Would've wanted Italy to win the final anyway. Have wanted to see england do well in international tournaments, though this group has few players I'd warm to.
Hope Italy stuff them - I'd bet its coming home.
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If Southgate starts that pairing of Rice and Phillips that were an absolute disaster tonight I'm an convinced they will get absolutely bummed by that Italian midfield as they got absolutely bummed by Denmark's midfield tonight, gobsmacked he didn't change it at half time
Prickford
Walker Stones Maguire Shaw
Mount Henderson Phillips
Sancho Kane Sterling
Kane dropping off into the hole where he produced his best stuff from all tournament and all last season, Sterling and Sancho making the runs in behind, Hendo looking to release that pair and Shaw running beyond Phillips and Hendo co-ordinating the fucking press so it's a working one unlike that disaster tonight and players actually looking who he's pointing to telling them they need to be picking up and fucking doing it
"If Everton were playing at the bottom of my garden, i'd close the curtains”
Would've wanted Italy to win the final anyway. Have wanted to see england do well in international tournaments, though this group has few players I'd warm to.
Hope Italy stuff them - I'd bet its coming home.
I want England to win the competition despite my dislike of almost everything they represent. Philips has to be replaced by Hendo and Saka looks far better as a starter than Grealish.
As long that Referee gets the job , it will definitely be coming home.
I don't see him changing it either to be honest, if he can stand there and watch that pair fail and run around like headless chickens in every single aspect of midfield play for 100 minutes before even thinking of bringing on a winner at the very highest level and leader of Henderson's experience and far greater tactical nous and far FAR greater ability than that pairs abilities combined, then there's no way he'll change it
If he starts that pair, as Italy start games and press in such numbers so high in the first 30 minutes of games I'd expect England to be at least 2-0 down before Southgate knows what's hit him, he got very VERY lucky and got out of jail for his persisting with their inexperience and being woefully inadequate at the highest level tonight courtesy of Sterling's dive and Denmark not doing better with the numerous situations their headless chicken routine presented them with.
"If Everton were playing at the bottom of my garden, i'd close the curtains”
Still think southgate is over-rated, yes he's got us far but look who we've played too, apart from germany, plus the home advantage, same in the world cup we've been very lucky in some regards.
if we lose the final, it'll be because of him and henderson not playing is a big part of that.
There's no need to change it, they still haven't conceded from open play In the tournament so Rice and Philips have been protecting the back four well. Pickford was the only weak link, passing to opponents more than once from his own box. Italy will take advantage if he does it against them.
If Rice and Phillips do the headless chicken routine they did tonight against Italy's high press in numbers and get done and robbed and caught out in terrible positions as they did in tonight's game, and Barella gets in a good shooting position or to release Chiesa 1v1 against Maguire Italy will absolutely devastate England if that pair afford them as many opportunities in the same positions they did the Danes tonight
Edit: You have to remember Skyebo, this was Denmark, they ran through that pair for 100 minutes as though they weren't even there, England have not played one single top team in the entire tournament so far, Italy have vastly superior quality in midfield, in their forwards and in their defence to any single team they have played so far
Last edited by Nineteenx; 7th July 2021 at 11:44 PM.
"If Everton were playing at the bottom of my garden, i'd close the curtains”
Lol, just read the Echo's player ratings - Very generous to Rice and Phillips giving them a 5/10 and 6/10 respectively when it should have been a 3/10 and 4/10 they were an absolute disaster
Their Kyle Walker rating made me chuckle "Could have offered more offensively", Walker doesn't give you anything offensively, his job is to be the full back that sits and essentially leaves England with a lopsided back 3 for most of the game allowing Shaw to bomb forward at every good opportunity that presents itself for him to do so
That in itself shows how desperately poor Rice and Phillips were, Walker sits, all that pair have to do is cover the centre and behind Shaw and be able to pass the ball more constructively and incisively than the incredibly and desperately limited sideways, backwards and rudimentary 5-10 yard balls marginally forward they have mustered thus far and know who to press and when to press and understand who the player they should be pressing is and coordinate that with each other
"If Everton were playing at the bottom of my garden, i'd close the curtains”
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