Football Soccer Football Soccer Football Soccer

[F l i c k e r]

Italy haven't been beaten in 34 games, and just beat England in the final, they're clearly the better team.

It's all shoulda woulda coulda, at the end of the day, they are lifting the trophy and we're the ones sat here licking our wounds.

England are a good team, but still a level below the elite teams like Italy, France, Spain etc.

I feel like Italy, player for player, position for position aren't really the best team or better one.

Italy are however, the single most balanced team in all of Europe right now.

Round pegs in round holes with all of those players complimenting each other, all wrapped up in a system that compliments the players.
(could make an argument that the strikers are behind the rest of the team though).

The only team. Every other European nation are so disjointed or forced into uncomplimentary systems/tactics/formations, that they couldn't pull through.

Take Germany for example. I'm not picking any of Italy's wingers over Gnabry or Sane. No f.ucking way. But did Lowe even use them? No. Lowe got fixated on replicating Chelsea's formation for the sake of shoe-horning Havertz and Werner into the lineup and looked like s.hit because of it.

Could literally just play Bayern Munich's 4231 right down to Bayern's first XI minus Lewandowski and probably run riot into, at least, the semis. Because every single player knows the role, position, and the players around them. But instead he used a 343 for whatever mind boggling reason, with scoring inept CFs.

England was largely the same way. They struggled to create the whole time and the moment the swtiched to the 4231, they were destroying teams. Why? Because all the players fit the positions and roles and compliment each other. Right down to Harry Kane looking live again. In the 343 it makes England hard to beat out right but they also aren't linked together well, going forward.

Spain may as well switch to a 442, Simeone style cause their strikers are holding them back. They play a 433 with crap striking and their players are more linear than those of yesteryear.

France didn't use the same template as the WC. No Giroud, no 4231, no service provider between the lines. They fixed on a 352 as well and shot themselves in the foot with it.

But Italy? No nonsense. Round pegs, round holes. 433. Proper wingers. All-around striker. Complimentary midfield. CBs linked. Just clicking.

[Earl-Hickey]

While Racism is out of order we'll played to saka and Co for deflecting their terrible penalty attempts so they now cannot be criticised, I bet Southgate wishes he had a similar shield to hide behind back in 96.

[BodiesInFlight]

How the hell did Lukaku get in to the team of the tournament? Surely Patrik Schick deserved the nod there. I was expecting them to go with the sponsored choice Ronaldo tbh though.

[BodiesInFlight]

While Racism is out of order we'll played to saka and Co for deflecting their terrible penalty attempts so they now cannot be criticised, I bet Southgate wishes he had a similar shield to hide behind back in 96.

Southgate got a pizza hut advert deal out of it tbf.

However i've not seen any of the lads use racism as a shield. I think we should be attacking the lunatic racists rather than the players though mate.

[BodiesInFlight]

Without immigration, France and England would struggle to qualify. If France was made up of all ethnic French (Whities) you'd have a team where your best players are Giroud, Pavard and Griezmann... that's not going to win anything.

Saying they would struggle to qualify is going a bit too far Scotland and Macedonia qualified for this tournament.

[ShoulderRoll]

Without foreign stars the Premier League would suck balls and be second tier.

[Szef]

Reading these past few pages im convinced most of you don't follow football or do follow it and just DKS about it

I mean I could pass on as a casual these days as I don't follow it as religiously as I did until my mid 20's and only turn up for big tournaments and champions league but these idiots who think diversity played ANY part here know about this sport as much as my left shoe

Football is a TEAM sport. Always have been and always will be.

You think if all the best 'foreign' players of this Euros formed a team and participated in this or any other big tournament they'd be successful? My guess is they wouldn't make it out of the group

Look at the world cup. The tournament is almost 100 years old and to date only 8 teams have won it

Why?

Because the success of today's winners is the result of DECADES of investing into and developing the sport in the country.

It's not a coincidence that the most successful countries are the countries where football is religion.

[Sparked_26]

Some of the fallout from losing and even before has been so embarrassing. From the storming of the turnstiles to fat middle aged Trevors trying to sucker punch them and kicking them on the floor as if they were brave men repelling an invading force and the pretty widespread ridiculous racist abuse. As a Chelsea fan we do have racist fans and you know they're there and they're a tiny minority to the extent accusation of Chelsea as a racist club hurt. But at England level it draws these sorts of types to it in bigger numbers and especially on social media

I'm glad we lost now really. It is too embarrassing.

Football just seem to attract some real low lives. And it is all perception. We look like a nation of absolute racist simpletons. That is what people will see now when they see a predominantly white England crowd. Theyve ruined a great tournament for 99% who are f.ucking normal

[BigZ44]

Guehi coming down to South London on a permanent, hell yeah! Thought when we went Vieira over Lampard, we might miss out on the Chelsea boys. Now need to get Gallagher on loan and bring back Cahill. Then snatch Morgan Rogers from City and Nketiah from Arse and we are cooking with gas!

[Sparked_26]

It is a bit of a shame Guehi got no minutes. Zouma is a beast but he's not a great footballer so it is not like Guehi couldnt compete with him.

Gallagher defo needs a loan and with Billy at Norwich.

I think maybe RLC or Barkley has a last chance at Chelsea and an attempt will be made for Rice or at least another player with similar characteristics.

Chelsea cant win the league with their current midfield no matter how highly rated Kante and Jorgi are. We haven't had a legitimate title challenge in the 100 odd games theyve formed the mainstays of our midfield.

We short in midfield. Figuratively and literally. Has to fixed to make sure we dont occasionally just get bodied by someone rubbish. Which happens fairly often to Chelsea and I think midfield is the issue just as much as our defence