The 2020-2021 Football Thread

[Lord Blackadder]

A routine win it is, then. (and well done Hendo!)

Plenty of England fans are getting a bit carried away - Ukraine have improved in recent years but they are still a very limited side - but this a good result for England, a confident performance, and of course a second semifinal in a row for Gareth Southgate. He has been aided in both tournaments by easy draws but he can't be blamed for that and he has continued to win football matches - that's his job! More importantly, he's managed to do it without a fuss and he has done a better job maintaining morale and discipline in his squad than his recent predecessors.

Kane still looks well off his best but he does seem to be playing his way into the tournament over the last couple of matches. Good timing from an England perspective.

The Danes will be a tougher proposition than Ukraine. If it is Italy in the final it should be the first truly hard match England play in this tournament (though Italy are now missing their best wing player). So that's where the rubber meets the road in all likelihood, though they get home field advantage once again.

On the other side of the pond, Columbus Crew are just trotting out to play their first match in their new stadium!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1411323852152467458

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

A very nice feeling being English at the moment. We are playing so much better than I expected and long may it continue. I still think Italy will be champions though but hope England can join them in the final!!

 

[Apple fanboy]

A very nice feeling being English at the moment. We are playing so much better than I expected and long may it continue. I still think Italy will be champions though but hope England can join them in the final!!

I enjoyed the early goals. Helped settle the nerves. More of the same on Wednesday please!
I think Ukraine were really tired after their last game. I expect much tougher against Denmark.

 

[dogslobber]

Just can’t wait for Wednesday. Going to be another nervous night. More of the same please!

V Denmark? I'd expect ENG to take another four of them as well.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I enjoyed the early goals. Helped settle the nerves. More of the same on Wednesday please!
I think Ukraine were really tired after their last game. I expect much tougher against Denmark.

And no goals - not a single one - conceded thus far in the tournament; very impressive.

 

[Apple fanboy]

And no goals - not a single one - conceded thus far in the tournament; very impressive.

Indeed. Even the countries best ever defended didn’t manage that. Of course I mean the late, great Bobby Moore!

 

[HandsomeDanNZ]

Whilst I am glad (as an England fan) that the team are through to the semifinals and they are now scoring good goals, I still find it hard to like this particular England team.

I don't know what it is and I am unsure why I can't take to them, but I think part of it has to do with the Southgate effect. There's little room for flair and individuality in his squads (and I don't mean they lack it - I mean he doesn't allow it to be fully used).

I get annoyed with the constant passing backwards, possession-at-all-costs football.
I'm unashamedly not a fan of Southgate - never really have been. You can't deny he's getting the results and to go a tournament thus far without conceding shows that he's doing something right, but I just can't wrap my arms around this team and fully get behind them.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I'm unashamedly not a fan of Southgate - never really have been. You can't deny he's getting the results and to go a tournament thus far without conceding shows that he's doing something right, but I just can't wrap my arms around this team and fully get behind them.

I would not call his style, cautious as it may be, less easy on the eye than the last five or six England managers. Capello stank the place out in South Africa. McLaren, Hodgson, and Big Sam all oversaw football that I think it was fair to call stodgy much of the time. England are no Brazil right now, but when have they ever been?

If the USA won the next World Cup playing the most negative, reactive Pulis-Mourinho-catenaccio trash football you can imagine, I'd still be totally over the moon. Winning is far from everything, but when you haven't won (or at least, in England's case, not won in a couple generations) I think results do take precedent over style.

Also, I think England's players will play with a lot more confidence if they've actually won something major as a group. Spain, France, Brazil, Germany - all of those teams have, or have until recently had, a cohort of champions who remember winning on the biggest international stage, and play with greater confidence and freedom and also resiliency. That is a valuable intangible that England do not yet have.

 

[danny842003]

Whilst I am glad (as an England fan) that the team are through to the semifinals and they are now scoring good goals, I still find it hard to like this particular England team.

I don't know what it is and I am unsure why I can't take to them, but I think part of it has to do with the Southgate effect. There's little room for flair and individuality in his squads (and I don't mean they lack it - I mean he doesn't allow it to be fully used).

I get annoyed with the constant passing backwards, possession-at-all-costs football.
I'm unashamedly not a fan of Southgate - never really have been. You can't deny he's getting the results and to go a tournament thus far without conceding shows that he's doing something right, but I just can't wrap my arms around this team and fully get behind them.

I don’t care what style of football they play I’m an English Newcastle supporter and I will take the wins where I can get them. Outside of a championship or div 1 title I've never seen my sides win anything in the 37 rotations of the sun I've made.
If we win the next two games with only one shot on target each I won’t be complaining.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Agree winning is important, but also don’t enjoy the sideways and backwards passing all the time. I want to see players run into space, run at defenders, vary it up a bit.
Trouble is Kane is not the sort of player to make these runs. So the teams target man is often not available.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Agree winning is important, but also don’t enjoy the sideways and backwards passing all the time. I want to see players run into space, run at defenders, vary it up a bit.
Trouble is Kane is not the sort of player to make these runs. So the teams target man is often not available.

What I like (apart from Gareth Southgate, himself, as a man, manager and as a human being) is the fact that he has crafted a team (rather than a collection of talented individuals) - and fostered a team spirit - who know how to play together, and understand - and can play to - one another's strengths.

And I also like the fact that nobody on the team is "the star", around whom the others are expected to orbit and to whom they are expected to defer.

As for "art": well, in the final stages of a tournament, - any tournament - it is vanishingly rare to see football as played as "art".

