[Football] Italy V England Final.

[Johnny RoastBeef]

Can anyone please explain to me why Sock Boy is such a darling to the fans?

If you don't want to look.bereft at the end of a penalty shoot out take a god damn penalty.

Why dig out a player who doesn't take penalties for not taking a penalty?

All the players who took a pen, other than Saka were decent penalty takers.

Jayden Sancho taken 11 scored 10 missed 1

Marcus rashford taken 17
Scored 15 missed 2

Bukayo Saka taken 3
Scored 2 missed 1

Jack Grealish taken 1
Scored 1 missed 0

So the question should be why didn't Sterling take one instead of Saka?

The answer is because he is rubbish at Pens.

Raheem Sterling taken 5
Scored 2 missed 3

Unfortunately we just didn't have enough quality penalty takers in our squad.

 

[Berty23]

I really like this group of players but tonight has made me a bit sad. Southgate seems a top bloke and a brilliant man manager but when my 12 year old say “this is just like Croatia three years ago, we need to keep the ball” (so he was 9 in 2018) it beggars belief that the manager just let it roll. Yes it was a set piece but it was coming. We were sitting so deep. All tournament we have heard that our bench would turn games but they were only used when either the game was won or we were desperate.

I simply can’t compute that with the fire power we have that our centre forward did not have a single touch in the italy box. What is that all about? It seems bizarre.

Shaw was bombing forward first half then in the second he stopped. Surely that must be based on an order?

Feel so sorry for the lads that missed pens. If rashfords is a couple of inches to the right then we probably win. Amazing.

I prefer the World Cup anyway.

 

[Hamilton]

Why dig out a player who doesn't take penalties for not taking a penalty?

All the players who took a pen, other than Saka were decent penalty takers.

Jayden Sancho taken 11 scored 10 missed 1

Marcus rashford taken 17
Scored 15 missed 2

Bukayo Saka taken 3
Scored 2 missed 1

Jack Grealish taken 1
Scored 1 missed 0

So the question should be why didn't Sterling take one instead of Saka?

The answer is because he is rubbish at Pens.

Raheem Sterling taken 5
Scored 2 missed 3

Unfortunately we just didn't have enough quality penalty takers in our squad.

I think those stats are interesting. But I would bet they have never been put on just to win a game by taking a penalty.

It feels like managerial naivety. That said, we got to a final. And, we have to be honest that we got to a final on the easy side of the draw. The same is true with the last World Cup.

I think Southgate has put in place the foundations for a great few years. His man management is great, but he - like the team - need to learn in terms of football. We are better than we played tonight.


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[1066familyman]

Really? You think 6 players stick their hand up and Southgate picks a 19 year old over Grealish??

I doubt it,

Truth is, none of us outside of those directly involved know what went on.

Saka's age has nothing to do with it. If you're good enough, you're old enough.

How old was Mbappe when France won the World Cup? Ok, he didn't have to take a penalty in the final for them to win it, but the point stands, regarding age and the big stage.

I don't get the need to start looking around for someone, anyone, to blame.

Sometimes, it just is what it is. And as the old saying goes... We win together, we lose together. That'll do for me.

 

[Hamilton]

Right. Hard to put words to this. I’m 23 years old and this was my first ever final, watched with my Dad’s first ever England final (he has watched us in the cup before). I am absolutely miserable, genuinely inconsolable and I truly believe it’s not our teams fault. Not Saka, Sancho or Rashford. Maybe we blame the manager, but this is most certainly not on 19 year old Bukayo Saka’s shoulders - he is a fantastic player and should be proud.

I am genuinely devastated. Maybe we win next year at the World Cup or maybe I never see a win just like my family, but myGod am I proud of this lot. I’ll decide if i’m angry at Southgate in the morning. For now I am beyond proud!! Well done boys,I believe in you, I am proud to support you and be English. Well done!!

And that is the spirit. Fair play.


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[herecomesaregular]

So, Southgate's tactics both got us to the final and lost it.

Or in particular his pre-match tactics got us to the final and then his in-game inability to change/counter opposition changes in tactics lost it.

 

[atfc village]

Proud proud Englishman tonight ,but we lost . Losers yes losers and losers get nothing . Italy ,Germany don't accept defeat as sucess we seem too. We tried too out negative the masters of negativity and failed.

 

[drew]

Really? You think 6 players stick their hand up and Southgate picks a 19 year old over Grealish??

I doubt it,

No, I think it was all decided who would take penalties before the game even started. Obviously substitutions have a bearing but I don't believe in this day and age they leave to players to 'stick their hand' when in the huddle.

 

[vagabond]

Devastated to lose like that. Have to say I’m not a fan of Sancho and Rashford doing the stuttering run ups, but can’t fault them for missing as they had the balls to step up.

