“I'm gutted for Southgate” | England vs Spain Euro 2024 Final Reaction 

The dynamic of Luke making an ill-thought out, overlong point and Andy then spending an inordinate amount of time gently explaining why he's being thick surely does make for a listen.

This was a very strange episode. I am a big fan of this show and whilst I don't always agree on everything, for the most part I enjoy the differing opinions I have at times with you all. But this was by a mile the strangest show I have ever listened to. So many awful takes on this episode it was mad. The worst one for me was calling bringing Kane off an "impossible decision".... It is only impossible if you are a gutless, overly loyal manager who cannot see what is right in front of his face. For 7 games in this tournament england played without any threat on the left, nor a striker. Kane was woeful, for whatever the reason may be, he was ineffective and was a complete liability to the team. Anyone with a pair of eyes could see that it wasn't working. The worst part is, I think Kane is the sort of character that would have accepted the decision, I don't see him kicking up a stink about being dropped. It was Einstien's theory of insanity right in front of our eyes each game. Doing the same thing and expecting a different result. Southgate was happy to chop Trent and Gallagher when that expirement didn't work and they didn't play well. He even chopped Trippier for the final. But refused to do it with the other big names. Foden was poor all tournament, Kane was woeful, Bellingham was pretty poor outside of some great moments here and there. Half of that squad must be thinking "Why on earth did you bother bringing me".

Tactical masterclass? He picked an injured Kane and 2 number 10's to play on the counter attack. He was about to bring on Gallagher and TAA just before the 2nd goal. I've enjoyed your analysis but you are completely blinkered here.

Tactically brilliant in the first half??? Wtf was I watching? Created absolutely nothing other than set pieces. It was agony for us to create a chance all tournament. Rode our luck, and yet again got showed up in the final by a team who can keep the ball. Didn’t see anything different out there than what happened against Italy 3 years ago. Time to change. And it isn’t an impossible decision to drop Kane!!! He can’t move ffs! We’ve seen it in every single game.

Not a peep about Walker out of position on both goals, ey boys?

Thank God some of us saw that England actually fluked a way to a final playing like shit throughout the tournament

How is brassell still coming out with the same complete bollocks about how you have to play shit football to win tournaments? We literally just lost to a team playing good football Italy and Argentina won the last 2 tournaments playing good football Cowardly bullshit

First half a masterclass is a reach

This special episode sponsored by the English FA.

I can’t believe how much of an easy ride Southgate is getting from them. They’re talking about how Spain are so good and wonderful (they are definitely good) but don’t ask why their coach in a 1/4 of the time has got less good players playing better football. It’s nuts. It’s like they think it’s an irreversible fact of DNA that Spain are better than us and nothing could be done.

You guy's are completely lost thinking England showed anything of worth this tournament. Period.

The Italy final felt a lot worse. Spain are worthy champions

Bit of an weird one praising that first half as a way to indicate Southgate should stay or couldn't be upgraded on. Everyone knows he's good at keeping it compact and shutting sides down, it's by far the easiest thing to coach which is why every crap manager plays that way, and it can be effective, I just don't think it shows any incredible tactile acumen, it's the same thing Solskjaer did at United and was (rightly) laughed at for as it was clear he had nothing else. The issue is Southgate still loses games against top sides when he plays that way and shouldn't really even be playing that way when they regularly have the better side on paper, including last night. Think people just want a manager who'd get more out of such a talented group of attacking players and one who'd have the bravery to not play someone up front who clearly isn't fit. I sympathise with him as it's a hard thing to do, to drop Kane, and he was braver than Martinez was with Ronaldo, but he ultimately kept players on the pitch at times who were clearly holding the team back, some of the attacking players on the bench getting as few minutes as they did when Foden performed the way he did wasn't great either. Getting to a final on the side of the draw they were on was par for England really, it would have been a huge fuck up if they'd lost to any of the sides they played before Spain, we haven't learned anything new about Southgate but can still see what he's not good at. I don't think he has any chance of winning the World Cup so I don't see why they shouldn't change the manager now.

Guys you are still the laughing stock. England has a squad that can demolish any other team with multiple ways of playing the game. You can create a posession squad, or a high physique gegenpressing squad. Even the subs can make it to semi final. Southgate is holding you back how can you not see it?

I can’t believe what I’m hearing on this pod

Absolutely delusional analysis! A manager should be able to work out that you can't go long to a striker who isnt holding it up. England got to the final despite Southgate, not because of him, penalty technique being a notable exception.

Guys … this is not your best take…. (And by that, I mean the whole episode - confusing how you think Southgate did well with the players at his disposal.)

