Official European Championship Thread

[BlueinBosnia]

England has the best squad by far in the tournament. Southgate hasn’t got the ability to get the very best out this outstanding squad that is loaded with top class attacking ability. You can’t argue with Southgate,s clean sheets but England haven’t really played the top countries have they ? Croatia and Germany are decent the rest absolutely woeful . Mancini managing this England team would have the tournament won already, Italy ….. Great defence great keeper and an incredible little midfielder the rest Mancini just gets the best out of them . Italy also have there best player now injured and out of the tournament. If England do win this then absolutely fantastic, it is ours now to lose with home advantage but in no way is Southgate a top manager, David fucking Moyes or BFS could get this unbelievable England squad over the line .

Hang on a second - you were ripping apart his squad selection a few days before the tournament started, but now you're saying it's "the best by far"?!

England have only played Germany and Croatia (if you overlook Czech Republic, who beat Netherlands, who topped their group, 2-0, in the last 16). But Italy have only played Wales, Switzerland, Turkey in the groups (none of whom won a knock-out game in 90 minutes), Austria (who were beaten by the above-mentioned Netherlands in the group stage, and took Italy to extra time), and Belgium (a decent outfit).

Like I implied above, I don't think Southgate would have ever made it as a top-level club manager. But, for once, I think the FA made the right choice in going for him over someone with a club pedigree.

[City64]

England has the best squad by far in the tournament. Southgate hasn’t got the ability to get the very best out this outstanding squad that is loaded with top class attacking ability. You can’t argue with Southgate,s clean sheets but England haven’t really played the top countries have they ? Croatia and Germany are decent the rest absolutely woeful . Mancini managing this England team would have the tournament won already, Italy ….. Great defence great keeper and an incredible little midfielder the rest Mancini just gets the best out of them . Italy also have there best player now injured and out of the tournament. If England do win this then absolutely fantastic, it is ours now to lose with home advantage but in no way is Southgate a top manager, David fucking Moyes or BFS could get this unbelievable England squad over the line .

Hang on a second - you were ripping apart his squad selection a few days before the tournament started, but now you're saying it's "the best by far"?!

England have only played Germany and Croatia (if you overlook Czech Republic, who beat Netherlands, who topped their group, 2-0, in the last 16). But Italy have only played Wales, Switzerland, Turkey in the groups (none of whom won a knock-out game in 90 minutes), Austria (who were beaten by the above-mentioned Netherlands in the group stage, and took Italy to extra time), and Belgium (a decent outfit).

Like I implied above, I don't think Southgate would have ever made it as a top-level club manager. But, for once, I think the FA made the right choice in going for him over someone with a club pedigree.

Southgate,s team selection for the Germany game was a total fuck up and far too defensive, Grealish eventually came on and changed the game . Southgate after that diabolical team selection turned a game from 70/30 in England’s favour into a 50/50 match in which the Germans dominated the first half . And if Mueller scored that sitter we were out . Czech Republic are fucking shite with 2 bang average West Ham players there best players .
Keep em coming BB

[Beefymcfc]

I believe more than a few outsiders see most England fans as assumed to typically either:

1) Expect "it to come home" leading to critcism as "arrogant" or "naive" when it comes to "reality" or talent assessment outside the PL bubble and British tabloid coverage.

2) Wildy pessimistic, negative, self-loathing, harsh, bitter, and anxiety ridden. This often leads to being over-reactive in moments and then is a chicken and egg like cycle that projects onto the players that impacts their performance in games also in part due to the tabloids

3) or even more perfect in its representation of English fans to outsiders, and links to the well known "dry" English sense of humour so many love and admire globally, is actually fall right in the middle of 1 & 2.

That Southgate has managed to truly MANAGE this situation and build player camaraderie is a testament to his leadership and I think is why he deserves credit.

Can you imagine Big Sam or Roy doing this?

I think you've described it perfectly. No team in the history of the Euros has made it to the semis without conceding a goal, and yet Southgate is being criticized for being overly defensive-minded (with some on here using a 0-0 draw with Scotland as justification for the criticism). All games (besides Scotland) were won without a need for extra time. All knockout games have been won by 2+ goals.

England are by no means the 'stand-out' squad of the tournament: none are, really. It kicked off with maybe 18 teams having a not-improbable chance of making it to the last 8.

