Off Topic Euro 2020

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My take on the final for what it’s worth. England were the better side in the first half. The Italians couldn’t deal with our wide men, Trippier, Sterling and Shaw were seeing lots of the ball. Rice and Phillips were bossing the middle of the park and our defence looked strong. Then it all went south.
It was only a matter of time until the opposition stamped their authority on the game. They stopped our ‘wingbacks’ going forward, closed down the middle and took more risks going forward. Fair play to Mancini, he made 2 early substitutions in the second half and Italy dominated after that.
Harry Kane didn’t have 1 touch in the opposition’s box, he is 1 off the Worlds best strikers and would get in any team. No blame on him, just brilliant game management from Italy.
Penalties are a lottery, 2 very good saves from Pickford (Jorginho’s was superb). Harry (corner group sofa head) Maguire’s penalty was brilliant, Rasford’s was awful to watch and I just feel sorry for young Saka.
The better side won in the end, but on another day it could of been different. :emoticon-0148-yes::emoticon-0167-beer:
 
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stick said:
Good Morning gentlemen, I hope this day finds you all well and not too disappointed.
The first default here of course is to ignore the Scotsman as lets face it all he wants to do is wind us all up as per so many of his countrymen. This of course to compensate for the shortcomings of his own national team who couldnt get out of the group stage.
As far as the competition as a whole goes I feel that ultimately the best team throughout the competition finally won it. France drastically underperformed when the chips were down, Spain put in the single best performance (v Italy) of the competition but lacked ant sort of consistency and Belgium were treated to an Italian masterclass. Belgium by the way are rated the Worlds number one team so I would say it is hardly possibly to over-rate them!
So the Final came down to the best teams on either side of the draw and despite having made a dream start England were unable to push on and bring it home. I actually thought that Southgate got the opening tactics spot on. Italy didnt really get a sniff of goal for the opening half hour. However, having got the opening tactics spot on right he was outmanouvered by a far more gifted manager who got his in-game tactics right and made the right substitutions at the right time. Changes that positively affected the flow of the game.
It was only a matter of time until the Italians levelled and despite the occasional break the second hald and extra time was dominated by Italy. Having not made the right substitutions at the right time Southgate then commited what for me was the ultimate sin. He introduced two players just to take penalties with a matter of seconds left on the clock. Sit back and think of the pressure, being sent on because you are a banker for your penalty. Spain did the same in the semi final and that player missed also.
Alas the final penalty came down to the teenager Sako facing the lad that in coming years I believe will prove to be one of the best keepers we have ever seen (pretty sure I said this in an earlier post). I just hope all three of those England lads can shrug this off but really they shouldnt ever have been that situation.
This is an Italian team different to the ones we are used to seeing but they are getting old at the back and looking forward England can overtake them. We do however need to get smarter with our tactics, go out to win and not be afraid to lose.
Overall a competition performance to be proud of for England fans but also sadly one that at times brought out the worst in us. I abhor the hearing of booing foreign national anthems, I dont like the social media ridicule of foreign fans and the abuse given to some of our players when they really need an arm around the shoulder is frankly moronic.
Well played England but ultimately the best team and certainly the better manager won the day.
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Really excellent appraisal, Stick. Apologies to everyone for being silly apropos Boris Fenster, It won't happen again. <sorry> <doh> :bandit:
 
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Ron said:
I can't believe what I am reading here. Southgate is a ****ing ****er, more interested in in his own ego for doing the unexpected than doing the right thing. We were on top for the first 20 mins and things were looking good. But once they took Sterling out of the game he should have been taken off and replaced by a stronger attacking player. What does he do? He brings on 2 more defensive players. Then he brings on Saka who was out of his depth (effectively reduced to 9.5 players). Gambled on extra time, which was risky but came off, and then allows his team to have virtually no possession for the entire extra time. And leaves Rashford and Sancho (2 attacking players) 1 min of extra time to pull it off. Why the **** did he not take off Saka and Sterling when they were doing sfa in extra time. Then we missed 3 penalties, Rashford and Sancho who had hardly seen the ball and Saka <doh>

Sorry folks but I can't be having this "Well done Southgate". The team played their hearts out but Southgate, please own up to having ****ed up. I would actually sack him for his unbelievable mistakes tonight, and that is not with hindsight.
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By that reasoning , pep should be sacked for losing champions league final, think you'll find that he has the players respect , and you wont find many calling for his head , he will lead them in the world
 
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rudebwoy said:
By that reasoning , pep should be sacked for losing champions league final, ........
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Irrelevant
rudebwoy said:
.........................and you wont find many calling for his head , he will lead them in the world
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Will they never learn? He bottled taking off Sterling when he became ineffective (basically got bullied out of the game after the first half). He failed to put on pacey strikers to get behind the Italian defence in the second half, so the ball was almost permanently in our half inviting Italy to keep plugging away until they scored (even then they couldn't). He replaced Trippier, who was having a good game by a delicate 19yo who was ineffective, but left on. Not only that, he had the poor lad taking the penalty which lost us the shoot out when there were more experienced players on the pitch. WHY???????? He left our pacey strikers, who would have at least occupied their defence and created some space in midfield, on the bench until 50 seconds from the final AET whistle. What was he playing at? Was his aim to go for a penalty shoot out as soon as they equalised?

