Football is coming home, Euro 2024 Final, England v Spain(Sunday 8pm)

[Smurph]

Can't disagree tbf.

Incredibly negative.

This was part of the problem Pickford had every time he received the ball. What’s the point in passing to a players that will either pass it straight back to him or fullbacks that will boot it long anyway? None of these players play like this at their club with so much space between them when they are in possession of the ball.

 

[maccavennie]

Any player who is English who plays for the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool or Man City are "werld class"

I like Rice a lot but seemed incapable of passing a ball forward for England.

Id go as far as saying he was our biggest problem tonight. Needed him and Mainoo in the transition. Every time Rice had the ball he was looking at Pickford before Bellingham or Foden.

That's what it is, it's if you play for specific clubs your "world class".

I like Phil Foden, I think he's a quality player but something what was said against Holland by Lee Dixon when Foden curled a shot and hit the post he said "I've said it before, he's the best in the world at taking the ball, spinning and getting a shot off like that"......really? No goals, no assists but the best in the world at that???

We've had it for years and years.

Rice has just been so under par this tournament it's frightening how bad he was. Mainoo just completely anonymous. Full backs were dreadful. A striker who had the same mobility as Rondon

 

[Drico]

Southgate deserves credit for what he has done with England - but England are a poorer team now than in the last Euros with arguably better players. The route to this final was torturous, fortunate and against average sides until the final.

In the whole this is still a very young England team with supremely talented players and somebody else needs a shot at unlocking the talent.

Without ball-playing midfielders who demand the ball, dominate the play, and knit everything up, you'll always come up short.

I agree with your overall analysis, though. I expected England to make the final given the way the draw worked out. But when you are depending on a last-minute superhero goal to scrape survival against *checks notes* Slovakia and penalties to beat Switzerland, it's not a huge surprise when a swashbuckling Spain prove a step too far. England showed great resilience, but that was about it. The Dutch are currently poor, so the bitter truth is that when England finally faced a side that was objectively superior to them, they followed tradition and lost. It just happened to be the final this time - which is a comment on the state of European football at the moment and the luck of the draw.

Spain are covering a multitude with their thrilling performances this month. Very few good sides out there right now.

That said, two European Championship finals in a row for England is an achievement. But the failings against an ordinary Italy were the same failings tonight against an effervescent Spain: midfield couldn't cope with technically superior players from a culture that prizes the ball. Until that changes, it won't get any better than this.

I think England should be able to go deepish at the World Cup and have a chance at Euro 2028. But can the draws be as favourable as they have been in three of the last four tournaments? I doubt it. England have missed their boat - just as Spain threatened to tonight before sheer force of possession finally yielded their reward.

Commiserations to England fans.

 

[Thomasc]

People are in here giving the player who went off at halftime MotM but I’m the idiot

I didn’t say he was MoTM

I said he was the best player in world football.

You don't even know what you are trying to debate with me about.

 

[Leylo]

Anyone been on the cocaine and ale?

2 beers and a dentist appointment tomorrow count

 

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

2 beers and a dentist appointment tomorrow count

That'll do.

 

[TheBigIguana]

I didn’t say he was MoTM

I said he was the best player in world football.

You don't even know what you are trying to debate with me about.

He’s not even the best midfielder on either team he plays on.

Someone is going to come in and give me some crap about deep lying midfielders versus other roles and I get it so save your breath, he’s not the best midfielder on either team he plays on.

 

[maccavennie]

I actually felt sorry for Rice throughout. Playing a more defensive role than he’s used to and having to put in huge shifts every game to make up for playing with different midfield partners all the time.

He looked absolutely spent in the Final, but I’d give him much more credit over the whole tournament than darlings like Bellingham, who was playing with lead boots the whole time.

Not for me mate, struggled to do the basics time after time after time.

I thought Bellingham was poor all tournament as well but scored a worldie and managers love that kind of thing to justify keeping players in who aren't performing

 

[miami]

Saying Bellingham isn’t capable technically is absolutely wild behavior mate

I’ve seen cart horses run faster than him though. He has world class players providing assists for him on a weekly basis at Madrid. He can finish, yes. To be a creative, offensive midfielder you need to offer more than he offers throughout 90 mins.

 

[Ragnar]

Can we just acknowledge how f***ing good Williams is.

 

[Drico]

Worst tournament in living memory?

Absolutely meh.

Oh, I don't know. It finished really well.

*Joke*

Hard luck, Guys. It's a tough night. But on the upside, you disproved @DuncanPatterson 's argument. Tonight, the team with the bigger population...lost.

Alright. I'll get my coat...

 

[Kurt.]

So errrrmmm …. I guess it’s errrmmm .. not coming home tonight then ?

 

[GrandOldTeam]

This was part of the problem Pickford had every time he received the ball. What’s the point in passing to a players that will either pass it straight back to him or fullbacks that will boot it long anyway? None of these players play like this at their club with so much space between them when they are in possession of the ball.

And then when Pickford went long there was no players picking up the second ball.

Never Foden/Bellinghams game to be chasing the knock on.

 

[TheBigIguana]

I’ve seen cart horses run faster than him though. He has world class players providing assists for him on a weekly basis at Madrid. He can finish, yes. To be a creative, offensive midfielder you need to offer more than he offers throughout 90 mins.

But that’s exactly what I’m saying, he’s a technical player not a physical one.

Anyway he’d be fine with players around him who do their damn job ie not Harry Kane. He set up England’s goal!

 

[NeilMorepies]

Has anyone seen the Football?
It was supposed to be coming home an hour ago and it’s still not here.
Getting worried now, will call around the hospitals if I’ve not heard anything in the next hour.