Euros 2024 - Germany

[Bada-Bing!]

It was predominantly English bookies. Most of Europe had France. Even if England made the finals before.

Equally this is probably the best batch of younger players England have in a long time. It's more not playing to potential than not being good enough.

Potential of what though? A performance and improving to go all the way. There's nothing more to aim for. No england team is or should be aiming or happy just to get to the quarters or semis. But that is the reality. So, fans should stop expecting and complaining and pundits English booked - ex pros should stop putting England as one of the favourites. It's not merited. But we all become armchair pundits and know how to fix things from behind our keyboards.

Not convinced either by fan expectation for most following England football fans expect quaters and a semi-final at best. I don't think many England fans expect England to win at a major tournament.

Fans expect a good performance. But can't see that a lot of English players they see week in week out in the Premiership don't really understand how to play the international game or it takes years and by then they are 30 plus and past their peak.

A little like Wales beating the All Blacks. It's a distant memory for a few and more a 'Maybe one day' for everyone else.

Of course, which makes it all the more harder for them and the disappointment is more intense when the performance isn't there. It's the young fans I feel sorry for. They are still, too naive and not used to the disappointment.

 

[Welsh Exile]

 

[Bada-Bing!]

England look terrified and they have no functioning midfield | Barney Ronay

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Declan Rice had no chemistry in this formation. Was it ever likely to work, simply slotting in a talented passer?

www.theguardian.com

 

[BrokenWing]

Wow… I mean… wow.

I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but if you seriously think that Kalvin Philips is the missing piece of this jigsaw of **** then WOW.

 

[General Melchett]

Have to say that was a massive clanger by Southgate mentioning a player who was utter garbage while he was on loan at West ham last season and not even selected for the squad. He's basically telling the midfielders in the squad that they're not at the same level as a guy who wasn't good enough to be selected.

Experimenting with TAA in central midfield at a major tournament is madness. Just put Bellingham next to Rice and play Foden or Palmer at 10. Cole Palmer deserves a go against Slovenia. He was superb for Chelsea last season.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Wow… I mean… wow.

I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but if you seriously think that Kalvin Philips is the missing piece of this jigsaw of **** then WOW.

Mad isn't it. Funny though.

Also saying he's experimenting. Mmmm, it's such a shame he never had a chance to experiment before the tournament. Oh wait….

 

[Reiser99]

It's the good old EJ plan. I'm saving my best tactics for the end (end doesn't include the tournament or final or any game they will play)

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Have to say that was a massive clanger by Southgate mentioning a player who was utter garbage while he was on loan at West ham last season and not even selected for the squad. He's basically telling the midfielders in the squad that they're not at the same level as a guy who wasn't good enough to be selected.

Experimenting with TAA in central midfield at a major tournament is madness. Just put Bellingham next to Rice and play Foden or Palmer at 10. Cole Palmer deserves a go against Slovenia. He was superb for Chelsea last season.

This is exactly the same dilemma SGE faced in 2004, with Lampard, Gerrard, Beckham, Scholes. He then just played all of them and expected them to work it out. The problem is Bellingham, Foden and Kane want to be number 10 or the main man and Southgate has forgotten it's all about the team and how balanced it is.

Just wonder if Phillips would have gone had he chosen to stay at Man City and sit on the bench. He was garbage at West Ham, but he suited how Southgate wanted to play with a double pivot.

 

[Reiser99]

This is exactly the same dilemma SVG faced in 2004, with Lampard, Gerrard, Beckham, Scholes. He then just played all of them and expected them to work it out. The problem is Bellingham, Foden and Kane want to be number 10 or the main man and Southgate has forgotten it's all about the team and how balanced it is.

Just wonder if Phillips would have gone had he chosen to stay at Man City and sit on the bench. He was garbage at West Ham, but he suited how Southgate wanted to play with a double pivot.

I definitely agree. Southgate needs to accept that all his best players don't function as a team. He needs to look at making a whole team that works and not just try and shoehorn players in. Foden played his best in the middle and yet he's meant to be on the left. Kane isn't doing enough to justify his position.

