I used to think when I played getting knocked out on Penalties was unlucky! This picture is post 2006 penalty shoot out. The third time as a player I’d been knocked out in semis and quarter finals for England. Yesterday England went through to a semi final on Penalties. Saka recovering from a horrendous experience of being racially abused post Euro 2020. Palmer and Toney in their first tournament stepping up. Jude Bellingham at 21 years of age and still a baby. Trent Alexander Arnold having had a rough 2 weeks taking that final penalty. All these lads not only under the natural pressure of actually taking one but under the added pressures above. Whilst we have carried our luck in this tournament so far, winning on pens is not lucky. Having the right players in the squad, on the pitch, with the right information and mentally strong are decisions and qualities that this group have. Well done to Gareth and the players but particularly to those lads who took the spot kicks so brilliantly and with such composure. ❤️🏴
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. We shouldn’t underestimate the painstaking preparation that goes in to taking these penalty kicks. Credit to the the entire England camp for the scientific approach they take to ensuring that the lads have the best possible chances to score; and equal credit to the brave players who execute under such mind-bending pressure. And of course, credit to all of the players-past whose experiences have laid the foundations to the modern (aggregation of marginal gains) penalty process. And credit to any fans who were able to maintain their composure yesterday! 👏🏼
Max Morgan
4w
Whether we go on to win or lose the tournament, Southgate has to take a huge amount of credit for the success in the last decade - after experiencing the failure of a penalty miss as a player, he's masterminded England to execute one of the best set of penalties on his 100th game in charge as manager - you couldn't write it! Being successful in these tournaments is clearly more likely with a pragmatic style of play, which he's been hammered for.. but it's working. I wouldn't be surprised if the late subs he's making are also intentional and related to the amount of knockout games that get decided in extra time & penalties.. he's been bold to stick to his principles despite the noise from the fans/press/pundits.. you can't argue with the results. People are annoyed that all these star players aren't putting in iconic individual performances, but there's an arguement to say that this is just more proof of how much Gareth's able to get them all playing as a team, putting the 'gameplan' above any individual ego. I hope he keeps it up and they keep doing the country proud 👏
As a confirmed non football watcher I do find it interesting about the double standards regarding penalties. When England has lost in a penalty shootout everyone says how unlucky they were. When they win the shootout the same people say how amazing the team is for winning. The fact is that it generally is based on luck. Most players who are paid £5m a year should be able to aim the ball into the net. So it is simply the luck of whether the goalkeeper jumps left or right. A superior team would win before the final whistle. So England have been lucky on this occasion.
Marc Byrne
4w
History is littered with world cup and Euro winners that started the tournament slowly and grew into it, these lads have something in them that could yet see us get over the line, lets back them and the manager……..COME ON ENGLAND 🏴
John White
4w
I cannot remember a tournament where the quaĺity has been this poor from the majority of teams. Very few games that will last in the memory. Is it a reflection of the modern game being inferior to days gone by? I can go back to 40 plus years and watched a lot of games and in every tournamet there was a stand out team player/team. Unfortunately not in this one yet.
Struan Gunn
4w
Looked like they were playing for extra time and they had practiced penalties all week. Hope they can actually play some attacking football and score some goals next match
We may not have played ‘pretty’ football throughout this tournament and maybe the formation Gareth has gone with thus far hasn’t been to our liking but he and our team are through to another semi final… these young men want this it’s plain to see.. their confidence and determination in stepping up under the pressure cooker of real time penalty taking was evident. A big shout out too to our goal keeper who more than played his part by making that save… Winning starts in the mind, having the belief you can do it.. I believe this team have the belief … c’mon England 🏴 you’ve got this, make a nation proud, you all have the skill, resilience and talent to lift this trophy 🏆
Peter Faiers
4w
The racism is totally unacceptable and quite frankly, disgusting. Couldn’t agree with you more and nowhere near enough is being done to combat it. I hope it changes. Racism aside……these guys get paid £200,000+ a week (considerably more a lot of the time) to kick a football about, as well as the millions of pounds worth of sponsorship deals, Gillette adverts etc etc. They also get the best food, best medical care, best sports therapists etc, and literally anything else they want. Let’s not forget that.
I guess the frustrating thing is, the ones who racially abused him at euro 2020 will be the same ones singing his name yesterday.
Be brainwashed into thinking you can do it.
4wThis is beginning to have the hallmarks of United’s FA Cup run (Semi’s in particular). Much as England aren’t playing to what we expect, we are through to another semi-final and no one will care how we played against Slovenia and Serbia and Denmark and the Swiss if we are lifting the trophy next Sunday. I certainly do not think about how close United came to losing against Coventry. And as for the penalties, after so many years of hell with penalties, I had no worries about the shoot out. We have been exemplary with shoots for a few years now since Euro 2020 and that shouldn’t be underestimated in the slightest.