Poll: UEFA Euro 2020 Final Italy v England ** spoilers ** [Sunday 11th July 2021]

[FoxEye]

My Nan could organise a defence if she was given 8/11 players who’s main duty is defence. 3 at the back, 2 wing backs, 2 DMs and the GK. Not massively impressive and offered almost nothing in attack.

We also directly lost possession as a consequence of having nobody wanting to play forwards, nobody wanting to receive the ball under pressure, constantly going backwards and then - thanks to the Italy press - just hoofing it upfield because nobody else wanted it.

Some people say Italy just had too much possession for us to play - well our use of players, tactics, instructions from the boss, they all directly enabled Italy to have more possession.

He packed the team with defensive-minded players whose main job is to break up the opposition attacks, so it's kind of not really surprising that we spent most of our time trying to break up Italy attacks

With more forward-thinking players, and players who like to receive the ball under pressure and go forwards (hey Grealish, we barely knew you), would Italy have had so much possession?

Well we don't get to know because we never tried.

 

[phil-k]

Says it all when you don't even know a world cup winner, one of the best centre halves in the world, Italian captain. The guy Suarez bit at the world cup.

Like do you even watch football? Or do you only watch England?

I don't watch football at all but thought I would this time, it was as stressful as I thought it would be so don't usually bother

 

[dave28]

Italy won as i expected, the have mastered keeping the ball. England even looked scared to challenge them for the ball at times

 

[Basher]

Says it all when you don't even know a world cup winner, one of the best centre halves in the world, Italian captain. The guy Suarez bit at the world cup.

Like do you even watch football? Or do you only watch England?

Does it matter if he only watches England?

 

[Quinnaay]

The same Denmark game where we needed a soft pen to win? That wasn't a highlight for me

And an own goal

Must be forgetting Kane should have had a pen in the Denmark game anyway. We was massively the better side and the result was fair.

Also to claim own goal when Sterling was stood there is again rubbish.

 

[Ayahuasca]

Today hasn't half dragged, I thought work would have taken my mind off it but if anything my mood has only got worse!

 

[wildman]

Must be forgetting Kane should have had a pen in the Denmark game anyway. We was massively the better side and the result was fair.

Also to claim own goal when Sterling was stood there is again rubbish.

we were massively the better side ? Is that another joke..................... ?? Denmark a team ranked 6 places below England and it needed a soft pen and an own goal and then you chuck a bit more whataboutery like Kane should have had a pen and sterling was there ready............. Where do you get your rose tinted specs from ?

 

[Maundie]

Also to claim own goal when Sterling was stood there is again rubbish.

UEFA must've missed it as well as it went down as an own goal, poor by them I guess.

Sterling didn't score, it was put in by the defender thus going down as an own goal, he may have should the defender missed the ball but it wasn't 100% certain he would've as he's missed easier chances (as have a lot of other players) in the past.

 

[touch]

UEFA must've missed it as well as it went down as an own goal, poor by them I guess.

By that measure their other goal wasn't a penalty. Kane scored from open play.

 

[McBain]

Today hasn't half dragged, I thought work would have taken my mind off it but if anything my mood has only got worse!

Yep im in a pretty foul mood, working from home is definitely preferable.

 

[jonneymendoza]

 

[Sui]

I decided to walk into the office today, it's definitely much quieter in here as I think there are lots of sore-headed people also taking the WFH option!

Thankfully all the shops seemed intact, I was a bit concerned how much damage would have been caused if we had one, because you know, excited drunk people. The weather was horrendous though so Brighton may have been spared some renovations anyway.

 

[doodah]

So predictable and disgusting. A small but significant minority ruining it for everyone else as usual. One of the suspected Twitter racist idiots is getting torn a new one today. He works for Savills and seemingly has 2 Twitter accounts - both posting racist stuff. Savills are investigating whilst dealing with pretty serious damage control, he's deleting all his accounts and supposedly his family have told a paper that he was hacked. Going to go out on a limb here and say BS....

As OTT and harsh social media justice is these days. If you're so comfortable to use the N word that could potentially reach millions of people, you should be willing to accept the consequences. Assuming the hack thing is a lie, it will then be "he's not racist, his friend Billy is black". Racists/sympathisers are vile but predictable.

And a **** you to Boris and Patel for their interjection earlier in the tournament. Constantly fanning the flames and now suddenly they care/behind the cause.

Edit - haven't watched that SSN video yet but been following our latest villain of the day via social media and the report about the Rashford mural getting vandalised.

 

[McBain]

Disgusting but what will they do about it, sod all as per usual. If I was a player there's not a chance in hell I'd be on social media, at least not open to contact it'd be locked down.

