Team for tonight leaked again - apparently!!

Matching up with Italy’s 3 in the middle is vital. Can’t have Rice and Phillips chasing Jorginho, Verratti and Barella. That essentially means Mount has to play in the centre and sit on top of Jorginho.

People work themselves up over the formation but it doesn’t tell you anything by itself. ‘5 at the back’ can be really attacking if the wingbacks stay forward and a centre half roams into midfield. If they are playing wingbacks, which I think they will, they have to be brave.
 
Does anybody really expect him to make many changes ? No me neither.
 
jta8 said:
Mason Mount has:

The Most interceptions, tackles, and the 2nd most chances created of any English player at Euro 2020
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I can't argue with stats but I can't remember much about them. The 2nd most chances created? Apart from Ukraine we've not really created a massive amount. It looks like Southgate likes the defensive side of his game.
 
You can't blame a newspaper for the leak same happened for the Ukraine game it was all over social media.
Someone in the camp needs to keep his gob shut when the team was announced this morning.
 
Raging_Bull said:
It would be Wizz, but tonight lets see if Gareth has got any bollocks with his team selection and his use of substitutes.
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Because taking Grealish off lacked bollocks? Experts such as yourself would have been all over it had it backfired.

Bravery isn't just lumping all the subs on, look how it worked out for Denmark. Bravery is sticking by your principals despite what others say.

Obviously if we win he'll get grudging respect from the experts and loud criticism if we lose.
 
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If true then I think that is a mistake. Hope I am proved to be wrong, and I would be happy with any type of win under these circumstances, however dull or lucky.
 
I don’t want a dull, boring win, I want game to remember, yes, a dull, boring win will obviously be remembered, but a win in style will be remembered longer and have an impact on the way lots of teams play in the future.
 
Matesrates said:
I don’t want a dull, boring win, I want game to remember, yes, a dull, boring win will obviously be remembered, but a win in style will be remembered longer and have an impact on the way lots of teams play in the future.
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What about an 'exciting' loss?
 
Lytham_fy8 said:
Because taking Grealish off lacked bollocks? Experts such as yourself would have been all over it had it backfired.

Bravery isn't just lumping all the subs on, look how it worked out for Denmark. Bravery is sticking by your principals despite what others say.

Obviously if we win he'll get grudging respect from the experts and loud criticism if we lose.
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He definitely sticks to his principles! It takes heroic bravery and a very thick skin to insist on pragmatic defence game after game when people are demanding entertainment.

But it's so easy to hate, it takes guts to be gentle and kind. 🤠

We are all different. For some, winning us dar more important than entertainment. For others it's the other way round, and for many it's somewhere in between. I remember Argentina winning the World Cup in a very ugly manner and think, "so what?" I remember Holland losing two consecutive WC finals and remember how spectacular they were.

But, for England, winning a tournament is huge, however it's achieved, psychologically. And it might free us up to play better football in future, if we win. Get the monkey off our backs.
 
voyeur said:
He definitely sticks to his principles! It takes heroic bravery and a very thick skin to insist on pragmatic defence game after game when people are demanding entertainment.

But it's so easy to hate, it takes guts to be gentle and kind. 🤠

We are all different. For some, winning us dar more important than entertainment. For others it's the other way round, and for many it's somewhere in between. I remember Argentina winning the World Cup in a very ugly manner and think, "so what?" I remember Holland losing two consecutive WC finals and remember how spectacular they were.

But, for England, winning a tournament is huge, however it's achieved, psychologically. And it might free us up to play better football in future, if we win. Get the monkey off our backs.
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I'm not sure you can equate our reaching the final here with Argentina's military dictatorship 'influenced' win in 78. Peru aren't eligible for the Euros 😉
 
poolfc said:
More about making the absolute most of the chances that come your way rather than putting on a show against this lot. As Spain found out. 70% possession and all the other stats meant nothing in the end as soon as Chiellini started dicking about in the coin toss for the penalties.
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Let's not forget that Italy were gone by 70 minutes as well.

A nice cagey first half would suit us fine, no goals after an hour will suit us fine as well.
 
