[Football] Euros 2024 - Round of 16 (England vs Slovakia & Spain vs Georgia)

[Munkfish]

You give hapless Gareth far too much credit, that win had stuff all to do with Southgate, it was borne out of desperation of the players and them alone, there was zero tactical input from Mr f***ing Bean, the players abandoned anything that muppet said and finally had a go and guess what it worked in spite of Southgate not because of him. We could win this tournament at a canter instead we are progressing whilst stinking the place out with Hopeless Gaz's anti football tactics.

I don’t disagree my point being as soon as we stopped playing his preferred way we scored. The blokes a joke as are his back room team. He has proven time and time again to be able to change a game.

Any success we have will not be because of what he’s done on the pitch.

Regardless I’m looking forward to Saturday. It’s the hope that kills you.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

True. But we wouldn’t hear the last of it had England dispatched Croatia and Italy.

Yes but if we beat Italy and Croatia there would also be plenty of people saying we only beat them because they were two teams way past their best.

It is a fact that there is an element of the English football loving public who are only too happy to denigrate the English football team, it's players, management, performances, fans and anything else associated with it. If anything positive is put forward about the team there are people queuing up to knock it. It's a real shame.

It's as true to say that as it is to say that Spain have looked good this tournament and England haven't. Like everything it seems to me the narrative over England is dominated by the extremes of the debate.

 

[BN41Albion]

cast your minds back to the champions league final 1999, Man Utd were awful for 90 minutes but scored 2 injury time goals to snatch a win they didn't deserve. but people say things like "Fergie Time" and call him a genius, yet Southgate does more or less the same thing but he's clueless?

are you joking?

 

[BN41Albion]

He just got extremely lucky. He never coached bellingham to do that, bringing on Toney with 2 minutes to go and him making an impact was luck not genius. the only reason we are through is because we have the easier side of the draw and we relied on a generational talent and one of the best finishers in the business. We are far less than the sum of our parts. Weve never had so much talent in the side yet we play with tactics that were last used in the early 2000s because thats all the waistcoat knows. He has managed in an era when the balance of power in football has changed, the stronger nations have all gone through massive changes but weve not taken advantage of that, preferring to use out of form players, squeezing players in to positions they dont normally play and he even turned up to this tournament not knowing his best side and playing TAA as a midfielder. I wont be singing his praises if by some miracle we end up winning the Euros. We would have done it despite him being the manager, not because he is.

Absolutely this. Far less the sum of our parts sums it up perfectly. God knows what the rest of Europe must be thinking watching us, if anyone else is still bothering to tune in to our games. Utterly embarrassing to watch in all 4 games, yet because Southgate now truly believes he's a tactical genius (laughable post match interview) rather than ridiculously bloody fortunate, we all know we're going to get yet more of the same yet again next Saturday.

 

[BN41Albion]

Yes but if we beat Italy and Croatia there would also be plenty of people saying we only beat them because they were two teams way past their best.

It is a fact that there is an element of the English football loving public who are only too happy to denigrate the English football team, it's players, management, performances, fans and anything else associated with it. If anything positive is put forward about the team there are people queuing up to knock it. It's a real shame.

It's as true to say that as it is to say that Spain have looked good this tournament and England haven't. Like everything it seems to me the narrative over England is dominated by the extremes of the debate.

If we were playing football anything like Spain absolutely no-one would be moaning. Why would anyone? Of course folk are being very critical - we've got a huge amount of talent and we're playing absolutely appallingly! Seriously, what do you expect? Apart from the fact we're somehow still in the tournament what is there to be positive about from our performances so far?

 

[oldboyroy]

Southgate will stick whatever happens, but actually the Slovakia manager should be getting the most criticism, putting everyone behind the ball and defending a 1-0 lead is a dangerous game, England were there for the taking, in extra time they started playing again and created chances, why didn't they go for the 2nd goal and kill us off?

If I was a Slovakian i'd be livid

Think that was because they(Slovakia) weren't very good. Once we went in front we sat back as usual to defend our lead which enabled Slovakia to come forward more. Any minnow or underdog side will do that.

 

[dazzer6666]

Dunk might at least get a game v Switzerland…….

