Euro 2020, round of 16, day 4: ENGvGER, SWEvUKR

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,673
I can't figure out what either team is trying to do. England look like their back three haven't even had informal introductions to the guys in front of them.

I've seen a couple of long balls high in to Werner and I can't understand what the play is. He isn't going to hold up play even if he somehow wins it in front of Stones (and he won't, since he doesn't seem to like playing in the air). So weird.
I think they are trying to use the speed of Werner (and Havertz) to beat out England's CBs, but I think this kind of plays intro the strength of the back three for England, since it allows England to have Walker back to snuff out any runs by faster players, without having him to worry as much about covering the wings.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

Found no thrill on Blueberry Hill
SoSH Member
Sep 9, 2008
42,297
AZ
Hummels is kind of lucky that wasting a half step calling for the offside didn't cost him more.

Nobody has ever accused me of being a formation or tactics guy but it really seems to me that Rashford is what England need. Is Rashford, Sterling and Kane at the same time stupid?
 

SocrManiac

Tommy Seebach’s mustache
SoSH Member
Apr 15, 2006
8,634
Somers, CT
I think they are trying to use the speed of Werner (and Havertz) to beat out England's CBs, but I think this kind of plays intro the strength of the back three for England, since it allows England to have Walker back to snuff out any runs by faster players, without having him to worry as much about covering the wings.
I guess? I don't recall seeing a through ball, though, which I think is what you're saying. They're playing balls in for Lukaku to bring down and hold up, not Werner to run on to.
 

teddykgb

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
11,025
Chelmsford, MA
I guess? I don't recall seeing a through ball, though, which I think is what you're saying. They're playing balls in for Lukaku to bring down and hold up, not Werner to run on to.
They hit the ball through the middle a couple times but this Germany squad has relied on the wingbacks for creativity and England have mostly coped. Rice and Phillips on a yellow will be a concern for England
 

Nick Kaufman

protector of human kind from spoilers
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Aug 2, 2003
13,410
A Lost Time
I mean . . .


Code:
                                                           Play                            Perf                       Per                    Expe                         Per
Player           Span  Nation Pos    Squad  MP Starts  Min  90s Gls Ast G-PK PK PKatt CrdY CrdR  Gls  Ast  G+A G-PK G+A-PK   xG npxG   xA npxG+xA   xG   xA xG+xA npxG npxG+xA
Jadon Sancho   Career eng ENG  FW Dortmund 104     82 7500 83.3  38  45   37  1     1    4    0 0.46 0.54 1.00 0.44   0.98 26.2 25.4 25.8    51.3 0.31 0.31  0.62 0.31    0.62
Bukayo Saka    Career eng ENG  FW  Arsenal  59     49 4314 47.9   6   8    6  0     0    7    0 0.13 0.17 0.29 0.13   0.29  8.2  8.2  8.2    16.5 0.17 0.17  0.34 0.17    0.34
Provided by FBref.com: View Stathead Tool Used
Generated 6/29/2021.
Like the stats, thank you for the page!

What's the most important stat here? Goals expected+ goals assists - minus penalty kicks?
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,673
I guess? I don't recall seeing a through ball, though, which I think is what you're saying. They're playing balls in for Lukaku to bring down and hold up, not Werner to run on to.
I think they are trying to beat them over the top, but the balls have been bad. I agree that Werner is not a hold-up player, and that goes into the broader problem that Chelsea also dealt with: Werner is not a classic #9 and shouldn't be used as such.
 

biff_hardbody

New Member
Apr 27, 2016
317
Hummels is kind of lucky that wasting a half step calling for the offside didn't cost him more.

Nobody has ever accused me of being a formation or tactics guy but it really seems to me that Rashford is what England need. Is Rashford, Sterling and Kane at the same time stupid?
I think the issue with Rashford is he is used to playing on the left (where Sterling plays) or in the center (where Kane plays). If only England had a world class attacking player who played on the right...

England are also missing a center attacker to play behind Kane in my opinion. Mount and Grealish played this role in the group stage and when England are in the attacking third they are missing this outlet. With 3 CBs, they removed that role. Hard to argue though, since their defense has really stifled Germany's attack so far.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,673
I am not a Sterling hater at all, and think he is a really talented player who brings a lot to the table and should be in the team sheet every week.

