European Finals.

There ARE other teams(we'd have no-one to play otherwise) and here's where all-comers can discuss the wider world of football......

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Prufrock
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Re: European Finals.

Post by Prufrock » Thu Jun 17, 2021 12:11 pm

BWFC_Insane wrote:
Thu Jun 17, 2021 7:57 am
Prufrock wrote:
Wed Jun 16, 2021 11:51 pm
And we beat them 5-0 a year ago. I'm not saying they're not good. You can only beat what's in front of you and two 3-0s is a great start.

They're definitely in the group of could win it's. I just wouldn't have them anywhere near favourites.

France big favourites. I'd have Italy, Belgium, England, Portugal, Spain and Italy as all about level best of the rest decent chance but would need the chips to fall their way.
They are rare though in that they are an international side who have an identity and seem to be greater than sum of their parts. I’d certainly not crown them champions but as a team they look good. I will be amazed if England put a performance in as convincing and dominant as Italy’s first two regardless of who we play. We’ve two weaker teams coming up do you think we will play with that level of control, creativity abs solidity?
Aye, they're well managed and a good team. I'm just saying you can't tell a lot from beating two woeful teams. Neither of those could beat Wales who are a Championship team, even *with* Bale and Ramsey.

I'm confident we'd have disposed of both comfortably too, as would any of the teams I mentioned above.

Our next two games are a little different. There isn't going to be much control to the Scotland game. But I expect us to win relatively comfortably in the end, not least because they couldn't score in a brothel.

And then I think he'll make lots of changes for Czech Republic.
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Re: European Finals.

Post by Worthy4England » Thu Jun 17, 2021 12:42 pm

Great, I expect a couple of 3-0's against the cannon fodder.

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Re: European Finals.

Post by BWFC_Insane » Thu Jun 17, 2021 12:53 pm

Prufrock wrote:
Thu Jun 17, 2021 12:11 pm
BWFC_Insane wrote:
Thu Jun 17, 2021 7:57 am
Prufrock wrote:
Wed Jun 16, 2021 11:51 pm
And we beat them 5-0 a year ago. I'm not saying they're not good. You can only beat what's in front of you and two 3-0s is a great start.

They're definitely in the group of could win it's. I just wouldn't have them anywhere near favourites.

France big favourites. I'd have Italy, Belgium, England, Portugal, Spain and Italy as all about level best of the rest decent chance but would need the chips to fall their way.
They are rare though in that they are an international side who have an identity and seem to be greater than sum of their parts. I’d certainly not crown them champions but as a team they look good. I will be amazed if England put a performance in as convincing and dominant as Italy’s first two regardless of who we play. We’ve two weaker teams coming up do you think we will play with that level of control, creativity abs solidity?
Aye, they're well managed and a good team. I'm just saying you can't tell a lot from beating two woeful teams. Neither of those could beat Wales who are a Championship team, even *with* Bale and Ramsey.

I'm confident we'd have disposed of both comfortably too, as would any of the teams I mentioned above.

Our next two games are a little different. There isn't going to be much control to the Scotland game. But I expect us to win relatively comfortably in the end, not least because they couldn't score in a brothel.

And then I think he'll make lots of changes for Czech Republic.
Wales are another side who as a team are better than the sum of their individuals. I think you're kidding yourself a bit personally. Scotland are woeful. Worse than Turkey - are you seriously saying Italy wouldn't have thumped Scotland in similar fashion? Or that they would and we won't...because that is sort of my point.

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Re: European Finals.

Post by Prufrock » Thu Jun 17, 2021 1:23 pm

And I think you're kidding yourself. How constructive.

I agree Scotland are very poor, but I'm saying Italy-Scotland is a different game to England-Scotland. It's a derby. I still think we will best them comfortably, but you never know in those games.

I've already said I think we'd have seen off Turkey and Switzerland comfortably.

The other thing is the view of a fan. We could beat Scotland 3-0 tomorrow and you bet it won't feel as confusable as Italy looked to us.


Wales have got great spirit, their three top players are spread nicely through the team. But no-one is suggesting their anything like a team who might win it. And Italy have beaten one team who drew with Wales and one who lost. I'm not saying they're bad, or they can't win it, I'm just saying anyone who thinks those opening games shed much light on whether they can is a hipster equivalent of the people who watched England quality for the 2014 world cup with a 100% record and decided that meant it was coming home.
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Re: European Finals.

Post by Worthy4England » Thu Jun 17, 2021 3:14 pm

After seeing all the teams and reading lots of words. Is it or isn't it? :mrgreen:

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Re: European Finals.

Post by boltonboris » Thu Jun 17, 2021 3:33 pm

Ukraine v North Macedonia - Quite a good, competitive game despite the quite shocking histrionics

It's so frustrating that just days ago, a player practically died on the pitch and had to be resuscitated and yet we've still got players rolling around in apparent agony when there is zero contact, lying motionless on the floor as though unconscious because a players arm has brushed their head.. I think they really need to be speaking to the players to stamp this out, as it's crass
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Re: European Finals.

Post by GhostoftheBok » Thu Jun 17, 2021 7:54 pm

Belgium vs Denmark showing that tactics can really matter, but quality kills teams.

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Re: European Finals.

Post by TANGODANCER » Thu Jun 17, 2021 7:56 pm

Kevin De Bruyne. !!!
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Re: European Finals.

