European Championships 2024 ⚽ 🏆 ⚽

[RicharliSon]

What the fuck are you talking about?


I'm a wanker because I'd like the players to actually acknowledge that they put in a poor performance and say that there's much that they need to improve on and that they're going to try harder in the next match.

I'd rather them do that then just pretend that they played really well in the game.

Fucking hell - you're a tough crowd

Well your reply was a load of bollocks, you clearly knew it wasn't what I meant.

Do you actually think they won't be disappointing with the second half? They're never going to come out and say "We were great for half an hour and then we were a bit shit". But literally every player that has given an interview since the game finished has said it was a tough game and that we need to do better. I don't know what you've been listening to.

 

[Deuterz]

Can guarantee that no team participating will give much of a shit how they play in the opening game just along as they win.

Some proper melts on here when it comes to England.

Before the game the England narrative was that our defence would be woeful and we'd be walked through, well erm .... Serbia weren't able to penetrate said defence even once. If that was Italy or Portugal, people would be calling it a typical catenaccio or w/e.

Took an early lead, soaked up a shit load of pressure, won the opening game. Serbia were a hard match to play first and we navigated it.

IF we continue to play like this and don't improve on the sloppy elements, then moaning will be entirely justified. I think we need Shaw and one of Wharton, Mainoo or Gallagher next to Bellingham. And I think Gordon should come in for Foden.

That is absolutely a game we can build on.

 

[Gmspurs]

Well your reply was a load of bollocks, you clearly knew it wasn't what I meant.

Do you actually think they won't be disappointing with the second half? They're never going to come out and say "We were great for half an hour and then we were a bit shit". But literally every player that has given an interview since the game finished has said it was a tough game and that we need to do better. I don't know what you've been listening to.

Oh fuck off then if you can't take someone questioning what you're saying because you're in happy clappy land.

Calling someone a wanker - well done.

 

[thinktank]

Ming the Merciless took the Southgate rumours personally.

Tactical digs.

 

[Zest]

Steady. We all can’t be as entertaining and brilliant like England. If Bellingham gets injured you can share a plane with us.

See you Jimmy…

 

[RicharliSon]

I think Foden shoulda been subbed off, bring Eze on round the hour mark.

To be honest I think ENG shoulda tried something different and maybe even do what Carlo did at Real...put Jude upfront and have Palmer behind him. All Kane was doing was buy cheap free kicks, he wasn't retaining the ball or bringing his teammates into the game. Coulda done with more pace and trickery the last 20 or 30 mins.

But Gareth gonna Gareth.

It's time to bench him if we can't find a way to play him centrally. Gordon or Eze on the left with their pace will make a big difference. Bellingham constantly tires after 65-70 minutes so Foden would be a fantastic player to replace him with.

 

[Ionman34]

Hey, we were meant to be AMAZING going forward and terrible at the back, right?

0.17xG for Serbia.

We did what was needed. This Serbian team is underrated and imo will go through to the knockouts and cause teams problems - big, physical side with a sprinkling of talent.

Our game management needs work 100% but 3 points sorted, bish bash bosh.

It was when they upped their game that we struggled. They're a good side Serbia, with a decent amount of tekkers to go with the physicality.

Probably the hardest game in our group and we've got through it fairly professionally. Bringing Bowen and Gallagher on was a very good move, it helped us match their physicality, but I don't understand why he didn't hook Foden and get some balance on the left. I felt Foden varied from ordinary to poor.

Some positives were Guehy, I thought he looked very assured. Bellingham of course, he's brought his RM form with him. Pickford had a good game, Saka was very good for a half, but that's fine when you have the energy of Bowen to come in.
I liked the change in our energy when Gallagher came on, he made a difference.

Some negatives have to start with Foden. He's a shadow of the player he is at City, and you can't just put that down to Southgate. He just seems overawed to me. TAA. Jury's out for me. Did some nice things, but put him under pressure and he'll cough the ball up time and time again. He might be able to pick a pass, but he's a major liability with his back to goal, he can't take the ball on the half turn, and that'll be targeted.

