Euro 2024

Saw that too. Not as good in my book. None of the England penalties were remotely saveable. Perfect performance :blush:
Edit: gobsmacked by Toney’s penalty. Poker faced, he just stared deep into the keepers eyes from before his run-up. Nerves cause failure in these tournaments. No sign of any in all 5 kicks. Joy!

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The gist of my posts on this thread has, I hope, been clearly that the criticism of both manager and team have been plainly ludicrous. That’s allied to my other point. That tournaments, like leagues and cups, are about finding ways to win and not “performances”. The best performances in this tournament have irrefutably come from teams who are… out.

Only 10 teams have ever won the Euros. Less than half could be said to have performed consistently well in doing so. Literally the most successful England manager of all time managing a team of arguably only 2 world class talents and you think there are grounds for criticism because he’s achieved more than anyone else?

Harsh on Ramsey who was within a whisker of the final in 1970, Mexico. No team in this competition comes close to Brazil in 70. I’m not knocking Southgate, I hope he brings home the trophy - perhaps his cautious approach will eventually pay dividends, but we’re beating teams from minor leagues not the big boys. Netherlands will be a sterner test. For now we’re avoiding banana skins, needing penalties to beat the Swiss a country of 8.5 million people. Our penalty takers were excellent. Our football in open play, adequate. Southgate has one thing in common with Ramsey, he’s stubborn/single minded. But Ramsey brought home the bacon. Given Germany are out no team has home advantage now so who knows. Only Spain look remotely on their game and they’re nothing like as good as their all conquering World Cup winners.

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What’s Gareth won?

Nothing.

Gareth has done very well getting a group of talented players to where we are, but when you look at the talent he has available to him should/could he have got more out of them?

Only one manager of England’s mens football team has actually won something, by default that makes that manager the most successful. If Gareth should get this England team over the line then he is very much our most successful manager.

As for the team well the team and tactics are picked by the manager, I think that criticism is justified, we haven’t looked good and only a moment of brilliance from Jude B stopped us from exiting the tournament in the round of 16, until then the team had huffed and puffed without doing very much against a side that was well organised and stopped us from playing.

Nothing that I have seen in this tournament has given me any indication that we are the best or close to being the best team in Euro 24. But as Greece proved in 2004 you don’t have to be the best to win.

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Well done Bukayo Saka a man of the match display from a player many wanted dropped to the bench.

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Sorry pal, but your posts are the very definition of what some of us have been banging on about here: Unrealistic expectations that turn to undue anger and harshness the moment it looks as if the team or coach have blinked.

I wish Scotland were as bad as England!

Get off their backs and give them support and encouragement. No, that’s never going to happen with a large chunk of the England support and ALL the English pundits.

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I thought Saka was absolutely brilliant today. And his penalty was a great ‘f*** off’ to all those vile people who piled in last time

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Call me old-fashioned, or whatever, but winning on penalties when you’ve only scored one goal after 120mins of play, is hardly a victory of worth in my mind, and sums up England’s restrained approach to this tournament. England’s attack looks very benign to my eyes and their ball movement often slow.

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Coming from behind to win in a European Championship quarter final against a very, very good opponent and doing so after a penalty shoot out in which you score all your penalties isn’t a victory of worth?

I agree England’s attacking play again wasn’t up to the standard it should be but as a team playing in a new formation with players like Saka playing in different positions I think they played very, very well and to win on penalties with all England’s history in penalty shoot outs deserves massive credit.

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Have to be impressed by England’s stickability and Saka deserves credit for his performance and redemptive penalty. Credit to Pickford, and Konsa did well coming in.

I guess the team was a bit better, Southgate’s reluctance to change anything much is perhaps paying off as they play more minutes as a unit but surely we can improve on the left wing? I don’t recall a single cross, or even a run down that side. Southgate obviously rates Shaw so maybe he will get a start? Palmer deserves more minutes. I thought Foden looked weary.

Not thrilling, but they are looking like a stubborn and determined group. That is taking them on for now. One odd thing; I was actually really confident when it went to penalties.

Bruce

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Ah well least you live to fight another day. I did fall asleep woke up at the 80th minute, probably should have just rolled over and gone back to sleep. :grin:

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History shows that teams who go on to win major tournaments often do so after uninspiring group stages and very close knockout games look at Argentina in the last World Cup, resilience and not conceding wins tournaments.

The Netherlands will be another tough game not as tough as Spain or France but tough all the same it is though a game we are more than capable of winning. Gareth Southgate has been very lucky to have the players he has because I believe our relative success in the recent past has been in spite of him rather than because of him.

Win or loose it is 100% time for Southgate to step down after this tournament because I believe that a better manager who will have the balls to drop the older players like Kane, Walker, Trippier and Shaw in favour of the exceptional young talent we have can go on to win the next World Cup.

I’m more than happy to support my country but equally I’m not blinkered into believing that they are the best team there.

Gareth has a wonderfully talented squad but he needs to use it, if plan A isn’t working try something different, if the opposition are stopping you from playing the way you want to - change. But Gareth doesn’t, he keeps plugging away only making changes when it is too late for them to have an impact.

I will be delighted if our men’s squad can bring the trophy home that will be wonderful but it won’t mask a lot of the issues that exist within this squad and the management of the squad.

And, I am allowed to have an opinion.

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When the game finished and it became a penalty competition I’m glad Southgate became proactive and produced a team of his best available penalty takers.
Southgate has done a very good job in turning us into a force at major tournaments. I do however believe he could be less conservative in his approach considering the players available to him.
We seem to plod along until a goal down before turning to a more effective team.
Would you start with Palmer?
Kane occupied two of their defenders and created space but doesn’t look the player he usually is, would you replace him?

I don’t think that Harry is fully fit, he had a back issue with Bayern just before their season finished, maybe he is carrying that injury into this tournament. If that is the case use him for 60 minutes then swap him out or bring him on at 60 minutes as an impact player.

Teams fear Harry but if he isn’t operating at 100% use him as an impact player.

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I’d replace Kane but who do you leave out for Palmer? You could leave Foden out he is looking tired I thought the two No 10’s worked well the extra man in midfield helped fill the gaps Jude leaves when he moves out of position and vice versa so Palmer could play that same role instead of Foden.

The 5 man midfield with the two wing backs also meant Declan was able to get forward more as he does for Arsenal so apart from Kane, Shaw for Trippier and possibly Palmer for Foden I’d keep the same team.

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I didn’t think Foden looked tired. He looked very busy but wasn’t as effective as when playing for his club.

I would bring in Palmer and leave out Trippier.

Foden looked spent when he came off and Palmer for Trippier? Surely Luke Shaw replaces Trippier you can’t play Palmer as left wing back and if you play Palmer you have to leave out either Foden, Bellingham or Saka so I think anyone with an ounce of knowledge in that scenario would leave out Foden.

What was the formation when England scored?

I thought it was Saka, Foden, Bellingham, Palmer. Though Bellingham may have dropped a bit deeper.

I don’t like the arrogance of comments such as this. Have a different view if you wish but we should respect others views.

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