No doubt whatsoever in my mind that Southgate is fully to blame for the defeat. His decision making in that game was diabolical.

I have no faith in him bringing home anything
 
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Pickford saved England from defeat against Scotland, also saved them last night from defeat in 90 mins. Pickford and Sterling were Englands standouts, although the Italians as expected bullied Sterling out of the game last night.

Luke Shaw could have another 30 goes at that half volley and none of them would have went in, but even that slice of luck in the first minutes wasnt enough.
 
stick said:
Wasnt Wallace turned over to the English by a fellow Scot, treacherous fecking race you are! He would be turning in his grave (all four quarters of him) if he knew how many of you would vote NOT to be indepedndent!
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That Scots supposed father was sure he was not.
Suspected wife had a fling with an Englishman.
 
Joe_z said:
That Scots supposed father was sure he was not.
Suspected wife had a fling with an Englishman.
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A few years ago, I had a fling with a married red-haired lassie from Kilmarnock. An fully paid up member of the SNP and hater of all things English (don't know what she liked about me - maybe it was my huge cock. Sorry, clock) She told me that their local pub went crazy a few weeks earlier when an England side lost a match, and that is the problem for them - they have little to crow about from their own sporting sides, that hating the English is a more sustainable celebration!

Since we are going back into Scottish/English history - at the battle of Culloden, the English forces were helped and aided by large nubers of mercenary Scots, tempted by money (natch) land and titles. No one, even Wallace himself has ever managed to unite the clans, with too many of them scrabbling to keep or expand their own piece of "blasted heath". Some things never change :)
 
Reebok said:
A few years ago, I had a fling with a married red-haired lassie from Kilmarnock. An fully paid up member of the SNP and hater of all things English (don't know what she liked about me - maybe it was my huge cock. Sorry, clock) She told me that their local pub went crazy a few weeks earlier when an England side lost a match, and that is the problem for them - they have little to crow about from their own sporting sides, that hating the English is a more sustainable celebration!

Since we are going back into Scottish/English history - at the battle of Culloden, the English forces were helped and aided by large nubers of mercenary Scots, tempted by money (natch) land and titles. No one, even Wallace himself has ever managed to unite the clans, with too many of them scrabbling to keep or expand their own piece of "blasted heath". Some things never change :)
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Can't ever remember reading about Scottish colonialism. Desperate times calls for desperate measures especially when your families lives are threatened. Remind me where Culloden is.
 
Reebok said:
A few years ago, I had a fling with a married red-haired lassie from Kilmarnock. An fully paid up member of the SNP and hater of all things English (don't know what she liked about me - maybe it was my huge cock. Sorry, clock) She told me that their local pub went crazy a few weeks earlier when an England side lost a match, and that is the problem for them - they have little to crow about from their own sporting sides, that hating the English is a more sustainable celebration!

Since we are going back into Scottish/English history - at the battle of Culloden, the English forces were helped and aided by large nubers of mercenary Scots, tempted by money (natch) land and titles. No one, even Wallace himself has ever managed to unite the clans, with too many of them scrabbling to keep or expand their own piece of "blasted heath". Some things never change :)
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Have we been shagging the same bird, Reebs <yikes>

Nothing in Kilmarnock has changed. It's still a dump, everybody's kids are still dying through drugs before they reach 30 and the rest all spend their time drinking their lives away. It's pretty sad how they live up there actually.
 
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Saff said:
Have we been shagging the same bird, Reebs <yikes>

Nothing in Kilmarnock has changed. It's still a dump, everybody's kids are still dying through drugs before they reach 30 and the rest all spend their time drinking their lives away. It's pretty sad how they live up there actually.
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Are you trying to say there are no areas in England that have the same alcohol and drug abuse. You should be ashamed of yourself.
 
Saff said:
Have we been shagging the same bird, Reebs <yikes>

Nothing in Kilmarnock has changed. It's still a dump, everybody's kids are still dying through drugs before they reach 30 and the rest all spend their time drinking their lives away. It's pretty sad how they live up there actually.
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I think it unlikely Saff, don't know your age but younger than me by a distance I'd guess!

In a candid moment, I can confess I thought we'd be together for ever, and I was devastated when she went back to her kilt wearing hubby. So maybe it wasn'r my huge clock *cough* - although she did use to call me hen!

A cynic might think it was her master plan, to shag and destroy English men, one at a time - and I know I wasn't the first Sassenach to be snared!
 
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