Euro 2024 - Group Stage: This format is bollocks

[SvN]

https://i.imgur.com/GEp4CNe.png

Parklife.

[Yevrah]

That's Numberwang.

[Spikey M]

I can only assume there's a giant print out of that in the UEFA basement, and there's a load of sextrafficked Asian mathematicians running box to box with string like a mega version of this:

https://i.ibb.co/0qRFQhn/Screenshot-20240620-164020-Brave.jpg

[Jimmy Floyd]

They should just make it 32 teams shouldn't they. Or 64, and invite non-national territories to make up the numbers like Isle of Man, the Alps, Pakistan, whoever.

[Yevrah]

Deciphering that shit may be worthwhile as it could lead to a betting opportunity, ala Belarus, Holland and Wales in 2007.

[Yevrah]

They should just make it 32 teams shouldn't they. Or 64, and invite non-national territories to make up the numbers like Isle of Man, the Alps, Pakistan, whoever.

I can see no logical reason if it must be 24 why you wouldn't just draw the 3rd placed teams out of a hat.

[Ian]

I am genuinely relieved it's not just me, was sure somebody was going to succinctly explain in about six words how that all makes total sense.

[Spikey M]

Is there a reason Walker is wearing Ice Skates? That's twice he's been on his arse already.

[Magic]

Bored already.

[Yevrah]

Guys, can we have less of the negativity please.

[Magic]

Just what exactly is game plan. Piss around until one of the players gets bored and does something spectacular?

[Pleb]

Yes.

[niko_cee]

This pitch is going to end up destroying Bellingham's knee, and all our dreams.

[Bernanke]

Foden. :lol:

[Yevrah]

Fuck yeah.

[Magic]

Lolmark.

[Waffdon]

That might be the worst defending I have ever seen.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

What a mong that Danish defender is.

[Yevrah]

Deflected cross masters. :cool:

[niko_cee]

I do wonder what Southgate has told 'Trent' to do in this role of his. He just seems to mooch about.

lol at Walker making the 100% wrong decision with that cut back but it bouncing its way to where it should have been.

[Spikey M]

Walker did his best to do nothing with that.

[Yevrah]

Why is Alan Shearer in the commentary box? He's fucking shit at it.

[Spikey M]

.

lol at Walker making the 100% wrong decision with that cut back but it bouncing its way to where it should have been.

He's only a brain short of being one of the best wing backs in history.

[Dark Soldier]

Only one shot on target so far this may as well be a defeat fucking disgusting

[7om]

Shearer on commentary then. Said something along the lines of “did I hear debate about Harry Kane before kick off? Nonsense.”

He was completely ineffective in the last game. It’s only natural to consider alternative approaches. Bald twat.

[Magic]

shearer on commentary then. Said something along the lines of “did i hear debate about harry kane before kick off? Nonsense.”

he was completely ineffective in the last game. It’s only natural to consider alternative approaches. Bald twat.

"GOALS!"

caps

[Yevrah]

Shearer on commentary then. Said something along the lines of “did I hear debate about Harry Kane before kick off? Nonsense.”

He was completely ineffective in the last game. It’s only natural to consider alternative approaches. Bald twat.

He's also suspect when it comes to the crunch. Watching that Denmark penalty again being an example - not a chance Alan himself would have struck a ball like that.

[niko_cee]

He's only a brain short of being one of the best wing backs in history.

I'm starting to think that Pep is some kind of Fergie level football whisperer. Is anyone better for their national team than they are for City? In the same way that Ferguson seemed to cobble together title winning sides composed of mostly dross in his later years.

[SvN]

Shearer is genuinely retarded. I listen to the Rest is Football podcast and he addressed the criticism he received after his ten Hag interview after the FA cup final by completing missing the point and saying he was being accused of being anti United.


He was completely oblivious to the fact that the criticism was centered around the fact that he used the post-match interview to grill him on the performance over the course of the season.

[Yevrah]

I'm starting to think that Pep is some kind of Fergie level football whisperer. Is anyone better for their national team than they are for City? In the same way that Ferguson seemed to cobble together title winning sides composed of mostly dross in his later years.

Maybe, but swap Gareth Southgate for Pep and would anyone be better for City than they are for their national team.

