The Euro 2024 Thread

[GLASGOWOLF]

That defeat is on Southgate.

We started just letting them have the ball no press. Sat back with no attempt to win the game.

Went 1-0, changed it up, pressed high forced the keeper to go longwon the ball back, looked dangerous.

Scored a good equaliser, ok we are the team in the ascendency go and win it.

No, lets just revert to the first half, without the olayers to do.it.

Before the winner we had the ball, there was no forward run like there was at 1 down. We lose the ball and the fucking game.

He said he had learnt from the Italian final, he learnt fuck all.

Thank Southgate but go now, or wast a true golden generation.

 

[Langers]

Well I'm absolutely gutted and I think it's a bit daft quantifying how much it hurts compared to Wolves! It's shit seeing your team lose a huge game, it doesn't make me feel any better because it's 'only' England.

I didn't think we were too bad last night, certainly nowhere near as poor as we were in the group stages, but we were just nowhere near good enough, Spain always looked like they had a goal in them and they've comfortably been the best side in the tournament.

We did well to get as far as we did, particularly after those first few games which were dreadful.

Although it was very encouraging to see us grow into the tournament, we do need a fresh approach re: tactics .

 

[sycophantia]

I'm not sure we just stopped playing after we equalised, maybe more that Spain upped their tempo again after being pushed back for 10 minutes, they were just a better team all round on the night (and tournament). Better coached definitely but also individual performances.

 

[Lycan]

I think it's only natural to compare experiences and for some people international football just doesn't matter as much as it does for others.

I was more annoyed by Scotland's underperformance than England rolling over last night. I think partly because I felt that England were incredibly lucky to get to the final in the first place and partly because you could see how dominant Spain were throughout the game, it really wasn't much of a contest and the equaliser came completely out of the blue.

Also, I don't know what watching England out is like in other parts of the country but in Warwick & Leamington it's an absolute nightmare. You have to book a table to be able to even get into a pub and it's full of girls who just want to get a cute photo wearing an England top for their Instagram, scream at the top of their voice every time the ball goes into the penalty area or don't even bother pretending to watch the game and groups of lads who are just there so they can lob beer over each other if England score (and probably to get a cute photo wearing an England top for their Instagram). I watched the game round at a mates house, which was fine but definitely contributed to the feeling of the entire night being a bit of a damp squib.

 

[Langers]

My local pub is always good to watch tournament games in. It's not full of 'part time fans' who only ever watch the major tournaments and definitely no chance of beer being thrown everywhere (I really don't understand that at all). The people there are the people I speak to about football all the time, not just for 2 weeks every 2 years.

Great atmosphere last night - really enjoyed it aside from the result.

 

[YoungWolf]

Not that it would have made any difference but I’m still pissed off that the ref blew up on exactly 4 minutes when they’d clearly wasted at least two of it with players “injured”.

 

[jd1981]

Well I'm absolutely gutted and I think it's a bit daft quantifying how much it hurts compared to Wolves! It's shit seeing your team lose a huge game, it doesn't make me feel any better because it's 'only' England.

I didn't think we were too bad last night, certainly nowhere near as poor as we were in the group stages, but we were just nowhere near good enough, Spain always looked like they had a goal in them and they've comfortably been the best side in the tournament.

We did well to get as far as we did, particularly after those first few games which were dreadful.

Although it was very encouraging to see us grow into the tournament, we do need a fresh approach re: tactics .

I think I agree in its individual moment it’s gut wrenching, it’s all subjective but from a personal point of view losing a final will always be devastating. Regardless of how the game pans out.

 

[Tyrannosaurus Dan]

That’s the thing I’m most angry about - we basically gave up after we scored.

If we'd have continued to have a go at them after the equaliser, I could have seen us getting a 2nd. Instead we let them come at us and, with those two planned subs, the manager was basically holding out for pens. Even when we attacked for the last few minutes we nearly
scored again.

The most frustrating thing is that, apart from the odd moment of individual skill/brilliance, we offered very little going forward all tournament. That's the result of a manager who tries not to lose games rather than win them.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

You put Klopp in charge of these players and I reckon it would be a rather more decent watch, and there would be a good chance of winning things.

 

[Wolftone]

Bringing Palmer on for Mainoo obviously did the trick in that he scored within a couple of minutes, it left us exposed in the middle of the park though which resulted in their winner. Should have bought Gallagher on for Mainoo and Palmer on for Foden.
Having said that we deserved nothing from the game really.

 

[Jinky]

Got a bit of an empty feeling this morning. Not sure why as Spain were clearly the better team & deserved to win, but it’s just another ‘what if’ sort of feeling. I think, as a nation, we could really have done with a win. The school run was certainly a gloomy one this morning!

