England Squad - Euro 2024

[supercity88]

Odd isn't southgate said its not the game plan to sit deep after scoring, so why does the team do it ?

Then why wasn't he stood on the sideline giving them a rocket?!

Bizarre.

I'm torn between thinking it's a clear strategy to sit in and trot about to save energy for the knockouts and just us being absolutely shite. Logic tells me it's the latter. But I'm hoping it's the former and he doesn't want us to work too hard in the group stage when ultimately we've already qualified now and can hopefully have more in the tank for when it matters.

I think it's a stupid approach if that is what he's doing. You give it max then make 5 subs and they also give it their max. Spain last night were only 1-0 up and still made changes to some key players in order to bring fresh legs on. They trust the squad and trust the approach. Southgate doesn't trust either.

 

[mattcity5]

Odd isn't southgate said its not the game plan to sit deep after scoring, so why does the team do it ?

Walker was asked about it after the match, said it wasn't planned, but they were all starting to think negatively about "what if this happens" and "what if that happens", so they all go safety first, stop making runs, stop looking fir the ball, stop playing passes that 'may' be risky, etc.

Results in backs against the wall and everyone treating the ball as if it were a hand grenade.

None of which happens at City, which is interesting. Stones always wanted to ball and was calm 99% of the time, but as Pep said, he's got "massive balls". It seems a lot of the others don't have.

 

[mattcity5]

I think Shaw an OK left back when fit but it does give an insight into Southgate's mind.

He takes an injured Shaw as if he's Roberto Carlos and he's bringing up missing Kalvin Phillps in post match interviews as if its like losing Rodri or Busquets or something. He seems to have a very skewed perception of players abilities.

When Shaw was injured Southgate should have been trying to integrate Tyrick Mitchell into the squad at least, especially the form Palace were in towards the end of the season. But that said, it could have given us a left side defence who play for Palace, and as such have never played in Europe and not played competence internationals.

I could personally see the value in taking Grealish, as he's used to winning things and always wants the ball. That and his form were kind of the opposite of picking Palace players.

Guehi's done well defensively despite a couple of scares, but he doesn't really want the ball ever. We just end up scared of losing but less likely to win because of it.

And what Luke Shaw knows about winning I have no idea.

 

[Crooked_rain]

Walker was asked about it after the match, said it wasn't planned, but they were all starting to think negatively about "what if this happens" and "what if that happens", so they all go safety first, stop making runs, stop looking fir the ball, stop playing passes that 'may' be risky, etc.

Results in backs against the wall and everyone treating the ball as if it were a hand grenade.

None of which happens at City, which is interesting. Stones always wanted to ball and was calm 99% of the time, but as Pep said, he's got "massive balls". It seems a lot of the others don't have.

Maybe it's not a direct instruction on match day to sit deep after scoring but I think maybe it's an attitude or energy or something that comes from the coaching staff. Something in the coaching sessions seeping into what happens on the pitch.

There's plenty of players that play for clubs every week that don't sit back once they go a goal up. The city players aren't used to doing that, Saka and Rice don't play for a side that does it, Bellingham doesn't at Madrid etc.

There has to be something off the pitch that causes it.

 

[mancboy]

Walker was asked about it after the match, said it wasn't planned, but they were all starting to think negatively about "what if this happens" and "what if that happens", so they all go safety first, stop making runs, stop looking fir the ball, stop playing passes that 'may' be risky, etc.

Results in backs against the wall and everyone treating the ball as if it were a hand grenade.

None of which happens at City, which is interesting. Stones always wanted to ball and was calm 99% of the time, but as Pep said, he's got "massive balls". It seems a lot of the others don't have.

Its quite simply a lack of technical ability , every city player is used to receiving the ball in tight spaces and moving it on and there is always a person to move it on to, the england players do not have that technical ability its just that simple,

Pickford - good shot stopper but awful distribution and panics when closed down
Guehi - great defender but doesnt want the ball when anyone is near him
Twont - loves a hollywood ball but loses the ball almost everytime when pushed and then doesnt move the ball on efficiently
Bellingham - same as twent, throws himself to the floor if pushed and needs time and space to do anything but doesnt create it.

None of the team want the ball and want to move it on and consequently we get pressed and lose it consistently.

 

[LangleyBlue1970]

Southgate is getting absolute pelters from all corners this morning.

Maybe he’ll wake the fuck up after hearing all this.

