Just looked up Kickford’s passing last night:

- 24 long passes, six completed
- Overall 38.7% pass completion



There’s no looking to context to bail him out: he often had easy options with CBs in space and with time to look to.

Those kind of figures against Italy would likely be disastrous.

Southgate should be instructing what he does with the ball...I wonder if he is, seemed strange the amount of long balls he hit

Best kick of the night was Schmeichel...a low back spinning one which was perfection to the wingers feet...reminded me of me with a gap wedge from 100 yards...

The long kicks out last night were a waste of time, all the Danish lads were at least a foot taller than Sterling.

If Italy press us the same way they did Spain we're in trouble, we don't have the tools the Spanish do to play round it. Then we're into your long kick, here you go have another try scenario. Diagonals and breaking runs from Saka, Sterling, Sancho or whoever might be the best chance. Drop Kane deeper and bypass the midfield?

Dropping Kane deeper might pull Bonucci and Chielinni out of position as well, the Spanish did that well.

Pickford was an absolute liability last night with one mistake rolling into the next. Anytime the ball comes to him for a first time clearance you just don't trust him to deal with it appropriately.

And rolling the ball right into the feet of the Danish player in the first half....come on ffs.

From our point of view Italy will be terrified with the pace we have with Sterling and Sake/Sancho. I don't think they have faced that much of a threat before this tournament and they might be playing Chelsea 4th choice left back.

After we hit them with pace we then bring on Grealish against tired legs. It is a formula which has worked superbly for Southgate.

comment by The Post Nearly Man Says Every Single One Of Us Loves Alex Ferguson (U1270)
posted 15 minutes ago
If Italy press us the same way they did Spain we're in trouble, we don't have the tools the Spanish do to play round it. Then we're into your long kick, here you go have another try scenario. Diagonals and breaking runs from Saka, Sterling, Sancho or whoever might be the best chance. Drop Kane deeper and bypass the midfield?
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When he has to go long, yep

I'm concerned about the final. Southgate's tactics have just about done enough so far, but Sunday is our first test against a top team.

I can't see how Rice and Philips cope in midfield.

Sterling and the other forward next to Kane will be crucial as Kane will most likely play CM again.

Must admit I'm very pessimistic about this one.

Worst case scenario, if England are winning and Italy are pushing them back, bring Calvert Lewin on alongside Kane and have Pickford good it to him and get England back up the pitch with one of the best in the squad at winning aerial battles.

*hoof it to him

For me the crowd might well play a big part. Italy have a poor record in finals (England are 100% 😹) and the huge England crowd might get England over the line.

comment by rosso - time to #takefootballback (U17054)
posted 32 minutes ago
Just looked up Kickford’s passing last night:

- 24 long passes, six completed
- Overall 38.7% pass completion

----------------------------------------------------------------------
hmmm, puts it into context that i thought that donnarumma was equally poor with his distribution the night before, but he actually had a 73% pass completion.

and i thought that historically pickford was decent with the ball at his feet?

anyway, good article, i think i'd drop mount for henderson, to beef up the midfield, and might swap out saka for sancho (or maybe rashford on the left, the italian rb did look a bit vulnerable vs spain, sterling on the right).

think some of our tactical issues with this match, and potential need to change formation, vanished when spinazzola got injured.

Think we’re going to need Kane to spend the game dropping deep and trying to move their cbs out of position for Sterling and whoever plays on the other flank to drop in behind.

comment by Don Draper's dandruff (U20155)
posted 37 seconds ago
comment by rosso - time to #takefootballback (U17054)
posted 32 minutes ago
Just looked up Kickford’s passing last night:

- 24 long passes, six completed
- Overall 38.7% pass completion

----------------------------------------------------------------------
hmmm, puts it into context that i thought that donnarumma was equally poor with his distribution the night before, but he actually had a 73% pass completion.

and i thought that historically pickford was decent with the ball at his feet?

anyway, good article, i think i'd drop mount for henderson, to beef up the midfield, and might swap out saka for sancho (or maybe rashford on the left, the italian rb did look a bit vulnerable vs spain, sterling on the right).

think some of our tactical issues with this match, and potential need to change formation, vanished when spinazzola got injured.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
no way would i drop mount for henderson.

we already have 2 in midfield with very little creativity in them.
plying 3 in there would likely make us sit even deeper in the middle of the park

Pace against the slow Italian CBs will be important too. I really don’t rate this Italian side as much as others. They’re obviously good but they have plenty of weaknesses that can be taken apart by a side with quality. I don’t see them as hugely more dangerous than the Germany side England beat.

comment by plain old dunc (U11713)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Don Draper's dandruff (U20155)
posted 37 seconds ago
comment by rosso - time to #takefootballback (U17054)
posted 32 minutes ago
Just looked up Kickford’s passing last night:

- 24 long passes, six completed
- Overall 38.7% pass completion

----------------------------------------------------------------------
hmmm, puts it into context that i thought that donnarumma was equally poor with his distribution the night before, but he actually had a 73% pass completion.

and i thought that historically pickford was decent with the ball at his feet?

anyway, good article, i think i'd drop mount for henderson, to beef up the midfield, and might swap out saka for sancho (or maybe rashford on the left, the italian rb did look a bit vulnerable vs spain, sterling on the right).

think some of our tactical issues with this match, and potential need to change formation, vanished when spinazzola got injured.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
no way would i drop mount for henderson.