It seems clear as day so far in this tournament that the England players, going forward at least, don't know their roles properly. It's all very disjointed. Which is odd as that hasn't historically been something Southgate has fucked up, but this is a mess.

[Adramelch]

England's defence is a bit of a bombscare.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Oh yes.

What a lovely hit.

[Adramelch]

Ok that's stupendous.

[randomlegend]

Alexander-Arnold getting picked in midfield must be some sort of gambling fraud. He's completely and utterly useless.

[Spikey M]

Inevitable.

[Dark Soldier]

Yev's just put the toaster through the window

[Waffdon]

Lolz

[Yevrah]

7/2 joint favourites for the tournament chaps, this is a mere blip.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

His first goal for Denmark.

Some proper FM stuff.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Once again scored and dropped deep.

Maybe we should score an og at 1' each game.

[7om]

No word from Shearer about Kane after that horrendous clearance leading to the goal. Bald twat.

[Waffdon]

I was hoping Alexander Arnold would do well in the group stages so he’d be starting in the knockouts but that’s not going to happen now unfortunately

[Dark Soldier]

Time for our Zidane regen to stepup

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Southgate might be up for a draw (he'd fucking love one), it doesn't look like the Danes want it.

[Waffdon]

Once again scored and dropped deep.

Maybe we should score an og at 1' each game.

Tbf you weren’t doing much before the goal. Comes about from a Denmark defender losing his head and a couple deflections

[Spikey M]

I was hoping Alexander Arnold would do well in the group stages so he’d be starting in the knockouts but that’s not going to happen now unfortunately

What have you seen to make you believe that Southgate is going to act on someone being shit?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I was hoping Alexander Arnold would do well in the group stages so he’d be starting in the knockouts but that’s not going to happen now unfortunately

He's a Southgate boy, there's still a strong chance.

[John Arne]

Is their a reason Foden is jogging back so incredibly slowly?

[Yevrah]

I know it's not even halfway through the group stage yet, but this is comfortably the worst we've looked in a tournament under Sir Gareth. No one knows what they're meant to be doing and it's bordering on shambles.

[Ben]

Southgate needs bulleting at half time.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Don't want to be a bandwagon hopper but Trent in midfield looks even more nuts against a slightly better team than Serbia, he is always a yard behind due to having the wrong instincts. Why does Gareth pick two teenage midfielders if he doesn't trust them to play?

[Yevrah]

Has Foden decided to go rogue in an attempt to playground football superstar it?

[Adramelch]

England look lethargic. The Danes are there first in virtually every contested ball.

[Magic]

Southgate couldn't motivate the IDF to destroy Palestine. What a boring, boring cunt of a man.

[Yevrah]

Micah Richards breaking the narrative with "it's just not good enough now". :D

[Jimmy Floyd]

Kane trying to barrel his way out from about 100 yards away in the last couple of minutes there sums it up.

[7om]

We have an embarrassment of riches in the attacking department but we play like Birmingham City. We’re less than the sum of the parts.

[Yevrah]

And DS, when you're ready can I taste your tears of fading optimism?

[randomlegend]

Has Foden decided to go rogue in an attempt to playground football superstar it?

Best passage of England play in the game when he did that, hopefully he keeps it up.

[Waffdon]

He's a Southgate boy, there's still a strong chance.

He’s 4th choice right back, in what world is a he Southgate boy:D

[Spikey M]

He’s 4th choice right back, in what world is a he Southgate boy:D

And first choice central midfielder, apparently.

[randomlegend]

In the world where he's still in the team even though he's the fourth best right back.

[Yevrah]

We have an embarrassment of riches in the attacking department but we play like Birmingham City. We’re less than the sum of the parts.

As I said above we're only a game and a half in, but I didn't think we'd be quite this shit before the tournament, even with Sir Gareth at the helm.

[niko_cee]

The pundits are RATTLED.

Alexander-Arnold's 'range of passing' is entirely redundant as well in this role as no bugger ever tries to run in behind. His job seems to be entirely to fill in whenever Walker wanders off somewhere which is pointless as Walker's only quality is getting himself out of trouble with his pace, you don't need to cover him. He was probably one of the less culpable for the goal though so lol at trying to pin that on him being out of position or whatever. Should probably be Bellingham closing that, but he was probably elsewhere trying to compensate for Kane being in his own six yard box or something. Rice has also caught dither-on-the-ball-itis. All round solid Southgate performance.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He’s 4th choice right back, in what world is a he Southgate boy:D

First choice CM, lad.

