EURO 2021 FINAL - Italy v England. Sunday 11th July 2021 20:00.

[Yorkshire Blue]

Back to the game, I just wished we had started with a more attacking line up, and went toe to toe with them as the Spanish had done. We played right into their hands, and our strikers were on the half way line and hardly had a chance. All that attacking talent on the bench. Then to add insult, we bring on Henderson who immediately passes backwards and sideways as usual. The best team on the night won the trophy, but we helped them big time.

Yes exactly this but for whatever reason, Ferdinand suggest that he froze, Southgate was too cautious to through on Rashford and Sancho to try and exploit that - I wonder if he regrets that (lack of) decision with hindsight.

Hopefully lessons learned for the next tournament.

Fortune favours the brave.

Like it favoured Spain?

England took the best team in the world, one undefeated in over 30 matches and pushed them all the way. We held the top scorers in the tournament to a single goal in 120 minutes, that goal coming from a set piece at that. With any game there will be things that could have been done differently, done better. You're never going to get the perfect game but we should be incredibly proud of what this England team achieved and how we came so close to winning it all and how little there was between England and Italy, so little that the two sides had to be separated by the arbitrary means of a penalty shoot out.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

My darkest day as an England supporter was at the hands (literally) of that cheat in 1986. I thought we had the best team in the world at that time and we would have gone on to win the world cup.

I look back at that team we had in 86 and I struggle to imagine them as the best team in the world when they had the likes of Terry Fenwick in the side.

We had some proper ropey players in that squad.

 

[Tampa Blue]

Proud of our Team - 100% yes

Satisfied with being runners up - 100% no

We are unlikely to have a better chance of winning a major tournament than we had that day - home advantage, no injuries but we lacked ambition - Kane no touches in open play in their penalty area sums up the role that I assume he was asked to play.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Like it favoured Spain?

England took the best team in the world, one undefeated in over 30 matches and pushed them all the way. We held the top scorers in the tournament to a single goal in 120 minutes, that goal coming from a set piece at that. With any game there will be things that could have been done differently, done better. You're never going to get the perfect game but we should be incredibly proud of what this England team achieved and how we came so close to winning it all and how little there was between England and Italy, so little that the two sides had to be separated by the arbitrary means of a penalty shoot out.

Who said anything about not being proud? We had a great chance of lifting the trophy though. Spain showed us that Italy were most vulnerable when being attacked. How Spain didn't beat them I don't know. Whereas we sat back and hardly made any good chances. Harry Kane needs to be at least near the penalty area, but he hardly was as we were playing so deep. It became like a training session, with attack versus defence. Yes we got to the final, brilliant, all be it the draw was kind to us. But we could now go another 50 odd years before getting in a major final, and if so, lots of us won't be here to see it. I personally think it was a chance missed by lining up so negative, and concentrating on not letting in goals.

 

[Rob Noxious]

I look back at that team we had in 86 and I struggle to imagine them as the best team in the world when they had the likes of Terry Fenwick in the side.

We had some proper ropey players in that squad.

Yes - I remember (at the time) David Lacey writing something along the lines of most people preferring the World Cup outcome being decided by the hand of Maradona rather than the elbow of Fenwick.

 

[ozzie]

Bollocks !! maybe....but true

 

[Kris]

Who said anything about not being proud? We had a great chance of lifting the trophy though. Spain showed us that Italy were most vulnerable when being attacked. How Spain didn't beat them I don't know. Whereas we sat back and hardly made any good chances. Harry Kane needs to be at least near the penalty area, but he hardly was as we were playing so deep. It became like a training session, with attack versus defence. Yes we got to the final, brilliant, all be it the draw was kind to us. But we could now go another 50 odd years before getting in a major final, and if so, lots of us won't be here to see it. I personally think it was a chance missed by lining up so negative, and concentrating on not letting in goals.

