QF4: England 4 (FOWWA) - 0 Ukraine

[Anderson]

Can’t even be arsed reading, but gather Katz is chatting absolute wham?

[Anderson]

Can’t believe we’ve beat these 4-zip! What a belter.

[SEMTEX]

It’s OW YA FACKIN SPEWWWL OWT THE NAMBA 4 INNIT

[GWN]

4 hours ago, Bizza said:

The semi is on ITV

 

Fuck.

oh no , cursed 

[mrmojorisin75]

Did they do any actual analysis of the goals last night?  Another reason why I dislike England games sometimes.  If those goals were being analysed in a normal premier league match the likes of Souness/Keane or whoever would be laughing their tits off at the defending for at least 3 of them

 

1. Kane marked until guy stepped up to play offside on his own

2. Maguire free header 6 yards out

3. The best of the bunch but Shaw left run free (lovely by Sterling to play him in) and neither CB marked Kane for the header, though you could argue his movement did that maybe

4. Free header 6 yards out from a corner

 

Thought Maguire summed the game up better than the studio in about sentence: good start, they adjusted and caused us lots of problems in the first half, second goal killed it.

 

We've been impressive mind, can't argue with going 5 games not conceding against anyone in a tournament but I'll be amazed if we're gifted goals like that vs. Denmark or Italy if we end up against them.  Spain are a shitshow at the back so could see us scoring against them.  My worry about this team is if they have to chase a game against a team that can defend.

 

Timing of Kane's upturn in form could be massive mind, he's back in the right positions and showing energy, no one else left in the tournament has a striker anywhere near him (or Sterling really).

[The Prophet]

I've said before I'd be interested to see the approach if we fall behind. 

 

There was one worrying moment in the first half, where Ukraine sliced us open with a straightforward ball down the middle, we'd potentially see a lot of that if we came up against Italy.

 

That said, its really impressive we haven't fallen behind and when there has been an error the rearguard action has done its job. The positives far outweighed any negatives.

[mrmojorisin75]

13 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

I've said before I'd be interested to see the approach if we fall behind. 

 

There was one worrying moment in the first half, where Ukraine sliced us open with a straightforward ball down the middle, we'd potentially see a lot of that if we came up against Italy.

 

That said, its really impressive we haven't fallen behind and when there has been an error the rearguard action has done its job. The positives far outweighed any negatives.

 

Maybe that's why this isn't sitting so well with me - whenever England have tried to be defensive/cautious in the past they've always fucked it up because we're usually not very good at it

 

 

[The Prophet]

I think the defence is fragile. That's why Southgate has persisted with two DMs and resisted the urge to drop one of them for a more offensive option. He's ensuring they're not exposed too much.

 

Italy do this really well too and it's something Belgium failed to do.

[Guest HTT II]

England are not the most exciting team to watch granted, but the majority of teams who have went on to win tournaments have also not been the best to watch, outside of Italy, the best footballing teams in this tournament have all been knocked out. I thought how we totally dominated and controlled Ukraine was massively impressive and as much as I’ve disagreed with some of Southgate’s team selections he has - by and large - got most things right.

 

He’s not a great manager, but I feel he is a great manager of this team and these players and tactically, apart from the Scotland game, he has got everything pretty much spot on thus far. I’d still drop Rice who for me in this team is a nothing player, I’d put Henderson in there who gives whatever Rice gives, but is more forward thinking, a better passer and a true leader. He has to start against Denmark you’d imagine.

 

Kane is now up and running and no team left in the competition has a forward like him. That volleyed strike of his was outrageous, Sheareresque against Everton.

 

Shaw has been brilliant this tournament - a revelation - as has Pickford. Maguire is a huge threat at set pieces and brings the ball out well, as does Stones. Walker is the weak link at the back, especially in a back four. Sancho showed his talent last night, but I’d prefer Saka in there ahead of him. We have a frightening level of depth though and there is a case for most to be in the team.

 

Overall we’ve been excellent this tournament with a really likeable set of players and Southgate is fucking brilliant.

 

The Danes will be very tough, but we shouldn’t fear anyone and it’s ours to win now, or lose…

 

Come on England!

 

 

Edited July 4, 2021 by HTT II

[WarrenBartonCentrePartin]

 

 

[mrmojorisin75]

ffs

[Cronky]

Gary Neville said earlier on that Gareth Southgate didn't feel that we had the players to outplay good opposition, and that he had decided on a very conservative style, with good discipline as the best way of getting results. I didn't want to hear that, because I felt that we had some skilful players for once who could play to a different style. We did play much better in the qualifying matches and the pre-tournament friendlies. 

 

Well it looks like Gary Neville was right in his assessment of Southgate's defensive tactics. In attack, we're relying on traditional British tactics of trying use the wings to get behind the opposition, and centring the ball for a close range header or shot. All but one of our goals has come from the wings, and we're making very little attempt to work the ball through the midfield - something which the better teams have in their armoury. 

 

Last night, the Ukrainian defence proved to be very poor in the air. When Jordan Henderson scores with a header direct from a corner kick, something's going wrong.

 

So I share the anxiety about how we'll cope with a good side and we go behind. In that situation, we won't be able to break down a defence with the limited style that we're using at the moment. We'll have to change, and we have the players to do that, but it won't be easy to change gear like that. We may get lucky, but with Denmark  and Italy / Spain to come, we may well have to face up to that challenge.

[Joey Linton]

15 minutes ago, Cronky said:

Gary Neville said earlier on that Gareth Southgate didn't feel that we had the players to outplay good opposition, and that he had decided on a very conservative style, with good discipline as the best way of getting results. I didn't want to hear that, because I felt that we had some skilful players for once who could play to a different style. We did play much better in the qualifying matches and the pre-tournament friendlies. 