Going against the grain a little here, but I can’t criticise Southgate for planning to bring Gallagher on. Spain were completely overrunning us and cutting us apart in midfield at that point and we had zero control of those areas. I can see why he’d want some extra energy and ‘legs’ in there. Ultimately you can’t just keep slinging on attacking players & hoping for the best - particularly against a side as good as Spain. But that’s the only bit of defence I give Southgate. I know he’d have wanted to get over the line and leave on a high. Now he might be tempted to give it “one more go”, but for me we need new ideas, new energy and to get these players on the front foot playing more aggressive, attacking football rather than the ‘safety first’ mentality we’ve seen. So I hope after a week or so of reflection we get an announcement saying he’s gone.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Agree with all of that Jinky.

Gallagher was the right sub in that moment, we had lost any grip of the game and needed something in midfield.

It's time for Southgate to go, despite his obvious success, the country are just bored of him and he can't win, even when he does win.

The problem is the lack of options to take over, Howe, Potter, Carsley, Lampard?

Meh.

 

[Johnny75]

Agree with all of that Jinky.

Gallagher was the right sub in that moment, we had lost any grip of the game and needed something in midfield.

It's time for Southgate to go, despite his obvious success, the country are just bored of him and he can't win, even when he does win.

The problem is the lack of options to take over, Howe, Potter, Carsley, Lampard?

Meh.

Nope

 

[YoungWolf]

It’s felt like Carsley is being lined up for a while. I’d be pretty happy with Potter though.

The noise is that they are trying to get Southgate to do 2026 though

 

[leedswolf]

Disappointing weekend, not one shot on target, and the football was nearly as bad...

 

[EpsomWolf]

Pretty pissed off after that.

Not having the Southgate defence of 2 finals and a semi being better than we’d done since the year dot. From ‘66 onwards England were fucking useless playing Jurassic football with the rest of the world laughing at us. We were pissing in the wind until the advent of the Premier League with foreign players and coaches with their methods and thinking. It took some time for that to filter through to us culturally and for the improvements to manifest themselves in the England team. Southgate has been lucky enough to be the manager who has been the main beneficiary of that.

He’s also had an immense amount of good fortune with relatively easy passages in tournaments, a distinct lack of iffy decisions against us, injuries, dodgy sending offs and so on that have killed us before.

Well done for eradicating the cliques within the squad and well done for giving some youngsters a chance, oh, and well done for not necessarily giving a shit if they play for a ‘big’ club or not,

But you are not ever going to win a trophy if you are found wanting, and every single time he has. There’s no agony of a shot that hit the inside of a post and came back out, or your star man going off injured, or a useless Lino not noticing a ball has crossed the line, or an idiot getting himself sent off, this is ALL on one man who came up short.

Who knows if we’ll actually do better under a new guy, but for me it doesn’t change the fact it’s several opportunities lost and we could and should have done better.

 

[Johnny75]

It’s felt like Carsley is being lined up for a while. I’d be pretty happy with Potter though.

The noise is that they are trying to get Southgate to do 2026 though

I'm not sold on Carsley he seems more of the same to me.

I'm not sure Potter gets the best out of this team either.

If we're going English, Howe would be my choice as I think he's very good at getting the best out of all talents and can play a system whereby he uses his attacking players well.

He wouldn't take it but Klopp would be my choice for the WC. He'd easily get the best out of these players and he's on a break from club management.

 

[Langers]

It’s felt like Carsley is being lined up for a while. I’d be pretty happy with Potter though.

The noise is that they are trying to get Southgate to do 2026 though

I agree re: Carsley. But I really don't know anything about his coaching style whatsoever.

I do know I hated him when he was at Blues for that foul on Chris Iwelumo.

 

[YoungWolf]

I'm not sold on Carsley he seems more of the same to me.

I'm not sure Potter gets the best out of this team either.

If we're going English, Howe would be my choice as I think he's very good at getting the best out of all talents and can play a system whereby he uses his attacking players well.

He wouldn't take it but Klopp would be my choice for the WC. He'd easily get the best out of these players and he's on a break from club management.

Carsley seems a bit more flexible to me. Quite liked how he played without a striker in the u21 euros and it wasn’t a negative move.

Potter similarly I enjoy watching his teams play, big question mark after how he did at Chelsea but then it is Chelsea.

I can’t stand Howe or how his teams play

 

[Jinky]

Don't think you can judge Potter too much from his stint at Chelsea. Absolute basket case of a club. He'd be my choice from the realistic choices. Absolutely no way Klopp would manage England IMO.