Football

[Falcon1200]

We (England) finally got our revenge on Ronald Koeman after 31 years....

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

We (England) finally got our revenge on Ronald Koeman after 31 years....

I'm glad I'm not the only one who's had that thought.

 

[Bantamzen]

My heart says 1-1 and England win on penalties, my head says 3-1 to Spain. I'm not terribly convinced by our defence, and Spain's attacking play has been extremely good.

Spain are certainly very dangerous when moving forward, and as I say give them space they will punish us. But watching the second half of the France game they exposed a weakness in that they will start to drop off deep which might suit us more if Southgate sets us up for a more attack minded formation.

I honestly think we have the players to do the job, and let's be honest it wasn't too long ago that Scotland were beating them...

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I honestly think we have the players to do the job, and let's be honest it wasn't too long ago that Scotland were beating them...

With this match being the final rather than a qualifying group match, I think that Spain will be more motivated than they were when they played Scotland.

 

[Bantamzen]

With this match being the final rather than a qualifying group match, I think that Spain will be more motivated than they were when they played Scotland.

It was a joke, but saying that I rather suspect England might also be a bit more motivated.

 

[Norm_D_Ploom]

this kind of statement is destroying football. "Endangering an opponent " ( sigh) is doing a big Dunc on someone not trying to block a goal!

In fairness you're talking rot.

If Kane had been trying to take him on inside the box and got a foot to the ball to push it past him before Dumfries then clattered him are you saying that it's not a pen ?

Because that's exactly what happened.

 

[DarloRich]

In fairness you're talking rot.

I am not - I am simply not captured by the fake, plastic, premier league, VAR nonsense. The use of such silly terminology such as "endangering an opponent" to describe very minor contact shows how soft and false the game has become.

I maintain: Endangering an opponent is trying to do them serious physical harm. The game has gone soft but that is what the plastics & FIFA boys want.

In any event it helped England so I should be happy about it! I am not complaining we benefited, just that it wasn't a penalty in any way i know ( I KNOW that the laws of the game say otherwise but many of the laws are not fit for purpose: handball & offside being 2 obvious ones)

 

[Haywain]

Endangering an opponent is trying to do them serious physical harm.

Dangerous play, as it used to be called, does not require intent. I thought it was a foul in real time - a studs up challenge that would only have connected with the ball by luck.

 

[Norm_D_Ploom]

I am not - I am simply not captured by the fake, plastic, premier league, VAR nonsense. The use of such silly terminology such as "endangering an opponent" to describe very minor contact shows how soft and false the game has become.

I maintain: Endangering an opponent is trying to do them serious physical harm. The game has gone soft but that is what the plastics & FIFA boys want.

In any event it helped England so I should be happy about it! I am not complaining we benefited, just that it wasn't a penalty in any way i know ( I KNOW that the laws of the game say otherwise but many of the laws are not fit for purpose: handball & offside being 2 obvious ones)

That's perhaps because at the standard you're watching you're more used to seeing regular physical contact be an acceptable part of the game but at the elite level it isn't anymore.
I think that's taken something from the game but we are where we are

Dangerous play, as it used to be called, does not require intent. I thought it was a foul in real time - a studs up challenge that would only have connected with the ball by luck.

In real time I didn't but as soon as I saw the replay I did.

 

[Cross City]

England have their name on this trophy; grinding out wins when playing poorly, last minute wonder goals, playing better each game, dodgy penalties etc.

All adds up, and the players must know that everything is going for them at the moment. Belief does funny things to football teams.

I also don't think Spain are all that, defensively especially. France have been poor all tournament and it took a moment of brilliance by the young lad for Spain to get past them. They did nothing in the last hour of that game even though France were properly there for the taking. Get Foden's tricky feet and Saka running at that back line and we will cause them problems.

3-1 England

 

[Bantamzen]

At the time I was sure that it wasn't a penalty, and I was just grateful that the ref gave it as such. But on reflection I can't help but wonder if that would have been given as a foul outside of the box, and I honestly think it would.

 

[Norm_D_Ploom]

At the time I was sure that it wasn't a penalty, and I was just grateful that the ref gave it as such. But on reflection I can't help but wonder if that would have been given as a foul outside of the box, and I honestly think it would.

I think you're correct.

 

[dangie]

Quite a few people on our towns F*cebook group have been asking where they can watch the Euro final on a big screen. I don’t understand why they need to ask the question. Just stick your chair two feet away from the telly

 

[Haywain]

Quite a few people on our towns F*cebook group have been asking where they can watch the Euro final on a big screen. I don’t understand why they need to ask the question. Just stick your chair two feet away from the telly

They probably want to watch in the company of other like-minded people and throw beer in the air (or get soaked with said beer, as appropriate) when England score.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The "Scummy Gnome" certainly likes to call different countries "home" to go to after the UEFA EURO Finals...
Spain..................1964...2008...2012
Italy....................1968...2020
Germany..............1972...1980...1992...1996
Czechoslovakia.....1976
France.................1984...2000
Netherlands.........1988
Greece................2004
Portugal..............2016

The little so-and-so certainly gets around a lot.....