Southgate has got the team to the semi-finals. His third as their manager. No other manager has ever achieved this in England's history. The squads under Keegan, Cappello and Eriksson were all more ahead-of-the-pack than this, and all under-achieved.

Southgate might be a Championship-level manager from a club perspective, and I agree with this statement to a degree. But international management is a chasm apart from club management. It involves a different approach (intermittently working with a squad, travelling further afield more regularly, players often being separated from their families for longer preceding a matchday), and it seems that the FA have got it right this time, rather than defaulting to their tried-and-tested method of dragging in someone who doesn't speak English from Real Madrid, making them the best-paid manager in the world, and insisting that "It's coming Home" loudly and often enough that everyone believes it.

Good summary, mate. Maybe, just maybe, considering the quality that is on offer to most international managers (very difficult to get a full squad of top players without egos) then it’s preferential to have a Championship level manager who understands the players.

I’m critical of Southgate but even if we lose the semi, I have to give him credit, as well as the players, for England getting into multiple semi-finals.

[Nickyboy]

England has the best squad by far in the tournament. Southgate hasn’t got the ability to get the very best out this outstanding squad that is loaded with top class attacking ability. You can’t argue with Southgate,s clean sheets but England haven’t really played the top countries have they ? Croatia and Germany are decent the rest absolutely woeful . Mancini managing this England team would have the tournament won already, Italy ….. Great defence great keeper and an incredible little midfielder the rest Mancini just gets the best out of them . Italy also have there best player now injured and out of the tournament. If England do win this then absolutely fantastic, it is ours now to lose with home advantage but in no way is Southgate a top manager, David fucking Moyes or BFS could get this unbelievable England squad over the line .

Hang on a second - you were ripping apart his squad selection a few days before the tournament started, but now you're saying it's "the best by far"?!

England have only played Germany and Croatia (if you overlook Czech Republic, who beat Netherlands, who topped their group, 2-0, in the last 16). But Italy have only played Wales, Switzerland, Turkey in the groups (none of whom won a knock-out game in 90 minutes), Austria (who were beaten by the above-mentioned Netherlands in the group stage, and took Italy to extra time), and Belgium (a decent outfit).

Like I implied above, I don't think Southgate would have ever made it as a top-level club manager. But, for once, I think the FA made the right choice in going for him over someone with a club pedigree.

Southgate,s team selection for the Germany game was a total fuck up and far too defensive, Grealish eventually came on and changed the game . Southgate after that diabolical team selection turned a game from 70/30 in England’s favour into a 50/50 match in which the Germans dominated the first half . And if Mueller scored that sitter we were out . Czech Republic are fucking shite with 2 bang average West Ham players there best players .
Keep em coming BB

It was Southgates plan against Germany to keep it tight and then make changes in the 2nd half to win the game - the plan that worked - give credit where it's due.
Germany were behind when Muller missed his sitter (well tracked back Kyle!) so we wouldn't have been out.
Just because you've only heard of 2 of the Czech players doesn't mean they're shite - they beat Holland and were the better team even before the sending off.

I think the standard across the whole tournament has been poor - mostly due to burnt out players and lack of cohesion due to reduced preparation time for the squads - but England have actually been well prepared and you can't really complain with a place in the semi finals and no goals conceded so far and performances improving as the tournament progresses.

[salford city]

England has the best squad by far in the tournament. Southgate hasn’t got the ability to get the very best out this outstanding squad that is loaded with top class attacking ability. You can’t argue with Southgate,s clean sheets but England haven’t really played the top countries have they ? Croatia and Germany are decent the rest absolutely woeful . Mancini managing this England team would have the tournament won already, Italy ….. Great defence great keeper and an incredible little midfielder the rest Mancini just gets the best out of them . Italy also have there best player now injured and out of the tournament. If England do win this then absolutely fantastic, it is ours now to lose with home advantage but in no way is Southgate a top manager, David fucking Moyes or BFS could get this unbelievable England squad over the line .

Hang on a second - you were ripping apart his squad selection a few days before the tournament started, but now you're saying it's "the best by far"?!

England have only played Germany and Croatia (if you overlook Czech Republic, who beat Netherlands, who topped their group, 2-0, in the last 16). But Italy have only played Wales, Switzerland, Turkey in the groups (none of whom won a knock-out game in 90 minutes), Austria (who were beaten by the above-mentioned Netherlands in the group stage, and took Italy to extra time), and Belgium (a decent outfit).

