England vs Spain, Sun 14/7 @ 8pm (BBC & ITV)

[Zapp Brannigan]

The big one. Is football coming home, or will it be going back to Spain for an afternoon nap?

Spain, a collection of good players moulded together into a superb team. Rodri is the heartbeat of everything they do, a genuinely world class midfielder who sets the tempo for all the tricky and lightening fast forward players around them, especially Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal, who will be approaching veteran status having turned 17 (17!!!) on the eve of the final. Carvajal and Morata as well - elder statesmen and serial trophy winners.

England? More of the same, but surely Southgate will have a new found confidence to bring on a 2nd wave of players earlier. Luke Shaw, Cole Palmer, Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins have all now contributed heavily off the bench - plus a mention to Esri Konsa as well, although a centre back as substitute wouldn't usually be seen as a game-changer in quite the same way. Good depth to our squad, and it's a team filled with big personalities and match-winners.

Meat pie, sausage roll, come on England gis a goal.

 

[stavros]

Might Shaw start in place of Trippier?

 

[Idaho]

Spain are surely the favourites with a succession of impressive wins, while England have belly crawled up the easy side of the draw. But then winners are more often undeserving in sport. It's a fatalistic knife edge.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Might Shaw start in place of Trippier?

Doubt it. Shaw is the better fit for the position, but Southgate is one to stick with "tried and trusted" and maybe it's better to get the last half hour out of Shaw rather than the first.

 

[Wilf]

The big one. Is football coming home, o

Well, here's me bringing it full circle:

Sweet Caroline always reminds me of Durham Miner's Gala, as the brass bands play it.

Derail ends.

Today at the Miner's Gala, one of the brass bands was playing it's coming home. So it must be.

 

[Wilf]

Doubt it. Shaw is the better fit for the position, but Southgate is one to stick with "tried and trusted" and maybe it's better to get the last half hour out of Shaw rather than the first.

I'm not exactly wise to the world of football tactics, but Shaw seems not very adventurous when it's a packed midfield and passes like the late great Ray Wilkins. But if there's space he does perfect little runs and overlaps, always making the right decision. I'd rather have him on when the game is open, rather than later on when England have gone behind and Spain maybe shore up the midfield.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

I'm not exactly wise to the world of football tactics, but Shaw seems not very adventurous when it's a packed midfield and passes like the late great Ray Wilkins. But if there's space he does perfect little runs and overlaps, always making the right decision. I'd rather have him on when the game is open, rather than later on when England have gone behind and Spain maybe shore up the midfield.

Shaw provides natural width as a left footer going forward, where Trippier slows things down to check back onto his right foot. In games where I'd hope for more possession and attacking play, I'd pick Shaw every time.

But, Lamine Yamal... Spain will have plenty of possession of their own, and all their best play comes through their brilliant wide players. Saka is a much more attacking player on our right, but he has the insurance policy of Kyle Walker playing behind him in the hybrid centre-back/right back role; without the same on the left, a more steady defensive pick in Trippier makes an element of sense.

 

[Rebelda]

Might Shaw start in place of Trippier?

I hope not, Trip's had a fantastic tournament and we lost a lot of momentum without him in the second half on Wednesday imo.

 

[Wilf]

I hope not, Trip's had a fantastic tournament and we lost a lot of momentum without him in the second half on Wednesday imo.

Shaw provides natural width as a left footer going forward, where Trippier slows things down to check back onto his right foot. In games where I'd hope for more possession and attacking play, I'd pick Shaw every time.

But, Lamine Yamal... Spain will have plenty of possession of their own, and all their best play comes through their brilliant wide players. Saka is a much more attacking player on our right, but he has the insurance policy of Kyle Walker playing behind him in the hybrid centre-back/right back role; without the same on the left, a more steady defensive pick in Trippier makes an element of sense.

Strangely enough, I'm in agreement with both of these. If he's fit, I'd have Shaw on every time as a natural left footer, the width etc. But he did seem a bit anaemic on Wednesday and went for the safe pass every time. Kept the shape, but didn't really add much.

