Great start, great pressing, great energy, all disappeared as we appeared to sit back.
It's easy for Italian Centre Backs to seem like world beaters when the ball rarely gets near them.
I thought Rice was excellent, Philips was good, but it wasn't enough to shield our back line, whereas the Italians offered much greater protection.
But this is a work in progress and its only one European championship ago that we lost to....Iceland.
Just as when Wilko came in, I hope England and BBC etc can distance us from 1966 and the burden that must create and the salt that gets rubbed in the wounds afterwards.
So many great performances from so many over teh course of this tournament.
So much good engagement with fans from players, so much happiness created along the way, beating Croatia, Germany, getting to the final!
So much to be happy for and so great to see a Leeds player at the heart of it all, lauded by all and sundry.
Thoughts on yesterday
posted on 12/7/21
Avoiding a "big team" isn't as lucky as you think, especially at a world cup. In theory we'd be unlucky to get one before the quarter finals, and that's on the assumption that they won't underperformed and lose to a "lesser" side.
posted on 12/7/21
comment by Kroenke_out (U21076)
posted 4 minutes ago
Avoiding a "big team" isn't as lucky as you think, especially at a world cup. In theory we'd be unlucky to get one before the quarter finals, and that's on the assumption that they won't underperformed and lose to a "lesser" side.
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When I think about some of the draws and groups we had in the 00's. In 2000 we had Portugal and Germany in our group, in 2002 we met Brazil in the quarters, in 2004 we met Portugal at the same point and again in 2006. I know we faced Germany here but it was a home tournament and funnily enough the last time we knocked a big team out in a KO game was in a home tournament. Plus we always had injuries to key players back then, something that Southgate doesn't seem to experience.
Southgate really couldn't have hoped for more fortune during his reign as England manager. It's like he facked the Blarney Stone prior to getting the job.
posted on 12/7/21
I think people are being pretty disrespectful and arrogant when they talk about this easy draw stuff. These are games all featuring players who play the top level and fixtures that England used to struggle in prior to Southgate (Iceland, Algeria, USA, Slovakia to name a few).
At this tournament, Switzerland knocked out France and took Spain to penalties. In the last world cup, Spain were knocked out by Russia. These so called easy games are never really that straight forward.
Colombia, Denmark, Croatia, Germany and Italy (who remember didn't actually beat England in 120 minutes) aren't easy fixtures. Southgate deserves a lot of credit for the way he has managed the two tournaments as much as he got yesterday wrong.
posted on 12/7/21
We seemed to sit way too deep and there was precious little press, I really didn't understand the system.
posted on 12/7/21
comment by Carajo (U2196)
posted 23 minutes ago
I think people are being pretty disrespectful and arrogant when they talk about this easy draw stuff. These are games all featuring players who play the top level and fixtures that England used to struggle in prior to Southgate (Iceland, Algeria, USA, Slovakia to name a few).
At this tournament, Switzerland knocked out France and took Spain to penalties. In the last world cup, Spain were knocked out by Russia. These so called easy games are never really that straight forward.
Colombia, Denmark, Croatia, Germany and Italy (who remember didn't actually beat England in 120 minutes) aren't easy fixtures. Southgate deserves a lot of credit for the way he has managed the two tournaments as much as he got yesterday wrong.
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Yes but history tells us that England tend to be able to beat the less big sides in these tournaments when it comes to the KO rounds and lose to the bigger sides. Hence why we hadn't knocked a big side out prior to Germany for 25 years. Whereas we have at least beaten the likes of Denmark, Paraguay, Colombia, and Sweden in that time. The lack of wins and increase in wins extends when you include group games for stronger and weaker teams, respectively.
posted on 13/7/21
"Presumably that luck will run out by the time we get to Qatar, which is going to mean meeting a big team earlier on "
We just played the World Cup finalists in our very first game.
posted on 13/7/21
Its disappointing the way England fans are, praise to the ones that are supporting England and its players, there is no reason for any off the players or Southgate to be dragged down for losing on penalties which it seems is a fate England cant overcome!..
