Euro 2024: The Knockouts

[Mike]

Don’t worry, 6 weeks until the proper football is back.

[Lewis]

Why are we getting bummed in midfield like that? It's not like we have bad players there is it.

[Shindig]

Alright, in an alternative world where Southgate's luck is not a factor, this lot goes out in the Quarter Finals to Germany. Then the manager gets sacked. At least this way, we've seen England reach two finals and narrowly lose. One of which is on foreign soil.

And we can take penalties now.

And we don't shit the bed when going behind. He make the bed. Then we think about getting back in it.

[Waffdon]

Manioo was utterly dogshit btw

[phonics]

Rice was terrible but Pickford just punting the ball out of play any time the ball got beat him didn’t help.

[Lewis]

'Not easy to get to these finals'. Literally played nobody good.

[John Arne]

Why are we getting bummed in midfield like that? It's not like we have bad players there is it.

Rice is a plodder, he cannot control games. Mainoo usually good was off it today, Bellingham too far forward.

Crap.

[7om]

Manioo was utterly dogshit btw

Have to agree. He was overwhelmed in the middle unfortunately. Wharton never played a minute in the tournament did he? He should’ve been tested in the group stage.

[Spikey M]

Kyle Walker may very well be a "cheat code" in Pep's high line, where his pace can make up for his lack of a brain, but he is, well... whatever the fuck that was, when you're standing on the edge of your own box. And at no point did Sir Gareth do anything about it, despite how obvious it was and how many chances they had because of it.

[Adramelch]

He was out of position/beaten in virtually every chance Spain created.

[Gray Fox]

I can't believe Trent got done for both goals like that. This is why you take a proper RB like Walker who can defend.

[Boydy]

Lol.

Yous bothered to play for, what, ten minutes or so when behind? Got the equaliser and then sat back again.

Southgate's shite.

[Pepe]

England tried to play for the first ~15 minutes and actually looked good. Imagine if they tried to do that for 90 minutes.

Kane and Foden are dogshit.

[Pepe]

Wait, did they make Rodrigo player of the tournament? Gtfo.

[Waffdon]

England created less xG at Euro 2024 (6.43) than Croatia (7.10).

Croatia went out at the Group Stage.

Southgate ball

[Adramelch]

Lol.

Yous bothered to play for, what, ten minutes or so when behind? Got the equaliser and then sat back again.

Southgate's shite.

Even worse, they sat back with a lopsided midfield, having taken out Mainoo for Palmer.

[Spikey M]

England tried to play for the first ~15 minutes and actually looked good. Imagine if they tried to do that for 90 minutes.

Kane and Foden are dogshit.

Kane is one of the best strikers in the world. His numbers don't lie. He's just being asked to play in a way that he can't. It's like putting Defoe on and floating crosses into him like he's Peter Crouch or asking Kyle Walker to stay in position as a fucking right back.

[Shindig]

And yet, even for England, it wasn't always like this.

[7om]

Potter in.

[Yevrah]

The players are all good enough. It’s firmly at Southgate’s door. If I can be arsed I’ll give it the full post when I get in.

[Lewis]

Kane is one of the best strikers in the world. His numbers don't lie. He's just being asked to play in a way that he can't. It's like putting Defoe on and floating crosses into him like he's Peter Crouch or asking Kyle Walker to stay in position as a fucking right back.

If us and Spain swapped strikers we would both be miles better off.

[Pepe]

Morata to lift the trophy. :D

[Spikey M]

If us and Spain swapped strikers we would both be miles better off.

Indeed. Wingers and midfielders making runs. He'd have a field day.

[Adramelch]

Wait, did they make Rodrigo player of the tournament? Gtfo.

While not sure I'd have given it to him, he was up there so it's not that much of a stretch.

[Yevrah]

Oh and you can add Spain to the very long list of best teams at a tournament that won it.

[John Arne]

The frustrating part is that Southgate hasn't learnt a jot from previous tournaments. He is doing the same thing, hoping for different outcomes. Gets lucky with the draw and moments of individual brilliance.
Same shit, different tournament.

[Lewis]

There wasn't really an obvious Player of the Tournament, so he probably just got it by default for being their main man. Alan Shearer was giving it to Saka the other day the headcase.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Why are we getting bummed in midfield like that? It's not like we have bad players there is it.

Declan Rice was absolutely abysmal in both the semi and final, having been alright previously. Completely lost the plot. Maybe Mainoo, whilst individually good until tonight, upset the BALANCE.

[Foe]

It’s definitely this. England shoudve gone out vs Slovakia and it would’ve been obvious this squad is being wasted and a more attacking manager is needed.

Southgate was holding this team back and moments of magic from the sensational players at your disposal almost hid that. So glad this shite negative football didn’t prevail.

Fabian ruiz was incredible, so was olmo.

[Pepe]

While not sure I'd have given it to him, he was up there so it's not that much of a stretch.

To me Dani Olmo deserved it clearly, but Rodrigo is not exactly undeserved.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

There wasn't really an obvious Player of the Tournament, so he probably just got it by default for being their main man. Alan Shearer was giving it to Saka the other day the headcase.

Olmo was the obvious choice.

Joint top scorer and he was in general amazing.

Bonkers that he only became a starter when Pedri got injured.

