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Euros 2024 - Germany

Toney is on also Palmer.

If it does go to pens Kane will certainly be one to take one I'd expect.
 
I mean that goal celebration is embarrassing.

The team has played awful the entire match and what it is directed at the fans?
That is football for you. Can play awful for 94 mins and just one bit moment of magic can change everything.

I don't think this has been as bad as v Iceland 8 years ago but still pretty bad.

Another 30 mins it is. Don't really want it to go to pens but Slovakia look out on their feet.
 
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Well it certainly wasn't pretty. But a win is a win. Through to quarters to play Switzerland.
 
England remind me of the rugby team in the world cup. Scraping by on poor performances and as soon as they come up against a top side they'll come undone.
 
Hmmm Spain looking good with 4/4 so far. QF v Germany should be a cracker. Shame it's not the final.
 
but we have to accept that is the way Gareth Southgate wants us to play.

The evidence is there now that this is who we are, and this is our identity in major finals.

Everyone is crying out for him to give us some attacking football, but his England side have played like this in previous tournaments too - and it got us to the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup and the final of Euro 2020. He is not going to change now.

The spark England were waiting for?

The biggest positive to take away from Sunday's game is that England found a way.

Knockout football is just about getting through to the next round regardless of your performance and somehow - I still don't know exactly how - we have done that.
I think Shearer answered his own question. Playing **** Football has allowed England to go deeper into tournaments than they have for decades with arguably a more competitive international scene. Whereas the side he was involved with and beyond did play nice and attacking football and always lost in early stages if they even qualified.

England fans have got to accept this is probably what's required if they want to win a tournament.
 
Haven't we been playing against absolute bin juice though?
It's not like we're sacrificing attack for defence, cause the defence is a mess too - we've just not played anyone half decent yet who'll punish that
 
Haven't we been playing against absolute bin juice though?
It's not like we're sacrificing attack for defence, cause the defence is a mess too - we've just not played anyone half decent yet who'll punish that

Yeah that plus a peach of a draw both in the group and knockouts. The qualifying group to reach the Euros was also about the easiest they could have got.

Winning tournaments usually requires a watertight defence and Slovakia cut through with ease several times last night. England will need to move up a couple of gears against better teams.
 
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Haven't we been playing against absolute bin juice though?
It's not like we're sacrificing attack for defence, cause the defence is a mess too - we've just not played anyone half decent yet who'll punish that
Which is why it's a shame England aren't on the other side of the draw. I want them to win, but not playing like that.

But it's how Southgate has set up his team. I think ultimately he's cautious, but as you said the team's disjointed; too spread out, deep and not giving players options to pass to by creating triangles. It's all sideways, backwards passing and creating few balls into the opposition box to create chances. If it wasn't Slovakia, who offered nothing in that second half or ET, then they would certainly be out.

Switzerland in the QF next up. Can see that being another cagey affair, ending in a draw and pens.
 
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