Off Topic Other Sport

I will match your poor luck and raise you ten.

I had;
Messi to score
Two or more cards for both teams
Both teams to score.

Cashed out in the 78th minute as the Dutch at that point had not had a single shot on target!

I am actually not sure if that is poor luck or poor judgement

 

**** punting

 

paddock picker

 

Only conceded 1 goal in the tournament and didn't ever really look like conceding against a very fancied Portuguese side. Fair going considering they've met Belgium and Spain along the way as well.

Could be a Morocco and Croatia final, one for the purists

Thought the England game was very well fought, both sides maybe not as flashy as they can be and once again the smallest detail and margins mattered when it came down to the brass tax. Have to feel for Kane, I'd probably pick him to take a penalty if I had anyone to choose in the world, but these things happen, hopefully the media don't crucify him over there. France took there goals well but were second best on the balance of play for me, felt that Southgate and co had their tactics spot on, 4 lads making a square and 1 in the centre to stop that supply up the left flank to Mbappe, worked to the letter all evening.

That's tournament football for you, doesn't always go the way it should on the day.

France must be strong faves now, a French and Argentinian final will be what most of the world wants (Messi vs Mbappe) but the Croatian and Moroccan team won't go down without a right old scrap.

 

Fair summary that STH. I really like this England side - seem good lads, have a good team bond (sadly lacking previously it would appear) and give 100%. I’d just like Southgate to be a little more offensively minded as our best players are mostly attackers. No good thinking they’re mostly young players and their time will come. They’ve got to make it happen and grab the game by the bollocks on occasion. Don’t worry about Kane, Pizza Hut have already sent a lucrative contract offer to his agent

 

Unfortunate. I do feel the best side lost and the ref certainly allowed some strange tackles from the French.
Yes, played Mbappe out of the game most of the time but I felt he was still influential in that France seemed to have more space in midfield and attack than we did. Perhaps you just can pay a player too much respect.
How did Sterling get on? Strangest part of our tactics.

 

Southgate's major failing (my opinion) is that he rarely seems to get the substitutions right.

 

Sterling was a strange one last night

 

Rashford should have been on much earlier.

 

Might have been different if the Brazilian referee, Antonio Dorada, had bee officiating? See my post #2541 on this ref., nicknamed "The Incredible Hulk". I thought some of the French tackles were, to put it bluntly, plain dirty. Looks like a France vs Argentina Final. Another weak referee in charge would make this a right old thug fest, Dorada is the only hope to avoid this IMHO. One can only pray for miracles, so, come on Morocco and Croatia, give'em hell!

Southgate did a darn sight better than I ever thought he would, and I don't blame him for the defeat at all. However, the above criticisms from forum members are certainly reasonable and valid, and fair too.

 

Did you see that photo of Morocco player Sofiane Boufal dancing with his Mum after the win against Portugal? Aw shucks, I'm an old softie I know, but that was heartwarming. Morocco's media are absolutely right when they said something like "Everyone loves us". Looks like it's true!

 

Its the usual thing when England get knocked out of a tournament, who's to blame, he's crap, why didnt they do this or that, well that's what's gone on in our office for most of the morning. Bottom line, according to most of us, is that as good as we are we don't have that belief or the tactical nous to get through the real tough games when they are put in front of us...!!

The Kane pen miss is big, we all know that, and we may have gone to win the game in the time left or on pens. But we didnt...!!
The ref had a stinker, but we can't blame him as we had the French rattled for most of the 2nd half and we just couldn't push it over the line to go 2-1 up could we...
Also, we think we have a nice team, a great talking manager, plenty of very likeable and talkative players and we think its about time we had some bite in the team. Didn't we go until the quarters before getting a yellow card...??

General feeling between us all is that it's Southgate's job/role and he should stay on as the next manager of our next comp, the Euros...

Roll on 2024 and semi-final heartache...!!

 

On a positive note, how the hell did England Cricket pull off that win in Multan...!! Brilliant result, epic even... Now this is a team that dos believe it can go places, even though at times i actually thought that they had no chance at times.

It's amazing what confidence in your team, captain and management can do if you are all in to what you are trying to do. Something that i think is lacking from the football team that has just suffered a heartbreak loss...

Congratulations once again to Stokes and the lads for giving us some cheer at the moment...!!