Euros 2021

[Volpone]

I have to agree, Kane was brilliant first half, his control, vision and link up play was unbelievable. He found space between their midfield and defensive line and exploited it expertly.

As you say second half he was nullified, but overall he was excellent.

Yes, I should have put ineffective in the second half, not for the whole game. His pass for our goal was fantastic.

 

[Brown Nose]

I have to agree, Kane was brilliant first half, his control, vision and link up play was unbelievable. He found space between their midfield and defensive line and exploited it expertly.

As you say second half he was nullified, but overall he was excellent.

Italy adapted and changed to take control. England stayed exactly the same.

Therefore, as the game went on, things that started off looking positive, such as Kane's influence, were gradually muted.

One of the things that has been taking place in coaching over the last couple of years is the teams that change shape throughout matches. Formations in and out of possession differing for example.

Southgate has a great group of players that he leads maturely and postively until he actually needs to compete tactically. Then he's a hopeless mess. Just like Martinez with Belgium.

Kane was good until Italy worked out how to stop him being good. Then he just disappeared from the game. Ultimately, Kane or Sterling never had a sniff of a chance in the match.

 

[Payne74]

So in conclusion England have the players to win something and be a competitive team but the current manager is tactically inept and very unlikely to change so whilst he's in charge England won't win anything.

 

[homer]

Grealish has confirmed he asked to take a penalty, but Southgate picked Saka instead. Strongly suspect the same thing regarding Sterling

What a totally hopeless twat Southgate is

 

[Lako42]

Grealish has confirmed he asked to take a penalty, but Southgate picked Saka instead. Strongly suspect the same thing regarding Sterling

What a totally hopeless twat Southgate is

Ridiculous

Saka looked like he was going to cry before he took it.

 

[Robin127]

...only way to stop it is to request ID when setting up an account. Otherwise anonymous people are always gonna ve exactly that, and will always take the opportunity to be pricks...

Absolutely. Alan Shearer is dead right when he has said multiple times that the social media companies should name the people who post this crap.

 

[Volpone]

This was a golden opportunity missed - Gareth Southgate is clearly good but he is not yet great
Having gone ahead early on, ruthlessness, not passivity, was the order of the evening. And yet it was not heeded. Why?

OLIVER BROWN
CHIEF SPORTS WRITER
12 July 2021 • 12:16pm
Oliver Brown

To traipse through the detritus around Wembley, a vision of desolation in the small hours, was to be assailed by the bleak thought of whether England’s greatest chance of ending the pain had come and gone. It was a wonder, under the circumstances, that Harry Kane could speak at all. Even more striking was the fact that he was already looking towards the World Cup, saying: “Hopefully we can progress from this next year.”

But it is optimistic to suppose this team can ride the same wave of national fervour out in the sands of Qatar in 16 months’ time. The stars aligned for them at this European Championship with a promise that might not be replicated for a lifetime.

A combination of happy accident and their own strength throughout the rounds ensured that this was essentially a home tournament for England. The spirit of 1966 was in the air: a fact not lost on Gareth Southgate as the team coach left the training base for the last time, residents from nearby villages crowding the laybys, desperately willing these players to deliver in the final. At every stage of a fraught, sapping Sunday, one suspicion was impossible to shake: if this moment of catharsis were ever going to happen, it had to be now.

The fact that the chance was squandered, when England led Italy for over an hour and were just 23 minutes from sporting immortality, is one that demands to be dissected without sentiment. True, there is no legislating for the madcap raffle that is a penalty shootout, and if Bukayo Saka had only shot with the same conviction to his left, or a fraction higher, perhaps no such conversation would be necessary. But the team had it within their gift to avoid this ghastly endgame. Ahead after just 110 seconds, they had no justification simply to cling on for dear life. Ruthlessness, not passivity, was the order of the evening. And yet it was not heeded. Why?

The answers reside with Southgate. He is correct when he argues that a final in 2021, following on from a semi-final in 2018, “has to be a step in the right direction” for England at major tournaments. The less convenient truth is that the game in which they ultimately foundered was a carbon copy of the last one, with a dream start undone by the manager’s instinctive caution. Where Kieran Trippier provided the perfect platform in Moscow, so Luke Shaw obliged at Wembley. In both cases, alas, the impulse was to contain and protect, not to keep chasing the vital second goal to cement their advantage. That the timing of Italy’s equaliser came in almost the same minute, the 67th versus the 68th, as Croatia’s three years earlier tells its own story.