In fairness we went for the jugular in the first 20 minutes but couldn’t take advantage. After that Italy came back into it, which is what great teams do.

I don’t think we deliberately sat off, it was more that they kept the ball very effectively and moved it quickly in midfield and forced us back. Sterling had to run his nuts off to track their left-back for example. Equally, Chiesa was running riot and it was only when he was forced off that we started to compete again. It reminded me of the quarter-final defeat to Portugal under SGE all those years ago so having to defend a lead is nothing new.

I don’t get the lack of respect for Italy. More than 30 games unbeaten and when you have that mentality you find ways to win or not lose - even Man Utd at their peak picked up some points they didn’t deserve on the run of play, whether a Schmeichel masterclass in goal or a moment of brilliance from Cantona, Giggs, Beckham, etc, - they should get more credit.

Proud of our Team - 100% yes

Satisfied with being runners up - 100% no

We are unlikely to have a better chance of winning a major tournament than we had that day - home advantage, no injuries but we lacked ambition - Kane no touches in open play in their penalty area sums up the role that I assume he was asked to play.

If we’d beaten Italy in the semis and lost to Denmark in the final I'd agree but Italy were the best team in the tournament and we were the underdogs. To be honest taking them to penalties shouldn't be frowned upon because we didn't actually lose. It was always going to be a very tight game. Would people still be critical if we'd won the shoot-out?

Regarding home advantage, I think it is watered down in tournaments. Denmark lost both their games at home, Turkey lost to Wales, Germany failed to beat Hungary, etc, and likewise in finals France lost to Portugal and Portugal lost to Greece. Also, I don't think anyone has mentioned the fact that Italy had an extra day to prepare for the final.

Kane played in the number 10 role for Spurs for most of the season, with Son running ahead of him, so it's not a unique tactic. I'm not a fan of him in that position at all but it does point to the reason why he wasn't in the box enough, even though he should have been.

Italy are more gifted technically and have a midfielder in Giorginho who is able to dictate games; we don't, although Rice in particular had his best game in an England shirt. I think we missed Foden who, while not at his best in this tournament, would have given Italy something to worry about.

Don't get wrong, I was distraught after the game but I'm not quite as frustrated as some because in my heart I thought Italy would have the edge. I was more frustrated with the defeat to Croatia, which we definitely should have won.

Like before,only against poor -average teams.
Against good -"goodish " teams we are still the same

We managed to beat Spain and Croatia to reach the nations league semi-final and they are goodish teams.

 

[ozzie]

Croatia are past their best
AS for Spain,result is everthing....Great..but at home v Spain we were very lucky only to beaten by one.
At home they were far better than us,both 45 mins.
Away,great stuff..caught them in the first half,playing ATTACKING football.Second they were all over us again.IMO,we were on the floor 2nd half,but held on.With a tad luck.
So V Spain..three halves totally outplayed.One 45 minutes SUPER

 

[ozzie]

I've had a long think on this post @ozzie, and on reflection, whilst all opinions are welcome, in light of our progress during the last World Cup and now Euro 2021, I think your view on this is total bollocks.

RHB nice stuff...get over to Germany,they would love your humour?

 

[ozzie]

But lets be fair..nobody says GS must go.He has another go in 18 months,nobody expects that we wont get there.
So good luck England & GS,only a fews weeks to go till the next game,but if we get the GROUP of death,like we did in 2002??...i will be drinking more than i am now.
PS,got my EURO 2020 cup final programme today.
Hoped that i would hang it on my wall next to my 1966 final prog...but it will end up in the cellar with all my SUFC progs(games i went to) since 1967

 

[Swiss Tony]

We will be better in two years time!! (maybe)
We will learn from this!!! (maybe)
But where have i heard this before...
Oh yes,the goldern/plastic generation.Every two years,next time we will be better....or as that England song from 82??..this time we will get it right ! YEH
The first time something like that was said,i think, was May1972.
I came back from the Gillingham (white coat) game on the Leigh Comm coach,getting off at the ELMS.Then going to my nans to watch the game in the evening in Elm Road.
That night West Germany hammered England 3-1at Wembley..i think it was a Euro qualifying game.
Im sure im right,could be wrong,but its the first time i can remember it being talked about.
We will get better!!

