Right that’s this liveblog done and dusted. But actual football is under an hour away. Do join our France v Belgium liveblog, helmed by Taha Hashim.
Some more Pickford quotes here, courtesy of PA Media.
It was a roller coaster. I said in the pre-match interview it’s not how you play, you’ve got to show resilience and it’s about just winning the match and that’s what we did. Went into the trenches and we came out the other side.
You’ve got two superstars, Jude and Harry, and they’ve come up with the goods. Jude, golden boy, again with the overhead kick to keep us in the game, keep us in the tournament. But we never say die, and that’s what it was last night. A roller coaster but we got over the line.
Look who is out supporting France today in Düsseldorf. Paul Pogba, World Cup winner in 2018, who was given a four-year ban for a doping offence back in February.
𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹𝗼 𝗣𝗼𝗴𝗯𝗮, 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹𝗼 𝗣𝗼𝗴𝗯𝗮…😍📣@paulpogba a rendu visite aux supporters des Bleus à la Casa Bleue de Düsseldorf ! 🇫🇷#FiersdetreBleus #Euro2024 pic.twitter.com/rMjG1jT41d
— FFF (@FFF) July 1, 2024
The 31-year-old has previously confirmed he will appeal his ban to court of arbitration for sport.
Here is David Hytner’s take on that Bellingham news.
England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has been talking to the media this afternoon about his wide-eyed celebrations during extra-time on Sunday against Slovakia. With 65 caps, he is also an important leader in a team featuring a dozen players who arrived in Germany with no major tournament experience. He is also one of the most vocal keepers in the game.
It was a bit of relief, but emotion, you know how passionate I am, I wear this shirt with pride, just all the fans behind the goal, how much it meant to them, to the country. We’ve got to show resilience and it’s obviously about getting over the line. Went in the trenches and came out the other side.
Marc Guéhi, who has arguably been England’s best player at this tournament and who will miss the quarter-final with Switzerland due to suspension, has also spoken about working with Pickford.
I would say I am not particularly used to Jordan – it is a bit of a shock at first. Just the amount of talking. But, actually, when you look back on it, he is fantastic. It’s constant communication, making sure you are staying alert and awake in a game.
Uefa opens investigation into Bellingham
The following is a direct communication from Uefa.
Disciplinary proceedings have been instigated in accordance with Article 55 of the Uefa Disciplinary Regulations (DR) following the Uefa European Championship round of sixteen match between England and Slovakia.
Charges against English Football Association:
• Lack of order or discipline by supporters, Art. 16(2)(h) DR
• Lighting of fireworks, Art. 16(2)(c) DRThe Uefa Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) will decide on the matter in due course. Furthermore, an Uefa Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector will conduct a disciplinary investigation regarding a potential violation of the basic rules of decent conduct by the English Football Association player, Jude Bellingham, having allegedly occurred in the scope of this match. Information on this matter will be made available in due course.
So it looks as though Bellingham could yet be punished for his conduct. But all to be decided. Here’s more from David Hytner:
Updated
It was remarkable that Antoine Griezmann didn’t start for France in their final group game against Poland. The Atlético Madrid man is one of the few players in the squad that doesn’t completely cede to Mbappé. He has the self-belief and ability to create something for himself, and the reports are that he will return to the starting XI against Belgium.
Belgium were booed off by their own fans after the 0-0 draw with Ukraine to such an extent that Kevin De Bruyne told the players to go to the dressing room.
Belgium manager Domenico Tedesco has been speaking about that in the lead up to this last-16 game against France:
In terms of the fans it is done and dusted now. Everybody has the right to act as they see fit. For us it was disappointing to see as it wasn’t an easy game. The fans are allowed to express what they feel. They are paying a lot of money for a ticket so it’s okay, but it’s also okay for the team to be disappointed because we were qualified.
The moments after the game [when you’ve qualified] are important so of course we were a little bit broken. But what happened is not a topic any more.
I think I prefer his honesty to the nonsense Gareth Southgate was coming out with after a similarly bad goalless draw with Slovenia.
Back to today’s matches. Just under two hours to go until arguably the tie of the last 16: France v Belgium. I got Belgium in a my Sunday league team’s sweepstake, so I know who I’ll be cheering for, but I’m not confident.
