Football - Euro 2020 Championship

maw4neu

Well now . . . aren't we all getting on well . . . ! ! . . . Toys away now :-)

Seriously though, what a great Team performance . . . I would have kept Grealish on longer but I'm an Engineer and not a Football Manager with the weight of a Nation on his shoulders . . . It will be a very tough game against Italy . . . They dive when they are in the Tunnel . . .  I see a straight RED Card coming up . . .  

fob

Snap said:

snip

oh ffs mate. you miserable get!!

This is so typical of a kind of England fan - miserable as sin, critical etc etc.

It's football - decisions can go all over the shop and players act up. To be honest, given the pace Sterling was going at, it doesn't take much to knock you over, however theatrical it appears. The ref saw it, VAR checked it and it was given. That is that. End of chuffing story. the amount of decisions that didn't go England's way following Danish grabbing, shirt pulling etc, we were due one falling our way.

The game has checks in place, called VAR, that are there to make a call where a decision is debatable: job done.

There really is some pious pontificating going on in this thread. Are we incapable of celebrating a good result without pulling things to bits and looking for something to moan about?? 

Not miserable, disappointed.

We're going in circles now - because the penalty was given doesn't mean it should have been. Because other teams cheat doesn't mean we should. VAR did show its worth - none (that should be scrapped but probably for another thread). I'll celebrate the result but can't say it was a good one; it's tainted.

And FWIW I think you're a little more representative of the average England fan.

A little off topic but the pub landlord who somehow ended up with a covid ppe contract has just bought himself a rather plush house - I think we can all celebrate that!

Simonh

ewal said:

proggy said:

ewal said:

proggy said:

UnclePsychosis said:

proggy said:

It's those poor Jocks I feel sorry for.

That's another month's heroin money they'll have to waste on an Italy shirt....

Into a major final for the first time in forever, first thought is Scotland.

Absolutely fucking tragic. 

It wasn't my first thought and it was just a joke. Nothing 'fucking tragic' about it.

I wonder about this site sometimes. Post a joke, and someone gets upset about it. Fucking tragic.

It was a fucking tragically bad joke. Your choice to post it though.

I didn't think the joke was that bad. But thank you for choosing to voice your opinion.

Just subsititute another minority group, say one of an ethnic nature, in your joke, and tell me how you think it reads.

Get a grip of yourself.

sev112

fob said:

Legionreturns said:

fob said:

Hattigol said:

But seriously.....who cares? 

Me, for one.

Well, I suggest you make your protest known by boycotting the final! 

The players will be LIVID!

I doubt they will, they're the ones who are cheating in order to 'win'. 

I love football and don't see its corruption as an inevitable part of the game that you simply have to take part in. I'll complain when Matt Hancock hands my taxes to his mates.and I'll complain when Raheem Sterling throws himself to the ground to get an unfair advantage. My position is consistent and doesn't change because 'we' get the advantage.

I’d have more sympathy for this view were one also to tar with the same cheating brush : 
- everyone who rolls around when not touched
- everyone who clutches a part of their body that was not touched when they roll around
- everyone who appeals / screams at the ref after the decision
and most importantly 
- everyone who fouls someone else (because it gives them an advantage by stopping the attacking team and allows them to bring their whole team back behind the ball)

I think all of those are much more greater sins in football

and if one doesn’t address those, then perhaps someone falling over when touched is just evening it all up

IvanMC

What's up with all that squabble... it's uncanny; it's time to unclench for a couple of days, celebrate and feel overjoyed. Anyway, a fat lot of classy footy coming up... it looks as though everyone will have to lay off their guitars for a while at the weekend: Brazil v Argentina on Saturday, then England v Italy on Sunday.

Snap

fob said:

Not miserable, disappointed.

And FWIW I think you're a little more representative of the average England fan.

how do you convey a big sigh of exasperation....


You think it's tainted, I don't, I think the penalty should have been given, having seen it from just about every angle. It was maybe a bit soft, and that's why, no doubt, it went to VAR. It was then given. Now, we can argue the toss about the pros and cons of VAR, just as we can about refs and about players laying it on. 

However, all these things are part of the game. Did Sterling dive? Really, I don't know, only he does. He was going fast, he got clipped twice, easy to go over in that situation.

Did Verstergaard lay it on thick when Maguire's arm brushed his face? He went down like a sack of big spuds (all 2m tall of him), like he'd been hit by Tyson Fury. Lo and behold Maguire gets a yellow card. Rightly or wrongly it's part of the game, and tbh it always has been really.

thing is, I don't think Sterling dived for our penalty, not from what I could tell.  

If all that makes me typical of the average England fan, well heck, I can deal with that.  More, I am really looking forward to the game on Sunday and getting behind the team and enjoying the evening. It's just great to see some sport, with a crowd, and have something to cheer about. 

ewal

proggy said:

ewal said:

proggy said:

ewal said:

proggy said:

UnclePsychosis said:

proggy said:

It's those poor Jocks I feel sorry for.

That's another month's heroin money they'll have to waste on an Italy shirt....

Into a major final for the first time in forever, first thought is Scotland.

Absolutely fucking tragic. 

It wasn't my first thought and it was just a joke. Nothing 'fucking tragic' about it.

I wonder about this site sometimes. Post a joke, and someone gets upset about it. Fucking tragic.

It was a fucking tragically bad joke. Your choice to post it though.

I didn't think the joke was that bad. But thank you for choosing to voice your opinion.

Just subsititute another minority group, say one of an ethnic nature, in your joke, and tell me how you think it reads.

I had no idea you lot were so hypersensitive.

All these minority groups with a thin skin eh. No fun at all...

