Euro U21 Championship Thread

[Starfish]

Pearce is, despite what a lot of you are saying, a much improved manager in comparison to what he was at Man City. And this U-21 team did play some decent football in this tournament (especially in the earlier games). He didn't seem to have that many ideas about how to change the game last night when England went 2 down but they were more than a bit unfortunate to find themselves in that position. No manager could have foreseen the second goal, for example. They got to the final of a European competition and looked very very tired in the last half an hour - I am not sure how tiring a season most of the German players had behind them, but they certainly looked fresher. But in the past, England underage teams failed to qualify for tournaments or didn't do that well and most football fans were not aware there was even a competition taking place or who the manager was. There was a lot of media excitement around this team (and rightly so), they made the final ... and now there are people demanding the manager's head. Laughable.

[papereyes]

Though, I wonder if Pearce really did have the options to select more forwards for the tournament. And remember, Arsenal weren't keen on Walcott going in the first place. Who else could Pearce have selected?

Agbonlahor was suspended, wasn't he? I actually think that the issue was an issue with options - Agbonlahor and Walcott are similar styled players, while Campbell doesn't offer much different. There's no other type of player forward there - someone who can drop off and link play or really lead the line up front.

There's Wellbeck at United and I'm sure Everton have someone else who has played a bit. Matt Derbyshire was eligible, I thought.
Within the next season or two, you'll be talking about Delfouneso at Villa.

I thought England's main issue in general, however, was that the centre-midfield was utterly devoid of spark. Germany used the ball much, much better and then punished the England side as they chased the game in the last 10 minutes.

But in the past, England underage teams failed to qualify for tournaments or didn't do that well and most football fans were not aware there was even a competition taking place or who the manager was. There was a lot of media excitement around this team (and rightly so), they made the final ... and now there are people demanding the manager's head. Laughable.

This.

[sheshnu]

Not many on the U21's really go on to play regularly for the senior team, a handful per generation perhaps.

Pretty much all of the current England squad played for the U21s.

[Hoop Blah]

Stuart Pearce just isn't that good a manager.

Totally agree, how he's even been mentioned as a future England manager I don't know.

I thought the scoreline flattered the Germans a little last night, although we never really cut them open because he had nothing upfront. Shows the importance of having enough options within your squad though. Going with so few forwards was just naive.

Agree with your comments about scoreline flattering the Germans and what we had up front.

Though, I wonder if Pearce really did have the options to select more forwards for the tournament. And remember, Arsenal weren't keen on Walcott going in the first place. Who else could Pearce have selected?

Not sure on their availabilty at the moment, so maybe they were all ruled out in some way but these are just a few other potential players I'd have considered if I were Pearce.

Matt Derbyshire, Danny Wellbeck, James Vaughan (all have played quite recently for the U21s). I think the likes of Cameron Jerome, Matt Fryatt, Ishmail Miller (maybe not got the quality of some of the others but a big strong option if you want to just play one upfront like we did), Freddie Sears (who keeps getting rave reviews but I'm sure isn't ready for that level yet) etc etc...

There must be plenty of decent young English players I've not thought of that would've been able to be the third or fourth forward in the squad.

[Thaumagurist*]

Agbonlahor was suspended, wasn't he?

Yes, along with Hart and Campbell.

I thought England's main issue was that the centre-midfield was utterly devoid of spark. Germany used the ball much, much better and then punished the England side as they chased the game in the last 10 minutes.

Yes, I thought this was part of the reason why the defenders were lumping the ball long up front. The midfielders (especially Noble and Muamba) were just standing around and not looking for space and demanding the ball when the defenders have the ball.

[Hoop Blah]

Pearce is, despite what a lot of you are saying, a much improved manager in comparison to what he was at Man City. And this U-21 team did play some decent football in this tournament (especially in the earlier games). He didn't seem to have that many ideas about how to change the game last night when England went 2 down but they were more than a bit unfortunate to find themselves in that position. No manager could have foreseen the second goal, for example. They got to the final of a European competition and looked very very tired in the last half an hour - I am not sure how tiring a season most of the German players had behind them, but they certainly looked fresher. But in the past, England underage teams failed to qualify for tournaments or didn't do that well and most football fans were not aware there was even a competition taking place or who the manager was. There was a lot of media excitement around this team (and rightly so), they made the final ... and now there are people demanding the manager's head. Laughable.

