Final | Spain vs England
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) and Jamie (@Vault Dweller) get the depressing job of reviewing United's 3-0 loss at Old Trafford to Liverpool. They discuss what went wrong, Casemiro's day to forget, and the pressure now on Erik Ten Hag. They also take some time to give McTominay a proper farewell, and give their overall thoughts on the Summer Transfer Window.
That would be Germany.
Anyone thinking that England under Southgate was one of the better teams of the Euros is either blind or has a serious bias.
Meh. Even if true it wouldn’t explain the technical superiority as a team Spain have. Passes to the space not the man, triangulating, collective possession etc
We lost because Southgate does not believe in himself or his team.
I am British but not English so was happy to support England all the way. Naturally I was disappointed in the overall result.
I am not subjected to the British press and can't really understand the hype about a "golden generation". England has a few good players and some may even be approaching world class. If only some players had brought their club form and some of the form players had seen more game time.
Pickford and the back four are adequate without being spectacular. Shaw was the best of the bunch although I'm still not sure how he got on the plane to play one and a half games. Rice was disappointing. Mainoo will be in trouble for defying the team ethic - taking the ball, turning and running forward - I'm not sure he was supposed to do that!! My local pundits thought that England might target Cucurella as Saka had done well against him in the EPL. Every time Saka had the ball he was swarmed by three or four Spanish players - otherwise throughout the tournament he hadn't done too badly. Foden obviously left his boots, his brain and his heart in Manchester. I don't get to watch Kane and Bellingham too much but obviously they weren't living up to the hype - very disappointing.
I didn't see anyone in the English team who could grab the game by the scruff of the neck and take control.
Finally - the manager is uninspiring and unimaginative. Time to move on - just hopefully not to OT!
I am not subjected to the British press and can't really understand the hype about a "golden generation". England has a few good players and some may even be approaching world class. If only some players had brought their club form and some of the form players had seen more game time.
Pickford and the back four are adequate without being spectacular. Shaw was the best of the bunch although I'm still not sure how he got on the plane to play one and a half games. Rice was disappointing. Mainoo will be in trouble for defying the team ethic - taking the ball, turning and running forward - I'm not sure he was supposed to do that!! My local pundits thought that England might target Cucurella as Saka had done well against him in the EPL. Every time Saka had the ball he was swarmed by three or four Spanish players - otherwise throughout the tournament he hadn't done too badly. Foden obviously left his boots, his brain and his heart in Manchester. I don't get to watch Kane and Bellingham too much but obviously they weren't living up to the hype - very disappointing.
I didn't see anyone in the English team who could grab the game by the scruff of the neck and take control.
Finally - the manager is uninspiring and unimaginative. Time to move on - just hopefully not to OT!
I'm guessing this is the general consensus in here anyway, but setting England up to play without the ball and still playing Kane, Foden and Bellingham was terrible tactically. I think it's either cowardice or extreme naivety from Southgate. We can all talk about individual performances but ultimately this comes down to poor tactics from a manager on borrowed time. One good 45 minutes in the whole tournament and weaker xG than Croatia who played three games.
Maybe Watkins with Gordon and Saka either side in a front three would've been the way to go. Potentially TAA at RWB to play longer passes, with Shaw on the other side and the same midfield and back three? Might've had some joy there if we had players who would run in behind. Carvajal wouldn't have had a fun game playing against someone more direct like Gordon is.
Maybe Watkins with Gordon and Saka either side in a front three would've been the way to go. Potentially TAA at RWB to play longer passes, with Shaw on the other side and the same midfield and back three? Might've had some joy there if we had players who would run in behind. Carvajal wouldn't have had a fun game playing against someone more direct like Gordon is.
Its pretty clear that Harry Kane was not fully fit, as neither was Luke Shaw; so why did Southgate include them? To be fair Kane could have started on the bench and come on later, but, just as happened with Bryan Robson, David Beckham and Wayne Rooney, an England manager hasnt got the guts to leave certain injured players out.
Southgate is, at best, a mediocre manager but he ticks all the FA boxes as hes "nice" doesnt take people to court, fills in his tax returns promptly and doesnt make statements likely to cause offence......and hes a good loser, but then hes had plenty of practice.
Southgate is, at best, a mediocre manager but he ticks all the FA boxes as hes "nice" doesnt take people to court, fills in his tax returns promptly and doesnt make statements likely to cause offence......and hes a good loser, but then hes had plenty of practice.
The squad selection was completely void of logic, as were the subsequent team selections once the tournament started.
That last paragraph sums him up perfectly
Kyle walker was horrible for England in the final. Williams left open for the first goal and a free cross was allowed for the second goal.
I think this fourfourtwo video is a really good analysis of the key moments and the goals. Lots that makes sense there. My reflections after it were:
- Harry wasn't injured, just in a system which didn't suit him. He shouldn't have been starting, at least not after the group stages
- I was screaming for Trippier to come in at RB from about 65 minutes because Walker looked knackered, and maybe was right
- Something weird is going on for Pickford to have been persisting with punting long balls forward even when players on the pitch were screaming at him for balls to feet - maybe some dissention in camp. Maybe Southgate didn't think he could drop him. I don't believe for a second he can have been following instructions.
- Spain were actually really good, but we weren't bad.
- Harry wasn't injured, just in a system which didn't suit him. He shouldn't have been starting, at least not after the group stages
- I was screaming for Trippier to come in at RB from about 65 minutes because Walker looked knackered, and maybe was right
- Something weird is going on for Pickford to have been persisting with punting long balls forward even when players on the pitch were screaming at him for balls to feet - maybe some dissention in camp. Maybe Southgate didn't think he could drop him. I don't believe for a second he can have been following instructions.
- Spain were actually really good, but we weren't bad.
We don't have a culture of recycling the ball in midfield. So it's not a question of producing a Rodri, we can produce a teenager who might turn out like him, but English football, adult football, will wring that out of him. In youth football, Loftus Cheek looked like Ballack, then he went to Palace and hared after loose balls all the time. That's English football.
John Barnes said similarly, here when Rice has looked good, people then start demanding he do more, roam around the pitch more. Spainiards never talked like that about Busquets, expecting him to become some all action box to box hero. All roads point to Gerrard and Bryan Robson here in England.
I'm not sure Carrick was a casualty of Gerrard/Lampard, if anything it was Owen Hargreaves and later, more significantly, Gareth Barry, who was preferred in that deep midfield position. By that time, England played 433.
John Barnes said similarly, here when Rice has looked good, people then start demanding he do more, roam around the pitch more. Spainiards never talked like that about Busquets, expecting him to become some all action box to box hero. All roads point to Gerrard and Bryan Robson here in England.
I'm not sure Carrick was a casualty of Gerrard/Lampard, if anything it was Owen Hargreaves and later, more significantly, Gareth Barry, who was preferred in that deep midfield position. By that time, England played 433.