Like I implied above, I don't think Southgate would have ever made it as a top-level club manager. But, for once, I think the FA made the right choice in going for him over someone with a club pedigree.

Southgate,s team selection for the Germany game was a total fuck up and far too defensive, Grealish eventually came on and changed the game . Southgate after that diabolical team selection turned a game from 70/30 in England’s favour into a 50/50 match in which the Germans dominated the first half . And if Mueller scored that sitter we were out . Czech Republic are fucking shite with 2 bang average West Ham players there best players .
Keep em coming BB

It was Southgates plan against Germany to keep it tight and then make changes in the 2nd half to win the game - the plan that worked - give credit where it's due.
Germany were behind when Muller missed his sitter (well tracked back Kyle!) so we wouldn't have been out.
Just because you've only heard of 2 of the Czech players doesn't mean they're shite - they beat Holland and were the better team even before the sending off.

I think the standard across the whole tournament has been poor - mostly due to burnt out players and lack of cohesion due to reduced preparation time for the squads - but England have actually been well prepared and you can't really complain with a place in the semi finals and no goals conceded so far and performances improving as the tournament progresses.

You make some good points and yes, Southgate does deserve credit. He has a squad - (arguably up there with the best at the tournament) that are playing for each other in a system that works for them.
I've said before that I'm not his biggest fan, we are spoilt at City with the way we set up and play football and watching most other teams only shows that more. There is so much attacking talent available to Southgate that he is currently holdng back as a 'get out of jail' card, that personally, I'd rather he played, but he has stuck to what he believes in and no-one can say his approach hasn't worked. We all know how this ends, IF he got to the final, continued to play this conservative manner and we lost, he will be accused of not using the resources at his disposal. Its It's a fine line. .

[Mase]

The England managers of years gone by had better squads available to them - yes. But they were also competing with a ridiculous amount of teams that had far superior squads as well. They didn’t play fuckin Ukraine, Bury, Scotland etc on their way.

[BlueinBosnia]

The England managers of years gone by had better squads available to them - yes. But they were also competing with a ridiculous amount of teams that had far superior squads as well. They didn’t play fuckin Ukraine, Bury, Scotland etc on their way.

But when there were only 16 teams at a tournament, there were arguably always going to be fewer teams of less quality in the competition. Look at Euro 2004 (which is an exception, rather than a rule, admittedly):
Spain: Eliminated at the group stage by Greece and Portugal
Italy: Eliminated at the group stage by Sweden and Denmark
Germany: Eliminated at the group stage by Czech Rep and Netherlands (aided by a 0-0 draw with Latvia, FFS)
France: knocked out by Greece in the QFs

Euro 2012 is the only one since '96 when England could have been argued to have not disappointed with their results: going out on penalties to Italy in the quarter final. In 2016, their only win in the whole tournament was against Wales, and their only clean sheet was against Slovakia. And the less said about the Last 16 match, the better...

[nottsblue]

A centre half pairing of Laporte and Garcia. Italy are undoubtedly the favs now

[PeterParker]

A centre half pairing of Laporte and Garcia. Italy are undoubtedly the favs now

Garcia has sex tapes of every catalan manager. Has to be that.

[branny]

If we end up playing Italy i think we'll struggle to keep hold of the ball with Rice and Phillips in midfield.

[CTID Hants]

Spain getting in their stride and the Iti's starting to revert to type, conning the ref

[Harry Dowd scored]

If we end up playing Italy i think we'll struggle to keep hold of the ball with Rice and Phillips in midfield.

I’m sure our much lauded leader Slouthgate will have thought of that and make the appropriate tactical response

[CTID Hants]

Wow, the ref blows half time bang on just as Spain were on the break! 0 added time!!!

[branny]

If we end up playing Italy i think we'll struggle to keep hold of the ball with Rice and Phillips in midfield.

I’m sure our much lauded leader Slouthgate will have thought of that and make the appropriate tactical response

Checking the Busquets family tree for English eligibility?

[Harry Dowd scored]

Laporte got easily muscled off the ball then

[Harry Dowd scored]

Good goal is that

[Dameerto]

Danny Murphy's doing my head in. How can he steal a living as a commentator just because he used to kick a ball in a past life?

[branny]

Laporte doing the defending while Garcia watches.

[Dubciteh]

Garcia needs to do better there.

[CTID Hants]

Vamos España!!!!

I should be watching this in my Spanish local Marbella right now where it is currently 27°c