Much better and a definite penalty for me. Anywhere else on the pitch, that's a possible red card. He waits and waits to make substitutions: I don't know why: it was obvious it had to be done. I've wanted to see Palmer and Watkins since we started and the made the winner. All we need now is Gordon at LWB.....
The expect result in the final. England did not deserve to win this game let alone a number of previous ones so no shocks there. Kane a shadow of his normal self yet he still leaves him on for 60 minutes. Best team in the competition won.
Where was the defence for Spain’s first goal? A huge gap on our LHS - presumably Saka’s fault for not tracking back….. As you say, the best team in the tournament won it, no argument about that. With the players we have though it’s disappointing not to have made more of a game of it. Palmer did the business again: he has to figure more in the future, somehow. I think it’s time for Kane to stand aside and concentrate on his club game for however many seasons he has left. Similarly Walker. Southgate’s done a magnificent job but bin think it’s time for a change. Eddie Howe perhaps?
I was very disappointed with the Man City mob throughout this tournament. I thought they were so negative doing more back passes than forward passes by far. Stones nearly always went either sideways or back and likewise Walker. Walker however is nothing if not very fast and he does cover well. Foden was disappointing and is better than this for his club. Bellingham tries to be the star man all of the time when something more simple would do. Saka doesn't take his man on enough. Rice gives the ball away too often. Kane looks a shadow now. Southgate sticks to plan A and although his subs have done a job when brought on they are not brought on early enough. They do a quick cameo of a plan B then revert to plan A as if no sub has happened. I think he has run his time out also.
These players are successful at club level.....unfortunately Southgate has them playing differently and it doesn't work.
Yes they are but having seen first hand what the England coaching manual has to offer, as in Foster's attempt at club management, then I can see why they don't look good. The system throughout the England set up is the same no matter what age group. It is negative and boring and any player with a bit of flare does not like it and cannot do it well.
I don’t feel we’ve seen the best of what these players can do individually or collectively. Some haven’t played as well as they can: Kane and Foden particularly. Bellingham did OK but I’m not sure that’s the best he can do and he did seem to be Mr Angry throughout. What were the warm-up games and the pre-tournament camp for if not to sort that sort of thing out? We haven’t seen enough of the even newer generation, particularly Palmer and Gordon. You don’t have to be an expert to notice that we stepped up a gear every time Palmer came on. That’s no surprise to anyone who’s seen him for Chelsea. I think I’m right in saying that if you add up goals scored and “significant interventions” which mean assists, shots missed, touches in the opposition box etc, he was the most influential player in the EPL last season. We’ve hardly seen him but when we did, he delivered. And that’s in a not-particularly-good Chelsea team. He played less than 30 minutes in the tournament I think but made one and scored one. That speaks for itself. Very disappointing for what we think of as a golden generation.
Hindsight is only good if it happens before it becomes hindsight......which of course can never happen. Reaching the final cannot be seen as a failure....but it leaves a taste of not being quite enough seeing the talent on display. There is this taste of never being on the front foot....only ever reacting when things go wrong.....which generally meant going behind. Too many key players seemed to be just short of being totally up for it. Harry Kane Mr undroppable came into the tournament recovering from an end of season injury....and he was struggling.....there was times when he should have been replaced earlier...maybe starting from the bench at times......but his scoring record for England became a problem....how could you not start him. Luke Shaw came on the trip injured...a natural left footer unavailable until the very end....which meant using Kieran Trippier himself just coming back from injury playing on the wrong side....who didn't let us down. Jude Bellingham seemed to be carrying too much on his shoulders...he was expected to live up to his club form....too much pressure at times....he was playing as if he was angry all the time....that was mentioned and it seemed to be so at times A lot was expected from Phil Foden....but we only saw glimpses' of his ability at times....he looked frustrated that he couldn't perform to the level that he did for his club. Bukayo Saka amazes me at times the amount of punishment he soaks up ....the system didn't seem to allow him at times to take on the full back....the inevitable back pass was expected from him....the one time he succeeded he broke in field and saved the day with a great goal. Palmer...Watkins and Toney just got piece parts and saved the day twice....but had to play second fiddle to Kane's reputation. Not sure if Gareth Southgate had a genuine second plan when things didn't work out....only reacting to adversity....which at times worked out....but he never seemed to make the first move to make the breakthrough first. Southgate has done well for England from where he took over all those years back....but I fear he has reached his ceiling and cannot take England any further......although the FA want more of the same from him and want him to stay. The problem is who is there who could do better and bring more success....I can't see any obvious choice.....whoever takes over needs to change the system from this ever defensive back passing to the keeper system and to allow the players to play to their strengths and not to try molding them into a system that stifles their natural abilities. PS......Marc Guehi was a surprising success story.....could be seen as the best player to come out of this tournament for England.
They should have a statue at Bournemouth to him....to remind them how he brought this club from the neither regions to a Premiership club. I remember seeing them get promotion at Charlton the first time they won promotion to the Premier league .....the game was done and dusted in about 12 minutes that Saturday....they could have started erecting the Championship rostrum there and then....Charlton weren't a bad side but they looked like little school boys compared to the slick fast passing team that Howe had developed from the Bournemouth that had been a lower league backwater most of their lives.
And he’s done pretty well at Newcastle, taking them to the Champions League albeit they didn’t get out of their group.
Graham Potter is another name being talked about and he’s free! His time at Chelsea came to an unhappy end but that’s a club that’s been in turmoil following Abramovich’s departure as owner. He did well at Bournemouth but unlike Howe, hasn’t been able to deliver at a big club with a huge fanbase. It’s not necessarily his fault due to the shambles at Chelsea but it does give Howe the edge for me.
I agree with that Joe. I didn't see one match England were in at the Euros that was worth watching including the final even though I did watch them all. They looked like frightened kids most of the time . I am convinced it's the way England set up. We watched Argyle go to ratshit under Foster in the end and there was a lack of togetherness there after he had finished. Foster was part of the England set up playing the Gareth way and it looks as boring as hell. I would have a guess that if the stats were looked at England made more backward passes than forward passes throughout. It's ok playing keep ball if there is an end product but we looked devoid of any idea how to create one. The subs eventually were the only saving factor when allowed to come on. I am not sorry Southgate has gone because I would not want to watch his method of play too often.
John Barnes was interviewed on the BBC this morning. According to him, the likes of Eddie Howe and Jurgen Klopp would be accustomed to earning 4 to 5 times what Gareth South was. Hard to see that working…..
It is said that Gareth Southgate was the highest paid manager at Euro 2024....earning an estimated £5 million....next came the German manager on £4.8 million.
Under £100,000 per week which is considerably less than the £340k per week which Jude Bellingham is reputed to be on - plus the advertising etc he does on the side and a manager couldn’t.
