Grealish - Not Taking a Penalty


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Penalty takers should be chosen then and there not in training.
Absolutely zero pressure in training.
Saka hasn't even took a penalty in his career.
 
Nah, the manager and his coaching staff who know these players and see them in training and analyse their performance are clearly not best placed to decide the kick takers.

Wally from Washy disagrees with this post.
Penalty takers should be chosen then and there not in training.
Absolutely zero pressure in training.
Saka hasn't even took a penalty in his career.

Pointless practicing as you can't replicate the pressure in practice. It's a lottery eh?
 
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I would have had him and Hendo for one all day, it's not even about ability at that stage it 's bottle and self belief. Maybe could have even had Pickford put his foot through one before putting the young lads under silly pressure.
On last night, and his recent record, Henderson would have been after Pickford in my list.
 
Individually they aren't that good imo but they have a strong midfield 3 who can control the game. They sort of have to play a different way than we are used to because the players they have a suited to that style rather than it being a Mancini thing. Not sure if there has been a change at youth level to start bringing more players like that through or to focus more on those types of players.

Last night every time they made a sub they got weaker which is what helped us stem that flow they had when they were well on top whereas we had players on the bench better than what was on the pitch, and in some cases didn't even use them.

Sterling, Kane and Mount is a stronger front three on paper than Insigne, Immobile and Chiesa but all 3 for us barely turned up in part because we don't use them. Italy are the opposite.

Italy this tournament have been far from a possession side but we fell to pieces and let them do what they wanted.

Throughout the tournament we've used spells in games to reserve energy and gone from pressing to sitting deep. Last night we barely pressed at all after 20 mins. Kane spent most of the game in his own half just walking about in the same 10 yards of grass making no effort to do anything at all out of possession. It all just played into their hands.
The tweak of having Kane play in midfield with Sterling playing up top foxed the Italians initially and both accentuated Kane's strengths and hid his weaknesses. Once they worked it out we were left with a somewhat immobile striker who couldn't get through the necessary work out of possession and is simply incapable of winning a contest then hold the ball up to allow us to get out. However, how do you take Kane off in that scenario - similar to other games this tournament - without the country losing it's minds?

I'm generally okay with last night, once we're past the disappointment. We're very young in our development in a weird way. We've spent generations producing typically English footballers and we're very new to the idea that we need to produce technicians to control international games. One of the journos was posting about the way we develop players and there's definite truth in it. Whenever we find a player with technique, where 30 years ago we'd shove them on the wing now we make them into number 10s. That's why we've got so many options playing in that AM role - far too many to sensibly use - and a relative lack of outright central midfielders. Certainly when you look at the team we played last night, and specifically at someone like Veratti, there is no way that he plays in the middle in England given our current state of maturity. He'd have been a 10 or a winger - or probably freed and playing semi-pro! The next phase for England and the FA to pay attention to is to find a way to produce technical footballers who can play in the centre of the park regardless of stature. Will be a shift in thinking for all of us though. You've only got to see the talk on here of SAFCs midfield woes - which I'm totally guilty of myself - to know that we have a fair way to go before we look for different criteria in our midfielders.
 
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He was reluctant to let Grealish get involved the whole tournament, even down to taking a penalty 😂

The Athletic were reporting early in the tournament that it's thought in the england camp that Southgate took so long to pick him, and continues to overlook him, because he's pals with Boothroyd who slags Grealish off to him all the time.

Not sure how true that is though tbh. More likely we just can't fit him into a side that requires 9 defensive players, Sterling and Kane.
The tweak of having Kane play in midfield with Sterling playing up top foxed the Italians initially and both accentuated Kane's strengths and hid his weaknesses. Once they worked it out we were left with a somewhat immobile striker who couldn't get through the necessary work out of possession and is simply incapable of winning a contest then hold the ball up to allow us to get out. However, how do you take Kane off in that scenario - similar to other games this tournament - without the country losing it's minds?

I'm generally okay with last night, once we're past the disappointment. We're very young in our development in a weird way. We've spent generations producing typically English footballers and we're very new to the idea that we need to produce technicians to control international games. One of the journos was posting about the way we develop players and there's definite truth in it. Whenever we find a player with technique, where 30 years ago we'd shove them on the wing now we make them into number 10s. That's why we've got so many options playing in that AM role - far too many to sensibly use - and a relative lack of outright central midfielders. Certainly when you look at the team we played last night, and specifically at someone like Veratti, there is no way that he plays in the middle in England given our current state of maturity. He'd have been a 10 or a winger - or probably freed and playing semi-pro! The next phase for England and the FA to pay attention to is to find a way to produce technical footballers who can play in the centre of the park regardless of stature. Will be a shift in thinking for all of us though. You've only got to see the talk on here of SAFCs midfield woes - which I'm totally guilty of myself - to know that we have a fair way to go before we look for different criteria in our midfielders.