 

[Bingoman]

Come on England

 

[Steel Icarus]

I hope not, Trip's had a fantastic tournament and we lost a lot of momentum without him in the second half on Wednesday imo.

I think he's been one of our weaker players, slowing down attacks and making mistakes in defence

 

[marty21]

My local, the Crooked Billet in Clapton , 9am , 3 hours til the pub opens , 11 hours til kick off. Tbf , I walked past the same pub at 6am on final day in 2021 & there was a bigger queue. And they were already on the cans . #franklydisappointed

 

[marty21]

There were around 50 there at 9am , now more like 200

For comparison, 5 minutes walk away is the Clapton Hart , a bigger pub (smaller garden) which will also be showing the match on multiple screens

 

[The39thStep]

I don't think I'd last an 11-11 session

 

[souljacker]

I don't think I'd last an 11-11 session

Need a few of the old delicious nose clams

 

[Elpenor]

View attachment 433278

My local, the Crooked Billet in Clapton , 9am , 3 hours til the pub opens , 11 hours til kick off. Tbf , I walked past the same pub at 6am on final day in 2021 & there was a bigger queue. And they were already on the cans . #franklydisappointed

Was the weather better in 2021?

 

[Flavour]

England are gonna win an excruciatingly painfully anxious 1-0 after an early goal by either Foden or John Stones followed by relentless Spanish pressure on the English goal for the rest of the game. Spain will have two absolutely spanking bangers disallowed by VAR, one each from yamine lamal and Dani olmo

 

[smmudge]

Yeah I'm going to stop watching when it's 3-0 to Spain.

I actually have to pick up relatives at the airport at 8.30 so that might coincide

 

[dessiato]

 

[Maggot]

 

[Riklet]

Come on, we got this!

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

And now live we cross over to Zapp's Tactics Truck.

* football novices watching the game, read this word for word and have your friends wondering when you found the time to get your FIFA coaching badges *

England's 3-4-2-1 (which has worked) is in essence very similar to the 4-2-3-1 with the same personnel (which really didn't). The main difference is just Trippier really high and wide (mirroring Saka), to allow our best players going forward to form a central block of 4 (Rice and Mainoo as the base, Bellingham and Foden in front) with multiple passing options from the overload against midfield 2s and 3s.

Another more subtle difference is that instead of just bringing Foden narrower he's actually swapped with Bellingham, forming a pair of inside forwards to allow each to be facing up towards goal on their preferred foot - think Foden cutting inside to hit the post vs the Netherlands.

This makes the key match ups out wide. Yamal is a playmaker and goalscorer from wide, drifting inside, so Trippier will be the first player with responsibility to look after him, but with good communication needed as it will likely be Declam Rice's area that he moves into.

On the other side, Nico Williams is a much more direct classical winger, the kind to relish a 1v1 match up with a fullback. In that sense, Saka will be more looking to Kyle Walker for help.

England's first problem then: if either of these 2 matchups has Spain in the ascendancy, we're effectively being pushed back into our 4-2-3-1 (Trippier and Walker as orthodox full-backs) which renders Bellingham and/or Foden ineffective and leaves Kane isolated. In fact it could be even worse than the early version, since it would be Bellingham who finds himself relegated to the problem left wing.

If we're struggling in this way, instead look for Bellingham to become a more traditional midfielder deeper with Rice and Mainoo, to go man for man against Rodri, Fabian Ruiz and Dani Olmo - cut off the supply lines to the wide men and you'd start to back Saka and Trippier, letting them stay more forward and giving Yamal / Williams more to think about in terms of defending.

Set pieces, as ever, are key. One area we have a distinct advantage is goalkeeping. Pickford has his critics but the stats don't lie, he's been very good for a long time and he's vocal. Simon is a good shot-stopper but can have a mistake in him - pile crosses right under his crossbar all game and one of them is getting dropped.

2-0 England Kane, Palmer the goalscorers. COME ON ENGLAND!!!

 

[AverageJoe]

And now live we cross over to Zapp's Tactics Truck.

