The UEFA European Championship 2020 Thread

[Eddie]

1 hour ago, uttoxram75 said:

Roy Mac, Mark Wright, Jake Buxton.

How could I forget Sir Jake. Bloody half-fan.

[Angry Ram]

9 hours ago, Bob The Badger said:

Every real mans favourite Thunderbird. 

Head shake. Thunderbird 2 is the geezers Thunderbird. 

[TimRam]

Hopefully the Spain v Italy game will be quite "lively" and a tough one for both. ?

Think it will be Italy v England in the final. England winners 3-0.

Edited July 4, 2021 by TimRam

[May Contain Nuts]

10 hours ago, Shuff264 said:

Wow so it really is coming home

Seeing as the phrase refers to the tournament being played in England, and the final is at Wembley it's literally the case and has been since the location of the final was confirmed.

[TimRam]

I am sure I saw a throw-in taken by player moving away from direction of play first. Ball went out near corner (Ukraine half) England player moved a significant distance towards own half. Not seen that before but assumed it was to make more room to work with once ball in play and it's allowed.

[Curtains]

We are looking good .

Great result.

Reminds me of 1966 

We could go all the way this time. 

[Angry Ram]

I said we would win if we could defend.. It’s looking good. ????????

[Alph]

I don't actually think Italy are all that. Almost everything comes down their left side and Insigne is totally predictable. Tricky but you know 100% he's only going outside if Spinazola is out there to take it off him. Spinazola is a far bigger threat. 

They're good but England shouldn't fear them at all. 

Spain and their squad of central midfielders might just bore Italy to defeat.

[Dimmu]

Poor Spinazzola. 

At least after the operation he can pride himself belonging to the same category with other iconic footballers: Beckham, Guardiola, Dimmu, Ousmane Dembele, and Deschamps. We've all been operated by the same person.

[angieram]

12 hours ago, Alpha said:

Have to say, some players are stepping up and showing what Southgate must have seen in them. 

Rice is really owning his position more and more. Allowing Phillips (is it OK to love a Leeds player) to put pressure on the ball. 

And Phillips is no Pirlo. Nothing like. But he is a horrible player who looks like he'd take on Denmark on his own if he had to. 

Kane, at last! Finally arrived and is making the runs and dummy runs we needed. Taking his marker on a walk. 

Always love Sterling. A lot rests on his shoulders and no, he doesn't always deliver but he carries the pressure on as you'd expect from a captain/leader in the body of Igor Stimac. 

Harry Maguire is the boss. He is the human form of English spirit. 

Yeah, I just think Southgate might deserve some love now. It's an England team that has always looked like it lacked a gear. But it might be time to make peace with that and accept his solid unit sprinkled with very good attacking players gets results where better England sides didn't. 

Define 'better'! ?

More talented individually, maybe, but I like that Southgate has recognised we need a team that works together as a unit, and that invariably means getting those players in there that do the donkey work to allow the most talented players to shine. Many previous England managers have tried to fit all their stars into the side at once and it hasn't worked.

I quite like that we've got a bench full of players who have individual brilliance desperate to get out there and prove it. When they come on they have to perform. 

I do wonder how much influence Steve Holland has on this? A lot, imo.

[DarkFruitsRam7]

The best thing about the constant Euro 96 nostalgia a few weeks ago is that it’s made me realise how important it is to treasure times like this.

I’m 21, no responsibilities, constantly with my mates in the pub and England have a real chance of winning a major tournament.

I’m living my Euro 96 and I’m absolutely loving it.

[Parsnip]

14 minutes ago, DarkFruitsRam7 said:

The best thing about the constant Euro 96 nostalgia a few weeks ago is that it’s made me realise how important it is to treasure times like this.

I’m 21, no responsibilities, constantly with my mates in the pub and England have a real chance of winning a major tournament.

I’m living my Euro 96 and I’m absolutely loving it.

 

[DarkFruitsRam7]

Is @Van der MoodHoover still moaning?

[Phoenix]

13 hours ago, Eddie said:

He might well look like Kryten wearing Spare Head 3, he is a colossus in the Physco* mould.

 

 

 

*

He must have had 2 of those made. The last one I saw was definitely red.

[sage]

I wonder if UEFA have the balls to take action against Immobile

 

[Van der MoodHoover]

13 minutes ago, DarkFruitsRam7 said:

Is @Van der MoodHoover still moaning?

I don't quite know how balanced rational analysis became "moaning". 

England played well last night. Ukraine were pretty hopeless, especially defensively, but you still have to take the chances. 

There is a real chance that England could win. They've had a large number of factors in their favour with the venues etc but England's rise seems to have coincided with a number of other teams decline. 

They are certainly stepping it up in the knockout stages and have brought unfit players back well. When I compare to how Beckham was rushed back for wc2002 or Rooney for euro 2012, it looks far better thought through. 

[DarkFruitsRam7]

15 minutes ago, Van der MoodHoover said:

I don't quite know how balanced rational analysis became "moaning". 

England played well last night. Ukraine were pretty hopeless, especially defensively, but you still have to take the chances. 

There is a real chance that England could win. They've had a large number of factors in their favour with the venues etc but England's rise seems to have coincided with a number of other teams decline. 

They are certainly stepping it up in the knockout stages and have brought unfit players back well. When I compare to how Beckham was rushed back for wc2002 or Rooney for euro 2012, it looks far better thought through. 

Just on the wind up.

Your opinion of Southgate must be changing though surely.

[TimRam]

 Scroll down the comments for link to goals. Captures the spirit!

[Eddie]

2 hours ago, DarkFruitsRam7 said:

The best thing about the constant Euro 96 nostalgia a few weeks ago is that it’s made me realise how important it is to treasure times like this.

I’m 21, no responsibilities, constantly with my mates in the pub and England have a real chance of winning a major tournament.

I’m living my Euro 96 and I’m absolutely loving it.

I'm lucky enough to be able to remember Sir Alf's heroes from 1966 - and then re- living it by going to see 'Goal' at the cinema. Hopefully you will enjoy the same level of euphoria next week.

[Van der MoodHoover]

1 hour ago, DarkFruitsRam7 said:

Just on the wind up.

Your opinion of Southgate must be changing though surely.

??

On Southgate, his positive traits have been maintained. 

I think I can give him extra credit for managing the return of the not fully fit players well and better than predecessors. 

His ability to respond to in game changes still hasn't been tested in this tournament.

He's found a winning formula of pushing up early, getting a lead, then sitting in to challenge the opposition to break England down. And none of the other teams have yet found any answer. So far, so good. 

I didn't warm to the early performances, but if it has conserved energy, and England can continue to improve then Southgate’s overall tournament management will be vindicated. 

He said himself before the tournament that anything less than semi final would be seen as failure, so he is aware it seems of the favourable draw and conditions for England. 

That said, hope he does well. I never don't want the national team to do well. I just get irritated with the salivating media as soon as we put a couple of decent performances together.