[Yevrah]

Best passage of England play in the game when he did that, hopefully he keeps it up.

It was and it clearly needs someone to grab the game by the bollocks, but if the instructions are so bad that the players are actively ignoring them then it's game over.

They should be smashing the shit out of each other in a dressing room inquest now, but they won't be.

[7om]

Said it last game and I’ll say it again. Watkins for Kane and Eze for Foden. If you’re feeling spicy get Wharton on for ‘Trent’ while you’re there.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I never thought I'd say this but we need Conor Gallagher on, like a human bag of cocaine, to energise things.

[Yevrah]

And for those a fair bit younger than me, I'm afraid to say that if this shit keeps up it has all the hallmarks for you that the 2010 World Cup did for me, where any remaining faith I had in England ever winning anything truly died.

[Yevrah]

Is that Kane dry humping Foden in that average positions chart?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

1803827015327379753

The graphic of average positions before and after the goal was quality.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

The pundits wanting Kane SUBBED OFF :drool:

[Yevrah]

Is that Belligham on the floor whinging about not getting a free kick and just sitting there? :(

[Luke Emia]

He's a Southgate boy, there's still a strong chance.

He’s not. That’s why he’s playing him in midfield, he knows that if they go out to a defensive type team and he’s playing Walker at full back he’d get called out for being more offensive. By doing this he gets him in the team and can say I’m trying to be more offensive.

As for Trent there’s a reason Klopp never actually played him in there.

[Magic]

Is that Belligham on the floor whinging about not getting a free kick and just sitting there? :(

Pure Zidane.

[Dark Soldier]

And DS, when you're ready can I taste your tears of fading optimism?

Still there mate. I've watched United all season, this is positively electric.

[Waffdon]

Hojlund is pretty honking

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He’s not. That’s why he’s playing him in midfield, he knows that if they go out to a defensive type team and he’s playing Walker at full back he’d get called out for being more offensive. By doing this he gets him in the team and can say I’m trying to be more offensive.

As for Trent there’s a reason Klopp never actually played him in there.

If he wasn't a Southgate boy he wouldn't be playing.

He's such a Southgate boy that Gareth is playing him out of position, to the detriment of the team, to fit him in.

[Waffdon]

This left back is also shite

[Lewis]

'Trent' is playing because he's a bigger name than the other options there. It's the football management equivalent of when the civil service fucks something up but did so by the book so nobody is to blame, or following your sat nav into a canal.

[Yevrah]

Unlucky, that was a lovely hit.

[Pepe]

What time will Saka go off Yevrah?

[Baz]

Clips before the game reminded me of Foden’s blonde hair at the last Euros. :cool:

[Magic]

Why don't they just go gung ho and attack like fuck? I don't get it.

[Yevrah]

Why is Harry Kane slow jogging up there? Get in the box you arse.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Why don't they just go gung ho and attack like fuck? I don't get it.

Because he wants the draw.

[John Arne]

Ollie Watkins for Kane, please.

[Spikey M]

Why don't they just go gung ho and attack like fuck? I don't get it.

Should ask Spurs if we can borrow Postecoglou for the rest of the summer.

[Dark Soldier]

Because he wants the draw.

Exactly. A point is better than none in a tough game like this.

[niko_cee]

Good job we've sorted the midfield now.

[Spikey M]

Eze at fucking last.

[niko_cee]

Thought that was the Jude knee death moment.

[Yevrah]

Triple substitution from Sir Gareth. :drool:

Maybe we needed to be this shit for him to understand how they should be used.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Eze, Watkins and Bowen.

Hmmmm, maybe he doesn't want a draw.

[Waffdon]

Southgate really does hate Cole palmer

[niko_cee]

Rice had been outrageously bad by his standards.

[Waffdon]

Imagine bringing on gimps like Eze and Bowen over your best attacker

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

lol, he hates Saka.