Possibly the worst analysis of the final on the internet

Love seeing everyone come to sane conclusion that it was pretty shite and Southgate should leave then watching the Ramble and seeing a whole parallel universe. Perfect first half? Really? We didn’t create a thing and it was nil-nil. How bottom of the barrel and weak minded must you be to consider that a perfect first half? Man for man our team is better than Spain and we showed up scared of them. Every game we showed up terrified of the other teams strengths while refusing to push our own. Why does being in the game in the last 5 minutes completely negate how shit we have been the entire tournament beside a few spots here and there. We set up defensively and LOST and these guys are celebrating that? And they wonder why England haven’t won in 60 years? It’s embarrassing watching these guys defend this shit after following them for years. They sound like people terrified of being negative. We could have been pummelled and we scored another moments goals. We did exactly what everyone said before the tournament, beat the easy teams and lost the first challenge. How blind do you have to be? How shit are these guys memories? How can you also say we had a perfect first half but also acknowledge that Kane was terrible? It can’t be both.

as always, strangely taking it easy on Southgate

Keep rambling on, guys. If ever there was an apt name for what is essentially what you hear down the local pub.

Howard Wilkinson was the last English manager to win the EPL ('92/'93). It's telling that there is such a talent vacuum in English coaches/managers. A foreign manager (and staff) is the only viable option

"Southgate is always accused of being indecisive whereas he made the call on that relatively early". Made the call 14 minutes after we conceded, 60 minutes after it was obvious Kane wasn't going to offer anything this game and we needed an outlet. Congratulations Gareth, you didn't wait until the 89th minute this time.

Why should Southgate stay? The players most likely played based on how they were coached and instructed! Nothing to be proud of based on how they played and who they had to play to proceed.

Masterclass in the first half? Maybe we were watching different games😂, I thought we started very nervously as a collective, couldn't string more than a few passes together but we remained in the game, so IMO, masterclass is such a delusional statement

The defence of Southgate is indefensible. Ask yourself this simple question: would a world-class manager have gotten us over the line? The answer is almost certainly yes. People are overrating Spain. I disagree that "in time" we'll look on this game more fondly. On the contrary, we'll look back on this game as yet another major missed opportunity. It's fair to say Spain (on form) were better than 2021 Italy, and they deserve immense credit for dispatching Germany and France. But England's squad is meant to be better than 2021, in turn. Spain have some amazing wingers, but they weren't one of the great international teams and were there for the taking. As usual, Southgate defaulted to type and went ultra defensive until he had no other choice. That's not the definition of great tactics. The fact of the matter is, Southgate at the clutch moments has been found out again and again. Good tactics isn't about just shutting another team out for 45 minutes and saying "look at us", it's about developing intricate tactics and patterns (dare I say an identity) to make a difference offensively. Which, incidentally, is what Spain had. All Southgate had was moments, from world-class players at his disposal. He needs to go and new ideas definitely need to be sought.

"Not the laughing men of Europe, the nearly men of Europe". We have the La Liga player of the year, Premier League player of the year, a 100m midfielder in Declan Rice, a full back and centre back from the domineering Pep City side, Arsenal's best player, Chelsea's best player on the bench, a 20 goal a season PL striker on the bench etc. etc. I assure you, there are people laughing at us.

I find it completely baffling that we are suddenly calling the effort to keep Spain at bay during the first half, a masterclass, with the inevitable outcome that we lost the game. We were so poor ,we could hardly string two passes together, especially because we have players who are more than capable of doing so. If we look at other teams that do not even have the calibre of players we have, specifically Denmark and a few others, we can clearly see patterns of play. Denmark outplayed us and should have won. What about the abysmal performance against Serbia, but for a 30 minutes spell? I have not seen us play a decent game in the friendlies games we played prior to the Euros. I called it, that our performances would be way below par and that we would not win if we made it to the final. It isn't rocket science. We have no playing style. Are we a pressing team, a counter-attacking team, a team that plays on the front foot? Gareth had done an incredibly good job in getting us to where we are now. However, this is not success, no one remembers the also-rans. If we are to be successful and eventually win things, we have to put sentiment aside and ask ourselves the question, are we getting the best out of these players and can a different manage get more out of this team and win silverware? For me, the answer is a resounding 'Yes'. If however, we want to continue this level of mediocrity, being satisfied with getting to finals only for it to end in glorious failure, then let's stick with Gareth.

England didn’t give Spain anything to worry about in the first half. We should have regrets about this because we could’ve won that game if we put Spain on the back foot, we saw that when Watkins came on, Gordon should come on or started as well but Southgate is just a bottle job.

