It's the Euros 2020! Finals Match Thread: It’s gone to Rome…

[fortworthspur]

BS pen against Croatia

 

[coypu]

If you want the last word feel free to have it .

Look matey. I dont want the last word. Ive never been that fella. Always giving ground. I think stuff here has got got jumbled. I saw what you last posted and now taking flak on on. Why cant the Welsh be proud of being Welsh, the Scots be proud of being Scots and the English crawl out from under the rock and be proud to be English.

 

[Donki]

Look matey. I dont want the last word. Ive never been that fella. Always giving ground. I think stuff here has got got jumbled. I saw what you last posted and now taking flak on on. Why cant the Welsh be proud of being Welsh, the Scots be proud of being Scots and the English crawl out from under the rock and be proud to be English.

I said, I don't understand why either.

 

[Ray Ray]

I think England is struggling for a national identity in more than one way these days. Scottish and Welsh nationalism is pretty strong and they're proud of their heritage and it shows on the pitch. Always been that way. Not sure English nationalism is about the same values as those two these days, but that's a whole other thread I imagine!

I agree 100%. Unfortunately it translates onto the pitch.

It's not a new thing though, gone are the days of the Stuart Pearce's, Gazzas, etc. That put their heart and soul into their country. They still play the 3 lions song every tournament, but other than the fans, do players believe in it? It's a dying breed.

Even us in NI and Ireland have players that turn up to an international friendly as they see it as a privilage to be selected. See Stuart Dallas recently turning up after a gruelling season with Leeds.

Like you said though, maybe not for this thread, just an outside observation on why the squad may be underachievers.

 

[DannyNZ]

Kane wasn’t great but wasn’t alone in that regard and wasn’t blessed with a hell of a lot of service. Can’t bring myself to watch it again but to me Foden, Sterling and Mount were all more interested on doing it themselves than any sign of a cohesive unit moving the ball around, bringing Grealish on didn’t really Change it a hell of a lot apart from the half dozen free kicks he won. Crying out for someone to be a genuine playmaker but the two DMs with three guys playing as individuals just didn’t work.

 

[UncleBuck]

Kane was poor, piss poor by the standards we know,but he's as good as the others around him.

In the first half alone he was unmarked in the box twice, and Mount decided to shoot straight at a player... Twice!

I think the biggest thing I have noticed as a neutral, is that Wales and Scotland players are full of pride, playing out of their skins leaving everything on the pitch. England have a great squad, but just don't seem to have that pride of other home nation teams.

I don't know if it's pressure getting to them, or they just think they can walk these types of games, but how many players in that England team can honestly say they put 100% into that game tonight? Ask the Scotland players the same question and they can all walk away proud.

It’s been the same for years mate

 

[DannyNZ]

Top goal from Peresic, would love to see him in a spurs shirt always plays like he gives a shit combined with a bit of quality.

 

[poc]

There seems to be a narrative forming that England were poor and Scotland were good as a result. Let's get it right. England were poor, but Scotland were worse. That Scotland played somewhat above their normal standards doesn't mean they were the better team. It just illustrates how utterly shite they actually are.

This was not a good advert for British football.

You would think they had won 4-0 with Gilmore making two and scoring two. We controlled most of the game but just did nothing positive it was like the focus was on not losing and not trying to win.

 

[TheTanguy]

Top goal from Peresic, would love to see him in a spurs shirt always plays like he gives a shit combined with a bit of quality.

Peresic would've been nice, 4 years ago.

 

[punkisback]

Kane wasn’t great but wasn’t alone in that regard and wasn’t blessed with a hell of a lot of service. Can’t bring myself to watch it again but to me Foden, Sterling and Mount were all more interested on doing it themselves than any sign of a cohesive unit moving the ball around, bringing Grealish on didn’t really Change it a hell of a lot apart from the half dozen free kicks he won. Crying out for someone to be a genuine playmaker but the two DMs with three guys playing as individuals just didn’t work.

Yeah these kids behind Kane just want to recreate the next Gazza moments they never pass to him!

 

[Serpico]

Can soneone tell me what Mounts job is on the pitch ? And...Why was he smiling with Gilmore at the end, hes just had a shite game and almost lost to Scotland. Im aware of the conection but seriously he should be gutted.
It must be hard for some players to show loyalty to England when English fans slag them off becuase of thier background?

 

[Serpico]

Southgate must take responsibility for this bad performance, he was totally to blame. Why make changes when a win would have seen Englan through. Mount, stirling, Foden are all too simular. England had a back 6 of aversge players (4-2) front 4 all individuals with Kane running on empty. Pickford was the best player and that sums it up for me.

 

[DannyNZ]

Phillips looked a world beater against Croatia but today in that formation looked anonymous. Formation and game plan (if there was one) were poor and Southgates subs did nothing to address the ineffective set up.

 

[fortworthspur]

who was supposed to be the 10? Mount, I assume, but he didnt play that way.

 

[fortworthspur]

3 stinkers today.

 

[taidgh]

Does look off the pace though. I wonder how much he and the rest of the spurs squad have missed the high intensity fitness training Jose slung out.

Mourinho fucked England!

 

[sebo_sek]

You say that but he had 6 players who just played in European finals tonight, the man who I think is the best striker in the world , in grealish and sancho two lads who will likely move for over 100 million each this summer . Is it the best squad there? No I think the French squad pipes it due to their centre backs but the England squad is filled with top top players who teams across Europe would love.

Scotland are nowhere near that level.

Not arrogance, not entitled just reality and whether you agree or not with the Liverpool comparison the gap in talent is huge.

Scotland outfought England plain and simple. It was a cracking game for a neutral albeit leaning towards the highlanders.
England will always be England - arrogant and entitled with lots of big names but no team unity.

 

[Nerine]

Corrr. You’ve had a mare, there:

 

[Gassin's finest]

I disagree slightly on this. For me he's a creator and a deadly marksman. The only time he really looked like himself today was when he found space on the edge of the box, dummied a defender and cut in on his left. The shot was blocked by two more Scottish defenders, but that was him doing what we know he can do.

I always think his aerial ability is over stated. He does well at winning fouls, but he's never bullied defenders. He's also not got the pace he used to have, which was never a massive amount to be fair.

I'll agree that he showed little today. When he dropped deep or out wide there was often little on, although he did create that chance for James.

Without movement off him he won't create much and without service he won't get a chance to score.

The only good chance we created was when Kane drifted out left and crossed low into Mount in space.

He's by far England's most creative player, as the last season proved. Southgate should be building the team around him.

 

[mr ashley]

I can see the logic in playing rice and Phillips in midfield to try to keep a clean sheet and play for a draw at worst.
Im struggling to understand why Phillips is suddenly taking the box-to-box role when that’s blatantly not what he’s best at.
For me, I’d be playing Phillips at cdm with mount and Grealish in the other two midfield roles.
then Kane supported by two of foden, Sterling, rashford or sancho.
It maybe a touch more attacking but I’d expect to to score a lot more