The England Team - all the news, views…

[DE.]

Hungary's last gasp goal against Scotland now counts for nothing. 

[rigger]

3 minutes ago, DE. said:

Hungary's last gasp goal against Scotland now counts for nothing. 

Well it made me cheer/laugh.

[wilsdenrover]

7 minutes ago, DE. said:

Hungary's last gasp goal against Scotland now counts for nothing. 

It meant Scotland finished with the worst record.

[wilsdenrover]

1 hour ago, RTM08 said:

This ref has lost this Czech-Turkiye game completely. Set a precedent of booking every time someone goes down and is now paying the price as everyone starts playacting.

16 yellows and two reds 

[matt83]

Another very lucky route. Slovakia. Italy already beaten twice in qualification then the Dutch will be the first real test in the semis but no more than any of the other halves quarterfinals - Germany v Spain and France v Portugal are a couple of beastly quarter finals. 

[M_B]

1 hour ago, matt83 said:

Another very lucky route. Slovakia. Italy already beaten twice in qualification then the Dutch will be the first real test in the semis but no more than any of the other halves quarterfinals - Germany v Spain and France v Portugal are a couple of beastly quarter finals. 

Luck has nothing to do with it. They all set out with a set of fixtures and the results set out the route to the final. 

Edited June 27, 2024 by M_B

[Mattyblue]

Course it’s lucky to be on this side of the draw. But that’s football, good for Southgate.

[Moptop1]

13 hours ago, M_B said:

He hasn't been lucky, he's been the best since Alf Ramsay. 

I’d think he has been lucky.

He has had easy qualifying groups.

The problem is, when we come up against any team of worth, we often fail.

[Admiral Nelsen]

3 hours ago, matt83 said:

Another very lucky route. Slovakia. Italy already beaten twice in qualification then the Dutch will be the first real test in the semis but no more than any of the other halves quarterfinals - Germany v Spain and France v Portugal are a couple of beastly quarter finals. 

 

Going off what I've seen so far, the Dutch will have a real test in the QF assuming they get there. I'd still make them favourites against Austria/Turkey, but it's very possible that they could be out by the time we would have to play them.

 

Having said that I think that a quarter final with Italy is still a serious test. On paper they're obviously not the team they were but that would still not be an easy game, even if our form picks up. 

[roverandout]

1 hour ago, Moptop1 said:

I’d think he has been lucky.

He has had easy qualifying groups.

The problem is, when we come up against any team of worth, we often fail.

Italy Ukraine wasn't an easy qualifying group. Unless u mean the group stage at the euros 

[Moptop1]

26 minutes ago, roverandout said:

Italy Ukraine wasn't an easy qualifying group. Unless u mean the group stage at the euros 

I mean in general. England usually get an easy group.

[oldjamfan1]

1 hour ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

Having said that I think that a quarter final with Italy is still a serious test. On paper they're obviously not the team they were but that would still not be an easy game, even if our form picks up. 

To be fair you would expect a quarter final to be a serious test.

[riverholmes]

Interesting piece by Jonathan Liew of Guardian on England, reflecting on lack of English football identity. Comes up with idea that we don't have one but have a sense of fun and thrill-seeking and that's what the team should try and play into before their inevitable exit.

I'm not sure I agree that this team is so egotistical, as he suggests, (not compared to previous teams) but they definitely do look like a team of individuals without a strategy. At least at the last Euros, there was a sense of an approach, with Phillips and Henderson guarding and Sterling trying to make things happen on his own by running with the ball.

England under Gareth Southgate: rampant individualism and a saviour complex: https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/jun/26/england-under-gareth-southgate-rampant-individualism-saviour-complex-euro-2024

Edit: Is this the first international tournament of the endless podcasts era? Whatever it is, Southgate's thinking, and, potentially, the players, seems to be influenced by the media more these days. He fancied Eze and Bowen, who did ok for newcomers but the media demands for Palmer and Gordon seem to have been heard. Though, who knows if it really was a factor.

And, it must be hard for the players to avoid the chatter coming from their phones.

Edited June 27, 2024 by riverholmes

[Admiral Nelsen]

9 minutes ago, oldjamfan1 said:

To be fair you would expect a quarter final to be a serious test.

 

Definitely, and if that's the most difficult game you have en route to a final then you'd be delighted. 

 

Although in fairness the Italian and Dutch fans will be saying exactly the same about England having seen our group games. 

[Exiled_Rover]

10 minutes ago, riverholmes said:

Interesting piece by Jonathan Liew of Guardian on England, reflecting on lack of English football identity. Comes up with idea that we don't have one but have a sense of fun and thrill-seeking and that's what the team should try and play into before their inevitable exit.

I'm not sure I agree that this team is so egotistical, as he suggests, (not compared to previous teams) but they definitely do look like a team of individuals without a strategy. At least at the last Euros, there was a sense of an approach, with Phillips and Henderson guarding and Sterling trying to make things happen on his own by running with the ball.

England under Gareth Southgate: rampant individualism and a saviour complex: https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/jun/26/england-under-gareth-southgate-rampant-individualism-saviour-complex-euro-2024

Edit: Is this the first international tournament of the endless podcasts era? Whatever it is, Southgate's thinking, and, potentially, the players, seems to be influenced by the media more these days. He fancied Eze and Bowen, who did ok for newcomers but the media demands for Palmer and Gordon seem to have been heard. Though, who knows if it really was a factor.

And, it must be hard for the players to avoid the chatter coming from their phones.

Horrible journalist. Always avoid his opinion pieces like the plague. 

[arbitro]

 

[M_B]

6 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Course it’s lucky to be on this side of the draw. But that’s football, good for Southgate.

England and France were pre tournament favourites, both on the same side of the draw. France cocking up and ending up on the other side has nothing whatsoever with England's luck, it's down to French failings. 

Pre tournament, the other side of the draw was seen as the weakest, Didi Hamann wrote off Germany's chances on the eve of the tournament, whilst Portugal have exceeded expectations. 

Our side of the draw was the pre tournament favourite to provide the winner. 

[Mattyblue]

The group was weak and the draw has opened up. But hey, that’s just the way tournament football goes, so don’t look a gift horse and all that, but of course they’ve had a stroke of luck.

[M_B]

They got the job done, France didn't, nor did Holland or Belgium. The failings of others has nothing to do with England being lucky. 

I ask you this, if we'd finished 2nd and had to face Germany, would you say we were unlucky? 

[Mattyblue]

No I’d say that was pretty poor in such a crap group. Playing so badly you can’t even win that group isn’t unlucky.

Edited June 27, 2024 by Mattyblue

[M_B]

Yes, nothing to do with luck, you get what you earn/deserve. P

Edited June 27, 2024 by M_B

[Mattyblue]

Getting the easier half of the draw as other teams that you can’t influence unexpectedly drop points is luck, getting that group is luck.

None of that is England’s problem BTW. If Rovers got to the cup final purely by drawing lower league sides along the way then that’s lucky - but it certainly wouldn’t make my day at Wembley any less sweet.

Edited June 27, 2024 by Mattyblue

[M_B]

It wasn't the "easier" half of the draw, it had the 2 pre tournament favourites in it. It was, according to the bookies, the strongest half of the draw. 

That France couldn't top their group is of no consequence, it wasn't down to England being lucky. 

 

Edited June 27, 2024 by M_B

[Mattyblue]

And that’s luck! Events out of your control conspiring in your favour!

Come on, M_B 😅

[M_B]

43 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

And that’s luck! Events out of your control conspiring in your favour!

Come on, M_B 😅

Aye, Or8 🙄😄