Think Foden is still a bit of an enigma. Would we look like a better side with a proper left winger?
Saka is having loads of joy down the right and seems the left is a bit stunted in comparison.
Having tripier behind him doesn't help
Trippier is a solid player but he is no left back: Shaw our most consistent performer over the last couple of tournaments with his overlaps would've given us more left footed crosses and also helped Phil Foden. We need Shaw fit to give balance on both flanks.
The Paradox with Harry Kane is that it negates his all round talents when he just stays in that central striker position as his passing ability is excellent as was demonstrated with his assists for Son when at Spurs. More touches 2nd half and so near to a goal from the excellent cross from Bowen.
TAA will remain an enigma as he has bags of talent BUT he is one of our weaker players defensively.
I tipped 1-1 as history said we had only ever won 1 of our opening 10 Euro matches over the many decades.
We are definitely in one of the average groups so we have time to impose our selves over the 90+minutes and not go into our shell as we did against Serbia after taking the lead, for large parts of the game.
Yes it's job done, 3 points and all that but, that was awful second half. Serbia may well not have had a shot from inside our area, and their press may have lead to nothing, but all this game has done is show how a better nation would fair against us.
Wasn't expecting a goal fest as it's England (hence the prediction) but at least expected a comfortable showing from start to finish.
I don't think we'll be 1-0 it to the final 😅
Equally though I don't think we would set up like that against a better nation. I don't see us using TAA there as we go on and need more fight in the midfield and the plan is definitely for Shaw to be ready by the knockout games. Players will emerge as well; if Foden keeps looking poor in the groups then Eze or Gordon will have a chance to burst into the starting 11 like Saka did at the last Euros. Kane always starts slowly and then wakes up at tournaments, Stones will do something dozy in the groups but recover, someone will get a hamstring scare. Lots still to do and much that can change, the only thing that matters at the moment is points.
One thing that was a bit of a concern was Southgate claiming in his post-match interview that we weren't as good in the second half because we put so much effort into the first half!
What is he on about? It's the first game of a tournament against a pretty average side and that's his excuse? Pretty worrying because it's not like we ran ourselves into the ground in 35 degree heat and if he did seriously feel that then why didn't he make subs earlier?
If anything he should be coming out saying the second half wasn't good enough and we needed to match the energy of the first 30 minutes. It was clear things weren't working and Southgate is not anywhere near proactive enough.
a win's a win, nervy second half but the first half hour of the match we were straight out the traps and almost unplayable.
can see a couple of tweaks next game, although wouldn't at all be surprised if the same XI start.
Bellingham absolute rolls royce of a player - already one of the best in the world and a marked man.
Was a bit worried about the Palace fella at CB (mainly cause I'd never really seen him play) but he had a very good game alongside Stones. Would like to see Shaw back at LB, feel like that would really help Foden be able to drift inside more.
Win the group and we get a 3rd placed side....this must be our aim, foot on the gas now and I think we'll get 9 points from 9
Yes it's job done, 3 points and all that but, that was awful second half. Serbia may well not have had a shot from inside our area, and their press may have lead to nothing, but all this game has done is show how a better nation would fair against us.
Wasn't expecting a goal fest as it's England (hence the prediction) but at least expected a comfortable showing from start to finish.
I don't think we'll be 1-0 it to the final 😅
Equally though I don't think we would set up like that against a better nation. I don't see us using TAA there as we go on and need more fight in the midfield and the plan is definitely for Shaw to be ready by the knockout games. Players will emerge as well; if Foden keeps looking poor in the groups then Eze or Gordon will have a chance to burst into the starting 11 like Saka did at the last Euros. Kane always starts slowly and then wakes up at tournaments, Stones will do something dozy in the groups but recover, someone will get a hamstring scare. Lots still to do and much that can change, the only thing that matters at the moment is points.
Scarily accurate probably!
Still, would have been nice to see the game out from start to finish convincingly and keep that mentality, rather than growing into it over the 3 group games. Slip up against Denmark and Slovenia win and its panic stations heading into in the last group game.