Belgium have never beaten France at a major tournament. The last time they met was the 2018 World Cup semi-final, which Les Bleus won 1-0 thanks to a Samuel Umtiti header.
LE MOMENT DU JOUR !
— Coupe du Monde 🏆 (@fifaworldcup_fr) July 10, 2018
La tête de @samumtiti qui envoie l'@equipedefrance en finale de la #CM2018
📽 Les meilleurs moments 👉 https://t.co/PjvIOs3Zl9
👀 Listing TV 👉 https://t.co/euq27x03uH pic.twitter.com/GbVeR5H8Bn
This made me laugh. The sooner Luke Shaw recovers from whatever the latest injury is the better. Seems absolutely laughable that Shaw is the only left-footed left back in this squad. A penny for the thoughts of Tyrick Mitchell when Bukayo Saka and even Eberechi Eze is filling in at left back.
— dazzer (@DazzerFFC) June 30, 2024
Here’s Jacob Steinberg on Gareth Southgate.
A manager who has just watched his team snatch victory from the jaws of a seismic defeat gets a chance to write the narrative. Southgate stood still. He did nothing. He was too inert to take off Bellingham and Harry Kane. He waited too long to unsettle Slovakia’s centre-backs by bringing on Toney. Or he was right to believe in Bellingham’s and Kane’s match-winning qualities. He put Toney on just in the nick of time. He always knew Walker, who was somehow still on the pitch after having possibly the worst game of his career, could be England’s Rory Delap.
A Euros-related bit of transfer business. Georges Mikautadze rejoined Metz on loan in January, and despite being relegated from Ligue 1, the French club have activated their option to buy him permanently, knowing full well there are a host of suitors ready to pay more than that sum this summer. I fully expect the 23-year-old Georgia striker to leave. West Ham has been mentioned as a potential destination. I think he would be a great fit there.
Georgia striker Georges Mikautadze has completed a €13m permanent transfer from Ajax Amsterdam back to French club Metz, where he played the second half of last season on loan.
French-born Mikautadze scored three goals as debutants Georgia impressed at the European Championship, reaching the round of 16 before they were beaten 4-1 by Spain on Sunday. He is joint top scorer at Euro 2024 with Germany’s Jamal Musiala and Slovakia’s Ivan Schranz.
The 23-year-old joined Ajax from Metz at the start of the 2023-24 season but failed to earn a regular place in the starting line-up and was loaned back to the Ligue 1 side in January, scoring 11 goals in 17 starts. He made nine appearances for Ajax without finding the back of the net. Reuters
This is a highlights reel from Mikautadze’s second-half of the season with Metz. Ridiculous, really.
For those who don't know current Euro top scorer, Georges Mikautadze 🔝🇬🇪
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) June 26, 2024
2⃣2⃣ games played
1⃣4⃣ goals
4⃣ assists pic.twitter.com/NVQ3ms9O6Q
We also did this piece on Mikautadze, back in April. Some fascinating quotes in there as to why things went so wrong for him at Ajax.
Not to turn this into a Lamine Yamal liveblog, but his cross for Fabian Ruiz’s goal last night against Georgia was almost identical to the goal against Croatia in the group stage (video below). It’s obviously something that has been worked on in training, but the quality of the delivery is still absolutely brilliant.
That Lamine Yamal assist for Ruiz 🤤#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/d9wmQg5M04
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 10, 2024
Here are a couple of tweets to show what Germany are up against on Friday.
21 - Most chances created by players aged 21 or under in knockout stage games at the UEFA European Championship (since 1980):
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 30, 2024
6 - Lamine Yamal v Georgia (2024)
6 - Cesc Fàbregas v Russia (2008)
5 - Pedri v Switzerland (2021)
Amigos. pic.twitter.com/1fpyJuKknS
1 - Nico Williams is the only player on record at the UEFA European Championship (since 1980) to score a goal, assist a goal, and complete 100% of his passes (46/46) in a game he started. Immaculate. #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/XXXMuNWdm3
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 30, 2024
Hello everyone, and thanks Gregg. I haven’t watched as much of Barcelona this season as I should have done. Has Lamine Yamal been as good in La Liga as he has at the Euros? Because at the Euros, he’s been absolutely absurd. Here’s some quotes from Germany left back David Raum – who played very well against Denmark, by the way – on the Spanish wonderkid.
