UEFA Euro 2024: Mod Note Added 2/7/24

Southgate can fall back on making a World Cup semi and a Euro final but we all saw who they faced to get there. In his 3 international tournaments with England here are all the teams he's beaten:

Tunisia, Panama, Colombia, Sweden, Croatia, Czechia, Germany, Ukraine, Denmark, Iran, Wales, Senegal.

They're a pot 1 team, most of their games are going to be against weaker opposition. I personally wouldn't call Colombia, Sweden, Germany, or Denmark easy games at all. He navigated them.

At the end of the day, he took over a team that was knocked out to Iceland. He gets good draws but he also wins those games. He turned them into a team where they get through each round you would expect them to get through in. He's been eliminated by Croatia in a WC SF, Italy on penalties in a final, and France in a QF.

The only thing he didn't do was win a tournament. No English manager has since Alf and plenty of others have had equally good squads.

Germany was probably his greatest day. It was the only time they let loose against another tier 1 side.

England haven’t beaten a team where the odds or expectations would be even or worse before kick off under Gareth.

Thats kind of irrelevant. How many matches have they played where they are not favorites on the betting market? More than likely 1 game….France. They were knocked out by Croatia and Italy where in both instances, they were favorites.

If you want to include the Nations League (which I don't think should be included), they beat Spain in Spain and beat Belgium at home. In both instances, its entirely plausible the other team were favorites (certainly Spain, Belgium questionable).

True, but they've absolutely poxed another tournament draw. There's nobody outstanding their side of the draw so it's not inconceivable they'd stagger into another Euro final.

In fairness, Bellingham's performance levels did tail off quite a bit the last two months of the season (or thereabouts). The Final and Semis of the CL he just didn't have the influence that was expected. I don't think he's been noticeable this tournament either - but then playing in this England side with this Manager, you'd have to cut him some slack!

England, despite their shortcomings I think will get over Slovakia without too much difficulty. But after that, I expect a different story.

If it's Switzerland in the QF, I can definitely see England on their way home. The Swiss will love going into that game as underdogs. They caught the French off-guard 3 years ago and were excellent in their drawn group game vs Germany. It's the kind of game they would relish…..and Southgate would dread.

He was all over the pitch working very hard at the end of the season. Madrid were struggling to get the ball forward and he went back to help out.

Just because he wasn't shooting at goal or providing assists doesn't mean he wasnt playing great.

It wasn't just me, his performances were being criticised by many in the media as well.

There has been a noticeable dip in his performances in the last few months.

Please delete if no pics/jokes allowed, wasnt sure.

Trent has played as a dedicated midfielder a few times under Klopp. The first time was in 17/18 for a couple games in the run in before the CL final.

Klopp tried Trent out as a quasi-quarter back DM role at times during the 20/21 covid season. This was the start of his transition, picking up the ball in between the CBs to start attacks, rather than being a RB bombing down the wing.

Then he progressed to being used as an sort of inside/inverted midfielder loads. The first time we saw that was 21/22 for a good run of games. This was usually higher up the pitch as a right sided 8 or even attacking midfielder at times. Before then fully committing to it at the back end of 22/23 and the whole of 23/24 when he was fit. Trent was one of the best players in the league playing this role before the injury in January put him out for a few months. Given Liverpool's possession and game state, he played most of the games in various guises in midfield; be it that deep lying playmaker role taking the ball off of the GK to start attacks or alongside MacAllister in a double pivot.

The key thing here though is that he was able to play quick passes forwards through the lines, to players who actually showed movement.

It was in this 22/23/24 period when he was actually starting and finishing games in midfield consistently though. He might line up as RB on the team sheet but we know where he really played.

Paul Merson had unusual logic on Southgate not making early subs/being decisive.

Merson said "It is like he is afraid to give a player (sub) too much time because if did the player might play well and he would have to start him the next game!"

As I said after the Spain game, Italy would be a shrewd bet, and now the draw has opened up for them. They'll beat the Swiss and roll England over. Their confidence is on a high. It's a marathon not a sprint. What Italy do better than everyone, is generally start OK, but improve with every round.

Spain have been the front runners who'll drop off, Italy coming along nicely on the outside. We've heard this Italy being called one of the worst ever in the media and people all over this forum. What I always say to people though, is you've big money on a team, and suddenly you're facing Italy, how confident are you all of a sudden? Or how poor do you think they really are?

Since the draw has been made, people are saying England are on the easy side of the draw. But there's been a downbeat responce really from most England fans, they see Italy on the same side, and all of a sudden they aren't so confident anymore. So we'll see now, just how "bad" this Italy team is, when they get a hold of England!

This is exactly it. At Liverpool the whole team would have an understanding of TAAs positioning and what they should be doing relative to him. Southgate just expects to stick him in midfield without any sort of coaching and expects things to happen.

For a man who’s been in the job 8 years it’s pretty shocking how little coaching seems to have gone on in general. There’s very little evidence of the team playing in any patterns with chances being created off the wing for the most part.

What you're referring to (Italy starting Ok and improving with every round) has happened very rarely, in the last 20 years. I think this is a slightly romanticized view of Italy and largely based on long ago performances.

They haven't even reached the knockout stages of a World Cup since 2006!

At the last Euros in 21, they actually did the reverse of this. They were excellent in the group stages, they were every neutral's favourite team to watch.

By the Semi's they really looked out of gas and were definitely dis-improving. They were very fortunate to get past Spain in the SF (on penalties) and even luckier still to meet in the final an England side that were crippled by lack of self-belief and an overly cautious manager. Any decent side would have dispatched Italy in the final that night, imo.

I actually fancy the Swiss could do them this weekend, although it will be a tight game. Switzerland are one of those "under the radar" teams. but their record in tournament football is quite good and they have a great defence led by Akanji and Schaar.

No one is talking about them which will suit them just fine, and they won't have any fear of Italy

Simple.

Ron is picking the team.

Italy play the way they do because they are just not very good. There are just too many gaps in quality across the pitch.

Well, we'll get the see how Rooney "the sage" fares with Plymouth in a few weeks time. He should wrap up his podcast and media spots and knuckle down as they are 44 days out from the season opener at Sheffield Wednesday. And its live!!! on Sky.

…….. and back to the Euros, not on Sky!

Rooney said that TAA was brilliant on the ball but was a problem defensively in central midfield.

He could be the worst manager in history, but he isn't wrong. Positionally TAA is all over the place when played in central midfield.

Mad that people can't make any criticism of special Trent without some taking offence. He isn't as good as you want him to be lads, get over it.

He's been asked to play in a 2 man midfield, it's ridiculous. Either play him at right back, 3 man midfield or don't play him at all.

Rooney is saying nothing we don't all know. It's not exactly insightful analysis that needed publishing.

In other news Gordon has injured himself after an incident with an exercise bike.