I almost didn't recognise Ashley Giles.
I thought there was a moment when Spain wobbled after we scored, but they pulled themselves back together quickly. The winning goal was pretty much perfect, impossible to defend.
They could have had a few more, Jordan Pickford had a good game.
I don't know why Kane was looking so weary and slow all tournament, perhaps he had too hard a season with Bayern or had an injury no-one was told about.
Well done to Spain.
Well done to England and Southgate for getting to final twice.
Who ever is taking over from Southgate needs to create a team of champion, otherwise they will all fall short.
It's been a great 10 days but Trump, Euros,....... someone hide the razor blades.
I blame Kier.
There we have it - not good enough...again.
I almost didn’t recognise Ashley Giles.
Lol.
I don’t really follow Spanish football but I know Bellingham has had an exceptional season. He’s done nowt to make me warm to him during this tournament though; he’s picked up the bad habits of sulking and diving and I’m not sure what he really brought to the team (apart from one worldly).
When did Gordon piss on Gareth’s chips?
When does Harry stand down as captain?
Did the English team get paid per backwards pass?
They were very lucky to get to the final. I like Southgate and what he’s done but I hope he stands aside and a fresh attitude comes in.
Standard
Only if you started watching England in the last few years. They did well, and didn't have quite enough against an excellent team.
?? ?? ??
But actually even I thought the England team were more exciting and engaging, and if it weren't for the sparks of that 17 year old (!!!) Spain would have been a lot less interesting. Pick Pickford had an amazing match - but I bet it doesn't feel like it right now.
Not sure Southgate or Kane will be seen again - and I'm not sure either owes the team anything. No shame in going now; they just don't fit right
Time for some more dynamic attacking play, for me. Even if "we" get screwed every now & then it'd be a good watch. Wonder if a proper top flight manager would take them for the next world cup at least?
They just sat back every time they scored, it must be by design, tactics, whatever. Spain could have folded after the equaliser, the momentum should have been with England after that but same old story. Maybe their achievement was just getting to the final.
Agree re Bellingham. Very ordinary again tonight, lots of poor touches and mis-placed passes. I’m not sure how you get him and Foden in the same side to be honest.
Tier 1 players; tier 3 team. The manager is and nearly always is, the ineffective variable. Next manager won't do as well as Southgate.
Played decent, much better when behind and deserved the equaliser.
I wish they had played like that from erne start (and with Watkins and Palmer).
Spain deserved the win.
I feel sorry for Kane. I think that could... should be his last game for England.
Same old story for England, the sum not being quite the total of its parts.
Spain were first to the ball, kept it well, and won it back quickly.
England ran after it, were hustled off it, and lost it constantly.
Three very lovely goals for the lovers.
All too slow and sedated.
The Spanish just moved the ball around twice as quick . It's 2 touch football, control , pass . Use the width of the pitch and make your opponent run around like school football.
We however play advanced walking football, it's 6 touch and then pass it to the player who was open after 10 seconds of pondering. This gives the opposition all the time to get into shape and man mark.
Nothing wrong with keeping possession, but you do need to be able to get the ball in to the corner with a decisive pass , and runners who can collect , control and deliver it back across the penalty spot.
Didn't watch it, but pleased to find out that it wasn't decided on penalties...it sounds like a proper game was played and the winner did score more goals. Penalties and then sudden death is just a rubbish way to decide the winner as they didn't really need to play the actual; game if that was what is deciding it.
Thought they were well beaten by the better team last night.
However I do feel we have the ability to be the better team. People saying Kane is past it seen to be forgetting that he was the top scorer in Germany this year.
I think England would be better suited with a false 9 and having Foden, Bellingham and Saka taking turns running in behind to stretch the defence or something
Only if you started watching England in the last few years
Not at all. Been watching them a long time. Think this quote summed it up best:
the sum not being quite the total of its parts
I like Southgate and what he has done for the national team/set-up, and he deserves a huge amount of credit for that, along with the rest of the set-up behind the scenes. I believe the biggest positive change has been getting rid of the old divisive ways of inter-club rivalries that existed in the squad, which many of the former players have talked about since, especially the Man Utd & Liverpool players, and which no doubt hampered previous generations.
Not the most memorable tournament ever but Spain was the standout team throughout and deserved it. They pressed us when we were in possession, we sat back and let them play.
Onwards to 2026 🙂
I feel sorry for Kane. I think that could… should be his last game for England.
It won't be. Was shocked to look it up and find out he's only 30, was assuming he was mid-30s from his energy levels on pitch. Something must be up with him, injury, illness, fatigue, whatever. It will be a bit frustrating when he goes back to Bayern and finds his energy and starts knocking them in again.
Even so, you can't afford to build a team around someone who goes missing for pretty much an entire tournament.
Hiya,
It seemed obvious to me that Kane shouldn't have been on the pitch for most of the games. The final game proved that. England just don't seem to play well with him on the pitch. Next time play to win from the start not the end.
BR
JeZ
Apparently Kane has been playing with injections since the last few weeks of the domestic season.
If true, both him and Southgate are to blame for him starting every game.
