Having watched every match so far I don't believe France are the real favourites.
Spain are very good but Germany were magnificent. Not spectacular or flashy, just solid.
They played like Man City, corraling the defence into a tighter and tighter circle waiting to pounce.
The all-in-one consolidatory football thread Page 795
Of course it does depend somewhat on the strength of the opposition.
What England? 🤪
Oh well, get a couple of the big boys out of the way first.................
Ipswich Town Premier League fixture list
Saturday, August 17th - Liverpool at Home
Saturday, August 24th - Manchester City Away
Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ 18th June 2024, 8:26 AMHaving watched every match so far I don't believe France are the real favourites.
Spain are very good but Germany were magnificent. Not spectacular or flashy, just solid.
They played like Man City, corraling the defence into a tighter and tighter circle waiting to pounce.
Germany strongest yet.
Do we ever meet Austria early on?
Bit worried about our defence coming up against that press.
England
Incredibly mediocre
There's a shock
And me n my mates used to play on parks that had better playing surfaces than this stadium
Well, that was shite,
Brilliant individuals for their club sides
Put them in England shirts and they look like f**king Bolton players
Rice was a waste of space. Twice he nearly got us in trouble. I don't understand why Southgate didn't try with 2 strikers for 5 minutes or so.
Some of these Spaniards are a complete embarrassment
Cheating play acting idiots
Quote: lofthouse @ 20th June 2024, 9:48 PMSome of these Spaniards are a complete embarrassment
Cheating play acting idiots
And of course the Italians aren't. They're both as bad as each other.
I've realised why England are playing so badly. Because people have made them favourites.
I don't know what was up with the pundits tonight
England could have played better, but two games in and they've practically qualified for the knockouts with a game to spare , which doesn't happen often.
Once again, many people seem to think that England are Brazil 1970 waiting to happen or something, and Alan Shearer seems to forget some of the stinkers he's been involved in.
As usual England are a team with decent players, who don't play like much of a team, but are hard to beat
It won't come home , but we won't go down without an excuse
They reflect what their manager Southgate is - effin' boring
Bang on. He's responsible for their lack of creativity and expression. He probably bores the players so much before the game they are still bored stiff and can't actually move forward. No excuses, you have the best selection of quality players we've ever had and you tell them not to play. And instead of subbing on Palmer he brings on headless chicken Gallagher. 🤔
Quote: Steve Sunshine @ 20th June 2024, 10:45 PMI don't know what was up with the pundits tonight
England could have played better, but two games in and they've practically qualified for the knockouts with a game to spare , which doesn't happen often.
Once again, many people seem to think that England are Brazil 1970 waiting to happen or something, and Alan Shearer seems to forget some of the stinkers he's been involved in.
They'll never be Brazil if you've a coach the quality of Estonia in charge. He has the players in this squad, he's still picking some wrong ones on the night and making the good ones look rubbish. These pundits like Shearer know the game, why is Rice not playing like he does for Arsenal, why is Stones not charging forward? It's obvious it's because cautious Gareth doesn't want them to. They'll have no confidence now when it comes to the big games, like Germany or Spain.
I've looked in my crystal ball, (nothing magical - just from previous world stages) and can tell you exactly what will happen.................
They'll scrape by in this round and then be annihilated in the last 16