Summer of sport

[voice]

Just finished watching it, best England played in the first half, second back to dull as f**k, but great winner

Shame we're facing Spain in the final, they've got to be the favorites

[flatandy]

Spain will definitely be favourites. I'd probably have it 70:30 Spain. But England have a puncher's chance - with Saka and Bellingham and even Foden and Watkins and Palmer, they have the kinds of players who can land punches.

[moggyonspeed]

Never a penalty mind.

Still, if it makes Southgate feel good about his tactics, then hey.

[perrykneeham]

Dunno. I agree it was never a penalty, in my eyes, but the rules in the penalty area are (I think) especially harsh.

[Repat Van]

The improvements in the England team performance since Labour won the election have been quite noticeable.

[Repat Van]

Jul 11, 2024 8:31:31 GMT perrykneeham said:

Dunno. I agree it was never a penalty, in my eyes, but the rules in the penalty area are (I think) especially harsh.

They do have VR now and apparently the rules for a penalty in that area are a lot stricter (now). It maybe a case of it did not “feel” like a penalty but technically it was.

Doesn’t matter now though and there will definitely be calls that go against us in the future.

[Repat Van]

Also - in fairness to Mr Southgate - people keep trashing him but hasn’t he been one of our most successful managers in a while?

I feel like we have been in two Euro finals back to back now (I cannot be arsed to look it up but I am sure that’s true.)

[flatandy]

Jul 11, 2024 8:31:31 GMT perrykneeham said:

Dunno. I agree it was never a penalty, in my eyes, but the rules in the penalty area are (I think) especially harsh.

These days, a raised boot - studs out - like that which gets the player and not the ball would be a free kick anywhere else on the pitch, so it would be a penalty in the penalty area. It's actually only because it was in the penalty area that people are really questioning it.

[flatandy]

Jul 11, 2024 9:25:53 GMT Repat Van said:

Also - in fairness to Mr Southgate - people keep trashing him but hasn’t he been one of our most successful managers in a while?

I feel like we have been in two Euro finals back to back now (I cannot be arsed to look it up but I am sure that’s true.)

Yes, 2 finals, a semi-final and a quarter-final. In all the previous tournament history we had a single final, plus semis in '68, 90 and '96.

It's a pretty amazing record, particularly as he actually seems to be a decent bloke.

[mids]

[voice]

Jolly good

[mids]

Good.

[voice]

Oh dear

[Repat Van]

Damn.

[mids]

Curses.

[perrykneeham]

I blame Starmer.

[wetkingcanute]

Bother

[moggyonspeed]

Mrs. Mogg is now £35 to the good, my having won the sweepstake at work. The chance of my seeing even one groat of that is somewhat shy of f*ck-all.

Note to self: Keep yer f*ck*ng mouth shut in 4 years' time.

[flatandy]

Good game. Best team won, but England kept it competitive and interesting and fun.

It is the best performance ever by a team from the British Isles in a major competition - they reached two other finals ('66 and '21) but they were in England so softer and easier.

[voice]

It was a good game and the better team won, England was forced very deep and were lucky to get one back

Still considering how dire they played in the build up and first few games, plodding though to the final feels like an astonishingly good result