Thats not a massively disappointed or negative take from me either, wins a win at this stage.
Let's look on the Positives 🤔 We were 75% better than out last game against Iceland. Our so called "Comedy defence" kept a clean sheet. This is a mediocre group and we have time to get Shaw fit; 3rd group game 🤞🏻 as we need to cross from both flanks. We have more options with this squad to have game changers from the bench or start: Palmer, Gordon etc. If Foden or TAA aren't on it we have alternatives in this squad: Eze, Walton, Gallagher etc. If Harry Kane needs a rest then Toney or Watkins can step up 🤞🏻
Lots of decent teams in Euro 24 and we are one of the contenders.
It's also only the second time we've won our first group game at the European Championships, the other time being 2020, also a fairly dull 1-0. Nice to be talking about how the win could have been better rather than already playing catch-up as we almost always have before
The story of the flag... "We’d left it tied up and unattended in town, which was not the best move. However, when my mate returned it was still there much to our surprise, so he untied it, got distracted by someone asking for a fag and someone swiped it
This stage is all about getting through to the next stage. We did that and we kept a clean sheet. Teams that steamroller over teams at this stage aren’t necessarily going to win the competition. Teams that do just enough at this stage and steadily improve are the ones to watch. We went into the game with a defence that pundits weren’t sure about. They kept a clean sheet but Harry Kane was given a non goalscoring break the game up role to carry out but still nearly popped up and scored. The only other team to go out and do a just enough job so far has been Italy. No surprise there.
Playing no differently to the 2020 Euros.
Nothing special in the performance against Croatia (Serbia), boring draw against Scotland (Denmark), and then win against Czech Rep (Slovenia)
Got to the KO Rounds, and we raised our game for Germany, and then Ukraine... Denmark was a concern that Tournament but think the occasion got to us - We may have lost that tournament, but we did it via. the Lottery of penalties - When you take 90min Football into consideration, or even 120min Football into consideration, we didnt lose a single game.
If we can do the same this time round, only win in the Final without needing pens, or even using them... I wont mind.
Look elsewhere and you'll see the question of: "Should Harry Kane be starting" again which is exactly what got questioned of him three years ago as well
As anonymous as Kane was last night barring that chance (unbelievable save from the keeper) who in their right mind is asking that question?!
This stage is all about getting through to the next stage. We did that and we kept a clean sheet. Teams that steamroller over teams at this stage aren’t necessarily going to win the competition. Teams that do just enough at this stage and steadily improve are the ones to watch. We went into the game with a defence that pundits weren’t sure about. They kept a clean sheet but Harry Kane was given a non goalscoring break the game up role to carry out but still nearly popped up and scored. The only other team to go out and do a just enough job so far has been Italy. No surprise there.
Playing no differently to the 2020 Euros.
Nothing special in the performance against Croatia (Serbia), boring draw against Scotland (Denmark), and then win against Czech Rep (Slovenia)
Got to the KO Rounds, and we raised our game for Germany, and then Ukraine... Denmark was a concern that Tournament but think the occasion got to us - We may have lost that tournament, but we did it via. the Lottery of penalties - When you take 90min Football into consideration, or even 120min Football into consideration, we didnt lose a single game.
If we can do the same this time round, only win in the Final without needing pens, or even using them... I wont mind.
Look elsewhere and you'll see the question of: "Should Harry Kane be starting" again which is exactly what got questioned of him three years ago as well
As anonymous as Kane was last night barring that chance (unbelievable save from the keeper) who in their right mind is asking that question?!
I saw him pick up the ball in midfield a couple of times and run at them with the ball, he drew six fouls in the game, worked hard off it and had our only other proper shot in anger other than the goal. Wasn't it him who headed the ball off the line towards the end? I know Pickford would probably have saved it, but he didn't know that.
