Czech Republic - U21 Euro Championship

What more can we bloody do ? We are not even on the same dance floor, and to think they thought Southgate was going to be the next England manager, really don't know what the answer is, are out players just poor or is there another reason ?

 

Bunch of greedy players, not passing it around. Kane a PRIME example.

 

I'd be interested to see the average wage of every team in this competition. Probably the only thing we'd win, and the reason well lose the actual games.

These kids may give a **** when it comes to the finals themselves but they don't really give a **** about putting in extra training or getting competitive game time before the thing starts.

A bit like the clever kid that really tried during the exams but did bugger all revision or homework before it.

Too much money and vested interests to actually forge any kind of forward thinking plan from grass roots up.

 

This is the reason why I've had very little interest in the England team so far this tournament. English players/managers are so far behind in terms of understanding what actually happens on the pitch and the managers/coaches are so scared of trying something different from "the norm". I can't think of a single English manager that I'd class as innovative that is around at the moment. Such a poor state to be in.

 

Warburton is the only one I can think off

 

Harry who? ... On that performance only Linguard looked to have anything about him.

 

Bottom of the group?

Bull****. So glad I didn't watch these wasters. They are not good enough and I'm not going to waste my time watching these pathetic 'young lions'. Yes that's right, you're so **** and overrated, I didn't even give you capital letters.

 

Go to a kids game next season, all the reasons will be there for you to see.

 

Too many foreign kids in the teams?

 

Looks like they could learn a thing or two from the senior team!

 

Actually not a bad shout, but I feel Warburtons success is based more on the owners vision rather than his own. Being unique and different is acceptable and in my mind preferable to the norm if there's reasoning and logic behind it. For example pretty much every team below conference level plays 4-4-2 or 4-3-3. Why? Because they're all managed by the same old semi-pros who were taught only those formations during their career. Scared of change. Scared of the unknown. Scared of looking an idiot by trying something new the potential of it backfiring. Fingers crossed I'll be the change that might move it forward...

 

Surprised at all the reaction. Who cares?

 

If you could create a tactical system what would be it be like?

Also I think 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 are the ones best suited to people with poor technical ability. It clogs up the midfield and utilises people with pace well.

 

I'm a big fan of Marcelo Bielsa and Guardiola. Both their philosophies rely on clogging the midfield and keeping the ball. If I were a non-league manager, up against 442/433 every week, i'd either go 3-4-2-1 (3 CBs, 2 wing-backs, 2 defensive mids, 2 attackings mid + ST) or the rather unique 3-3-3-1 (3 CBs, 2 wing-backs + CDM, 2 wingers + attacking mid with the striker up top). I've been working on a document to hopefully present to a specific non-league club when a vacancy arises. The 3421 would ideally suited against a 4-3-3 or a 442 with a strong central midfield. The 3331 I imagine would be the ideal counter to a generic 442.

I've drawn up 4 formations that i'd base my philosophy on. I've drawn diagrams about each of those formations and how during some of the main aspects of a match (positions when attacking down the wings/positions when attacking down the middle/positions when we win the ball back in defence/positions when the opponent attacks down the wings/positions when the opponent attacks down the middle and positions when caught on the counter) my team would ideally be laid out. Basically trying to "sell" my philosophy and my way of playing football. I'm currently up to 32 pages (!), when i'm eventually done i'll post it on here for peoples views if they're in any way interested!

 

3-4-1-2, has always been my favourite attacking formation with the two continually crossing over into the channels and beyond providing width in advanced areas and with the (but not too advanced) wingbacks supporting. Everything then aimed towards the penalty spot for Deeney to either pounce on or dummy for the advancing Abdi to curl in the corner. "That Goal" came from a similar tactic.

Sorted

 

I was just reading the other day about how 3 at the back is on the rise again. 4-4-2 was counted originally by 3-5-2 which again was countered by tika-taka so Klopp and Simeone used 4-4-2 again to counter that with gegenpressing and that 3 at the back might be the way forward to counter the move back to 4-4-2.

 

I had a £10 on him being top scorer, thought the tournament had his bloody name on it, shows what I bloody know.

 

I don't think it is a general lack of ability, we have enough good players. I think it is the attitude through the whole set up. Southgates appointment was terrible, and I said it at the time. He doesn't like exciting young players, just remember how Adam Johnson couldn't get into his struggling Boro side.

In my view, it is the same problem as our cricketers have/had. They have been playing like losers for a few years, now they are playing like winners, yet they are pretty much the same players. Fear and trepidation creep into a players overall performance so that even the basics are not achieved.

I would even say our women footballers n the current tournament are being managed in the same way. It is pretty horrible to watch, and the victories come in spite of our attitude, not because of it.