The constant long balls from Pickford were very strange, some of the defenders were asking for the ball and were visibly refused.
He made some great saves, however, one of them came from a dreadful longball, that ended up with a couple of passes, straight back at him.
It's all over now, Spain deserved it, and they had to beat the hosts, the holders and France to get to the final, England had a much easier route, but sometimes that can go against you when you're then having to go into a final and play a team on a level pegging in terms of quality.
The big questions for England from this and previous tournaments is why do they seem to have less possession, when they have so many skilful players who are comfortable with the ball, why does Kane play like Spurs Kane instead of Bayern Kane for England, why can't England find balance in midfield and why are England so predictable with the ball?
Shearer was annoying to listen to as well last night, although he did make me laugh when he said that Morata was coming deep for the ball and that's great as he'll not hurt us doing that, yet has watched Kane do it the entire tournament without complaint, England have a couple of world class players in this squad, including Kane, and it just seems they aren't the same for country as they are for club, individually Spain weren't better than England on paper, but as a team they just work better, that was the difference, players doing the same job they do for their club at international level, was good to see Nico Williams have a good tournament and final, love watching him play, proper winger who gets to the byline or can cut inside.
The constant long balls from Pickford were very strange, some of the defenders were asking for the ball and were visibly refused.
Especially as he has world class defenders in front of him who are used to playing out from the back in comfort pretty much every single time for their clubs.
Apparently Kane has been playing with injections since the last few weeks of the domestic season.
I suppose we should be grateful he only brought two injured players and not Maguire as well. Although Shaw was probably our best player last night.
I think the rumour was from Gary Neville about injections, so not the best source, i'd also say that i don't think there are any top players who play through injections anymore, not with the issues that the previous generation had with playing with cortisone injections, i think it's controlled now as well due to the medical issues.
England looked terrified. Hence the complete failure to play out from the back, the rabbit in the headlights freezing as soon as we got the ball, before passing it sideways a couple of times and then back to Pickford. And it was finally exemplified in about the 85th minute when, desperate for a goal, we got a throw in near their corner flag on the right. A chance to get it into the box, maybe make something happen. Walker launched it back to Stones on the halfway line, who turned round and passed it all the way back to Pickford again, who promptly lumped it up the pitch and lost possession (again).
Whenever we had the ball, they harried and pressed us, whenever they had it, we stood back in fear and awe and waited to see what they would do.
So odd, considering they're all such good players the rest of the year. Still though, some bright spots for the future I guess. And Spain were clearly an excellent team, they deserved it, no doubt.
Yep, thought Shaw really controlled the wonderkid pretty well.
The draw was too kind to England (as in the last Euros) which meant that a poor Dutch side was the first heavyweight England faced after struggling against the Balkan sides.
Still, I'd be well pleased if we got to a final in any world sport.
The constant long balls from Pickford were very strange, some of the defenders were asking for the ball and were visibly refused.
I'm not claiming to be a tactical genius, but I'm looking back at previous posts and our single biggest error is clear to me.
After we won the semi someone asked 'How do we play against Spain?' and I said - the same way we've played against others and let them worry about us or words to that effect.
The BBC did a piece in the preview about the danger of the Spanish high press, and undoubtedly it is. But they also showed the spaces that open up if the press is beaten. As I posted last night.
For all the talent we have we just lacked the balls to try and play through the press. Gave up on that as an option because we were scared of losing it at the back and then had almost no chance of getting space on the ball.
We conceded that battle almost from the start, and went to longer balls that a relatively immobile Kane wasn't getting near. I don't know if it was a game plan, or fear of failing. I don't 'blame' Pickford as such; sure, he decided to play long in the end but equally just playing short when he has possibly the better visibility of a trap being set would be brave. But that's the gamble the BBC laid out, you have to take the trap on and if you do the rewards are there.
Who knows, we may have given away another soft goal like the NL one and then been even more scared. We may have sprung the trap and created a chance or scored ourselves, getting the Spanish then thinking if the press is too risky. If the likes of Bellingham, Saka, Foden can get on the ball with the opposition behind them in a beaten press then we can be very dangerous, the only time they really got on the ball they had 10 defenders to play through.
We don't know whether we are their counter-equals or not, because we never really tried to equal them at football. In the end, just lacked the balls to do it.
People saying Kane is past it seen to be forgetting that he was the top scorer in Germany this year.
And the (equal) top scorer in the tournament
Kane scored 3 goals.
1 penalty.
1 complete fluke that needed a defender's error and then 2 weird deflections.
He had a very poor tournament.
Doesn't mean he's not a good footballer but he's very ineffective in that England team.
Mrs TiRed, who follows no football but dutifully sat through the game, said Harry Kane looked tired and didn't seem to run fast! Every time he came off, we played better. One third of all his goals for England have been from penalties (this competition included).
Not exactly Nostradamus territory, but still funny:
EDIT: Oh never mind, they actually said quarters!
Well England finally got what they deserved. They should never have got past the second round with that dreadful anti-football. I thought it couldn't get much worse than the earlier games and then Southgate sent them out to play early 90s hoofball. It was like watching Jack Charlton's Irish team. Playing those tactics with those players is a crime against the sport.
