The general Euro2024 chit chat thread

[Sutekh]

Thank god that garbage is over!

[Snowflake Royal]

Poor.

First 30, very little urgency. But effective. Rest of the game, bizarrely sit deeper and deeper, going longer and longer and being more and more loosewith passing.

[WestYorksRoyal]

This is like watching a Sven, Capello or Hodgson England side.

And, while people have gripes with Southgate, this is the measure of the job he's done. When we play badly people say it's like a pre- Southgate game.

Most important thing in tournament football to win. I hope we have more to come, but in this format you're as good as through if you win your opener.

[tulip]

England made very hard work of that, lucky to win.

[Sutekh]

Poor.

First 30, very little urgency. But effective. Rest of the game, bizarrely sit deeper and deeper, going longer and longer and being more and more loosewith passing.

Shortcomings of the management surely, it's up to them to tweak formations/tactics to counter but it seems that when they do it just exacerbates the issue.

[genome]

Bellingham and Saka excellent

Kane and Foden pretty poor

[WestYorksRoyal]

England made very hard work of that, lucky to win.

Seriously? For all the possession and territory, their best chance was a 25 yard effort. We had Walker's break plus their keeper making a worldie from Kane.

Because we were favourites it's easy to be critical, but we were the better side and 2-0 looked more likely than 1-1.

I think you're just disappointed we didn't dispatch them by 3 or 4 like Germany did against Scotland.

[Royal Rother]

I might be wrong but I don’t recall a single off side in the whole game.

[BRO_BOT]

I might be wrong but I don’t recall a single off side in the whole game.

One offside for England that I can remember

[genome]

I thought it was okay. If not for a wonder save by their keeper it would've been more comfortable.

Composure was a big issue for me though. There was a lot of panicking in defence

[Royal Rother]

Same old in the end.

When the opposition changes things, he just can’t respond to get control back.

[karbota]

Thank God they have ditched the knee bullshit!

[Loafer]

[BRO_BOT]

Thank God they have ditched the knee bullshit!

They've got rid of knees?

[URZZZZ]

Halftime

My Serbian workmate texted me saying “England don’t need a goalkeeper”

I replied “yes we do, who else would we pass it back to”

86 minutes in ….. and Standard England

Quite

More and more I watch football at the “elite” level, the more I’m glad Reading are further away from it in a strange way

Everyone seems so intent on recycling the ball and keeping possession that they lose track of what they’re supposed to actually do which is create chances and score goals.

This obsession of going side to side to side to side and waiting for an opponent to switch off/slip up isn’t football. It’s effectively become a larger scale of chess

[URZZZZ]

Same old in the end.

When the opposition changes things, he just can’t respond to get control back.

And this too

I don’t like the pile ones on Southgate. It’s cheap and nasty stuff and he’s transformed us from a laughing stock to a strong competitor at major tournaments

However tactically he leaves a fair amount to be desired. Needed fresher legs up top and quicker. Gordon, Bowen and Watkins were all viable options to provide a bit of pace on the counter yet he saw it fitting to keep the ineffective Kane and Foden on for the 90. Saw the impact that the fresh legs of Bowen had with that cross

Don’t the Trent experiment quite worked. Did OK but when the movement ahead of you is static, not much need for him. Gallagher did well off the bench, think he’ll come in Thursday

[WestYorksRoyal]

Same old in the end.

When the opposition changes things, he just can’t respond to get control back.

And this too

I don’t like the pile ones on Southgate. It’s cheap and nasty stuff and he’s transformed us from a laughing stock to a strong competitor at major tournaments

However tactically he leaves a fair amount to be desired. Needed fresher legs up top and quicker. Gordon, Bowen and Watkins were all viable options to provide a bit of pace on the counter yet he saw it fitting to keep the ineffective Kane and Foden on for the 90. Saw the impact that the fresh legs of Bowen had with that cross

Don’t the Trent experiment quite worked. Did OK but when the movement ahead of you is static, not much need for him. Gallagher did well off the bench, think he’ll come in Thursday

Southgate was what we needed when we appointed him. Had we gone for a better tactical, studious manager without first doing the job to renovate the culture and get players enjoying playing for England, they would have got nowhere just as Capello was hopeless. How many players now are world class for their clubs and mediocre for England? Foden perhaps? We used to have a squad full of them.

But his limitations are real. The failings against Croatia in 2018 and Italy in 2021 were the same - he didn't learn in the intervening years. I feel like tactically he's not at the level required.

At the same time, if a new manager wins something in the next decade, it will only have been possible because of Southgate.

[LUX]

Very frustrating performance. With the obvious exceptions, notably JB and Guéhi.

But we won, with a clean sheet. I feel confident Serbia will push Slovenia and Denmark very hard, and may well qualify from the group.

[Royal Rother]

As has been said, so many positives about Southgate - and he IS very good at the first 30 minutes in big games!

Steve Holland has probably done a very good job, but after previous near misses, maybe there needed to be a different / better No 2 to challenge the established thinking. Somebody who sees things a little differently and could help tactically during games.

As it is, it is pretty clear Southgate will be out-thought yet again in the latter stages. Some things never change.

[Sutekh]

Very frustrating performance. With the obvious exceptions, notably JB and Guéhi.

But we won, with a clean sheet. I feel confident Serbia will push Slovenia and Denmark very hard, and may well qualify from the group.

They will, Serbia are the strongest in the group after England.

Denmark will be equally as frustrating as Serbia and Gareth Safegate won't have learned anything. Expect the same dreary disappointing struggle on Thursday, but if it gets the points then who's going to care?