The biggest winner was for penalties: the three hesitate/stutter/hoppers missed. Put your damn foot through the ball. You already have every advantage in the world.
Southgate was brutal. Maybe he changed England’s mentality, but when I look at the stack of talent in his side there’s no excuse for his tactics, selections, or subs. The penalty lineup was just the cherry on a particularly shitty sundae.
Italy were the team of the tournament. Mancini didn’t have the talented rosters of France, England, or Belgium but he installed a perfect system for the international game. Flexible, attacking, interchangeable, and decidedly un-Italian in its approach (except against Spain).
The antics against Belgium will absolutely take shine off this for me. It’s difficult to love a side that made such a mockery of the game. Maybe it’s the passage of time, but when I think back to that ‘06 squad it’s almost purely warm and fuzzies. Gattusso was somehow lovable in that Brad Marchand sort of way. Materazzi is the big exception. But Buffon, Cannavaro, Del Piero, Pirlo, Totti… Just incredible.
This group is well positioned, fairly young (outside of central defense) and well managed. Mancini has something here.