[Spikey M]

Imagine bringing on gimps like Eze and Bowen over your best attacker

Eze is incredible you flange

[Waffdon]

This front 3 is what you’d expect from a top 8 side in the PL.

[Yevrah]

lol, he hates Saka.

He should be careful and check his privilege - people have been accused of racism for less with Saka.

[Waffdon]

Eze is incredible you flange

No one at Crystal Palace at 25 is incredible

[Yevrah]

This front 3 is what you’d expect from a top 8 side in the PL.

Which is perfectly fine when you're playing almost all of the teams in this tournament.

[7om]

Watkins has done more running in two minutes than Kane has done in one and a half games.

[Spikey M]

No one at Crystal Palace at 25 is incredible

22 year olds being let go by City on the cheap though...

[niko_cee]

Are we approaching Graham Onions horses for courses level selection policy now?

[Yevrah]

Watkins has done more running in two minutes than Kane has done in one and a half games.

Yep, this game is 5,000% more enjoyable now that we have an actual striker on the pitch and not some plodding twat who keeps getting in Bellingham's way.

[Adramelch]

This front 3 is what you’d expect from a top 8 side in the PL.

As opposed to putting Cole Palmer on, who plays for the 6th-placed team?

[Waffdon]

As opposed to putting Cole Palmer on, who plays for the 6th-placed team?

Don’t be comparing the best player of the past season to fkn Jarrod Bowen

[niko_cee]

You have to wonder why Eze is even picking up the ball there. This ref has been a right fanny.

[Waffdon]

Denmark subs up until now have ruined them going forward

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Bah wanting 20 minutes to pick a pass out.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Guehi got an absolute hospital pass there from the atrocious Rice.

[Waffdon]

That bloke running through on goal there was absolutely hilarious. Didn’t have a clue what to do

[randomlegend]

Fucking hospital pass from Rice. I can understand they are subject to Southgate's tactical ineptitude, but why these players suddenly lose all their technical ability as soon as they put on an England shirt is baffling.

[Spikey M]

Yep, this game is 5,000% more enjoyable now

https://i.ibb.co/DtH0Prk/Screenshot-20240620-184245-Brave.jpg

[Yevrah]

Nice to see the impetus from the subs lasted barely 10 minutes.

[Shindig]

This is the death of Southgate.

[Waffdon]

England are genuinely not much better than Scotland than playing it out from the back. So poor

[Danny]

Guehi got an absolute hospital pass there from the atrocious Rice.


Fucking hospital pass from Rice.

I cant believe Mainoo did this to him.

[John Arne]

Watching replays of the Denmark goal, I am wondering why Rice allows him quite so much time and room.

[7om]

Guehi does that against anyone decent and it’s a goal five seconds later.

[Yevrah]

Fucking hospital pass from Rice. I can understand they are subject to Southgate's tactical ineptitude, but why these players suddenly lose all their technical ability as soon as they put on an England shirt is baffling.

It's because they're being asked to play in a way/do things they either don't fully believe in or aren't comfortable with and it all falls to shit. Many years ago there was a meme about it being the players, but I think in the years since it's all but proven the take (which was always my stance) that it's the manager, every single time.

[niko_cee]

Mainoo or Wharton have to play at some point as Gallagher can't be trusted to not be sent off if given more than 45 minutes.

This is the sort of desperate line-up you usually end up with at the end of a knock out defeat.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Will Declan Rice have ever played on a slow pitch? Underhitting every pass.

[Spikey M]

This is unbearable. Absolute shite.

[Pepe]

Top of the group. Big result.

[randomlegend]

It's because they're being asked to play in a way/do things they either don't fully believe in or aren't comfortable with and it all falls to shit. Many years ago there was a meme about it being the players, but I think in the years since it's all but proven the take (which was always my stance) that it's the manager, every single time.

Eight fucking years we've had of this cretin. It was so obvious he was going to waste this generation of players.

[7om]

Any chance of a full-blown Yevrage tonight?

[Ben]

This is the fourth tournament that Southgate has squandered a winnable squad. Do an Ivory Coast. Sack him now.

[Jimmy Floyd]

We've kept our shape brilliantly in this second half.

[Shindig]

I don't see someone trying to give a massive Beckhamesque performance, either. Players have no autonomy these days.

[Yevrah]

This is unbearable. Absolute shite.