“Gareth knows” has become a refrain of Euro 2020. That is understandable, given how expertly he countered critics of his selections with knockout victories over Germany, Ukraine and Denmark. But when everything was on the line against Italy, the courage of Southgate’s convictions faltered. Yes, he was tactically outmanoeuvred by Roberto Mancini, but he allowed himself to be, by giving in to the conservative side to his nature. The statistics did not lie. Jack Grealish, who has developed quite the cult through his impact as a substitute, was not deployed until the 99th minute. Harry Kane, England’s captain and proven matchwinner, did not have a touch inside the 18-yard box in the whole of the second half.

For Southgate, the half-time team talk surely wrote itself. A 1-0 lead in a final at home, in front of a rapt national audience crying out for their faith to be rewarded: this was true now-or-never material. The next 45 minutes would be England’s defining period, a time for pressing forward and attacking, not just sitting back and praying. But you would scarcely have known it from their timorousness. Leonardo Bonucci’s goal was the inevitable gift from a team that looked frozen in sight of their greatest prize.

That alone should be sufficient to temper the verdict on Southgate. Yes, he is the only man who can propel this team on to Qatar, and yes, he has justified the Football Association’s unconditional trust in his abilities. But at the points where he could have advanced his claims to genuine greatness, he has been found lacking. He is entitled to make all the tweaks he likes, but one essential principle remains: do not die wondering. And the sad reality of this final was that England could have done more, so much more, to make sure they were masters of their own destiny.


© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2021

 

[City Fan]

I can’t actually believe Gareth choose the penalty takers based on what he has seen in training.

It was the biggest penalty shootout the country had ever been part of. He should have asked the players who wanted to take one and chose from there rather than it being pre determined. I imagine it would have then been something like Kane, Maguire, Grealish, Sterling…and I reckon Kyle Walker and John Stones would have fancied one too.

We all knew Saka was going to miss based on his face as he stepped up. He was absolutely petrified, understandably.

 

[nuddin_madders]

The stars aligned for them at this European Championship with a promise that might not be replicated for a lifetime.

The draw was kind, it has to be said. Part of me wanted Italy to win for that reason alone but then that's tournaments and rankings. A chance missed for England.

 

[nuddin_madders]

I can’t actually believe Gareth choose the penalty takers based on what he has seen in training.

I suspect it's partly true, as preparation, but I suspect a final decision would be made at the last minute. Tbf, I think Southgate was rightly trying to take some heat off the Wembley 3 (and particularly Saka)

 

[Volpone]

This was a golden opportunity missed - Gareth Southgate is clearly good but he is not yet great
Having gone ahead early on, ruthlessness, not passivity, was the order of the evening. And yet it was not heeded. Why?

OLIVER BROWN
CHIEF SPORTS WRITER
12 July 2021 • 12:16pm
Oliver Brown

To traipse through the detritus around Wembley, a vision of desolation in the small hours, was to be assailed by the bleak thought of whether England’s greatest chance of ending the pain had come and gone. It was a wonder, under the circumstances, that Harry Kane could speak at all. Even more striking was the fact that he was already looking towards the World Cup, saying: “Hopefully we can progress from this next year.”

But it is optimistic to suppose this team can ride the same wave of national fervour out in the sands of Qatar in 16 months’ time. The stars aligned for them at this European Championship with a promise that might not be replicated for a lifetime.

A combination of happy accident and their own strength throughout the rounds ensured that this was essentially a home tournament for England. The spirit of 1966 was in the air: a fact not lost on Gareth Southgate as the team coach left the training base for the last time, residents from nearby villages crowding the laybys, desperately willing these players to deliver in the final. At every stage of a fraught, sapping Sunday, one suspicion was impossible to shake: if this moment of catharsis were ever going to happen, it had to be now.

