Euro Semi finals - ENG V NL; SPA v FRA

[wandyr79]

We shouldn't be adapting our play for someone like kane... he is not that good, and I really do not get where our reliance comes on him comes from. He has been below average the last 3 england tournaments.

This team would fare much better with either Watkins or even Ivan 'the myth' Toney playing up top.

hopefully he changes that this evening.

My view is that we shouldn't be changing the play for Kane, we should be changing it for all players. Every player in this team is capable of a balanced attack/defence strategy. If we do that it just happens to bring our best goal scorer more into the game, regardless of whether you think he is good or not, the fact is that he has the goals to back up the fact that he can score goals, and in a variety of ways.

Personally, I don't think there is a striker in the world that would fare much better, in the system that Southgate has set up. If a player has little to no opportunity to touch the ball then they can't really do much. That is the point I was making, the system is negating a lot of the attacking threat, the likes of Foden, Saka, Bellingham all can play better. This is not a Kane problem, this is a team/tactics problem. Improve the attacking focus and you improve those players.

 

[Noisy noise annoys]

That's two major tournaments now that he has performed.

While elite club level might be a higher technical level, international football tells you more about a player's character, in my view. He's been excellent.

Yeh, Klopp used him sparingly considerng but Slot will play him first I reckon

 

[Drico]

I predicted either Spain or Germany as winners. Not over of course but Spain have had the best ballers of the tournament I feel.

Technically, Spain have been superb. Only the better German players - Musiala and Wirtz - have compared well with them this tournament. They can all play, these Spaniards, and aren't they so much more joyful than their tedious tiki-taka side of 2008-2012, which always seemed tooled to service the one player they didn't have: Messi.

 

[Drico]

Your sentiment is right mate.

Objectively England have had a handy draw comparatively to the other side of the draw.

But still say no chance for England, they aren’t beating Spain at their own game and they’ve a bit to prove tomorrow before earning that opportunity.

Tonight was the final IMO.

Just my take.

I suspect the final was last Friday. Germany would have beaten that French team - just as they beat them the last two times they met in the last 12 months. Some of us gave France too much respect for their record, but they didn't justify it.

 

[blackie_jones75]

I felt sorry for the one lad in an Everton shirt in a sea of RS shirts.

yes, that was eye watering, one kid in an Everton top and about 25 kids in Liverpool tops

 

[DualityNSNO]

"Kane's not good enough" is such a hilarious take.

 

[Miked1e]

My view is that we shouldn't be changing the play for Kane, we should be changing it for all players. Every player in this team is capable of a balanced attack/defence strategy. If we do that it just happens to bring our best goal scorer more into the game, regardless of whether you think he is good or not, the fact is that he has the goals to back up the fact that he can score goals, and in a variety of ways.

Personally, I don't think there is a striker in the world that would fare much better, in the system that Southgate has set up. If a player has little to no opportunity to touch the ball then they can't really do much. That is the point I was making, the system is negating a lot of the attacking threat, the likes of Foden, Saka, Bellingham all can play better. This is not a Kane problem, this is a team/tactics problem. Improve the attacking focus and you improve those players.

But if you have a striker like Toney or Watkins that is going to play on the last defender and stretch the game, that is going to open up space for truly world class players like Foden and Bellingham to get into the space and make things happen!

Kane continually dropping deep to get involved (wonder how many times he has in fact touched the ball this tournament) is just closing down the center of the field. We then rely on getting it wide and guess what.... when the ball is in a dangerous wide position there is no-one in the box as Kane hasn't got the legs to get in there!

The whole slow play thing is because there is no movement up top as there is no space.

I didn't see the match on Saturday evening due to doing a stupidly long hike, so not sure how Shaw got on, but would like to see him starting along with one of the other strikers up top.

I know he won't as dare he drop golden boy Harry Kane.

But personally I think this would give us much more balance and a lot more up front.

 

[wandyr79]

But if you have a striker like Toney or Watkins that is going to play on the last defender and stretch the game, that is going to open up space for truly world class players like Foden and Bellingham to get into the space and make things happen!

Kane continually dropping deep to get involved (wonder how many times he has in fact touched the ball this tournament) is just closing down the center of the field. We then rely on getting it wide and guess what.... when the ball is in a dangerous wide position there is no-one in the box as Kane hasn't got the legs to get in there!

The whole slow play thing is because there is no movement up top as there is no space.

I didn't see the match on Saturday evening due to doing a stupidly long hike, so not sure how Shaw got on, but would like to see him starting along with one of the other strikers up top.

I know he won't as dare he drop golden boy Harry Kane.

But personally I think this would give us much more balance and a lot more up front.

All valid points, and I guess a great example of football opinions. A lot of time it is a chicken/egg question

I personally saw enough movement from Saka, Foden, Bellingham to be able to still create that way, with Kane on the pitch. At times the defenders were not even looking up or their first touch was backwards, so the option to even see a run was not there.

Either way, it needs to change. I think that either way could work but as you said, he won't drop Kane for a Semi final of a major tournament so hopefully the midfielders and defenders are that little bit more proactive and quicker at getting it forward and down the channels.

Shaw did OK, didn't change too much as it was obvious that we were playing for penalties, but agreed, he has to start tonight.

 

[YoboCopter]

As people have said its like we are the pen kings of the world now and the pressure is on even more if it gets to pens

Make no mistake who ever misses it is getting absolute pelters arent they

England offical account been making big deal of tonys pens, wouldnt actually like him to miss would be brutal but its set up for someone to

I think holland win in normal time anyway

 

[wandyr79]

As people have said its like we are the pen kings of the world now and the pressure is on even more if it gets to pens

Make no mistake who ever misses it is getting absolute pelters arent they

England offical account been making big deal of tonys pens, wouldnt actually like him to miss would be brutal but its set up for someone to

I think holland win in normal time anyway

They already know what they are like, along with some of the so called humans who may feel the need to out their racism, etc. I doubt that will add more pressure to what would already be a very pressurised footballing situation.

 

[summerisle]

"Kane's not good enough" is such a hilarious take.

It's a good sledge though.

 

[summerisle]

 

[FrenchDarrenBent]

I suspect the final was last Friday. Germany would have beaten that French team - just as they beat them the last two times they met in the last 12 months. Some of us gave France too much respect for their record, but they didn't justify it.

You really really love Germany, dont you?

 

[NeilMorepies]

Messi with Spain's Lamine Yamal as a baby. Incredible to think both of them have scored in semi finals todayView attachment 264034

That’s nothing mate, here are two British Legends, taken last week.

 

[Neiler]