Think Southgate has got his tactics, lineups and subs spot on through the tournament, but they didn’t work tonight. What do I know, but genuinely feel Grealish should have been more involved today.

But Southgate got us to a semi final in WC2018. A semi final, and a final in this years Euros. And penalty kicks away from creating sporting history in this country. Even getting to a final is sporting history.

Hope Southgate stays on.

 

[nwgull]

Devastated to lose like that. Have to say I’m not a fan of Sancho and Rashford doing the stuttering run ups, but can’t fault them for missing as they had the balls to step up.

Think Southgate has got his tactics, lineups and subs spot on through the tournament, but they didn’t work tonight. What do I know, but genuinely feel Grealish should have been more involved today.

But Southgate got us to a semi final in WC2018. A semi final, and a final in this years Euros. And penalty kicks away from creating sporting history in this country. Even getting to a final is sporting history.

Hope Southgate stays on.

Course he’ll stay on. Even Roy Hodgson got 3 tournaments and he never got past the 2nd round! Southgate has built something decent with England, and we’ll be a contender at the WC in 18 months.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

For a team with such great planning all tournament what a ridiculous decision to arrange substitutions so late
Got to give them 10 minutes min and left it so late that if the Italians kept the ball like they normally do they wouldn't have had an opportunity to even enter the field
Missing 3 pens in a row was criminal but wouldn't have been helped by the rush job bodged up timings of these substitutions

The fourth official wouldn’t let them on. Saka even allowed the ball to go out of play, but still he hung back. The commentators even mentioned it.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Ah, penalties. I was really hoping we'd left that curse behind us. Please, please don't let this be the start of another generation being scared by them.

You have to take the positives right now. We played seven games and didn't lose one of them. We got to a major final for the first time in 55 years. A team of young, positive players have gained incredible, invaluable experience which they can take with them for the rest of their international careers. They've given the nation something to smile, sing and cheer about.

Well done England and roll on the World cup.

 

[BN41Albion]

Proud proud Englishman tonight ,but we lost . Losers yes losers and losers get nothing . Italy ,Germany don't accept defeat as sucess we seem too. We tried too out negative the masters of negativity and failed.

Nothing much to be proud of this morning really - the images and stories around Europe will be those of the morons of our country dragging the majority of us down once again. Sounded like mayhem yesterday afternoon.

As for the football - Southgate has done a brilliant job in many ways but I really can't get on board with the fact that we are so blessed with brilliant attacking flair at the moment yet we're so defence minded. I guess it worked up to last night, but the second half was ridiculous last night. I kept wondering last night how would GP have set up and how would he have changed things

 

[Icy Gull]

Biggest disappointment to me was that the set up was Hughtonesque (not aftertiming here either, I said it before kick off) when we have players who could actually have taken the game to the Italians. Stunning start and then we settled for winning 1-0 and were lucky to finish 1-1. On the back foot from the moment Italy scored, in fact earlier. That equaliser was coming for 10 mins while Southgate sat back and did nothing about it.

Penalties don’t bother me, it’s always a lottery.

We did well to get to the final but tactics let us down and the Italians were deserving of the win, a great side with a great manager

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Biggest disappointment to me was that the set up was Hughtonesque (not aftertiming here either, I said it before kick off) when we have players who could actually have taken the game to the Italians. Stunning start and then we settled for winning 1-0 and were lucky to finish 1-1. On the back foot from the moment Italy scored, in fact earlier. That equaliser was coming for 10 mins while Southgate sat back and did nothing about it.

Penalties don’t bother me, it’s always a lottery.

We did well to get to the final but tactics let us down and the Italians were deserving of the win, a great side with a great manager

I questioned the lack of pace, but the sitting on his hands and not making a change till it was too late was annoying.

 

[beorhthelm]

Devastated to lose like that. Have to say I’m not a fan of Sancho and Rashford doing the stuttering run ups, but can’t fault them for missing as they had the balls to step up.

i can and will, especially Rashford. literally only on the pitch for that moment and messed about.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Ended up a bit boys against men in that Italy’s squad may have lacked our depth but they had sufficient quality and experience to see them over the line. Hopefully Southgate will be able to continue to develop this squad and give us some glitter in the coming decade.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

i can and will, especially Rashford. literally only on the pitch for that moment and messed about.

Has he done the stuttering run upbefore?

I cant say I have seen it

 

[vagabond]

Course he’ll stay on. Even Roy Hodgson got 3 tournaments and he never got past the 2nd round! Southgate has built something decent with England, and we’ll be a contender at the WC in 18 months.

Oh, I have no doubt the FA will want to keep Southgate on. I was more worried last night if he was going to walk.

 

[Icy Gull]

Oh, I have no doubt the FA will want to keep Southgate on. I was more worried last night if he was going to walk.

I am not calling for his head but I wouldn’t give a shit if he walked.