 

[brad465]

The National(ist) has spoken:

x.com

x.com

Tomorrow's front page

Our message to Spain ahead of Euro 2024 final

(Front cover of the National reading: "Every summer, they fill up your beaches. They drink all your beer. They make a mess of your plazas. They eat fried breakfasts all day instead of your wonderful food. They retire in your towns and sponge off your public services. Now, the National says it's TIME FOR REVENGE! Our message to Spain: Save us from an England win (or we'll never hear the end of it!)

It would be ironic if this fell foul of the hate speech bill brought in by the government this "comic" supports.

 

[Purple Train]

The National(ist) has spoken:

x.com

x.com

It would be ironic if this fell foul of the hate speech bill brought in by the government this "comic" supports.

This reminds me strongly of Bill Bryson's account of watching England versus Italy (not the Euro 2020 final, a different match!) in a Scottish pub, in The Road to Little Dribbling. "I remember watching them [celebrate Italy's goal] and thinking to myself, "These people are not part of Team GB.""

In contrast, I don't think many English people I've spoken to about football don't support Scotland (or Wales, for that matter), until they play England. Quite an appropriate metaphor really.

 

[Mag_seven]

It would be ironic if this fell foul of the hate speech bill brought in by the government this "comic" supports.

That's what I thought but then again those who condemn this sort of thing normally don't understand footballing rivalries.

 

[Trackman]

It would be ironic if this fell foul of the hate speech bill brought in by the government this "comic" supports.

Indeed. They would have had lawyers looking at it first.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Is there much satirical difference between that front page and some of the past front pages of Private Eye?

 

[Falcon1200]

As an Englishman living in Scotland I have always been extremely sad to see the disdain and yes, sometimes, hatred towards the England football team, and by extension the English full stop, by (I hasten to add) a minority of Scots; I still recall, inadvisedly travelling into Glasgow the same day as a Scotland game at Hampden, and on alighting at Queen Street, hearing the fans singing about how much they hated England - Instead of support for their own team!

I found the National's front page on Saturday an absolute disgrace, and tantamount to inciting hatred, but I would expect plenty of Scots will have been saddened by it too; There was much nationalistic banter at work but it was always good-natured and when not 'playing to the gallery', many of my Scots colleagues confessed their respect for the England players. I always support any of the home nations, except when playing England of course, and the Scottish 'anyone but England' mentality is, IMHO, a pathetic and embarrassing mindset driven by little more than jealousy and ignorance.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I found the National's front page on Saturday an absolute disgrace, and tantamount to inciting hatred, but I would expect plenty of Scots will have been saddened by it too...

This one? Hmmm!


(Image shows the front cover of The National newspaper on Saturday 13th July 2024 with the banner headline 'Time for Revenge! - Save us from an England win.')

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Which of the Spanish team squad wears the number 16 kit number that is shown on that front cover and is the image shown a good likeness of that player?

 

[DarloRich]

England wont win tonight. Spain will spank us. I am still going to enjoy it. England are in a final.

The National(ist) has spoken

Who cares what they think. Won the first round elimination prize AGAIN. Jealous, jealous, jealous.

 

[Cowley]

England wont win tonight. Spain will spank us. I am still going to enjoy it. England are in a final.

This is my worry too. Spain have been incredible all the way through the tournament and probably deserve to win it. I am likewise, just going to have a beer and watch it with the family, a good friend and I’ve got no expectations as to what happens!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Which of the Spanish team squad wears the number 16 kit number that is shown on that front cover and is the image shown a good likeness of that player?

That would be Rodrigo Hernández Cascante, otherwise better known as "Rodri", & yes, it's a fair likeness of him.

 

[DarloRich]

This is my worry too. Spain have been incredible all the way through the tournament and probably deserve to win it. I am likewise, just going to have a beer and watch it with the family, a good friend and I’ve got no expectations as to what happens!

i am just going to watch and enjoy. England are in a final. Anything can happen

 

[Jamesrob637]

A bit of a disappointing first half, but the second half might yet produce results for us.

 

[Ivor]

Split wide open

I thought first half if we picked up the tempo in the final third we could have grabbed a goal….or two. Not to be.

Get Watkins & Palmer on.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

A bit of a disappointing first half, but the second half might yet produce results for us.

0-1 down now. The second half certainly hasn't gotten off to the best of starts from an England perspective.