Agreed, it's been a reasonable tournament so far, but today has seen a lot of defensive, negative football, with too many teams happy to take a draw or not capable of creating enough to threaten opponents
After yesterday, we do have to consider what might happen if we get beaten by the Czech Republic. Will four points be enough if we lost and ended up third? We certainly can't finish below third. I suppose we need to look at this group by group. Group A has Turkey who can get three points max and Switzerland who can get four but has a minus 3 goal difference. That is a positive. In Group B, Denmark have 0 points and Finland have to play Belgium. I suspect third place will ultimately have three points there. In Group C, Austria and Ukraine have 3 points each but play each other. A win either way would mean third place would have 3 points. A draw would mean four points with a neutral goal difference which could be an issue for England due to goals scored.
Group D will have Spain playing Slovakia and Poland. If Spain win those, third place can't better 3 points. If there is a shock in one of these two games, it could bring the Group into play for England. Group F could be interesting if Portugal beat Germany. It would mean the Germans could only get 3 points maximum which would be positive for England and put their continuation at risk. However, a draw between Portugal and Germany would potentially be bad news for England. Weighing it all up, it looks like four points is highly likely to be enough which is a relief as I believe any result is possible against the Czechs, including a defeat. I would be surprised if Group A was an issue and if Finland got anything from Belgium so those two groups are our best bet.
Thanks to the spreadsheet posted on here for that analysis. Definitely worth a download for those who haven't done so as it works out the third places for you and the next round of games.
After yesterday, we do have to consider what might happen if we get beaten by the Czech Republic. Will four points be enough if we lost and ended up third? We certainly can't finish below third. I suppose we need to look at this group by group. Group A has Turkey who can get three points max and Switzerland who can get four but has a minus 3 goal difference. That is a positive. In Group B, Denmark have 0 points and Finland have to play Belgium. I suspect third place will ultimately have three points there. In Group C, Austria and Ukraine have 3 points each but play each other. A win either way would mean third place would have 3 points. A draw would mean four points with a neutral goal difference which could be an issue for England due to goals scored.
Group D will have Spain playing Slovakia and Poland. If Spain win those, third place can't better 3 points. If there is a shock in one of these two games, it could bring the Group into play for England. Group F could be interesting if Portugal beat Germany. It would mean the Germans could only get 3 points maximum which would be positive for England and put their continuation at risk. However, a draw between Portugal and Germany would potentially be bad news for England. Weighing it all up, it looks like four points is highly likely to be enough which is a relief as I believe any result is possible against the Czechs, including a defeat. I would be surprised if Group A was an issue and if Finland got anything from Belgium so those two groups are our best bet.
Thanks to the spreadsheet posted on here for that analysis. Definitely worth a download for those who haven't done so as it works out the third places for you and the next round of games.
Southgate was, clearly, prepared to take the gamble of accepting a point last night especially given his post match analysis "if you can't win you have to make sure you don't lose". A draw is now enough against the Czech Republic and with 8 clean sheets from the last 10 games and having not conceded for over 500 minutes, I really don't expect to see us playing any differently against them.
Let's not also forget that a draw in the final game will send both teams through.
What I would like to be able to do is get into Southgate's mindset and get an honest answer to this question. Is your priority to win the tournament or do enough not to get sacked? If you asked him, it would always be the former, but deep down, he has a good job and probably wants to keep it! That will affect how he approaches games if it is the hidden motivation.
What I would like to be able to do is get into Southgate's mindset and get an honest answer to this question. Is your priority to win the tournament or do enough not to get sacked? If you asked him, it would always be the former, but deep down, he has a good job and probably wants to keep it! That will affect how he approaches games if it is the hidden motivation.
His mindset has simply to be to do whatever is required to get to the next stage with something in left in the tank and then the stage after that. Then it’s a question of who is left in the mix both in the terms of players in the squad who are performing and the other countries before thinking about winning the tournament or not.
Enjoy the football today and watch how often France get plenty of players behind the ball. Could be six clean sheets today. Modern football is about ball retention, forwards who can defend and close down and hopefully some killing passes in transition with a finish at the end of the move.
At times players look over coached and weighed down with the Flipboard messages but this is the academy way of coaching. We have seen good, bad and ugly matches in this tournament like every Euros or WC, I have ever watched.
I disagree we have seen a group of countries that have either been sent out with a mindset of not to lose versus other teams who have played with intent and ambition. Are you telling me that Italy have better players than England ? I think we would all agree that they donr. The difference is attitude and how they are told to play the game. We are so boring and predictable it is embarrassing
Enjoy the football today and watch how often France get plenty of players behind the ball. Could be six clean sheets today. Modern football is about ball retention, forwards who can defend and close down and hopefully some killing passes in transition with a finish at the end of the move.
At times players look over coached and weighed down with the Flipboard messages but this is the academy way of coaching. We have seen good, bad and ugly matches in this tournament like every Euros or WC, I have ever watched.
