Euro 2024 Thread

[marko69]

Neville was class at Valencia.

Are you joking?

Yes i'm joking. He was a total flop and out of his depth

You typed it THEN checked wiki??

[valleyroad]

Are you joking?

Yes i'm joking. He was a total flop and out of his depth

You typed it THEN checked wiki??

[marko69]

Neville was class at Valencia.

Are you joking?

Yes i'm joking. He was a total flop and out of his depth

Hopefully like David Gray, first game of the season

There will be a few thumpings for Sir Dave prior to the buddies trip!!

Praying he does well. Really do not want to see the legendary status tarnished due to the poisoned chalice hot seat job.

[hallamblue]

Southgate has done well with England since he took over. We weren’t in a good place from memory, at the time he took charge.

I suppose all I’m trying to say is “ top players” don’t always make a “ top team” …… if that was the case Leeds with all their talent in their squad would have finished above “ league one” squad, Ipswich. They beat us twice but finished 6 points behind us.

[hallamblue]

Watching the game tonight . If ever there was an example of a player’s ego potentially eclipsing the team as a whole, then Ronaldo is a perfect example.

[Charnwood]

Watching Portugal struggle to break Slovenia down is making me realise that maybe our draw against them wasn’t so bad after all.

This said how on earth does a country with such a small population (2.1 million) manage to put together a team to play at this level.

Especially to produce World Class goalkeeper Jan Oblak who just saved an almost perfect Ronaldo penalty kick.

[Charnwood]

Ronaldo is now crying because he missed a penalty and there’s still 15 minutes to play.

[Charnwood]

How on earth have Slovenia not won this in added time with just 5 mins remaining. Another great save, this time by the Portugal keeper.

This looks like going to penalties.

[hallamblue]

Wouldn’t mind their CB’s lol

[Charnwood]

Looking forward to penalties if it happens as Jan Oblak in goal for Slovenia is a penalty saving specialist having won 3 Champions League penalty shoot outs with Atletico Madrid.

Penalties it is, the first in the Euros 2024.

He’s already saved one from Ronaldo after 27 consecutive penalties scored. Not many Portugal players are going to feel confident taking one that’s for sure.

But of course Diogo Costa (Porto) in goal for Portugal is pretty useful too.

[hallamblue]

Well, to me, Costa looks to have moved before every single penalty kick taken by Slovenia

[marko69]

Must be some kind of record. Three saves? I mean we've heard of 3-0 on pens with players missing the target. But THREE saves?

[Charnwood]

Portugal go through winning 3-0 on penalties.

Diogo Costa saves 3 consecutive penalties.

A new goalkeeping record in the Euros.

[Cabanas Blue]

Any chance we can get Diogo Costa on a free ?

I think he had one foot behind the line which I believe is OK

[Charnwood]

Although they fell short in the shoot out what an incredible performance from Slovenia tonight.

[hallamblue]

Any chance we can get Diogo Costa on a free ?

I think he had one foot behind the line which I believe is OK

I think he always had his left foot on the line . So if that’s legal then that’s a brilliant tactic and obviously well coached / practiced

[Charnwood]

Both keepers were excellent tonight although to be fair Costa had little to do until 4 mins from the end of the second half of extra time when he saved an almost certain goal which may well have dumped Portugal out of the competition.

[The Odious Mr Rossi]

Southgate has done well with England since he took over. We weren’t in a good place from memory, at the time he took charge.

I suppose all I’m trying to say is “ top players” don’t always make a “ top team” …… if that was the case Leeds with all their talent in their squad would have finished above “ league one” squad, Ipswich. They beat us twice but finished 6 points behind us.

Bang on - but Southgate hasn't learned that in 8 years. His head seems to be turned by the big names: for some reason he feels he must play them at all costs, even though that means spare pegs in round holes; the result being the dis-jointed un-balanced teams he always puts out.

[Ricco]

Not pointing any fingers in here but what a nation of complainers we are

Still feeling the same way, Dubai? We have been shocking (again) - no-one above 4/10 and Southgate should be minus 5 out of 10. We promise so much but have delivered zero...

Searched back for DB's post, not to be nasty about it, but I'm genuinely interested in the point of view, because it's such a rare point of view now.

It isn't fair to say it's a nation of complainers. Sure, possibly 25% of England fans are going to complain unless they win 5-0 every game, but that doesn't mean that if you hear someone moan now, that they are simply one of the 'always moaners'. The other 75% are reasonable fans, but they are all now saying the same thing. I have seen very little criticism of the players, because everyone can see that the system isn't allowing them to thrive, pretty much all the criticism is aimed at Southgate and nearly all is fair and demonstrable.

I'm shocked to be honest, about just how bad it has been, I don't think anyone can defend the decision to not bring on a substitute or make a major system change until the 84th minute. No shot on target until the 94th minute, against a team sat right back in their own box. The utter madness is Southgate now thinks he has done a good job and proven everyone wrong, because through shear blind luck they've managed to dodge a bullet. Southgate is so bad, he makes Mick McCarthy look like Guardiola. Sign of madness, doing the same thing and expecting a different result etc etc...

[hallamblue]

Quite agree with that. But on the flip side, this vastly under performing, unbalanced England team is now in the quarterfinals, and we haven’t shown up at this tournament at all. Southgate isn’t going to change anything is he.

[Ricco]

Quite agree with that. But on the flip side, this vastly under performing, unbalanced England team is now in the quarterfinals, and we haven’t shown up at this tournament at all. Southgate isn’t going to change anything is he.

No he absolutely isn't, he is the only one in a country 55 million people that thinks things are going ok, and that he's gotten the team and tactics right. He must have so little belief in that team to think they are not underperforming by a mile.