 

[mattcity5]

Maybe it's not a direct instruction on match day to sit deep after scoring but I think maybe it's an attitude or energy or something that comes from the coaching staff. Something in the coaching sessions seeping into what happens on the pitch.

There's plenty of players that play for clubs every week that don't sit back once they go a goal up. The city players aren't used to doing that, Saka and Rice don't play for a side that does it, Bellingham doesn't at Madrid etc.

There has to be something off the pitch that causes it.

The players don't trust each other, and that might be natural to some extent because they don't together often, but should be fixed by the coach.

 

[shevtheblue]

The thing that is mad is the players look like they've never played together, and it's down to Southgate changing the way they play which is nothing like the games in the qualifiers or even the fucking friendlies. He has basically given Bellingham the keys to the pitch, and is trying to shoehorn TAA into a role he's never played. After the game he said they don't have a Kalvin Phillips replacement, give me a fucking break mate! One player dropping out doesn't change a whole team, and he's known for at least a year that Phillips was not up to scratch so what's he been doing? He has a spine of players who are used to playing a certain way, but Pickford did 15 long passes in that game even though he's being implored by the City players not to. It's quite simple, the core has to be Stones, Walker, Foden (he should have called up Rico as he at least understands patterns of play), Rice and Saka. The other players then only come in if they can understand the basic concepts of control, Bellingham HAS to be put into one position and instructed that he can't do fucking Cruyff turns in the middle of the pitch. I do think Southgate will react to this, but he just doesn't have the ability to do what's needed.

 

[Crooked_rain]

The thing that is mad is the players look like they've never played together, and it's down to Southgate changing the way they play which is nothing like the games in the qualifiers or even the fucking friendlies. He has basically given Bellingham the keys to the pitch, and is trying to shoehorn TAA into a role he's never played. After the game he said they don't have a Kalvin Phillips replacement, give me a fucking break mate! One player dropping out doesn't change a whole team, and he's known for at least a year that Phillips was not up to scratch so what's he been doing? He has a spine of players who are used to playing a certain way, but Pickford did 15 long passes in that game even though he's being implored by the City players not to. It's quite simple, the core has to be Stones, Walker, Foden (he should have called up Rico as he at least understands patterns of play), Rice and Saka. The other players then only come in if they can understand the basic concepts of control, Bellingham HAS to be put into one position and instructed that he can't do fucking Cruyff turns in the middle of the pitch. I do think Southgate will react to this, but he just doesn't have the ability to do what's needed.

Nor the balls

When have you ever seen Southgate look pissed off at a player during a game and let it be known?

I know every manager has their own style but do you reckon Pep, Lego Head, Ancelotti, Klopp, Mourinho or anyone else would say absolutely nothing when Bellingham or Arnold are giving the ball away so cheaply in the middle of the park again and again? Waistcoat says fuck all, just stands there looking lost.

Players don't mind if you give them a bollocking from the touch line, they're used to it every week so they'd probably actually respect it more. It fires them up. You've seen De Bruyne literally tell Pep to shut the fuck up for screaming at him, but they both love it, it's part of the winners mentality.

 

[mattcity5]

The thing that is mad is the players look like they've never played together, and it's down to Southgate changing the way they play which is nothing like the games in the qualifiers or even the fucking friendlies. He has basically given Bellingham the keys to the pitch, and is trying to shoehorn TAA into a role he's never played. After the game he said they don't have a Kalvin Phillips replacement, give me a fucking break mate! One player dropping out doesn't change a whole team, and he's known for at least a year that Phillips was not up to scratch so what's he been doing? He has a spine of players who are used to playing a certain way, but Pickford did 15 long passes in that game even though he's being implored by the City players not to. It's quite simple, the core has to be Stones, Walker, Foden (he should have called up Rico as he at least understands patterns of play), Rice and Saka. The other players then only come in if they can understand the basic concepts of control, Bellingham HAS to be put into one position and instructed that he can't do fucking Cruyff turns in the middle of the pitch. I do think Southgate will react to this, but he just doesn't have the ability to do what's needed.

Totally agree. The one thing he didn't have was time to create a system, so why not pick as many players as he could who were familiar with a similar system, one that has seen City win a load of trophies and Arsenal emerge as the main domestic challenger?

Like Pep did at City, you start by changing the keeper. We could have gone along these lines with Rico inverting from LB and a box midfield. Just then tell them to play the way they play. Bellingham an impact sub if needed.