Match Day Thread The Euros.

Rio is, after all, a paragon of virtue. He certainly didn't cheat on his wife, and he certainly hasn't been banned from driving on multiple occasions. He's an OBE, don't you know.

 

He’s as fick as arseholes.

 

Spain are undoubtedly the best team so far, but the best teams often don't win tournaments. Think of the great Hungarian team of the 1950s, or the Cruyff team, or the Brazilian team of 1982.

 

A team that springs to mind are the Greeks.

 

Hard to think of a more polarising public figure than Gareth Southgate, even now .

He is marmite.

 

Bored everyone to tears, no-one liked them they didn't care.

 

I am not a big fan but his record is good. Better than Robson, Ericsson, Venables, et al

 

It is, but let’s be honest, the manner in which he has done it isn’t winning admirers.

There’s a clip on Twitter of one of England’s corners yesterday…..it ends up being taken and then 4 backward passes to the goalkeeper.

That said, if England win the Euros, the ends justify the means.

 

England haven’t played to their strengths but we have somehow found a way to win. The defence has been impressive. Guehi has had a good tournament and Konsa played well yesterday.

 

I just wish we could get a goal and finish the opposition off properly

 

We are never set up to do that.

The whole Southgate ethos is nick a goal, then drop deep and park the bus. England never properly go after a side, just look at the last Euro final v Italy after Luke Shaw gave us an early lead. Ditto Croatia in the World Cup semi.

Southgate is Don Howe with a beard.

 

Don Howe was a winner.

 

I just can't see us beating the Dutch. This is not a great Netherlands side by any stretch, but they are definitely a step up from the Swiss, Slovakians and Slovenians. And we've been largely awful so far. Our luck has to run out at some point.

If we were to win the next two matches, I'd still consider Southgate to be a terrible manager. Yes, I'm that churlish.

 

Who would you have instead Ponders?

 

I think we are quite capable of beating the Dutch.

 

Klopp.

 

Only very rarely do I dream about football. But I had one the other night.

England will knock the Netherlands out on Penalties.
Don't know the score after extra time.

Mystic Lardy? Probably not

 

I think England will beat Holland, and if Spain beat France England will beat them in the final. I don't think they will beat France if they beat Spain though.

 

The Dutch are nothing special.

They have Wieghorst up front, who really struggled in the Premier league.

They have nobody of the calibre of Bergkamp, Overmars or Kluivert in their current ranks.

 

England are quite capable of beating Holland. But it all boils down to which England turn up.