EURO 2024 FINAL THREAD: SPAIN vs ENGLAND Sunday, July 14th, 8:00PM

[Babylon]

5 hours ago, Bilo said:

The 'it' in this case being ambitious tactics.

Any decent manager would have changed the tactics in the game. Too may long balls from Pickford to nowhere, too many times players with the ball are isolated and don’t have support. Every time a Spanish player got the ball he had two or three easy passes,  we got the ball and most of the time you need a miracle to make a pass to another white shirt. 
 

 

[ARTY_FOX]

7 hours ago, Aus Fox said:

To be fair, before him we didn’t have a sniff of a final or semi for a long time. We’ve never had two finals in a row. He’s not perfect by a long shot, but he’s done better than almost anyone else in his role.  It’s time now for him to walk away, but I’ll be fascinated to see if we can get anyone who can go a step further, or was the last few years as good as it gets following England.

You could grab a random person off the street and got England to the finals he did. 

[ARTY_FOX]

7 hours ago, tom27111 said:

 

When was the second semi final?

2018 loss to Croatia. 

[ARTY_FOX]

5 hours ago, KingsX said:

 

I'd rather have Brendan no questions asked and that's saying alot. 

[Bert]

7 hours ago, KFS said:

Wonder where the next star midfield player comes from for us. Jude clearly has to sit further forward, but someone to push Rice and another to sit next to him.

 

Arise Samuel Braybrook

Mainoo

[phoneticerror]

6 hours ago, Samilktray said:

Just feel gutted tbh 

Got to be honest, I’m alright. If city had just lost a final, I’d be gutted still. But international just doesn’t feel the same as club footy.

 

Spain played better and didn’t have Southgate at the helm. Kane should’ve been nowhere near that pitch. This isn’t a game for hierarchy based on loyalty.

[Bert]

A big difference when either said had the other under pressure and the ball was deep inside Spain’s half they made two quick passes that got them 40 yards up the pitch. We tried playing it down the flanks or sideways. 
 

I just cannot believe how often we gave the ball away last night. 

[Tielemans63]

3 hours ago, Babylon said:

Any decent manager would have changed the tactics in the game. Too may long balls from Pickford to nowhere, too many times players with the ball are isolated and don’t have support. Every time a Spanish player got the ball he had two or three easy passes,  we got the ball and most of the time you need a miracle to make a pass to another white shirt. 
 

 

I was a bit nervous before the game when Southgate said we'd need to play 'over or around their press'. That sounded suspiciously like long ball tactics to me, and you're absolutely right, there were so many overhit passes.

 

I think it says a lot that he made the right gamble by taking off Mainoo and bringing on a more advanced midfielder in Palmer and it got us the equaliser. But then they flooded the space Mainoo had vacated by bringing on another midfielder....and he just left it. Declan Rice left with constant 2 v 1s. Spain brought on Oyarzabal, regained the initiative and he didn't react.

Edited 15 July by Tielemans63

[Fightforever]

7 hours ago, Torquay Gunner said:

Spain were the stand out team throughout the tournament, but who is going to remember anyone else.  Certainly not the other big nations like France, Germany, Portugal, The Netherlands, Italy or England.  To say the overall standard was mediocre is an understatement.  How much of that was down to the coaching, or a genuine lack of world- class talent. 

The big European nations in general are declining a lot of the youngsters with the best talent are coming from South America and Africa these days which makes sense if you look at birth rates they just have more youngsters in the first place it’s just a numbers game at this point. It’s the first time in my life where I’m seeing players pushing 40 being played by teams like France and Portugal.

[Sly]

Trafford will likely start to feature more in the future squads to push Pickford.
 

I was thinking maybe Wharton, Miley, Scott, Elliott, Mainoo, Chukwuemeka will push for the centre mid spot.

 

Lewis Hall will push for the left back slot, as we only have Shaw.

 

Braithwaite, Quansah and Colwill will most likely start to be integrated as centre back options now. 
 

Livramento, Rico Lewis and TAA should be the full back options. Walker is done. 
 

Bynoe-Gittens, Gordon, Barnes will be the left winger slot. 
 

Slot this in with the existing talent of Bellingham, Foden, Gheuhi, Konka, Rice, Watkins, Palmer, Shaw, Stones, Saka, Grealish, Maddison, Chilwell, Gallagher etc and we’ll be fine. 

 

For me Walker, Kane, Trippier, Sterling, Henderson and the likes should all now be done at international level. 

 

The biggest challenge, will be who replaces Harry Kane. I don’t think Toney / Watkins are that level. 
 

It’s also a crime that Tomori gets constantly overlooked as well. 

 

 

 

[foxfanazer]

16 minutes ago, Sly said:

Trafford will likely start to feature more in the future squads to push Pickford.
 

