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The Euro 2020 (football) thread.

I don’t dispute what he said but players generally volunteer to take a penalty, you can’t really force them. I have no idea about the context of his decision, Saka could have been great in practice.

If Southgate asked them after penalty training, then I'm sure most of the players would say they would take one. Saying no might have affected their chances of playing. They all want to play.

Yes, he is a defensive coach, it generally worked, it’s been a while since I enjoyed watching England as much despite this.

There needs to be a good balance between defence and attack tactics. We definitely played well as a defensive unit - only 2 goals conceded in 7 games. For me, we didn't attack enough at times, especially when we got in front against the better teams - I wanted us to kill the games off with the 2nd or 3rd goal (excepting the Ukraine game). That system of play and tactics comes from the manager and coaches, but ultimately in a game, the manager has the final say and control. Given the attacking options we had in the squad, I think we were far too cautious at times. For years I've heard of people complaining we didn't have the players to go toe-to-toe attacking with XYZ teams. And yet, when we finally did and do have the players, we go with the old defensive "lets not get beaten first" mentality. Gareth didn't use his substitutes well enough to bring on fresh legs and change the formation or pattern of play. Some players should have been hooked and others given more of a chance. Kane and Stirling seemed to be untouchable and Grealish, Bellingham and Sancho were not used enough.

Overall, we did better than I expected at the outset. However, I think the 2022 World Cup will be a different kettle of fish with the timing, location, heat and humidity to deal with. I don't think Southgate will do better than he has already achieved. I think he will continue until after the World Cup and he deserves that opportunity given what he has achieved to date and that it's only 18 months away.
 
Unfortunately I can.:eek:

Think he had a perfect record for us…

Yaya was awesome, he’d just step up and pop the ball in the net every single time. Balotelli always scored, but there was always a drama. You always thought this might be the one he missed. Schmeichel and Hart both said they never saved one of his.

It was cruel asking Saka to take the last one. Should have been a different story, Rashford and Sancho should have done better really. I really don’t like this stopping before taking it. It means they can change their mind. Better to have a plan and try to execute it than risk freezing in the heat of the moment!
 
With all the ugly racist abuse, I am disappointed in the BBCs coverage. Every time they show Saka's penalty, and the emotion afterwards, but never the other two. So poor Saka is going to get more abuse, when he was only one of three.
 
I don't know much about football but the feeling I get is that the Premier League and its millionair tv contracts have a lot to blame. English players tend to play in the UK and for that reason become over rated and overpaid (because they are English and appeal to national pride). also the premier league is so popular that we tend to ignore what goes on in Italy, the bundesleague and La Liga in Spain where there are exceptional players
 
I had a really enjoyable month, lots of fine games, minnows getting upsets, happy fans, Ian Wright going mental.
If we get a viable alternative/backup to Kane (he had a poor tournament) we are contenders for the next few years, I expect this group of players to be winners having learnt the habit in England youth teams and at European level for their clubs.
As said by many St. George’s was a logical and brilliant idea, young people nowadays remember the 2012 olympics not 1966, so I have faith.
Oh yes and arsenal win the treble:D
 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/ar...MLbA8GaJX72cfNvmRRLeS4CjRIoZ8HELNPtTIULcK8cYE

3. Aplomb

A lovely word, used almost exclusively by football commentators who wouldn’t think of deploying it anywhere else in life. To “finish with aplomb” is to score a goal neatly, stylishly and with total authority. We all really need to be doing more things with aplomb.


Anyway. When did commentators/pundits start using 'park' as opposed to 'pitch'?

Probably after they changed 'tackled' to 'dispossessed'...
 
The most predictable thing about the final was realising that the 3 penalty takers who missed were going to be targeted online by racist trolls. Those drunken pricks and those breaking into Wembley, causing all kinds of crap before during and after don’t deserve a winning team so on one side I’m not arsed about the result at all.

And Marcos Rashford has NOTHING to apologise for. NOTHING.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57814154
 
St Georges Park - I took my nephew there a couple of years ago - he was being assessed to play for England U23's at Futsol. He played a couple of games for them in this format - now plays for Nottm Trent Uni etc.

Anyway, I started to reverse into Southgate's allocated parking spot - my nephew had a right fit about it, until he realised I was joking.:D

St George's is an impressive place IMO, and part of the reason why the England Team is on the up.

We go to our 1st final in 55 years and still there is no pleasing some. And we wonder why some of our sportsmen and women end up with depression and worse due to the pressure they are placed under.

They need supporting, not lambasting, FFS.

Remember it goes something like, "Those who have never made a mistake - have they actually done anything?"
 
The most predictable thing about the final was realising that the 3 penalty takers who missed were going to be targeted online by racist trolls. Those drunken pricks and those breaking into Wembley, causing all kinds of crap before during and after don’t deserve a winning team so on one side I’m not arsed about the result at all.

And Marcos Rashford has NOTHING to apologise for. NOTHING.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57814154
I agree with this. A progressive group of players met by the regressive behaviour of an ugly but loud minority. Shameful.
 
England have a good set up and a well bonded team. This should bode well for the future. Regarding the predictable response from the knuckle-draggers - I thought the tweet by Tyrone Mings was spot on, Patel's odious utterance certainly didn't help and played exactly to the audience her and Johnson have been courting. You don't get to encourage these thugs in one breath, then feign outrage when it's inconvenient to be associated with them.

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/johnny-mercer-tyrone-mings-tweet-5643798
 
Probably after they changed 'tackled' to 'dispossessed'...

Another new one to me was a defender being described as 'nibbling' at a forward. When I were a lad, the likes of Tommy Smith would take great chunks out rather than just nibbling.
 
Another new one to me was a defender being described as 'nibbling' at a forward. When I were a lad, the likes of Tommy Smith would take great chunks out rather than just nibbling.
I remember seeing Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris nibbling at a forward at my very first match, in around 1968. Ron probably got a serious glare from the ref, while the nibblee spent the rest of the season in plaster.
 
Another new one to me was a defender being described as 'nibbling' at a forward. When I were a lad, the likes of Tommy Smith would take great chunks out rather than just nibbling.

And Norman Hunter would bite yer legs.

EVzCks4XQAIkx53.jpg
 


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