Spain winger Lamine Yamal may just be 16 years old, playing at his first major tournament, but call him a kid at your own peril, Germany fullback David Raum has said before their Euro 2024 quarter-final clash.
Germany, three-time European champions who have gone 10 years without a major international trophy, beat Denmark 2-0 to set up a mouth-watering last eight match against fellow title contenders Spain, where Yamal has quickly earned a starting spot.
The teenager’s skills, creative play and speed down the wing have been impressive along with those of fellow winger Nico Williams, with the Spaniards beating Georgia 4-1 to cruise into the quarter-finals.
Yamal also set a record in the first group game against Croatia, becoming the youngest player to ever appear at the European Championship
“When you see what Yamal brings to football, age becomes no issue,” Raum said. “The lad plays in first team at Barcelona and also in the national team so there is no point talking about him as a kid. He has brutal quality and we will have to find a way to defend against him.”
It will not only be Yamal but also 21-year-old Williams that Raum and his teammates will need to stop on Friday.
“I think they are two top players, but not just those two. The whole Spanish team is very well equipped. They are never really predictable and one has to find a way to stop the whole Spanish team,” Raum said.
While Germany notched up their first knockout victory at a major tournament in eight years with their win over Denmark, they have not beaten Spain in a tournament game in 36 years.
The Germans lost the Euro 2008 final to Spain and were also beaten in their 2010 World Cup semi-final. Spain crushed them 6-0 in the Nations League in 2020 and Germany managed only a 1-1 in the 2022 World Cup. Germany’s last tournament win over the Spaniards dates back to the Euro in 1988.
“It is a compliment if our match is described as a potential tournament final given our own recent tournament performances,” Raum said. “But we view every match as a final and that is the right way. If we want to win the title we have to beat everyone, including Spain.”
The line about Germany going “10 years without a major international trophy” made me chuckle. Ten! Imagine that.
I’m going to hand over to Michael Butler now. He’ll guide you through to France v Belgium. Bye!
Uefa: 4,656 social media posts flagged for abuse in group stages
And here’s an update from Uefa on – sigh – the world we now live in. Uefa reports that the teams most affected so far have been Belgium, Croatia, Ukraine and Netherlands. It says “74% of flagged posts were directed at individual players, 15% were directed at coaches, 7% targeted team accounts, and 4% targeted referees.”
UEFA 🤝 @Meta
— UEFA (@UEFA) July 1, 2024
We're monitoring and removing abusive social media posts, ensuring football remains a safe environment for all. Over the #EURO2024 group stage, there were:
⚠️ 4,656 posts flagged;
📣 308 reported to the social platforms;
❌ 71% of these were dealt with.
More: ⬇️
Updated
James Winter responds to Tom Farrell’s idea of England wearing a Dennis the Menace-themed kit for the match against Switzerland. “Dennis the Menace is Scottish.”
Romelu Lukaku hasn’t had much luck so far at the Euros has he? The Belgium striker had three goals disallowed by VAR in his first two games. He could be leading the race for the Golden Boot if the VAR curtain-twitchers weren’t around. Could he take it all out on France today? He’s getting chances in every game – well, you would wouldn’t you if Kevin De Bruyne is playing behind you.
Updated
Jude Bellingham has turned up for training with England, though from this picture I’m not sure if it’s the football or cricket team he’s representing. He probably could have dragged Matthew Mott’s T20 side to victory over India in that semi-final couldn’t he?
Jordan Pickford has spoken to reporters after taking part in an England training session. Here’s what he had to say about the 2-1 extra-time victory over Slovakia:
It’s not how you play, you’ve got to show resilience and it’s about winning the match. You have two superstars – Jude and Harry – Jude the Golden Boy with the overhead kick. It’s a rollercoaster. We knew we’d always have that one chance. We kept going. We fought to the end and showed togetherness and character. Even the boys off the bench. It was an unbelievable moment. The emotion the buzz about the place – Slovakia thought they had it in the bag but then we put our foot on the gas in extra time.
On his celebration when he dropped on the ball and lost himself in Peak Pickfordness.