I agree that England managed the game well in the first half. I think people need to accept how inferior we are to that Spanish team right now, and we handled it in the best way we could. We nullified them. They couldn't make anything in that first half. Few simple mistakes cost us the match. We were in it till the end. I do think Kane needs wingers though so Gordon should have been playing. Kane was stranded out there

FÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁCIIIIIIILLLLL!!! FÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁCIIIIIIILLLLL!!! FÁCIL FÁCIL FÁCIL FÁCIL FÁCIL FÁCIL FÁCIL FÁCIL!!!

Love your podcast, this is probably the most balanced take on the final I’ve seen. It’s refreshing hearing someone finally calling out the lack of technical players in the English game , there’s a whole grass roots problem people are ignoring

You have to pay your dues in this competition and up until recently England had not been anywhere near a final. Spain, Germany, France, and Italy have all lost painfully in various finals over the decades . The Italians lost 4-0 in 2012 which was an utter humiliation to them . Its only these past 20 years that Spain and France have been regulars in major finals. We are putting effort in the bank and moving in the right direction.

Can I just say as someone that enjoyed the show for years exclusively via podcast on Spotify that dabbling in the RU-vid and subsequently reconciling everyone’s appearances with my subconscious preconceptions added immense enjoyment, much like watching your favourite book be made into a TV series and celebrating the casting 😂

To say we were tactically brilliant in the first half because we were compact is part of the problem. Our standards are too low. Nuno Espirito Santo did that for Nottingham Forest who had the 4th best open play xGA in the league with FAR FAR worse players. Is he tactically brilliant then? Nonsense. Sensible is appropriate, tactically brilliant is an absurd claim.

Walker been an absolute car crash but never gets criticised. Can't defend the back post to save his life.

These Southgate apologists are exhausting - the fact Kane started every game despite being awful is enough reason for Southgate to go.

We couldn’t counter attack with Kane upfront. Did anyone see Kane jump at all for any header?

Thanks for the memories Southgate but it's time to go.

Southgate/ Moyesball is shocking to watch, especially when you have talented players like Bellingham, Saka, Foden, Kudus, Paqueta, Bowen .... Southgate OUT

Eddie Howe demands high intensity of his team and it brought Newcastle great success, the reason why it’s hard to maintain is because Newcastles bench is poor and have gone through big games without making any changes. England on the other hand have an unbelievable bench.

I don't think England were much better when Watkins came on. You guys mentined it but no one else talked about how Spain became more dominant in the second half because England became more expansive and spaces opened up. I guess it's because it does not fit the narrative

Kanes performance has been anonymous for three games.

The key question here for the panel and Southgate is surely how did Spain manage to coach an allegedly inferior group of players to a far higher level than England? As good as Southgate has been in the last 8 years, this is the key question, surely.

Sell outs. You've been compromised. I'll listen to Goldbridge from now on.

I'm more gutted now than 2021 because getting to three finals in quick succession is going to be a huge ask, also the players are going to be crushed mentally at losing two finals. I don't think any international squad has gone through that before. And finally Spain look scarily good, they might Man City international football for the next 6yrs.

Without wanting to single out Harry Kane, he's been a magnificent servant and is still a great pro BUT I almost feel it's unfair on him from the England setup to make him still believe he's 'got it'. He was clearly 'off it' ALL tournament and I felt a bit sorry for him. Southgate is a lovely fella, I've met him and really is a pleasant man but that lack of ruthlessness, NOT just with Kane, has contributed to lacking a real consistent cutting edge. Onwards and upwards though, we have a great platform to build on...!

England had more possession in this tournament because Spain played Croatia Italy Germany and France and even Albania held on to the ball well. And because bald possession stats value Stones to Walker to Stones to Guehi equally to progressive passing that cuts through teams..

Massive fan of the Ramble, but I'm afraid this is an awful take. First half was good in a sense that we didn't concede but a lack of press from Kane allows Spain to walk out for the first goal. We concede, we then attack and score a great goal. Watkins injects pace and an improved press, Spain are then forced into their first long balls of the night... then you can literally watch the back 4 drop and we sit off, Spain then pop the ball around, take all momentum back and its basically game over. There was a chance to go an win the game - we might have conceded on the break, but we did anyway when we sat on Pickfords toes! Might as well have bloody tried!!!

I swear 99% of human beings only want to hear their own views repeated back to them, judging by these comments. Be an adult, realise that every person has a different view, and that's a benefit. There is so many facets to these things.

I feel like you're being very kind to England and the Manager, why is tiredness always brought up? Why aren't Spain tired? England have players that play for some of the best sides in world football none of which play the way Southgate asked them to this tournament, which to me just shows Southgate shouldn't be the coach of this set of players, as he clearly isn't able to coach them and set them up in a way that enables them to play their best football.

