KB1862

Been announced on TalkSport that Phil Foden is heading back to Germany to rejoin the squad.

So far it's been a good tournament. VAR has proven during this tournament so far that it does have a place in the game. It's been quick and efficient and fans have been kept in the loop as to what's going on. The only exception with this was, shockingly, when English referees were involved in the game between France and Netherlands. The only time in which VAR took an age to come to a decision, a decision that I still feel was wrong, and disallow Xavi Simons goal. Shock of the group stage has got to be Georgia beating Portugal. The only 2 teams that have impressed me throughout the group stage has been Spain and Austria. Spain have got to be deemed favourites now and Austria the dark horses. France and England, both the favourites going in to the tournament, haven't backed up that favourites tag. I still feel like they need to abolish the whole best 3rd place teams go through. A few of the final group games were a bit of a bore because teams didn't want to risk anything, sat back and played for the draw as that was all that's needed to finish 3rd. It takes away the jeopardy. UEFA should have either kept it at 16 teams or made it 32 like the World Cup.

This is something I've been calling for for a while for this reason exactly. Harry Kane is so set on the idea of dropping really deep and on many occasions full backs and midfielders are usually ahead of him and balls get played in to areas in which Kane should be. Kane can be effective at dropping deep and playing passes we know he's got a strength in his game when it comes to pinging the ball and playing passes. However, if Southgate is happy for Kane to continually drop this deep then why doesn't he partner Kane with another striker like Watkins who likes to spin defenders and make runs in behind defenders? For me, it seems illogical to have a lone striker and allow him to drop as deep as Kane does.

I can't see Macca leaving. He looks comfortable at Notts and having been given the captaincy this could be a way to keep him. Although, if the right fee comes along and it's a fee that could be used wisely and is a price above valuation then as gutting as it would be would have no choice but to accept.

Unfortunately, I agree with this. Dismal group. None of the teams have shown as much as teams in other groups.

With the players England have and the favourable draw in which England have fallen in avoiding the big guns, England should be able to make the final. However, performances need to improve massively and players like Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon and Kobbie Mainoo need to be included and be given time on the pitch. As well as that play to the strengths of our players with quick free flowing high pressing game. If we continue with the type of performances we have shown in the 3 group games, I can't see England making the final. If we come up against Italy, Netherlands or Austria it will be a struggle. We always seem to get the favourable draws, particularly in Southgates tenure, but never do much and stumble at the first real challenge of playing against a top team. If England fail in this Euros, I believe it is a bigger failure than the so called "Golden Generation". I really hope I'm wrong and England goes all the way.

100% agree. Hopeful that this is his last tournament. Club managers get the best out of their players week in week out during the season yet Southgate makes them look like mediocre players playing for a mediocre team. This is quite possibly the most talented bunch of players we've had for many years. Players that should be playing MILES better than what they have been. It's clear to see where the issues lie but it's a question asked by so many as you've mentioned pundits and fans alike everyone can see it why can't Southgate? Rather than claiming he's oblivious to it maybe it's time he listened to the criticism and do something about it. Silence the critics. Instead, he's been stubborn stuck by his own way of doing things and done nothing to silence the critics. The criticism is justified.

Not if he continues to play him out of position he won't

On paper, Belgium should have walked this group but it turned out to be a tighter group than many anticipated. At the start of the tournament would never have expected Belgium to finish second or Ukraine to finish bottom. Football ay!

I forget what podcast it was on, either The Rest is Football or Footballs greatest, but they mention that in the 1986 World Cup England were struggling and key senior members of the squad went in to see Bobby Robson to explain that things aren't working tactically and maybe it would be better to go 3 at the back. Bobby Robson listened, he changed his ways and went 3 at the back. From then on England looked a better squad they got stronger, unfortunately due to 2 Maradona goals that should have both been disallowed they went out in the Quarter Final. This is what I believe needs to happen. Pundits and fans are all calling for the same thing and saying exactly the same thing. They can see the tactics are wrong, they can see where things need to change but unfortunately the only man that can change that is the man that doesn't seem to realise it. The performances are only as bad as they have been purely because of the tactics. I strongly believe that with a tactical tweak, we'll see an exciting England squad. A squad that plays the fast free flowing attacking football that we know they're capable of doing.

