Bellingham and Foden might just be the Lampard/Gerrard of this generation. They like to operate in the same areas of the pitch, as shown by their average positions being basically the same, and that's not serving either of them or the team. Looking increasingingly like you tell Bellingham to be disciplined and play him further back alongside Rice (though this should really have been worked out before the tournament...), or one of them has to be on the bench. I think we need a proper DM in there really, I thought that was Rice but apparently he is better when he has a license to roam forward which again, isn't helping the balance of the team. Watching these games, England would benefit so much from having a Downes type alongside Rice. Not only is he obviously energetic and physical, he can receive the ball in tight spots with his back to goal and always offers the defence a pass out. I haven't seen enough of Mainoo or Wharton to know if that is their game but if it is, one absolutely needs to be playing. It's amazed me how bad we've been at trying to pass it out under minimal pressure. Saints are a million times better at it with much worse players. The defenders on an individual level have been good, but the 1 goal conceeded in 3 games comes down to our opponents being a bit **** in front of goal rather than our defence (including the midfield in that) being solid. The teams in our group have been absolutely ****. If we'd have been in several of the others theres a very good chance we wouldn't have got through. We can't do anything about LB until Shaw is back because Southgate is a prat, and when he is back, he won't be matchfit. But we can play a more balanced team elsewhere and that is going to mean dropping big name star players. It's so frustrating having such a good team on paper, and have the competition completely open up for you whereby you have as 'easy' a route to the final as it's possible to get...and yet having watched England recently (not just in this Euros), you know we have absolutely no chance.
What a depressing trio of performances. First game, start with energy and enthusiasm. Get a goal. Stop playing. Second game. Start with energy and enthusiasm. Get a goal. Concede a goal. Stop playing. Hang on for dear life. Third game. Headless chickens. Only start playing after the manager reluctantly brings on the players everyone says should play. We know he won’t start them next game. Bellingham absolutely invisible.
All been said probably but to make only one change for that game and one that was clearly not significant, then realise he was wrong and only make one change again at HT and then eventually bring on an attacking threat on 71mins and make no other changes until it was too late to affect anything was crazy Mainoo at least created the vague look that we were maybe the better team, just, but we didn’t look like we were going to score till Palmer came on Lucky Denmark didn’t score 2nd most successful England manager of all time - who knew success could be this dull and uninspiring
England need a Flynn Downes. Someone that can get on the ball, turn and dictate a game. (Genuinely… If he can step his performances up to PL level this year he could be on the plane for the World Cup. No other English CMs can dictate a game like him.) Wharton may be that guy but Southgate clearly hates him for some reason.
It has been so bad, dreading the next game. My kids aren't massively into Football but I can usually get them to watch big matches like the Playoff final. I told them at the beginning to not bother with the group games(how I wish I didn't bother) but the knockout stages are where it's at....after these dreadful 3 games, how can I suggest they watch on Sunday!! **** me, Footballs meant to be exciting, every other game I have watched has been exciting. I have had more pleasure watching Scotland(I'm part Scottish) play and get knocked out than I have watching England! I've figured out what Southgate and TBH every England Manager has done since the dawn of the Premier League. They are basically playing Fantasy Football.... You know when you get the players and the team looks quality but on paper it would be a right shambles, that's what they do! Hence Gerrard and Lampard, hence Bellingham and Foden, no left back etc. In Fantasy football we would all be wanting Kane, Bellingham, Foden Saka, squeeze TAA in etc as they would give you a great score. But this is not Fantasy Football. It doesn't work. Drop one of Foden and Bellingham, have them as a quality option off the bench. If we had 2 world class GKs like Banks and Shilton, Gareth would stick one of them in Midfield just so the big name players are on! It's so bent, the players are in charge, the agents are forcing their hands or something as it's the same old **** all the time! Pathetic!
I wonder at what point nerves will kick in with this group. Three of the four teams are currently one goal away from finishing bottom, and hence going home.
Interesting tactics from Belgium … … all the players I know are playing in the positions they play in for their clubs CRAZY
The refereeing/simulation in this tournament has been on another level. Any time there is contact, player goes down, ref blows the whistle. It's becoming unwatchable.
We definitely want Czech Republic to beat Turkey or Georgia to beat Portugal now. If either of those things happen, we play Slovakia. Belgium worse than England.
Too many cautious games as so many teams go through in this new format. Belgium were hanging on for a draw against Ukraine there to finish second. Imagine what people would have said if that was England.