Germany, France and Portugal got no further, some went out to the so called lesser teams!..
All boils down to the good old big club small club crap, people should think on, in Football,(or any sport!)anything can happen, and sometimes it hurts!..
Clubs that make these tournaments no matter how big or small have the same right as anyone to be there, they have earned their places and it is very disrespectful for anyone to think they haven't!..
Shame on anyone that has gone on the internet and slammed players or the coach for getting close but not bringing it home, hopefully things can be looked at and planned out for the next go, with a team off youngsters that hopefully hold their nerve to fulfill what is more their dream than thoses that are doing the slamming!..
posted on 13/7/21
comment by Carajo (U2196)
posted 18 hours, 40 minutes ago
I think people are being pretty disrespectful and arrogant when they talk about this easy draw stuff. These are games all featuring players who play the top level and fixtures that England used to struggle in prior to Southgate (Iceland, Algeria, USA, Slovakia to name a few).
At this tournament, Switzerland knocked out France and took Spain to penalties. In the last world cup, Spain were knocked out by Russia. These so called easy games are never really that straight forward.
Colombia, Denmark, Croatia, Germany and Italy (who remember didn't actually beat England in 120 minutes) aren't easy fixtures. Southgate deserves a lot of credit for the way he has managed the two tournaments as much as he got yesterday wrong.
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Agree with your last sentence, BUT surely anyone has to admit that a QF against a Ukraine side who had shot their bolt getting as far as they did, a home SF against a Danish side pretty much in the same boat, then a home Final is about as "favourable" as it's ever likely to get? Certainly compared to Italy having to play world no1 ranked Belgium in the QF, a resurgent Spain in the SF, then the effective "hosts" at a packed Wembley in the Final. Admittedly nothing that Southgate can do about that luck of the draw (2 tournaments running), other than thank his lucky stars.
posted on 14/7/21
A bitter Scot 👆
posted on 14/7/21
comment by Dave The Jackal (U22179)
posted 13 hours, 43 minutes ago
comment by Carajo (U2196)
posted 18 hours, 40 minutes ago
I think people are being pretty disrespectful and arrogant when they talk about this easy draw stuff. These are games all featuring players who play the top level and fixtures that England used to struggle in prior to Southgate (Iceland, Algeria, USA, Slovakia to name a few).
At this tournament, Switzerland knocked out France and took Spain to penalties. In the last world cup, Spain were knocked out by Russia. These so called easy games are never really that straight forward.
Colombia, Denmark, Croatia, Germany and Italy (who remember didn't actually beat England in 120 minutes) aren't easy fixtures. Southgate deserves a lot of credit for the way he has managed the two tournaments as much as he got yesterday wrong.
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Agree with your last sentence, BUT surely anyone has to admit that a QF against a Ukraine side who had shot their bolt getting as far as they did, a home SF against a Danish side pretty much in the same boat, then a home Final is about as "favourable" as it's ever likely to get? Certainly compared to Italy having to play world no1 ranked Belgium in the QF, a resurgent Spain in the SF, then the effective "hosts" at a packed Wembley in the Final. Admittedly nothing that Southgate can do about that luck of the draw (2 tournaments running), other than thank his lucky stars.
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But the reason that draw was so "lucky" is because the "resurgent" Spain weren't good enough to win their group and go into our half of the draw, and if we're using this "big team" rhetoric then they got knocked out by the first big team they faced anyway. And then Holland also lost .
You act like these "big teams" are all great and have few problems, but the fact is that there's every likelihood that most of their issues can be exploited by a well managed "lesser" side and they'll be knocked out before they can even play England. It's happened too often to be simply put down to luck. It even happened to England in Euro 2016.
The only bit I agree about is being at home, but then Russia isn't our home.