Wiltshire Rhino Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 Southgate changes the formation and the starting line up for the opposition and yet the team still play as one. They always know their individual role within the unit. This is what I find the most impressive about this England team. While some personal don't change, the opposition can't be sure who they are going to be playing against. Southgate is doing a great job. Now watch the Danes beat us... 2014 Challenged Cup Winner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wiltshire Rhino Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 1 minute ago, Wiltshire Rhino said: 2014 Challenged Cup Winner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moose Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 17 minutes ago, Maximus Decimus said: Were we to make the final, we'd be second favourites to Italy for sure but in football you never know, especially at home. I must have missed the Italy v Spain semi final, what was the score? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graveyard johnny Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 16 minutes ago, Moose said: I must have missed the Italy v Spain semi final, what was the score? it was abandoned due to fog and a dog on the pitch - italy were awarded the game by video referee robin whitfield via videolink see you later undertaker - in a while necrophile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidM Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 I’m not sure why we’d be second favourites to Italy in a final ? At home id have us as favourites in a final and if your Italy or Spain then last night was as good as they’d have produced Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerjon Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 32 minutes ago, DavidM said: I’m not sure why we’d be second favourites to Italy in a final ? At home id have us as favourites in a final and if your Italy or Spain then last night was as good as they’d have produced We’re second favourites to Italy because they’re on a 30 match unbeaten run and are looking better than England in this tournament. Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graveyard johnny Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 3 minutes ago, gingerjon said: We’re second favourites to Italy because they’re on a 30 match unbeaten run and are looking better than England in this tournament. "you can't win em all" see you later undertaker - in a while necrophile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graveyard johnny Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 who's booked next monday off work? see you later undertaker - in a while necrophile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wiltshire Rhino Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 1 hour ago, graveyard johnny said: who's booked next monday off work? My shift pattern has that Monday as a Rest Day. Also this Thursday. Hopefully I'll be using both days "well" 2014 Challenged Cup Winner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Decimus Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 1 hour ago, gingerjon said: We’re second favourites to Italy because they’re on a 30 match unbeaten run and are looking better than England in this tournament. Bookies wise, I think it'd be close and I'm not sure which way it would go purely because it's at Wembley. A Widnesian in Ireland blog What is the best system for Super League? An honest appraisal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerjon Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 4 minutes ago, Maximus Decimus said: Bookies wise, I think it'd be close and I'm not sure which way it would go purely because it's at Wembley. A nervy crowd isn’t always helpful. I don’t think being at Wembley will be a difference maker TBH. Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedfordshire Bronco Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 16 hours ago, Robin Evans said: I'm as high as a kite. Despite my morbid obesity, hypertension and ridiculous back pain, I played rugby today for the first time in 30 years. The burn, exhilaration and buzz I got from that was enormous. Swimming in the morning. Fev slapped London big time scoring tries from everywhere on the park in some of the best rugby seen in years. England trounce Ukraine and look great. Now, if nigella knocks on my door saying "give it to me big boy", it will be the perfect day!! No chance of sleep. Proper hyper. First game in 30 years and topped it off with a Nigella dessert? How's the body and head today Robin? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Evans Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 Just now, Bedfordshire Bronco said: First game in 30 years and topped it off with a Nigella dessert? How's the body and head today Robin? Sat in the armchair contemplating urinary incontinence as an option instead of climbing the stairs to the lav! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedfordshire Bronco Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 Just now, Robin Evans said: Sat in the armchair contemplating urinary incontinence as an option instead of climbing the stairs to the lav! Ha! After the first game back earlier this Spring I was in a state the next day. Far too much enthusiasm from us all a third team level after the break... We were all battered Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wiltshire Rhino Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 1 minute ago, Robin Evans said: Sat in the armchair contemplating urinary incontinence as an option instead of climbing the stairs to the lav! Upstairs loo? I thought the whole of the north had outside loos. You must be one of those posh northerners 2014 Challenged Cup Winner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Evans Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 