Shaw was a constant outball but no one could play that crossfield ball, except Trent. Bellingham ran out of gas and was on his haunches for most of the 2nd, Gallagher and Trent were there. Shaw had to do a lot of work on his own especially in the 2nd, Gordon could’ve helped. Walker in the 2nd… Kane was a major hindrance and has shown a lack of willingness to put team first (see champ final), Morata ran his butt off and pressed everyone.. If you want to play without the ball someone who does that work and runs in behind is necessary, especially if you have no runners from midfield. Also englands possession numbers are inflated due to opposition and only having one way of playing due to Trippier on the left and Bellinghams tendency to slow the play instead of playing one twos.

Southgate is a legend for how far he has moved england forward but its got stale and predictable. Time to roll rhe dice and see how it lands.

Southgate teams never exploit opponents weaknesses. All the teams England played their defence had a stress free game. There’s no pace in the forward line and hardly any creativity. Not good enough technical players to play possession based football against spain. Counterattacking & direct football was needed. Would have loved to have seen Pickford kick the ball long Toney heads the ball down to Gordon who breaks, cross the ball to Saka who smash the ball into the bottom corner. Add Watkins, Palmer, Wharton, Bowen & Trent 2nd half.

Come guys, let’s not fall into this trap, we’ve had one good half all tournament a good manager could get a tune out of these players, Gareth clearly can’t, it was time for him to go last tournament, he definitely upped the mood, did well at getting some young players in and clearing out some old but we need a step up if we want to win something.

Don't really agree with you guys. First half was ok but masterclass is a massive stretch. We sat back and from the subs he was gonna make its pretty clear we were playing for pens probably for the whole match. Very rarely will that win you a final. The most disappointing thing is we didnt really trouble them - I would have preferred we went to try and win rather than try not to lose. Ultimately with the players we have we should be able to give Spain a game and instead we played like we were San Marino. Youve all been brain washed from this tournament to expect little from England so when we dont get battered your happy.

Sorry which teams "fear" playing England???

they should be happy that they reached the finals they played like shit and had luck to get that far.

The kids never got home. The dungeon master turned into a black smoke and flames demon in the final episode and it was him trapping them there all along. The episode was banned because it was so f*cling dark.

I love your podcast but I'm switching this one off. Absolutely delusional analysis. The football they played was unwatchable. Set up by clueless,gutless manager.

Southgate has turned some of the best players in the world and molded them into mediocrity. Sorry guys but you are way off the mark here. Southgate could not come up with a system that gave England a chance to win. You honestly believe he got the best out of the players?. Come on, England made the final for 2 reasons...the draw opened up for them and individual brilliance that got them out of jail. At no point did they ever looked they were ever going to win and to suggest Southgate has done well this tournament is disingenuous to say the least.

Which teams fear us?

Modern approach would be a 3 month handover from southgate to his replacement. Its the ideal for any big high pressured role. Why not football?

The long ball is a good tactic if you have someone to a) win the initial challenge. b)quick players onto second ball.

Great to be able to listen to the Ramble again. Great to see you lads!

Is this a new hipster thing? Finding southgate deligjtful and a tactical savant?

Really enjoyed your Euros coverage, thanks a mill

A lot of nonsense waffle on this

Horrific episode. Been telling it how it is with England and admired the optimism, but despite yet more terrible decisions, tactics and spinelessness you're all suddenly Gareth's besties and there's loads to be positive about. What a load of sell out garbage.

Brilliant jobs lads thoroughly enjoyed it

This was far too kind on Southgate. Spain in the final wasn't some David vs Goliath matchup like was being made out here. They might have had better individuals in certain positions but I'm still taking our squad overs theirs.

Fácil Fácil Fácil Fácil Fácil That's "Easy" in spanish. Anyway, great coverage from you guys. Thank you Marcus, Luke, Jim, Peter and Andy. Thank you ramblers. 🎉🎉

Question: What's the opposite of clickbait?

The arrogance of the English on perfect display. @5:30 only Shaw was able to stop Yamal this tournament? Really? You obviously did not watch all the games of Spain. Going to be interesting how much more nonsense you guys will spill in this 1hr video.

The gap was huge. Hopefully steps will be made to address it

great commentary. moments apply to defensive play too.

Southgate was first choice but turned it down when Alladyce took the job.

No one gives a toss what pundits say

EAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSAY. EAAAAAAAASSAAAAAY. EASY. EASY. EASY. EASY. EASY.

The best

Thanks for the Ramble this tournament, the perfect blend of tactical insight and comedy. Hats off to your giddy aunts!

fácil fácil fácil

Haaaaaaaaard!

Welp

UNLUCKY