Football Focus

[Joseph_Pestell]

Where was Harry Kane all evening? Not in a position to take a shot at goal, never mind score one. It seems that he did not have confidence in the others to get the ball to him.

[EddieB]

It's disappointing that we lost to ourselves rather than being beaten by a stronger team.

 

I vainly hoped that the pain of watching England go out of tournaments having surrendered a lead was over (think Argentina, France, Brazil, Sweden, Croatia).  Again we kept our most gifted play-maker (Grealish) in reserve for too long during the whole tournament.

 

The substitutions we did make took off some our more industrious players (Rice and Trippier).  Saka is an exceptionally gifted young player, but was out of his depth in such an important match. 

 

We could and should have pressed home our advantage - but the goal was our only shot on target in the ninety minutes of normal time.  We showed that Italy can be vulnerable, yet barely created any other chances.  We had a great opportunity to press home an advantage - Italy have only one striker who knows where the goal is - and he went off injured in extra time.

 

I love watching international tournament football - but suffer from the chronic fatigue and pain of being English.

[lapford34102]

As a neutral(Wales) thought that Italy edged it with a better strategic brain behind them. A bit tougue in cheek but Youth vs experience, a couple of very effective Italians looked like the're due their pensions soon. Regarding penalties - overall success rate 50%, England managed 40%. Practice makes perfect.....

Stu

[turbos]

I’m my opinion the best team in the tournament won it, I was impressed by the Italians in every game I saw them in. Pierlinni was the player of the tournament for me.

There could be some major ramifications for the FA as some of England’s so called ‘fans’ let their nation down badly again.

 

Brian.

 

[NorthBrit]

I got the impression that most of Gareth Southgate's 'favourites'  did not turn up  for the match.

[APOLLO]

Italy also won on the Yellow Card front - Four Nil.

 

Brit15

[Reorte]

42 minutes ago, lapford34102 said:

As a neutral(Wales) thought that Italy edged it with a better strategic brain behind them. A bit tougue in cheek but Youth vs experience, a couple of very effective Italians looked like the're due their pensions soon. Regarding penalties - overall success rate 50%, England managed 40%. Practice makes perfect.....

The youthfulness of the England team still bodes very well for the future, as they gain that experience.

 

There's been criticism of Southgate but he's got an England team further than any other manager in my lifetime, so deserves a break.

[Hobby]

52 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

Where was Harry Kane all evening? Not in a position to take a shot at goal, never mind score one. It seems that he did not have confidence in the others to get the ball to him.

 

No one to feed the ball to him, as has happened before, when you see all three forwards dropping back into their own half you know there's something amis. 

 

Maguire, Stones and Walker did well, though. 

[Joseph_Pestell]

4 minutes ago, Hobby said:

 

Maguire, Stones and Walker did well, though. 

 

Agree with you there. Good throughout the tournament.

 

Very impressed with the way that Stones has made a comeback with Man C and now England to his top form. Not many players earn a second chance with Guardiola.

[Ron Ron Ron]

23 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

Where was Harry Kane all evening? Not in a position to take a shot at goal, never mind score one. It seems that he did not have confidence in the others to get the ball to him.

 

22 hours ago, Hobby said:

 

No one to feed the ball to him, ........

 

The gaping hole in that England team, in fact the whole squad, is a creative central midfield.

Mason Mount being the closest to the role, but is more of an attacking midfielder.

Look at all the top EPL teams and you'll see that almost all the core, creative midfielders are are not English, so there wasn't anyone in the squad to fill that role.

Harry Kane had to fall back to be a playmaker, rather than leading the line, or getting in the box.

A player, who's reputation has been built on scoring goals, was basically playing attacking midfield for most of the game, when England were in possession.

I don't know if it's true, but they said he had no touches in the Italian penalty area, all game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

Edited July 13, 2021 by Ron Ron Ron

[Joseph_Pestell]

31 minutes ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

 

 

The gaping hole in that England team, in fact the whole squad, is a creative central midfield.

Mason Mount being the closest to the role, but is more of an attacking midfielder.

Look at all the top EPL teams and you'll see that almost all the core, creative midfielders are are not English, so there wasn't anyone in the squad to fill that role.