 

[The Seeker]

I'm not a hater, I've paid to watch matches and a hater wouldn't do that. But I do think this is a funny clip.

 

[BrokenWing]

Imagine taking that long to make an awful VAR decision…

 

[Bada-Bing!]

England players not fit enough to press effectively, claims Gareth Southgate

Gareth Southgate has claimed England players are not at the fitness levels required to carry out his Euro 2024 game plan

www.theguardian.com

Euro 2024: BBC pundits analyse England's pressing problem

Watch as BBC pundits Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney and Cesc Fabregas analyse England's problems with pressing against Denmark at Euro 2024.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[General Melchett]

Think Portugal have a genuine shot at winning this tournament but Ronaldo's clout as captain could be holding them back. I'd have Diogo Jota in for him to make their front three more mobile and fluid.

Edit: Then Ronaldo goes and gets an assist lol

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Euro 2024: Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku closing in on 'VAR golden boot'

BBC pundits discuss Romelu Lukaku's "fantastic" performance for Belgium against Romania and the striker's misfortune with disallowed goals at Euro 2024.

www.bbc.co.uk

Closing in on VAR Golden Boot. . Seriously they need to change the offside rule. Having goal ruled out for a toe offside is ridiculous.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Euro 2024: Harry Kane says pundits must remember tournaments are 'tough'

England captain Harry Kane says former internationals who are now pundits should "remember what it’s like to wear the shirt".

www.bbc.co.uk

Who says the England players don't hear and feel the criticism more?

Anyway good luck to Scotland for tonight's game.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Euro 2024: Harry Kane says pundits must remember tournaments are 'tough'

England captain Harry Kane says former internationals who are now pundits should "remember what it’s like to wear the shirt".

www.bbc.co.uk

Who says the England players don't hear and feel the criticism more?

Anyway good luck to Scotland for tonight's game.

This is not a problem unique to England and if you say they feel it more than players from other nations then that's partly the players fault for being mentally weak and partly the managers fault for picking weak minded players and/or allowing a culture that enables their weak mentality.

Obviously it would never happen but, hypothetically speaking, if Klopp was parachuted in would you expect to see better performances and results?

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Never heard Flower of Scotland given so much welly.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

This is not a problem unique to England and if you say they feel it more than players from other nations then that's partly the players fault for being mentally weak and partly the managers fault for picking weak minded players and/or allowing a culture that enables their weak mentality.

Obviously it would never happen but, hypothetically speaking, if Klopp was parachuted in would you expect to see better performances and results?

Of course. I can only speak from an English POV. If you read the article then Kane and co are complaining about ex pros like Lineker slating them. They do listen to the criticism and are stung by it. And as I said I know other countries also feel pressure and get stung by the criticism. But I am not from that country. I want England to win a major trophy but want them to earn it playing well.

And regarding Klopp would unlikely accept the England job and we have had two foreign managers; and they've also proven that they also can only take England so far.

Also That is not the point of international football, hence why the FA have gone back to English managers. But that highlights another big problem with English football they don't produce enough top English coaches and managers.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Of course. I can only speak from an English POV. If you read the article then Kane and co are complaining about ex pros like Lineker slating them. They do listen to the criticism and are stung by it.

What do they expect?
The ex players are paid to talk about the game - are they supposed to just ignore it if England play badly?
Nothing said was out of line or over the top, if Kane wants blind praise he should start playing better

 

[Bada-Bing!]

What do they expect?
The ex players are paid to talk about the game - are they supposed to just ignore it if England play badly?
Nothing said was out of line or over the top, if Kane wants blind praise he should start playing better

I am not complaining about the players complaining about ex pros. Sure they have to take it. I would say that these ex pros like Lineker and Rio are hypocrites. They choose the comfort of the studio to do their criticism instead of becoming managers and coaches themselves. All that experience of pain from suffering in past tournaments but just doing the criticism as a pundit - that's the easy life.