Serbia v England - Sun 16th June, 20:00 | Euro 2024 Group C

[East Level 2]

Summed up by a mate on a Whatsap football group: I prefer England to win, but I prefer not to watch it.

 

[Crooked_rain]

I said Qtr Final before tournament started and after last night nothing has changed that.

Had a debate with the boy last night who called me deluded as I said Kane is finished at this level :)

Mitrovic looked sharper and he's been playing in the Dog & Duck league all season.

Not sure I'd agree Kane is finished. He was the top scorer in the champions league this past season. I don't think international football is better than the champions league. A fair few champions league teams would dick international teams. He's getting about a goal a game in Germany, you could say it's only Germany but not many players hit that ratio there except the likes of Haaland and Lewandowski, so he's clearly still operating on a good level.

 

[Plays By Sense Of Smell]

THIS THIS THIS

It would be very much:
Rice - Rodri role
Bellingham - Gundo role
Foden - Foden/KDB role.

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

Only right back capable of sitting next to the holding midfielder and stop England being over run is Rico Lewis. He’s probably at Ocean Beach Ibiza instead though.

Taa sat in front of walker didn't work in my view. The goal came from one of the very few times Walker pushed up a bit .

Most of times taa just sits in front of him trying to play like Beckham. It's a very limited tactic when the other team is sat back.

Lack of width was a problem, saka was the best early on but we were sk slow in moving the ball and no real threat down the left so it becomes very predictable.

 

[Chris in London]

I do think it’s driven by the media mate, I like Bellingham as a player I’d have loved him at City and I think you need a bit of swagger, however, look at what he did on the pitch there was a petulance there in particular one incident with the shoulder barge into a players chest, he could end up been sent off. For me you drop TAA bring Bellingham further back and put Foden behind Kane with maybe Eze on the left, this allows Bellingham to do box to box but gives space for Foden to operate in those spaces up front. That won’t happen because of the bellend in charge.

If you wanted him at City this is how you cure yourself. Watch how hard he works when he loses possession or goes down and doesn’t get a free kick.

Clue: he doesn’t. He simply doesn’t work hard enough for a Pep team. He loses the ball and lies on the deck for 10 seconds before getting up, dusting himself down and then jogging on towards the action. Obviously Southgate is prepared to give him more leeway than Pep would.

He is a phenomenal talent, but - my judgment- lacks humility.

 

[Crooked_rain]

I was beginning to get the fear first 20. I could see a threat to win it and the years long talking about it. But after that and especially the second half you looked as if the first 20 never happened. You have the players, but you also have Southgate.

Yep.

Obviously a team looking to win it doesn't need to look blistering every game. We saw Portugal win it without winning a group game. The issue I have is i simply don't see us having many more levels than we had last night. As individuals they do, but as a team and with waistcoat I think that last night is pretty much what we are and I don't see it changing in the next few weeks.

I don't think we will be troubling any of the real contenders once we go up against them. But what's new? In the last 3 tournaments we went deep but the route to get there was very kind to us. We come unstuck once we're in some kind of near 50/50. I expect the same.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Not sure I'd agree Kane is finished. He was the top scorer in the champions league this past season. I don't think international football is better than the champions league. A fair few champions league teams would dick international teams. He's getting about a goal a game in Germany, you could say it's only Germany but not many players hit that ratio there except the likes of Haaland and Lewandowski, so he's clearly still operating on a good level.

And had he buried the two 'certs' served up on a plate for him then he would be off the 'past it list'! Thing is he's a different player to the guy from a couple of seasons ago, and I think he's at the point, like KdB and Bernarbia in his day, that time is catching up!

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

If you wanted him at City this is how you cure yourself. Watch how hard he works when he loses possession or goes down and doesn’t get a free kick.

Clue: he doesn’t. He simply doesn’t work hard enough for a Pep team. He loses the ball and lies on the deck for 10 seconds before getting up, dusting himself down and then jogging on towards the action. Obviously Southgate is prepared to give him more leeway than Pep would.

He is a phenomenal talent, but - my judgment- lacks humility.

Yer right, Chris. But at Madrid he more often than not gets the free kick. I can't abide these players who, when they are on their arses, look plaintively and innocently at the ref demanding a free kick for no other reason than they lost the ball!

 

[Kinkladze 1]

Guehi speaks really well. Sounds 23 going on about 40.

He probably is

 

[Crooked_rain]

It would be very much:
Rice - Rodri role
Bellingham - Gundo role
Foden - Foden/KDB role.

That's what I've wanted

Southgate won't do it though. He's never moving Bellingham from that 10 position, even though Bellingham never really played as a 10 until the first half of last season and had a purple patch which dropped off.

I've always thought Bellingham was better as an "8". He gets around the midfield well and still can get in forward positions from there. That's why Madrid signed him initially.

Rice deeper, foden behind kane, Bellingham just behind. Saka on the right and maybe Eze out on the left. It's so obvious but Southgate hasn't got the nuts to tell Bellingham that Phil is going to take his role.