We already had a man on the field who could have done that job in Rice but unfortunately he appeared to have been told to form part of a defensive bank of four in front of the back four.
The reason we lost momentum was not the lack of a ball winner but a too defensive mindset on the part of the manager who once again tried to hold on to a narrow lead.
Why do the back four need ‘protecting’ anyway?
Interestingly, Southgate says the team dropping deep wasn’t his idea. If thats the case, why wasn’t he screaming at them from the touch line to get higher up the pitch. Of course, being Gareth he would have asked them politely, but even still while I don’t like seeing coaches/managers doing their ends from the sidelines, there is a time to give the players a right rollicking to get them to do what you want them to do.
If you are just going to let them do what they want when they get on the pitch, why do you need a coach?
That’s not what I was saying. I meant that we had to stop the opposition from having freedom of the midfield. We needed some steel there.
Let’s agree to disagree 
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I’m afraid that I was looking in a different field to you this afternoon.
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‘Can’ being the important word. But if you give the opposition the midfield, what do you expect ?
How Spain 
are not 3 or 4 goals up I don’t know 
(oh, 1-0 up now)
Spain have been on fire 
but I suggest the England 
camp watch Italy’s first half performance. Talk about keeping shape and pressing when NOT having the ball. Masterclass.
Of course, England probably wishes they were playing like Spain 
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I expect our abundance of ‘world class’ players to give a much better account of themselves than they have so far.
It doesn’t mean I expect them to win every game come what may, but I do think they should be performing rather better than we have seen so far.
So much for yet another ‘golden generation’.
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You can scream at someone all you like, but it’ll make no difference whatsoever.
When the Italians have the ball in midfield, just look at how the Spanish snap at their heels.
That’s what I am on about !!
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Agree completely.
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Spurs will have him for free…
Gareth Southgate would make Tony Pullis look like a tactical genius.
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We watched a bit of the Spain game after watching England earlier. My wife, who doesn’t like football much, used words like fast, slick and urgent when watching the Spanish. Which England were not.
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Southgate is pushing Stevie Clarke hard for worst manager in the tournament!
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Just watched the game, having saved it to ‘box. England were dreadful in large parts, almost like they’d never played together before. Usual issues of being susceptible to being high-pressed, with an inability to exit. Kane either needs to play as a pure 9 (i.e. stay up-field) or we need a rabbit runner to occupy the opponents’ defence.
The worst Italian team I’ve ever seen in my life.Outclassed and dominated not a single shot on goal.What a shame…
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England are the best evidence yet that if you pay people lavishly they lack any hunger to win and you don’t seem to get high performance either…
Honestly some talented kids from the back streets of Liverpool could do a better job, truly shocking!!
I watched in amazement in the last 10 mins as they continually passed the ball back to the goalie - where was the killer instinct? Also endless passes made to other players when they weren’t even under any pressure to pass. They gave the impression they were uncomfortable possessing the ball at all…
Bunch of over-paid under-achievers as usual…
JonathanG
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