1 minute ago, El regreso said:

Foden and Jude getting away scott free from criticism. Outside of that goal Jude really hast done anything and Foden could have been on the bench and made a bigger impression he did nothing of note yet Cole cant start.

Thought Bellingham played well myself. Foden, I agree. Absolutely woeful and yet stayed on the pitch until the 89th minute.

Cucu has hitched up his shorts disturbingly high.

All rating Cucurella, he had a great tournament. Hoping he can do the business for Chelsea in the new season 

Meanwhile, in Scotland...

11 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

Like he always does, because he's cowardly manager. Always afraid of what the opposition can do and never having the faith in his own players to dominate the game. Saw the same negativity from Benitez. 

What would have you done ? - Genuinely not being provocative. 😊

13 minutes ago, andy said:

What would have you done ? - Genuinely not being provocative. 😊

I would have hooked Foden for Gallagher either at same time as bringing in Palmer for Mainoo but certainly after we equalised.  We had the momentum them and were carrying a passenger.  

Southgate is a pathetic excuse of a manager and the way he used Cole Palmer throughout the whole tournament is a disgrace.

England made it into the Final by pure luck and this useless manager kept selecting the same underperforming players match after match. Only time he changed something was when England was under pressure and this is what every football fan can do. 

Only once in this tournament England won a game when they scored first. This is truly pathetic. And that was in the first match against Serbia.

Had the Euros had lasted for another six months I bet Southgate would have had Foden, Bellingham, Saka, Mainoo, Kane play from minute 1 in each and every match, no matter how bad they were.

Useless manager. Clueless.

14 minutes ago, andy said:

What would have you done ? - Genuinely not being provocative. 😊

Picked a fit left-back in the squad! Probably dropped Foden (or at least told him to stay wide), although of course none of this was relevant in the final.

Honestly this is a far lesser failure than the last Euros final. Spain were the best team in the tournament by miles.

Spain are a good side. Not many real stars but a team that believed in themselves and played with character. Looking at the whole tournament Spain were the dominant team beating Germany, France and England. Good to,see Chelsea players doing well. 

England reached a final again despite the manager not having much strategy or tactics or much of a plan for the tournament. England has a great team/squad of players and what they lack is a brilliant manager with ideas and a positive way of playing.  Southgate is a nice enough bloke but he has always been in over his head.  He doesn't have what it takes to play exciting and winning football.

37 minutes ago, andy said:

What would have you done ? - Genuinely not being provocative. 😊

I wouldn't have started Kane for a start. He picked up an injury before the tournament, hasn't looked fit all tournament and hasn't been able to do the running for 3 years now. Watkins is at his peak, works defenders and is always an option in the box. Kane is in on reputation alone, because if they were both making their debuts now, Watkins would comfortably be in front of him. 

Be brave and pick the right players. Palmer is a rare player, I feel like people are already forgetting how good this guy is. There's not a single player in that attack I wouldn't sacrifice to bring him in, and the obvious one is Saka because they play in the same position. Spain had a guy who literally just turned 17 play for them. If they are good enough, then they're old enough and Palmer is easily good enough right now.

Foden shouldn't have started every game. He is clearly struggling with playing in a defensive system. In all honesty, if we do get a progressive coach and Foden is still not performing, then I would drop him for Gordon. I've had a feeling for a while that Foden can only work in one system, and if that is the case, then he will be useless under any coach that doesn't play similar football to Guardiola.

Rice and Mainoo are progressive midfielders, they don't want be defensive, they don't look comfortable with it. The pair of them are too deep and being coached to play sideways and keep it simple. Southgate is limiting the entire midfield and they haven't managed to dominate a single game. That midfield being such an issue has been one of his biggest faults. He's stumbled on the Rice and Mainoo pairing, but it was obvious since day one that they should be the pair to play together. Starting the tournament with Alexander-Arnold there is just embarrassing. It shouldn't have even been a consideration. His main reason for playing him there was "because he can pass the ball".

I want an attacking coach to come in. The players we have are made for it. Alexander-Arnold is one of the best attacking full backs in world football, but he's barely gotten a sniff for England under Southgate, and that is because Southgate is so scared of how weak he is defensively. But when you see Spain playing Cucurella at LB and winning, then there is no excuse to not make this work. Kyle Walker ain't exactly a great defender either, and he will be 36 by the time the next tournament rolls around. 

Playing out of the back is dreadful. It doesn't even exist, it's just Pickford smashing it long and surrendering possession. You have Stones who is one of the best ball playing CB's around, and have the likes of Colwill coming through that will hopefully start showing his potential in the next year. Guehi and Konsa aren't bad on the ball either. There is no reason why these players shouldn't be building from the back comfortably. 

