Monday slate of games at Euro 2016 showed us what happens when a group of individually talented players meet a pure team who knows what it is and how to play as a unit.
Both Iceland and Italy were quite superb, while England (and to a lesser extent Spain) needs to take a long proverbial look in the mirror and give itself a shake.
Here are my thoughts on today’s action.
• At least now I can watch the rest of Euro with pragmatism, as with England’s loss today my heart has been removed from proceedings. I am not surprised, as I didn’t have England progressing past the quarterfinals.
• It’s really easy to let your emotion get the better of you, and come out fists flailing. But it’s a little smarter to breathe and wait… and then start flailing.
• I have always had time for Roy Hodgson—the fact he is an English manager who took worked around the world always impressed me. But he had an utterly dreadful tournament. Top teams do not experiment with personnel in the days leading up to a tournament and even into the tournament itself. His faith in Raheem Sterling was unrewarded, as was his loyalty to Wayne Rooney, who although looking halfway decent in the first two matches was a disaster today, and should have been subbed off much earlier.
• Who will replace the departing Hodgson? I can only assume the FA will look outside of England, as who in the domestic game is proven and available?
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• That being said, the England job is still in many ways a dream job: lots of money and resources, and the great seductress of being the man who finally leads them to glory.
• Keep in mind this is a very young squad; the youngest at Euro. What it needs is some leaders. Who are the team’s leaders? No idea.
• Iceland has proven once again that in international football a true team with players who all know their roles can be extremely effective. The world loves this story, but this has been building for some time. Just ask the Netherlands, who suffered at the feet of Iceland in qualifying.
• Italy is also a real team, and they also have a quite brilliant manager. Not many people expected them to come at Spain in the first half, least of all Spain! It paid off brilliantly, and Italy has solidified its place as one of the favourites. I believe the Euro winner comes out of the Italy vs. Germany match.
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