Post by GhostoftheBok » Thu Jun 17, 2021 9:08 pm

TANGODANCER wrote:
Thu Jun 17, 2021 7:56 pm
Kevin De Bruyne. !!!
The Danes played on the front foot in the first half, because they were not scared of Belgium's midfield. As soon as De Bruyne came on they knew they had to sit deeper because he would find Lukaku in behind if they didn't. He tore them to bits.

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Re: European Finals.

Post by Bruce Rioja » Thu Jun 17, 2021 11:17 pm

BWFC_Insane wrote:
Wed Jun 16, 2021 8:47 pm
Pretty happy to say Italy are the best ‘team’ in the tournament.
Did they play like Bolton again? Dino Zoff int' nets? :D
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Re: European Finals.

Post by Prufrock » Thu Jun 17, 2021 11:58 pm

Me speaking to a rugby fan braying about footballers being soft: you don't know what you're on about.

Me speaking to a football fan:
boltonboris wrote:
Thu Jun 17, 2021 3:33 pm
Ukraine v North Macedonia - Quite a good, competitive game despite the quite shocking histrionics

It's so frustrating that just days ago, a player practically died on the pitch and had to be resuscitated and yet we've still got players rolling around in apparent agony when there is zero contact, lying motionless on the floor as though unconscious because a players arm has brushed their head.. I think they really need to be speaking to the players to stamp this out, as it's crass
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That it's going to lose its mind
Be more kind, my friends, try to be more kind.

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Re: European Finals.

Post by Prufrock » Fri Jun 18, 2021 12:00 am

(you're absolutely right)

I only saw one replay (and didn't see any analysis) but I thought the refs got the Dutch penalty wrong tonight. They should've gone back and given Austria a free kick for what looked like a massive dive 10 secs before from the Dutch lad.
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Re: European Finals.

Post by Prufrock » Fri Jun 18, 2021 12:10 am

I'm also trying to get my head around what I think is the dream euros scenario comedy wise.

I *think* that if we best Scotland 2-0 tomorrow, and Czech Republic beat Croatia 1-0, then if Scotland and Crotia draw they might have to have a pointless penalty shootout to decide third (even though practically speaking neither would have any chance of qualifying as a best place third team with 1 point).
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Re: European Finals.

Post by TANGODANCER » Fri Jun 18, 2021 11:19 am

Prufrock wrote:
Fri Jun 18, 2021 12:10 am
I'm also trying to get my head around what I think is the dream euros scenario comedy wise.

I *think* that if we best Scotland 2-0 tomorrow, and Czech Republic beat Croatia 1-0, then if Scotland and Crotia draw they might have to have a pointless penalty shootout to decide third (even though practically speaking neither would have any chance of qualifying as a best place third team with 1 point).
Hmm. I'm not seeing Czech Republic beating Croatia, even in a dream scenario.....but you never know.

We need to be merciless with the Scots because they'll have been up all night quaffing Irn Bru and doing sword dances to bagpipe music about Robert the Bruce sending old Proud Edward back over the border ( even if it was a one-off in the thirteen hundreds and Flower of Scotland was only written in the twentieth century ). I jest of course, but beating England is almost a fanatical religion amongst the Scots. We need to be careful (remember Iceland in 2016!).
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Re: European Finals.

Post by Prufrock » Fri Jun 18, 2021 11:36 am

I think Croatia will beat Czech Republic, but a 1-0 set piece win for the Czechs would not be too much of a shock.

Let me dream.

Agreed on Scotland. I do think we'll win the game relatively comfortably in the end, but it's going to be a battle. 100mph for at least the first half hour.
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Re: European Finals.

Post by BWFC_Insane » Fri Jun 18, 2021 12:37 pm

Prufrock wrote:
Fri Jun 18, 2021 11:36 am
I think Croatia will beat Czech Republic, but a 1-0 set piece win for the Czechs would not be too much of a shock.

Let me dream.

Agreed on Scotland. I do think we'll win the game relatively comfortably in the end, but it's going to be a battle. 100mph for at least the first half hour.
Match their intensity, tempo and desire and we win almost every time. Fail to do that and it becomes very tricky.

Comes down primarily to attitude.

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Re: European Finals.

Post by Prufrock » Fri Jun 18, 2021 2:03 pm

I think so but not in the classic "want it enough" "passion" sense. We have to not get bullied, match them for intensity but also be brave enough to play. Don't let it turn into a championship game. The big pitch should help.

I think it'll be a madcap first half hour then we'll eventually have too much for them and win by a couple.

The nightmare is the nick a set piece at 0-0 and then have something to defend.
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Re: European Finals.

Post by boltonboris » Fri Jun 18, 2021 2:51 pm

Sweden v Slovakia.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I have nothing positive to say about Sweden's manager, players, or the way they go about their business. Absolutely dire
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Re: European Finals.

Post by Worthy4England » Fri Jun 18, 2021 6:26 pm

boltonboris wrote:
Fri Jun 18, 2021 2:51 pm
Sweden v Slovakia.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I have nothing positive to say about Sweden's manager, players, or the way they go about their business. Absolutely dire
I did, in fact, nod off watching it. Proper hard work.

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Re: European Finals.

Post by KeyserSoze » Fri Jun 18, 2021 6:53 pm

James/Shaw in, trippier/walker out. Rest unchanged.
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