Had Bellingham not scored, which was extraordinarily possible, the criticism would have been vulgar and seismic, I honestly think it would have ruined Southgate's life. Luckily it seems to have been avoided, but to limp out in the next round will still be a huge embarrassment.

You can luck your way past Serbia, Denmark, Slovenia and Slovakia, but you cannot do the same against any of the teams from now on. There are two reasons England are still in, the quality of the opposition and luck.

[marko69]

We’ve found Southgate's number one critic in Ricco. Nice rants. And no cursing. You’ve been spared a trip to the chapel. Which is a good job……. There’s someone in there crying their eyes out at the moment. That place will be equally as busy after the Quarters. In fact the doors will be closed & locked indefinitely.

As i sit here in my Shakira emblazoned Switzerland top, I must jump to Gareth's defense even just ever so slightly………

……., but, hmmm, since writing out all that Chapel stuff, decided not to bother. Mainly because i forgot what i was going to say.

SHAKIRA SHAKIRA!!!!

(You sung it, Ricco……. Don’t deny it……. That’d be a lie…….. and the chapel )

[valleyroad]

Not pointing any fingers in here but what a nation of complainers we are

Still feeling the same way, Dubai? We have been shocking (again) - no-one above 4/10 and Southgate should be minus 5 out of 10. We promise so much but have delivered zero...

Searched back for DB's post, not to be nasty about it, but I'm genuinely interested in the point of view, because it's such a rare point of view now.

It isn't fair to say it's a nation of complainers. Sure, possibly 25% of England fans are going to complain unless they win 5-0 every game, but that doesn't mean that if you hear someone moan now, that they are simply one of the 'always moaners'. The other 75% are reasonable fans, but they are all now saying the same thing. I have seen very little criticism of the players, because everyone can see that the system isn't allowing them to thrive, pretty much all the criticism is aimed at Southgate and nearly all is fair and demonstrable.

I'm shocked to be honest, about just how bad it has been, I don't think anyone can defend the decision to not bring on a substitute or make a major system change until the 84th minute. No shot on target until the 94th minute, against a team sat right back in their own box. The utter madness is Southgate now thinks he has done a good job and proven everyone wrong, because through shear blind luck they've managed to dodge a bullet. Southgate is so bad, he makes Mick McCarthy look like Guardiola. Sign of madness, doing the same thing and expecting a different result etc etc...

Me too. I'm not a natural complainer about managers but the other night for me was quick staggering to watch how poor Southgate was. He got out of jail big time.

Switzerland are nothing special and are being over hyped by the media.
Scotland turned up against Switzerland and for me were the better side. With a bit more quality we would have easily beaten them.
England are a far better side than Scotland and Switzerland so there is literally no excuses on this one.

[Bluemike]

Decent human being and a good guy, awful and boring manager, time to go, win lose or draw, thanks for the Memories Gareth.......

Actually NO !!!! f*ck the memories, you dullard, boring, vanilla type football, so bloody negative it makes MM look like keegan while at Newcastle.

Year after year, tournament after tournament, of boring, non enterprising, mind numbing football, tactically inept, zero plan B. Every sodding tournament we get....

"It's coming home, it's coming home, it's coming"

FCUK OFF !!!!!

More chance of Shamima Begum bloody well coming home !!!!

"There's only one Gareth Southgate"

[ITFC2024]

I bet the 'Swiss-steakholders' are licking their lips for this match!

My prediction: England 1 v 2 Switzerland

[marko69]

Had to google that "Swiss Steakholders" ....., looks like a company called DC Steakholders in Washington DC. Their Swiss Steakholder is loaded with mushrooms. Why ruin a steak like that?

Are you Stateside, 24?

[ITFC2024]

Had to google that "Swiss Steakholders" ....., looks like a company called DC Steakholders in Washington DC. Their Swiss Steakholder is loaded with mushrooms. Why ruin a steak like that?

Are you Stateside, 24?

No, but I have relatives there. Just trying to continue the 'Swiss' wit for a laugh, comic relief.

[Dubai Blue]

Felt the need to keep the debate alive

I had the 'pleasure to watch the Germany v Denmark and England v Slokavia games with a close friend and it was interesting to compare the Germany and England sides. What he mentioned (he's German btw), and I agree, is that both teams were playing very well organised opponents who kept shape throughout (ok Denmark lost it after the penalty of course). However Germany just looked braver on the ball than England. And this has been the case throughout. England, especially in defence and rear midfield, look scared to make a mistake. Now I'm not sure that I can lay the blame for this on Southgate, at least not entirely. He clearly espouses the patient build up style and believes that his team have the talent to winkle out opportunities against well organised defences, protecting the goal in numbers, and up to now he has been right, even though only just. But it's the players who decide what passes to make when the ball is at their feet.

I tend to think that the players need to be braver, especially in the selection of those early forward passes that create pressure going forward.

Can it be that one or two (Stones might be the best example, maybe Rice) have too much fear of failure? Can it be that as we progress, this fear might lessen since exiting at 1/4 stage whilst not great would not be completely 'egg on face' bad?

I'm going to reserve judgement until the fat lady sings on this. If we can get past the Swiss (and we can) then maybe those players that Southgate insists on playing despite the apparent fear might just relax a bit and show us what the beautiful game can look like.

And yeah, I'm an optimist, it's served me well over the last couple of seasons

By the way, I'm 6/6 on the last 16 predictions so far. Feeling that only Turkey can f**k me up on the 8/8. Hope Austria carry on as they have played so far.

[ITFC2024]

Well Holland took care of Romania, didn’t they?

[marko69]

The Dutch are rolling around, diving, faking injury, cheating bstds. And the score line flatters them. Hopefully OUT next round.