Euro 2020, who's watching?

[pilgrimhudd]

Eriksson and Capello.

Thought Eriksson was ok, Capello though, class manager but had no interest. Went through the motions.

 

[The Baron]

And thats why we get taken apart once we meet the better teams in the final rounds as they have quality players who are allowed to play and it becomes natural to them. We are asking and drilling it into our players to be defensive then all of a sudden asking them to do the opposite, very hard and confusing for some players to adapt to.
Better to have one consistent system and you just need top class defenders with that system also when you play the defensive game you can get caught and its hard to react to that when you have picked a defense based team

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

And thats why we get taken apart once we meet the better teams in the final rounds as they have quality players who are allowed to play and it becomes natural to them. We are asking and drilling it into our players to be defensive then all of a sudden asking them to do the opposite, very hard and confusing for some players to adapt to.
Better to have one consistent system and you just need top class defenders with that system also when you play the defensive game you can get caught and its hard to react to that when you have picked a defense based team

It actually seems to be the other way around. These same players rip other teams apart week in week out for their clubs but are then asked to play defensively for England. I might add they appear to make that adaptation very easily!

 

[Braufather]

I didn’t think we were that great first half either, Saka and the goal aside. All 3 games the midfield has looked very ponderous (like watching Sunderland again) - that definitely improved when Henderson came on and I hope he’s fit to start next week.

id like us to be more aggressive in the press too. Like Gills when they play Sunderland.

 

[Crappyfish]

England were just boring last night. Seems like there's a pattern score 1 goal then sit back and be boring pass the ball backwards. If they go a goal behind I reckon its curtains.

 

[Braufather]

Alternatively, that will be when we come alive. I am sure we will find out in the coming weeks…..

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Yes, the negative play has been very frustrating from England. But, the brief was that we make it through to the next stages and with the best third place option it meant you stand a good chance of doing so with three draws so the main thing was not to lose a game.
Im hoping it will be different now the brief has changed and you need to win to progress.

Exactly - last time Portugal drew all three of their group games to squeak into the knockout phase on a par with Norn Ireland. That's despite having CR7 and Nani etc - can you imagine what their fans were saying at that point? But they still went on to win it. Look at their scores in the knockout stages -
1-0 1-1 2-0 1-0

The winners only let in one goal during the knockout phase. Everyone gets distracted by what happens up front, but you can always squeeze a goal out of a set piece or even play out 0-0 and have the penalty lottery; championships are decided by defences. That's why the big story of England so far is three clean sheets. Obviously it's not been against the strongest opponents, but it's still something to celebrate. No doubt all those who are complaining that England are now "negative" and "boring", loved the "entertainment" of letting in two goals against Iceland.

Keeping clean sheets got a lot easier once they expanded the group stage to 24 teams in 2016; before that there had not been three clean sheets in the group stages since Germany at Euro 1996. And it worked out for them.

I'm not saying England are the new Germany 1996. So far there's every indication that they're playing to form which says they're in the top 6 seeds, but not at the level of the very best. So with a bit of luck on the draw you'd expect glorious defeat in the semi-final. And that's OK.

But the draw has not been kind, England may well be meeting France (2nd in the world rankings) followed by Spain (6th). And no doubt if England were to go out in the round of 16 everyone would view it as some great disaster, forgetting that it was to the 2nd-best team in the world. But that's OK too, there's no shame in losing to the current world champions. Personally I suspect they'll squeak into the quarters and then be so emotionally exhausted they lose to Spain/Sweden.

Makes up for the fact that England were somewhat flattered at the last World Cup, facing the likes of Sweden and Croatia when the winners of their group faced Brazil and France. Swings and roundabouts, innit?

 

[Brew_DD2]

Both useless

As soon as they took on England. There was a reason both were sought and hired by the FA.

 

[Mayor of Simpleton]

Well the group of death didn't fail to deliver tonight. Hugely entertaining. I might be wrong but I think at points during the evening, England could have been facing each team from that group. We end up playing Germany at Wembley though. Looking forward to that

 

[Braufather]

What a night. So itthe Germans but we are definitely on the best side of the draw. It’s there for us if we can take it.

France Italy Belgium Spain all on the other side.

oh **** the false hope is growing again.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Wales 0 - 1 Denmark
Nearly half time.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Roberts looks like he will take no further part.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

What this lot wouldn't give for a boring 1-0 against the Czechs right now :

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Through it away with that silly handball, said it was a red as soon as he did it. Pity because Netherlands are my 2nd team (after home nations) and if we don't get past Germany it might have set up a Dutch German semi which would have been some game.

Stupid me for looking at the run in after the Germany game, I hate this false hope.

 

[foxy]

Exactly this, Im a rugby fan and my love for football has dwindled over the years but i still get into these.

England just always play to not lose and seem to lack fire in their belly. They wont bring anything home like that.

Looking like a busted flush last night

We have had the State of Origin 2nd game I think Queensland should throw the towel in now. Lot of work to do for Queensland. Who would want to watch soccer.

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

 

[moto748]

I watched SoO yesterday morning.

What a side NSW have got! I always say that it's a largely unseen gem: there must be tens of thousands of people who would watch entertainment like that every week if they could.

How slow and pedestrian does it make the much hyped Six Nations look?!

I'm still enjoying the football, though.

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

Two great games of football tonight and two great teams out of the tournament.

 

[samale]

Two great games of football tonight and two great teams out of the tournament.

Really good to watch. Switzerland played really well

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

One goal can change everything!