I know players shouldn't have to hide but that's the sad state of affairs.

 

[tommybhoy]

So Southgate couldn't have done anything to change the outcome, or impact the game, and the Italians having all the ball was always going to happen, regardless of what team England put out, what formation, what subs, etc.

Southgate's choices had no bearing at all?

I'm *sure* you're not saying this...

I'm looking at the game from the other side, I read the game from a dominant Italian perspective, they bossed that game from 17 mins in to the final whistle.

Again, when you don't have the ball and the opponent team do have the capacity to hold it, pass it, attack you from all over the pitch, you can't do much against it, Italy were the most devastating team in attack all through the tournament, they will punish you.

A scrambled goal I'm hearing, Stokes was sitting on top of Cheillini and wouldn't let him up, Verrati headed the ball with power, your best player the keeper had a tremndous save there but helpless with Bonucci, but he kept the score line down, it could have been 3 or 4-1 if not for him.

Italy would have ripped England to bits if they went attack mode, even though England couldn't get out their own half, do you all think Southgate and his coaches just sat there thinking ~'aye, we'll just contain them'?

There was nothing England could do, Italy identified and knew the way to deal with Sterling was to shepherd him out wide away from goal/box with numbers as they knew all he was going to do was dive about all night trying to fake more penalties, that was all they had apart from the goal.

 

[Joxeon]

I'm looking at the game from the other side, I read the game from a dominant Italian perspective, they bossed that game from 17 mins in to the final whistle.

Again, when you don't have the ball and the opponent team do have the capacity to hold it, pass it, attack you from all over the pitch, you can't do much against it, Italy were the most devastating team in attack all through the tournament, they will punish you.

A scrambled goal I'm hearing, Stokes was sitting on top of Cheillini and wouldn't let him up, Verrati headed the ball with power, your best player the keeper kept the score line down, it could have been 3 or 4-1 if not for him.

Italy would have ripped England to bits if they went attack mode, even though England couldn't get out their own half, do you all think Southgate and his coaches just sat there thinking ~'aye, we'll just contain them'?

There was nothing England could do, Italy identified and knew the way to deal with Sterling was to shepherd him out wide away from goal/box with numbers as they knew all he was going to do was dive about all night trying to fake more penalties, that was all they had apart from the goal.

Italy didn't look much good against what was a poor Spain side compared to a few years ago as Spain pressed them, I believe had England set up like Spain and gave it a real go then Italy would have been found out.

 

[Robbo]

Italy would have ripped England to bits if they went attack mode, even though England couldn't get out their own half, do you all think Southgate and his coaches just sat there thinking ~'aye, we'll just contain them'?

And the same could have applied in reverse, but we never got to find out. It's about having a balance, but 5 at the back with 2 holding midfielders is extremely defensive no matter how you look at it. It gives the impetus to Italy who managed to squeeze up and had nothing much to fear in behind, so kept the pressure on.

Chiesa was the only Italian player who looked like doing anything, the rest were pretty average, passing it around with virtually no penetration isn't anything special. Their goal was a scrappy one from a corner, too.

 

[tommybhoy]

Italy didn't look much good against what was a poor Spain side compared to a few years ago as Spain pressed them, I believe had England set up like Spain and gave it a real go then Italy would have been found out.

A poor Spanish team with 13 goals, joint top scorers with Italy and played a game less than England but they were poor, ok, if you think Italy kept the ball against you, the Spanish keeper would have had a siesta playing England.

 

[mmj_uk]

Italy won as i expected, the have mastered keeping the ball. England even looked scared to challenge them for the ball at times

Italy had 30% possession against Spain they are not really a possession side, it was mainly just our tendency to sit deep and inability to hold onto the ball when we got it. We struggled to get past the half way line second half because our entire team was camped in our own third of the pitch. Sterling and Kane may as well have not been on the pitch but for a bit of pressing.

We are just not a very creative team under Southgate, his whole tactical plan seems to be to keep clean sheets at any cost to attacking ability, rather than trying to find a healthy balance between defence and attack like most top teams do.

 

[tommybhoy]

And the same could have applied in reverse, but we never got to find out. It's about having a balance, but 5 at the back with 2 holding midfielders is extremely defensive no matter how you look at it. It gives the impetus to Italy who managed to squeeze up and had nothing much to fear in behind, so kept the pressure on.

Chiesa was the only Italian player who looked like doing anything, the rest were pretty average, passing it around with virtually no penetration isn't anything special. Their goal was a scrappy one from a corner, too.

That's why you win **** all, as a nation you are always better than the teams that beat you!

No penetration, Italy was camped in your half most of the match, the back 5 was fantastic keeping the score down.