Niall1905

Looked decent I thought. Lacking a finish, but could just be a bit rusty. He's going to get a lot of game time, at least initially as you can tell he's up to speed with the system compared to the other midfielders, even though it looks like it might have clicked for Lavia.

Completely agree, its definetly what is going on. BUT, and i know this is exactly what they wanted, if he is as desperate to stay as he suggests he is and IF the deal was going to allign him with out top earners (for an extra 2 years or not) then I do find it weird he hasn't taken it. The extra contract strengthens his hand with the club. I get the whole pride thing, especially with the length of other contracts being thrown around, but if he wants to stay then this keeps him here.

I think the stale suggestions probably come from when a team has us sussed. As much as last night was an improved performance, we found it easier to bypass their press than we did in the previous games. It will come across as stale if a team sets up to stop us playing through them, with Enzo supposedly stubborn and unwilling to deviate from this plan, we'll end up with a load of side to side passing between the back 3. Again though, this is purely based on what I have read from people stating what they expect from him. Lets not forget he's only coming into his 2nd full year of management, so really anything could happen.

Much better than the previous 2 games. Lavia looking great on the turn. Reece deeper gives us a great variation with the longer pass, Sterling constantly in space. Decision making with the final pass/shot has been off but that’s been a problem for years. Good stuff so far, let’s see if we maintain it as the changes come

Maybe

Ooooh I’m all Guiu-y after that. Sorry.

Right then, let’s see something better this time mr enzo man

Having them both play at the same time would be an interesting dynamic though, one that I would like to see at some point. Having the ability to alternate which full back inverts would be good for games when we are struggling to beat a press/break a team down.

I was big on UT in the past but the funs gone from it now for me. I am with you, career mode has been neglected. Theres no depth to it. If they could get even half the depth of football manager then they would interest me. But everything is so boring and predictable.

Can't bring myself to get the next one, will be the first in around 20 years that I haven't got. Contemplated not getting this years and gave in. Think I have loaded it up about 4 times in total. Don't know if its the same this year, but more recently its felt like you have to invest a decent amount of time into ultimate team to stay competitive which I just can't do right now. Career mode used to keep me ticking over but its so shallow and repetitive now and the offline gameplay is so dry. I just can't justify the money anymore.

If he has to go, id rather it be out of England and I couldn't think of a more perfect fit for Conor to be honest.

Could get on board with a loan with buy option. Think it still brings questions about playtime for Jackson etc but a test drive of supposedly one of the best strikers in Europe can’t be entirely bad. Plus it’s about time the Italians got a taste of their own medicine with the amount of players they get on loan

Sounds like another club perfectly placed to give us another battering

Wonder if that long pass completion percentage his been a big one (bloody hell I can't believe ive typed that on a GK thread). Seen a few murmurs online that we want a keeper who can switch it up if we're struggling to play through the press and go a bit longer. No idea on the stats but the eye test suggests its something that Sanchez really struggles with.

Had a long chat with my Dad who is a lifelong chelsea fan about him and how pre season is going. It really is a tough one as I was 8/9 when Roman came in, all I have really known is the success that he gave the club. Where, each year under the americans, newer fans are having to learn and adapt to new enviornments and situations. Trying to think logically, I keep telling myself that we are 2 pre season games into a new style of play under a new coach. That pre season results don't really matter, that they are fitness tests and used as training matches. That Enzo's system is probably going to take time to adapt, with players playing in new postitions and roles. That we also have many of our better players still to return to the squad, players that are going to be well suited to the new system. But then I look at how we actually played saturday. It really was some of the worst football I have seen us play, pre season or not. Many looked lost. We didn't get battered playing new football. We got battered huffing and puffing in the same way we have for a while, just with a ridiculously high line and no defenders. I then also think of the bigger picture, the few years of instability and failure we have experienced since the takeover and how, really, we don't have time for another transitional year. That was the pill that always made slow starts tolerable in the past. We had recent success to fall on and you knew that Roman wouldn't allow mediocracy to take hold. Without sounding like a broken record, it really does send me back to the decision to let Poch go. Whilst there is no way of knowing how it would have turned out and it is still to early to even begin to write off enzo, we have invited these conversations on instability and uncertainty back into the setup. Its another unknown, which has been gambled using the same logic and analysis as plenty of other unknowns from the last few years, most of which haven't ended up well.

This is so bad it’s actually entertaining. I like it. Much better than being a bit bad and having false hope.

Ended up being pretty much what I expected. Our side was stronger in the first half and they were playing some decent stuff once they settled in. Was much more scattered in the second, but that’s probably to be expected with the demand of sticking to learning the new system. The central 3 weren’t as balanced in the second half either. Patience is going to be needed with this, which is tough after the few years we’ve had. Already some promising signs of progress though

We definetly grew into that first half, which is to be expected. Lavia looks really good, Reece settled into the inverted role nicely. Guiu looks like he’s midway through the season, seems to have double the battery and about 5 yards pace on everyone else. Really impressed so far. First 20 minutes or so Badiashile was taking an age to make a decision and we were just falling back to type of sideways passing. The goal looks like it gave a bit of confidence in breaking the lines and the levels went up significantly.