Harry Kane had to fall back to be a playmaker, rather than leading the line, or getting in the box.

A player, who's reputation has been built on scoring goals, was basically playing attacking midfield for most of the game, when England were in possession.

I don't know if it's true, but they said he had no touches in the Italian penalty all game.

 

 

.

 

There were players within the squad who could fulfill that role. But Southgate did not pick them for the team. Or picked them and put them in other roles.

 

I agree that Mount looks like a good candidate to take on a more central role.

 

Putting both Rice and the Leeds guy (memory gone again) on at the same time certainly looked wrong. Rice has been a very good PL player for West Ham but I don't see the quality there to be an international. Even defensive midfielders need to be able to create good attack situations. Shaw is much better at that.

 

And no sign at all of Foden who had a great end to the season with Man C.

[Torper]

3 hours ago, EddieB said:

I love watching international tournament football - but suffer from the chronic fatigue and pain of being English.

 

Hmmmm.... .....You should try being Scottish.  Having said that, much as it would love some success, the Tartan Army doesn't really expect it - all it really wants is to party.

 

Rather more seriously, I feel genuinely sorry for the England players having to suffer the pressure of the totally OTT hype and expectations heaped on them by the media, much of which we in the other three countries that make up the United Kingdom have also had to put up with.

 

DT

[Rivercider]

15 minutes ago, Torper said:

 

Hmmmm.... .....You should try being Scottish.  Having said that, much as it would love some success, the Tartan Army doesn't really expect it - all it really wants is to party.

 

Rather more seriously, I feel genuinely sorry for the England players having to suffer the pressure of the totally OTT hype and expectations heaped on them by the media, much of which we in the other three countries that make up the United Kingdom have also had to put up with.

 

DT

I agree with you about the hype, which I think tends to attach itself to the English football, rugby (union) and cricket teams as soon as they win a game or two. Followed by the assertion that they are all rubbish as soon as they lose. The truth being somewhere in between, that they are generally pretty decent.

My impression, I don't think the players (whole squad) got too caught up in the expectation, the oft repeated mantra of prepare for the next game being so true.

 

Italy were the best team in the tournament, so are worthy winners. To have beaten them would have been some achievement. I think we matched them for the first 30 minutes or so (and some spells later on), but were unable to keep the high energy pressing game for long enough,

 

cheers

[PhilH]

13 hours ago, br2975 said:

And this year's award for costly showboating goes to.....................................Marcus Rashford.

Don't get that, 3" to the right he's a hero.

Various players have different techniques for pens, I would bet the family silver that the last thing on his mind was showboating. Have you ever had to take a penalty, indeed do anything under the extreme pressure these players were under last night when nerves for these young men must have played a huge part?

No, I thought not.

Edited July 12, 2021 by PhilH

[jonny777]

28 minutes ago, Torper said:

 

Hmmmm.... .....You should try being Scottish.  Having said that, much as it would love some success, the Tartan Army doesn't really expect it - all it really wants is to party.

 

Rather more seriously, I feel genuinely sorry for the England players having to suffer the pressure of the totally OTT hype and expectations heaped on them by the media, much of which we in the other three countries that make up the United Kingdom have also had to put up with.

 

DT

 

I agree completely, and I reckon the wall to wall hype for days/weeks ahead of the games puts an insurmountable pressure on our players when having to take penalties. 

 

After all, the one against Denmark was saved initially and only scored due to intelligent follow-up and a rather fortunate rebound. 

 

I'm sure they practise a lot, but behind closed doors and with much reduced stress levels I bet the players have few problems beating the keeper. Therefore I reckon a significant percentage of the blame for missing must be put on the tv, newspaper, and online media commentators - who can't leave the subject alone if England progress in a competition. 

 

I don't want to be part of the 'plucky England went down fighting' nonsense. They were given the dream start to the game and blew it - for various reasons; many of which have been mentioned already in this thread so I won't repeat them. 

[Steamport Southport]

5 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

Where was Harry Kane all evening? Not in a position to take a shot at goal, never mind score one. It seems that he did not have confidence in the others to get the ball to him.

 

He always does a disappearing trick in big games.

 

Remember the 2019 Champions League final when he was apparently going to do everything?

