I hope Kane doesn’t get stuck in a physical battle with the two Italian CB’s. They’re nasty CB’s but can be got at with a bit of pace in behind them.
Final: Italy vs England
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) was joined by comedian Ali Woods to look back at the best and worst moments of a rollercoaster season with the annual United Hour Awards.
Has Ten Hag been sacked yet? We're not sure and we hope not, but it's looking more likely as the days pass.
Who should replace him and why is it taking so long to make a decision?
Can't understand it either but seems like it was always the case. I bet 99.9% percent of Juve/Inter/Milan/Roma or any other Italian club fans always support Italy. Same probably goes for Germany, Spain and France.
Hated, adored, never ignored. If others don't hate you, meaning you're doing something wrong. Absolutely love the way England won and knocked out the darlings of the tournament and how everybody loses their shit over a soft pen. By the reactions you'd swear Maguire did a Suarez and blocked an open goal with his hands, right before Kane bit someone in the nuts and punched the ball with his both hands into the opposite net.
I’m not condoning the actions of those England fans in any way. They’re an embarrassment and if they can be prosecuted they should be.
That was so well written, you should have been a football journalist.
Other people can hate our country all they like.
But when it comes to spending money, they are falling over themselves to attract us to their country.
And they can give us nil points in the rediculous Eurovision.
But their dislike of England cannot affect how we beat them at football. Hopefully Italy will experience that as well on Sunday. Hopefully. Cross fingers. Please God.
I actually think Southgate is going to start Henderson over Phillips.
Can't decide how I feel about that, Phillips was excellent in the early games but didn't seem up to much against Denmark.
Henderson though...
Edit: Also with all respect to Italy I hope we twat them, so the "England were lucky" narrative goes quiet. Don't want to scrape a dodgy win with a penalty in the 87th minute, I want Italy to utterly fall apart after Kane makes it 3-0 before half time
Can't decide how I feel about that, Phillips was excellent in the early games but didn't seem up to much against Denmark.
Henderson though...
Edit: Also with all respect to Italy I hope we twat them, so the "England were lucky" narrative goes quiet. Don't want to scrape a dodgy win with a penalty in the 87th minute, I want Italy to utterly fall apart after Kane makes it 3-0 before half time
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I hope England win and Kane scores a hat trick for the Golden Boot. Then celebrations.
I thought Henderson did really well when he came on against Ukraine and not because he scored. There was an urgency about his passing going forwardI actually think Southgate is going to start Henderson over Phillips.
Can't decide how I feel about that, Phillips was excellent in the early games but didn't seem up to much against Denmark.
Henderson though...
Getting a bit nervous now.
I can see this happening.I actually think Southgate is going to start Henderson over Phillips.
Can't decide how I feel about that, Phillips was excellent in the early games but didn't seem up to much against Denmark.
Henderson though...
Edit: Also with all respect to Italy I hope we twat them, so the "England were lucky" narrative goes quiet. Don't want to scrape a dodgy win with a penalty in the 87th minute, I want Italy to utterly fall apart after Kane makes it 3-0 before half time
I thought Phillips was pretty poor the last two games, Henderson may he able to control the ball more for England.
Phillips is a big reason why teams have struggled to play against us. I'd be amazed if he gets dropped.
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The game was dead
Yeah I thought he looked a bit nervous at the start of the semi but second half he was outstanding.
More than the CL final?
He has been tasked with the Kante role so I am not completely surprised with those stats. Rice has been told to sit and protect, Philips to run and pressure.
Italy and Jorginho would love for Philips to pressure them and run 15K. He does not have the pace of Kante, and he seems to come up just too late for that pressure to have a meaningful impact on elite players like Jorginho and Verratti. It works better against slow thinking and less technical players then Italy have. Like Championship players or PL midfields where strenght and stamina is more valued then technical and tactical ability.
I am of the firm believer that England will lose if both Rice and Philips start. I think it would be a huge mistake. I think both Southgate and Steve Holland know it is not an ideal midfield pairing but I am not sure they have the courage to alter a "winning" formula. I think they just might try to negate this by playing Mount more centrally to harass Jorginho and let Philips sit deep with Rice. That could work but then you are basically giving a world class defense very little pressure.
Which one?
2012 I was so convinced we'd lose that I wasnt that nervous.
But nah, this is the Euros. If it was the world cup then maybe.
I can't really agree with this. The approach actually worked against one of the best technical midfields in international football in this tournament against Croatia. England took 60% possession in the first half against them. It's an antiquated idea that the Premier League has no technical midfielders, I guess the biggest hole in your argument is that Jorginho is a Premier League midfielder!
Even so, what the alternative?
Midfields in England are more focused on stamina and strength than tactical and technical ability, I believe this is a fact. Run through the teams from 1-20 and you will see a pattern fairly quickly. Also I did not say all midfields in the PL have that focus. For example, the teams that play in Europe usually have more variety, but they make up a minority of the league.
Croatia is a good point but there is big difference here. Modric and Kovacic love to run with the ball at their feet. Thus even if Philips is slow to get up and pressure, he still has more time to do so with those types of players. With Jorginho there is no time. He rarely runs with the ball. By the time Philips comes up to pressure him the ball is already in the space Philips left behind. Trust me I have watched Jorginho play a lot, and I am certain he would love to face a Philips who is tasked with covering the entire midfield area and pressure Italy. It will be a cat and mouse game and England wont be the cat.
