Quarter Final 3: England vs Switzerland live from the Düsseldorf Arena. Saturday BBC1 5pm

[Coulthard's Jaw]

 vs

Possible line-ups

England: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Konsa; Trippier, Mainoo, Rice, Saka; Foden, Bellingham; Kane
Suspended: Guéhi
Misses next match if booked: Bellingham, Foden, Gallagher, Mainoo, Trippier

Switzerland: Sommer; Schär, Akanji, Rodríguez; Widmer, Xhaka, Freuler, Aebischer; Ndoye, Embolo, Vargas
Misses next match if booked: Freuler, Ndoye, Rodríguez, Sierro, Xhaka

England are backed by the Opta supercomputer to defeat Switzerland inside 90 minutes, winning 44.6% of pre-match simulations.

Route to the quarter-finals

England

Group C
1-0 vs Serbia (Bellingham 13)
1-1 vs Denmark (Kane 18; Hjulmand 34)
0-0 vs Slovenia

Round of 16
2-1 aet vs Slovakia (Bellingham 90+5, Kane 91; Schranz 25)

Switzerland

Group A
3-1 vs Hungary (Duah 12, Aebischer 45, Embolo 90+3; Varga 66)
1-1 vs Scotland (Shaqiri 26; McTominay 13)
1-1 vs Germany (Ndoye 28; Füllkrug 90+2)

Round of 16
2-0 vs Italy (Freuler 37, Vargas 46)

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England Switzerland at the Euros. That means only one thing, a relaxing Saturday in June watching the start of Euro 96

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England weren't convincing against Slovakia, but they did enough. Switzerland are good though so Gareth and the lads need to find a way again. Is a 3 at the back the answer??

Another montage

 

[eenie]

The head says: England to stink their way to victory, 1-0 AET.

The heart says: Southgate lets the shackles off, and it's a barnstorming goalfest where football is the real winner.

[TalkSport]

Win, with Mainoo / Trippier / Bellingham all booked. 

I want us to win and win a major championship, but I’m just not engaged with us this tournament. We’ve been ****, now switching to 3ATB, so it just feels fitting to lose as a result and the performance to look even more laughably detached.

[mrw072]

I'd just like to see England have a go and do something.  I don't really want to see them bore their way to victory, and I do think there's time for things just to click.  I think going 3 at the back would be good if it means John Stones can get forward more.  Reminds me a bit of Italia 90 this.  And things really did just click then after an awful start to the competition.

[TalkSport]

3 ATB for me is Southgate trying to plug the holes in the side. It won't see Stones/Walker/Konsa go forward, it just means there's three more central and Rice/Mainoo in front, so a box of 5. Which should be the way with 4-3-3 with Walker RB, but the gaps have been there because Rice is always left on his own and I just can't see this changing things. 

Feels a last role of the dice by Southgate to find his solution to no Phillips. This was the team that played Germany in 2021:

Pickford: Walker, Stones, Maguire: Trippier, Phillips, Rice, Shaw: Saka, Kane, Sterling

[Rob1981]

Come on lads. Do it for Graham.

[arenaross]

RADICAL BUT ALSO PRAGMATIC. 

 

[Constantine]

Fully expecting England to, to Rob's utmost delight, to France their way into another semi final.

[arenaross]

Rob's dream situation would be to see England pick up the trophy without scoring another goal in the tournament. Then Jordan Henderson comes out of the crowd to lift up the trophy. 

[Lucas]

So a move to a system where TAA might feasibly be able to play down the right flank, and Trippier is going to beat him to the spot? 

Also I love how the wording is 'back 5', as if it's implicitly saying our defence is the problem, not attack.

[GunmaN1905]

Poll at 50-50.

[arenaross]

I would find it odd that he'd change the system and then go with Trippier over Trent tbh. I don't think a back five is necessarily a bad move but I'm not sure this solves the lack of width or runners up front. 

[RTHerringbone]

I don't really enjoy the prospect of a whole system change, mid-tournament, and one which won't actually "fix" our main issue (lack of width and no left-footed players in the starting XI).

It's going to be a painful watch and one where we see that a well-drilled team with an actual plan wins in the end.

[Anthrax Dave]

I think we will lose 2-0.

Early Swiss goal meaning we have to go for it. Then they hit us on the break

[Lucas]

5 minutes ago, arenaross said:

I would find it odd that he'd change the system and then go with Trippier over Trent tbh.