Everyone knows how passionate I am – to kill the game like that was a nice moment. We want to make our nation proud, our fans proud our family proud.
His message to the fans who left early:
Keep believing in us. We give 100% for the badge everytime.
And he also had some team news, saying that Luke Shaw was fit to come on last night if needed and looked good in training today.
Jude Bellingham is unlikely to face punishment from Uefa for the lewd gesture he made after scoring his equaliser against Slovakia, it is understood. The England midfielder insisted afterwards that it was merely “an inside joke gesture towards some close friends who were at the game.” He said it was in no way aimed at the Slovakia bench.
Updated
And now let’s put the focus on cartoon-themed kits.
“OK, Belgium haven’t lit up the tournament either, but surely a tactical mastermind like Gareth Southgate will have noted the feelgood factor resulting from their Tintin away kit,” writes Tom Farrell. “Is it too late for England to knock up a Dennis the Menace number ahead of Saturday’s game? I checked on the internet and it appears a lot of Swiss people are called Walter: the sight of those red and black stripes will have those softies on the back foot before a ball is kicked.”
Bellingham: 'It’s nice to throw it back to some people'
It’s fair to say Jude Bellingham wasn’t best pleased with how the media – and perhaps even the fans – have treated England at the Euros so far. And it made his goal even more satisfying than it would have been anyway. Here’s what he had to say:
You’re 30 seconds from going home and having to listen to all the rubbish and feeling like you’ve let people down. You know what I mean by the rubbish? Playing for England should be the most proud moment of your career but often it’s quite difficult. There’s a really high intense pressure. The fans expect a lot from us regardless of what happened in recent tournaments years and years ago. People talk a lot. You do have to take it personally a little bit. We work so hard at this game. We come in every day, we work hard to put on a performance for the fans, sometimes it doesn’t go well and sometimes it feels like there’s a bit of a pile on, it’s not nice to hear. But you can always use it and for moments like that, it’s nice to throw it back to some people.
It’s Euro 2024 Daily time!
It’s mailbag time again!
Reading the reactions from Southgate and his players I’m reminded of poker. You need to get very lucky to win a poker tournament, 80% luck, 20% skill. However, over time it’s 20% luck 80% skill which is why good players aren’t results oriented. They know all they can do is make the correct decisions and over time that will mean they are profitable. Southgate and the players seems the exact opposite. They look at the results and because of that reason that the substitutions and everything they do on and off the pitch is correct whilst in reality, if you look at their performance, Bellinghams goal yesterday is the equivalent of hitting a one outer on the river. Awesome when it happens but not something you should count on.” Espen B.
“Who else?” I thought Jude Bellingham’s words told us a lot about the evolution of the England player. Over the years it’s hard to imagine anyone in the white shirt who would display such overt self confidence, even after scoring such a brilliant and dramatic winner. But then Bellingham is where he is because he backs himself to the hilt, waltzing into the Bernabéu and owning it within 90 minutes, whipping the England crowd up at every opportunity, never shying away from a journalist’s question or giving it back to whoever winds him up on the pitch. I guess he’s injected England with some of Real Madrid’s belief and in the absence of fluid football, it’s not a bad thing to have.
Updated
18.4m people watch England's win on ITV
The figures are in folks and it turns out ITV landed the biggest television audience on any UK channel for 18 months with a peak of 18.4m people watching England’s extra-time victory against Slovakia across ITV1 and ITVX on all devices. Among them, were Glastonbury festival goers, getting in on the action via their mobile phones.
And those who got to see the match on Louis Tomlinson’s telly, of course.
So what does England’s manager make of the Swiss challenge that awaits England in Saturday’s quarter-final?
We’re not naive. We’re going to play a team that have looked outstanding, not just in this tournament but for quite a while as well. That’s going to be a big tactical challenge for us. We know that the level of our game will need to be higher, but there was a spirit and there was a togetherness that has been building. We’ve had a lot of problems to solve through this whole lead into the camp, through the tournament. We’re putting a plaster over different things and giving young players opportunities. We’re somehow finding a way. I can imagine how everybody is going to react to that, even though we’ve won. But we’re still in there and the one thing that can’t be questioned is the desire, the commitment, the character.”
It seems that leaving early was among the worst of the crimes committed by England’s generally well-behaved supporters yesterday. This from PA Media.