The solution is to play Henderson if he is fit. If not, play Mount more centrally together with Philips so that Philips does not have to cover so much ground that he is late to every challenge. Give him 2/4 of the area he usually covers. That might cover up for his lack of pace and will make it easier for him to pressure their midfield. Mount has the pace to harass Jorginho, but it will come at a big cost offensively. I have little faith that Sterling, Kane and Saka will hurt Italy on their own. But tired legs at 60 might be the strategy for England to win it as they have a much better bench.
Like Zidane likes to say, "it is a final and we have to suffer". England have to suffer in this game to win. It will be tight and tense and the smallest details will win it.
Unfortunately these 'pressures' didn't lead to England winning the ball back that often after - only 30% of the time, so all in all a fairly meaningless stat.
He won't be dropped as I feel Southgate has a similar set up in mind to Ole, whereby he trusts his two in the middle, it's worked so far, however against the Italians I would feel that England need to try and control the game more, try and get on the ball more, Henderson is by far better than Phillips at that.
There's no way Southgate is going to make changes to what has worked so far. Maybe Saka will get dropped but that's it.
Meant the one you just had because it was so recent.
And yeah I agree, no chance does Southgate take any risks whatsoever in the final. He's not the type, Saka out for Foden maybe.
I just hope Saka doesn't start, he's clearly not as good as the other options, I don't see it.
I'd rather see Rashford/ Sancho/ Grealish with Sterling & Kane,
The other issue is the #10 spot whether we take Grealish/ Mount/ Foden - rest of the team pick itself
Phillips, Rice, Shaw, Maguire, Stones, Walker, Pickford
I'd rather see Rashford/ Sancho/ Grealish with Sterling & Kane,
The other issue is the #10 spot whether we take Grealish/ Mount/ Foden - rest of the team pick itself
Phillips, Rice, Shaw, Maguire, Stones, Walker, Pickford
Sancho can keep Emerson very busy. Rather him than Saka. However Southgate has shown that he doesn’t tinker too much
At least we'll get a bank holiday if England win, so it's not all bad!
I'll support whatever he puts out but he has tinkered with a few positions, Sancho, Saka & Grealish all seem to share that other winger position
Same, mate. Huge huge weekend.
I hope he does. Phillips was great against Croatia but hasn't been anything better than "ok" since, Henderson is a better much footballer, doesn't want to play in the same role as Rice so doesn't get in his way as much and we would need his experience in midfield against a much more streetwise side than we have come up against so far. In a similar vein I hope he doesn't start Saka because we have players with genuine big game experience such as Sancho available.I actually think Southgate is going to start Henderson over Phillips.
Can't decide how I feel about that, Phillips was excellent in the early games but didn't seem up to much against Denmark.
Henderson though...
That being said I don't see him changing Phillips at all which concerns me.
What do you reckon here - Shite or fecking ace?
I reckon he meant it.
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I reckon he meant it.
I want to see this in attack
——————Kane
—Foden——————-Sterling
—————-Mount
That’s the one change I’d make. Italy’s plans will centre around stopping Sterling and they’ll be expecting him to start from the left. He’s been just as effective on the other side and I fancy him a bit more in the channel between Chiellini and Emerson.
Having Foden, a left footer on the left side gives us a bit more natural width which I think will be important. In addition, he’s the best technician we have and could be key in making sure we keep the ball well and don’t have long spells without it. We would also have the option of dropping him into midfield if we struggle to get a foothold in the middle of the pitch.
——————Kane
—Foden——————-Sterling
—————-Mount
That’s the one change I’d make. Italy’s plans will centre around stopping Sterling and they’ll be expecting him to start from the left. He’s been just as effective on the other side and I fancy him a bit more in the channel between Chiellini and Emerson.
Having Foden, a left footer on the left side gives us a bit more natural width which I think will be important. In addition, he’s the best technician we have and could be key in making sure we keep the ball well and don’t have long spells without it. We would also have the option of dropping him into midfield if we struggle to get a foothold in the middle of the pitch.
Got lucky. We could have been in all kinds of trouble had that landed with a Danish player
He's meant that judging from his reaction as it happens/afterwards. Skills.
Looks like he meant it.
Pickford has looked really shaky and in the semi-finals he tried his best to give a goal away. Its too late now but Henderson should have started instead of him.
Pickford was having a solid tournament up to the semi-final where he looked shaky at times, as you say. He perhaps could have saved the free-kick as well. He has still only conceded the one goal, which is impressive by any standards. I think he's earned his spot in the final.
Henderson has looked shaky at various points in the season for United. I'm still not convinced by him at all.
He definitely meant to lay it off backwards and away from danger. But given how long he was looking up in the air, there's no way he knew the picture behind him well enough to pick out a deliberate pass to his teammate.
Pickford
Walker Stones Maguire Shaw
Rice Henderson
Sancho Grealish Sterling
Kane
That's the side I'd like to see on Sunday, but there is no chance Southgate is brave enough to go for a 4-2-4 in the Euros final. Still, a man can dream.Walker Stones Maguire Shaw
Rice Henderson
Sancho Grealish Sterling
Kane
He should definitely play in final having played all other games. I am not sure how much the defensive record is due to Pickford though. The defence and the two central midfielders have been solid for England, not giving away too many chances. I remember he made some errors in the Ukraine game as well.
Henderson lost steam towards the end so its really the question of whether he has got his confidence back. But he has certainly never been so nervy as pickford has been.
Think this will be tight and nervy
0-0 in normal time
After that who knows
0-0 in normal time
After that who knows
Didnt know Grealish was considered that dumb.
That'd mean Foden, because no way Southdoor starts Sancho again.