If i remember right a player called Netzer tore us a new arse.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Italy are more gifted technically and have a midfielder in Giorginho who is able to dictate games; we don't, although Rice in particular had his best game in an England shirt. I think we missed Foden who, while not at his best in this tournament, would have given Italy something to worry about.

I don't get this. Jorginho doesn't play this kind of role at Chelsea, so why/how the presumption that he did for Italy? I've not rated him at all for Chelsea in the last two seasons, so how has he excelled on the international stage while Mount, who has excelled for Chelsea, has had little impact?

 

[EastStandBlue]

I don't get this. Jorginho doesn't play this kind of role at Chelsea, so why/how the presumption that he did for Italy? I've not rated him at all for Chelsea in the last two seasons, so how has he excelled on the international stage while Mount, who has excelled for Chelsea, has had little impact?

Because he did, alongside Verratti. Those two, along with Barella/Locatelli, formed the most industrious midfield at the tournament and they frequently squeezed the life out of games. At Chelsea, Jorginho doesn't have to fulfil that role because they have Kante - probably a better player in that specific role - so his responsibilities are slightly different.

I think Mount had a reasonable tournament, especially considering the early disruption with the Covid situation, however it's unfair to compare his role at Chelsea to his role in this England side, especially in the final. Mount's responsibility from the left against Italy in possession was clearly to operate between Bonucci and Di Lorenzo, combining with Shaw to overload the right back, which also kept him out of Kane's space when he dropped deep. It worked in the first half, but became less and less effective as Italy compressed the space by pressing higher up the pitch. Southgate was too slow in switching to a 4-3-3 and perhaps could've brought Saka (or even Sancho) on earlier, which would've allowed Mount to play a more traditional role in midfield.

 

[Kris]

Croatia are past their best
AS for Spain,result is everthing....Great..but at home v Spain we were very lucky only to beaten by one.
At home they were far better than us,both 45 mins.
Away,great stuff..caught them in the first half,playing ATTACKING football.Second they were all over us again.IMO,we were on the floor 2nd half,but held on.With a tad luck.
So V Spain..three halves totally outplayed.One 45 minutes SUPER

Seriously? Croatia are arguably past their best now but still managed to take Spain to extra time and missed two glorious chances. They were better in the Nations League and despite being hammered by Spain in Spain managed to beat them at home, which opened the door for England.

Regarding the Spain home game I think they edged it but England were denied what looked like a perfect equaliser in the dying seconds. In Spain the 3-2 scoreline flattered Spain, not us. England hit them on the counter on three occasions and could have been 4-0 up when Sterling was brought down in the box but was wrongly accused of diving. Spain scored their second goal with the last touch of the ball.

But lets be fair..nobody says GS must go.He has another go in 18 months,nobody expects that we wont get there.
So good luck England & GS,only a fews weeks to go till the next game,but if we get the GROUP of death,like we did in 2002??...i will be drinking more than i am now.
PS,got my EURO 2020 cup final programme today.
Hoped that i would hang it on my wall next to my 1966 final prog...but it will end up in the cellar with all my SUFC progs(games i went to) since 1967

We got out of it though...

I don't get this. Jorginho doesn't play this kind of role at Chelsea, so why/how the presumption that he did for Italy? I've not rated him at all for Chelsea in the last two seasons, so how has he excelled on the international stage while Mount, who has excelled for Chelsea, has had little impact?

Jorginho was frozen out by Lampard but restored by Tuchel and that coincided with Chelsea's rise from outside the Champions League to fourth. I'm not suggesting that Jorghino was solely responsible for this but clearly Tuchel got the best out of him.