* football novices watching the game, read this word for word and have your friends wondering when you found the time to get your FIFA coaching badges *

England's 3-4-2-1 (which has worked) is in essence very similar to the 4-2-3-1 with the same personnel (which really didn't). The main difference is just Trippier really high and wide (mirroring Saka), to allow our best players going forward to form a central block of 4 (Rice and Mainoo as the base, Bellingham and Foden in front) with multiple passing options from the overload against midfield 2s and 3s.

Another more subtle difference is that instead of just bringing Foden narrower he's actually swapped with Bellingham, forming a pair of inside forwards to allow each to be facing up towards goal on their preferred foot - think Foden cutting inside to hit the post vs the Netherlands.

This makes the key match ups out wide. Yamal is a playmaker and goalscorer from wide, drifting inside, so Trippier will be the first player with responsibility to look after him, but with good communication needed as it will likely be Declam Rice's area that he moves into.

On the other side, Nico Williams is a much more direct classical winger, the kind to relish a 1v1 match up with a fullback. In that sense, Saka will be more looking to Kyle Walker for help.

England's first problem then: if either of these 2 matchups has Spain in the ascendancy, we're effectively being pushed back into our 4-2-3-1 (Trippier and Walker as orthodox full-backs) which renders Bellingham and/or Foden ineffective and leaves Kane isolated. In fact it could be even worse than the early version, since it would be Bellingham who finds himself relegated to the problem left wing.

If we're struggling in this way, instead look for Bellingham to become a more traditional midfielder deeper with Rice and Mainoo, to go man for man against Rodri, Fabian Ruiz and Dani Olmo - cut off the supply lines to the wide men and you'd start to back Saka and Trippier, letting them stay more forward and giving Yamal / Williams more to think about in terms of defending.

Set pieces, as ever, are key. One area we have a distinct advantage is goalkeeping. Pickford has his critics but the stats don't lie, he's been very good for a long time and he's vocal. Simon is a good shot-stopper but can have a mistake in him - pile crosses right under his crossbar all game and one of them is getting dropped.

2-0 England Kane, Palmer the goalscorers. COME ON ENGLAND!!!

This. Is. Total. Sense.

Wish I was watching the football with people who understand the game this way instead of the usual bellends who will be in the pub shouting "stop passing it backwards!" every two minutes.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

This. Is. Total. Sense.

Wish I was watching the football with people who understand the game this way instead of the usual bellends who will be in the pub shouting "stop passing it backwards!" every two minutes.

Absolutely wrong. More backwards passing I say. Establish good possession at the back and at the base of midfield, move Spanish players around to find a gap, then one good pass or a sharp turn (the best element of Mainoo's game) beats the first line of the press and leaves 2 or 3 opponents ahead of the ball; then and only then do we go for the quick, direct forward passes and make use of the extra numbers.

 

[Boo Radley75]

Watching it at home with the family. I'm getting too old to be standing in a crowded pub for a couple of hours and it taking half an hour to get served, every time I want a beer. Am grateful to my daughter's school for giving the kids a late start on Monday so they can stay up and watch the game.

 

[thismoment]

Watching it at home with the family. I'm getting too old to be standing in a crowded pub for a couple of hours and it taking half an hour to get served, every time I want a beer. Am grateful to my daughter's school for giving the kids a late start on Monday so they can stay up and watch the game.

We’ve got our annual theme park trip at school tomorrow.7am start for the 11-15 years old. Wonder how many will it make it in at that time

 

[Lord Camomile]

England are gonna win... after [scoring] an early goal

These two statements contradict each other.

 

[Elpenor]

BBC or itv?

 

[surreybrowncap]

I've got free guest tickets to see Richard Ashcroft at Kew Gardens...
Originally he was due on stage at 8.45pm
I didn't want to let a friend down so looked like missing the game...
But now he will be performing at 6.30
We will either find a pub or a quick dash home
Recording the game (BBC) and will watch as live if need be...

 

[belboid]

BBC or itv?

BBC ffs!