 

Well it looks like Gary Neville was right in his assessment of Southgate's defensive tactics. In attack, we're relying on traditional British tactics of trying use the wings to get behind the opposition, and centring the ball for a close range header or shot. All but one of our goals has come from the wings, and we're making very little attempt to work the ball through the midfield - something which the better teams have in their armoury. 

 

Last night, the Ukrainian defence proved to be very poor in the air. When Jordan Henderson scores with a header direct from a corner kick, something's going wrong.

 

So I share the anxiety about how we'll cope with a good side and we go behind. In that situation, we won't be able to break down a defence with the limited style that we're using at the moment. We'll have to change, and we have the players to do that, but it won't be easy to change gear like that. We may get lucky, but with Denmark  and Italy / Spain to come, we may well have to face up to that challenge.

Four fucking nil mate.

 

Live for the moment rather than looking for hypothetical failures to be disappointed about. 

 

Amazing how five clean sheets and not having been behind yet is now a stick to beat them with. 

 

 

Edited July 4, 2021 by Joey Linton

[Fantail Breeze]

I’ve been very critical of Southgate in the past, I don’t particularly like the style of football that we play and think we could be more expansive with the players we have - but he’s taken this England team to two major semi-finals in the last two competitions.

 

Other major nations; Portugal, Germany, Belgium have all faltered despite having relatively similar teams in terms of quality.

 

He is defensive minded, but at least the team look organised and have a clear plan. He does get it wrong occasionally with his in-game management (Croatia at the WC and Scotland in the group stages), but hopefully he can learn from situations like those.

 

We have a great chance of actually winning this and we look better than we did at the World Cup.

[mrmojorisin75]

35 minutes ago, Joey Linton said:

Four fucking nil mate.

 

Live for the moment rather than looking for hypothetical failures to be disappointed about. 

 

Amazing how five clean sheets and not having been behind yet is now a stick to beat them with. 

 

 

 

 

I had a bit of an epiphany this morning (earlier not as a result of this post) about why I've never been able to fully get behind supporting England in the past and this seems to encapsulate it very well - it's Brexit football

 

Ignore everything and just believe.  Don't analyse or think, they won so IT'S COMING HOME.

 

Nobody is using anything as a stick to beat them with, you can watch a game even a 4-0 and be objective enough to understand the other team gifted you most of the goals and that better teams almost certainly won't.  You can understand this and also think that in winning the game 4-0 they played very well and Southgate's cautious approach seems to be paying dividends.  FWIW I think we're going to win it, I just think we've got too much across the board, but if Italy turn up and do a classic Italian shutdown job things might get tasty.

 

I've always been like this with Newcastle - I remember arguing with a diehard toon fan in the Pardew 5th year about the quality of the performances rather than just getting unduly excited about a 1-0 win.

[Joey Linton]

Best defensive unit at the tournament so far. 

 

Despite his slow start, i don't think there's much doubt we have the best centre forward left at the tournament. 

 

In Sterling, I'd say we have one of the best players at the whole tournament, who has arguably been the most influential on his side. 

 

By far the best attacking options from the bench. 

 

But aye, what if we let a goal in.

[mrmojorisin75]

11 minutes ago, Fantail Breeze said:

I’ve been very critical of Southgate in the past, I don’t particularly like the style of football that we play and think we could be more expansive with the players we have - but he’s taken this England team to two major semi-finals in the last two competitions.

 

Other major nations; Portugal, Germany, Belgium have all faltered despite having relatively similar teams in terms of quality.

 

He is defensive minded, but at least the team look organised and have a clear plan. He does get it wrong occasionally with his in-game management (Croatia at the WC and Scotland in the group stages), but hopefully he can learn from situations like those.

 

We have a great chance of actually winning this and we look better than we did at the World Cup.

 

Fair and balanced.

[mrmojorisin75]

Just now, Joey Linton said:

Best defensive unit at the tournament so far. 

 

Despite his slow start, i don't think there's much doubt we have the best centre forward left at the tournament. 

 

In Sterling, I'd say we have one of the best players at the whole tournament, who has arguably been the most influential on his side. 

 

By far the best attacking options from the bench. 

 

But aye, what if we let a goal in.

 

Agree with all of that

[Joey Linton]

6 minutes ago, mrmojorisin75 said:

 

Agree with all of that

I'm not even saying I think we'll win it, that's the thing. 

 

But anyone (not you obviously) coming off the back of last night looking for and listing reasons we won't, or comparing us to Greece, then I really think they need to take up watching a different sport. 

[joeyt]

 

 

[mrmojorisin75]

Oh shit I think I missed the Greece thing mate, aye, that's not a remotely appropriate comparison.  We're playing more like an Italian team or maybe the Zidane era French team with defence as the focus but a clear structure and plan when we get the ball.

[Mattoon]

Our only weak link is Pickford, he showed again last night he has a howler in him.

[LiquidAK]

11 minutes ago, joeyt said:

 

 

Shevchenko is cool as fuck

[joeyt]

I know it's just a bit of harmless fun but I can't stand the It's Coming Home stuff that's started the last few years espeically people who don't like football usually

[sixx]

Pretty much a perfect performance from England. What’s more impressive is that they’ve managed to reserve quite a lot of energy going in to the semi finals. Playing a lot at home helps obviously but still very savvy. No goals conceded. By far the best in the air and from set pieces. Not quite as well drilled as the Italians but still impressive. Southgate deserves praise, faultless so far.