Don't agree about Veratti, mate. He's as much of a central midfielder than anyone unless you are referring to his build/brawn.

Agree we are still at a stage of choosing work rate over technically ability though which means we focus more on chasing the ball, opposed to keeping and using the ball.
 
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I'm surprised Pickford didn't take one. He looked confident as owt when he scored his last one.

Southgate didn't pick him so didn't have the choice, same as Grealish. For me in a situation like that the starting point is finding out who WANTS to take one in that moment. Its fine analysing data from the training ground but as he has said himself you can't replicate the real deal like last night.

Southgate has been brilliant but I think bringing players on who's first touch are pretty much to take a penalty kick is a mistake, at least give them 10 mins to get walmed up properly. I think he also relied too heavily on a core group of players as we looked knackered last night. Grealish, Sancho, Foden and Rashford all needed more game time than they got - imo.
 
The Athletic were reporting early in the tournament that it's thought in the england camp that Southgate took so long to pick him, and continues to overlook him, because he's pals with Boothroyd who slags Grealish off to him all the time.

Not sure how true that is though tbh. More likely we just can't fit him into a side that requires 9 defensive players, Sterling and Kane.


Don't agree about Veratti, mate. He's as much of a central midfielder than anyone unless you are referring to his build/brawn.

Agree we are still at a stage of choosing work rate over technically ability though which means we focus more on chasing the ball, opposed to keeping and using the ball.
That's exactly my point pal. If Veratti had been English we'd have tried to make him into a ten or a winger due to his stature. It's a barrier of thinking we need to get over. It'll come, though. Each tournament we work something new out. I'm confident that the long term remit given to Team England will have enough nous to work on these things over a longer term. Just need to avoid overreacting to short term results.
 
That's exactly my point pal. If Veratti had been English we'd have tried to make him into a ten or a winger due to his stature. It's a barrier of thinking we need to get over. It'll come, though. Each tournament we work something new out. I'm confident that the long term remit given to Team England will have enough nous to work on these things over a longer term. Just need to avoid overreacting to short term results.

Depends though. What we view as long term may well still be well behind the curve as other countries, and football, continue to evolve amnd we could be having the same conversation then again.

We have some incredible talent coming through, particulary in attacking areas, so you would hope that there will be some success off the back of it further down the line but look how that Italy side has evolved within just a few years during arguably one of the weakest points their domestic league has been over the same time frame.
 
Depends though. What we view as long term may well still be well behind the curve as other countries, and football, continue to evolve amnd we could be having the same conversation then again.

We have some incredible talent coming through, particulary in attacking areas, so you would hope that there will be some success off the back of it further down the line but look how that Italy side has evolved within just a few years during arguably one of the weakest points their domestic league has been over the same time frame.
You're right of course. Football moves very quickly. However, the way people in England think of footy is generally frozen in amber (this place is often evidence of that) so it will no doubt take time to shift. We just have to hope we 'get it' faster than the game moves on. One thing is for sure, we've got loads of money and won't want for resources. Hopefully that catches us up a fair bit.
 
You're right of course. Football moves very quickly. However, the way people in England think of footy is generally frozen in amber (this place is often evidence of that) so it will no doubt take time to shift. We just have to hope we 'get it' faster than the game moves on. One thing is for sure, we've got loads of money and won't want for resources. Hopefully that catches us up a fair bit.

I agree the usual consensus of 'you're only as good as your last result' is generally illogical and counter productive.

I think in the case of this years tournament there are valid concerns though. I've not personally seen much progression since Russia in terms of displays despite having a far stronger squad. Similar issues with creating chances in open play and the similar issues playing teams who won't let us pass it about in our own half (which is where Italy hurt us most last night).

That being said a semi final and a final is not to be scoffed at and I don't want Southgate sacked but the world cup is do or die for him imo. If we go there playing anti football, hoping to beat poor sides with pens and set pieces and losing to sides with similar ability, whilst ignoring the talent we have in certain areas it will have been 6 years with very little progression and wouldn't correlate with the increased talent we are producing. I'm not saying we have to win it, or even get to the final tbh but there has to be a tangible improvement in performances.

I know the general response to that is to say we've been to a semi and then a final so that must be progression there's a lot of context not being applied to such a restrictive thought process.
 
Fair enough if so. At the time I thought he shook his head when asked. Happy to be wrong
He looked fuming when Southagte was giving out the list.
Nah, the manager and his coaching staff who know these players and see them in training and analyse their performance are clearly not best placed to decide the kick takers.
They did mess it up in all fairness.
 
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I couldn't believe it mate. They needed a good 15 mins to get up to correct Phys and Psych levels.
Dont think i matters how long you played befoore taking a pen. Rashford has always and looked extremely confident in taking pens, but he missed, its happens. The lad from chelsea played all game and has never missed a pen it he missed
 
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