FINAL - Italy (p) 1-1 England - Sunday 11th July, 2021

[Dan+]

I think Italy have been a bit better than us, but the home advantage and occasion massively plays into our hands.

[Cicero]

Shouldn’t start Foden in a European final. 

[Stan]

2 hours ago, JoshBRFC said:

3 lions on in Asda earlier, my just turned 3 year old looks up as she hears it with stars in her eyes and says “Daddeeee Eng a land won song is on its a coming home”

Even she knows. 

Sounds Italian mate

[Honey Honey]

8 minutes ago, Dan said:

I think Italy have been a bit better than us, but the home advantage and occasion massively plays into our hands.

After the first half against Denmark I think the occasion might work against us. Just hope that the experience of that game will settle them earlier.

[Dan+]

Just now, The Premier Steve's said:

After the first half against Denmark I think the occasion might work against us. Just hope that the experience of that game will settle them earlier.

I did think the same, you could sense Denmark were going to score and I felt we looked a bit nervy. It was crucial England equalised in the first half. Denmark just tired in the end I think, similar to Ukraine. The best thing about the way England have played it is that we don't seem to take as much out of ourselves physically as the others. We coast it a bit, but do enough to get through the game and win.

I wouldn't be shocked if similar happened against Italy.

Do think there's a slight delusion about what we can do to Italy because of Spain though. We play nothing like Spain. We won't carve through them like that. Our best hope is Sterling's pace up against their ageing centre halves.

[Dr. Gonzo]

Idk if Henderson is fit enough yet to play a full 90 minutes, but I'd be tempted to start him if I were Southgate.

But I don't know if I'd sacrifice Rice or Phillips for him - I'd probably take Mount out and go for a pretty defensive setup, relying on Kane to drop deep to feed the runners in Sterling and Sancho. But I think having Henderson in the midfield alongside Rice and Phillips probably gives us better control of the midfield than just Rice and Phillips alone in central midfield.

And while I was critical of what Rice and Phillips did with the ball... I think the work they do off the ball has been absolutely massive for England and it's a big part of why we're in the final.

But I'm not sure he's fully fit tbh and starting him against fresh legs expecting him to go the full 90 (or more) probably won't pan out. But I do think ceding as much control of the midfield, like we did to Denmark for a good portion of the 90 minutes of ordinary time, is likely to backfire against Italy. They've got much better midfielders than Denmark - and (as you'd expect in a final, so I feel like it goes without saying) they're probably the best midfielders in the best team we're facing in this tournament.

[Dr. Gonzo]

7 hours ago, MUFC said:

Who would you say so far have been England's top 5 players?

1.Sterling

2.Walker

3.Philliphs

4.Maguire

5.Pickford

I'd say:

1. Shaw (best player overall for England this tournament, imo)

2. Walker (he's also been really good, arguably man of the match against Denmark too)

3. Sterling (important goals to get us this far, has gotten more dangerous as the tournament's gone on)

4. Maguire (been the standout centrehalf in the best defense in the tournament)

5. Kane (think he was pretty poor at the beginning of the tournament, but big performances against Ukraine and Denmark push him way up - he was pretty key for us going forward against Denmark)

[Redcanuck]

I think England wins this, while Italy looked the better team in the group stages, England has looked better in the knockout rounds.  Austria were unlucky not to win in regulation time and Spain dominated Italy for most of the game. They were the better team against Belgium,  but that was with no Hazard and a beat up De Bruyne . 

Other than about a 20 minute period in the first half against Denmark, I think things have been pretty comfortable for England in the knockout rounds. England is the more fresher of the two, their games have not been as tough and they have rotated more.   Italy's midfield may well control possession, but England's speedy attackers will catch them on the counter and get behind the two old Italian warhorse CB 's.   The only worry I have is in goal, the Italians have the edge and It's not past Pickford to make a mistake.

 

[Danny]

These England without immigration pictures are nice but theyre not gunna get through to a group of people who dislike BLM cos of Marxism and then complain that the phrase white privilege holds back “working class” white boys 

[ScoRoss]

They better not boo 'Il Canto degli Italiani'.

It's bad enough booing others, but can't deny us the pleasure of hearing that song one final time this summer.

[JoshBRFC+]

2 hours ago, Stan said:

Sounds Italian mate

Touché. 
 

Fuck.

[Happy Blue]

2 hours ago, Cicero said:

Should start Foden in a European final. 

I agree  remember what happened last time he started a final for England? 

 

[Spike]

Ciro Immobile will score the winning goal and the cognitive dissonance will cause @Devil-Dick Willie's brain to melt out his penis.

