Imagine

All ex players and managers generally say that you can't create the tension of a penalty shootout in training yet we picked the 5 players who looked best in training. Nobody knows the pressure of taking a penalty more than Gareth so this should have been factored more into the decision.
I can accept losing a penalty shootout but not going for the kill in the first half when we had them on the ropes is the biggest regret from last night.

 

Quite a few players failed to show up for the big game, but I don’t think the decision to retreat to our own penalty area for an hour really helped.

 

I thought taking Rice off was a mistake. He was outstanding and also takes pens for WHU

Also, penalties from professional footballers really should be going top corner every time - they’re unsaveable

 

Agreed. I'm not sure how much the 2nd half performance was down to a change of tactics or Italy upping their game, maybe a bit of both....

 

Italy missed early last night. I think it's just common sense to have the 2 takers who are best able to handle the pressure at 4 and 5, as they are likely to be the most vital penalties and subject to the most pressure. It's not daft to suggest that.

 

The wingbacks license to get forward was taken away, Shaw and Trips caused them all sorts of problems in the first 20/25 minutes.
We seemed content to sit back and absorb pressure, that’s ok if it’s for 20 minutes but not 70!
No we gambled on the Italians only real threat (Chiesa) misfiring. Which worked until Maguire lost Bonucci.
Going to a back 4 instead of pushing the wingbacks again was an error.

 

if first three miss then your best could probably end up the best not taking one at all, hit the first three then that puts pressure on the opposing team too

 

Apparently he'd picked up a knock.

 

That’s where I put ‘em. Like clockwork. I wasn’t even a pro..

 

Looked to be blowing when he came off to be fair to him. I’m not a massive fan, personally I think he’s technically limited as a footballer but he definitely puts a shift in.

 

But if they miss the last 3 then it doesn't matter if Kane smashes the first one in, as we saw last night. To me the biggest variable between the order placings is the potential pressure, and you know which penalties are potentially going to be subject to massive pressure, so it makes sense to put your players best equipped to deal with the pressure in those spots.

At the end of the day you want to maximise your total expected goals over the 5 pens, and accounting for pressure would allow you to gain a bit of value.

 

suppose both arguments are correct, what was a bad call was putting rashford and sancho on so late and not been able to at least get into the game

 

Italy put one of their best penalty takers if not their best to take the 5th pen and he still missed

Penalties all in all are a lottery

 

I'd have gone Sancho, Saka, Maguire, Kane, Rashford, sticking to those who actually went. Rashford over-thought it, perhaps going later would have tempted him just to put his foot through it. You could almost see him thinking that we were in a good position, all he had to do was maintain our advantage, which led to him trying to go too near the post. Saka I think you get out of the way early on, and you let Maguire and Kane who were both confident take the pressure penalties. All what-ifs now.

 

I just think it's ridiculous to have an order where the country's most important strike of a football in over 50 years can fall to a poor 19 year old lad who has never taken a senior penalty. I also think it's doubly ridiculous for Southgate to put such a young lad in that spot having had first hand experience of the consequences of missing.

 

Pickford due to take one before Sterling and Grealish?

 

Didn't Pickford take one in a Nations League shoot out?

If Grealish and Sterling weren't even in the top 7 choices, it makes the decisions around substitutions all the more ludicrous. Sancho could've come on instead of Grealish. And Rashford for Sterling the second half of extra time.

 

Pickford would have been in my first 5 to be honest. He strikes me as the type of player who wouldn't be fazed by the occasion.