PJ87
Journeyman Pro
Bit late to the party so have missed the 'know it alls' proclaiming Southgate as the greatest thing thing since sliced bread....
My take on it all is that I always judge on what I see on the pitch and last night was a big improvement. We actually looked very dangerous in the first half and had a decent side on the backfoot, which is something we've not seen for the last 10 games or so. The second half looked like the same old story as we got pinned back and nothing was being done about it. However Southgate then actually made the sort of call we've all wanted him to do - he took the right players off, put the right players on and we had ago instead of playing for extra time and pens.
Our strength is our squad depth and surprise surprise, we used it well and it made the difference and won the game. Brilliant changes last night and I praise Southgate for that. Just like I give him stick when he clearly gets it wrong. There's no double standards with that outlook at all.
My concerns are where the hell has that peformance been all tournament? Was it down to coaching or simply the players getting more space against a team who attacked with more numbers? Whatever anyone says we've been poor for the majority of the tournament and have had an easy ride to the final, however that counts for nothing if we win on Sunday.
I liked seeing Southgate worked up and passionate last night, it's what we want to see. Ironically I think Sunday is the game we actually need to sit back a bit and hit on the counter. Spain are a young side (in key areas) and while technically superb, are also lightweight and have the potential to bottle it on the big occasion. I really fancy us if we turn like and play the same way we did in the first half![]()
As you touched on..it's easier for players to get more space on the ball when not playing against the low block.
That and the change of system to play Bellingham and foden just behind kane (well Infront when Harry drops back) means foden isn't wasted on the left.
We managed to keep the Netherlands pretty quiet apart from a long ranger that went in and then set pieces. Rest of the time they were bang average