[Ploughendplonker]

I think Italy will have too much for us, but it's a final so anything can happen. Also, it seems weird to say but for England this is the least pressurised game of them all as, whilst it would mean everything to win it, just getting to a final will be considered to be, to some extent, a success. 

Mind you, I feel that there'll be some kind of quirk of fate. It seems too simple that we'd fall to a disappointing-but-honourable 2-0 defeat. 

[Stan]

1 minute ago, Ploughendplonker said:

I think Italy will have too much for us, but it's a final so anything can happen. Also, it seems weird to say but for England this is the least pressurised game of them all as, whilst it would mean everything to win it, just getting to a final will be considered to be, to some extent, a success. 

Mind you, I feel that there'll be some kind of quirk of fate. It seems too simple that we'd fall to a disappointing-but-honourable 2-0 defeat. 

Agree with this. No pressure on us at all, although I think the fact none of these lads have been in an international final may show at times during the game. But then again, they seemed to have learnt their semi-final lessons from 3 years ago in terms of game management and really digging deep, grinding out the result as shown last night. It's a young squad that's grown in maturity and confidence.

The two biggest things these nations have in common are their togetherness and passion. Italy's experience may prove to be too much but I hope it doesn't. I do wonder what the fitness levels are like, again for both sides. Italy having been through two ET games as well as losing Spinazzola. 

It's genuinely hard to call who would win. England seem to be hitting their stride just at the right time after a slow-ish group stage. Italy have the experience. 

[Honey Honey]

If England do win then our balance of trade will be a surplus for the first time in decades, the amount of salt people are getting from watching us

[Spike]

1 minute ago, The Premier Steve's said:

If England do win then our balance of trade will be a surplus for the first time in decades, the amount of salt people are getting from watching us

Who is actually salty though?

[Tommy]

4 hours ago, It's Coming Home! said:

Dutch ref Kuipers will be in charge of the final.

I thought it'd be Cakir or Karasev. But can't go wrong with Kuipers. 

[Spike]

I hope Bonucci gets red carded. Can't stand that prick.

[Stan]

26 minutes ago, Spike said:

I hope Bonucci gets red carded. Can't stand that prick.

If he scores the winner what kind of cognitive dissonance occurs with you ? 

[Honey Honey]

56 minutes ago, Spike said:

Who is actually salty though?

Loads. Marca just signed off an article with Forza Italia. The Irish Times couldn't bring themselves to accept England deserved to win. Scottish National Party MPs demanding an overhaul of BBC and ITV for covering England too much. Northern Irish complaining over use of some chants. Whilst Gazzetto dello Sport published an article suggesting Boris Johnson corrupted UEFA. Social media is full of salty comments. On here the most salty folk are English who can't bring themselves to support England but always have to remind everyone of it at every game. Then there's the odd folk so desperate for England to lose they have it ooze out of their profile and posts.

In football, typically if you are hated you must be doing something right.

[Devil-Dick Willie]

2 hours ago, Spike said:

Ciro Immobile will score the winning goal and the cognitive dissonance will cause @Devil-Dick Willie's brain to melt out his penis.

I survived Mario Gotze winning the world cup for Germany mate. Nothing fazes me anymore. Werner could make an appearance for England as a sub and score a hattrick and I'd get by. 

[Spike]

3 hours ago, Stan said:

If he scores the winner what kind of cognitive dissonance occurs with you ? 

It wouldn't bother me so much, I'm still seething about 2006 so I can't even be upset. I don't even dislike England, I'm just contractually obligated to not want them to win.

[Spike]

3 hours ago, The Premier Steve's said:

Loads. Marca just signed off an article with Forza Italia. The Irish Times couldn't bring themselves to accept England deserved to win. Scottish National Party MPs demanding an overhaul of BBC and ITV for covering England too much. Northern Irish complaining over use of some chants. Whilst Gazzetto dello Sport published an article suggesting Boris Johnson corrupted UEFA. Social media is full of salty comments. On here the most salty folk are English who can't bring themselves to support England but always have to remind everyone of it at every game. Then there's the odd folk so desperate for England to lose they have it ooze out of their profile and posts.

In football, typically if you are hated you must be doing something right.

Well I'd say the Scottish and Irish are more upset about being colonised for the last 1,000 years but maybe it's football

[Spike]

3 hours ago, Devil-Dick Willie said:

I survived Mario Gotze winning the world cup for Germany mate. Nothing fazes me anymore. Werner could make an appearance for England as a sub and score a hattrick and I'd get by. 

I wanted any player but Gotze to score the winning goal but to be honest I'm over it, mainly because his career fell apart due to medical reasons. The fat bastard deserved to score, I guess.