[niko_cee]

England created less xG at Euro 2024 (6.43) than Croatia (7.10).

Croatia went out at the Group Stage.

Southgate ball

:D

Tremendous.

All the hand wringing and revisionism is great as well.

Callers for Potter are going to be sadly disappointed as his is terrorball of a different flavour. Always too many defensive minded players on the pitch.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'd take any manager who will actually play the best players, rather than bringing them on when his World Cup 2018 legends have run out gas and are 1-0 down.

Potter ideally though. Must have been holding on for this.

[Spikey M]

Player of the tournament was that Georgian striker.

[Shindig]

The frustrating part is that Southgate hasn't learnt a jot from previous tournaments. He is doing the same thing, hoping for different outcomes. Gets lucky with the draw and moments of individual brilliance.
Same shit, different tournament.

I'm not too sure about that. This time around, his substitutions worked. Palmer tonight, Watkins in the semi, Toney for one of the other knockouts. We do react well to going behind. I just wish we stuck to that reaction instead of restoring parity and then reverting to Plan A.

He still picks the same XI religiously and has his favourites. Not an ounce of squad management to the bloke.

[Spoonsky]

There wasn't really an obvious Player of the Tournament, so he probably just got it by default for being their main man. Alan Shearer was giving it to Saka the other day the headcase.

It’s definitely Dani Olmo, especially after that goal line clearance, but you can’t give it to him because nobody’s ever heard of him and he looks like a fucking shark.

[niko_cee]

Also, I don't know if it was commented on, but when it was 1-1 and the commentators said England need some impetus off the bench and name checked Trippier and Gallagher warming up I lolled.

[Spikey M]

I'm not too sure about that. This time around, his substitutions worked. Palmer tonight, Watkins in the semi, Toney for one of the other knockouts. We do react well to going behind. I just wish we stuck to that reaction instead of restoring parity and then reverting to Plan A.

He still picks the same XI religiously and has his favourites. Not an ounce of squad management to the bloke.

We could just play like that without going behind.

[Spikey M]

Also, I don't know if it was commented on, but when it was 1-1 and the commentators said England need some impetus off the bench and name checked Trippier and Gallagher warming up I lolled.

Trippier at right back would have been a game changing substitution to be fair.

[Yevrah]

Sir Gareth really hanging on to that one day less to prepare…

[Foe]

Genuine question. If Southgate leaves, what is his level for a job at club level? Everton? Bournemouth? There’s no way he should be in charge of anyone with ambitions of competing for titles.

[Shindig]

Aye. I get Southgate's twisted logic. Manage the game, sneak something on individual brilliance, etc. But, when you've got that brilliance, you might as well start with it. Fuck the fitness advantage or whatever. Although that probably stems from him having an unchangeable, favourite first team.

[niko_cee]

Southgate would be a catastrophic club manager, so hopefully our bald dutch idiot is marginally less useless than the other one as someone is going to get Gaz'd if he leaves England.

[Foe]

Trippier would’ve been roasted alive against Williams. Walker positioning a bit abject at times but he dealt with Williams really well and can only really do that because of his pace. Trippier would’ve been skinned time and again.

[Spikey M]

Genuine question. If Southgate leaves, what is his level for a job at club level? Everton? Bournemouth? There’s no way he should be in charge of anyone with ambitions of competing for titles.

He has Tottenham written all over him.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Genuine question. If Southgate leaves, what is his level for a job at club level? Everton? Bournemouth? There’s no way he should be in charge of anyone with ambitions of competing for titles.

USMNT nailed on, if not that, the ITV studio. He'd be absolute wank in modern day club football.

[Spoonsky]

Declan Rice was absolutely abysmal in both the semi and final, having been alright previously. Completely lost the plot. Maybe Mainoo, whilst individually good until tonight, upset the BALANCE.

Who you really needed, this whole time, was Jordan Henderson.

[Shindig]

Genuine question. If Southgate leaves, what is his level for a job at club level? Everton? Bournemouth? There’s no way he should be in charge of anyone with ambitions of competing for titles.

I honestly don't know if club football interests him. If he does take another job, it's with Belgium.

[niko_cee]

Sir Jim, Sir Dave, Sir Gareth. Match made in heaven.

[Spikey M]

Trippier would’ve been roasted alive against Williams. Walker positioning a bit abject at times but he dealt with Williams really well and can only really do that because of his pace. Trippier would’ve been skinned time and again.

I'm not sure you were on the right channel for the second half. He didn't deal with him at all, never mind "really well".

[randomlegend]

I guess at least I can console myself with the absolute enormity of my evictory when it comes to Southgate.

[Waffdon]

https://i.ibb.co/mTMDxfz/8b50f7a4-3fcf-4273-940b-c257bc1d604f.jpg

[Foe]

Belgium or USA a good shout.

Tell you what though, guehi did his value no harm whatsoever. Chelsea to buy him back as a FFP accounting trick surely.

[Spikey M]

It's Yevs evictory.

[Ben]

Gutted.

See you all tomorrow.

[randomlegend]

It's Yevs evictory.

You can fuck right off with that, I was on this train from the very beginning.

[niko_cee]

Tell you what though, guehi did his value no harm whatsoever.

Wouldn't have got a look in if Harry Maguire wasn't injured.

Says it all really. Anything good done by Southgate on the football side was usually forced on him by circumstance.