Difference is the French will break with speed. We'll try a a Hollywood ball, or will take it to the halfway line before immediately turning and passing it backwards.
After yesterday, we do have to consider what might happen if we get beaten by the Czech Republic. Will four points be enough if we lost and ended up third? We certainly can't finish below third. I suppose we need to look at this group by group. Group A has Turkey who can get three points max and Switzerland who can get four but has a minus 3 goal difference. That is a positive. In Group B, Denmark have 0 points and Finland have to play Belgium. I suspect third place will ultimately have three points there. In Group C, Austria and Ukraine have 3 points each but play each other. A win either way would mean third place would have 3 points. A draw would mean four points with a neutral goal difference which could be an issue for England due to goals scored.
Group D will have Spain playing Slovakia and Poland. If Spain win those, third place can't better 3 points. If there is a shock in one of these two games, it could bring the Group into play for England. Group F could be interesting if Portugal beat Germany. It would mean the Germans could only get 3 points maximum which would be positive for England and put their continuation at risk. However, a draw between Portugal and Germany would potentially be bad news for England. Weighing it all up, it looks like four points is highly likely to be enough which is a relief as I believe any result is possible against the Czechs, including a defeat. I would be surprised if Group A was an issue and if Finland got anything from Belgium so those two groups are our best bet.
Thanks to the spreadsheet posted on here for that analysis. Definitely worth a download for those who haven't done so as it works out the third places for you and the next round of games.
I agree 4 points will be fine which is why we need to rest players and give others a go in the Czech game.
Trippier and Chilwell full backs, get them to push on. Play Stones and Maguire to test Maguire's fitness.
Play one of Rice and Phillips, with Bellingham and Grealish the others in the 3.
Give Sancho a go on the right, rest Kane and play DCL. I'd potentially still start Foden on the left, he's not played 90mins yet so should be fine.
Forget trying to get players in behind Kane, try to play to what should be our strengths given the pace of the PL, quick passing between good players.
See the article about him I posted above. He’s done really well. Just a victim of Duchatelet, like all of us. He played against Chelsea in the UCL 2-3 years ago too.
This court case against benzama is still ongoing? Reason why he wasn't selected last tournament. So why is it now ok to select him. Can't even remember what it was about.
I might of met the wrong type of French fans but the ones I have met are a bid odd with their support. When over there for a few months i obviouslyet and talked to a few. They asked who I supported. I say Charlton. They then say, yeah, yeah (or wee, wee) but who is your top league team. I said what do you mean and they all said well we support (le harve or someone like that) but we support PSG.
Another occasion was when I was in a pub near Hyde Park for the world cup final 2018. Bunch of French in there. They're winning the game but still hardly much noise. It took me and my mate (who are both pretty drunk) to start singing their national anthem. Tbf though our version sounded more like we are shouting "March On." but still where's the passion or do they leave all that in the bedroom?
As I type this those beauty's Hungary just scored. Have it!!
Comments
Group D will have Spain playing Slovakia and Poland. If Spain win those, third place can't better 3 points. If there is a shock in one of these two games, it could bring the Group into play for England. Group F could be interesting if Portugal beat Germany. It would mean the Germans could only get 3 points maximum which would be positive for England and put their continuation at risk. However, a draw between Portugal and Germany would potentially be bad news for England. Weighing it all up, it looks like four points is highly likely to be enough which is a relief as I believe any result is possible against the Czechs, including a defeat. I would be surprised if Group A was an issue and if Finland got anything from Belgium so those two groups are our best bet.
Thanks to the spreadsheet posted on here for that analysis. Definitely worth a download for those who haven't done so as it works out the third places for you and the next round of games.
Let's not also forget that a draw in the final game will send both teams through.
At times players look over coached and weighed down with the Flipboard messages but this is the academy way of coaching.
We have seen good, bad and ugly matches in this tournament like every Euros or WC, I have ever watched.
Trippier and Chilwell full backs, get them to push on. Play Stones and Maguire to test Maguire's fitness.
Play one of Rice and Phillips, with Bellingham and Grealish the others in the 3.
Give Sancho a go on the right, rest Kane and play DCL. I'd potentially still start Foden on the left, he's not played 90mins yet so should be fine.
Forget trying to get players in behind Kane, try to play to what should be our strengths given the pace of the PL, quick passing between good players.
Reason why he wasn't selected last tournament. So why is it now ok to select him.
Can't even remember what it was about.
Another occasion was when I was in a pub near Hyde Park for the world cup final 2018. Bunch of French in there. They're winning the game but still hardly much noise. It took me and my mate (who are both pretty drunk) to start singing their national anthem. Tbf though our version sounded more like we are shouting "March On." but still where's the passion or do they leave all that in the bedroom?
As I type this those beauty's Hungary just scored. Have it!!
Who was the woman at the desk?