UEFA Euros 2024

[Brown Bottle]

He's shown in Germany that he can still score! The team needs to play to his strengths instead of leaving him to find his own crumbs!

We can’t break down 10 men behind the ball, we need to get the ball up the pitch quicker, it’s not so much a Kane problem as a lack of chances created. Kane is dropping too deep though, it’s too easy for the opposition centre halves when Kanes dropping off, he even took a throw in last night. Watkins made an instant impact because the defenders had something to deal with.

Cheers BB

 

[Lee T]

He's shown in Germany that he can still score! He did have the luxury of being a relatively unknown quantity for a while by nonetheless. The team needs to play to his strengths instead of leaving him to find his own crumbs!

The Bundesliga is not the strongest & his team pander to his needs for this reason, at international level it's different, space & time on the ball are much more limited & Kane is being found out. Leave him out or arrange a team to support him, which of course has it's downsides, carrying a player at this level never ends well.

 

[gavreid]

We can’t break down 10 men behind the ball, we need to get the ball up the pitch quicker, it’s not so much a Kane problem as a lack of chances created. Kane is dropping too deep though, it’s too easy for the opposition centre halves when Kanes dropping off, he even took a throw in last night. Watkins made an instant impact because the defenders had something to deal with.

Cheers BB

That's why I was so surprised at the key omissions from the squad. Grealish showed that he could make a big difference in the first friendly even if he was to be used as a "super sub" Rashford has always shown that spark for me. I think I called it a "brave decision" at the time.

 

[Lee T]

I watch a lot of Championship football, I’m struggling to think of an English left back who would do better than Trippier.

I’m sure Southgate can see what’s going on, if he can’t he’ll have an analyst sat in the stands who can. He can’t have instructed the 11 that started last night to play slowly and constantly be on their heals. Any half decent league manager could set that team up, the players have to take responsibility once they cross the white line.

We can all disagree on individual players and formations but whatever team we put out should do better than that performance last night.

Perhaps motivation is a problem, to the layman it’s hard to believe but we do have history of very good squads under achieving.

Cheers BB

Thankfully The players interviewed & the manager were not making excuses for that performance but there were a couple of worrying moments during Kane's interview where he alluded to not believing in the tactics or Gareth Southgate.

Historically England never start tournaments well & better to get it out of their system during the group matches than when faced with serious opposition in the remaining matches.

England are still top of the group & will probably stay there so it's not all doom & gloom.

 

[gavreid]

The Bundesliga is not the strongest & his team pander to his needs for this reason, at international level it's different, space & time on the ball are much more limited & Kane is being found out. Leave him out or arrange a team to support him, which of course has it's downsides, carrying a player at this level never ends well.

He scored a typical centre forward's goal just last night, that's what he's there for. They have to use him, they've got nobody else!

 

[Lee T]

That's why I was so surprised at the key omissions from the squad. Grealish showed that he could make a big difference in the first friendly even if he was to be used as a "super sub" Rashford has always shown that spark for me. I think I called it a "brave decision" at the time.

Grealish being omitted was a disappointment for me but Gareth doesn't get on with this kind o player, a bit of a maverick who shows spontaneity & genuine old school skill, Palmer suffering the same sitting on the bench during this debacle. Put him on, he scores goals & would fit well into international football.

 

[gavreid]

Palmer suffering the same sitting on the bench during this debacle.

Palmer was the stand out player in that first friendly for me.

 

[Bob McC]

TAA stitched up like a kipper - obvs shouldn’t be in midfield when he should be in RB.

England are finished with Southgate in charge.

I now look forward to the World Cup with a proper decent manager in charge: Jurgen Klopp.

RB!
He can’t defend to save his life.

 

[Woodface]

Some absolutely hysterical overreaction to an England team who top their group. I think Southgate & the players have been very honest in the press about the shortfall in performance. The TAA selection in midfield hasn't worked but it was worth a go given his passing range. I would probably give him a rest & make a change in midfield, Palmer needs some game time, he could easily come on for Foden for the last half hour.

The idea that Kane is out of his depth or being 'found out' is classic drunk man down the pub logic.

We've actually started this tournament better than we usually do, a lowish bar I grant you.

Relax, we probably won't win the tournament but will hopefully go relatively deep.

 

[Brown Bottle]

Some absolutely hysterical overreaction to an England team who top their group. I think Southgate & the players have been very honest in the press about the shortfall in performance. The TAA selection in midfield hasn't worked but it was worth a go given his passing range. I would probably give him a rest & make a change in midfield, Palmer needs some game time, he could easily come on for Foden for the last half hour.

The idea that Kane is out of his depth or being 'found out' is classic drunk man down the pub logic.

We've actually started this tournament better than we usually do, a lowish bar I grant you.

Relax, we probably won't win the tournament but will hopefully go relatively deep.

Liverpool University super computer has us losing in the final (pre tournament) to Germany. France and Portugal as losing semi finalists. I don’t know how the drawer works but I can see Spain disrupting that.

Based on current England performances you could argue that the super computer is in fact a ZX81.

Cheers BB

 

[Bob McC]

Some absolutely hysterical overreaction to an England team who top their group. I think Southgate & the players have been very honest in the press about the shortfall in performance. The TAA selection in midfield hasn't worked but it was worth a go given his passing range. I would probably give him a rest & make a change in midfield, Palmer needs some game time, he could easily come on for Foden for the last half hour.

The idea that Kane is out of his depth or being 'found out' is classic drunk man down the pub logic.

