Before you put your life savings on England a word in your ear… | OneFootball

It is England v Switzerland up next.

The countdown has started towards 5 pm Saturday.

England playing for a place in the semi-finals.

It has intrigued and amused me a lot of the talk ahead of this quarter-final.

Despite everything they have witnessed, so many in the media and indeed many England fans, going down the route of still thinking this game against Switzerland is one they should win. Indeed, many thinking should win comfortably.

Yes, England have been poor they will accept, but still this is just Switzerland.

Before you put your life savings on Gareth Southgate and England, a word of warning.

The bookies are absolutely taking the mick, taking advantage of the fact that the overwhelming majority will bet patriotically, no matter what the odds are.

England are just better than even money (6/5) to win in 90 minutes, whilst you can get 3/1 on Switzerland doing that.

Indeed, the only bet worse than backing England at that price to beat the Swiss in 90 minutes, is the fact that England are 7/2 favourites with the vast majority of bookies to win the whole thing.

Switzerland form

For anybody who thinks backing England to beat Switzerland, in normal time especially, a few facts on the Swiss.

Switzerland have lost none of their last eight internationals.

Switzerland have lost one of their last eighteen internationals.

Switzerland dominated and easily beat Italy 2-0 in their last game, the one before that they were by far the better team and more dangerous than Germany, only denied a win in added time.

Switzerland have conceded seven goals in their last eleven internationals and haven’t conceded more than one goal in any of those last eleven.

England form

England have won two of their last nine games in normal time.

England have scored three goals in their last five internationals (not including extra-time).

In those five games the 90 minutes plus injury time saw them lose to Iceland, draw against Slovenia, Denmark and Slovakia, with the only win that lucky 1-0 against Serbia.

England have managed only 14 shots on target in the best part of nine hours of football in these last five matches, one against Iceland, three against Serbia, four against Denmark, four against Slovakia and two against Slovkia (in over two hours of football).

The only win in normal time (not including extra-time) these last nine England matches, other than the Serbia one, was the 3-0 friendly at St James’ Park against Bosnia & Herzegovina.

My conclusions on England v Switzerland

The bottom line is that you have to accept the evidence of your own eyes.

For a long long time it has been obvious that Gareth Southgate is clueless, with desperate negative tactics, bizarre team selections, woeful team set-ups and so on. However, bad negative winning football against poor to average at best opposition, has now become really bad negative losing/not winning football against poor to average teams.

As outlined above, we even struggle to create many/any chances against the likes of Iceland, Slovenia, Slovakia and North Macedonia.

Gareth Southgate’s reaction to each successive desperate performance at these Euros, has been to double down and change as little as he possibly can.

It took only two minutes or so of that Slovakia match to know for sure just how bad it was going to be, England defending as deep as possible in large numbers, whilst Slovakia dominated and got a lot of players forward.

Switzerland are easily the best team England have played so far and whilst they still aren’t anything really special, when has Gareth Southgate ever defeated a team as goof as this Swiss one in any tournament? You might say Germany in the 2020 Euros but everybody knows that really that was the weakest ever German team, that had reached rock bottom (for them!) and was set to start major rebuilding again.

We all know what happens when a Gareth Southgate England team ends up playing anybody decent at a tournament.

I really hope I am proved wrong but I have no faith in Gareth Southgate doing anything of substance differently and against a far better Switzerland side than Slovakia were/are, his incredible luck won’t be enough to save him this time.

The Mag report after England 2 Slovakia 1 (AET) – 30 June 2024:

It ended England 2 Slovakia 1 BUT if ever a scoreline didn’t tell the true story of a football match, it was this one.

Against admittedly tough opposition, this was arguably the very worst from Gareth Southgate, and yet due to incredible luck, they are somehow through to the quarter-finals.

Yet another shocking team selection, as after the terrible performance against Slovenia, only one change as Mainoo replaced Gallagher in midfield.

Ultra-negative tactics from Gareth Southgate, as usual, saw Slovakia attack from the start and should have been ahead in the opening five minutes as they created chances. The only surprise was that it took until 24 minutes for Schranz to give Slovakia the lead, Guehi was very lucky the striker didn’t go down as he fouled him from behind, it could have been a penalty and probable goal plus a red card.