we already have 2 in midfield with very little creativity in them.
plying 3 in there would likely make us sit even deeper in the middle of the park
----------------------------------------------------------------------

When Henderson came on he ended up being more positive and useful than Mount was.

comment by Robb Sancho (U22311)
posted 3 seconds ago
comment by plain old dunc (U11713)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Don Draper's dandruff (U20155)
posted 37 seconds ago
comment by rosso - time to #takefootballback (U17054)
posted 32 minutes ago
Just looked up Kickford’s passing last night:

- 24 long passes, six completed
- Overall 38.7% pass completion

----------------------------------------------------------------------
hmmm, puts it into context that i thought that donnarumma was equally poor with his distribution the night before, but he actually had a 73% pass completion.

and i thought that historically pickford was decent with the ball at his feet?

anyway, good article, i think i'd drop mount for henderson, to beef up the midfield, and might swap out saka for sancho (or maybe rashford on the left, the italian rb did look a bit vulnerable vs spain, sterling on the right).

think some of our tactical issues with this match, and potential need to change formation, vanished when spinazzola got injured.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
no way would i drop mount for henderson.

we already have 2 in midfield with very little creativity in them.
plying 3 in there would likely make us sit even deeper in the middle of the park
----------------------------------------------------------------------

When Henderson came on he ended up being more positive and useful than Mount was.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
of course he was... he came on in the 95th minute against a team that was lagging and played the last 15 with 10 men... if he didnt have an impact there would have been something wrong

comment by plain old dunc (U11713)
posted 57 seconds ago
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of course he was... he came on in the 95th minute against a team that was lagging and played the last 15 with 10 men... if he didnt have an impact there would have been something wrong
----------------------------------------------------------------------
i think phillips has shown occasionally for england, and more often for leeds, that he can be pushed forward in a more creative role - not mount/foden/grealish creative, but still a more expansive game than we sometimes see from him.

and i don't rate henderson hugely as a player, but his medium/long range passing is slightly underrated.

i do agree that a rice/phillip/henderson trio doesn't fill me with joy, but needs must.

comment by plain old dunc (U11713)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Robb Sancho (U22311)
posted 3 seconds ago
comment by plain old dunc (U11713)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Don Draper's dandruff (U20155)
posted 37 seconds ago
comment by rosso - time to #takefootballback (U17054)
posted 32 minutes ago
Just looked up Kickford’s passing last night:

- 24 long passes, six completed
- Overall 38.7% pass completion

----------------------------------------------------------------------
hmmm, puts it into context that i thought that donnarumma was equally poor with his distribution the night before, but he actually had a 73% pass completion.

and i thought that historically pickford was decent with the ball at his feet?

anyway, good article, i think i'd drop mount for henderson, to beef up the midfield, and might swap out saka for sancho (or maybe rashford on the left, the italian rb did look a bit vulnerable vs spain, sterling on the right).

think some of our tactical issues with this match, and potential need to change formation, vanished when spinazzola got injured.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
no way would i drop mount for henderson.

we already have 2 in midfield with very little creativity in them.
plying 3 in there would likely make us sit even deeper in the middle of the park
----------------------------------------------------------------------

When Henderson came on he ended up being more positive and useful than Mount was.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
of course he was... he came on in the 95th minute against a team that was lagging and played the last 15 with 10 men... if he didnt have an impact there would have been something wrong
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Ultimately he’s a very good player and but for injuries would and should be starting for England. He seems fully fit now and has plenty of nous and experience which England need in spades against Italy. As others have said, perhaps have the midfield three of Rice, Phillips and Henderson and have Kane drop back to play incisive passes to Sterling and then if needs be later in the game, take off a Cm and bring on a Sancho or a Rashford or a Sako.

I’d play Henderson too tbh. If he gets the balance right, we can utilise the fullbacks more for the transition. The flanks have been our best way forward for the whole tournament anyway.

comment by Don Draper's dandruff (U20155)
posted 3 seconds ago
comment by plain old dunc (U11713)
posted 57 seconds ago
----------------------------------------------------------------------
of course he was... he came on in the 95th minute against a team that was lagging and played the last 15 with 10 men... if he didnt have an impact there would have been something wrong
----------------------------------------------------------------------
i think phillips has shown occasionally for england, and more often for leeds, that he can be pushed forward in a more creative role - not mount/foden/grealish creative, but still a more expansive game than we sometimes see from him.

and i don't rate henderson hugely as a player, but his medium/long range passing is slightly underrated.

i do agree that a rice/phillip/henderson trio doesn't fill me with joy, but needs must.
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but then you have the issue of kane always dropping deep and congesting the area.

if kane does drop at least someone like mount has the ability to run past him, you wont get that from the other 3.

if he does go with those 3 then Rashford has to start for me.
as good as saka has been he is not a big goal threat and we will need that if kane then drops into the hole

And I think it’s there and the space behind their cbs that give us the best chance rather than controlling the ball and possession in midfield. We need to control the space more in the centre.

The problem with a 3-5-2 is that Mount will drop deeper and deeper to help the CM, then Kane will drop into his space and Sterling will be left trying to make the movement.

I'm 99% sure that's how we will line up though and it makes sense in some ways, we'll try and keep it very tight for 70 mins and then bring on one extra attacker to try and sneak the win.

It's just a shame that we have so much attacking talent but don't have the other midfiled to do much with them.

On a side note, completely forgot there wasn’t a third fourth play off in the euros. Would have quite liked to watch a Spain Denmark game!