Solid, if uninspiring, start, but you don't want to peak too early.

 

[RicharliSon]

Before the game the England narrative was that our defence would be woeful and we'd be walked through, well erm .... Serbia weren't able to penetrate said defence even once. If that was Italy or Portugal, people would be calling it a typical catenaccio or w/e.

Took an early lead, soaked up a shit load of pressure, won the opening game. Serbia were a hard match to play first and we navigated it.

IF we continue to play like this and don't improve on the sloppy elements, then moaning will be entirely justified. I think we need Shaw and one of Wharton, Mainoo or Gallagher next to Bellingham. And I think Gordon should come in for Foden.

That is absolutely a game we can build on.

Exactly. If we would have won 5-0 tonight we still would have got the same amount of points. You never want to be peaking from the off or in the group stages. You're absolutely fine just doing enough, and we did that this evening. Clearly there's a ton to work on and do better but the Italians and Netherlands will be saying exactly the same after their opening game. Only their supporters won't be so negative and freaking out like ours constantly do. Serbia could win the next two games they play and then this win, despite being not at our best, could look like a very decent one.

 

[Jaynola]

It's time to bench him if we can't find a way to play him centrally. Gordon or Eze on the left with their pace will make a big difference. Bellingham constantly tires after 65-70 minutes so Foden would be a fantastic player to replace him with.

Not a bad shout.

 

[Jaynola]

It was when they upped their game that we struggled. They're a good side Serbia, with a decent amount of tekkers to go with the physicality.

Probably the hardest game in our group and we've got through it fairly professionally. Bringing Bowen and Gallagher on was a very good move, it helped us match their physicality, but I don't understand why he didn't hook Foden and get some balance on the left. I felt Foden varied from ordinary to poor.

Some positives were Guehy, I thought he looked very assured. Bellingham of course, he's brought his RM form with him. Pickford had a good game, Saka was very good for a half, but that's fine when you have the energy of Bowen to come in.
I liked the change in our energy when Gallagher came on, he made a difference.

Some negatives have to start with Foden. He's a shadow of the player he is at City, and you can't just put that down to Southgate. He just seems overawed to me. TAA. Jury's out for me. Did some nice things, but put him under pressure and he'll cough the ball up time and time again. He might be able to pick a pass, but he's a major liability with his back to goal, he can't take the ball on the half turn, and that'll be targeted.

Solid, if uninspiring, start, but you don't want to peak too early.

Well summed up.

 

[Airfixx]

LB - poor
LW - poor
TAA - not much use when we're not dominating the ball so only an experiment that's suited vs the the weaker teams
Rice - Will graft all day but limited ball recycler thus dictating Gary plays two #8's (and another hybrid 8/10 in Jude) instead of a proper #6.
Gary - No tactics and generally wrecks what he does put in place when he uses subs.

Basically every pre tournament concern confirmed.



Positives: Jude, 3 points and blind faith.



Wharton would balance our MF so much; can't we just play him (433) with Rice & Jude ahead of him? .....Or even Jude + Foden or TAA ahead of him if we're being brave.

 

[Deuterz]

It was when they upped their game that we struggled. They're a good side Serbia, with a decent amount of tekkers to go with the physicality.

Probably the hardest game in our group and we've got through it fairly professionally. Bringing Bowen and Gallagher on was a very good move, it helped us match their physicality, but I don't understand why he didn't hook Foden and get some balance on the left. I felt Foden varied from ordinary to poor.

Some positives were Guehy, I thought he looked very assured. Bellingham of course, he's brought his RM form with him. Pickford had a good game, Saka was very good for a half, but that's fine when you have the energy of Bowen to come in.
I liked the change in our energy when Gallagher came on, he made a difference.

Some negatives have to start with Foden. He's a shadow of the player he is at City, and you can't just put that down to Southgate. He just seems overawed to me. TAA. Jury's out for me. Did some nice things, but put him under pressure and he'll cough the ball up time and time again. He might be able to pick a pass, but he's a major liability with his back to goal, he can't take the ball on the half turn, and that'll be targeted.

Solid, if uninspiring, start, but you don't want to peak too early.