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Duplicate post.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Maybe its just me, but outside of the football, I've heard very little as to what they are all up to. Thats exactly as it should be. I want to see them perform on the pitch. Not interested in their lifestyle choices.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

What I like (apart from Gareth Southgate, himself, as a man, manager and as a human being) is the fact that he has crafted a team (rather than a collection of talented individuals) - and fostered a team spirit - who know how to play together, and understand - and can play to - one another's strengths.

It is also worth observing that he has achieved good discipline and cohesion in the squad without reverting to the kinds of tough-guy tropes that certain sections of the media and fanbase are always braying for, and which have backfired plenty of times in the past (Capello, for instance). It hasn't always been smooth sailing but he has commanded respect without knocking heads or barking all the time. He is a nurturing presence without being a pushover. Part of this is down to his long relationship with many of the players within the national team structure.

 

[Silencio]

I find this English team a lot easier to like than previous incarnations that may have had more star power, but the tensions and cliques within the squad were easy to discern. While I get a bit frustrated with Southgate's often conservative tactics, they're kind of the norm for international finals, and he has clearly fostered far better camaraderie within the squad and even achieved some sort of harmonious relationship with the media. Clearing out the toxicity and unburdening the squad from its squalid history has paid massive dividends. I've been a Southgate skeptic myself, but he's slowly and steadily won me over and I can acknowledge that the good he has brought significantly outweighs the negatives.

I do get the point about the all the back passing in the first half of the quarterfinal. They made some tactical adjustment and you didn't see Shaw checking back very much in the second half. Granted, it could have been the early second goal that opened things up.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Any prediction for tonight. For me Italy just edge it. But I do hope it’s a good game. I expect it won’t be a classic though. If Italy are ahead expect the usual time wasting etc.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I find this English team a lot easier to like than previous incarnations that may have had more star power, but the tensions and cliques within the squad were easy to discern. While I get a bit frustrated with Southgate's often conservative tactics, they're kind of the norm for international finals, and he has clearly fostered far better camaraderie within the squad and even achieved some sort of harmonious relationship with the media. Clearing out the toxicity and unburdening the squad from its squalid history has paid massive dividends. I've been a Southgate skeptic myself, but he's slowly and steadily won me over and I can acknowledge that the good he has brought significantly outweighs the negatives.

I do get the point about the all the back passing in the first half of the quarterfinal. They made some tactical adjustment and you didn't see Shaw checking back very much in the second half. Granted, it could have been the early second goal that opened things up.

We also have to judge Southgate's achievements in the context of the fact that his initial appointment was in a caretaker role after Big Sam's implosion. I didn't really expect much from him. At the time there was a lot of chatter that England should be more 'ambitious' and hire [fill in fashionable name here]. Looking at it from that angle, he has greatly exceeded expectations.

I don't want to sound like too much of a Southgate cheerleader, but I feel like the default positions of the English media (and many fans, present company excluded) are either hubristic overconfidence or savage negativity. While no genius, Southgate is certainly not as bad a manager as a lot of people seem to think he is. My most critical opinion of him would probably be that he is unproven in the club game, and I don't think his current approaches would work well there at an elite level.

Any prediction for tonight. For me Italy just edge it. But I do hope it’s a good game. I expect it won’t be a classic though. If Italy are ahead expect the usual time wasting etc.

I never bet against the Italians in knockout matches. But Spain will feel confident that they are just as capable, so on paper this one is too close to call. We need to see who turns up on the day.

 

[Apple fanboy]

We also have to judge Southgate's achievements in the context of the fact that his initial appointment was in a caretaker role after Big Sam's implosion. I didn't really expect much from him. At the time there was a lot of chatter that England should be more 'ambitious' and hire [fill in fashionable name here]. Looking at it from that angle, he has greatly exceeded expectations.

I don't want to sound like too much of a Southgate cheerleader, but I feel like the default positions of the English media (and many fans, present company excluded) are either hubristic overconfidence or savage negativity. While no genius, Southgate is certainly not as bad a manager as a lot of people seem to think he is. My most critical opinion of him would probably be that he is unproven in the club game, and I don't think his current approaches would work well there at an elite level.


I never bet against the Italians in knockout matches. But Spain will feel confident that they are just as capable, so on paper this one is too close to call. We need to see who turns up on the day.

It’s a good game. A lot more free flowing than I thought it would be.

 

[Silencio]

Spain has done pretty well throughout, just lacking that final ball and shot — as they often do. Chiesa found a seam and scored a beaut. Looks like Italy will score a second more likely than Spain equalizing.

(And right before I hit Post...) MORATA EQUALIZES!

 

[decafjava]

1-1 now goal by Spain at 80 minutes. Excellent!

 

[Silencio]

Now it looks like Spain is more likely to score in open play coming into the second half of added time. Italy really struggling at the moment, they are hoping they can take it to penalties.

 

[Sal09]

All Barca players are a cheat. Hitting the deck so easily.

 

[decafjava]

Here we go again...

 

[decafjava]

...and Italy heads to the final.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

A match I would describe as 'serene.' Not dull but missing the tension of a semifinal until perhaps the very late stages. A fairly flat atmosphere too, a lot quieter than the FA cup final. How many people were actually in the house? Obviously a fraction of the permitted 60k (England will have a massive crowd advantage going forward).

The two teams matched up pretty well and while not played at a slow pace per se, the players weren't sprinting much and retained a lot of energy into extra time, not visibly tiring till the second half. Both goals in regulation time were lovely moves.

It's a shame it had to be settled with penalties. I really, really feel for Morata. He's a great player but he's been cursed in this tournament.

All Barca players are a cheat. Hitting the deck so easily.

For a game between two mediterranean nations, I thought it was a remarkably clean match. The ref preferred to keep his whistle and cards in his pocket for the most part, and I think the players cottoned on to that.