 

I don't think he hardly touched the ball. He was pretty anonymous in the recent League Cup final as well.

 

He needs a move. He's not winning anything with Tottenham and he's starting to get to the age that if he doesn't move now, he never will.

[turbos]

1 hour ago, jonny777 said:

 

I agree completely, and I reckon the wall to wall hype for days/weeks ahead of the games puts an insurmountable pressure on our players when having to take penalties. 

 

After all, the one against Denmark was saved initially and only scored due to intelligent follow-up and a rather fortunate rebound. 

 

I'm sure they practise a lot, but behind closed doors and with much reduced stress levels I bet the players have few problems beating the keeper. Therefore I reckon a significant percentage of the blame for missing must be put on the tv, newspaper, and online media commentators - who can't leave the subject alone if England progress in a competition. 

 

I don't want to be part of the 'plucky England went down fighting' nonsense. They were given the dream start to the game and blew it - for various reasons; many of which have been mentioned already in this thread so I won't repeat them. 

And don’t forget the laser pen aimed at Kasper Schmeichel, an utter disgrace and an embarrassment for England.

[luckymucklebackit]

2 hours ago, Torper said:

 

Hmmmm.... .....You should try being Scottish.  Having said that, much as it would love some success, the Tartan Army doesn't really expect it - all it really wants is to party.

 

Rather more seriously, I feel genuinely sorry for the England players having to suffer the pressure of the totally OTT hype and expectations heaped on them by the media, much of which we in the other three countries that make up the United Kingdom have also had to put up with.

 

DT

 

I normally watch BBC Breakfast TV and BBC News every day, but for the past week or so I have been switching off as the constant hype really was getting on my nerves.  Then the BBC wonders why us Scots want England to lose.

 

Jim

[sb67]

Absolutely gutted after last night but what's more of a shame is that what was a fantastic tournament and great overall performance from England, I know we fell short at the final hurdle and there were many reasons for that but penalties aside we held a very good Italian team to a draw,  has all been overshadowed by moronic online abuse and 'fan' behaviour! and that's all is being talked about! 

 

[sb67]

6 minutes ago, luckymucklebackit said:

I normally watch BBC Breakfast TV and BBC News every day, but for the past week or so I have been switching off as the constant hype really was getting on my nerves.  Then the BBC wonders why us Scots want England to lose.

 

Our media love whipping people up into a frenzy until it seems like it's England's god given right to win a tournament, forgetting that actually we weren't really as good as the Italians, who were probably the best team in the tournament,  close but just not quite good enough on the night. 

  

[Mark Saunders]

52 minutes ago, luckymucklebackit said:

 

I normally watch BBC Breakfast TV and BBC News every day, but for the past week or so I have been switching off as the constant hype really was getting on my nerves.  Then the BBC wonders why us Scots want England to lose.

 

Jim

Because of small minded people and need for power in football the home nations each had a separate FA and as such a potential world beating GB team was denied to us!

[bourneagain]

6 hours ago, APOLLO said:

Italy also won on the Yellow Card front - Four Nil.

 

Brit15

It was 5-1 Maguire was booked in the 1st half

[Steamport Southport]

8 minutes ago, Mark Saunders said:

Because of small minded people and need for power in football the home nations each had a separate FA and as such a potential world beating GB team was denied to us!

 

Would any of the Scottish, Welsh or Irish players get in that team? As poor as it is.

 

Bale's past it. Ramsay's not good enough.

 

Robertson maybe. McTominay possibly.

 

After that you're talking about players at Championship level.

 

 

 

Jason

[Reorte]

19 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

Would any of the Scottish, Welsh or Irish players get in that team? As poor as it is.

 

Bale's past it. Ramsay's not good enough.

 

Robertson maybe. McTominay possibly.

 

After that you're talking about players at Championship level.

Conversely if the whole of the UK played as a single league structure that might help develop more home talent outside England. But if that happened you just know Plymouth and Inverness will end up playing each other at every possible chance.

[APOLLO]

Get t'lads from Barnstoneworth on't job !!!

 

Hagerty F., Hagerty R., Tomkins, Noble, Carrick, Dobson, Crapper, Dewhurst, MacIntyre, Treadmore, Davitt.

 

 

Brit15