Yep. Nearly half of Europe qualified for this thing and we are, without a shadow of a doubt (and by some margin), the shittiest team in it.

[Yevrah]

This is the fourth tournament that Southgate has squandered a winnable squad. Do an Ivory Coast. Sack him now.

Is Klopp currently employed? We should be phoning him now if not.

[niko_cee]

That pitch does look absolutely dreadful. Like a field.

[Pepe]

Yep. Nearly half of Europe qualified for this thing and we are, without a shadow of a doubt (and by some margin), the shittiest team in it.

:lol:

[Dark Soldier]

Very happy with a point there against tough opposition. As Pepe says, top of the group, never really troubled. On course for the next round.

mon the lads.

[Magic]

Yep. Nearly half of Europe qualified for this thing and we are, without a shadow of a doubt (and by some margin), the shittiest team in it.

Relative to the quality of the players.

[Waffdon]

I genuinely don’t think England were even trying to win that.

[randomlegend]

Very happy with a point there against tough opposition. As Pepe says, top of the group, never really troubled. On course for the next round.

mon the lads.

Can't pretend I'm not enjoying this act :D

[SincereTheRebel]

Good result for England this. Denmark came into the game wanting to win and england stopping them being the worse team.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Maybe they did this deliberately so that they can prove the doubters wrong next time out. Haters too. Armchair critics.

[7om]

The final few seconds there where they could’ve pumped it into the box but laboured at the back playing slow passes to each other. Pathetic.

[Dan]

It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish or something.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Draw coming in the third game too.

JOB WELL DONE.

[Dark Soldier]

You could see how much the lads wanted it and gave it their all at the end there, knackered, laying on the pitch. Beautiful stuff,

[Dan]

The traditional England path is a 2-0 win over Slovenia to get hopes up, a tight win over some randoms in the first knockout round then out in the next round when we get someone good.

[Yevrah]

Any chance of a full-blown Yevrage tonight?

No. This might surprise some (due to this bizarre perception that I enjoy England being shit), but I feel the same way that England team played and I just can't be arsed as a result.

Even my now beyond dispute e-victory (covering all things England) isn't much consolation.

[Yevrah]

Relative to the quality of the players.

Yep, which is why I said shittiest, not outright shittest.

[Jimmy Floyd]

TOURNAMENT FOOTBALL

kill me now

[Dark Soldier]

No. This might surprise some (due to this bizarre perception that I enjoy England being shit), but I feel the same way that England team played and I just can't be arsed as a result.

Even my now beyond dispute e-victory (covering all things England) isn't much consolation.

IPA, Clarkson's farm and the weekly blowjob on Sunday for you, Yev. Bosh. Smashed it.

[Dan]

Kyle Walker towing the party line admirably.

[Boydy]

I've never heard Kyle Walker speak before. That's what he sounds like?

[Magic]

Rio telling us he knows what it is, but then doesn't tell us what it is. Great.

[Yevrah]

You can see Kyle Walker clearly has not got a fucking clue what the manager is actually expecting from them.

[randomlegend]

That line from Walker about how he's thinking they'll blame him for bombing up the pitch if he then gets caught out of position really says absolutely everything.

[Shindig]

What gets me is Southgate has staff under him. None of them have said, "Boss, I've got an idea about our midfield ..." Are all England assistants destined to become Yes men?

[Magic]

"he wants us to play free flowing attacking football"

:harold:

[Jimmy Floyd]

He sounds like a Tory politician repeating a slogan - which, of course, he is, because this is exactly what they all said at this stage of WC22.

[Luke Emia]

Is Klopp currently employed? We should be phoning him now if not.

Not a chance that would happen, I also don’t think his football would work at international level same as Pep they need too much time on the training pitch. Ancelotti would be the shout I think if he was ever available.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It was USA wasn't it? 0-0 against USA with exactly this performance and exactly the same shite trotted out afterwards.

[Yevrah]

It was USA wasn't it? 0-0 against USA with exactly this performance and exactly the same shite trotted out afterwards.

This is worse and at least we'd looked competent in an attacking sense in the game(s) before. This is genuinely as bad as I've ever seen England in a tournament and I'm including the 2010 World Cup in that.