A terrible 45 minutes as England failed to have a shot on target, the only vague danger they caused was from set-pieces.

England fans wondering whether it would be two or three changes at half-time, Gareth Southgate making… none. Unbelievable this bloke.

The pattern was once again established with Slovakia looking far more likely to score the next goal as England created next to nothing in open play.

An injury to Kieran Trippier eventually saw Southgate forced to make a change, Cole Palmer coming on and Saka moved to left-back…

Slovakia tiring and happy to defend ever closer to their box, yet England with minimal inspiration and crying out for more positive subs.

However, no further subs made until six minutes of normal time left, Mainoo off and on comes… Eze??? What does Anthony Gordon have to do to get a proper chance?

The time clicked past 90 minutes with still Martin Dubravka not having made a save.

England ever more desperate and their late tactic is long throws into the box.

With boos ringing around the stadium for Gareth Southgate, out of nowhere, a long throw was launched in and Guehi got a flick, then Bellingham with a superb overhead kick giving Dubravka no chance. That goal came in the fifth minute of added time with only seconds to go. Outrageous Southgate luck.

Slovakia was stunned and wondering how they hadn’t seen this win out, having been far better than a team ranked some 40 places higher in the world rankings.

Maybe that (and luck!!) contributed to what happened next.

The team came out for extra-time and within a minute England was somehow ahead, once again coming from just launching the ball into the box from a set-piece, or corner, or throw, Eze completely fluffs his shot, into the ground and going well wide, however, goes straight to Toney who just heads it into a space, where very luckily Kane happens to be and he heads home from close range.

A chance now for Gareth Southgate to really kill the game, get his players to go for the killer third, don’t give Slovakia an inch of hope.

Reality of course is that Southgate instantly orders his players to retreat and try to defend for the next half hour.

Absolutely criminal, to invite a poor and limited Slovakia to come forward and allow them to get crosses/balls into the box from decent positions, England just clinging on.

Looking for inspiration from the box, get the pace and threat of Watkins and Gordon on surely?

Instead, for the second period of added time, Gareth Southgate takes off Kane and Bellingham, replacing them with a defender in Konsa and limited midfielder Gallagher.

Predictably just more of the same, England clinging on against such poor opposition.

After over two hours of football the final whistle went, Martin Dubravka still hadn’t made a save all game, England managing only two efforts on target all match and scoring both.

Switzerland must have watched in disbelief at both the luck Gareth Southgate carried and just how limited he made England today.

On Saturday you have to fear the worst, if/when Gareth Southgate goes the same again, no doubt believing that his genius had won this match.

Final scoreline: England 2 Slovakia 1 (AET)

England team v Slovakia:

Pickford, Walker, Stones, Guehi, Trippier (Palmer 66), Rice, Bellingham (Knosa 105), Mainoo (Eze 84), Foden (Toney 90+4), Saka, Kane (Gallagher 105)

Unlucky for Martin Dubravka and his international teammates as no way they deserved to lose this.

The excellent and comfortable Switzerland win over Italy on Saturday, ensured there will be at least one Newcastle United player who gets to the semi-final stage, as the Swiss now play England on Saturday at 5 pm.

Having watched all the matches the two teams have played, unless something drastically changes with England, I wouldn’t be putting a penny on them beating Switzerland.

This is the last 16 schedule to the 2024 European Championships final:

2024 European Championships last 16 matches (all UK times)

Switzerland 2 Italy 0 (Saturday, 29 June, 5pm, Berlin)

Germany 2 Denmark 0 (Saturday, 29 June, 8pm, Dortmund)

England 2 Slovakia 1 (AET) (Sunday, 30 June, 5pm, Gelsenkirchen)

Spain 4 Georgia 1 (Sunday, 30 June, 8pm, Cologne)

France 1 Belgium 0 (Monday, 1 July, 5pm, Dusseldorf)

Portugal 0 Slovenia 0 – Portugal win 3-0 on penalties AET (Monday, 1 July, 8pm, Frankfurt)

Romania v Netherlands (Tuesday, 2 July, 5pm, Munich)