Italy win

[websaway]

If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same
Kipling

Thanks for a great ride England, it was awesome.

 

[JMI]

Southgate screwed up monumentally by not trying not to win the game in extra time and also by letting Rashford and Sancho on cold and late when they should have been on along with Grealish as soon as extra time started. Anyone who plays team games knows how hard it is to come into a game cold and and take a pen.

 

[CreativeMix]

Southgate screwed up monumentally by not trying not to win the game in extra time by letting Rashford and Sancho on cold and late when they should have been on along with Grealish as soon as extra time started. Anyone who plays team games knows how hard it is to come into a game cold and and take a pen.

He should have also known that you can’t defend deep and give a team like Italy the space to run at you, you have to close them down straight away. Still, runner-up was a great result for that team. We just don’t have the numbers when it comes international quality players so we’re always going to struggle in the latter stages of a tournament when quality starts to count.

 

[JMI]

Still feels like we were swindled.. the England team is just too naive and "nice", you look at Italy doing whatever it took to get the job done no matter how ugly... England need to learn how to win ugly when needed.

 

[Siusaidh]

I tend to agree with both of you. About coming on cold to take penalties (however much professionals are supposed to be well-drilled... I always think you need to take touches and get into a game). I agree the midfield lost the battle in the second half, and the waves of attack just kept on coming. Personally (and I'm a Gooner and I think he has loads of promise) I think Saka was off the boil in the final, both in link up with the team and his general performance. I kind of wished he could be replaced with Foden (I don't know if Foden had injury issues). Yes, the Italians played a hard game (I personally think the foul near the end, when Chiellini grabbed Saka's shirt so blatantly and hurled him to the ground, should have been a red card). That said, I actually like the guy. In the end, England always gets hyped up SO much, and the story has recurred for 55 years - ultimate disappointed expectations. But I think they made a great effort (albeit in the easy side of the draw), and maybe it's a marker for being taken more seriously as a significant team in the World Cup next year. And the final certainly had moments of drama. So did the whole tournament. As a goalie myself, although Pickford is highly strung, I do think he did some good reactive saves. England's defensive unit was pretty good. It's just that you can't sit back and defend indefinitely against world-class opposition.

 

[getmein]

I personally think the foul near the end, when Chiellini grabbed Saka's shirt so blatantly and hurled him to the ground, should have been a red card

I agree. Perfect example of an experienced and wiley player who in a split second made a calculation and reasoned taking him out was a better move than letting him through. I think they outfoxed us.

 

[websaway]

Never seen such agreement on this forum. Gareth has to take the criticism as he would have got the credit had he won. Everything is easy in hind sight though and obviously he should have done things differently.

 

[martin-s]

I don't imagine Rashford would have wanted to play at right back against the Italians for 30 minutes tbh

 

[JMI]

I don't imagine Rashford would have wanted to play at right back against the Italians for 30 minutes tbh

He should have left it how it was at the back and got Sterling off who exhausted for Rashford or Sancho could see he stopped running at 90mins.

He should have also factored in its one thing being good in training at pens (zero pressure) another in front of 100 million people

 

[martin-s]

Gareth is great. I'm happy to back him to make the decisions, even though he won't get every one of them right (neither would we)