I was thinking maybe Wharton, Miley, Scott, Elliott, Mainoo, Chukwuemeka will push for the centre mid spot.

 

Lewis Hall will push for the left back slot, as we only have Shaw.

 

Braithwaite, Quansah and Colwill will most likely start to be integrated as centre back options now. 
 

Livramento, Rico Lewis and TAA should be the full back options. Walker is done. 
 

Bynoe-Gittens, Gordon, Barnes will be the left winger slot. 
 

Slot this in with the existing talent of Bellingham, Foden, Gheuhi, Konka, Rice, Watkins, Palmer, Shaw, Stones, Saka, Grealish, Maddison, Chilwell, Gallagher etc and we’ll be fine. 

 

For me Walker, Kane, Trippier, Sterling, Henderson and the likes should all now be done at international level. 

 

The biggest challenge, will be who replaces Harry Kane. I don’t think Toney / Watkins are that level. 
 

It’s also a crime that Tomori gets constantly overlooked as well. 

 

 

 

It depends what levels you mean. Having him take up a starting spot has been a hindrance for the whole tournament and almost anybody else would've been a better alternative.

 

Southgate coming out after the final saying they struggled to get Kane up to speed is criminal 

 

He'll still be fine to stat pad in the qualifiers but surely he can't be considered our first choice striker for the next world cup

Edited 15 July by foxfanazer

[Guest Col city fan]

8 minutes ago, Sly said:

Trafford will likely start to feature more in the future squads to push Pickford.
 

I was thinking maybe Wharton, Miley, Scott, Elliott, Mainoo, Chukwuemeka will push for the centre mid spot.

 

Lewis Hall will push for the left back slot, as we only have Shaw.

 

Braithwaite, Quansah and Colwill will most likely start to be integrated as centre back options now. 
 

Livramento, Rico Lewis and TAA should be the full back options. Walker is done. 
 

Bynoe-Gittens, Gordon, Barnes will be the left winger slot. 
 

Slot this in with the existing talent of Bellingham, Foden, Gheuhi, Konka, Rice, Watkins, Palmer, Shaw, Stones, Saka, Grealish, Maddison, Chilwell, Gallagher etc and we’ll be fine. 

 

For me Walker, Kane, Trippier, Sterling, Henderson and the likes should all now be done at international level. 

 

The biggest challenge, will be who replaces Harry Kane. I don’t think Toney / Watkins are that level. 
 

It’s also a crime that Tomori gets constantly overlooked as well. 

 

 

 

Tbh I don’t think it’s as much about the players as how they’ve been asked to play. I know this has been done to death, but I think it’s the central argument. 
Whatever players we put out last night, their inability to just keep the ball was astounding. Genuinely astounding.

Foden is schooled in how to keep the ball. Bellingham was Madrid’s player of the season.

Stones is meant to be your archetypal CB who can ‘bring the ball out’. 
Watching bloody Pickford keep launching it long to no-one last night made my blood boil.

The Spanish are a good side but they are by no means great! Yet we made them look like prime Brazil. Or Spain in the Iniesta/Xavi era.

IF the FA now give Southgate a further four years I’ll give up with the England team. Tbh I kept leaving the TV last night. You could see from about 15 mins in we’d never win that match.

Tactically, Southgate is miles away.

[Leicesterpool]

All our rivals taking pops at us but at least we reached a final and tend to always qualify.

 

Scotland were knocked out after just 15 minutes. Wales were one man team anyway apart from that decent period they gone back to being crap.

 

Rep of Ireland havent had a sniff of a major tournament since 2016. 

 

 

[purpleronnie]

Scotland did beat Spain though... in qualifying...just sayin.

[Leicesterpool]

2 minutes ago, purpleronnie said:

Scotland did beat Spain though... in qualifying...just sayin.

Thats just qualifying tournament football different level.

[RumbleFox]

I feel a bit like I did in the Italy final. Like before the game part of me almost felt embarrassed we were there and that we didn’t really deserve to win. During the game I felt the same. When we equalised it genuinely felt unfair. Maybe it’s living in Scotland for too long, but I want a team I can be proud of. I don’t want to fluke my way to a final and hope we fluke that too. I just want a new manager that goes for it a bit.  

Edited 15 July by RumbleFox

[RumbleFox]

6 minutes ago, Leicesterpool said:

All our rivals taking pops at us but at least we reached a final and tend to always qualify.

 

Scotland were knocked out after just 15 minutes. Wales were one man team anyway apart from that decent period they gone back to being crap.

 

Rep of Ireland havent had a sniff of a major tournament since 2016. 

 

 

I think taking a pop at rivals is what football is about. 

[Leicesterpool]

1 minute ago, RumbleFox said:

I think taking a pop at rivals is what football is about. 