England fans have again been praised for their good behaviour as just four arrests were made in connection with the team’s Euro 2024 last-16 match against Slovakia in Gelsenkirchen. The UK Football Policing Unit confirmed on Monday morning that three people were arrested for obstructing police and abusing stewards at Sunday’s match, while a fourth was detained for fighting in the stadium. “No major issues were reported yesterday with continued good behaviour from the vast majority of England fans in Gelsenkirchen,” the UKFPU said in its statement. England came from a goal down to beat Slovakia 2-1 and book their passage to the quarter-finals, where they will take on Switzerland in Dusseldorf on Saturday.
A bit of domestic football news. We all know how the big fish in football these days are those top, top suited sporting directors.
Let’s have another look at Portugal, then. I thought they were impressive in their first two games but then came the 2-0 defeat by Georgia. Was that a blip because they made eight changes or the beginning of a meltdown? I’d put it down to a dip in performance on the back of so many changes. Ronaldo should have been rested and he remains a problem because he appears to be un-restable for whoever manages him.
I find it interesting that he’s now being coached by Roberto Martínez, who is a curious manager for me. He seems tactically astute and flexible but it is still hard to know what his overall style is and he is often derided as a bit of a joke. Perhaps because he is versatile he can’t be pigeonholed. He certainly seems to have given Portugal freedom to attack in this tournament and the talent at his disposal is incredible.
If he goes on to win the Euros (and they are on the tough side of the draw) it would be an incredible achievement for him and a shot back at his critics. There’s also a wonderful story in his coaching ranks, too. Anthony Barry, his 38-year-old scouse assistant, was a journeyman lower-league midfielder who has had a pinch-me progression through his coaching career to the point that he is now overseeing sessions coaching Ronaldo and co.
Updated
Let’s revisit the mailbag again.
The accidental 3-5-2 we stumbled upon yesterday actually looks quite appealing:
Pickford
Walker, Stones, Konsa
Eze, Bellingham, Rice, Mainoo, Saka
Kane, Toney
Obviously we won’t play that though and the only change will be Dunk for Guehi. Can’t wait.” Graeme Harley
People have not grasped Southgate’s tactics are influenced greatly by the philosophy of General Melchett. Namely that you should persist with tactics that have failed very badly for 3.5 full games, on the basis that it is the last thing that the opposition will expect him to do. We should applaud such ingenuity.” Vic Rushton
I wonder how the mailbag would have looked if England had lost?
“Southgate [snip] should [snip] because [snip, snip, snippety snip] and I’ll tell you what [sniiiiiiiiiiiip].” I’m grateful for Jude’s goal.
Updated
Throw your (£6 a pint) beer in the air like you just don’t care.
So, who will win Euro 2024? Spain will. Well, so says Georgia and Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.
I think Spain are the favourites for this tournament and they will become champions. It’s a pity that we met this team, but it’s OK, it’s not the end. We will come back stronger. Of course, it’s sad that we lost in the round of 16, but we should also be happy about it, because not long ago we couldn’t have imagined that we would reach this far.
The impressive 23-year-old has been linked with a £35m move to Liverpool in some media outlets. Oh yes, let’s not forget the transfer window is open.
Mbappé concerned Belgium will target his broken nose
Kylian Mbappé is worried that his tender nose will be targeted by Belgium in the last-16 tie and told reporters that he has struggled to adapt to wearing a mask, finding it similar to looking through “3D glasses”. Here’s the report from Reuters:
France captain Kylian Mbappé will not be surprised if his broken nose is targeted in a tough physical battle against neighbours Belgium in the last 16 at the European Championship in Duesseldorf on Monday but is prepared to push through the pain. Mbappé broke his nose at the start of the tournament but returned for France’s final Group D game, and scored, in the 1-1 draw against Poland, wearing a mask he described as “annoying”.
“I think that if you’re playing with a broken nose and you haven’t had your nose operated yet, you’re a target,” he told a press conference on Sunday. “I knew what I was signing up for when I decided that I wasn’t going to go home and that I wasn’t going to get the operation done and that I was going to play. And maybe I’ll get muscled a little bit and it might hurt. But I’m ready to give everything I can for this jersey and to help France go as far as possible. If this means that someone’s going to hit my nose, so be it. It’s already broken.”