Well England finally got what they deserved.
They lost by one goal to the best team in the tournament. There's some truly ludicrous hyperbole on this thread.
They lost by one goal to the best team in the tournament.
They were very poor.
They had 35% possession.
They were set up poorly.
The players underperformed, IMO because of the tactics.
The manager constantly started under performing players.
The constant long balls from the keeper was very strange.
The constant long balls from the keeper was very strange.
It was frustrating to see, but in the context of a game in which we appeared incapable of dealing with the Spanish press, and it seemed like our players had lost faith in their ability to play quick one touch passing, it makes sense that they felt the only other option was to try and go over the top.
I disagree with dazh in that I don't think this was Southgate's instruction - they didn't do it straight away. They tried and failed to play out for the first half hour or so. And then gave up
IMO it is Southgate's instructions, and it is a "tactic" he has had them implementing for years, in fact I would go as far as to say it is the only clear tactic that the team display with any regularity.
Pickford is pretty good with his feet, but he isn't good at decision making in his distribution, he just boots it up to Kane whatever, he doesn't seem to look if he is swamped with defenders or free in space.
I disagree with dazh in that I don’t think this was Southgate’s instruction
It was a combination of instruction and the direct result of Southgate picking a centre forward who couldn't run. I have no argument with setting them up defensively against such quality opposition, but you have to have an outlet so you can break on transition. Instead of Watkins or Toney being ready on the halfway line to run behind the defence when England get the ball in their own half, they had Harry Kane standing around out of position facing his own goal. The result then is losing the ball when the midfield reach a deadend, or back to the keeper whilst already under pressure which results in a hoof forward.
England had one difficult game in the whole tournament and still messed it up.
Southgate is a dreadful manager. Absolutely woeful.
Consistently picking players on reputation rather than form.
Kane is a classic example. Should've been dropped after the first game, at worst the second group game. Shows how weak and gutless Southgate is. probably shouldn't have even taken him given how he 'performed'.
I do enjoy all the hype before a ball is kicked and how many fans and pundits believe the England team is packed with world class talent, in spite of what they watch with their own eyes.
All very very funny/entertaining to sit back and watch it all unfold.
Then you get the England fans. Who are without a shadow of doubt the lowest of the low and a total embarrassment.
A far higher percentage of knuckle dragging morons than any other nation, probably all put together.
Videos all over social media today from many parts of the UK of the England fans fighting each other, or attempting to.
The Irish, Welsh, Scottish can all travel without incident in the main. I was at Euro 2016 and saw this with my own eyes with Welsh and Irish fans. All nations are welcomed back by the host countries.
The English? They cannot wait to see the back of them. What did the England lot do at Euro 2016? Started scrapping with the Russian mob and trashed town centres and local businesses - which is a common theme with England fans. Drink too much, try to offend everyone in sight and then the one pint van damme's kick off with anyone in spitting distance.
Agree with pretty much everything theotherjonv said - I would also add, that Spain absolutely dominated midfield. When we did that to the Dutch Koeman put an extra man in midfield & shortly after bought on a target man.
Last night was crying out for an extra man in midfield just to break up the Spanish rhythm.
I'm sure Gareth knows best - but when the team have stumbled into a formation that works & is balanced did he change shape back to 4 at the back.
While he's done a great job as England manager, it feels the way the draws have opened up at the last few (2022 is the exception) tournaments we should've been able to get at least one across the line.
You just have to find a way, or a manager, who can do better with the players they'll have to pick from, England probably have the strongest squad of players, but there were a lot of individuals on the pitch during this tournament for them, just seems to be too many not doing what they do for their club at international, i don't mean that negatively, i mean that in their position and mindset, they are changing to fit in, rather than being built for the best overall team.
As for midfield, i'd be on the phone to Roy Keane to get some advice, that midfield has not worked this tournament, and i know it was Spain yesterday, but they lost Pedri early in this tournament and Rodri yesterday, there was a real chance to press that midfield into mistakes, but it was never happening.
i’d be on the phone to Roy Keane to get some advice,
His advice would be if you're not happy with the manager go home.
I’m sure Gareth knows best – but when the team have stumbled into a formation that works & is balanced did he change shape back to 4 at the back.
My ill informed tactical analysis - 3 center backs and wing backs pushing high would have left a lot of space for Spain's wingers, who were a lot more dangerous than previous opponents. Having the wing backs sit deeper would probably mean starting an extra defensive player, which is a hard call to make. The 5 in previous matches looked like it shifted to a 4 quite fluidly anyway with Saka and Walker playing down the right.
Walker and Shaw seemed to do a really good job of shutting down Williams and Yamal in the first half when they were trying to take them on one-on-one. After half time those two were dropping off and picking up the ball in space or making later runs.
Southgate is a dreadful manager. Absolutely woeful.
how did all the others do, post Alf Ramsay? Better, I assume?
Shows how weak and gutless Southgate is. probably shouldn’t have even taken him given how he ‘performed’.
joint winner of the golden boot?
Shared with 5 other players.
3 goals.
1 penalty.
1 that came for a mistake and then 2 weird deflections.
Kane was woeful in this competition.