Thats a stretch mate. Theres a huge difference in reaching a quater final and reaching a final and you know there is. Getting knocked out in the quaters gives no indication that anything is working, there are teams that got knocked out in the quaters in this tournament that could be seen to be doing an awful lot wrong. To be consistantly in finals indicates you are putting yourself in a position to win trophies. I agree, its not enough and im sure Southgate agrees because he has now resigned. But its delusional to not see appearing in a final as more successful than losing in the quaters. And if your only barometer for success is silverwear, then you get a lovely losers medal for losing in the final and you dont in the quaters. Lovely stuff.

Loved his goal, especially as it was similar to one he got really wrong in the semi final where he got a bit excited and cut across the ball. He just oozes class and composure. Watch the build up, after he has played Saka in down the line. He's continuously monitoring how the play is developing whilst everyone else just sprints forward looking to support. He holds his run, allows defenders to run passed him and go deep, leaving the space for him to arrive late unchallenged. Southgate or whoever is in charge next has got some decisions to make, because despite not being great this tournament, Foden deserves to be in there too. They get compared a lot because of the city link, the left foot etc but the reality is they are different enough to coexist and they should be a scary thought for every other nation. For us, boy I hope Maresca has a plan. Whatever system he is going to implement, has to have Cole at the centre of it.

I actually thought they were going to win it this time. If you looked at it with any ounce of logic, then of course, England shouldn't have even been in the equation. But the way things just kept falling into place, even to the point of Rodri going off at half time and Palmer stealing the equaliser, I am actually baffled it didn't happen. He gets a lot of stick, but I like Southgate. The bar for 'success' in English international football was so low when he took over, that he has to be called a success. Anyone who says that he should have won anything with the teams he has had is either arrogant or delusional. There have been great England teams that have never got close to where he has, there have been great teams from other nations that have also come short. He has raised that bar and is now punished for it. England fans are falling into the trap of a newly promoted side, who get a couple of years in mid table and then think they should be playing like 2010 Barca and winning the league so they sack the bloke that got them there. I think hes done a great job. However, he needs to move on now, for himself more than anything. I realsied this goes against my last point but I think there is a difference between wanting a manager to go because you're annoyed/think they have failed, and thinking a natural cycle has come to an end. He has taken England as far as he can, he has raised the bar for what will now be seen as successful. This tournament and the critisism he and the team recieved in the media and social media shows this. We are regressing to the toxic relationships the country has had with the team and if Southgate sticks around any longer, he risks losing the progress and praise he deserves for the job he's done. Personally, I would go all out for Tuchel. The bloke is built for tournament football. Everything you would say about what this England team is missing, he will give us. Howe is a good manager, but is yet to be proven as a winner. Lee Carsley would be a failure before he starts due to the public meltdown that would take place. I think Lampard would be decent but probably falls into the Howe category. But as I said, Tuchel for me. And we'll win the world cup, with a German, on penalties 😉

We better hope for an upturn in form otherwise thats going to be an awful lot of stinky match threads

I have to say, the bloke looked like an absolute monster whenever I saw him last season. I remember having a google at some point and being shocked at his age. He seems see intelligent in how he reads the game and has got a decent turn of pace too. He's got one hell of a long ball in him too (not that Maresca will be playing many of them). I think its easy to see his age and just see him as another young name Clearlake have plucked off of football manager but I'd be genuinely excited about him. £70m would be steep, but we've probably screwed ourselves for the next few years as every club will just refer back to what we've paid before

I'll probably catch strays for this but I hate Bellingham being played where he is. Madrid were forced into it and he did a great job, but he's not a 'creative' player. I genuinely believe he is perfect to go alongside Rice, he'll work hard and he'll progress the play before pushing up into the box. But Southgate hasn't got the balls to be the manager that saw Bellingham be praised for playing further forward and then decide to drop him back. I'd put a significant amount of money on Bellingham playing deeper for Madrid for years to come and subsequently England. I agree, I think we could make the final. There noone on our side of the draw, apart from maybe Austria, who look like a decent side at the moment. All the bigger names have as many question marks as we do. But just the atmosphere and how this tension has been building since the first group game, the boos, media negativity and subsequent bite back from players. It all feels set up for Sunday to be a slow start, an early slovakia goal and then a frustrating game where England dont get over the line. I'll check back on Sunday after we smash them 5-0, with Bellingham scoring 2 and assisting 3 from the 10 position. 🫣

Getting major Iceland 2016 vibes in the build up to Sunday, something just doesn't feel right with the team this time around. Regardless of your feelings on Southgate, one thing he has been able to do in his time as manager is build a really strong and positive environment. The connection between the players and the fans/media has always felt much better than generations gone by. This time, not so much. I was worried on the build up in the tournament when he was interviewed and make a comment about no longer being popular. A lot of big personalities haven't been selected and whilst post match interviews are refreshingly honest, there is a sense of frustration from the players too. Such is football that a decent showing is all it would take to make everything feel great again though.