I’m not saying they can’t play but compared to the favourites they’re not as good. Any nation (bar Scotland because they’re awful) that regards a successful tournament as making it to the last 16 seems to be playing with a real freedom. Football is always better to watch when there is different styles, would be boring if they all played long ball or tika-taka etc
These dross teams normally have a few players who are either ****e and just making the numbers up or playing out of position so it creates a bit more chaos. Apart from England where we have that and have no chaos at all and choose to play players out of position. Both need to win in the first game which makes it more fun.
Only just noticed how massively important it is to win our group. If we win our group (we're in group C) then we don't face any other teams who won their groups until the semi-finals. We'd face a 3rd place team (R16) and then a second placed one (QF). This is likely to be a very easy route to a QF to then be against 2A (Switzerland) or 2B is (Italy), which are tricky but it could be worse. If we finish 2nd we're out. We'd likely to face Germany in R16 and then Spain in the QF. So basically we'd have to beat Germany, Spain, Portugal and France to win it. So we're done. 3rd is probably a better position than 2nd (they'd have the chance to face Romania instead - which would be tough but not as bad as Germany).
Was chatting to Dennis Bergkamp late yesterday about watching this one in Tblisi. Because of his fear of flying we caught the midnight train to Georgia.
Lost all respect for them since they changed from Rumania. Gareth will get them firing when it matters.
Got to give it when the hand is that far out. I stand by my long term view that most handballs should be an indirect FK in the box rather than a penalty
