Realistically this has been a problem since the last world cup. We didn't use the cycle well at all. I mean both the Ukraine games we spent putting James Maddison in as a left winger, which was a complete waste of everyones time on both occasions and I guess a foresight into our issues this summer. In the June games last summer we played TAA in midfield as a right 8 with Henderson and Rice cleaning up his off the ball work, then played him in a completely different midfield role this summer. Come November we saw the first use of TAA as one of the 2 defensive midfielders, which failed - but we ignored. By far the most successful games were the Italy and Scotland games, particularly in the Autumn where we used Rashford's pace on the left to great effect in a 4-3-3 but come the tournament we gave up attempting anything like this (seemingly Gordon wasn't rated?). We also completely ignored that Maguire was in horrible form for the entire cycle and making repeated errors, though obviously his injury stopped us seeing how this would have played out in the tournament. It was very odd all round. For most the cycle, really till March we were very reluctant to look to new options, then come the tournament we take a load of new options, most of whom he was relucant to play.
Jordan Pickford appreciation post. Once again, another phenomenal showing for his country. What a 'keeper 👏🏴 pic.twitter.com/IHkeYCphWZ— The Sun Football ⚽ (@TheSunFootball) July 14, 2024
You couldn't say no to Guardiola, but it would be the definition of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. I would back us to tarnish his reputation rather than ever actually win anyhing.
Interestingly Maguire was pretty good for Man United in the season just gone. l have felt for a while Southgate doesn’t really rate Gordon but decided for whatever reason Rashford couldn’t even be in the provisional squad. We should be aiming for 6 wins out of 6 in the nations league and at the very least no defeats.
Mixed bag. He was an exceptional keeper, as always. He spent the whole game giving them back the ball, as always.
I think that was what he was told to do. And is something Carsley or Potter might struggle with as they can’t drop Trafford in anytime soon as he is not ready at all.
Isn't that largely because the people in front of him had a tendency to cough up possession any time they came under pressure? Declan Rice has good defensive instincts but he's not exactly what you'd call 'a play-maker' in terms of passing. He just tends to run with the ball until he gets closed down and then passes it sideways or backwards. I agree about Pickford's habit of launching it though, and sometimes straight to the other keeper.
He was punting it like he had no other option. I don't know if that was an instruction but I doubt it - hard to see anyone saying "hang it up for Foden and Saka, they'll win the header at least once in twenty".
Euro 2020 final 34% possession Euro 2024 final 34% possession well at least he's good at making the boys feel happy about having the privilege to represent their country.
As always his keeping was good. But his long kicking was shocking and fact he kept on doing it was shocking also.
Moving on.......thanks to Southgate we now have a year of playing shite teams, playing Ireland, Finland and Greece is going to teach us NOTHING, we ain't improving unless we can arrange matches against some quality.
The more I think about it the fact that TAA was considered a complete liability defensively only for Kyle Walker to have the worst tournament performance ever as a right back who offered absolutely nothing offensively from the get go blows my mind. Sigh. I'm just really heartbroken. The man is so conservative with his choices but has zero concept of what constitutes a logical risk. This team could have won it all. They didn't. Yet despite it all, we came a cleared header off the line away from sending it to extra time. Oh and what gives with not trying to get corners against their shorty team?
Was watching a stage of the Tour de France today, and a commentator said, to win this race you have to risk losing it, you have to go big on a mountain & risk your lungs & legs saying no to you & your Tour being over & from there making up the numbers. England never went big, they lost it while not daring to take the risk required to try to win it. Having had the draw open up so fortuitously, to be in a final when all the better sides had to take each other out on the other side of the draw & to then not just throw some punches at 1-1 ( when not deserving to be level, the game could have been dead by then ) why ? Why not take a swing ? Fear of losing is the greatest impediment to winning and that side on some level played like they knew they did not belong in that final. Spain beat, Croatia / Italy / Germany & France on the way to that final. Would England have been finalists if that was their path ? Not a hope. & the players know that & psychologically it was evident. But somehow, they got to 1-1 with some momentum and folded, because quarter finalist is their ceiling, but for another quirk of the draw going massively in Englands favour at a finals. There is very little scrutiny on that, all focus is on the final itself, and that is understandable in the immediate aftermath but again, the first elite, there to win it, country England faced, they were beaten and deserved to be.
Decided to remain quiet and look at everyone's opinion and analysis while lamenting all night. Came up short again, but heading in the right direction overall. We got beat by the better team which isn't that hard to live with yet hard to take with not having a go when we had Spain on the ropes a bit then the header cleared off the line was a sucker punch to my groin. What can I can say? I, along with most of you love supporting England and hope we win a tournament, which is why it hurts to see them get so far and fall at the tip of the mountain. I very much appreciate what Southgate has done for England. He's one of the best to ever manage the team, but it's time to move on and believe he will. As always, I loved interacting with y'all in the buildup and throughout another major tournament. I learn so much on here and also entertained by your takes crazy or astute. God knows when it's coming home, but it will be coming in the near future. Come on England!
Might not be posdible. It’s possible we have no friendlies slots for over a year. Or longer. And because of the nature of the schedule getting top teams in is not easy as UEFA make sure only a few are not playing qualifies at any time,
I’m not sure he will. The FA will be telling him they might have to hire Lampard or Dyche to scare him.
I think in the short-term the main areas we can yield the most improvement from are (hopefully) getting Reece James to a somewhat consistent level of fitness so he and Trent can hold down that RB spot, getting Wharton much more integrated into the midfield and getting some pace (Rashford, Gordon and maybe Philogene at some point) into the side. Hopefully Lewis Hall for a bit of LB depth too. Walker and Trippier should have played their last games, while I find it hard to envision a role for Gallagher going forward. I just don't see the need for him and Rice being in the squad, it's an overload of a profile you don't really need in abundance. Foden should very much be on thin ice too imo. Regardless of what you do at club level there's only so long you can be ineffective for the NT before your place gets questioned. Whatever the issue is I think it's quite a bit deeper than him simply being played out of position or not being used right. Southgate bent over backwards trying to accommodate him throughout this tournament and it was largely to our detriment.
England should be playing a high pressing style of football and learn how to resist being high pressed. Gave away possession far too often. Important that young kids in academies etc are coached this way so there a culture of style of football. Need changes in the FA because I’m not confident in those in power.
England need a system and a style of play, like all top nations and clubs have rather than shoe horning players into a formation that doesn’t suit them
Spain's press was fantastic. They gave us no time on the ball. On the other hand we allowed them acres of space by sitting off them. That explained the difference in passing quality
We really aren’t. Southgate’s clunky, defensive game couldn't be further away from the Total Football of Rinus Michels and that glorious Cruyff-inspired Dutch side.
The next manager will have to try Foden sevreal times. They simply wont have the respect to not be able to without it becoming the issue - Foden’s issues are nearly always said to be down to Southgate and with Coty likely to be dominant again in the league he would have to decline a lot. Until a team makes a tournament only club performances count in most people’s eyes