 

[Shooting Star]

Right, we’ve all had our say. It’s a new day. Let’s move on from analysis and just enjoy our boy being one of the first in the pile on celebration:

 

[Flounce]

I realised that I am really not invested in Southgate’s England when Bellingham scored a goal that was absolute class and I didn’t even jump up or throw my arms in the air, just thought “oh good”. Same with the Kane winner. I then felt irritation that we went straight to normal Southgateball, take the lead and sit on it and hope not to concede again.

I have been more enthusiastic about an Albion goal in a friendly.

Hopefully this will change with a new manager as I want to feel enthusiastic about watching England again

 

[Flounce]

Right, we’ve all had our say. It’s a new day. Let’s move on from analysis and just enjoy our boy being one of the first in the pile on celebration:

Dunk thinking “Oh I might actually get a game?”

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Like the 3 tournaments - Euro 2008, World Cup 2010, Euro 2012 - that they won in succession when they also had a good team?

But what have they done since then

Peaked to early

Spain are a perfect example of why Southgate fails, set up in a way and a style the majority of players either play at club level or have brought up playing, players know what they are being asked to do.

 

[Randy McNob]

Do you think Southgate is a top manager then? It’s been obvious Foden & Bellingham don’t work in the same team to everyone apart from him. By the law of averages the quality of players he has at his disposal occasionally they will win games nothing to do with Southgate’s managerial skills.

By that Logic Sven should have won the world cup

 

[BN41Albion]

I realised that I am really not invested in Southgate’s England when Bellingham scored a goal that was absolute class and I didn’t even jump up or throw my arms in the air, just thought “oh good”. Same with the Kane winner. I then felt irritation that we went straight to normal Southgateball, take the lead and sit on it and hope not to concede again.

I have been more enthusiastic about an Albion goal in a friendly.

Hopefully this will change with a new manager as I want to feel enthusiastic about watching England again

Exactly how I feel. As said before, I just laughed in a 'you jammy fucker Southgate' manner when Jude scored. And to immediately sit back yet again when Kane scored summed everything about this sorry affair up in a nutshell, especially when then watching Spain and Georgia immediately afterwards.

Surely we'll appoint someone to get the best out of these players and everyone excited about England again after this. Although knowing the FA I won't be holding my breath

 

[sakooshi]

I'm hoping the players themselves are going to instigate something. They're all top professionals, some of them might even be coaches one day, they should know what they've got to do. I remember Messi trying to take the Argentina team by the scruff of the neck back in 2018 when it wasn't clicking for them with their manager at the time.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I’ve just read, that’s only the second time, England have won a knockout match away from Wembley. Is that right?

 

[Randy McNob]

Yes but if we beat Italy and Croatia there would also be plenty of people saying we only beat them because they were two teams way past their best.

It is a fact that there is an element of the English football loving public who are only too happy to denigrate the English football team, it's players, management, performances, fans and anything else associated with it. If anything positive is put forward about the team there are people queuing up to knock it. It's a real shame.

It's as true to say that as it is to say that Spain have looked good this tournament and England haven't. Like everything it seems to me the narrative over England is dominated by the extremes of the debate.

exactly this, the same haters who said Germany were past it when we beat them in 2000

People even criticising his substitutions even though (for those that know football) he reserved 2 for extra time and Pens when Slovakia used all their's. Brought on Toney, a cert to score a pen and and provided the assist for the winner (do you remember when Sven brought on Carragher and Heskey in 2006?). If you criticise that, sorry but you are slightly unhinged or should study football more

 

[sakooshi]

I’ve just read, that’s only the second time, England have won a knockout match away from Wembley. Is that right?

We won two knockout matches in Italy in 1990 (Belgium and Cameroon).

 

[Randy McNob]

But what have they done since then

Peaked to early

Spain are a perfect example of why Southgate fails, set up in a way and a style the majority of players either play at club level or have brought up playing, players know what they are being asked to do.

failed to qualify?
failed to win the group?
failed to progress to the quarter finals?
define failure

 

[HangletonGull]

I’ve just read, that’s only the second time, England have won a knockout match away from Wembley. Is that right?

No won 2 Italy 90 Belgium and Cameroon, Russia World Cup won another 2 , so that’s 4 at least

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

By that Logic Sven should have won the world cup

How’s the head this morning?