Quality of Play in the Tournament

[Satchmo Distel]

I thought the tournament was very exciting but at the expense of really high quality of tactics, finishing and defending. The two best defences made the final because the other defences were leaky; Italy won it despite Immobile stinking out the centre forward position, and were by far the best tactically aware and adaptable side.

You probably have to go back to 2012 for the last Euros that had high quality of play. The years 2000-08 feel like a peak that the Euros won't get back for a while.

Obviously COVID, the compressed schedule and the absurd travel schedule contributed much to the above failings but I think we are seeing a decline in the standard of international football at the same time as the CL standard keeps rising (at least from QFs onwards).

[anton pulisov]

I think the five subs rule also leads to a poorer standard of tactical play. Firstly, bringing on that many subs disrupts the flow of the play. Secondly, it tempts managers to have certain players running themselves into the ground because they know that up to six subs are allowed if there is extra time. So it encourages headless chicken football over more economical, passing, tactical football.