[Spoonsky]

Anyways, the real fun starts in an hour and a half. Last important game Messi will ever play.

[Magic]

Belgium or USA a good shout.

Tell you what though, guehi did his value no harm whatsoever. Chelsea to buy him back as a FFP accounting trick surely.

Could you imagine him Vs Jesse Marsch? :sick:

[Jimmy Floyd]

Chelsea getting rid of Marc Guehi, and having some Ligue Deux no-marks patrolling the backline instead is very much on brand.

[niko_cee]

Chelsea getting rid of Marc Guehi, and having some Ligue Deux no-marks patrolling the backline instead is very much on brand.

Pure profit.

[Pepe]

Anyways, the real fun starts in an hour and a half. Last important game Messi will ever play.

Him and Ronaldo will still be stinking the place up in 2026.

[niko_cee]

If we do get a new manager you just know he's going to blitz the group stage of the next world cup and then somehow get Brazil in the last 16 by way of the funky format, lose and everyone will be pining for Southgate and saying remember when we got to 4 quarter finals in a row.

It's like a black hole. There is no escape.

[Dark Soldier]

If we do get a new manager you just know he's going to blitz the group stage of the next world cup and then somehow get Brazil in the last 16 by way of the funky format, lose and everyone will be pining for Southgate and saying remember when we got to 4 quarter finals in a row.

It's like a black hole. There is no escape.

Three semi finals and two finals too. He's forever my hero.

[niko_cee]

You should get a 1-2 tattoo.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Southgate has already laid a pipe bomb for his successor by tanking in the Nations League two years ago, which means we will be at best in pot 2 for World Cup qualifying, and maybe even pot 3.

He's got every angle covered.

[Lewis]

You can fuck right off with that, I was on this train from the very beginning.

Unless my searching powers have diminished the only people calling him shit whilst Croatia was still warm were me and Sir Harvey Yevrah. You were in the thread saying well done and we'll kick on from here.

[Lewis]

Is that what the annoying rules woman looks like? Weww. They should have had her on the screen more.

[Gray Fox]

Him and Ronaldo will still be stinking the place up in 2026.

Is Ronny allowed in?

[randomlegend]

Unless my searching powers have diminished the only people calling him shit whilst Croatia was still warm were me and Sir Harvey Yevrah. You were in the thread saying well done and we'll kick on from here.

No I fucking was not :D

(I hope)

[Gray Fox]

Fucking hell lads. "I hated Southgate FIRST"

Get it together. Sir Gareth will bring it home in 2 years.

[Pepe]

What is crazy is that he played that disgusting anti-football, yet pretty much always conceded first.

Spain though, turning up big with teenagers leading the charge. Great team. I hope they keep it up for the World Cup.

[randomlegend]

I fucking was as well.

Cunt. Not even an evictory.

Demented as well.

[niko_cee]

No I fucking was not :D

(I hope)


Ah well, for once it feels like we went out having done alright. Ref was a mong but whatever.

:uhoh:

https://www.thethirdhalf.co.uk/showthread.php?2263-World-Cup-2018-Semi-Finals/page7&highlight=2018+world

[niko_cee]

These threads as a stream of consciousness and historical record are important though. It's the same things being said 6 years later. Kane dropping deep, no attacking intent, entirely absent midfield . . .

[Lewis]

I miss the old tournament inquests where we had a big circle-jerk about complete drivel like kids having to play on full-sized pitches and age groups prioritising people born in September.

[Spikey M]

At least I have an evictory tonight.

https://i.ibb.co/GMnsVzT/dedeb830-4172-11ef-96a8-e710c6bfc866.jpg

[Dark Soldier]

These threads as a stream of consciousness and historical record are important though. It's the same things being said 6 years later. Kane dropping deep, no attacking intent, entirely absent midfield . . .

It's been the same for 30 years, just different players. The old Grass Roots lot (lol) were the ones giving it out back then.

[Yevrah]

The truly scary thing is if this incredible luck with the draws keeps up we may never be rid of Sir Gareth.

[Shindig]

Ah, this is just like Andy Murray in Grand Slam finals. One of them will go right. Maybe. If I'm honest, that one should've been 3 years back.

[Yevrah]

It'd be like Murray in Grand Slam finals if he'd been playing Andy Roddick in all of them.

[Shindig]

With all due respect to Andy Roddick, he's not the tournament favourite going into that.

[Yevrah]

Yeah, the reason it took Andy Murray 5 attempts to win a Grand Slam was that he had to play peak Federer in 3 of the first four and Djokovic in the other and he eventually won the one he did because he was a very good tennis player.

Sir Gareth is not a very good manager and the only reason we were in the final of this tournament was down to the draw and we very nearly even fucked that up.

[Manc]

Gutted.

[Spoonsky]

Unless my searching powers have diminished the only people calling him shit whilst Croatia was still warm were me and Sir Harvey Yevrah. You were in the thread saying well done and we'll kick on from here.

Well…


Absolutely gutted, but the better team won and the last 60 minutes demonstrated how good we actually were.

Still, good effort and the first good world cup from us for years.

[Spoonsky]

Some gems in that thread:


Who’s that lad at Man City that’s meant to be shit hot? We should probably give him a game over Sterling at this point.

