UEFA Euro 2020 Group D ** spoilers ** (England, Croatia, Scotland, C.Republic)

[adam cool dude]

You cannot deny that our side of the draw is basically an easy route to the final bar the Germany game.

Likewise that will have negatives as if we do go far then Southgate will still be in a job for next year.

 

[The Running Man]

You cannot deny that our side of the draw is basically an easy route to the final bar the Germany game.

Likewise that will have negatives as if we do go far then Southgate will still be in a job for next year.

If you want to win the tournament you're going to have to beat a good team eventually... we've had our share of fillers so far.

 

[rhobbyh]

england look poor but that germany team looker poorer

bald men fighting over a comb

 

[Sui]

Whatever Gareth does, I don't think he'll ever be able to please people on here, what if he wins the thing with good performances in the knockouts, will you give credit where it's due?

He can't dictate the brackets, we won the group (albeit with not very exciting performances) which I think is what we would have all expected at the start of the tournament.

I think the Germany match will be relatively even and could go either way, they won't be sitting back so hopefully they'll be more open for us to attack, we have the players that like to run with the ball so hopefully that'll be utilised.

 

[chroniclard]

Quietly hopeful of a good performance.

 

[fez]

Whatever Gareth does, I don't think he'll ever be able to please people on here, what if he wins the thing with good performances in the knockouts, will you give credit where it's due?

I never understand this argument. Its usually made when someone is clearly not good enough and never shows any suggestion that they are. If he wins the tournament he will get a lot of credit if he doesn't limp over the finish line with crap performances and massive slices of luck. Lets be honest though, he won't. He gets no credit because there is none to give. He has been crap in every managerial role he has occupied and nothing about his England tenure suggests he will suddenly turn it around and become a top manager. England have always struggled to convert their players domestic form to the international stage so its clearly a tricky job for even good managers.

He can't dictate the brackets, we won the group (albeit with not very exciting performances) which I think is what we would have all expected at the start of the tournament.

Scraping past 2 very average teams and drawing (should have been a loss) to Scotland isn't exactly confidence inspiring. If we didn't get out of this group he should have been sacked on the spot and probably flogged.

At the start of the tournament we expected to easily win our group and hopefully stick quite a few goals in. So far we have underperformed.

The tournament starts in earnest in the next match against Germany. If we go out in the first actual test that speaks volumes about the manager and team.

 

[Somnambulist]

So looking at the draw:

Top half:
Wales/Denmark vs Italy/Austria
Winners of the above play
Croatia/Spain vs France/Switzerland

Bottom half:
Holland/Czech Republic vs Belgium/Portugal
Winners of the above play
England/Germany vs Sweden/Ukraine

Italy vs France for the first semi-final then being vaguely optimistic about us growing into the tournament, England vs either Belgium or Portugal in other semi?

 

[Maundie]

Whatever Gareth does, I don't think he'll ever be able to please people on here, what if he wins the thing with good performances in the knockouts, will you give credit where it's due?

He can't dictate the brackets, we won the group (albeit with not very exciting performances) which I think is what we would have all expected at the start of the tournament.

I think the Germany match will be relatively even and could go either way, they won't be sitting back so hopefully they'll be more open for us to attack, we have the players that like to run with the ball so hopefully that'll be utilised.

Oh come on do you think he has any player on the team playing to at least their capability nevermind above it?

We've played 3 games against 3 poor opponents and just scraped 2 wins and a draw when if the other teams even remotely turned up we would've lost all 3, the guy has clearly ordered the team not to concede (you just have to listen to Sterling's post match interview to see that) and that is consequently reflected in the very negative uninspiring dross we've been witness to so far.

I certainly wouldn't be spending any money to go to Wembley to watch the anti-football he's serving up, at least Jose told his teams to counter attack when given the opportunity.

 

[ik9000]

this is where we will miss having Vardy to run at that Germany back line. Hummels was sloooow in some of those games. Mind you, you have to then set up the midfield and wingbacks to serve him the passes, which Gareth seems unwilling to do.

 

[ik9000]

So looking at the draw:

Top half:
Wales/Denmark vs Italy/Austria
Winners of the above play
Croatia/Spain vs France/Switzerland

Bottom half:
Holland/Czech Republic vs Belgium/Portugal
Winners of the above play
England/Germany vs Sweden/Ukraine

Italy vs France for the first semi-final then being vaguely optimistic about us growing into the tournament, England vs either Belgium or Portugal in other semi?

