Spain v England - Sun 14th July, 20:00 | Euro 2024 Final

[Eccles Blue]

I'm sure Spain wet themselves when they saw Mainoo and Rice were playing

You mean after they’d already drunk their celebratory champagne because they knew we were done for with that pair plus Bellringer in the team!

 

[Crooked_rain]

I'm sure that Spanish manager told them to come flying out of the blocks in the second half because England would have been delighted to see Rodri off. That would boost anyone's confidence. I believe their manager told them to up the tempo straight away and not let England settle into the game with no Rodri to play against.

Just speculating but it looked that way to me.

 

[Protein Junkie]

plus Bellringer in the team!

Peter Beardsley has not played for England in years Eccers

 

[Eccles Blue]

Peter Beardsley has not played for England in years Eccers

*lol* yes but, because Bellingham thinks he’s the bees knees and is so egoistical I liken him to a bell ringer who rings his bell to let everyone know he’s there!!!! *lol*

 

[oldhamblue]

England are the rags of international football. A manager who doesn't have a clue. No plan, no discernible style of play. Hoping for occasional moments of brilliance from big hame players to pull them out of the shit

 

[southamptonblue]

Got to have Mainoo in the team. He and Rice will be our CM partnership for the next 8 years unless a new talent breaks through.

What we lack is a Tony Kroos type midfielder who can spray passes around. Rice can't do it - at Arsenal he has Jorginho to do that or is told 'don't piss about, just get the fucking ball to Odegaard'. Rodri CAN spray it around, Rodri is a much better passer of the ball than Rice.

If that's our m/f for the next 8yrs, we're in trouble.

 

[levets]

southgate a champioship manager at best, Boro is his ceiling

They got to the UEFA cup final, then Southgate took over and they got relegated

 

[SebastianBlue]

I'm sure that Spanish manager told them to come flying out of the blocks in the second half because England would have been delighted to see Rodri off. That would boost anyone's confidence. I believe their manager told them to up the tempo straight away and not let England settle into the game with no Rodri to play against.

Just speculating but it looked that way to me.

I think Southgate had pretty much setup the team to stop Rodri running the game, including tasking his club teammate, an attacking midfielder, to man-mark him.

So, when Rodri went off, the team was both overconfident and also discombobulated, not knowing what to do now that their main focus was gone.

Paired with de la Fuente absolutely telling Spain to come out of the blocks early in the second half, AND instructing the back four and front three (largely become a front four) to expand out, causing the midfield to be empty whilst the ends of the pitch were crawling with Spanish players, lead to what we saw.

England were completely caught off guard and Southgate, in customary fashion, was both slow to recognise the dysfunction and slow to even attempt to remedy it.

England were quite lucky not to be down 3-nil before the Palmer equaliser. On another night the match could have finished 5-1.

 

[Vienna_70]

I would say so.

Wouldn't surprise me if our boys that played in the final are not back playing for us until the West Ham game.

The pre season will be fun to see how Pep experiments with alternatives for Rodders if needed.

I doubt that the five, who were involved from the semifinals onwards, will need much pre-season.

However, they will need a rest, both physically and mentally.

 

[Cellarite]

If this Scottish prick was taking about City, he’d be banned for wumming. I’m delighted that more and more are seeing what he is.