[Waffdon]

Copa America hasn’t half been a shambles. The World Cup in 2026 is going to be an absolute clusterfuck

[Waffdon]

Since May 2001, Spanish teams have played in 27 major finals (Champions League, Europa League, World Cup, Euros). There has been a Spanish winner in all 27 finals.

Beasts

[Pepe]

The US under Southgate would be the worst team to ever play the game.

[Yevrah]

Well…

Just so you're clear, the first sentence you've quoted is me saying we weren't very good.

That said, my biggest bugbear with that World Cup at the time was the whole deliberately losing to Belgium narrative, which was proper loser talk stuff. In isolation the tournament was fine, but as soon as it became clear that Gareth was going to do this safety first bollocks at every opportunity I'd had enough.

[Pepe]

Biden speech instead of the Copa America final. :D

[Pepe]

"Former Trump" he said.

[Gray Fox]

Sounds like chaos at the stadium. Was supposed to have kicked off 25 mins ago, but before kick off some Colombia fans kicked through a security gate and loads of them charged inside the stadium.

They delayed kick off to 5 mins from now but the whole stadium is still in lockdown. Thousands of fans still outside the venue not being let in yet and apparently even Messi hasn't yet arrived at the stadium.

[Spoonsky]

Not a great weekend for our estimable security forces.

[Gray Fox]

They've opened the gates to all, not bothering to check tickets any more and told the players to go warm up for a start in just over 15 mins. Seems like they've had enough of dealing with it and on with the show.

[Spoonsky]

https://x.com/FavianRenkel/status/1812635739957694689/mediaViewer?currentTweet=1812635739957694689&currentTweetUser=FavianRenkel

:D

The World Cup is going to be great.

[Pepe]

What was that?

Over an hour late is some going.

[Gray Fox]

These people played too much MGS.

1812652901954638262

[Pepe]

As if getting shot wasn't giving Trump enough of a boost...

[Gray Fox]

Considering they haven't been checking tickets, they wont have been checking for anything else. Things could get ugly if Colombia start losing.

[Pepe]

This is woeful.

[Pepe]

Extended half time? Fucking Mickey Mouse tournament.

[Pepe]

What a summer for both Messi and Ronaldo. They should have both retired after the last World Cup.

[John Arne]

What a summer for Messi, Kane and Ronaldo. They should have both retired after the last World Cup.

[John Arne]

What a summer for both Messi and Ronaldo. They should have both retired after the last World Cup.

I missed the up to the 80th minute... was Messi that bad? Saw he got subbed pretty early.

[Pepe]

He sprained his ankle. He was pretty bad, but then no football has been played today. The worst game of football I have ever seen. Rather watch Southgate vs Southgate.

[Pepe]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GSf5RarXAAAQhSz.jpg:large

[John Arne]

That's a helluva pass from Lo Celso, little scumbag.

[Pepe]

That was a nice goal. Lautaro Martinez barely playing and outscoring everyone.

Everyone involved in this final should be ashamed.

[John Arne]

Martinez clearly gets shoved in the chest... and suddenly has a bloody lip :sherlock:

#Bloodgate2

[John Arne]

If the ref doesn't add a further 5 mins on here, I'm rioting.

[Gray Fox]

That's another Ballon d'Or wrapped up then.

[Giggles]

I think the only cure for this hangover is to hook a healthy dose of Rio Ferdinand to my veins this morning.

[Spikey M]

These people played too much MGS.

1812652901954638262

Fucking scousers.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Colombians are a bunch of farm animals.

[Giggles]

Good to see they've everything locked down in advance of the World Cup.

[Manc]

Since May 2001, Spanish teams have played in 27 major finals (Champions League, Europa League, World Cup, Euros). There has been a Spanish winner in all 27 finals.

Beasts

The fuck is this?

[Adramelch]

Spain's first apparently being a 0.1 xG seems a bit absurd.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Spain's first apparently being a 0.1 xG seems a bit absurd.

Jesus. I said '1-0' ten seconds before it hit the net.

[Yevrah]

If that goal chance is 0.1 then xg clearly takes nothing into account other than where the ball is when the shot is hit.

Which is both lazy and ridiculous.

[Yevrah]

The fuck is this?

True apparently. Although I heard 23.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Heard on a building site this morning: 'This Spain team's just fucking emerged now, innit? That's it for the next 15 years'.

[Adramelch]

It's 23 at club level and 4 at international.

[Adramelch]

If that goal chance is 0.1 then xg clearly takes nothing into account other than where the ball is when the shot is hit.

Which is both lazy and ridiculous.

A quick google suggests that the assist might also be a factor, as is defensive pressure (Walker dives into the ball and could very well have blocked a different shot), so I guess you could justify it somehow.

[Spikey M]

Ok, I've had some sleep, I've calmed down and I still want to drop kick Kyle Walker in his brainless head.

[Manc]

Got to catch him first.

[niko_cee]

He lives in Essex so he can probably rustle up a few TOWIE types and lure him into a trap of some sort.

[Gray Fox]

He could be at any one of his families houses right now.

[Shindig]

I blame Pep for training him that way. Sneaky Spanish mastermind. Plus I don't know who else we put at right-back. Full backs really need to be sorted for 2026. And we should bring a million of them because the tournament's about 5 weeks long. If Southgate can't utilise his squad for that, he'll actually be gone.