We've actually started this tournament better than we usually do, a lowish bar I grant you.

Relax, we probably won't win the tournament but will hopefully go relatively deep.

We have started the tournament exactly the same as we always have.
One win, one draw in the first two group matches is England’s record every time.

 

[Woodface]

Liverpool University super computer has us losing in the final (pre tournament) to Germany. France and Portugal as losing semi finalists. I don’t know how the drawer works but I can see Spain disrupting that.

Based on current England performances you could argue that the super computer is in fact a ZX81.

Cheers BB

Quite a lot teams start slow & end up doing well. Its very early days. I do think Spain will have a very strong say though.

 

[gez]

England supporters: don't dispair, England have a habit of playing to the lowest common denominator. They routinely struggle to outperform teams that theoretically they are far better than. Whilst the likes of Spain, Brazil, Germany etc etc will all routinely demolish "lower" teams by 4-5 goals, England rarely win by more than 2 no matter who they play and often make a real meal of doing so even when playing low ranked teams.

So fret not about the draw, England will progress (I mean come on, look at who else is in the group - unsurprisingly - can anyone remember when England were EVER in a strong group in any tournament? I can't, it's almost as if it's rigged).

 

[Woodface]

England supporters: don't dispair, England have a habit of playing to the lowest common denominator. They routinely struggle to outperform teams that theoretically they are far better than. Whilst the likes of Spain, Brazil, Germany etc etc will all routinely demolish "lower" teams by 4-5 goals, England rarely win by more than 2 no matter who they play and often make a real meal of doing so even when playing low ranked teams.

So fret not about the draw, England will progress (I mean come on, look at who else is in the group - unsurprisingly - can anyone remember when England were EVER in a strong group in any tournament? I can't, it's almost as if it's rigged).

It's called seeding. England tend to do well in qualifying, more weight should be added to tournament performance but, then again, they've gone quite deep in the last couple. Italy have done well is some tournaments but have also not qualified for others, there will always be anomalies.

 

[gez]

I don’t think I have ever heard the term “boutique” in relation to a manager…..and I think for good reason….its bollox. Aging Roy Hodgson, Steve Maclaren, Capello - more bygone era than boutique.

As for the fans being taken in by the PL propaganda - I would say it’s more like hype from the media but the fans have generally not bought into it as evident on this thread and I see very little in the way of England flags in windows or on cars for this tournament.

The World class players thing, I don’t really give a shit about. Football is mostly a team game and individuals (Rooney, Beckham etc) have for too long been the focus rather than the balance of the team. TBF to Southgate hes usually good in this regard.

Not that you care about any of this - you only come here to revel in England fans discomfort because you are a bit of a saddo and you hate us and get a rise out of it. Rather than putting us down why don’t you turn your football intellect on the Scottish team to enlighten us on why Clarke and Co cant rekindle the heady days of Ali’s Tartan Army, Olee/Ola etc.

He does have a point about the Premier league though. Even after the clamp down on the maximum number of foreign players a team can have, most of the "top" players in the top teams are still foreign.

I've always felt that England just teaches the wrong type of football. There's not nearly enough emphasis on individual skill in my view. England have long been primarily about athletisism and "strength" and spirit. Still playing far too many long balls because they just simply lack the talent to get through the midfield against the best teams. It's not the players fault, it's how they've been trained to play since they were in school. Ironically, part of the blame for this style of play actually comes from the high quality of equipment and pitches etc in English football. It's no coincidence that the typical Brazilian player has the incredible ball control they do, because they grew up learning to play football on sandy beaches with small half deflated balls or on poor pitch surfaces etc, until the point they actually get picked up by teams, because that's all people can afford. (the majority of Brazilian players were born poor).

 

[cooky1257]

Just read the Guardian rated Stones as England's best player.....says it all.

 

[Rosewind]

The Danish defender who fell asleep on the pitch will be haunted by that Kane goal for a long time.
Kane was where he was supposed to be as a centre forward taking care of any loose ball.
The Danish goal scorer Hjulmand: it was indeed his first ever goal for Denmark. There have been a lot of long range screamers in the Euro 2024 tounament.
The English team played the way Denmark did in their first match against Slovenia, so I know the feeling: a lacklustre draw after a poor performance.

 

[Bas V]

The Bundesliga is not the strongest & his team pander to his needs for this reason, at international level it's different, space & time on the ball are much more limited & Kane is being found out. Leave him out or arrange a team to support him, which of course has it's downsides, carrying a player at this level never ends well.

Hmm, what were the final four in the Champions League this year? Just saying...

 

[Alex S]

Palmer was the stand out player in that first friendly for me.

He’s been the stand out player in the first two games for me.

 

[matthewr]

Some absolutely hysterical overreaction to an England team who top their group. I think Southgate & the players have been very honest in the press about the shortfall in performance. The TAA selection in midfield hasn't worked but it was worth a go given his passing range. I would probably give him a rest & make a change in midfield, Palmer needs some game time, he could easily come on for Foden for the last half hour.

This reads like something you say after a few warmup friendlies the Summer before the tournament not after 2 of 3 group games. Preparing for a tournament during the tournament itself and having no idea how the team is going to play is just basic coaching and preparation failure.

Also this idea that England start slowly drives me mad. If you play badly for three group games, play a bit better in the round of 16 and then play well in a losing effort in the quarter final you are not "improving" you are just not very good. Playing badly in 75% of your games is playing badly.