AK99

Creed_Clicks said:

I will also add, on the anthem thing, if Ireland were playing England , I'd guess a good amount of Irish fans would boo GSTQ.
Bloody annoying and disrespectful though.

Maybe  We didn't when you came over to the GAA Croke Park stadium for the famous England-Ireland rugby match in 2007 mind you..



(I think we won the sing-off that day though..as well as the match .. )

fob

Snap said:

fob said:

Not miserable, disappointed.

And FWIW I think you're a little more representative of the average England fan.

how do you convey a big sigh of exasperation....

I'm sure there must be an emoji for it.

I'm not trying to change your mind. We just have different views on how results should be achieved. The 'whatever it takes' attitude is common, prevalent even. I, on the other hand, would prefer it was done fairly even if the other side are cheating themselves. Just the way I was brought up.

Snap said:

thing is, I don't think Sterling dived for our penalty, not from what I could tell.  

You might want to think about a job at Stockley Park - they'd Snap you up.

Snap said:

More, I am really looking forward to the game on Sunday and getting behind the team and enjoying the evening. It's just great to see some sport, with a crowd, and have something to cheer about. 

Couldn't agree more.

Philly_Q

Snap said:

You think it's tainted, I don't, I think the penalty should have been given, having seen it from just about every angle. It was maybe a bit soft, and that's why, no doubt, it went to VAR. It was then given. Now, we can argue the toss about the pros and cons of VAR, just as we can about refs and about players laying it on. 

However, all these things are part of the game. Did Sterling dive? Really, I don't know, only he does. He was going fast, he got clipped twice, easy to go over in that situation.

There's a double standard, best illustrated by pundits who are ex-players.  The likes of Alan Shearer are very quick to condemn divers, but then they always say "he was justified in going down because there was contact" and "if there's contact and he doesn't go down, the ref doesn't see it and he doesn't get the penalty".

Which to me seems to boil down to:  If you dive when there's no contact you're a bloody cheat.  If you dive because you felt a slight disturbance of a hair on your leg as you passed an opposing defender, then you're a hero.

Personally, I think it's bullshit, I think it is diving either way, and I like to think if I was a professional footballer I would stay on my feet unless I couldn't stay on my feet.  But that's hypothetical... I am not a professional footballer, and this is how the game is played. 

They all do it, sometimes they get away with it, sometimes they don't.  In every game there will be many other incidents which the ref, even with VAR, gets right or wrong.  I think overall it probably balances out.  And it doesn't taint the result, not really, because every game has some kind of debatable incident without which things might have turned out differently.  Or might not. 

Simonh

I think the only answer to all the diving that goes on is to have every match reviewed and if you go down with some of the theatrics we have seen in this tournament you get a post match fine and points, get enough points you get a ban. As soon as there are real consequences to "simulation" it will stop. if it stops at the top level it will stop in lower levels as well.

ewal

Simonh said:

ewal said:

proggy said:

ewal said:

proggy said:

UnclePsychosis said:

proggy said:

It's those poor Jocks I feel sorry for.

That's another month's heroin money they'll have to waste on an Italy shirt....

Into a major final for the first time in forever, first thought is Scotland.

Absolutely fucking tragic. 

It wasn't my first thought and it was just a joke. Nothing 'fucking tragic' about it.

I wonder about this site sometimes. Post a joke, and someone gets upset about it. Fucking tragic.

It was a fucking tragically bad joke. Your choice to post it though.

I didn't think the joke was that bad. But thank you for choosing to voice your opinion.

Just subsititute another minority group, say one of an ethnic nature, in your joke, and tell me how you think it reads.

Get a grip of yourself.

Why? Do you think jokes that characterise groups as poor heroin abusers are ok too? 

I'll leave this now, but I'm not the one that's out of order here...

Simonh

I think it was a joke, only moderately funny perhaps but a joke none the less.

I think that you getting so butt hurt about it is much more funny.

ewal

I am not at all bothered. Just calling out bigotry when I see it. Always have, always will. His problem, not mine 

Bidley

I think Delaney got up to about 6 fouls last night, no card. Maguire got a straight yellow for an aerial challenge. The ref wasn't great but that's football.

Bring on Italy (and more salt)!

ewal

Away and watch some Bernard Manning or Jim Davidson re-runs.

All the best. X

rze99

Now the crowds are back in I really want to turn up the crowd noise and turn down the endless commentary and pundit guff. I wish I could mix it!

Chuffola

Northern Ireland fan here. England were the better team and deserved to go through but it was a very soft penalty (and as a Liverpool fan, if Salah had gone down like that the rest of the Prem would have been up in arms! Ahem!).

Anyway, I'm glad England are through - it'll be a good final now. I'm a bit wary of an England win but that's nothing to do with the supporters or the team - it's the media frenzy. Jesus, when you beat Ukraine it was first item on every news bulletin! The commentators last night were awful for many reasons but when England went ahead the things said were unreal - demanding no one go to work, kids stay up all night. Catch yourself on lads, you haven't won it yet! English people I know (and am good friends with a few who live over here) are no more arrogant about their team than I am when we win, but the media in England are beyond the pale sometimes. 

My main gripe, though, is you've nicked our song - we've been signing Sweet Caroline for years and years. We didn't start it - think it's been a US sports anthem for a long time - but, seriously, you have Football's Coming Home - it's your song. Stick to that!!  

dano

Something I've noticed in this Euros, when there is a free kick why does one of the defender lie down on the grass behind the wall ? 

Kittyfrisk

^  'Draught excluder' to stop the ball going along the ground through the legs of the defenders in the wall.