[Magic]

Why aren't they just blaming the manager? So reluctant to do that it's very weird.

You can bet if he was foreign the knives would be out.

[niko_cee]

Because we've built some sort of weird national mythology, including west end stage play, about how thankful we should all be that Southgate has made us so much better as a nation.

When the calls come it'll probably be for Emma Hayes to replace him.

[Yevrah]

Being honest is causing Lineker to shake. :D

[7om]

In before an unchanged lineup against Slovenia.

[Magic]

They're actually singling out players instead. Not a single word against Southgate.

[Adramelch]

Apparently Alan Shearer's only managerial win was against Southgate, so he clearly knows his stuff.

[7om]

Linekar ready to snap here.

[Jimmy Floyd]

If Southgate does an interview in a sec and goes tournament football top of the group tournament football top of the group I'll probably combust.

[niko_cee]

We are also at the familiar stage of any England tournament cycle where you wonder whether the B team would beat the first XI.

Flappy hands in goal might be an issue, but going off that performance they'd be in with a shout.

[Magic]

Lol Frank defending the bizarre attacks on Kane.

[Yevrah]

I think the biggest tragedy of the evening was Jude Bellingham looking like a man who'd given up and had decided to become a petulant child. He's met and smashed the shit out of every single footballing challenge thrown at him, but it appears working for Sir Gareth is a step too far.

[7om]

If Southgate does an interview in a sec and goes tournament football top of the group tournament football top of the group I'll probably combust.

That’s exactly what it will be. And when we get knocked out by a semi-competent team it will be “lessons to be learned, proud of this group”.

[niko_cee]

Tournament football ding, no easy game, find a way to get results, top of the group.

RIP Jimmy.

[Yevrah]

He sounds like a Tory politician repeating a slogan - which, of course, he is, because this is exactly what they all said at this stage of WC22.

Kane is exactly the same. He should be absolutely fucking livid and looking like a man who wants to break things, both for his own piss poor performance and that of the team in general.

[Magic]

Kane admitting they're not quite sure what to do. :D

[niko_cee]

They just need to get on the training ground.

:D

8 years later.

The need to get a lads trip booked to the nearest dentist chair operating establishment.

[Boydy]

Genuinely think they'd be better to watch if one of us picked the team and gave them a team talk of "just go out and enjoy yourselves, lads".

[niko_cee]

Thomas Frank being found out for not being Danish at all and putting it all on to get ahead in football. He's actually Tom Franks from Barnes Bridge.

[niko_cee]

We don't have a natural replacement for a Kalvin Phillips.

Pack it up now chaps.

[7om]

So Southgate doesn’t tell them to drop back and take it down a gear? Why do they do it then?

[Yevrah]

We don't have a natural replacement for a Kalvin Phillips.

Pack it up now chaps.

That made me laugh too. :D

[Jimmy Floyd]

All aboard the Spain train.

[Ben]

Five days ago I was convinced we are winning it. Now I’m at the bottom of the barrel. Giving off the “tournament football” lines against Serbia and Denmark is such small time mindset and we’ll get soundly drubbed by a good team when we see them. We should be smashing all three of these cunts with ease.

The manager is 100% the problem. Our team is packed with players who play high energy stuff every week and today they looked like they were on a MacMillan coffee morning.

[niko_cee]

I was in the same position but then that Rooney 2004 film blew my mind as to how much better our players were then.

[Yevrah]

Previously I'd have thought it would take a good team to beat us (and that beat us they would), but now I'm not so sure. Anyone vaguely competent with nothing to lose in the knockout stages should see to us if we continue to play like that.

[Dark Soldier]

Five days ago I was convinced we are winning it. Now I’m at the bottom of the barrel. Giving off the “tournament football” lines against Serbia and Denmark is such small time mindset and we’ll get soundly drubbed by a good team when we see them. We should be smashing all three of these cunts with ease.

The manager is 100% the problem. Our team is packed with players who play high energy stuff every week and today they looked like they were on a MacMillan coffee morning.

Fucks sake Ben. So I'll be the only one celebrating when we win the thing then, love it.

