Well, as usual, because I can't shut up even when I should, so here's few observations:-
We've made the Final because we cheated. If that was a penalty I'm a zebra.
The pundits hardly seemed to mention Kyle Walker who was the best player on the pitch. His speed blunted Denmark's attacking threat and was a threat to their defence too. He was fckuing heroic.
Denmark, with inferior players, were the superior team until they started making substitutions, which all seemed directed at weakening their team.
Schmeichel failed with the penalty because it was too easy. If he'd known it would be that bad he would have held it. Had it been a shot in open play he would have held it. You can't really blame a keeper for not saving a penalty, but he must be blaming himself big time.
Jordan Pickford looked on the edge of having a conniption fit throughout the game. His kicking was desperate. If you build a wall and then can't see the ball, you've got something wrong. He seemed to see the goal late. To save a ball at that height he needed his body higher off the ground and more horizontal and he should have been going for the ball with his left hand not his right (Because you can then do much more to deflect the shot). If you are beaten in the top corner from a free kick that ain't so bad, but that was stoppable width and height wise. Nevertheless I've always believed if no one had come up with defensive walls, someone would have invented attacking walls. But Pickers did look very Sunday League Division 3 on that one, and the goal scorer looked shocked to have scored!
Southgate can hardly move for encomiums, so let me say taking off Grealish for Trippier must be the crassest move of these championships. We sat five at the back and invited Denmark forward, which was the only way they had by then to get forward. Grealish up front would have held on to the ball and prevented us coming under pressure. Bringing on an extra defender and sitting back as you always do with five at the back was the worst defensive move ever.
The more I watch, the more I think we look better with three at the back and two wing backs. Italy's weakest players are full backs. I'd load out wide. Walker as third defender, James in at right wing back, and we wouldn't drop Shaw anyway. In midfield we need two defensively based players to match up theirs. Up front, well Sterling short of arsenic-poisoning will play. Kane is going to be there and I'd go with Grealish instead of Mount and tell him he had got 70 minutes to cause havoc, thread passes, beat men and also go out wide occasionally to humiliate the full back. Kane, who is a genuine number nine, I would tell him to play as a false nine rather than making Chiellini and Bonucci's day by going up against them. Spain caused them all sorts of problems that way, but had no one to finish. Kane likes dropping off centre backs anyway. Do it on Sunday Harry, big-time, they'll hate it. The rest of you get in the space created to take advantage. Harry too, if they follow you, leave them there and make a run. Subs ..... looking planned would be nice. Rashford for Sterling, Foden for Grealish, Bellingham if we are losing for a midfielder, Henderson if we are winning. Saka if we are losing for James at wing back. As all this is fantasy, what will happen will largely depend on whether Italy are as knackered as they looked against Spain. If Chiesa is fully fit he'd give anybody trouble. And by the way whatever we do, don't hang up crosses for Donnaruma to catch. He loves doing it. They feed his confidence. Whip difficult balls in front of him, make him move his feet a lot and adjust his position, he doesn't like that. And of course we have to pray that either Pickford is on a going day or that Italy haven't noticed just how fragile he is.
We've made the Final because we cheated. If that was a penalty I'm a zebra.
The pundits hardly seemed to mention Kyle Walker who was the best player on the pitch. His speed blunted Denmark's attacking threat and was a threat to their defence too. He was fckuing heroic.
Denmark, with inferior players, were the superior team until they started making substitutions, which all seemed directed at weakening their team.
Schmeichel failed with the penalty because it was too easy. If he'd known it would be that bad he would have held it. Had it been a shot in open play he would have held it. You can't really blame a keeper for not saving a penalty, but he must be blaming himself big time.
Jordan Pickford looked on the edge of having a conniption fit throughout the game. His kicking was desperate. If you build a wall and then can't see the ball, you've got something wrong. He seemed to see the goal late. To save a ball at that height he needed his body higher off the ground and more horizontal and he should have been going for the ball with his left hand not his right (Because you can then do much more to deflect the shot). If you are beaten in the top corner from a free kick that ain't so bad, but that was stoppable width and height wise. Nevertheless I've always believed if no one had come up with defensive walls, someone would have invented attacking walls. But Pickers did look very Sunday League Division 3 on that one, and the goal scorer looked shocked to have scored!
Southgate can hardly move for encomiums, so let me say taking off Grealish for Trippier must be the crassest move of these championships. We sat five at the back and invited Denmark forward, which was the only way they had by then to get forward. Grealish up front would have held on to the ball and prevented us coming under pressure. Bringing on an extra defender and sitting back as you always do with five at the back was the worst defensive move ever.
The more I watch, the more I think we look better with three at the back and two wing backs. Italy's weakest players are full backs. I'd load out wide. Walker as third defender, James in at right wing back, and we wouldn't drop Shaw anyway. In midfield we need two defensively based players to match up theirs. Up front, well Sterling short of arsenic-poisoning will play. Kane is going to be there and I'd go with Grealish instead of Mount and tell him he had got 70 minutes to cause havoc, thread passes, beat men and also go out wide occasionally to humiliate the full back. Kane, who is a genuine number nine, I would tell him to play as a false nine rather than making Chiellini and Bonucci's day by going up against them. Spain caused them all sorts of problems that way, but had no one to finish. Kane likes dropping off centre backs anyway. Do it on Sunday Harry, big-time, they'll hate it. The rest of you get in the space created to take advantage. Harry too, if they follow you, leave them there and make a run. Subs ..... looking planned would be nice. Rashford for Sterling, Foden for Grealish, Bellingham if we are losing for a midfielder, Henderson if we are winning. Saka if we are losing for James at wing back. As all this is fantasy, what will happen will largely depend on whether Italy are as knackered as they looked against Spain. If Chiesa is fully fit he'd give anybody trouble. And by the way whatever we do, don't hang up crosses for Donnaruma to catch. He loves doing it. They feed his confidence. Whip difficult balls in front of him, make him move his feet a lot and adjust his position, he doesn't like that. And of course we have to pray that either Pickford is on a going day or that Italy haven't noticed just how fragile he is.