England V Switzerland Saturday 6/7 @17:00

[oryx]

British Indian and British Pakistani fans take a break from watching the cricket at Edgbaston to watch and celebrate England’s winning penalty this evening.

Fuck you Norman Tebbit!

(Apologies to anyone too young to get that reference).

 

[BigMoaner]

Got a feeling we are going to win it.

 

[tommers]

Who has played well? Spain. Spain have played well. Netherlands in flashes. Portugal didn't. Germany didn't really. Italy and Belgium certainly didn't.

That's it. If it was the World Cup then everybody would be banging on about Brazil before they got knocked out.

If you're in the next round then it doesn't matter.

 

[JimW]

It was really good. Just am dram but they did it well. Belle was amazing. They're always good tbf, that's like the sixth thing we've seen there. Nice place.

Beast on penalties or Beauty in normal time?

 

[JimW]

Power stayed out until wee small hours so have had decent early night instead. Great news to wake up to.

 

[Humberto]

Can't argue with Gareth's record, but still a bit cautious. At certain moments you want to be less rigid. Still. the fuck do I know?

 

[[62]]

It's been quite a dull competition. The fact that France are in the semis having not scored a single goal in open play says it all. Maybe that's how you win major tournaments nowadays? Or they're all knackered. I dunno.

Think I'll stick to National League South.

 

[Wilf]

Feel so conflicted about England. Southgate does a great job bringing the squad together and making them feel good about themselves. And in a social media era there are very few gripes emerging. He's also the most successful manager ever, even without a tournament win. Yet...

In normal time, played 5, won 1. Scored 3 , iirc. All against teams well below us and a real sense they should be stretching teams. Maybe Luke Shaw will do it. I doubt he's fit, but you could see the little overlaps he was trying to get going. Equally, I bet he's got a sore hamstring today.

 

[Monte]

Feel so conflicted about England. Southgate does a great job bringing the squad together and making them feel good about themselves. And in a social media era there are very few gripes emerging. He's also the most successful manager ever, even without a tournament win. Yet...

In normal time, played 5, won 1. Scored 3 , iirc. All against teams well below us and a real sense they should be stretching teams. Maybe Luke Shaw will do it. I doubt he's fit, but you could see the little overlaps he was trying to get going. Equally, I bet he's got a sore hamstring today.

It's 4 scored in normal time isn't it?
Eng 1 - Serb 0
Eng 1 - Den 1
Eng 2 - Slovakia 1 Bellingham scores in normal time (just) Kane in extra time.
Eng 1 - Switzerland 1

 

[littlebabyjesus]

It's a bit harsh to call all the teams 'well below us'. Pre-tournament, England were fifth, Switzerland 19th, Denmark 21st in the rankings. Serbia 32nd, Slovakia 45th.

But we've seen various teams with lower rankings play very well. Austria (25th) and Turkey (42nd) both very good. Belgium (3rd) were poor, Italy (10th) were very poor.

The rankings are weird anyway. The USA always seem to me to be at least 10 places too high (currently 11th, but will fall after crashing out of the Copa America). They might have changed the system recently, I don't know. But when I last looked at it a few years ago, it had a crazy system where you got varying points for a win depending on quality of the opposition and the tournament and zero points for any defeat. A very stupid system.

 

[Kaka Tim]

In the second half i was getting the same feelings as against croatia in the world cup semi-final and Italy in the EUro finals - plodding, over cautious play with no obvious ambition other than to try (and fail) to keep posession and everyone wondering why southgate hadnt made any substitutions. I aboslutley knew the Swiss would score. But somehow we are in the semi-finals - thanks (again) from a moment of individual brilliance rather than overall performance.
Southgate's safety first approach was always limited - but its now not working at all. Would much rather have england press highter up and move the ball quicker - get early crosses in, harrass the oppostion - sure you are more likely to lose posession but it would open up space and force mistakes that Englands very skillful individuals can expliot.
Holland seem to have refound their mojo - so England need to sort this shit out. Luke Shaw should start. Id maybe play Bellingham deeper alongside mainoo- with Rice in front of the defence. Bellingham doesnt seem to fit in with the rest of team at the moment - doesnt seem to get enough of the ball and then trys to win the world cup everytime he gets it. And has Anthony Gordon shat on Gareths cornflakes or something? He looked good and very fast when he came on in the early matches - but now hes not getting on the pitch at all . Id maybe start him over foden (who also doenst seem to be gelling with this team) on the left wing - certainly bring him on earlier.
And Harry Kane? Is he going out on 12 hour benders before every match?

 

[Wilf]

It's 4 scored in normal time isn't it?
Eng 1 - Serb 0
Eng 1 - Den 1
Eng 2 - Slovakia 1 Bellingham scores in normal time (just) Kane in extra time.
Eng 1 - Switzerland 1

Yeah, Kane v Slovakia wasn't in 'normal' time.

 

[JimW]

You do look at that though and it's the sort of record tournament winners often post.

 

[Wilf]

In the second half i was getting the same feelings as against croatia in the world cup semi-final and Italy in the EUro finals - plodding, over cautious play with no obvious ambition other than to try (and fail) to keep posession and everyone wondering why southgate hadnt made any substitutions. I aboslutley knew the Swiss would score. But somehow we are in the semi-finals - thanks (again) from a moment of individual brilliance rather than overall performance.
Southgate's safety first approach was always limited - but its now not working at all. Would much rather have england press highter up and move the ball quicker - get early crosses in, harrass the oppostion - sure you are more likely to lose posession but it would open up space and force mistakes that Englands very skillful individuals can expliot.
Holland seem to have refound their mojo - so England need to sort this shit out. Luke Shaw should start. Id maybe play Bellingham deeper alongside mainoo- with Rice in front of the defence. Bellingham doesnt seem to fit in with the rest of team at the moment - doesnt seem to get enough of the ball and then trys to win the world cup everytime he gets it. And has Anthony Gordon shat on Gareths cornflakes or something? He looked good and very fast when he came on in the early matches - but now hes not getting on the pitch at all . Id maybe start him over foden (who also doenst seem to be gelling with this team) on the left wing - certainly bring him on earlier.
And Harry Kane? Is he going out on 12 hour benders before every match?

Can't argue with a word of that. Just need to drop Kane and perhaps bring him on as an angry sub if we are losing. A big call, but he's absolutely leaden at the moment.

 

[hash tag]

Can't argue with a word of that. Just need to drop Kane and perhaps bring him on as an angry sub if we are losing. A big call, but he's absolutely leaden at the moment.

Yes, but he has scored 2

 

[Kaka Tim]

thought this was a good article - Gareth Southgate creates an environment for England to get lucky | Jonathan Wilson