It's not the result or lack of attacking play in the second half that concerns me, it's the way we played. As soon as Serbia pressed us, we panicked, whereas the top teams, club or country, don't do that. Most of those players play for top club sides that play possession football, who never hoof the ball, yet once pressed, went for safety first even with 30 minutes to go.
I would like to see Palmer for Foden against Denmark, another big and physical team, Foden is just not the same player for England as he is for Citteee .. given the Denmark/Slovenia draw, we probably need just a point from 2 to go through, that fact might help the team relax a bit.
I m o the all white garbed Slovenians looked more polished and confident than the all white garbed England. The Denmark game will tell us a lot about our side, even though, as I say, we can afford to relax a bit as we have the win v Denmark's draw
I am looking forward to the Serbia/Slovenia game, former Communist brother Yugoslavs having a fraternal bash at one another
Ceded control of the midfield again - would like to see Wharton given a go, have a feeling he offers the tempo management we sometimes lack. Not sure TAA understands the position well enough to give us that.
Telling from the highlights that when Kyle Walker played one v dangerous ball across the box Foden was actually so central he was right of Kane - not coming in from the left where he would've had a tap-in. I'd start Gordon or Eze there on Thurs for better balance.
If that's our usual duff group game out the way I'm happy - a win's a win in a tournament.
I would like to see Palmer for Foden against Denmark, another big and physical team, Foden is just not the same player for England as he is for Citteee .. given the Denmark/Slovenia draw, we probably need just a point from 2 to go through, that fact might help the team relax a bit.
I m o the all white garbed Slovenians looked more polished and confident than the all white garbed England. The Denmark game will tell us a lot about our side, even though, as I say, we can afford to relax a bit as we have the win v Denmark's draw
I am looking forward to the Serbia/Slovenia game, former Communist brother Yugoslavs having a fraternal bash at one another
The fact we didn't look polished is why maybe we should keep the same 11. Need an 11 to gel before going further in the tournament. Serbia looked far more like a team than we did.
I would like to see Palmer for Foden against Denmark, another big and physical team, Foden is just not the same player for England as he is for Citteee .. given the Denmark/Slovenia draw, we probably need just a point from 2 to go through, that fact might help the team relax a bit.
I m o the all white garbed Slovenians looked more polished and confident than the all white garbed England. The Denmark game will tell us a lot about our side, even though, as I say, we can afford to relax a bit as we have the win v Denmark's draw
I am looking forward to the Serbia/Slovenia game, former Communist brother Yugoslavs having a fraternal bash at one another
The fact we didn't look polished is why maybe we should keep the same 11. Need an 11 to gel before going further in the tournament. Serbia looked far more like a team than we did.
Foden never looked comfortable yesterday, I think Palmer would make the team more polished and coherent for the Denmark game
That was the absolute paragon Southgate performance. Negative, tentative, ponderous, slavishly adhering to a 'plan' even when it was abundantly clear to everybody that it invited far more risk than was ever necessary while creating little. Saka had his defenders on toast, he never failed to trouble them. But the tactics only gave him a handful of opportunities. Bellingham was brilliant. Committed and brave when the chance came but the cross's arrival owed everything to the deflection, pure fortune. England bothered the Serb goalie twice more in the entire match. Foden was a massive let down, whole heartedly endorsed by Southgate who is still paralysed by fear around the so called star name players. Bowen's cameo showed up Foden big time. Fabregas and Richards were dead right that when things aren't "going for" any player, let alone one of Foden's talent, he has to make things happen. Instead he ponsed about and England effectively made do with 10 against 11. Guehi was impressive with pleasingly few errors.
Against Germany, Spain, Italy, France or Netherlands the performance will have to be 10 times as dynamic and positive. Southgate's recipe is insipid and a dismal waste of the resources at his disposal.
Just watched "99" on Amazon. Fergie talks about you can have tactics but the players need the mentality to want to win - they need to match the manager's mentality.
Sadly Gareth's mentality is to defend and hold on to a lead. Why on earth nobody turned round as Pickford kept lumping it forward and spoke as a group and said play it on the floor, to feet, pop it about like we do at our club's, like we have been playing in club football for years.