Yeah but its like Leicester losing a champions league final whilst Forest are being relegated. Yeah theyd laugh.. but then youd think Forest "mind we were embarrassing so..."

[Lionator]

1 hour ago, Bert said:

A big difference when either said had the other under pressure and the ball was deep inside Spain’s half they made two quick passes that got them 40 yards up the pitch. We tried playing it down the flanks or sideways. 
 

I just cannot believe how often we gave the ball away last night. 

It’s not really a surprise though. Thinking of the worst aspects of our tournament eg. Denmark & Slovakia, they pressed us and we couldn’t get through it and gave the ball away a lot. We weren’t by some miracle suddenly a better team than that, all Spain had to do was match that and with their midfielders, they’ll have been a lot better. 
 

All tournament I felt we were a midfielder light. Bellingham is a great player but he reminded me a bit of early days Andy King where he just drifted in and out of games. Mainoo will be a great player but yesterday showed how young he still is. Which left Rice who imo is not the creative player that we needed and has struggled all tournament. Not because he’s a bad player but because he’s had more responsibility than his skill set allows. Likewise while people laughed about Southgate missing Phillips, he could always do a good job of bringing the ball forward a lot faster and lot more directly. Likewise Henderson. 

[FrankieADZ]

didnt he say we havent had a midfielder like Adam Wharton in 7/8 yrs......he played 0 mins

 

26 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

Tbh I don’t think it’s as much about the players as how they’ve been asked to play. I know this has been done to death, but I think it’s the central argument. 
Whatever players we put out last night, their inability to just keep the ball was astounding. Genuinely astounding.

Foden is schooled in how to keep the ball. Bellingham was Madrid’s player of the season.

Stones is meant to be your archetypal CB who can ‘bring the ball out’. 
Watching bloody Pickford keep launching it long to no-one last night made my blood boil.

The Spanish are a good side but they are by no means great! Yet we made them look like prime Brazil. Or Spain in the Iniesta/Xavi era.

IF the FA now give Southgate a further four years I’ll give up with the England team. Tbh I kept leaving the TV last night. You could see from about 15 mins in we’d never win that match.

Tactically, Southgate is miles away.

lets be honest Southgate got the job cos it fell in his lap, he did alright with the u21s(stuart pearce did better imo)

think its plain to see Southgate is an incredibly limited manager, tactically hes woeful, kept playing the same tactics and formation hoping something will change, 

it needs a massive gutting, players, staff, 2 euro finals in a row, should have at least won 1

[RumbleFox]

3 minutes ago, Leicesterpool said:

Yeah but its like Leicester losing a champions league final whilst Forest are being relegated. Yeah theyd laugh.. but then youd think Forest "mind we were embarrassing so..."

I’m not particularly one for revelling in other’s defeats but you know 100% if Derby or Forest lost a final and we were in League 1 that, as a fan base, we would still be laughing at them. I live in Scotland, the stick they give the England team gets annoying and is often embarrassing but I understand it 100% and Leicester fans would do the same I think. 

Edited 15 July by RumbleFox

[Lionator]

7 minutes ago, RumbleFox said:

I feel a bit like I did in the Italy final. Like before the game part of me almost felt embarrassed we were there and that we didn’t really deserve to win. During the game I felt the same. When we equalised it genuinely felt unfair. Maybe it’s living in Scotland for too long, but I want a team I can be proud of. I don’t want to fluke my way to a final and hope we fluke that too. I just want a new manager that goes for it a bit.  

2021 we deserved to be there and we should’ve won it, that was the biggest missed opportunity we’ll ever have. We battered Germany and Ukraine and deserved to win the semi. This time has been a struggle to be fair. 

[FrankieADZ]

7 minutes ago, RumbleFox said:

I feel a bit like I did in the Italy final. Like before the game part of me almost felt embarrassed we were there and that we didn’t really deserve to win. During the game I felt the same. When we equalised it genuinely felt unfair. Maybe it’s living in Scotland for too long, but I want a team I can be proud of. I don’t want to fluke my way to a final and hope we fluke that too. I just want a new manager that goes for it a bit.  

tbf we played alright that tournament, this tournament we've been saved by individual brilliance more than anything, 

we've had like 50mins all tournament where england have looked good imo

 

[RumbleFox]

1 minute ago, Lionator said:

2021 we deserved to be there and we should’ve won it, that was the biggest missed opportunity we’ll ever have. We battered Germany and Ukraine and deserved to win the semi. This time has been a struggle to be fair. 

Maybe I’ve just lived in Scotland too long 😂. 

[Leicesterpool]

1 minute ago, Lionator said:

2021 we deserved to be there and we should’ve won it, that was the biggest missed opportunity we’ll ever have. We battered Germany and Ukraine and deserved to win the semi. This time has been a struggle to be fair. 

Best performance in the tournament was the first half against Netherlands. Other than that pretty poor.