Not calling for his head at all.

I think he's done ok, but at U21s level its a lot to do with how you get the best out of limited resources, and he's done ok at that. His failings at club level were more to do with building a squad of capable players. At U21s level you have a much smaller pool to work with and so almost have the side/squad forced upon you to some extent, especially the top 15 or 16 players.

Pearce did well getting us as far as he did, but I wouldn't want him anywhere near running the national team where the pool of talent is greater and the margins for error even smaller.

[Hoop Blah]

Not many on the U21's really go on to play regularly for the senior team, a handful per generation perhaps.

Pretty much all of the current England squad played for the U21s.

Not for any prolonged period of time and together though.

What I mean is you won't see Muamba and Cattermole lining up for the senior team in 2014 in place of Gerrard and Lampard.

[papereyes]

Bit depressing that he didn't consider anyone on the bench capable of changing things then!

IMO, Gardner's a better player than those two but he's still hardly a someone reknowned for his passing range or skill on the ball.

Look at the squad - Mark Noble, Fabrice Muamba , Craig Gardner, Lee Cattermole, Jack Rodwell are the midfielders. None are really famed for their creativity are they?

The wingers were Johnson and Milner - both hardworking and technically good but not flair players.





FAO Maguire - yes, I looked this up, by opening the paper. I hope this meets with your exacting standards.

[Royal Rother]

out of the squad i'd say Richards, Hart, Walcott, Agbonlahor and Milner will probably go onto feature in the first team quite a bit.

God help us then.

Interesting that in the U17s Euros earlier this year we were beaten by Germany - score? 4-0.

Gerrard, Lampard & Co could be our golden generation. As I said, God help us.

[Royal Rother]

I've probably moaned about this before but what I found so irritating last night was that the passing was almost always to feet. When we were knocking it around at the back, or just inside their half, we often had men in 10 yards of space, yet we almost always passed the ball to their feet, not in front of them by a couple of yards. Consequently we found it so difficult to get any momentum going forward as everything had to be created from a virtual standing start.

Whenever we did receive the ball in anything other than yards of space we just passed it back to the bloke who'd made the pass in the first place.

There just seems to be no confidence in English players that they can do anything remotely constructive with the ball if an opponent is in (or anywhere close to) their face.

As I've said many times before, it's just so one dimensional. Pretty much summed up Reading last year as well.

[Thaumagurist*]

out of the squad i'd say Richards, Hart, Walcott, Agbonlahor and Milner will probably go onto feature in the first team quite a bit.

God help us then.

Interesting that in the U17s Euros earlier this year we were beaten by Germany - score? 4-0.

Gerrard, Lampard & Co could be our golden generation. As I said, God help us.

So unrelentlessly negative as usual, Mr Royal "I believe in Solipsism" Rother.

[Hoop Blah]

I've probably moaned about this before but what I found so irritating last night was that the passing was almost always to feet. When we were knocking it around at the back, or just inside their half, we often had men in 10 yards of space, yet we almost always passed the ball to their feet, not in front of them by a couple of yards. Consequently we found it so difficult to get any momentum going forward as everything had to be created from a virtual standing start.

Whenever we did receive the ball in anything other than yards of space we just passed it back to the bloke who'd made the pass in the first place.

There just seems to be no confidence in English players that they can do anything remotely constructive with the ball if an opponent is in (or anywhere close to) their face.

As I've said many times before, it's just so one dimensional. Pretty much summed up Reading last year as well.

Agreed, it's always too pedestrian and safe, the opposite of the way these players usually play for their club sides.

I think we scare them a bit too much into thinking keeping the ball is the be all and end all at international level and so we never do any think to create or add any urgency. Obviously you need the technique to have the confidence to do it, but generally I don't think we're incapable in body, just in freeing the mind.

[Royal Rother]

out of the squad i'd say Richards, Hart, Walcott, Agbonlahor and Milner will probably go onto feature in the first team quite a bit.

God help us then.

Interesting that in the U17s Euros earlier this year we were beaten by Germany - score? 4-0.

Gerrard, Lampard & Co could be our golden generation. As I said, God help us.

So unrelentlessly negative as usual, Mr Royal "I believe in Solipsism" Rother.

As you can imagine, I have no idea whatsoever what you are talking about...