The Euro 2024 Thread

[Kenny]

Team was selected by

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Think they probably felt obliged to put in at least one England player as we were in the final. Picking Walker out of all of them is amusing, though.

Genuinely don't think anyone merited a spot.

I'd say Saka, Guéhi and Pickford were our best players but they weren't better than Yamal, Saliba (Akanji is another slightly odd one) or Maignan.

 

[Wolftone]

Genuinely don't think anyone merited a spot.

I'd say Saka, Guéhi and Pickford were our best players but they weren't better than Yamal, Saliba (Akanji is another slightly odd one) or Maignan.

I'd agree with those three, thought Stones was generally very good as well. But as you say none of if them force their way into the best 11.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

I'd agree with those three, thought Stones was generally very good as well. But as you say none of if them force their way into the best 11.

Stones was good.

Shit on the Swiss goal though.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Turkish keeper rather unlucky

 

[Johnny75]

Turkish keeper rather unlucky

And the Georgian.

Georgian striker too.

 

[Hereford Wolf]

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

PLAYER REVIEWS PART 1: ENGLAND, EURO 2024

Another narrow failure, and perhaps now a changing of the guard

oscillatingwildly.substack.com

 

[Sniffer]

I enjoyed that read. I’d disagree slightly to say that Saka had Switzerland on toast in the first half and always looked our most dangerous threat. It didn’t help him in that having beaten a man on several occasions, the Harry Kane tribute act was examining the quality of turf structure somewhere between the centre circle and the D of the penalty area.
Other than that pretty much my thoughts.

 

[White Wolf]

Good read, hard to disagree with anything. The criticism for Pickford is tiresome, much of it is so outdated.

I think Luke Shaw still looked a bit off the pace against Switzerland, and although he was excellent in the first half of the final vs Yamal you could see his lack of match fitness on show in the second a little.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

PLAYER REVIEWS PART 2: ENGLAND, EURO 2024

Completing the run down of Gareth Southgate's final squad

oscillatingwildly.substack.com

 

[Sniffer]

Difficult to disagree with anything there. Looking back at the tournament many of the faults of both the team and the players can be thrown back at Southgate. He is undoubtedly a decent man, he took us further in tournaments than anyone since Ramsey, with the exception of a functioning left back the squad was probably right but....

The left hand side was a problem in all games. Even when we controlled the first halves against Switzerland and the Netherlands, which were our two best halves in the tournament, everything had to move inside and go to the right.
The centre midfield was a problem when we had 4 at the back but for me Rice/Mainoo looked fit for purpose when we went 3 at the back. We had a final group game where we had already qualified and there was room to experiment or rest players yet neither Wharton or Bellingham were tried in roles that could have suited them. We'll never know if it would have worked but throwing Bellingham back when he's already blowing out of his arse doesn't count as trying him there. This could have meant trying Gordon wide left and to see if this gave the side the balance it so desperately needed.
The three attacking midfielders did not suit Harry Kane at all.
Harry Kane did not look fit.
After a couple of bright performances Foden effectively had a job of man marking Rodri in the final.
I understand why he wanted to go to a four in the final but in doing so it exposed the flaws seen in previous games and left the team unbalanced again.