25 million fans could see what was happening except Southgate

[malwayne]

From the moment England scored early in the game, they were second best. They never created much and lulled everyone into a false sense of security.
When the second half started Italy were in the ascendency and you would have thought they were a goal in front., not England. The inevitable happened and from then on they looked more likely to score. Everyone could see what was happening, but by the time Southgate reacted, it was too late. The team was crying out for Grealish to come on earlier, but Southgate didn’t think so. They paid the price for sitting back looking for the win. Suicide tactics. As for the penalties, credit to Italy for proving superior. England had the players but they never had the manager.

[Deadlydave]

Correct. In the second half we were never really in the game and they just got stronger, so much so I could only see one winner. We needed to change and it never happened.

[sinkov]

Rod Liddle has Gareth weighed up,

England 1 (Shaw) Italy 1 (swarthy cheat)

"England had it and threw it away. Much the better side in the first half, finding acres of space along the right flank. But the Italian manager, Roberto Mancini, recognised the problem and changed the game. As Italy swarmed forward in the second half, Gareth Southgate had no answer: it was almost a re-run of the 2018 semi final in Russia against Croatia – he cannot grasp when a game is going against him and has no comprehension of what to do to change it. His substitutions were appalling: Henderson horribly off the pace, Saka horribly out of his depth. Two very bad changes indeed. The godforsakenly late introduction of Grealish gave England a new cutting edge: too little, too late, Gareth. And then to give the crucial penalties to our youngest most inexperienced players.

England are a good side. They are 4,596 times better than Scotland, for example. But then North Macedonia are at least five times better than Scotland. There are performing geese who are better than Scotland. England have team spirit and a facility on the ball and Southgate deserves credit for that. But they have been hamstrung by a manager who, when push comes to shove, is utterly clueless about the drift of the game, about what is happening and how to change it. He may still be remembered, when all is done, for missed egregiously penalties. All those kids lined up. You idiot, Southgate. Don’t you remember?

The signs were there in the Denmark game: the sitting back on a narrow lead. Against a really good team – and Italy are a really good team – you will ALWAYS concede a goal. His simpering school prefects in the sports pages of the daily press praised the way Denmark were 'contained'. But it only takes a second for that containment to be undone. You cannot contain for 88 minutes.

But, whatever – knight him. And then pension him off. Nice man. Not a good manager.

Oh and well done Italy. Best team in the tournament – as I said at the outset – wins tournament shock. Good tournament though."

[The Bedlington Terrier]

I'm not a fan of Rod Liddle, but this summing up is bang on.

Ten minutes into the second half and England needed to stem the Azzurri flow. The game was crying out for Grealish.

It was a pathetically bad decision to give the task of taking high pressure penalties to kids, Southgate needs to fall on his sword and resign - today.

[sinkov]

I'm not a fan of Rod Liddle, but this summing up is bang on.

You be careful mon ami, like family to me is Rod. One of the very few journos left not in complete and utter thrall to wokery and political correctness. God bless him.

[sinkov]

It was a pathetically bad decision to give the task of taking high pressure penalties to kids, Southgate needs to fall on his sword and resign - today.

Apparently it was all planned on the training ground, Sancho, Saka and Rashford were the best, so Gareth gave them the job. Gareth, of all people, should have known that taking penalties in training cannot compare with taking one in front 60,000 people at Wembley, with millions watching on TV, and with 55 years of a nation's hurt depending on the outcome. He should have known, but it seems he didn't.

Given the pressure the penalty takers were going to be under, did he never consider saying to his senior, most experienced players, 'You're going to be taking them, now practice, not how to take them, but how to score from them'. Taking them is easy, scoring is the hard part, but there is a way, Harry Kane could have helped, he doesn't miss many, and failing that videos of Alan Shearer or the Germans of 30 years ago could have shown them the way. Instead we got Rashford clowning around, and two gentle pokes just to side of the keeper. As a Scotsman, Graham Alexander must have fallen off his settee last night laughing.

[Altobelli]

Absolutely laughable, the before kick off interview with Southgate saying we have to go for it, with the starting team he picked it didnt look like he was "going for it" to me, but shock horror (but a really good feeling) we looked like we was going for the throat in the first 30 minutes until we dropped off, like many have said we all watched it and realised we was being blunted by ourselves not Italy, so that was Southgate's "going for it" sitting back and letting Italy boss the game while talent was sitting on the bench twiddling their thumbs.

After game comments that Southgate expects and will take the blame for the penalty misses is wrong, Southgate should take the blame for bad tactics with not reverting to plan B and throwing some dangerous players into the melting pot during the game to counter the Italians, he should resign, but like all things in this world today folk get praise or wage rises and better thought of for just being average at their job, and Southgate is well below average, but the powers that be will pat him on the back for a job well done instead of showing him the door for NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH to finish a game that was crying out for more from England.

[ClaretinBudapest]

Serial bottler versus a serial winner-now do the right thing Gareth and resign.