Which I think is somewhat to be expected. Ultimately opening games are nervy, everyone wants points on the board. Serbia likely had a kick up the arse and they're big, which we aren't. You will have games/periods like this in tournaments.

Agree. Was shocked Gordon didn't get on at all. Don't really get it.

Yeah, defence in general wasn't an issue other than Trippier struggling and Stones maybe looking a bit half baked playing out. Guehi and Walker gives us lots of recovery pace back there. Bellingham is perfect for this England side and perfect for international football. Gerrard was always the best out of the 'golden trio' for the NT because international football is about grabbing games by the horns and forcing the issue.

I don't think being shunted to the left helps. All of Fodens good work came from operating in that half space on the right and coming inside. Ultimately he never does well for England in any role but I struggle to hammer on him too much when used this way. But his use of the ball was terrible.

TAA is REALLY good at certain things and an incredible weapon to have but probably not a CM at international level. Think it'll be Gallagher from here on out and as underwhelming as he can be on the ball, him and Rice off the ball are brilliant. Teams will struggle to find any space to play in whatsoever.

I want us (with 3 points secured) to look much less nervous vs Denmark, to see a few different players come in etc. I have a feeling what we'll do is be very happy with a draw because 4 points = qualification, the same way we were dull against Scotland in the last Euros. And people will obviously not be happy with this.

 

[Airfixx]

Well I'm pretty sure they know as a team they were nowhere near their best and can play much better.

Again; based on what?

"KNOW" is an awfully strong word to throw around when the evidence is scarce at best.

Do you expect them to all cry at the end of the game because they won the game but didn't play particularly well?

No. You're strawmanning with this guff.

 

[Michaelspurs]

Hey a win is a win. Better than I predicted so well happy. A struggle in second half but we held on. Saw Denmark earlier and I think it’s an easy win

 

[RicharliSon]

Shaw for Trippier, Wharton for Alexander-Arnold and Gordon for Foden need to be the changes made for the Denmark game.

 

[Jose Dominguez 25]

I'll give Southgate credit that his subs were good, probably could've been slightly earlier, but it was what we needed.

He should not be carrying on this experiment that Liverpool canned a year ago with taa in central midfield. He is not and will never be a centre mid. He is not that good that we have to shoehorn him on at any cost either. Tripper at left back isn't it either.

Toughest game in the group and we got through it, wasn't pretty by any means, but I'm staying on the positive side and winning games playing like that is a good thing.

Other positives were guehi, Jude, rice and saka.

 

[bus-conductor]

There's no such thing as losing with points at knockout tournaments, the result is the only thing that even slightly matters.

Portugal won a Euros having not won a single match in normal time, Greece won it playing shit on a stick the entire time. If we're crap to watch but prevent the opposition from creating a single thing like we did today whilst having moments of brilliance from Jude, Saka etc to win games that's fine by me. Points win prizes.

Pfffttt

 

[RicharliSon]

I'll give Southgate credit that his subs were good, probably could've been slightly earlier, but it was what we needed.

He should not be carrying on this experiment that Liverpool canned a year ago with taa in central midfield. He is not and will never be a centre mid. He is not that good that we have to shoehorn him on at any cost either. Tripper at left back isn't it either.

Toughest game in the group and we got through it, wasn't pretty by any means, but I'm staying on the positive side and winning games playing like that is a good thing.

Other positives were guehi, Jude, rice and saka.

Trent is the kind of player you play at right-back when you're playing a crap team that offer no threat to him. He's clearly an outstanding footballer with the ball at his feet. He's just crap without it.

 

[Bow Lockes]

I was bricking it re our defence, thought they were fantastic, we’ll done lads

 

[Airfixx]

Only way it's going to work is if Rice plays DM, Bellingham 8, and Foden 10.

Gordon or Eze LW, Shaw has to get fit by some miracle.

With that MF 3 it would have to be Gordon at LW to add some workrate.... Eze ain't that kinda guy.

TBH Rice is the square peg here (see my comments in above post). Foden is easily solved; either play him at 10, RW of drop him.