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France 1-1 Poland
Netherlands 2-3 Austria

Well, well, well - Austria top the group!! And the Netherlands drop from first to third. Who would have predicted that…..

Football continues to be bonkers.

warspite1 wrote: Tue Jun 25, 2024 5:59 pm France 1-1 Poland
Netherlands 2-3 Austria

Well, well, well - Austria top the group!! And the Netherlands drop from first to third. Who would have predicted that…..

Football continues to be bonkers.

Netherlands - Austria was a cracking game to watch. Austria worthy winners.

Netherlands had just 2 shots on target.

Best wishes,
Steve

Micky Van de Ven was good value when he came on. Virgil van Dijk was responsible for the Austrian winner…. Just saying

warspite1 wrote: Tue Jun 25, 2024 5:59 pm Football continues to be bonkers.

The big question now is:- Will England break Croatian hearts?

Best wishes,
Steve

Gareth Southgate has really rung the changes…. Er Gallagher for TAA….. okay.

End of the day we still have arguably the best players in the Bundesliga, Premier League and La Liga on the pitch. Wouldn’t it be nice if this could be reflected in an England performance just for once……

15 mins

England 0-0 Slovenia

Dross so far…… Harry having to keep coming back to get the ball - there is just no link up play, no movement, no invention…… just dull.

30 mins

England 0-0 Slovenia

A better 15 - Foden involved a lot - surely he needs to be at no 10 and have someone on his left…..

Half time

England 0-0 Slovenia

Last 15 was okay, nothing more (except Trippier finally put a decent cross in) - Slovenia had a couple of spells of possession too.

Still way off overall.

Mainoo for Gallagher at half time.

60 mins

England 0-0 Slovenia

All the possession in this segment is England’s. But still there is too little invention - it’s all so predictable

75 mins

England 0-0 Slovenia

Absolutely nothing to report…… but Cole Palmer is on - can he do anything?

80 mins

England 0-0 Slovenia

10 mins to go and Cole Palmer has actually been positive - but he can’t do it all himself….

Full time

England 0-0 Slovenia

Really not much to be said is there? We have the players but when they put on an England shirt, they look individually and collectively like a pub team. England are simply not good enough - that is the sad fact.

shunwick wrote: Tue Jun 25, 2024 6:16 pm

warspite1 wrote: Tue Jun 25, 2024 5:59 pm Football continues to be bonkers.

The big question now is:- Will England break Croatian hearts?

Best wishes,
Steve

warspite1

Hahahahahahaha yes, of course…..

I came here to read the Brits say their team is *bad*... and I did that. Yet they won their group. Says something about what they think of their opponents too.

Euro 2024

England 0 Slovenia 0
Denmark 0 Serbia 0

So both England and Denmark let down Croatia.

Slovenia, certainly the happier of the two teams. Organized and defended well but then again, nearly always had England in front of them. England lacked any imagination and created practically nothing in the game. Safety first, take no risks, keep everything at walking pace and, at times, seemed to want to walk the ball the net. Don't see them as serious challengers.

Best wishes,
Steve

shunwick wrote: Tue Jun 25, 2024 9:11 pm
Don't see them as serious challengers.

warspite1

Indeed - oh well, at least we can look forward to some decent football matches tomorrow

Copa America 2024

Brazil 0 Costa Rica 0
Peru 0 Canada1

Great results for both Costa Rica and Canada.

Best Wishes,
Steve

So to the last of the group games today.

Group E

Ukraine vs Belgium
Slovakia vs Romania

Group F

Czech Republic vs Turkey
Georgia vs Portugal

No one in these two groups are definitely out of the competition, so everyone has something to play for.

Group E is well set up with all four teams on 3 points and so all have a chance of finishing top - although Ukraine are hampered by their -2 Goal Difference. The 3 points already gathered, means that who ever finishes third will definitely qualify (barring a weird set of results that sees both Ukraine and Slovakia lose heavily such that the team in third finish behind Hungary on Goal Difference and Czech or Georgia win!).

Portual have won Group F unless there is a huge goal swing against them/for Turkey. Both Czech and Georgia can still qualify but they need to win to do so - If both win then Turkey go out.

The post mortem (well not really a post mortem as England are not quite dead yet ) continues this morning. The one thing everyone - fans, ex-players, pundits, press and foreign press agree on is that England have been positively woeful. L'Equipe were once again scathing in their player ratings.

What last night hopefully evidenced to Gareth Southgate (but I doubt it) is that Jude Bellingham is really not playing well and that Gallagher is not the answer in midfield. One of the many problems is that Cole Palmer did really well when he came on - but his position on the right wing would be in place of Saka who has had a decent tournament (at least relative to other England players).

The bold move would be to sub Bellingham, play Foden at 10 and bring in a winger on the left. Mainoo possibly keeps his midfield spot. But what to do with Palmer is not obvious - could he play 10? But that would mean dropping Foden or keeping him stuck out on the left.....

Sweeping (and experimental) changes are really not Southgate's style - and to do so in a knock out match seems unthinkable.

But then as I've said before, I believe its tactics letting England down. The starting 11 last night was once again MUCH better on paper than the performance they put in - why?.

France have not had the best of starts either, and have only got one win and two goals. But unlike England, were in a tough group and this has meant they finished second. So England - also with just one win and two goals (but also are 21st in goal expectancy (out of 24) which evidences the total lack of chances being created) luckily avoid the "big four" - France, Germany, Portugal and Spain. But given the way they are playing (Slovenia are 57th in the rankings!) its difficult seeing them progress on Sunday, regardless of who they play.

Lets hope that Gareth Southgate can turn this around - but then we've been saying that since the Serbia game.....