It becomes a siege mentality. It won't win us this tournament and won't win us a tournament until Southgate leaves.
I'll use the same analogy that I did yesterday and I've since heard twice today.
England is like going to a curry house and asking for a korma. Its safe (relatively) but bland. It could be a lot spicier!
Its a problem England have had for years. Playing players out of position.
Foden has always played his best football for City playing centrally so why does Southgate insist on playing him wide? If Southgate doesn't want to play him centrally with Rice and Bellingham, bench him and play Gordon or Eze wide.
TAA is not a CM and never will be. Yeah, he can play a pin point 70 yard pass once in a while but I'd rather have a CM who's aware of what is around him.
Granted, Trippier was playing LB purely because Shaw was unavailable but you're telling me there's not one English full back with a left foot who could have been picked? As soon as you play a right footed LB, you lose the natural width because when they do go forward, they always want to turn onto their right foot. It showed up even more when Foden drifted inside.
Anyway, my positives...
Bellingham: Bloody hell, f'ing everywhere. Saka: Was causing the Serbs huge problems down the right 1st half but faded. Bowen looked energetic when he came on. Guehi: Faultless. Done really well at the back alongside Stones. Pickford: Didn't have a lot to do but what he did he done it well.
That sort of game showed perfectly the pros and cons of Kane. If you can hit him from deep while he's occupying the CBs, he'll hold the ball up and bring others into play. He done really well second half with not a lot of the ball. But, on the other hand, its so frustrating seeing him running like he's in treacle when the ball is hit aimlessly forward and he's trying to close down because he just doesn't have that turn of pace. He does it every tournament and after every lay off. It takes him a good 2-3 games to get his sharpness back but 99 times out of 100 you'd want him on the end of that cross from Bowen.
A win is a win at the end of the day. On to Thursday.
a win's a win, nervy second half but the first half hour of the match we were straight out the traps and almost unplayable.
can see a couple of tweaks next game, although wouldn't at all be surprised if the same XI start.
Bellingham absolute rolls royce of a player - already one of the best in the world and a marked man.
Was a bit worried about the Palace fella at CB (mainly cause I'd never really seen him play) but he had a very good game alongside Stones. Would like to see Shaw back at LB, feel like that would really help Foden be able to drift inside more.
Win the group and we get a 3rd placed side....this must be our aim, foot on the gas now and I think we'll get 9 points from 9
I believe he has been training but having not played since February he can't be anywhere near match fitness. I'd hope the plan would be to give him 20 minutes as sub against Denmark and then maybe an hour against Slovenia so he's ready for the knockouts.
We can't throw him into the knockouts having not played for 4 months so he has to get some minutes somewhere.
I would like to see Palmer for Foden against Denmark, another big and physical team, Foden is just not the same player for England as he is for Citteee .. given the Denmark/Slovenia draw, we probably need just a point from 2 to go through, that fact might help the team relax a bit.
I m o the all white garbed Slovenians looked more polished and confident than the all white garbed England. The Denmark game will tell us a lot about our side, even though, as I say, we can afford to relax a bit as we have the win v Denmark's draw
I am looking forward to the Serbia/Slovenia game, former Communist brother Yugoslavs having a fraternal bash at one another
Palmer can’t really play on the left though, although granted he couldn’t do much worse than Foden yesterday. Feel like Gareth will give Foden another chance there and if it’s not working bring on Gordon/Eze
I would like to see Palmer for Foden against Denmark, another big and physical team, Foden is just not the same player for England as he is for Citteee .. given the Denmark/Slovenia draw, we probably need just a point from 2 to go through, that fact might help the team relax a bit.