Lytham_fy8 said:
I'm not sure you can equate our reaching the final here with Argentina's military dictatorship 'influenced' win in 78. Peru aren't eligible for the Euros 😉
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I was actually thinking of 1990 but I've just remembered they lost in the final, which was dreadful.
 
Lytham_fy8 said:
Let's not forget that Italy were gone by 70 minutes as well.

A nice cagey first half would suit us fine, no goals after an hour will suit us fine as well.
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That's my thinking. Our aim will be not to lose the game in the first half. We have got stronger as games have gone on, the longer we stay in the game the better our chances will be, probably.
 
voyeur said:
That's my thinking. Our aim will be not to lose the game in the first half. We have got stronger as games have gone on, the longer we stay in the game the better our chances will be, probably.
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A repeat of the German game more or less. Back five for that one as well.
 
Think it’s quite sensible to start off the game safe, let the players settle and grow into the game, then switch the team up after the Italian defence is tired. Our greatest asset is our scary bench, they’re better deployed later in the game fresh rather than straight out the gate imo.
 
Lytham_fy8 said:
A repeat of the German game more or less. Back five for that one as well.
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Yep. Flat out refusal to co-operate and make a game of it and then suddenly zap. It was everything that was looking like making England a blight on the tournament in the first three games and made me wonder where it was headed, made my head hurt tbh. But if it works in a way that you are capable of more but it's deliberate and you're in control then it's a lot better than crash and burn.

But that ball really does have to go in the net in your biggest moments whenever they come or else this lot will have you. If they haven't already done.
 
BWseasider said:
Think it’s quite sensible to start off the game safe, let the players settle and grow into the game, then switch the team up after the Italian defence is tired. Our greatest asset is our scary bench, they’re better deployed later in the game fresh rather than straight out the gate imo.
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That and Sterling, who looked as fresh after 120 minutes on Wednesday as he did after 5.
 
Lytham_fy8 said:
What about an 'exciting' loss?
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When a team gets to a domestic cup final, usually the same handful of teams, I think why don't you go for it and even if you lose you will be remembered as taking part in a great final.
Today is NOT one of those occasions, think it will be a tense, tactical battle and this one is all about winning.
Could be 0 0 after 120 minutes and we win on penalties, we would all be happy with that! Wouldn't we?
 
gjr69 said:
When a team gets to a domestic cup final, usually the same handful of teams, I think why don't you go for it and even if you lose you will be remembered as taking part in a great final.
Today is NOT one of those occasions, think it will be a tense, tactical battle and this one is all about winning.
Could be 0 0 after 120 minutes and we win on penalties, we would all be happy with that! Wouldn't we?
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Absolutely. Probably not in the moment, arse will fall out, but the best teams aren't just winners they're survival specialists. They're not bothered about your hard luck stories apart from capitalising on them.

Edit: SSN just confirming Trippier in for Saka and a back three.
 
Sterling is the key, he’s in fantastic form, he’ll run at them and either unlock their defence and score, or create opportunities for others, or get free kicks or penalties.

he’s the one player Southgate should be saying, just play your game son, the rest can watch your back
 
Without Saka Sterling will have to finish it off himself if he breaks through as no one else will be fast enough to get there in time to help him.
 
Lytham_fy8 said:
But 5 at the back plugs the gap between, Italy attack the flanks as much as we do, that's the point, they're not holding a line of 5.
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True - just would’ve liked to match up their midfield but I’m sure Mount will drop in to bulk out the midfield when needed. I like our back 5 though, all 5 players are really suited to it and work together well.
 
I think our best chance of beating them is to go for the throat but in Gareth we trust ish
 
This is the shape that Southgate ended the semi with (against Denmark's ten men) and it's the team I feared he would start with. I hope the Sun are wrong. It's time we played our own game and let the Italians worry about us.
Hold them and hit them on the break seems to be the tactic, but if England are as ponderous as they have been, Italy will punish us - the damage could have been done by the time Southgate gets around to getting the cavalry on (at 70 minutes).
 
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