[niko_cee]

James or Trent.

Get Biesla in as manager.

Play to win games rather than not lose them.

[niko_cee]

Has Martinez been biffed from Portugal yet? Imagine getting him in to replace Southgate.

[Giggles]

Has Martinez been biffed from Portugal yet? Imagine getting him in to replace Southgate.

Do you want to end Yev or something?

[Yevrah]

The narrative will be 2 finals and a semi-final, with absolutely no context around that and Southgate will stay.

[Magic]

James or Trent.

Get Biesla in as manager.

Play to win games rather than not lose them.

No way would he take that job, dealing with the egos and politics.

[Yevrah]

Do you want to end Yev or something?

I wouldn't like to see it, but Martinez would be no worse than Southgate. Very similar in many ways in that the players would love him (as everyone inexplicably does), we'd continue to lose to good teams, but on the plus side might actually score a few goals along the way.

[Magic]

The narrative will be 2 finals and a semi-final, with absolutely no context around that and Southgate will stay.

Geoff Hurst describing it as 'fantastic'.

[Giggles]

England going to rock up pissed off and with a new manager bounce in Dublin in their next game :uhoh:

[Spikey M]

England going to rock up pissed off and with a new manager bounce in Dublin in their next game :uhoh:

Unless he quits we'll still be under Southgate and it will either be 0-0, 1-0, 1-1 2-1 or 1-2. No other scoreline exist to Gareth Southgate unless someone doesn't follow orders.

[Giggles]

Unless he quits we'll still be under Southgate and it will either be 0-0, 1-0, 1-1 2-1 or 1-2. No other scoreline exist to Gareth Southgate unless someone doesn't follow orders.

Won't be that low scoring against our lot anyway, last time round was 3-0 and we've went further downhill since.

[Dark Soldier]

When we go out to Bolivia in the next WC last 16 but everyone is buzzing and delighted cos we had 30 shots. Let's go lads.

[niko_cee]

Preferable to safetyball, which has a conspicuously terrible record of actually getting its exponent over the line. Is there any point in being in something if you have no actual plan to win it, but rather one to hang around and hope things fall your way? The last 5 major finals have had one of France or England trying to shit their way through it and only once, where the safetyball nation was the overwhelming favourite and playing probably the 'smallest' nation to have ever reached a World Cup Final, and with the assistance of a dodgy VAR penalty and an emergent wonderkid, did it actually work.

It has made international tournament football crushingly depressing. You know what is going to happen. There is barely even any jeopardy to it. But equally no joy.

[Dark Soldier]

Bookmarking all the posts saying they'll be happy with an early exit with attacking football. Loving the fall out as per. No tears next time gents, just pleasure in defeat. Back to the old days of our classic arrogance and belief we should be donning the world stage.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It was probably the percentage option with the 2018 squad. With the 2024 squad, the percentage option would have been to play much more open football. Our defence is shite anyway.

As for France, how they haven't guillotined Deschamps in the street yet I have no idea. With their squad they should be swaggering through every tournament with ease, instead they fuck it every time being too cautious.

[niko_cee]

There won't be an early exit with attacking football will there, though?

Granted, there probably won't be coherent attacking football, but playing well is not normally a recipe for getting knocked out. Or even trying to play well. Certainly not anymore than playing like utter shite anyway.

And even if it happens, it's better than plodding through 3 rounds of dross only to know that unless somehow some more dross makes it to the final that you're going to get outmanoeuvered and beaten yet again when it matters.

[Magic]

When we go out to Bolivia in the next WC last 16 but everyone is buzzing and delighted cos we had 30 shots. Let's go lads.

Argument falls over given the quality of your squad lolz.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Also if you have 30 shots against Bolivia you'll probably win about 16-0.

[Dark Soldier]

Also if you have 30 shots against Bolivia you'll probably win about 16-0.

Mate you've watched England in the past 30 years. 18 attempts v Iceland in 2016. We strolled oit to tjat match with the arrogancw of it was already won.

We're a team of individuals with zero identity, been that way through numerous managers and a replacement isn't gonna miraculously change it.

End of the day we're a nation believing we should blitz everyone when we've done fuck all to prove we should since 66.

[niko_cee]

We didn't stroll into that match, we stumbled into it on the back of a terrible series of group games and were again managed by a crab ball spastic. Now, ok, if that's the limit of ability fine, but it clearly ought not be given the resources and population available, and the fact that we're actually quite good at age group football now.

No one sensibly believes we should be smashing everyone, but it would be nice to try and play as if 1 goal, sometimes zero goals, is perhaps not enough.

[Adramelch]

And it's honestly ok to play defensive against the Spains and the Germanies of the world, but there's a difference between passing it around in your own half for most of the game, doing nothing and inviting pressure in order to launch counter attacks.

[niko_cee]

BBC livetext getting stuck into the stats.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2024/7/15/1b610cca-6967-431e-80c3-33fb6b2504a0.png

joga bonito

[Dark Soldier]

8th highest goals, clinical.

[niko_cee]

4th for possession was our highest ranking.

The comparison to Spain is funny.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/709/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2024/7/15/0def0a2b-aa5e-405a-8687-b087a1495c6d.png

[Danny]

1812828978593325491

[niko_cee]

Ah, we did alright then.

