Well, England and France have both D-parted (ok I’ll stop now) at the quarter final stage of Euro 2012. After neither side particularly impressed in the group stage, it’s perhaps not totally surprising, although still disappointing for both sets of fans.

For England, it was once again the dreaded penalty shootout that proved to be their downfall. However, problems ran much further and deeper than that. Lacklustre offensive displays and a side bereft of creativity meant that they were thoroughly outplayed by an impressive Italian side.

To fans of Liverpool or Fulham, the England set up was totally unsurprising. Two banks of four, often both deployed within 30 yards of their own goal meant that the plan was to just soak up pressure and hope for a goal from a cross or a set piece. This worked against the likes of Sweden and Ukraine, but against a very good Italian defence, they were found wanting.

The attacking duo of Welbeck and Rooney saw very little of the ball, and unfortunately when they did they were left isolated and it resulted in cheap turnovers and continued Italian pressure. Only the woodwork and the linesman’s flag prevented the contest from being over after 90 minutes.

But England failed in the shootout once again, making it only one triumph in seven attempts. Young and Cole both failed to convert and it means another quarter final exit for England, as in 2004.

Best Player – I tipped him as the key man pre-tournament, and Steven Gerrard certainly delivered. He set up the opening goals against both France and England, and had a hand in more than other goal throughout the tournament. His leadership and determination was there for all to see, but a lack of support in the midfield meant his efforts were in vain.

 

As far as France is concerned, their performance challenged England for ‘most uninspiring effort’ in the quarter final stage. For a team who built their qualification success on a stoic defence, they looked very shaky at the back against a totally dominant Spanish outfit.

From the outset it was clear that France were going to be playing a defensive game. The selection of Debuchy at right midfield was the perfect example of that – the likes of Menez and Nasri were left on the bench, who would undoubtedly provide more of an attacking threat.

There were many parallels between the two Group D sides, with Ribery and Benzema the unlucky pair in this game – similarly to Welbeck and Rooney, they found themselves incredibly isolated and forced into cheap turnovers.

After the calamitous display in South Africa, there was a sense of optimism in the French camp before the tournament, but it seems as if the soil is still rotten in the camp, with more rumours of discontent in the squad flying around, which certainly didn’t help their cause.

Best Player – There were no outstanding performers, with key players like Ribery and Benzema failing to step up. I’d probably have to say Yohan Cabaye. His presence was sorely missed in the 2-0 defeat to Sweden, whilst he dictated the tempo against England and scored against Ukraine.