Supposing we get through, Trippier gets a yellow and suspension for the semi we might be talking of Joe Gomez getting the spot over Trent. Would be very Southgate  

[Bootador]

Can't get any worse

Edited Saturday at 09:35 by Bootador

[GunmaN1905]

What a dumb graph.

Turkey scored 7 goals in 4 matches, no penalties, but apparently their offense is bad.

Wouldn't scoring more from less chances mean your offense is better than being wasteful?

xG needs to go.

[georginho_juventusygr]

Italy between dull and weak, seems right. 

[The_jagster]

Think we will score from a set piece and Switzerland won't come close to breaking us down, 1-0 passage secured.

[Lucas]

22 minutes ago, GunmaN1905 said:

What a dumb graph.

Turkey scored 7 goals in 4 matches, no penalties, but apparently their offense is bad.

Wouldn't scoring more from less chances mean your offense is better than being wasteful?

xG needs to go.

Could be worse, could be xPower  

[Rob1981]

Oh my days  

DULL TEAMS: England

QUALITY TEAMS: France, who have scored fewer goals even though they have played a game more. And Portugal, who have just bored their way to two 0-0 draws and then gone out.

Edited Saturday at 13:17 by Rob1981

[GunmaN1905]

Orsato in charge.

Actually, that's great. He'll undoubtedly bottle it and we won't have to watch him in the final.

Or maybe we will since he'll help England.

[eenie]

22 minutes ago, Lucas said:

Could be worse, could be xPower  

Or xBigChance, which I saw a few months ago. And laughed.

[The_jagster]

41 minutes ago, Rob1981 said:

Oh my days  

DULL TEAMS: England

QUALITY TEAMS: France, who have scored fewer goals even though they have played a game more. And PORTUGAL, who have just bored their way to two 0-0 draws and then gone out.

It is at least based on stats, but if we create 12 great chances and lose 1-0 at least you'll graciously concede we are boring because we didn't score I guess.

[ceefax the cat]

2 hours ago, mrw072 said:

I'd just like to see England have a go and do something.  I don't really want to see them bore their way to victory, and I do think there's time for things just to click.  I think going 3 at the back would be good if it means John Stones can get forward more.  Reminds me a bit of Italia 90 this.  And things really did just click then after an awful start to the competition.

They didn't, particularly. The only game in which we played really well was the semi final, and we were pretty fortunate to get there.

[Rob1981]

1 minute ago, The_jagster said:

It is at least based on stats, but if we create 12 great chances and lose 1-0 at least you'll graciously concede we are boring because we didn't score I guess.

“If we create 12 great chances”  

I’ll have some of whatever you’re smoking.

[Pukey]

1 hour ago, GunmaN1905 said:

What a dumb graph.

Turkey scored 7 goals in 4 matches, no penalties, but apparently their offense is bad.

Wouldn't scoring more from less chances mean your offense is better than being wasteful?

xG needs to go.

It really doesn't. It's just a stat like a million others. The only thing that needs to go is weirdos that act like it's the be-all and end-all and explains everything which it doesn't and was never meant to do.

[Carambau]

Go England!

Edited Saturday at 11:12 by Carambau

[ceefax the cat]

1 hour ago, GunmaN1905 said:

What a dumb graph.

Turkey scored 7 goals in 4 matches, no penalties, but apparently their offense is bad.

Wouldn't scoring more from less chances mean your offense is better than being wasteful?

xG needs to go.

No, it needs to stay and be interpreted correctly

[eenie]

18 minutes ago, Pukey said:

It really doesn't. It's just a stat like a million others. The only thing that needs to go is weirdos that act like it's the be-all and end-all and explains everything which it doesn't and was never meant to do.

Basically, football stats nerds need to go.

[VP.]

Opening post needs Swiss Toni!

 

Edited Saturday at 11:35 by VP.

[martynlcfc]

Listening to Southgate on 5 live. This victim mentality they've perpetrated amongst the squad this year is totally bizarre. Talking about 5 at the back, he made a point of stating that he has previously been criticised for playing a 5, so it's funny now there seems to be a clamour for it.

They all seem so thin skinned this year. I don't think any of the criticism has been over the top, or out of order. The performances from the manager and the players have been way way off what this squad should be producing.

Re the game, if we do go 5, going Trippier over Trent would sum Southgate up.

Edited Saturday at 11:40 by martynlcfc

[TalkSport]

2 hours ago, arenaross said:

I would find it odd that he'd change the system and then go with Trippier over Trent tbh. I don't think a back five is necessarily a bad move but I'm not sure this solves the lack of width or runners up front. 