I m o the all white garbed Slovenians looked more polished and confident than the all white garbed England. The Denmark game will tell us a lot about our side, even though, as I say, we can afford to relax a bit as we have the win v Denmark's draw
I am looking forward to the Serbia/Slovenia game, former Communist brother Yugoslavs having a fraternal bash at one another
Palmer can’t really play on the left though, although granted he couldn’t do much worse than Foden yesterday. Feel like Gareth will give Foden another chance there and if it’s not working bring on Gordon/Eze
t b h that had occurred to me as well, however Foden looked so ineffectual that giving Palmer a go on the left can't do much damage, especially as (I opine again) we need a disaster, losing both the next two games, not to advance .. the performance v Serbia was far from convincing and IF there is a time for experiment and re-evaluation, it is surely now, even though neither Denmark nor Slovenia will be soft touches i m o. Don't keep the same team if a change or minor re-jig will make that team stronger
(IF Foden plays on Thursday, I hope he has a right blinder and scores a hat trick )
unfortunately Bellingham, Foden and Palmer all play in the same position - and Jude is No 1 at the moment, could be that we need someone different out wide.
Agree with JB, surely we could find another LB who is actually left footed, especially with Foden in front of them
As someone who barely watches premier league football I'm astonished how rated foden is. He is rarely involved attacking wise and mainly plays the ball back. I know I must be wrong, just like when you see for the first time some striker who's a top scorer in a league in Europe and you've never seen him before, he plays awful and you just ask "how?!"
As someone who barely watches premier league football I'm astonished how rated foden is. He is rarely involved attacking wise and mainly plays the ball back. I know I must be wrong, just like when you see for the first time some striker who's a top scorer in a league in Europe and you've never seen him before, he plays awful and you just ask "how?!"
Guardiola plays him one way and Southgate in another way
Comments
Trippier is a solid player but he is no left back:
Shaw our most consistent performer over the last couple of tournaments with his overlaps would've given us more left footed crosses and also helped Phil Foden.
We need Shaw fit to give balance on both flanks.
The Paradox with Harry Kane is that it negates his all round talents when he just stays in that central striker position as his passing ability is excellent as was demonstrated with his assists for Son when at Spurs. More touches 2nd half and so near to a goal from the excellent cross from Bowen.
TAA will remain an enigma as he has bags of talent BUT he is one of our weaker players defensively.
I tipped 1-1 as history said we had only ever won 1 of our opening 10 Euro matches over the many decades.
We are definitely in one of the average groups so we have time to impose our selves over the 90+minutes and not go into our shell as we did against Serbia after taking the lead, for large parts of the game.
What is he on about? It's the first game of a tournament against a pretty average side and that's his excuse? Pretty worrying because it's not like we ran ourselves into the ground in 35 degree heat and if he did seriously feel that then why didn't he make subs earlier?
If anything he should be coming out saying the second half wasn't good enough and we needed to match the energy of the first 30 minutes. It was clear things weren't working and Southgate is not anywhere near proactive enough.
can see a couple of tweaks next game, although wouldn't at all be surprised if the same XI start.
Bellingham absolute rolls royce of a player - already one of the best in the world and a marked man.
Was a bit worried about the Palace fella at CB (mainly cause I'd never really seen him play) but he had a very good game alongside Stones. Would like to see Shaw back at LB, feel like that would really help Foden be able to drift inside more.
Win the group and we get a 3rd placed side....this must be our aim, foot on the gas now and I think we'll get 9 points from 9
Scarily accurate probably!
Still, would have been nice to see the game out from start to finish convincingly and keep that mentality, rather than growing into it over the 3 group games. Slip up against Denmark and Slovenia win and its panic stations heading into in the last group game.
Thats not a massively disappointed or negative take from me either, wins a win at this stage.
We were 75% better than out last game against Iceland.
Our so called "Comedy defence" kept a clean sheet.
This is a mediocre group and we have time to get Shaw fit; 3rd group game 🤞🏻 as we need to cross from both flanks.
We have more options with this squad to have game changers from the bench or start: Palmer, Gordon etc.
If Foden or TAA aren't on it we have alternatives in this squad: Eze, Walton, Gallagher etc.
