Euro 2020

[Valiant62]

11 hours ago, Jacko51 said:

Some of you may be old enough to remember Italy’s performances in the first group stage of the 82 World Cup. They were abject - scored 2 goals in 3 games.  They qualified in second place behind Poland by having scored one more goal than Cameroon. They were pilloried in the Italian press. Then they won the cup!!

I remember Northern Ireland beating Spain, the rest was a blur.

[Conrad]

Grealish should have played from the start, the most fouled player in the country wins loads of free kicks, then we need someone who can take a free kick, ward Prowse should have been in the squad at the expense of mount, Mounts free kicks and corners were shocking last night.

Kane is clearly out of form so why keep persevering with him when we have rashford, DCL, Sako. The next game is now a must not loose game.

[The Kalamazoo Kid]

10 hours ago, Loggerheads Sage said:

Wasn't that a 2nd leg and we won 2 - 1?

Yes, I put play-off 2nd leg - Scotland won 1-0 at Wembley. (Don Hutchison header)

We'd already won the 1st leg 2-0 at Hampden (Scholes 2) and went through 2-1 on aggregate. (....and then ballsed up in the actual tournament! - blowing the lead in 2 of our 3 games 🙄 - although we did beat Germany in the other game 😀 )

[Beech]

16 minutes ago, Conrad said:

Grealish should have played from the start, the most fouled player in the country wins loads of free kicks, then we need someone who can take a free kick, ward Prowse should have been in the squad at the expense of mount, Mounts free kicks and corners were shocking last night.

Kane is clearly out of form so why keep persevering with him when we have rashford, DCL, Sako. The next game is now a must not loose game.

 

Dropping Mount after the season he's had would have been insane. I do agree agree that Ward-Prowse should have gone though. I'd have actually taken him over Phillips myself. Whoever we play up top it's not going to matter if our midfield isn't up to much. The likes of Rice and Phillips or whoever starts there need to pass forward much more often and move the ball much more quickly.

[Conrad]

2 minutes ago, Beech said:

 

Dropping Mount after the season he's had would have been insane. I do agree agree that Ward-Prowse should have gone though. I'd have actually taken him over Phillips myself. Whoever we play up top it's not going to matter if our midfield isn't up to much. The likes of Rice and Phillips or whoever starts there need to pass forward much more often and move the ball much more quickly.

Agree Mount has had a good season for Chelski, but perhaps with hindsight, he’s done nothing for England.

[valiant_593]

3 minutes ago, Conrad said:

Agree Mount has had a good season for Chelski, but perhaps with hindsight, he’s done nothing for England.

Think he’s been decent for England. Certainly better than half of them. He at least wants the ball and runs forward with it. Kane, Sterling and rice / Phillips out for the next game with DCL, grealish and Bellingham in 

[darren1810]

2 hours ago, Playa Amodores said:

Perhaps it’s time to look at what result we need against Czech Republic, to assist us in avoiding the better teams so that we can get as far as we can in the tournament. This will allow us to talk about it for the next few years.
Still to win a tournament it’s not always the best team that wins it, it’s more about togetherness, ie Denmark and Greece. I’d imagine that after last night, the value of Billy Gilmour has skyrocketed. 
 

I think some of the draw scenario is being overplayed a bit in the media .

Yes if we beat the Czechs and top the group we have an incredibly difficult tie next. Possibly Portugal are Germany.

However were we to come 2nd it might possibly be Sweden, but then a last 8 v France and a last 4 of Belgium or Italy. 

So really either way is difficult, they've just got to try and win the game and see how it pans out. All gets clearer in a few days for example Sweden are in  with a chance of actually winning the group so it could arguably be Spain, France and Belgium or Italy in the half if we are runners-up.

What is clear is that perform like last night we won't go much further. 

 

[The Kalamazoo Kid]

9 minutes ago, darren1810 said:

I think some of the draw scenario is being overplayed a bit in the media .

Yes if we beat the Czechs and top the group we have an incredibly difficult tie next. Possibly Portugal are Germany.

However were we to come 2nd it might possibly be Sweden, but then a last 8 v France and a last 4 of Belgium or Italy. 

So really either way is difficult, they've just got to try and win the game and see how it pans out. All gets clearer in a few days for example Sweden are in  with a chance of actually winning the group so it could arguably be Spain, France and Belgium or Italy in the half if we are runners-up.

What is clear is that perform like last night we won't go much further.

Also, finishing top of the group massively reduces the travelling involved :-

- finishing 2nd in the group means a last-16 tie in Copenhagen, followed by a potential Quarter-Final in St Petersburg.

- whereas finishing top of our group means another game at Wembley in the last-16, with the subsequent Quarter-Final in Rome.

[philpvfc]

3 hours ago, Beech said:

 

Phillips wasn't playing as a defensive midfielder last night. He was just extremely safe (negative) in his passing and didn't offer any creativity whatsoever. But he was clearly playing ahead of Rice on the pitch.

May as well not have Rice on the pitch, he was awful. The amount of time Scotland found an easy pass to someone unmarked in front of our defence was a joke. Rice is excellent for West Ham but naff for England.

[valeparklife]

17 minutes ago, philpvfc said:

May as well not have Rice on the pitch, he was awful. The amount of time Scotland found an easy pass to someone unmarked in front of our defence was a joke. Rice is excellent for West Ham but naff for England.

There's a theme as to why players play well for their club and not country.

Southgate.

Get him gone.

[valiant_593]

It’s a quality squad, one of the best in the tournament, with probably the worst manager there. 

[Bycarsbill]

6 minutes ago, valiant_593 said:

It’s a quality squad, one of the best in the tournament, with probably the worst manager there. 

A bit harsh perhaps?  But it drives me mad that he's so reticent to use the speed he undoubtedly has available to him in the squad. England's set-up and movement is all too predictable.  Get into the last third of the pitch, check, pass sideways or backwards...repeat...repeat...repeat!  We need to get men past defenders, no wonder Harry Kane is not looking at his best--he's not getting any service, hence the reason he has to keep dropping back so deeply--again all too predictable for defenders to nullify the threat he undoubtedly would pose in the penalty box!

[Coyney Valiant]

8 minutes ago, valiant_593 said:

It’s a quality squad, one of the best in the tournament, with probably the worst manager there. 

He’s a failed club manager did nowt at Middlesbrough was a bang average player 

[For Us All]

4 hours ago, Biddulph_PV said:

That has to be one of the most abject, uninspiring, negative England performances I’ve seen for a good while. Although it’s hardly surprising with Southgate as manager, his interviews are so uninteresting it sounds at times like he’s boring himself. Two DM’s, why?? 

The praise we got after narrowly beating a poor Croatian side was way over the top. Yes, Modric and Perisic are still class, but they are 3 years past their peak. Fair play to Scotland, but the again wildly OTT celebrations show the extent of their ambitions.

Standby for another snorefest against the Czechs on Tuesday given a draw will send both through. I really hope it’s on ITV as I think I’ll go with EastEnders instead. I’ll tune in for the inevitable exit in the first knock out game.

Southgate has to go after this tournament.

He's with us for the next world cup.

[philpvfc]

51 minutes ago, Coyney Valiant said:

He’s a failed club manager did nowt at Middlesbrough was a bang average player 

If he was available I do not believe any Premiership club would entertain him as their manager. That is our problem, if we had a quality manager we would be serious contenders.