Football Talk

[Anonymous]

Thought I would start off a thread, bit of friendly banter not too heavy and an opportunity to express your ideas about your favourite team.

What are you hoping for in the January transfer market?

As a Liverpool fan I am hoping for cover for Mane and the front 3.

[Cleoriff]

Penalties. England have lost 6 and won 2. Italy beat Spain on penalties....

[Cleoriff]

Oh well. It's not coming Home. It's going to Rome .

[Anonymous]

Southgate is a dumb ass, watch him get a knighthood for that **** up

[Mi-Amigo]

Small crumb for England fans...

Luke Shaw scored the fastest goal ever in a Euro Cup final...

Gutted England lost on penalties 

[Cleoriff]

AGAIN @Mi-Amigo 

[Anonymous]

Well we gave it a go..  Good first half, not so good second half, pretty even extra time, and then the lottery of penalties. I think the most disappointing thing about the penalties was that Pickford saved 2 out of 5 and we still lost. Poor decisions to bring on Rashford and Sancho so late and not warmed up, plus they had the anxiety of not even knowing if they would get on the pitch in time, Stirling and Grealish should have been given priority anyway imo.

Italy are a very good team though, and masters of the professional foul. I don't know why we didn't bring on more subs in the second half, I think Southgate bottled it - hanging on to players for penalties was a bad decision imo. 

And what a shame on England by the idiots that call themselves fans, who tried to rush Wembley - Clowns! And the other idiot keyboard warriors leaving racist comments - Also Clowns!

[Cleoriff]

I felt the same @Anonymous.  He took risk with the 3 young players he used for penalties They had no match time and NOTHING is more important than Englands penalty shoot out. He knew who they would be using as the players offer.

Pickford played a blinder and we still coudn't win.

I saw Beckham in the audience. They should have brought him on...

[Mi-Amigo]

I agree with your comments @Anonymous 

Southgate should have allowed Stirling and Grealish to have taken a penalty - both wanted to; rather than rely on three players who were brought on so late in the game with little or no time to warm up on the pitch. As @Cleoriff said, Pickford played a blinder throughout the game.

[sheepdog]

I actually thought Southgate got his formation wrong in midfield again. The Denmark game was incredibly frustrating that they didn't push forward in midfield and played defensively. Rinse and repeat for the final. I honestly thought they could have scored a second in the first 30 minutes but again let the opposition midfield dominate.

I fail to see what Jack Grealish brought to the team other than an advert for Daz automatic given the amount of time he was on the ground. If he is as good as the fans believe, start him and let him be creative because that was the missing ingredient from the team. (Oddly, I've not seen him play at club level, then again I don't recall wanting to see Aston Villa play any team on Sky Sports).

Harry Kane was at his best when he was coming into midfield but yet again, that was snuffed out not by the Italians but the lack of forward movement in midfield. Passing to Sterling (in most games) was too much of an easy way out, too obvious pointing to a lack of imagination. Defensively, have to say England were very good though Jordan Pickford's kicking needs looking at because far too many times he just booted upfield for no real reason. Can't really see why Donnarumma got player of the tournament as he was barely pressurised throughout. Dare I say it, Sterling was one of the standout players of the competition (even though a sudden gust of wind found him specifically in the penalty area in the Denmark game )

Probably the worst choices for subs and timing. We wondered why Trippier was taken off and Sako put on where they couldn't get the ball forward let alone get the ball. When he did have it, it wasn't effective. Chileni was very close to a red in the last minute though. What was the thinking to bring on Rashford and Sancho (who was criminally underused in a previous game) so late when in previous games they were done at the right time? Crazy thinking. 

As for the penalties. Rashford's quickstep and foxtrot was more of an audition for Strictly. JUST BOOT THE BALL VERY HARD. If it gets saved, fine you went for it. Its a final, don't mess about and if you haven't learnt from the last 30 years of international penalty failures, what have you learnt? Don't prance about unless you are super skilled and confident because it doesn't work for those players either. Up there with the worst penalty misses of all time. Sancho could have done better but Sako did boot it and it was saved so no way should he be blamed. Seriously, didn't they consider penalties in training? Again crazy thinking from the manager. 

Yet, I don't actually consider it a failure for England. They have a good set of players and plenty coming through for a number of years to be contenders at the final stages. Whether they can reach the heights of another final is another thing.  

[Cleoriff]

The only thing about Grealish and Stirling, did they actually offer to take penalties? I thought the rules were the manager asks for volunteers?