If Switzerland pin Saka back, we’re ****ed. As you say, there’s still no runners behind Kane or width. Just bodies in the middle who will all want it to feet.

[Bliss Seeker]

Don't think Trippier over Trent is a huge issue myself. Their creative output from the right is about the same, as is their delivery from set pieces. Trippier probably more disciplined defensively.

Love Trent, but don't see how that's a "omg Southgate" decision...if it happens.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing Foden, Bellingham and Kane actually passing the ball to each other. 

Don't think Foden found Jude or Kane once in the last match

Edited Saturday at 11:49 by Bliss Seeker

[TalkSport]

Because TAA is levels above Trippier. Honestly, Trippier is no where near the level people think he is. 22-23 he was amazing, but he’s absolutely no where near that, and a weaker defender than TAA. 

7 games TAA has played RB for England. Just laughable. Come end of this tournament, Mainoo will have played same amount of games as TAA in their main position. 

[RTHerringbone]

I just think you commit to a system or you don't. The Swiss have played one striker all tournament and whilst there are layers to their attacking threat behind that, if we don't feel comfortable letting TAA make the most of his best attributes, knowing that we're leaving three centre-backs behind him, then it's just annoying.

[Rob1981]

15 minutes ago, TalkSport said:

7 games TAA has played RB for England. Just laughable. Come end of this tournament, Mainoo will have played same amount of games as TAA in their main position. 

I’m not sure this is the gotcha you think it is. TAA hasn’t played many games at RB because we have had Walker, Trippier and Reece James all competing for that position.

Mainoo has slotted in because we are absolutely crying out for someone that can come into that position and help us keep the ball.

I don’t see it as a slight on TAA, just a reflection of where we are strongest/weakest.

Plenty of great players don’t get that many caps because they are unfortunate that there is someone else around at the same time that is even better. It’s just the way it goes.

But going forward, Walker is clearly going to retire after these Euros. And a good chance that Trippier will as well. So TAA probably makes that RB spot his own for the next 5+ years. Which, really, makes the decision to try and turn him in to a CM all the more baffling. 

Edited Saturday at 12:07 by Rob1981

[eenie]

24 minutes ago, TalkSport said:

Because TAA is levels above Trippier. Honestly, Trippier is no where near the level people think he is. 22-23 he was amazing, but he’s absolutely no where near that, and a weaker defender than TAA. 

7 games TAA has played RB for England. Just laughable. Come end of this tournament, Mainoo will have played same amount of games as TAA in their main position. 

If we're sitting here in 4 years' time and Trent still only has a handful of caps, then fair enough, but I think he'll be an ever-present (fitness permitting) for the next 3 or 4 tournament cycles. Walker is going to bow out, Trippier may well do so too, James is perma-crocked and TAA is at the head of the queue.

[TalkSport]

He’ll be an ever present, because Southgate won’t be here  

Fact is, he should be playing more over the years in his actual position, because he’s the best. 

[av3ry]

I see in other parts of the internet that people are nervous about today's game? 

I don't think I am. I was way more nervous on the 4th of May than today.

[eenie]

1 minute ago, av3ry said:

I see in other parts of the internet that people are nervous about today's game? 

I don't think I am. I was way more nervous on the 4th of May than today.

It's England's to lose, no team who stinks this badly and still progresses can be defeated by mere mortals.

[Citizen Sandman]

Just how boring will this be is the biggest question 

[eenie]

4 minutes ago, Citizen Sandman said:

Just how boring will this be is the biggest question 

"Set your alarm for full-time" would be my advice.

And a quick public service announcement: don't forget about extra time, so build in a decent margin on that alarm clock.

[mrmeee17]

0-0 to pens is my guess.

[Bliss Seeker]

Don't think we're favourites, Switzerland are the in form team and we're reworking a "system" that's been 2 years in the making.

Yeaaaaa I'm nervous.

 

Also feel like the 3 at the back will become a 5 and we're going to look even more narrow than before, which is going to be even more hellish to watch.

[dafuge]

 

 

[Citizen Sandman]

Lol

[PaulHartman71]

Please actually be a back 5

[Lucas]

UEFA have put that as a back 3 on their website. Playing a back 3 and not using TAA on the right  

[Rob1981]

Ladies and gentlemen, England will be playing three ****ing four two one or something.