Euro Championships 2016

[Prufrock]

Sorry that was auto-correct of "doesn't" to "first"

[Prufrock]

Really disappointed with Belgium. Didn't understand the team they picked. Verthongen and Vermaelen: both left footed centre backs who can play left back if needed. One plays every week at centre back with Alderweireld. So stick him at left back and the other one in the middle.

In de Bruyne you've got one of the best attacking midfielders around, so shunt him out wide so you can play Marouane "Darren" Fellaini in there, at the same time as sacrificing any width wingers like the brilliant Carrasco or hit and miss Mertens or Mirallas would give you.

That, well drilled if horrendously cynical Italian defence plus de Bruyne and Lukaku playing like they were auditioning again for Jose and they were comfortably beaten.

[Hoboh]

Really disappointed with Belgium. Didn't understand the team they picked. Verthongen and Vermaelen: both left footed centre backs who can play left back if needed. One plays every week at centre back with Alderweireld. So stick him at left back and the other one in the middle.

In de Bruyne you've got one of the best attacking midfielders around, so shunt him out wide so you can play Marouane "Darren" Fellaini in there, at the same time as sacrificing any width wingers like the brilliant Carrasco or hit and miss Mertens or Mirallas would give you.

That, well drilled if horrendously cynical Italian defence plus de Bruyne and Lukaku playing like they were auditioning again for Jose and they were comfortably beaten.

Be fair Pru, I only really saw 3 usual Italian style defence operations in that game and they got booked for 2 of them.

I agree Belgium lacked ideas on the edge of the box and got really what they deserved.

[bobo the clown]

If that was "cynical, awful" defending .... & that's your definition of "hacking down" Pru then don't ever get any videos of 1970's matches. They'd mentally disturb you.

[TANGODANCER]

Why the lunchtime match against Wales? Okay for me, but really hard on those who have to work and miss the live coverage.

On another point, I'm finding it hard to see any definitions of what is/isn't a foul anymore. I must be seeing things the refs are either missing or lettin go as the norm; things like grabbing a player round the chest with both arms and hanging on like Tarzan fighting a rubber crocodile back in 1950.

[thebish]

Russia have been given a suspended disqualification from euro2016 and a fine...

[TANGODANCER]

Russia have been given a suspended disqualification from euro2016 and a fine...

Won't mean much to those who've just gone to fight. It's the team and genuine fans that would hit..wrongly.Is Chateau d'If still available?

[Prufrock]

They're in Lille tomorrow night, 25 miles down the road from Lens where we are Thursday. UEFA's mettle may well be tested.

[thebish]

They're in Lille tomorrow night, 25 miles down the road from Lens where we are Thursday. UEFA's mettle may well be tested.

as I understand it, the suspension is about what happens inside the stadium - rather than risking the lottery of deciding who's to blame for what happened outside the stadium! The suspended disqualification was specifically about behaviour that could more easily be attributed to Russian fans - fireworks and racist chanting (I think)

[LeverEnd]

Eidur makes his tournament debut tonight. Good luck to him, let's hope they can turn Ronaldo and his mates over.

[TANGODANCER]

Hungary and Austria making hard work of it so far. Not scintillating...

[Prufrock]

Go on, get in! #makeronaldocry

[Lord Kangana]

Will that do it?

[Worthy4England]

Great news after the first set of matches. We're joint second on points, in the whole competition. I've gat a good feeling about this.

[TANGODANCER]

Great result for the Icers drawing with the Ronaldo admiration society. Ref tried hard to give the Ports 47 free kicks and ignored grievous bodily harm challenges by them in favour of a touch on Ronaldo's shoulder. Eidur didn't get a chance to appear on the field tonight and the Icers never gave up although they didn't offer much more than a bang it up to (enter Icelandic name here other than Bjarnoldson) . Great result for them though. Fantastic fans they have too. Enjoyable game seeing Ronaldo, Nani and co frustrated ....

[Lord Kangana]

Since when was Ricardo Gardener Portuguese?

[Hoboh]

I thought t one point Big Sam had set up Iceland's team

It worked.

[thebish]

I see Mr Ronaldo was being very gracious about not beating Iceland... cockwomble.

[Prufrock]

Walked straight off the pitch at full time. Prick.

[LeverEnd]

Walked straight off the pitch at full time. Prick.

Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo hit out at Iceland's lack of ambition after the two sides drew 1-1 at Euro 2016.

The Real Madrid star also refused to shake the hands of the Iceland players after the group match in Saint-Etienne.

"I thought they'd won the Euros the way they celebrated at the end," he said.

"It was unbelievable. We tried hard to win the game and Iceland didn't try anything. This, in my opinion, shows a small mentality and they are not going to do anything in the competition."

Hope his tournament ends in abject failure and he is vilified in his homeland.

And that his face breaks out in hives.