Euro 2024

[Durhamfootman]

England's path to the final now looks like being three very beatable teams.

So no doubt we go out on penalties against a team we really should beat on paper. Probably Italy.

harsh on Slovakia

I can see England score early, sit back and then concede in stoppage time... lose on pen's because Dubravka will have faced all the England players from the spot over the years. He'll save Trippier and Gordon's penalties and Pickford will only save one of theirs

[Durhamfootman]

looking at the KO draw, I'm still baffled by Belgium's attitude to the Ukraine game. I thought it was them managing the group in order to get on the favourable side of the draw (if they'd finished top they'd have been red hot favourites to reach the final), but in the end it can only have been fear of losing and going home that stopped them going for the win..... they were as timid as England, in the end. Their attacks in the latter stages of the game were half-hearted at best. The closest they came to attempting to win was the sub throwing himself to the ground in the Ukraine box.

They've now got to beat France, then Portugal, then either Spain or Germany just to get to the final. Just like England under Eriksen, they've spent the last few years squandering their golden generation. Hopefully they'll learn from that in the future..... unlike England, who under Southgate are doing it all over again

[Durhamfootman]

If anybody doesn't know the route to the final.......

Top half

Spain
Georgia

Germany
Denmark

Portugal
Slovenia

France
Belgium

Bottom half

Romania
Netherlands

Austria
Turkey

England
Slovakia

Switzerland
Italy

[Durhamfootman]

and Southgate will still *modded* it up....... before being knighted in the New Years Honours list

[Gingerfinch]

I watched most of the Belgium game and I'm not really getting the criticism they received on the BBC. Belgium only needed a draw but were the team who were pressing for a goal more in the first half. Yes Ukraine gave it a go in the last 20 minutes or so but they were the team that had to win. Yet after the game Ukraine were being hailed as plucky losers. for me their tactics were negative and I'm glad they're gone.

[alfie]

Agreed. And you get the anomaly whereby Croatia qualifies with 2 points and a GD of -3 , while Ukraine is 4th in its group with 4 points and -2 and hence misses out.

Croatia were confirmed as being knocked out at the final whistle of their match on Monday. Or at least thats what I thought.

Haha ...my bad . Too many late nights/early mornings

You are right , of course - Croatia are out : carelessly looking at the 3rd place ranking list this morning and not counting to four ! But as DFM says , my basic point is illustrated by Slovenia - who did make it with just 3 points.

You could argue either way about the 3rd place qualifiers ; and I guess it can make for more interest in the final group games. Still seems a bit messy to me and I'd prefer a draw that doesn't keep two thirds of the entrants alive after three games each . But matter of taste , I guess.

[Gingerfinch]

Croatia were still in it if we beat Slovenia by three or more goals, so yes they were out!!!!!

[sussexpob]

You could argue either way about the 3rd place qualifiers ; and I guess it can make for more interest in the final group games. Still seems a bit messy to me and I'd prefer a draw that doesn't keep two thirds of the entrants alive after three games each . But matter of taste , I guess.

99.9% of times, I would agree fully with you. These tournaments are setup nowadays to pretty much guarantee no one good goes out before the knockouts, and plenty of big tournaments across sport adopted this style of where you have meaningless group stages to rid the competition of a dross minnow who gets pounded, and then the real action starts.

In this case, no one has been truly uncompetitive and the tournament as a whole has been intriguing. Ok, we had the odd game someone got thrashed (Scotland, Croatia v Spain, etc), but in this case it added an additional layer of excitement to the last round of games.

[Durhamfootman]

Switzerland are all over Italy atm. They are showing a bot of naivity by spending a lot of time in the Italy half. In this heat they ought to be spending much more time playing little triangles deep in their own half, if you ask me. Rather foolishly they're pressing forward when deep in the Italy half, when they probably should be working the ball back to the keeper. They are attacking down both flanks as well which is a bit schoolboyish.

They have the goal now and the Italian's are stretched and arguing amongst themselves, so a chance to test the Swiss manager's mettle. A master tactician at the height of his powers would get his team to sit right back now and see the game out, so we'll see what this guy is made of

[Durhamfootman]

well.... and that's just stupid. Scoring in the first minute of the second half.... what were they even doing up there? Manager has every right to be furious with them

Don't forget, it's hot... it's damned hot, the players are tired, they're not really fit enough and they haven't got Phillips in their squad. They'll tire themselves out winning this game and have no energy left for the QF..... madness!

[Durhamfootman]

great win for Switzerland. Gave Italy a footballing lesson. Better in every single dept

Italy for their part were dreadful, woeful, useless. Hapless, hopeless and helpless..... think England.... that bad

[mikesiva]

Germany 2-0 Denmark

They looked shaky for a bit, but their class told in the second half.

[sussexpob]

Pathetic first half

[sussexpob]

Pathetic second half, but england take the only two chances they created in 2.5 games.

Now back to 11 men behind the ball and letting a load of FC Maribor players dictate to use

[Durhamfootman]

I haven't watched the game, although I have it recorded. Looks as though if I want to avoid having an apoplectic fit, then I should probably just confine myself to watching the few minutes either side of the normal time whistle

The BBC report of the game is thoroughly scathing of almost everything to do with the match apart from the wonder goal and the poachers strike while Slokvakia were still reeling from the shock.

If Switzerland play to anywhere near the level they reached against Italy they will tear England to shreds