Southgate's pressing game is awful too. He has them sit back, but they never press as a group, which is one of the biggest changes to football in recent years. You can't win by not pressing. 

Everything Southgate does is negative. He's more frightened of what the opposition can do to hurt him, no matter the opposition, rather than recognise the talent he has and be brave enough to let them loose and attack.

Edited July 14, 20242 yr by Scott Harris

f**k me we sorted it out between us ! It’s £5m salary ! Well done 👏 

I’ll call the FA in the morning, The Shed End not only only know how to get to the final winning 5 nil every match,  we also  know how to beat Spain in the final 

I’ll be agent …… we are quids in ! I’ll put the champagne on ice - nice work lads

(I lied I was being provocative 😂) 

 

Another thing people are forgetting is that just before Spain's goal, he was looking to bring on Gallagher and Trippier to sit even deeper. What was the plan, Gareth? Were you playing for a penalty shoot-out?

7 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

Another thing people are forgetting is that just before Spain's goal, he was looking to bring on Gallagher and Trippier to sit even deeper. What was the plan, Gareth? Were you playing for a penalty shoot-out?

I know what a cock 

Condolences to all the England fans on here.

Congrats to any Spanish ones. Did feel they were the best side at the tournament. As I mentioned to Scott, pound for pound one of the best squads there, along with France, though the latter did not show up.

This has to be the most impressive Euro win in our lifetime surely? 
 

Croatia

Italy

Germany

France 

England 

 

Haven't been follow Euro closely, but from the matches after the group stage, Spain was the stand out team and clearly deserved winner.  England has done well to get to the final, although needed luck to get this far, and was always a bridge too far to beat Spain in the final. It's not just hindsight, if certain players are performing ( e.g. Palmer), you got to take a risk in the final and giving the team the best chance to win. Apart from Jude and the GK, most players are not undroppable.

Late winner in the semis, late goal lost it in the final. Highs and lows of football.

Cole Palmer is going to be some player before it is all said and done ain't he? Will it be Real, Barca or Back to City he ends up being a legend for?

10 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

This has to be the most impressive Euro win in our lifetime surely? 
 

Croatia

Italy

Germany

France 

England 

 

Spain have a really good, all around team and set of players. Naturally though the reaction makes you think England lost a final to a side like Canada. Sometimes the opposition is just better, it happens.

No idea what big nose was thinking Palmer has been by far and a way englands most dangerous player all tournament yet limited to a bit part option and Kane and Foden basically statues. Complete bottle job management get him gone.

4 minutes ago, dan_cfc said:

No idea what big nose was thinking Palmer has been by far and a way englands most dangerous player all tournament yet limited to a bit part option and Kane and Foden basically statues. Complete bottle job management get him gone.

Aye cost the nation a bank holiday!

Hope the King makes him pay for each and everyone one of you to get a paid day off.

Anyone else just don’t like Bellingham? Seems like an arrogant prick half the time. Just walked off the pitch at full time without congratulating a single Spanish player. Not even his Real Madrid colleagues. Seems like a sore loser when ever he isn’t winning and “big brothering” other players. 

1 hour ago, dan_cfc said:

No idea what big nose was thinking Palmer has been by far and a way englands most dangerous player all tournament yet limited to a bit part option and Kane and Foden basically statues. Complete bottle job management get him gone.

Reminds me a bit of Arsene Wenger in his post-Mourinho years; constantly downplaying his team and stubbornly refusing to change in order to dampen expectations because god forbid trying to get players to live up to their potential.

 

31 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Anyone else just don’t like Bellingham? Seems like an arrogant prick half the time. Just walked off the pitch at full time without congratulating a single Spanish player. Not even his Real Madrid colleagues. Seems like a sore loser when ever he isn’t winning and “big brothering” other players. 

I got the same vibe when we knocked him + Dortmund out of the CL a few years back. I thought I saw him congratulating Carvajal and Nacho on my feed though

 

2 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

This has to be the most impressive Euro win in our lifetime surely? 
 

Croatia

Italy

Germany

France 

England 

 

Relative to results it's impressive given how unfancied Spain were prior to the competition. However, they did face some of the weakest incarnations of Croatia, Italy and Germany in recent years, with all three squads well away from their peak years.

2012's run was eerily similar but the roles somewhat reversed - one of France's weakest ever squads and a mediocre Italy were tempered by an ascendant Croatia and generation-defining Portugal, but also with Spain at the absolute peak of their powers.

2 hours ago, axman2526 said:

Late winner in the semis, late goal lost it in the final. Highs and lows of football.

Cole Palmer is going to be some player before it is all said and done ain't he? Will it be Real, Barca or Back to City he ends up being a legend for?

Chelsea most likely ..