Mbappé, speaking to the media for the first time since the injury, said he initially feared he might miss the rest of the tournament. “When I got the blow to the face, I didn’t really understand what was going on. I didn’t feel that my nose was broken. It was when I looked at the goalkeeper and I saw his face and I thought ‘something’s wrong here’,” he said.
“When I got back to the dressing room, with everything that was happening around me, I thought that I was going home. Initially, it was difficult for me because there was a lot of information, lots of appointments, I didn’t really sleep that much. I spent two nights without sleeping. And it was really difficult to sit on the bench against the Netherlands (during France’s second group game) knowing that you’re incapable of helping. I felt quite helpless. But, thankfully, I was able to play against Poland.”
Mbappé said, however, he was battling to adapt to wearing a mask, having been spotted at various training sessions, and in the last game, with at least five different versions. “Actually it’s awful, horrible playing with a mask. I keep changing masks because every time there’s something that bothers me, there’s something that’s not quite right. It’s quite difficult to play with a mask because it limits your field of vision, your sweat clogs up. The first few days I felt like I was wearing 3D glasses. As soon as I can get rid of that mask, I will. But now I don’t have a choice. I can’t play without it. I hate it. It’s really annoying and I’ve changed it more than five times. But I’m not making excuses because this is the only way I can play.”
Updated
How refreshing were Georgia at the Euros? Without the ball they were like Big Sam’s Bolton, compact and drilled. With it they were like Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool (circa 2019-22), a counter-attacking dragster. We’ll miss The Crusaders. Here’s what head coach Willy Sagnol had to say after the 4-1 defeat by Spain:
We are so happy and proud of what we have done the last days, the last weeks. Sometimes you have to step back and take a look at what you have done. We can sit in peace and quiet and everyone and be very happy of the last year because the development of the team and squad has been fantastic. I am very proud of that.
He also revealed that his star player, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, should follow his heart amid rumours he is about to make the switch from Napoli to PSG.
If he wants to, he should go. If it’s Napoli or Paris or whatever, I just want him to be happy and to still play with a lot of emotions, because that is how he gets so fantastic. I just wish him all the best in his career.”
Mind you, Georges Mikautadze was brilliant wasn’t he? The turbo-charged Metz forward will no doubt attract a lot of interest this summer. He still leads the Golden Boot chart along with Germany’s Jamal Musiala and Slovakia’s Ivan Schranz.
Austria take on Turkey tomorrow evening in The Battle of the Dark Horses ™ – and Nick Ames reckons Ralf Rangnick’s boys are benefitting from the togetherness and confidence inspired by the Red Bull empire.
Much like a 1990s magazine TV show, let’s dip into the mailbag for a moment:
Southgate seems to be applying a very results oriented analysis to defend his use of two (OK three but one was in the 94th min) substitutes in a team that had one shot on target in 90 minutes against Slovakia? Has anybody asked him what he thought would happen if he had subbed three players on at 60 mins? He seems very reassured that this was the right decision because it worked once, by the skin of his teeth. Seems he doesn’t really understand what a game he/they just played, and what could have happened if he had made changes earlier.” Thomas Krantz
It’s all very well [England] blaming fans and journalists and so on, but they are (mostly) just stating the obvious. It is a massive struggle to watch the back four play the ball back and forth between each other, completely unable to advance it to this mythical (for Southgate) place called midfield, waiting for one of them to inevitably screw up with a misplaced hospital pass. Southgate appears oblivious and unmoved by this and thus requiring of some sort of intervention (which will not happen).” Ben N
You mentioned the John Barnes overhead kick which seemed placed. Marco van Basten also scored a peach for Milan once. He 100% placed it with the instep. Maybe it should be best ever overhead kick mailbox day?” Danny Stephens
Let’s look ahead to the big match today: France v Belgium. Much like England, neither nation has clicked in their campaign to date. Jonathan Wilson reckons the man in the mask may be the reason for Les Bleus’ ponderous performances at times.
Meanwhile, Belgium manager Domenico Tedesco just wants his team to be braver and understands the flak his team has been getting. Sounds familiar doesn’t it?