The fact that the chance was squandered, when England led Italy for over an hour and were just 23 minutes from sporting immortality, is one that demands to be dissected without sentiment. True, there is no legislating for the madcap raffle that is a penalty shootout, and if Bukayo Saka had only shot with the same conviction to his left, or a fraction higher, perhaps no such conversation would be necessary. But the team had it within their gift to avoid this ghastly endgame. Ahead after just 110 seconds, they had no justification simply to cling on for dear life. Ruthlessness, not passivity, was the order of the evening. And yet it was not heeded. Why?

The answers reside with Southgate. He is correct when he argues that a final in 2021, following on from a semi-final in 2018, “has to be a step in the right direction” for England at major tournaments. The less convenient truth is that the game in which they ultimately foundered was a carbon copy of the last one, with a dream start undone by the manager’s instinctive caution. Where Kieran Trippier provided the perfect platform in Moscow, so Luke Shaw obliged at Wembley. In both cases, alas, the impulse was to contain and protect, not to keep chasing the vital second goal to cement their advantage. That the timing of Italy’s equaliser came in almost the same minute, the 67th versus the 68th, as Croatia’s three years earlier tells its own story.

“Gareth knows” has become a refrain of Euro 2020. That is understandable, given how expertly he countered critics of his selections with knockout victories over Germany, Ukraine and Denmark. But when everything was on the line against Italy, the courage of Southgate’s convictions faltered. Yes, he was tactically outmanoeuvred by Roberto Mancini, but he allowed himself to be, by giving in to the conservative side to his nature. The statistics did not lie. Jack Grealish, who has developed quite the cult through his impact as a substitute, was not deployed until the 99th minute. Harry Kane, England’s captain and proven matchwinner, did not have a touch inside the 18-yard box in the whole of the second half.

For Southgate, the half-time team talk surely wrote itself. A 1-0 lead in a final at home, in front of a rapt national audience crying out for their faith to be rewarded: this was true now-or-never material. The next 45 minutes would be England’s defining period, a time for pressing forward and attacking, not just sitting back and praying. But you would scarcely have known it from their timorousness. Leonardo Bonucci’s goal was the inevitable gift from a team that looked frozen in sight of their greatest prize.

That alone should be sufficient to temper the verdict on Southgate. Yes, he is the only man who can propel this team on to Qatar, and yes, he has justified the Football Association’s unconditional trust in his abilities. But at the points where he could have advanced his claims to genuine greatness, he has been found lacking. He is entitled to make all the tweaks he likes, but one essential principle remains: do not die wondering. And the sad reality of this final was that England could have done more, so much more, to make sure they were masters of their own destiny.


© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2021

In summary, Southgate bottled it.

 

[Matt_B]

I have to agree, Kane was brilliant first half, his control, vision and link up play was unbelievable. He found space between their midfield and defensive line and exploited it expertly.

As you say second half he was nullified, but overall he was excellent.

He was effective for 45 minutes at most, then ineffective for 75. I'd say overall he was ineffective. He could have been dragged for Rashford or Sancho and at least it would have given a different edge.

 

[Payne74]

He was effective for 45 minutes at most, then ineffective for 75. I'd say overall he was ineffective. He could have been dragged for Rashford or Sancho and at least it would have given a different edge.

This is part of the reason why England will never win anything whilst Southgate is in charge he's way out of his depth.
England should of got to the Final in 2018 and won last night, a half decent manager with the current squad would of.

 

[pork pie fox]

 

[Matt_B]

I'm glad somebody is calling her out. Vile ghoul. Nothing will change while we have bigots like her and Johnson in positions of power, empowering the twats.

 

[Graz]

Bloody love this. He's absolutely right.

Boris and Priti Patel have stoked this in the same way Trump stoked the White House invasion.

 

[Volpone]

This is part of the reason why England will never win anything whilst Southgate is in charge he's way out of his depth.
England should of got to the Final in 2018 and won last night, a half decent manager with the current squad would of.

have have

 

[SilverFox]

I liked this one…

 

[Biffa Bacon]

Looking forward to fortress Wembley at the Community Shield, the only way to get a 2030 WC bid back on the table will be for the government to show it has control of the fans which probably means that we are in for a whole load of new restrictions.

 

[tedfoxxx]