 

Some good points, think I am just desperate for an English manager to make his mark, will be interesting to see how he does in Scotland. Really don't know if Southgate is to blame, really don't know if these badges mean anything, is the premier league to blame, are the player to blame or are we simply not good enough, think this has knock another 5 years off the fa long term plan. Think 30 years ago this week we were robbed bu the hand of God by the eventual World Cup winners in the quarter finals and had the player who won the golden boot, how backwards we have gone, even with all the money and St George's park

 

O

I know it is easy to be wise after the event, remember it is not an easy tourement to qualify for the finals, but really could get my head around the Southgate appointment, David platt all over again, got all the badges, great player for club and country but where was his actual management or head coaching skills, was not a success at a borough as a manager, again I hate it when people point out problems but no solutions, I am do that now. The game last night we were not even on the save planet as an Italian team that did not qualify either.

I bumped into boothroyde in brazil on the way to the World Cup, he is the under 20 boss, he was great to chat to and talked to him about watford and England, told me a few things that opened up my eyes, I mentioned about if players were motivated about playing for England as an under 20 team member and he really ripped into me in a constructive way and still said it was the proudest moment for any player to put on the national shirt, I hope he is correct but it really does not seem like that to me.

Back to the drawing board, what the national team would give to get knocked out on penalties in the qf again

I can understand why the public don't really get behind England national team, really don't get why they get a smug look and happy to see them fail.

 

I've never understood how Jake Forster Caskey continues to get put in every single under 21 squad AND starts games. Totally ineffective player who hasn't even been that impressive for Brighton. Have I missed something? Maybe he is actually far more talented than I give him credit for.

 

He isn't. But Chalobah wasn't exactly giving him any help.

 

Just a question, how do you judge their level of ability?

 

Southgate would have great knowledge of the game if everyone played the S.A.F way ... but they don't and it's also getting rather tatty anyway hence United's complete change of tack.

Few of our lads can press or handle being pressed properly and it's not just the youngsters.

 

In fairness to Kane, I thought he was just about the only player on our team who looked like he belonged at a higher level.

It's tragic to see how terrible Chalobah looked all tournament long. He gave the ball away an incredible number of times, generally looking lethargic and out of his depth. I genuinely thought he'd go on and become a world-beater based on his earlier performances for us. There's still time I guess, but it's clear how much his development has been stunted without proper playing time. That said, he's had chances out on loan since leaving us and never taken them. Could be a really sad waste of talent.

 

Had the third worst Pass completion rate of any England player in the tournament (77.6%)
116 players played in the tournament at Chalobah was the 74th in passing accuracy.
Chalobah had on average 1.7 shots per game (5 in total) none were on target.
He made 3 successful tackles in 270 minutes (1 per game) which was a 33% success rate as he attempted 10.
He was dribbled past 7 times, highest in the England Squad, of the 91 players dribbled past in the whole tournament, he was 5th highest

The positives:

He made the most number of interceptions in the whole tournament (14)

 

It's amusing to hear the pundits debating how we can improve the U21's and what's going wrong with the development of our players, how we need to train them to be better on the ball etc.

This has been going on for years now.

Can't we just accept that we're not very good?

 

I have too been thinking it's our attitude which is holding us back. In the cricket it seems we were hampered by out dated negative tactics, once the shackles were taken off a sea change occurred with dramatic improvements in result and performance.
I believe it's the same with our football, we seem bogged down with tactics, frightened to make a mistake or press forward with conviction. A more positive coach would work wonders but alas not southgate

 

Kane had the demeanour of a player who thought he was better than the other side by himself. He's not of course and his shooting from everywhere when passing options were available were embarrassing. The crux is the England players are on silly money and think they made it. The likes of the italians are more grounded. Same withwith the full team.

 

Good question, and I am not pretending that I am definitely right. That is why I said "I think". But, for the first few decades of watching football I didn't really look at individual statistics, I just watched them play. So my judgement was almost entirely subjective. The stats now available show the players in a different light, but only relatively to the players around them.

So to sum up.

I don't know!

 

Taken from a coach on Twitter and I agree with every single word said:

 

Been saying this for a while. Not in terms of tactics but we are also an impatient, entitled, money-means-everything, "I'm alright jack" nation. That is reflected in our football team and that's the football team we deserve.

We hold our sportsmen to far higher standards than we are prepared hold ourselves to.

 

I've never agreed with the VVankfest that surrounds Iberian football ... Sure it's good and can be lovely to watch but in the meantime Germany are World champions.

I've always suggested it's their model we should be following, from grassroots up, yet our FA don't seem capable of anything that doesn't involve sitting on their fat arses. Our problems are actually getting worse, schools are selling off their playing fields to builders.

 

Portugal looking irresistible.