For all the anti-Gareth hyperbole this is probably the only tournament that I find personally very disappointing, because we have been awful throughout.

2018 was great, in my mind the perfect tournament, semi-final heartbreak being the best way for it to end before all the national pride numpties get involved in ruining the final. Smashed Panama's backdoors in, the whole love train, won a penalty shootout, coasted comfortably through the quarter, then it all went wrong and you can look back and lol at thinking a midfield of Alli and J-Lingz was ever going to work out well.

2021 a bit meh but there were still good bits like smashing Ukraine and weaseling our way into the final.

2022 didn't annoy me that much although maybe I was getting jaded by that point. Felt we were a bit unlucky against France [cf Tchouameni getting his first ever shot on target and having the bastard go in] but I accept this is not an accepted viewpoint.

BUT since then there has been a clear downward trajectory. Gareth has become more and more paranoid, the team's performances have become worse and worse, did we get battered by Hungary in the last round of the nations league or a previous one [?] and they have culminated in a 2010 style shitfest, which we've somehow styled our way through given pretty outrageous good fortune.

[randomlegend]

4th for possession was our highest ranking.

The comparison to Spain is funny.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/709/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2024/7/15/0def0a2b-aa5e-405a-8687-b087a1495c6d.png

The fact the defensive stats aren't even good is frankly pathetic.

[Yevrah]

This is it. Contrary to DS' assertion I don't expect us to hammer everyone, but I do expect us to at least try and play football (whatever guise that may take, be it defensive counter attacking, outright attack or something in between). I don't expect us to play not football for 90%+ of a tournament and then be gaslit into believing that's acceptable because we had the luckiest draw in all of human history and shat our way to a final through our players coming up with individual moments of brilliance, thus proving the sum of our parts should be much better than it is.

[Yevrah]

Oh and having somehow done the individual moments of brilliance thing again in the final, watching us regress and frankly ask Spain to score the winner was the final straw.

[Dark Soldier]

Absolutely seething deep down. Put some cunts windows through mate or clothesline a child, it helps.

[Yevrah]

It'll be worse for the players as they genuinely believed they could win this, all the way through, bless them.

[Dark Soldier]

They can all clothesline a child and get away with it, tbf. Take a head clean off but they're our heroes, Yev. Not the black lads though, obviously.

Gonna get Palmer tattooed on my arse.

[Spikey M]

His face already looks like an arse so job done lad.

[Dan]

Some gems in that thread:

Who was that lad at Man City that was meant to be shit hot? I probably meant Cole Palmer six years ago, right?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Philip Foden I imagine.

[Dan]

Either way I’m a genius & I look forward to receiving the call to replace Sir Gareth in the coming days.

[Shindig]

Imagine if Southgate goes and the rest of the squad wind up genuinely unable to adapt to the new tactics. :D

[Gray Fox]

There were tactics before?

[Shindig]

Yes. As horrid as the last few weeks have been, there's a clear (batshit) plan. Pass sideways at a slow tempo. Try to nick a goal and go up several gears if we concede. Once back level (or in front) revert to sideways passing. 3-5-2 for proper countries, 4-3-3/4-4-1-1 for everyone else.

Every game. Like clockwork. You don't play that on accident.

[Magic]

According to some analyst on Reddit Southgate completely ignored the ability of his own team just to counter the tactics of the opposition. No wonder the players looked confused.

[niko_cee]

Yes. As horrid as the last few weeks have been, there's a clear (batshit) plan. Pass sideways at a slow tempo. Try to nick a goal and go up several gears if we concede. Once back level (or in front) revert to sideways passing. 3-5-2 for proper countries, 4-3-3/4-4-1-1 for everyone else.

Every game. Like clockwork. You don't play that on accident.

Whilst it's hard to disagree with this assessment on the facts, I still can't get my head around it. It's as if the players would walk off a cliff if you told them to. Has Southgate just completely brainwashed them that this is the way to win? How do they square it with their other, main professional lives where I'm sure almost exactly the opposite is being told to them all the time? Something doesn't add up for me, although maybe I am giving too much credit to the modern football drone. Trust the process, tournament football, no easy games.

[Dark Soldier]

Perhaps nobody has a fucking clue what's going on in football and everyone's just knackered and tired and wants a Sunday roast now and again.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Footballers are not sentient beings. They just do what 'the gaffer' says. It's how they made it in the first place.

[niko_cee]

Is that it? No other countries have Sunday roasts and so it is a uniquely English problem? It's as plausible as the manager telling them to go out there and play like shit.

[Shindig]

It's weird as fuck. Like, they know how to play at club level but the faces they play with will change. Southgate's got that group together which makes me wonder about modern football in terms of a player's autonomy. Even if someone takes a game by the scruff of the neck, do the other players cotton on to it?

[niko_cee]

It does seem like a strange form of English exceptionalism.

[Lofty]

Southgate been moaning more this time, he'll go I reckon. Potter in to replace him, Benjamin White comes back to the fold, 2026 world cup carnage :drool:

[Dark Soldier]

Southgate been moaning more this time, he'll go I reckon. Potter in to replace him, Benjamin White comes back to the fold, 2026 world cup carnage :drool:

1-0 defeat to Tanzania as Welbeck misses four sitters from glorious Lallana throughballs after both being recalled.