[Spikey M]

Your eye problem is worse than you realise lad. :(

[Yevrah]

So I see that England are still 4/1 joint favourites to win this (with France and now Germany) but Harry Kane's goal has moved him into 11/2 favourite to be top scorer. :D

[Serj]

I was expecting some properly indignant half-crazed rants when I logged on here, but I guess this pervasive sense of deflation fits the performance better.

[niko_cee]

All hopes pinned on a fake sheikh exposé of Gareth ushering in a second reign of Allardyce.

[niko_cee]

What was the minute silence for? Donald Sutherland?

[7om]

How old is Donnarumma now? 19? He’s got a comb over covering a balding head.

[Cord]

Is there some sort of law that all games in this tournament need to be a team in red versus a team in white?

[Yevrah]

Ah, competent footballers who can pass and cross the ball to each other. How I've missed you.

[Spikey M]

How old is Donnarumma now? 19? He’s got a comb over covering a balding head.

No chance, he's been around for ages. He's got to be mid-20's atleast.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

What was the minute silence for? Donald Sutherland?

A former UEFA General Secretary.

[Alex]

Horrendous.

Weirdly I feel more angry about this than I remember being about a lot of our avoidable major tournament losses of yesteryear. It just really pissed me off.

[Adramelch]

Is there some sort of law that all games in this tournament need to be a team in red versus a team in white?

They seem to prefer White vs Color, it just so happens that red is the most common flag color (more than white, somewhat surprisingly).

[Lofty]

Cole Palmer has had a good season so let's bench him.

[Cord]

They seem to prefer White vs Color, it just so happens that red is the most common flag color (more than white, somewhat surprisingly).

Which I admit is all very sensible, but also in it's own special way, totally shit.

I think my favourite game of the tournament is Ukraine V Romania just because it confirmed to me that I didn't have some sort of terrible degenerative vision issues.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Nico Williams :harold:

[Yevrah]

Nico Williams :harold:

I would lol, but I've just watched a game where England's record goal scorer touched the ball once in the box.

[Dark Soldier]

I would lol, but I've just watched a game where England's record goal scorer touched the ball once in the box.

He scored with it though. Hence being the record scorer. Clinical.

[Waffdon]

Clive calling Carvajal repeatedly even though it’s an Italy player down :lol:

Retire mate

[Bernanke]

Who is the insufferable sidekick on ITV?

[Jimmy Floyd]

They like all white vs all dark because of some dogshit inclusivity.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Who is the insufferable sidekick on ITV?

The one who suggested that Lamine Yamal should wait until he's 18 to drink and drive?

[Bernanke]

The one who suggested that Lamine Yamal should wait until he's 18 to drink and drive?

The one with the accent, the "expert".

[Magic]

McCoist? :D

[Bernanke]

I suspected it was him.

[Baz]

Andy Townsend is the best commentary sidekick.

[Magic]

I suspected it was him.

Alright you turnip cunt.

[randomlegend]

What :D

[Magic]

"the Spanish inquisition" :D

I know what he means and time etc but that's pretty inappropriate to us non-Catholics.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Bryan Cristante making Connor Gallagher look tame, 20 seconds to get a yellow card.

[Danny]

Did Tyldesley just call someone Cambiasso :D

Edit Oh shit Italy have one.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Pedri is wank.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Only way Spain was scoring.

[Ian]

Did Tyldesley just call someone Cambiasso :D

Edit Oh shit Italy have one.

:D

[Adramelch]

Di Lorenzo might as well not exist every time Williams is on the ball.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

What the fuck is Ayoze Perez doing in the Spain squad?

[Kikó]

The Danes in the stadium were great, they actually have multi verse chants which England don't outside GSTK and this new one about Foden. On the pitch, it seems pretty clear that he's told the full backs not to bomb on and it's isolating the forward players. The two DMs were awful today and Alexander Arnold offers nothing. Felt pretty angry at the end with quite a lot of booing from England fans.

[Adramelch]

That ref has been all over the place. Hasn't let the game flow at all.

[Dark Soldier]

Ci hanno provato, praticamente è una vittoria!

SÌ signore

[Waffdon]

Wouldn’t be too surprised if Croatia shit fest their way past Italy to set up an England quarter final

[Adramelch]

Croatia-Italy has the potential to be the worst game of football in 20 years.*

*I might or might not be exaggerating

[Magic]

Croatia-Italy has the potential to be the worst game of football in 20 years.*

*I might or might not be exaggerating

Did you not watch the England game lol.