If Harry Kane needs a rest then Toney or Watkins can step up 🤞🏻
Lots of decent teams in Euro 24 and we are one of the contenders.
Try to enjoy.
I m o the all white garbed Slovenians looked more polished and confident than the all white garbed England. The Denmark game will tell us a lot about our side, even though, as I say, we can afford to relax a bit as we have the win v Denmark's draw
I am looking forward to the Serbia/Slovenia game, former Communist brother Yugoslavs having a fraternal bash at one another
Telling from the highlights that when Kyle Walker played one v dangerous ball across the box Foden was actually so central he was right of Kane - not coming in from the left where he would've had a tap-in. I'd start Gordon or Eze there on Thurs for better balance.
If that's our usual duff group game out the way I'm happy - a win's a win in a tournament.
Negative, tentative, ponderous, slavishly adhering to a 'plan' even when it was abundantly clear to everybody that it invited far more risk than was ever necessary while creating little.
Saka had his defenders on toast, he never failed to trouble them. But the tactics only gave him a handful of opportunities.
Bellingham was brilliant. Committed and brave when the chance came but the cross's arrival owed everything to the deflection, pure fortune.
England bothered the Serb goalie twice more in the entire match.
Foden was a massive let down, whole heartedly endorsed by Southgate who is still paralysed by fear around the so called star name players. Bowen's cameo showed up Foden big time.
Fabregas and Richards were dead right that when things aren't "going for" any player, let alone one of Foden's talent, he has to make things happen. Instead he ponsed about and England effectively made do with 10 against 11.
Guehi was impressive with pleasingly few errors.
Against Germany, Spain, Italy, France or Netherlands the performance will have to be 10 times as dynamic and positive. Southgate's recipe is insipid and a dismal waste of the resources at his disposal.
Sadly Gareth's mentality is to defend and hold on to a lead. Why on earth nobody turned round as Pickford kept lumping it forward and spoke as a group and said play it on the floor, to feet, pop it about like we do at our club's, like we have been playing in club football for years.
It becomes a siege mentality. It won't win us this tournament and won't win us a tournament until Southgate leaves.
England is like going to a curry house and asking for a korma.
Its safe (relatively) but bland. It could be a lot spicier!
Its a problem England have had for years. Playing players out of position.
Foden has always played his best football for City playing centrally so why does Southgate insist on playing him wide?
If Southgate doesn't want to play him centrally with Rice and Bellingham, bench him and play Gordon or Eze wide.
TAA is not a CM and never will be. Yeah, he can play a pin point 70 yard pass once in a while but I'd rather have a CM who's aware of what is around him.
Granted, Trippier was playing LB purely because Shaw was unavailable but you're telling me there's not one English full back with a left foot who could have been picked? As soon as you play a right footed LB, you lose the natural width because when they do go forward, they always want to turn onto their right foot. It showed up even more when Foden drifted inside.
Anyway, my positives...
Bellingham: Bloody hell, f'ing everywhere.
Saka: Was causing the Serbs huge problems down the right 1st half but faded. Bowen looked energetic when he came on.
Guehi: Faultless. Done really well at the back alongside Stones.
Pickford: Didn't have a lot to do but what he did he done it well.
That sort of game showed perfectly the pros and cons of Kane. If you can hit him from deep while he's occupying the CBs, he'll hold the ball up and bring others into play. He done really well second half with not a lot of the ball. But, on the other hand, its so frustrating seeing him running like he's in treacle when the ball is hit aimlessly forward and he's trying to close down because he just doesn't have that turn of pace. He does it every tournament and after every lay off. It takes him a good 2-3 games to get his sharpness back but 99 times out of 100 you'd want him on the end of that cross from Bowen.
A win is a win at the end of the day. On to Thursday.
We can't throw him into the knockouts having not played for 4 months so he has to get some minutes somewhere.
(IF Foden plays on Thursday, I hope he has a right blinder and scores a hat trick
Agree with JB, surely we could find another LB who is actually left footed, especially with Foden in front of them