This England team…

Foden was outstanding in the first half last night and we reduced the Dutch to packing the midfield and lumping it to the big lad. England haven't always been an easy watch in this tournament but every game of the knockout phase has delivered at least one amazing moment - late equalisers, last minute goals, penalty shootout wins.

I wonder if the people complaining have forgotten what it was like watching England before Southgate. Some need to stop stroking their chins and trying to provide their own hot tactical insights and just enjoy the ride.  

The Dutch big lump up front could not even hold down a space in a poor Burnley side last season. England have some very good players.
We have a good chance of beating Spain on Sunday

yes, our best players not doing well.  Foden good last night though.  Bellingham knackered after supporting Madrid through the first half if the season. Then to a CL Final.    Still scored 23 goals.  If he does not play well on Sunday then he has many other games to shine. He got a freekick last night in the last minute with a driving run.

Mainoo has come of age.  Most accurate passing stats in Euro's ever for a midfielder (OPTA).  Last night he had more interceptions, and made more key passes than any other England player.

Watkins might be portrayed as an ex NL player.  But he scored 27 goals last season.  His 13 assists was the most in the Prem.  Player of the season with some journalists.

We have a high-quality squad who can change games.

Quoted from IlkleyMariner

The Dutch big lump up front could not even hold down a space in a poor Burnley side last season.

Tbf he was playing for someone else.

Quoted from Rodley Mariner

I wonder if the people complaining have forgotten what it was like watching England before Southgate. Some need to stop stroking their chins and trying to provide their own hot tactical insights and just enjoy the ride.  

Absolutely this!  Or even forgotten what the vast majority of tournaments are like.  World Cups are often more exciting, largely in my opinion because there's still an unknown factor to some of the teams.  But the Euro's generally are always flat as hell with teams just focused on avoiding defeat.

Semi-final
Final
Quarter-final
Final*

That's Southgate's tournament record for England.  Outstanding and even more so when you compare it to everything that's gone before him.   Hodgson - embarassing.  Capello - embarassing - McClaren - didn't even qualify.  Sven - wasted opportunity - Keegan - out in the groups. Hoddle - the one who might have taken us to something better had he not proved to be a horrible excrement.  El Tel - Semi-final.  Taylor - Out in the groups.  Robson - Quarter's and Semi's at World Cup but very disappointing in the Euro's.

Back to Sir Alf before you get another finalist and his best after that was a semi-final in '68.   Football very different then too.

Those who criticise Southgate tend to say he's only achieved what he has because of an outstanding set of players who he's constantly held back and failed to get the best from. Which seems weird as they are/were the same people who constantly told us that Pickford is an average keeper, Walker is just fast, Harry Maguire is excrement, Trippier is poor, Lingard and Dele Alli were crap, Sterling shouldn't be in the squad, Rashford was only interested in gesture politics, that we haven't got any world class defenders, Kane is past it, Saka is overrated................

Quoted from sonofmadeleymariner

I think you'll find since Hurst left I've been a lot more optimistic and looking forward to next season. Tonight was alright. It still took a goal from the Dutch for them to wake up and for Hurstgate to finally make a sub in the second half we clearly needed for a long time. Spain will pull us apart

They absolutely won’t .

Spain have progress well and played better in each games, but they sat back alot in the 2nd half against France, Lamal hardly had any of the ball.  I think we can beat them, and yet the 1 thing the Spanish should be worried about is when we do turn up.  My only worry really is if they go down when you go near them like they have been shot and the ref buys it.  

Quoted from Meza

Spain have progress well and played better in each games, but they sat back alot in the 2nd half against France, Lamal hardly had any of the ball.  I think we can beat them, and yet the 1 thing the Spanish should be worried about is when we do turn up. My only worry really is if they go down when you go near them like they have been shot and the ref buys it.  

Like Kane last night then??

I remember the Spanish and French being quite physical and a bit dirty in their semi.