I never am in internationals. I'll watch them if I'm not doing anything better because I like football, but club games are the only ones that I get emotionally involved in. It baffles me how many commentators and pundits seem to live for these occasions, as though real football was just a filler between internationals, whereas for me it's the other way round. Having said all that, I've enjoyed this tournament a bit more than I was expecting.
tournaments are all in events. 3 games a day and the sun is shining etc. its an event but having an interest in the outcome also helps. The inevtiable down after and "fan" rage and media feeding frenzy is often not worth it. As i said my favourite time is last group games to last 16. THere lots of games and something is riding on every one. We had germany celebrating 2-2 v hungary to crawl through group, france looking like they were 15mins from 2nd place etc and then the last 16 comes on fast and we get the big knockout buzz. We've only 4 games on the weekend and then its 2 and then the final. Its almost like the thing tails off to only those really interested then. huge huge chance to be in a final at home this time. 1996 was 25 years ago. 1966 was 50 years ago. only ****ty ukraine and equally average denmark or czechs stand between us and that final against one more big team. I'm hoping spain on the grounds that they are fairly **** (morata) . Don't want italy in the final, too organised and too sly. Don't want belgium as they beat us easily in nations league.
I like watching the tournaments as it’s back to back football and get to see diff players. However the standard of international football is always pretty poor. Even the best teams rarely play exciting football as all the players play diff styles at club level and are just thrown together. im happy England win, but I get far more exited about any Liverpool goal than I do about sterling’s goal yesterday. Just have a meh feeling of England lose. Doesn’t really affect me one way or the other
I don't look at France (World champions) or Portugal (Euro champions for another week or two) and see a real quality team. I think we are at a low point for International sides of exceptional quality at the moment (e.g. The Spain side of 5 or 10 years ago)
The thing that set that Spain wide apart was I think 10 out of the normal starting 11 we’re playing for Barca or Madrid. So used to playing with each other which obv helps. Look at starting 11 for England and you had players from city united and atletico in back 5 (a back 5 that none actually play in for their club). Trippier in a defensive team, Walker stones in a team that dominate ball and play super high line and pass it out no matter what. Kane drops deep to play Cm for spurs but doesn’t work for England and is just drifting around wt the moment. England manager almost needs to pick a style and pick players that regularly play like that for their club.
What international manager ever does that though? They always go for those who are perceived to be the best available in their position. It's almost always a case of picking the best players rather than the best team, and then trying to make them into a cohesive unit.
I'm finding the collective circle jerk about england, sterling, Kane and Southgate in particular a little bit hard to take.
I avoid it. Though I did see a headline somewhere mentioning "England's Iconic Win" over Germany and the phrase "What a time to be alive" which I did consider somewhat over-excitable. It makes you want us to fail just so you can open a news outlet without being exposed to such absurd hyperbole.
Sterling has been England's best player but the bar is set very low atm. I've liked Mings when he's played and I was pleasantly surprised when he did an interview that he sounded intelligent which isn't what you expect from a footballer
It's possibly one of the largest reasons I avoid watching international football and have enjoyed most tournaments much more when England either havnt qualified or have gone home. It's like all aspects of reality get suspended. We've just qualified from a very poor group scoring a huge 2 goals, then beaten the poorest German side In memory. Yet you'd think we'd won the cup and where on the parade already, no mention that the last time we played a decent team Southgate didn't know what to do and they played us off the park. It's like the nation has a collective lapse in memory.
Phillips has probably impressed me most, he's been decent, sterling has had his moments as has greilish. The worst possible thing has happened in that kane has scored so him wondering round doing **** all for 4 games is now somehow justified.
I doubt they will get to the final, I doubt Ukraine will be a test, but I'd put Denmark up against them. An organised team and a break, its all that's needed to see them out. We will hit the post so we can yet again claim "if only"
I don't think Denmark are that good. They're playing on alot of emotion and passion, which may bubble over with greater pressure on the games. They were in a fairly easy group, aside from Belgium who they lost to and only just scraped through. And then beat a very poor (and overrated) Wales team. England are playing a very nullifying game, which could remove the advantage Denmark currently have (ie the passion of 'doing it for Erikson'). England's problem will be playing a very techincal side like Belgium, as Southgate has shown he's got no clue how to beat them. Of course Denmark have to get past Czech Rep first
If you hang around in front of goal for 4 games straight then eventually the ball will hit you and go in.
