mobile centre forward causing probelms at the back could have pulled the fullbacks narrower and allowed the wide men the space they needed.

i've heard a few experts saying that Italy like the opposition to play narrow.