12 Jul 2021 08:16:34
Good morning all🙋‍♂️Any sore English head's today?

{Ed025's Note - heads ok barry...but heart is broken.. :)

1.) 12 Jul 2021
12 Jul 2021 08:41:30
Not sore just disappointed. But we have suffered worse, the last 18 months have proved that! So we go again and remember the journey which we definitely enjoyed and be proud of the lads efforts.

2.) 12 Jul 2021
12 Jul 2021 09:07:36
If I was English today I wouldn't be holding any inquests into last night. They are reserved for going out at the group stages or 1st knockout round. I'd be laying no blame at the 3 young lads, who had the balls to put themselves forward, door either. Got caught by scoring too early and not knowing whether to stick or twist. Beaten by a team with immense know how on the lottery that is penalties. Heads up and be proud of your team.

3.) 12 Jul 2021
12 Jul 2021 09:31:19
I think an inquest should still be held mate. Yes they done well but I think to play that brand of football with those players is criminal. Also the supposed leaders in the squad who sat back and watched the youngster take the decisive penalty. Felt gutted for Saka at the end poor kid.

4.) 12 Jul 2021
12 Jul 2021 09:46:32
Agree with all of the comments here - a very broken heart. The tension was unbelievable. As with most parents, we let our kids (11 and 9) stay up to watch the final, and we certainly weren't going to be able to send them to bed when it went to extra time and penalties! My 9 year old just started sobbing at the end - that's when I realised how much the tension affected everyone.

I must admit, I am starting to believe that Southgate just isn't quite at the right level to lead the boys all the way. This bunch of players is better than the 'golden generation' of the 2000s. However, I do believe that the national coach should come from the nation they are coaching, and I'm not sure who else could take over? The best I can hope is that Southgate can add to his coaching staff, as he does seem to consult a lot with his coaches during a game, and add in someone who is a serial winner and knows good game management.

Having got Italy on the backfoot, we should have pressed our advantage so much more in the first half. I was so disappointed to see Italy pressing, pressing, pressing like angry wasps (reminding me of us in our pomp! ) and our players stepping back and letting the Italians run at us. Even 3-0 down, Italy wouldn't have given in. I did call them some pretty bad names during the game because of their cynical fouls, not unlike Ramos in 2018, but they know how to win. Summed up by the worst of the lot - Chiellini's drag back of Saka. But he knew exactly what he was doing and in that moment, I feared it was lost.

However, all credit to the boys for making the final, and hopefully they can go one step further next season.

And to the keyboard cowards racially abusing the boys who missed, you are a disgrace and I hope your parents take your devices away.

5.) 12 Jul 2021
12 Jul 2021 11:37:21
yep totally disappointed, but they did really well to get to the final but they just didn't grasp the chance, i thought Kane was poor throughout the tournament. any one can miss a penalty they have to be admired to stand up and take one at that age. i did think the Jorginhio foul should have been a red card and the Chiellini ne on Saka the same, but apart from that Italy were the best team i think.

6.) 12 Jul 2021
12 Jul 2021 08:52:52
What did you make of the penalty-taking decisions ed? Obviously its easy in hindsight but I thought Southgate was just trying to be too clever. Sterling, Grealish and even Henderson surely would have handled the situation a little better. Even Luke Shaw, who was probably England's player of the tournament. Feel sorry for the young English lads who missed. Tough way to lose. Italy were probably the tournament's best team so well deserved.

{Ed025's Note - as we know macko penalties are a lottery, the guys who took them must have put themselves forward and so i dont have a problem with the picks, these guys are playing at the highest level and im sure that in training they scored quite frequently, the last thing you want is a player who doesn,t fancy it taking one mate..

7.) 12 Jul 2021
12 Jul 2021 12:03:36
@zedficus - it’s not just young kids who don’t know better, the racism is coming from fully grown adults who are bigots looking for any reason to spew their bile. Name, shame, and prosecute them, only way it’ll be curbed.

{Ed025's Note - im with you seano..

8.) 12 Jul 2021
12 Jul 2021 14:53:05
Totally agree with that approach Seano. I know there's going to be a lot of vile adults who also love the protection that a keyboard presents them with.

I hope they are prosecuted, that's the only way we're going to tackle the wider problem of social media abuse. Looking back at how horrible it was for black players in the 70s and 80s, can you imagine throwing social media into that mix too?!

9.) 12 Jul 2021
12 Jul 2021 16:46:49
As far as I know, Southgate picked who took the penalties. He brought on two specifically for it. I don’t know if sancho is known for his pen taking ability? Is saka?

Since he had the deciding penalty as a 19 year old, that’s a tremendous lack of foresight from someone who knows what it means to miss one in a big game, especially since saka had a poor game.

Grealish, stones, shaw, Phillips, Sterling should have all been in front of saka and sancho imo. I know it’s easy to say after the fact but you could see it from a mile away. Rashford miss was particularly ugly because it’s that stupid thing his mate pogba does 🤢.

Disappointed but best team won on reflection, and I don’t see us getting a better chance than that for a long time. Qatar won’t be a favourable environment at all, this was.