#2822

My mum is gonna be so chuffed that both entries into the Euros 2021 DiS hall of fame are about her

3 Likes
#2823

Can’t believe some of my community gold has been left off this tbh.

4 Likes
#2824

forever in are hearts xx

1 Like
#2825

Feel a bit shit now

Mostly the tiredness but the racist stuff has really made me sad

5 Likes
#2826

just had a call with an English guy and accidentally said ‘congratulations’

:face_with_hand_over_mouth: :joy: :flushed:

11 Likes
#2827

I meant commiserations but it came out all wrong, so embarrassing

1 Like
#2828

Obviously it’d be mad to sack Southgate, and I’m not advocating it - he’s earned the right to see this trajectory continue upwards, but I reckon there could be a big decision to make after the World Cup next year if England lose to a powerhouse in the same sort of meek, deer-in-the-headlamps manner for a fourth successive time (if you’re counting the Nations League).

He deserves immense credit for getting England over historical hang-ups, and if he were to leave in the next couple of years, he’s done brilliantly to lay foundations, but that’s another missed golden opportunity. Dare I say it… it felt like Mourinho’s Spurs. Take the lead - now what?

He had absolutely no answer once Italy started taking control, playing the kind of dominant football you could never imagine Southgate’s England producing against top-class opposition like that. The chances are England will have to play two or three sides the quality of Italy next time, and I wouldn’t have much confidence of them getting through that with a coach as paralysed by fear as Southgate. Gut feeling is that he’s taken them as far as he can, and they’ll need someone else to go that next step – and with these young players coming through, that should be the aim really.

To be honest, getting to the semi-final last time and the final this time is probably about par for the players at the manager’s disposal and how the route panned out. I get it feels remarkable given the history of failure, and fair play for not repeating those mistakes, but to me it honestly isn’t “remarkable” to get to that point – when player-for-player you’re better in every position than Denmark (maybe not goalkeeper) and Ukraine, they really really ought to be winning. The “remarkable” thing is the fact they’ve failed to do that so consistently for so long up until now.

Couldn’t revel in England’s defeat cos it was horrifically brutal and they’re a GBOL, but honestly just really really happy to see a well-coached, proactive side like Italy show there’s another way to win in international football. I get the logic of Southgate looking at France and Portugal as the template, but really really glad that reactive, cautious, stunted style didn’t win for a third successive tournament. Fell in love with this Italian side from the first night of the tournament and it was lovely to see them deservedly win it.

22 Likes
#2829

There’s a lot of decent points in here

But they literally did produce it last night for the first 30 minutes or so

I.e the players are good enough to produce it, but he needs to find a way to unlock it more often, without losing the solidity at the back

13 Likes
#2830

I agree with nearly all of this but I do think this group of players is lacking in proper top-level midfielders. Phillips and Rice isn’t a million miles away from Hojberg and Delaney IMO. Bellingham continuing to develop at the pace he has goes some way to solving that but I don’t think this is a properly elite level squad with the midfield options it currently has. The ease of draws has been way more of a factor in the progression than the quality of squad in my mind and Southgate’s main victory has been in the mentality shift.

2 Likes
#2831

That’s true tbf, and I said in the thread at the time, but it felt like they couldn’t sustain it and had no answers once Italy sussed them out. Even then, would say they were “dominant” for 15 minutes or so, and then just fairly defensively comfortably as Italy started to regain possession.

1 Like
#2832

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10 Likes
#2833

Agree with most of this. When Kane gave his post-match interview all I could think about was Spurs in the Champions League final.

I did spend bits of the 2nd half wondering who will be after Southgate because there aren’t any obvious candidates and unless there is one that is well thought if like Southgate at the FA.

#2834

That kit has got to be honking by now

#2835

I bet they do something really silly like give it to g nev

#2836

The start of a new pure banter era as opposed to this competent workmanlike era.

3 Likes
#2837

by drawing 1-1 then winning on penalties :confused:

6 Likes
#2838

5 Likes
#2839

Twice!

1 Like
#2840

Don’t really football outside of these big events but surely once they’ve equalised, just go hell for leather? Like a penalty loss, 2-1 loss, or a 5-1 loss, it’s the same result so might as well push for the goal rather than try not to concede another.

3 Likes
#2841

england are the moral winners

6 Likes