I think you might have gone wrong, unless the BBC wall chart is duff. Match 47 is likely to be Holland v Wales or Denmark, and if we beat Germany and Sweden we play the winner of that match. France Semi would be against Italy, Belgium or Portugal (I'm assuming Italy beat Austria in the RO16)

If we get to the semi's I'm assuming it would be against Holland. And if we won that, the final would be against France/Italy/Belgium/Portugal. All of whom, based on current forms, would tear us apart and leave us with a gaping wound. Somehow Southgate will keep his job and we can rinse and repeat at the next World Cup.

 

[DrToffnar]

Really looking forward to our next match. I'd like to think we've been holding back a little due to an early 3 points and that we've been keeping a lot in reserve. No team worth a damn will go hell for leather in the group stages unless they have to and I trust Southgate to have had a game plan up to and beyond this point. It really all comes down to the next game. He could prove all the critics wrong if we perform well enough.

 

[McBain]

Not sure if Low has been watching our games.

"They like to attack, so it's going to be an open match. We're looking forward to it.”

 

[Joxeon]

So looking at the draw:

Top half:
Wales/Denmark vs Italy/Austria
Winners of the above play
Croatia/Spain vs France/Switzerland

Bottom half:
Holland/Czech Republic vs Belgium/Portugal
Winners of the above play
England/Germany vs Sweden/Ukraine

Italy vs France for the first semi-final then being vaguely optimistic about us growing into the tournament, England vs either Belgium or Portugal in other semi?

Belgium and Portugal are in the other side of the draw to England.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_2020_knockout_phase

 

[ik9000]

Really looking forward to our next match. I'd like to think we've been holding back a little due to an early 3 points and that we've been keeping a lot in reserve. No team worth a damn will go hell for leather in the group stages unless they have to and I trust Southgate to have had a game plan up to and beyond this point. It really all comes down to the next game. He could prove all the critics wrong if we perform well enough.

That Germany back line needs pace to attack it. Neuer was flappy too. If only we had fast strikers able to hit a barn door when the pressure is on. Instead we have Rashford and DCL. Sad times. He even sent home Watkins. I bet he doesn't even start Saka and Grealish.

 

[DrToffnar]

That Germany back line needs pace to attack it. Neuer was flappy too. If only we had fast strikers able to hit a barn door when the pressure is on. Instead we have Rashford and DCL. Sad times. He even sent home Watkins. I bet he doesn't even start Saka and Grealish.

I think he'd be a fool not to at this point. Feels like he's been breaking them in the past few games in preparation for some of the more pace reliant ones coming up. I'm more concerned that Mings won't be playing if I'm honest, I think we really missed him last game. He's so good at breaking up the pace and slowing everything down.

 

[Joxeon]

That Germany back line needs pace to attack it. Neuer was flappy too. If only we had fast strikers able to hit a barn door when the pressure is on. Instead we have Rashford and DCL. Sad times. He even sent home Watkins. I bet he doesn't even start Saka and Grealish.

Of course he won't, he will likely go for the same team he used against Croatia with maguire in for Mings.

 

[DrToffnar]

As much as I try to be optimistic, our clean sheet so far has been more a result of facing teams with poor finishers then it has the quality of our own defense. Germany where absolutely fierce in that final quarter last night. So few teams in the competition can pull it out like that when they need to so late in the game. I fear an early England lead only to have it snatched as Germany become more desperate. We just look so gassed in the last 20/30 mins.

 

[rhobbyh]

Wonder if the good 'ol english press will go the same route as 25 years ago

 

[chroniclard]

Wonder if the good 'ol english press will go the same route as 25 years ago

Pretty much guaranteed war/enemy style headlines from the rags.

 

[ik9000]

As much as I try to be optimistic, our clean sheet so far has been more a result of facing teams with poor finishers then it has the quality of our own defense. Germany where absolutely fierce in that final quarter last night. So few teams in the competition can pull it out like that when they need to so late in the game. I fear an early England lead only to have it snatched as Germany become more desperate. We just look so gassed in the last 20/30 mins.

Is Southgate feeding them negative energy drinks at half time or something? They look so sluggish compared to club games come the end of the match. I completely agree re your prediction. I fear it will be England Croatia 2018 all over again