@Wheelbarrow repair man I think Pep would get this team working, maybe not to the level many believe he would but he'd definitely get them playing some exciting football. A type of football we're crying out for, a type of football that plays to the strengths of the players we have at our disposal. We have individual talents in this crop that all have a form of unity, bonding and togetherness about them, which is down to Southgate harmonising them from the cliques that hampered the England squad for years. The only thing missing is the tactical side of things. While Southgate has done some good in getting the togetherness and regaining that sense of believe that has been missing for years, he lets himself down when it comes to the tactical side of things. He hasn't got the capabilities to take England to the next step tactically as has been seen in recent performances. As for the captain side of things, I said from the moment Harry Kane was given the captains armband it was the wrong choice. Harry Kane is not a captain, especially not for England. It showed during the last World Cup when Southgate's reason for taking Jordan Henderson, who was captain of Liverpool at the time, was for his leadership. Harry Kane hasn't got it in him to lead England on the pitch. It's the modern game, captains are selected on popularity rather than leadership qualities. Tony Adams, Bryan Robson, Alan Shearer, David Beckham. They were all captains who could lead by example. Captains who wouldn't be afraid to go to manager and vent their frustrations or give insights as to what they believe needed to change.

It can depend on the manager but not always the case in having brilliant individual players to make the team better. Sir Alf Ramsay won the World Cup with England in 1966, not because he had the best players in the land but because the players he selected suited the way he wanted to play. I could be wrong but I believe Geoff Hurst was one of those players who questioned Alf Ramsay about being selected to play for England as he didn't think he was good enough to which Alf Ramsay told him it wasn't about him being good enough it was that he's a player that fits in his style of play. I think the crop of players England have at their disposal is good enough to consistently challenge but unfortunately I don't think Southgate has the capabilities to get the best out of them.

I think the squad is developing nicely. It's good to see that the recruitment process has been aimed at bringing in defenders which as we all know was an area that needed to be addressed last season.

Not a fan of parachute payments, it should absolutely be abolished. As it has been mentioned, it gives teams an unfair advantage when getting relegated which is why we see so many teams become Yo-Yo clubs. They're too good for the Championship but not good enough for the Premier League. Parachute payments also mean that clubs spend outside of their means which then results in them going into administration. Now more than ever clubs are being more cautious about what they spend due to implications of over spending due to their being a crack down on losses, ffp etc. Parachute payments don't last forever so if clubs spend outside their means but don't get promoted and stay where they are or even get relegated, finances become a real issue.

The game was a free hit. Qualification was already secured so I don't get why Southgate didn't try out some of the players who haven't had any game time yet. It's going to be hard to bring them in for a pure knockout game now. Wharton has been outstanding for Palace this season, could have had him next to Rice or even Mainoo who was impressive when coming on. Watkins could have been given a chance to show what he can do. Gordon should have got a start on the left with Palmer on the right, he showed how good he is when he came on. Konsa was good in the friendlies could have been given game time. It was a chance to rest the likes of Kane and Bellingham who both look knackered and a bit off their game. Trippier could have been rested to recover his calf. Walker could have been given a rest.

