England - the future....

[WestYorksRoyal]

Southgate has done an amazing job, but he was too late making changes. It was obvious at 1-0 that we were getting overrun in midfield and needed another body in there. It was a mistake to wait until 1-1, and the same issue as 2018. I predicted before the game that vacating the midfield against Jorginho and Veratti could cost us, but I guess our goal was a result of the wing backs so the formation was effective at times.

Pickford's save from a penalty taker of Jorginho's calibre was top class, and it's heartbreaking to see the likes of Rashford and Saka miss.

I'd put us right among the favourites for the next couple of tournaments, though without home advantage I guess.

[NathStPaul]

Broken man.....

Not the time to talk about the choice of penalty takers, would rather the tournament is remembered as the time we could be proud of the national team again. The thought of getting to the final when we kicked off against Croatia was laughable to me. Happy to be proven wrong and we will only get better.

[From Despair To Where?]

Jorginho & Fernando rarely miss and they have the hop, skip jump move

Would that be the Jorginho who missed tonight?

yeah lol

To be fair, it took a good save by Pickford and he did roll one in against Spain by dumping the keeper on his arse.


Rashford and Sancho's penalties were poor and when Sako walked up for his, I did wonder why the oxf*rd he was taking it.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Southgates substitutions have been ‘bang on time’ all tournament.

Okay, tonight not so good (apparently)....nothing to do with the toss of a coin result tho’?

Back him for Qatar

[From Despair To Where?]

I'm not interested in International football and have no real affinity for the England team but Southgate has taken England to a World Cup semi final and a Euros final. Can't believe anyone could seriously suggest he's not currently the right man for the job.

[Zip]

Broken man.....

Not the time to talk about the choice of penalty takers, would rather the tournament is remembered as the time we could be proud of the national team again. The thought of getting to the final when we kicked off against Croatia was laughable to me. Happy to be proven wrong and we will only get better.

Yeah you should be proud of this team.

[NathStPaul]

I'm not interested in International football and have no real affinity for the England team but Southgate has taken England to a World Cup semi final and a Euros final. Can't believe anyone could seriously suggest he's not currently the right man for the job.

Anyone seriously suggesting Southgate isn't the right man doesn't know anything about football. If anything Southgate should be given an improved contract.

[LUX]

Anyway.

Our attention turns to RFC and our upcoming season.

Would you be happy with a top half finish?

[LUX]

Can we sign Chiesa?

[AthleticoSpizz]

Anyway.

Our attention turns to RFC and our upcoming season.

Would you be happy with a top half finish?

No....sack everybody








just in case my sarcasm is misinterpreted

[NathStPaul]

Can we sign Chiesa?

Enrico? Probably.

[Zip]

Can we sign Chiesa?

Player of the tournament imo

[windermereROYAL]

Two pen shoot out wins out of nine in major comps if you take out the micky mouse nations league win over Switzerland. I`m not even going to comment on Southgate`s total fcuk up tactics.

[Scutterbucketz]

Those poor young lads. Yeah e nearly did it.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Two pen shoot out wins out of nine in major comps if you take out the micky mouse nations league win over Switzerland. I`m not even going to comment on Southgate`s total fcuk up tactics.

jeez

Get a fukkin’ life, ya miserable scrote

[windermereROYAL]

Two pen shoot out wins out of nine in major comps if you take out the micky mouse nations league win over Switzerland. I`m not even going to comment on Southgate`s total fcuk up tactics.

jeez

Get a fukkin’ life

Then please tell me why he started the game with 7 defensive players in his starting line up? it`s a major final for christ sakes, why not go out to try and win instead of trying not to lose?
He didn`t bring on an attacking sub untl the 71st minute, then the 2nd in the 99nd.
I don`t blame him for the choice of pen takers because they all stepped up, but when you look at their ages 23, 21 and 19 they were clearly not up to the task.
Surely the more experienced players were better options?

[fartdad]

Southgate owes Pickford a house and car after the absolute abysmal out of depth excuse of managing. Played his brains out only to be let down by gareth inept managing. Not surprising considering his history with middlesboro.. so frustrating to be gifted such an easy path to the finals only to assume Southgate had money on Italy to win ?? Maybe it will come out

[Sanguine]

Two pen shoot out wins out of nine in major comps if you take out the micky mouse nations league win over Switzerland. I`m not even going to comment on Southgate`s total fcuk up tactics.

jeez

Get a fukkin’ life

Then please tell me why he started the game with 7 defensive players in his starting line up? it`s a major final for christ sakes, why not go out to try and win instead of trying not to lose?

We did try to win. Like the Germany game, Southgate judged that the best formation with which to start the game. And we were ahead for two-thirds of it. Get a fcuking grip, for god's sake. Southgate is demonstrably our second most successful manager ever, behind Ramsay. Suck it up, because he's probably got the job now for as long as he wants it.

[Sanguine]

Southgate owes Pickford a house and car after the absolute abysmal out of depth excuse of managing. Played his brains out only to be let down by gareth inept managing. Not surprising considering his history with middlesboro.. so frustrating to be gifted such an easy path to the finals only to assume Southgate had money on Italy to win ?? Maybe it will come out

Ah, the retarded 'easy run' argument again.

- Spain were in the opposite side of the draw because they came second in their group to Sweden. The Sweden team that lost to Ukraine. Who we pummeled 4-0.
- Denmark, our semi-final opponents, beat the Czechs in the quarters, who themselves had disposed of the Netherlands.
- There is no reason to think we couldn't have beaten any and all of the team mentioned in the two lines above.

[Sanguine]

To my own view of the game. Far from our best performance. And it all looked like a masterstroke at times. The early goal symptomatic of the acres of space that our wide players had in the first 15 minutes. I don't know if it was a conscious strategy to then step off the gas, or just the size of the situation weighing down on the players, but we didn't keep doing what we did at the start. We looked nervy, we stopped playing out from the back, Phillips stopped even facing the opposition goal.

Rice was immense that being said, before he went off. Pickford has cemented his England place for years. That penalty save from Jorginho was ridiculous - out-foxing the ultimate penalty grandmaster in Jorginho - and he made some smart stops in normal time as well.

Unfortunately I think Saka had one of his worst games for England - his spin and acceleration, cynically stopped by Chiellini, not withstanding. The occasion seemed to pass him by, as it did Kane, and Sterling who spent the game running into blind alleys.

Penalties. I don't know. I considered Rashford one of our better penalty takers. We're talking the width of a post. If that goes in, who knows? I hadn't seen Sancho take one before, and Saka apparently hadn't - both looked like that was the case. What a shame. But it's typical of Southgate to immediately own that. No wonder these players play for him like they do.

Italy were the better team on the night and deserved the victory - but this England side, under Southgate, will come again. Can't wait for the World Cup now.