From the very beginning, we want to be brave, we want to start this game with a strong belief. We worked on this belief the last two or three days, because if there is no belief, there is nothing. So we have to believe and everybody knows that we need a really, really top, top game. The fans [who have been critical] are allowed to do anything, you know, if they have emotions if they have some thoughts ... they can express what they feel. It’s no problem, it’s a fan that is paying a lot of money for a ticket. So it’s okay, but it’s also okay I think for a team then to be disappointed because we were qualified.”
Sky Sports News journalist Kaveh Solhekol is giving an impassioned defence of the criticism that has been levelled at England’s performances after Bellingham called the media’s response to their displays “rubbish”. I can see both sides. Solhekol is saying he thinks it has been “fair and balanced” whereas Bellingham has defended the squad for the effort they put in every day and the sacrifices they make. I’m sure every England player is giving everything and it just isn’t flowing so it probably does feel unfair when you get criticised despite working your socks off. And I suppose results show England have got to the last eight again – the only England team to do this four times in a row at major tournaments – so that must grate. But if they play the same way against Switzerland they will be out. Maybe the huge let-off against Slovakia will be the catalyst for a more zippy performance from start to finish. Some ice baths will be required between now and Saturday, however, and probably some changes in the starting XI.
When I saw Bellingham’s overhead kick my mind wandered back to a similar goal, scored by John Barnes, back in the mid-90s. Perhaps because it was from a similar distance out and directed into the corner.
I wonder how different England’s performances would have been if Rodri had been born in Basingstoke? The Manchester City midfielder’s cold-blooded strength and passing accuracy meant that Spain never erred even after going behind to Georgia in Cologne last night and motored along to a 4-1 comeback victory. His equaliser wasn’t bad either. Jonathan Wilson describes him brilliantly.
Nothing in football is certain, but Rodri is perhaps as close as it’s possible to get. There are times when it seems he is the teacher stepping in to a kids’ game to make sure it doesn’t become too one-sided, the grown-up who doesn’t have to bother with the things like running. He just strolls about, delivering accurate pass after accurate pass and, occasionally, scoring vital goals.
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Spare a thought for those England fans who left early. Though perhaps that empty tram made the premature exit worthwhile.
Here’s what Southgate had to say about his now wonderfully effective touchline inaction.
The two players who get the goals, you could arguably take off 15 minutes from the end because they looked out on their feet, but that is what they are capable of. Harry and Jude, you are looking and thinking: ‘Should we be refreshing those positions?’ But you know they are capable of doing what they did. When people want changes, you have to keep some balance to the team and do things you think will definitely improve. I think pretty much all the changes we have made this tournament have had an impact.”
And John Stones has – and stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before – implored his England teammates to “take the handbrake off”.
What a game, what a way for us to get through. It was not the way that we wanted to but I think the fight, the desire …that people wanted to see from us at home, from people in the stands – that fight for the shirt, for everyone that’s come out to support us was there and more. That’s what’s got us through, we didn’t play the best and that is down to us, which is frustrating. But I hope now, coming through such a tough time and doing things, taking risks with the ball, we can implement that now and kind of take the handbrake off in some senses to let our quality show.”
Preamble
Morning. So Harry Kane said England would “trust the process” against Slovakia. Was 95 minutes of constipation followed by two minutes of rapid relief the process? Something’s got to change, huh? A lot of criticism was levelled at Gareth Southgate for not being more bold with his substitutions but, on this occasion, not withdrawing Jude Bellingham worked a treat, with the ridiculously talented youngster finding a way – Real Madrid-style – with a sublime overhead kick to fashion a late escape. England face impressive Switzerland on Saturday in the quarter-finals and will need to improve immeasurably to progress to the last four. But for now, let’s look back on a dramatic night with some fine writing from David Hytner, Barney Ronay, Jonathan Liew and Paul MacInnes.
Spain, too, had an early scare against Georgia but they soon made it look like a nothing more than a hiccup as they raced away in the second half to send the funtime underdogs home with a 4-1 victory and two fine displays from Nico Williams and Yamine Lamal.
We have two more last-16 ties later on, with the mouthwatering prospect of France v Belgium at 5pm and then Portugal v Slovenia at 8pm. You can check out all of our Euro 2024 coverage here.