England have both a performance and tactical issue. Both of which stem from Gareth Southgate. It's frightening to hear comments from Kane like "we don't know how to press". We have one of the, if not the, best attacking players in the Euros but how can we have all that ability in attacking options and capabilities yet we're the most defensive minded team in the tournament. Go 1-0 up against both Serbia and Denmark then we sit back and soak up all the pressure with very little going forward. We should be a team, especially with the attacking threat we've got, continually going at teams and not dropping back defending a 1-0 lead. We should be a high pressing team and not a counter attacking team. The criticism aimed at Gareth Southgate is justified. Things aren't working but Southgate isn't capable of making tactical changes to change the course of the game in England's favour, never has been. It's hard to criticise the players too much because they're being instructed to play a certain way and unfortunately this is why the performances aren't up to scratch. Phil Foden isn't a left winger, he's a 10. He's shown little glimpses when he's moved more centrally of what he can do. Jude Bellingham needs to be put alongside Declan Rice. The past 2 games he's not looked comfortable in the 10 role, England would get the best out of him if he was played in the 8 role. Before the tournament started, I had very little expectations for England. I predict a Quarter Final exit even despite the tag of being one of the favourites. The performances in the 3 group games haven't filled me with confidence and we'd be lucky to get to the Quarter Finals. Harry Kane also needs to stop dropping so deep but game after game we see it. If Southgate is happy for him to drop that deep then he should really have him playing off someone like Watkins who likes to run in behind. Another tweak needs to be make the substitutes earlier. Anthony Gordon deserved more than 4 minutes on that pitch and even then he created more chances than anyone else. Yesterday was a free hit and even despite qualification secured, there was only one change to the side that started the previous 2 and even that was a defensive change. The game yesterday changed when the likes of Palmer and Mainoo came on, 2 players that pushed forward. Pickford Walker Stones Guehi Trippier Bellingham Rice Palmer Foden(if he's back) Gordon Kane That's the team for next game on Sunday.

Man City are gonna get away with it. Politics shouldn't be a factor in football. Would it have been possible to achieve without the things they're being charged with? Maybe not but even with the charges they still have to go out there week in week out and perform. What Pep and this group of players have done is a great achievement.

@DonnyNotts everyone has an opinion. No opinion can be wrong but in my opinion, I find it strange to see fans wanting their team to lose to stop a rival even when they have chance at gaining something from a win. Look how the results played out afterwards, had they won they'd be looking forward to champions league football next season.

All season long League Two had no VAR but the play off final between Crewe and Crawley, it was in place. But had it not been for VAR Crawley might not have won with the penalty incident that the VAR overturned. VAR have come out and said that they won't intervene next season only for clear errors, I'm sure we've heard that before. Surely time to scrap it.

Finally a team with a backbone. I doubt it will go through though according to reports pretty much all of the "big 6" clubs all are in favour of keeping it so no doubt they'll bow to that. Also factor in the owners of the clubs, they see the PL as a project rather than a football league so if they have their way, it will remain next season onwards. I really hope though that clubs listen to their fans and realise that VAR needs to be scrapped. The only downside to scrapping VAR that I can see is that with the situation with Mike Dean not calling a decision to protect his mate could happen more often and be deemed as missed by the naked eye in real time thus meaning human error and it'll be accepted.

@Robbie Imagine the scenes though if Villa lose at the weekend and Spurs win. They would have had CL football with a win against City so for their fans, as you've quite rightly mentioned, to want their team to throw that away is plain bizarre. The thing is Ange is saying all the same things Mourinho and Conte both said about the club, just in a different way. I like Ange, he's a manager who speaks his mind talks well and has a desire to win. He really wants to be the best and has a plan but I don't think Spurs deserve him, especially with how their fans have been over the past 48 hours.

@Robbie Apparently Spurs fans were doing the Poznan, which is City's fans thing, when City scored their first and second. There's also a clip doing the rounds from TalkSport last night where Jamie O'Hara (a man that defends Spurs all the time, always backs them and wants them to go forward) was wearing a Man City top and celebrating both goals. Strange behaviour.

@Robbie Spot on with every point made here. This scenario also brought a clip from 2019 to light when Arsenal fans were asked whether they'd lose their Europa League tie with Chelsea if it meant Spurs losing the Champions League Final to which most of them said they'd rather lose the Europa League than see Spurs win the Champions League. No matter what the implications are, you should always back your club to win. Ange is baffled and annoyed by the situation and quite honestly I can't blame him. There's a clip of him doing the rounds arguing with a fan from the technical area. Not sure what was said but I'm guessing it relates to this thing about wanting to lose.