[niko_cee]

Lewis Dunk still won't get picked, but Adam Webster might. :uhoh:

[thommo]

It's weird as fuck. Like, they know how to play at club level but the faces they play with will change. Southgate's got that group together which makes me wonder about modern football in terms of a player's autonomy. Even if someone takes a game by the scruff of the neck, do the other players cotton on to it?


It does seem like a strange form of English exceptionalism.

It's not a strange phenomenon that is solely affecting the English national team though. Look at Belgium, Portugal or France. Talented players across the squad and yet they ultimately played like utter bilge throughout the entire tournament. International management is mainly a risk-averse zone as you've only got the big tournament every 2 years and all games lead to that 2 or 3 weeks in the summer where it all counts.

Spain were the outlier in the tournament really - a side that played attacking football and utilised their talented players in the best way.

[Magic]

And they won it comfortably beating the supposed best sides on the way. Whodda thonk it.

[John Arne]

Flower of Scotland

1812878088738652596

[Jimmy Floyd]

Jesus, at least we managed a goal a game. Deschamps should be hanged. How has he not been sacked?

[Waffdon]

3 of their goals were own goals and a penalty. Genuinely a horrendous performance in every game from them

[Spikey M]

We may completely misuse Kane but it's nothing compared to how they're wasting Mbappe.

[Shindig]

One thing I forgot to check was who got top scorer. It still ended a six-way tie. 3 of whom were out by the Quarter Finals. The state of that.

[Magic]

Is this the worst Euros ever? Also lol at Clarke not getting sacked yet.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

One thing I forgot to check was who got top scorer. It still ended a six-way tie. 3 of whom were out by the Quarter Finals. The state of that.

It should have been Olmo on assists (which was the tiebreaker) but UEFA changed it late for some reason.

[Yevrah]

What did they change it to and who won as a result?

[Shindig]

Everybody shares it.

[Yevrah]

Another golden boot for Kane. :D

[John Arne]

When Lee Carsley gets the job, I guess he'll be the first every "Irishman" to be England manager?

[John Arne]

https://gyazo.com/c60efdb486feab1d03928e7a44c90f91.jpeg

[Luke Emia]

A shame that the only 2 ‘top’ teams who showed any form of attacking intent ended up playing each other in the quarter finals.

It’s mad as well how much of a free pass Southgate has gotten(again) for the performance on Sunday night. The only chances made in the whole 90 minutes were the Foden one at the end of the first half, Rice’s header at the end and Palmer’s goal which was a very good goal but you wouldn’t exactly call it a gilt-edged chance.

Liew wrote a good article yesterday about how once England scored they pushed on and got a throw in deep in the Spanish half on 75 minutes, went all the way back to Pickford and didn’t have good possession of the ball again for the rest of the game really. I don’t know if that comes from the manager or the players but it just wouldn’t happen with these players at their club sides because they are so much more front footed.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Austria playing Turkey in the 16s was a pity too, as both of those also had a go.

England, France, Portugal, Holland and Belgium were all a cowardly disgrace. Italy were so shit that I can't even remember if they attacked or not.

[John Arne]

Southgate gone.

[Magic]

Noooooo. Bastard.

[John Arne]

1813151623163879616

[Magic]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-13636977/Jude-Bellingham-Gareth-Southgate-argument-euro-2024.html

Poor players. Can lay the blame solely at Bouthgates door then lads.

[-james-]

Thank you Sir Gareth.

[niko_cee]

We’ll look back and say ‘what a good stretch that was’. You’ll forget the performances. We’ll just remember in 20 years or so we got to the latter stages of four tournaments on the run and we had those moments, we had those house parties, we had those moments with families watching games. We might never have a stretch like this again and it’s something we should actually be proud of.

:happycry:

4 'deep runs' [ugh] or Italy-style omnishambles of either failing to qualify or getting gubbed by Costa Rica, but also winning a World Cup and a Euros within a 15 year window?

[niko_cee]

Someone tell Jurgen he can let his assistant do the Nations League wank and he can take over when world cup qualifying starts.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I think it's a very different experience having deep runs and losing like Holland in the 70s, or having deep runs and losing like Southgate's England.

I'd take a pot win over either, naturally.

[randomlegend]

Thank Christ. Never should've been appointed, as the record will show I said at the time and throughout his tenure from the very beginning. (:uhoh:)

[-james-]

Thank Christ. Never should've been appointed, as the record will show I said at the time and throughout his tenure from the very beginning. (:uhoh:)

Congrats on being wrong at the time and throughout his tenure!

[Magic]

I was the only one that voted Spain to win. Shame on you all.

[Jimmy Floyd]

For all that he's shit, I wouldn't have got rid of him at any point until now. I would have just hoped that his good qualities could be added to. They were not.

[-james-]

Boring, whatever. First time I knew joy as an England fan. Dier pen against Colombia, battering Germany 2-0, Shaw's goal in the final, the Bellingham and Palmer goals this tournament. Maybe my bar is too low.

[-james-]

But yes, time to go.

[John Arne]

I was the only one that voted Spain to win. Shame on you all.

?



For everyone:

Who will win the tournament? France
Runners up? Spain
Losing semi-finalists? Germany, England
Outside bet? Romania to make it through groups
Biggest disappointment?