He's killed England today. It feels like a half-dozen times he has tried to dribble through 4+ defenders instead of making the quick pass to a teammate making a dangerous run.
 

coremiller

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
5,846
I am not a Sterling hater at all, and think he is a really talented player who brings a lot to the table and should be in the team sheet every week.

He's killed England today. It feels like a half-dozen times he has tried to dribble through 4+ defenders instead of making the quick pass to a teammate making a dangerous run.
Sterling hasn't been good but this England system is not doing him any favors.
 

coremiller

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
5,846
Germany's attacking plan is not working that well because they're being conservative but you can at least see what they're trying to do: hit quick balls in the channels to Werner if it's there during a transition, otherwise slow buildup play with Havertz dropping deep until the wingbacks can safely get forward to support the attack.

England, I don't even know what the plan is with the ball.
 

SocrManiac

Tommy Seebach’s mustache
SoSH Member
Apr 15, 2006
8,634
Somers, CT
England, I don't even know what the plan is with the ball.
I believe it's either to knock it around the back three for awhile then back to Pickford for a hoof upfield, or get it into Sterling or Saka to run at their defender to lose the ball.
 

Dummy Hoy

Angry Pissbum
SoSH Member
Jul 22, 2006
8,232
Falmouth
Oh good. We get to watch Grealish stand on the ball, look around, then run at someone and fall over. Repeatedly.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,673
Grealish will give England the kind of incisive passer the team has lacked so far in this game.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

Found no thrill on Blueberry Hill
SoSH Member
Sep 9, 2008
42,297
AZ
This ref keeps his red card in his breast pocket and he keeps pulling both out when he shows yellow. It has trouped me twice.
 

Dummy Hoy

Angry Pissbum
SoSH Member
Jul 22, 2006
8,232
Falmouth
Grealish will give England the kind of incisive passer the team has lacked so far in this game.
I don’t see it nearly as much at International level. With Villa his teammates make the runs he sees, but I don’t see him on the same page with his England teammates nearly as much.
 

teddykgb

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
11,025
Chelmsford, MA
I am not a Sterling hater at all, and think he is a really talented player who brings a lot to the table and should be in the team sheet every week.

He's killed England today. It feels like a half-dozen times he has tried to dribble through 4+ defenders instead of making the quick pass to a teammate making a dangerous run.
This has been his problem basically since Sane stoppedplaying for City. He’s miscast as a LW scoring option. He’s not decisive and tries to react to defenders never really knowing what he wants to do. He’s far more effective as a secondary creator on his right side where he can use his quickness to get outside his man and hit crosses across the box or using his instincts to get in things at the back post. As it is everyone in the stadium knows he’s going to run at his man and that he has to cut in on his right and when combined with his indecisiveness it just squanders so much even though he does so many things well
Edit: and as I typed that novella he moves to the right , creates a chance and finishes exactly as I described lol
 

The Gray Eagle

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2001
16,725
One letter thanks to autocorrect
View attachment 42276

Again:
This shows you continue to totally miss the point. The question was whether or not it's debatable that ALL 4 other players, NOT just Sancho, are clearly better than Saka. You're all irate about the idea of it even being debatable, and won't let it go, while continuing to miss the actual point and only talking about Sancho. It's really weird.

Another thing you probably don't understand, Saka has played a lot of left back, so Southgate could keep his 2 defensive midfielders and 3 CBs, and still start Saka there in place of Fat Luke Shaw, and STILL start any of Sancho, Foden, Mount, or Grealish anyway.

Starting Saka isn't keeping Sancho on the bench, Southgate's conservatism is.

You're just going to reply "Sako SUCKS, Sancho RULZ derp derp derp" so I'm done with this weird digression anyway.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,567
I am not a Sterling hater at all, and think he is a really talented player who brings a lot to the table and should be in the team sheet every week.

He's killed England today. It feels like a half-dozen times he has tried to dribble through 4+ defenders instead of making the quick pass to a teammate making a dangerous run.
He's healed some now.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,673
That was a real quality pass by Shaw; looks simple but hard to do.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,673
Oh my. Pickford was George Brett Pine Tar-level mad at Sterling for giving it away.
 

SocrManiac

Tommy Seebach’s mustache
SoSH Member
Apr 15, 2006
8,634
Somers, CT
That's a world-class dive. McGuire knows better than to come in from the back to allow him that contact.
He definitely got the guy's ankles. There was a replay angle from the right side of the goal where you can see the look on his face after he makes contact and he starts to put a hand up in apology.