Euro 2020 Group Stage Thread

Pearces_Left_Foot

I think rice looked up for a pass and too often there was no one showing so he spread the play sideways at least he was showing for the ball too many players not making angles and offering themselves our front players barely did anything foden made s9me decent runs in behind .

Pearces_Left_Foot

We also did not press Scotland enough

Ravel49

Need to freshen things up for the next game
Get Bellingham in ⚫️🟡

Yeoldhammer

OutcastLondoner said:

I get that Rice is supposed to sit but there were times when he could’ve taken a stride or two with the ball without getting too far out of position or played it forward instead of passing sideways. I just don’t think he’s brave enough in England games.

I’d like to see DCL start the next game. Apart from roaming all over the pitch, Kane looked so off when was on the ball.

He needs to evolve his game in an England shirt beyond being an anchor and passing the ball sideways. He needs to be that triangle man, the way the old Spain team use to play. Let Shaw / James ping it into you and then you can spread the play out to Mount / Foden. Create those triangles with Shaw / Mount, James / Foden. He needs to add another dynamic because at present he is just facilitating the ball to go left to right and then either James or Shaw force the ball through to Foden / Mount / Sterling. We literally have no presence in the middle of pitch and it becomes too easy for any team to just push England out wide and then 2 man mark Kane in the box.

Perhaps you could argue in the free role this is Phillips job to be that triangle man but i think it needs both Philips and Rice to do that job not just one. England need to get on Spains level technically with being comfortable to receive and release the ball with a player a yard from you. one touch passing on the move.

Lukerz

Rice, to be fair, doesn’t offer his normal game. I can understand why those that don’t watch him regularly see him for England & think what does he do?

For us, he’s a dynamic midfielder, forward passing, covers gaps in midfield & in front of defence (in defence), but he is more influential in building play. All I see him do in an England shirt is pass the ball sideways & only make himself available in really safe positions. I think that was one of the big issues yesterday. Everybody played it safe; Rice, Phillips, Mount, Foden, James, Shaw, all that players capable of supplying the forward areas. It’s probably a case where the age of the side went against them, they played the hype around the game, not the team, who let’s face it are Championship standard at best.

whupathman

Croatia must fancy putting a hatful against the Scots

IronHerb

We seem to be playing 4-1-1-3-1 so Rice sticks to the back four and Phillips to the midfield three. Drop Sterling and play Bellingham so we get better control and then get better service to Foden and Mount.

MrsGrey

I don't think France want to score.

thornburyiron

Hungary did though

MrsGrey

Sub editors everywhere frantically working on their Attila puns.

yoyo

Atilla the Pun

Expat_Hammer

Atilla, is that a type of fish

MrsGrey

Interesting chat with GNev Souness just now. Souness arguing for 1 of Dec or Phillips to be dropped and get Grealish in ... because England need more creativity. But surely there is bags of creativity in the front players and wide players - they are just not showing it. It's on if them who should be dropped or you end up with a very unbalanced team?

thornburyiron

I think last night the problem was both Rice and Philips seemed reluctant to even attempt to play the ball forward but I don’t know if that was what they were told and to use Shaw and James as the outlets

MrsGrey

That was kind of GNev s line. Said that was where more creativity was expected and dropping a DM would mean getting overrun ... Seems sceptical about the defensive capabilities of the CBs.

I was hoping someone would point out that Rice CAN play forward but does it in a team with a solid defence ( ish).

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

Souness had a massive bee in his bonnet about Rice and Phillips. At the end of the day, they kept and possession ended up regularly enough with Kane, Sterling and co - they just did nothing with it.

England's lack of creativity is being blamed on the players who are there to defend, and not on golden boys Mount, Foden and Grealish, for example, whose job it is to create.

I agree Declan could do more, but let's look at the facts - his job is to defend, and so far England haven't conceded a goal.

thornburyiron

Portugal Germany like a breath of fresh air after last night.

IronHerb

It's always good when you have two teams who struggle to defend.

thornburyiron

They’re struggling to defend because the attacks are quick. They’d have no trouble against us the way we are playing.

MrsGrey

Blimey that Poland national anthem ain't no dirge.

MrsGrey

Interesting - the Spanish team don't singalonga.

OutcastLondoner

Tbh I was only watching for Rice because he’s the player I want to do well, so it is frustrating when I see him playing such a limited version of his game. I think when a team is that deep then you do have to have those more defensive players take a risk to shake them out of their shape.

Sancho should’ve played as well. He’s the winger who was best suited for that kind of defence, in my opinion, and probably the most in form attacker by the end of the season - bar Foden.

OldCastleSwift

OCL 👍 I had Foden and Sancho as my starting wingers in this tournament



Sterling and Rashford have been out of form for most of this season, but both are getting minutes, which I don't really understand.

I had Kane in but I don't think anyone expected the drop off that we've seen from him in the two games so far, so I'd like to see DCL play against the Czech Republic.

OldCastleSwift

Another quick, and ultimately correct, VAR call in the Spain game.

Why are the PL/FA making it look so bad in our domestic game?

yoyo

MrsGrey said:

Interesting - the Spanish team don't singalonga.

Boring fact but the Spanish National Anthem is one of the few in the world with no lyrics..... sounds unbelievable but true

whupathman

another missed pen

Fortuneseeker

Penalty given for a player treading on an opponent’s foot. Sterling incident one not awarded?

MrsGrey

yoyo said:

MrsGrey said:

Interesting - the Spanish team don't singalonga.

Boring fact but the Spanish National Anthem is one of the few in the world with no lyrics..... sounds unbelievable but true

I didn't know that
I'm sure the fans in the stand were singing though.

yoyo

yoyo

The Spanish National Anthem was written as a military march. It's doesn't have any lyrics but may have been "hijacked " along the line by separatist groups over the years. As it stands today it still has no official lyrics. Only a handful of countries have the same