[Lofty]

I think it was Jonny Liew on Football Weekly Extra said Southgate always reeked of the cologne of Palace and Middlesborough, a perennial failure :D

[Magic]

?

What.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Either he thinks you and Waff are the same person, or he thinks runners-up means winners.

[Yevrah]

It was an average tournament overall I'd say, with most of the early doors fun coming from the lesser teams, a few of which gave it a really creditable go. From the quarter-finals onwards the whole thing was completely saved by Spain as a spectacle and in some ways, I'm glad not football was the loser.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Remember our 0-0 draw with Slovenia? That was peak tournament football I think.

[Yevrah]

Remember our 0-0 draw with Slovenia? That was peak tournament football I think.

What I still cannot understand about that is that if it was always the intention to 0-0 our way through the last game (it was) why on earth didn't he rest people?

[John Arne]

What.

:D I'm a mong.

[niko_cee]

One for Spikey (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c72814vx6x5o)

:cab:

[Spikey M]

:D incredible.

I feel like I'm living in The Truman Show.

[niko_cee]

He must have been personally at fault for at least 50% of the goals England conceded.

[Luke Emia]

One for Spikey (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c72814vx6x5o)

:cab:

I didn't know Sir Gareth picked the team of the tournament as well...

[niko_cee]

Nah, Trippier would have been in at leftback.

On the subject of which, I had missed G. Neville writing Spain off earlier in the tournament on the back of them having a rubbish leftback. It was notable, in the final, with a half fit fat fucker playing in his natural position, in a game where we were fully committed to 'the pragmatic approach' against the best team in the tournament we still looked much the better for it. Imagine if we'd had an actual fit actual leftback for the whole tournament. Maybe we could have played well and built some confidence as things progressed.

[Magic]

:D incredible.

I feel like I'm living in The Truman Show.

I swear these cunts watch a different sport entirely.

[Spikey M]

I swear these cunts watch a different sport entirely.

They'll love his selfless runs to open space up for Saka and his BLISTERING effort to get back and stop a dangerous counter attack. The fact that he gave the ball away to start said counter attack and was stood 20 yards out of position for the goal they did score, not so much.

He might be the most frustrating player in history. Every positive attribute going, apart from a functioning brain.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Spain have won all their trophies with a fucking useless left back who was nonetheless a left back. Capdevila and now this guy.

Makes you think.

[Waffdon]

Maybe he’s just quite good and another player Chelsea have ruined. Pep wanted him for a reason and he was the best defender at the tournament. Wasn’t like he had a one off good game

[Shindig]

I honestly think Curcurella had a good tournament. But then he's not playing with those guys week in, week out.

[niko_cee]

Cucurella is decent. He was just a bit of a lol/inexplicable signing at the price.

[Pepe]

Cucurella was good. Carvajal on the other hand was a bit of a liability.

Still can't believe that France had Mbappe vs Navas on a yellow card for about 70 minutes and couldn't get anything out of the situation.

[John Arne]

I listened to a podcast yesterday, and they described the first half as a "tactical masterclass" by Southgate and also describe the Spain team as "generational". I must be completely losing touch with footy. I though the first half was solid, and decent from England, and a little stodgy by Spain. The Spain are alright, amazing wingers + Rodri + Ruiz, the rest... bang average. Maybe it's just old age and under valuing the current players.

[Magic]

Stop listening to these opinion generators and use your own eyes.

[Gray Fox]

I feel like Carvajal is consistently overlooked for how good he is/has been.

[niko_cee]

I suppose you could say Spain have a prospectively mega side seeing as they have Gavi and Pedri who didn't play, but they still have Morata and a mostly dodgy/average defence. Not wildly dissimilar to England, just played a lot better. Yamal is obviously a great prospect, but then so was Fati, and Shaw did boss him for most of the match.

As has been the case for a while though once something has happened once it is then extrapolated forward forever, people are unable to opine that things might not always stay the same. Lewis Hamilton was the first I can really recall. Pencilled in for 10 plus world titles after his first. Must be why all those stocks and shares warning about losing your money have to be issued.

[Jimmy Floyd]

What we know for sure is that no more young footballers are going to come through anywhere in the world in the next 15 years, so it really is hard to see Spain being stopped.

The reason they won is that they tried to play well instead of just avoiding risk. Trying to play well gives you a lot more chance to score goals, which is how football is won. If they hadn't won then Germany would have done.

[Yevrah]

Yep. At no point against Spain did we actually try and win. We tried to stay level and then equalise, but we didn't try and win.

[Lewis]

I feel like Carvajal is consistently overlooked for how good he is/has been.

Yeah I think playing four-hundred games for the team that can literally buy anyone is a reasonable measure. Spanish Gary Neville.

[Gray Fox]

By that measure they could also easily have bought someone better than him then?

[SvN]

By that measure they could also easily have bought someone better than him then?

He's saying the fact that they haven't done that means he must be decent.

[Gray Fox]

Okay my bad. I saw the words Gary Neville and assumed an insult.

[Baz]

Yeah I think playing four-hundred games for the team that can literally buy anyone is a reasonable measure. Spanish Gary Neville.

Like Zabaleta.

[Magic]

https://www.marca.com/futbol/futbol-internacional/2024/07/20/669bfc1222601d48628b45bc.html

What a glorious quote. :D