Euros 2020 - in 2021

Not sure how it can continue today tbh.

Hopefully Eriksen didn't suffer too much damage. It seems he was brought round fairly quickly which is a very good sign but even so it will be the end of his career I reckon. Main thing is he's survived.

ONE DAY TO GO #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/QIA4xp0GJS

— England Football Fans (@EnglidsAway) June 10, 2021

The Light Programme really has gone down the pan since Grace Archer died. You wouldn't catch Alvar Lidell behaving like this.

Fook me, I thought Gareth was clueless, but I underestimated by how much.

Trippier at LEFT BACK. You couldn't make it up.

And Grealish on the bench, probably our best player after Kane, and Stirling gets picked.

FOOK OFF SOUTHGATE.

5 years to prepare and he sticks a right back at left back.

The man is a clown and should be sacked before kick off.

I've just had another look at the team. Two fooking holding midfielders at home to an aging Croatia.

I am absolutely seething. We should have gone all out attack and made a statement.

FOOK OFF SOUTHGATE.

Gareth/Evans out!

Decent result, and good goal for Sterling.  Phillips had a cracking game.

BoltonTillIDie wrote:Decent result, and good goal for Sterling.  Phillips had a cracking game.

Totally agree. Good performance all round, especially from those whom the press and some fans had criticised.

Good performance in the end. Like Nat I was pulling my hair out at the lineup but to be fair to Southgate he got the result and against our toughest group opponent that is massive.

Agree with the above on Phillips, kept winning the ball back high up the pitch - I’d have played Grealish but Rashford made sense after he took Kane off. He doesn’t get enough credit for the game planning and this worked well.

Play faster and press for longer periods but they’ve come through a big test there. Great start.

Decent result, bang average performance.

Croatia, as expected, were awful. Most of their squad wouldn't get in a Championship team.

We created virtually nothing all game. Foden hit the post and that's about it.

All our so-called attacking players were awful, Foden passed the ball backwards more in his 70 minutes than he did all season for Man City. Mount & Kane were anonymous and Stirling wasteful.

Defence was decent, Mings outstanding, although we created absolutely nothing down either wing. Teams that win trophies don't have right backs at left back.

Rashford came on and didn't touch the ball, ditto Bellingham. Surely if you want to bring on a player to hold onto the ball Grealish is your first call?

Gareth is out of his depth. Pick that team against anyone decent and we will get dicked.

Agree that Kane was anonymous. Unlike the youngsters around him, he seemed to be plodding, not closing down. He didn't win any headers or link up play. Mind you, Croatia's one and only tactic seemed to be to try to cripple him! On this showing, his only value is in taking pens. 

The rest of Southgate's much-criticised selection were good overall. Great to see Sterling dribbling successfully at speed and with confidence restored.

Cautious approach from Southgate that looked genius for the first fifteen minutes but then it just petered out. Loved Phillips performance but just couldn't string two passes together going forward for much of the game, however even though we couldn't keep up the high press in the heat, Modric was forced to go deeper and deeper.
Not the attacking performance I was hoping for but solid enough - and our first opening game win in the Euros.

Thought it was a nailed on 1-1 today so I’m pleased to get the win. Get the result against Scotland now and we’re cruising. Would like to think Phillips or Rice would drop out and we’d go more attacking but Phillips might be unstoppable after today.

Trust in Gareth anyway.

Holland/Ukraine was a cracking match especially THAT goal from Yarmalenko.

Had a laugh in the pub - my mates and I wound a Manure fan up by telling him Wigan had signed Depay

Took the thick sod half an hour to get the joke and realise it was a wind up although TBF he'd had a few.

okocha wrote:Agree that Kane was anonymous. Unlike the youngsters around him, he seemed to be plodding, not closing down. He didn't win any headers or link up play. Mind you, Croatia's one and only tactic seemed to be to try to cripple him! On this showing, his only value is in taking pens.

He wasn't great but the system/line up didn't help.
It 'll be a different story if Southgate plays an attacking LB instead of Trippier out of position and e.g. Grealish in favour of one of the two DMs - which in my book would be dropping Rice and keeping Phillips. Seemed as though the plan was to negate the Croatia midfield rather than play the expansive game that Kane thrives on.
And I don't think either Mount or Foden played anywhere near their potential so hopefully they'll improve as the tournament progresses.

Thanks all. Appreciate the input.

I'll give the meter a miss for now.

boltonbonce wrote:Thanks all. Appreciate the input.

I'll give the meter a miss for now.

Presumably you'll be able to watch the rest of the Euros without getting cut off then?

Superb second goal for Schick/the Czechs against Scotland who've now been mugged twice in a game they were very much dominating. Still time for Scotland to come back though.

Czech goalie playing a blinder. Scotland have been very unlucky so far.