European Finals.

[KeyserSoze]

Imagine entrusting an ex-Wigan manager to be in the charge of your golden generation for 5 years

An ex Wigan manager that beat a certain ex city manager in the fa Cup final don't you know!

[BWFC_Insane]

Remind me again how there's nothing special about this Italian side.

No idea who said that but for me they are one of the best international sides I’ve seen. Superb. Not full of world stars but a real team. Like watching a top level premiership side.

[Prufrock]

That ping of a hamstring is the moment it finally turned home.

[BWFC_Insane]

That ping of a hamstring is the moment it finally turned home.

Bobby Mancini will be telling him ‘don’t worry son it’s your first’ ‘you’ve been magnificent’.

[Prufrock]

There's a generation of you who were 18 for Italia 90. And I get it. But they are hideous c*nts.

The ball has been in play for 30 seconds max of this 5 mins added. Cheating awful bastards. I don't really care who wins it any more as long as it's not them. I'd have disallowed the first for being a whinging ncunt. Awful.

[BWFC_Insane]

There's a generation of you who were 18 for Italia 90. And I get it. But they are hideous c*nts.

The ball has been in play for 30 seconds max of this 5 mins added. Cheating awful bastards. I don't really care who wins it any more as long as it's not them. I'd have disallowed the first for being a whinging ncunt. Awful.

That’s Italy. These lot are an outstanding side but they’ve not lost any of the usual Italian gamesmanship.

Italia 90 has nowt to do with this. Don’t think many have love for the Italian side in my generation but you have to say this lot are good. Like it or not they are. But they’ve just lost their best player. So….

[GhostoftheBok]

There's a generation of you who were 18 for Italia 90. And I get it. But they are hideous c*nts.

The ball has been in play for 30 seconds max of this 5 mins added. Cheating awful bastards. I don't really care who wins it any more as long as it's not them. I'd have disallowed the first for being a whinging ncunt. Awful.

You mean like De Bruyne running past Verratti and linking arms with him then diving to try and get him sent off?

If we are getting rid of cheating bastards no modern team is staying in any tournament.

Italy are the team of this tournament by a country mile. They have been the best thing about a great footballing event.

[jmjhb]

Italy are proof of what you can do with a proper manager.

[BWFC_Insane]

There's a generation of you who were 18 for Italia 90. And I get it. But they are hideous c*nts.

The ball has been in play for 30 seconds max of this 5 mins added. Cheating awful bastards. I don't really care who wins it any more as long as it's not them. I'd have disallowed the first for being a whinging ncunt. Awful.

You mean like De Bruyne running past Verratti and linking arms with him then diving to try and get him sent off?

If we are getting rid of cheating bastards no modern team is staying in any tournament.

Italy are the team of this tournament by a country mile. They have been the best thing about a great footballing event.

Not to mention we all know Grealish will happily take the odd dive. And it will be justified. Italy are cynical but that’s just the way their national sides are.

[jmjhb]

Imagine entrusting an ex-Wigan manager to be in the charge of your golden generation for 5 years

An ex Wigan manager that beat a certain ex city manager in the fa Cup final don't you know!

The Spanish Owen Coyle. Gets a pass because he likes tippy-tappy attacking football

[Harry Genshaw]

There's a generation of you who were 18 for Italia 90. And I get it. But they are hideous c*nts.

The ball has been in play for 30 seconds max of this 5 mins added. Cheating awful bastards. I don't really care who wins it any more as long as it's not them. I'd have disallowed the first for being a whinging ncunt. Awful.

Hard to disagree. I originally started watching not too bothered who won it but the Italian gamesmanship was appalling and had me willing the Belgians on long before the end.

There's a lot of diving, play acting and cheating that goes on in today's game but collectively they seem to be by far, the worst of it.

[Prufrock]

Aye it's constant. There's being clever and waiting for contact and then there's the triple roll Olympic stuff. I hate it. The first goal partly comes from it.

I still don't think they're all that. They've just got a v good manager. And Belgium. Well, they've got the guy who relegated Wigan.

(And we've got the guy who relegated Middlesbrough).

Spain-Italy will be fun. Two far from great sides but with by far the best two managers in the tournament. It'll be unwatchable at times too.

[The_Gun]

I think England are going to win the whole thing.

[Worthy4England]

I think England are going to win the whole thing.

Shush!

[TANGODANCER]

There's a generation of you who were 18 for Italia 90. And I get it. But they are hideous c*nts.

The ball has been in play for 30 seconds max of this 5 mins added. Cheating awful bastards. I don't really care who wins it any more as long as it's not them. I'd have disallowed the first for being a whinging ncunt. Awful.

Ditto. Play-acting Divas always trying to get the opposition sent off with their agony antics, and the very sad part is that they need none of it; their football is superb.

[BWFC_Insane]

This Italian side are nothing in the ‘gamesmanship’ stakes compared to some of the South American’s sides of days gone by. They’d boot you all over the park then still manage to get you sent off.

Frankly you see this sort of behaviour week in week out by the top premiership sides. Diving, cheating, slowing the game down artificially, pressuring the ref etc. I don’t really think England are any ‘cleaner’ we just aren’t as ruthless and organised in doing it.

[Bruce Rioja]

Remind me again how there's nothing special about this Italian side.

No idea who said that but for me they are one of the best international sides I’ve seen. Superb. Not full of world stars but a real team. Like watching a top level premiership side.

Hang on, I thought it was like watching us?!

[GhostoftheBok]

Hang on, I thought it was like watching us?!

They're good, but they're not that good

[Worthy4England]

Hang on, I thought it was like watching us?!

They're good, but they're not that good

Grealish can drop like an Italian. But that happened back in the day too. Mark Hughes couldn't stand up unassisted after playing for Barca...he was like a tank before he went...

[CrazyHorse]

I think England are going to win the whole thing.

So do I.

And I've not even started drinking yet.