[Browning]

Now they’ve won the group we can only hope Spain roll over for Albania.

[niko_cee]

Gary Neville going rogue and saying we'll look back at this in years to come and regret not playing old Trenty boy at rightback. :happycry:

[Adramelch]

Did you not watch the England game lol.

Well Denmark played decently.

[Jimmy Floyd]

'Tournament football' is still annoying me, hours later. The idea that you can just trot that out every time you play like cunts.

[randomlegend]

Same for me and "I can't go forward because they'll blame me if I'm out of position".

[Yevrah]

The more I think about it the more it looks like he's lost the dressing room. So many similarities with the numerous times it's happened in the Premier League on display over the two games.

[Yevrah]

SÌ signore

Again, not my circus, not my monkeys - I couldn't give a flying fuck how good Italy are or otherwise and even if I did, they've still been better than us.

[Luke Emia]

Gary Neville going rogue and saying we'll look back at this in years to come and regret not playing old Trenty boy at rightback. :happycry:

I don’t think you would. But what I do think is he should be the option to come off the bench with 20 minutes to go if you are a goal down not starting in centre midfield.

[Yevrah]

'Tournament football' is still annoying me, hours later. The idea that you can just trot that out every time you play like cunts.

This.


We don't have a natural replacement for a Kalvin Phillips.


This.


Same for me and "I can't go forward because they'll blame me if I'm out of position".

And this.

Makes me feel like I'm living in some sort of Truman show with a special week set to troll and gaslight the fuck out of me.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

1803854601390874731

lol.

[Spikey M]

1803848833056567304?s=19

[Yevrah]

The tone change as he goes into “and then these cunts” :D

[Kikó]

Kalvin Phillips 😂

[Yevrah]

Kalvin Phillips 😂

I assume you’re seen the light now with Sir Gareth Kik’s?

[Kikó]

There's not much light to see. He's done a good job but it's not pretty and he's incredibly inflexible. Ultimately this cautious style has been relatively successful for two tournaments but if it doesn't work this time, he will quite rightly get pelters.

[Adramelch]

Out of curiosity, who's the last England manager you though did a good job? Not trying to defend Southgate here, as England has been so boring to watch under him and he comes up with the silliest excuses, but still.

[Spikey M]

There's not much light to see. He's done a good job but it's not pretty and he's incredibly inflexible. Ultimately this cautious style has been relatively successful for two tournaments but if it doesn't work this time, he will quite rightly get pelters.

Has he bollocks done a good job. He fluked a final by having the kindest run of fixtures known to man. Against teams in the top 10 he has 6 wins, 6 draws, and 15 fucking losses. With a squad as good as he's had, that's a shocking return.

[Shindig]

For as long as I've watched the good ones have been:

Hoddle
Sven

I don't count Venables as he had a single tournament to work with. It's wild to think how many have struggled. Fabio Capello being driven mad (and bullying Pearce) is the oddest turn. As for the talent argument, Southgate's got a great squad - in theory. Then again, we always had players who could turn it on for club but not country. What we miss is that player autonomy. I caught the last 20 minutes and I just saw players looking completely lost. Like playing with strangers. When things go wrong, that XI haven't a clue where to start and Southgate has no input to guide them.

[Kikó]

Has he bollocks done a good job. He fluked a final by having the kindest run of fixtures known to man. Against teams in the top 10 he has 6 wins, 6 draws, and 15 fucking losses. With a squad as good as he's had, that's a shocking return.

I'm not going to argue it because we disagree. He thinks cautious football can win a tournament. Let's see if Eddie Howe plays differently.

[Yevrah]

Out of curiosity, who's the last England manager you though did a good job? Not trying to defend Southgate here, as England has been so boring to watch under him and he comes up with the silliest excuses, but still.

On don't think any of them have done a good/very good job. It's all situational, but even those who have had good runs within their tenure went on to spoil it by phoning in shite (Sven towards the end, Capello in an actual tournament).

[Spikey M]

Sven was the peak for me, but that's a combination of us playing attractive football and - most probably - rose tinted glasses.

It's a shame we never got to see how Allardyce would have done.