8 minutes ago, Wiltshire Rhino said: Upstairs loo? I thought the whole of the north had outside loos. You must be one of those posh northerners My house is 110 yrs old. It had an outside khazi that was converted to a shed but we knocked it down in 1993 leaving only the upstairs cludgie. I normally have the butler doing a bucket run but I gave him the day off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Decimus Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 27 minutes ago, gingerjon said: A nervy crowd isn’t always helpful. I don’t think being at Wembley will be a difference maker TBH. Sorry, I meant from a bookies perspective about who'll be the favourites. A Widnesian in Ireland blog What is the best system for Super League? An honest appraisal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerjon Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 1 minute ago, Maximus Decimus said: Sorry, I meant from a bookies perspective about who'll be the favourites. Ah, understood. Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Decimus Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 29 minutes ago, gingerjon said: Ah, understood. That said, I think Wembley is an advantage. There's a sort of point where the further England go, the pressure starts to decrease. Most of the pressure IMO comes from England underachieving. There'd be huge disappointment if we lose on Wednesday, and it will represent a missed opportunity but it won't then be met with the sort of criticism that followed exits from 2000-2016. In the final, this is even more so. A crowd for a potential final vs Italy/Spain would be a hopeful but not expectant crowd. Personally, I'd just be happy to have seen England in a final. A Widnesian in Ireland blog What is the best system for Super League? An honest appraisal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerjon Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 Just now, Maximus Decimus said: That said, I think Wembley is an advantage. There's a sort of point where the further England go, the pressure starts to decrease. Most of the pressure IMO comes from England underachieving. There'd be huge disappointment if we lose on Wednesday, and it will represent a missed opportunity but it won't then be met with the sort of criticism that followed exits from 2000-2016. In the final, this is even more so. A crowd for a potential final vs Italy/Spain would be a hopeful but not expectant crowd. Personally, I'd just be happy to have seen England in a final. Yes, in a bizarre way I'm anxious about Wednesday in a way I don't think I would be for a final. I've seen England lose three semi finals now and each has been massively dispiriting. I expect that the majority of the crowd will also be feeling that anxiety. What I keep saying about all of this though is that if there's one thing Southgate does well it is grounding the team so, hopefully, all of our talk about advantages and disadvantages of home/away/noisy/worried is irrelevant. Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hallucinating Goose Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 33 minutes ago, gingerjon said: Yes, in a bizarre way I'm anxious about Wednesday in a way I don't think I would be for a final. I've seen England lose three semi finals now and each has been massively dispiriting. I expect that the majority of the crowd will also be feeling that anxiety. What I keep saying about all of this though is that if there's one thing Southgate does well it is grounding the team so, hopefully, all of our talk about advantages and disadvantages of home/away/noisy/worried is irrelevant. I agree, I'm more concerned about the semi than if we were in the final. I think that's probably because I've seen England get to semis before and so it perhaps feels like a bit of a barrier we haven't been able to break through, at least in my lifetime, and so I know we can come up short at this point. I probably feel this way as well because of the opposition we are facing, Denmark are very much a team we should be beating and so I feel there is actually more pressure on the semi than the final. However, getting to a final is something I never thought I would see England do and so just getting there would be like a tournament win for me and also playing one of Italy or Spain I'm not going to be hugely confident of a win anyway, given how often I've seen us lose to those particular teams. I don't expect that there would be much pressure on England in the final, given that it would be new territory for almost every England fan and so expectancy levels shouldn't be as high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob8 Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 4 hours ago, Maximus Decimus said: That said, I think Wembley is an advantage. There's a sort of point where the further England go, the pressure starts to decrease. Most of the pressure IMO comes from England underachieving. There'd be huge disappointment if we lose on Wednesday, and it will represent a missed opportunity but it won't then be met with the sort of criticism that followed exits from 2000-2016. In the final, this is even more so. A crowd for a potential final vs Italy/Spain would be a hopeful but not expectant crowd. Personally, I'd just be happy to have seen England in a final. 3 hours ago, gingerjon said: Yes, in a bizarre way I'm anxious about Wednesday in a way I don't think I would be for a final. I've seen England lose three semi finals now and each has been massively dispiriting. I expect that the majority of the crowd will also be feeling that anxiety. What I keep saying about all of this though is that if there's one thing Southgate does well it is grounding the team so, hopefully, all of our talk about advantages and disadvantages of home/away/noisy/worried is irrelevant. A big advantage is that England are travelling to Wembley from Rome rather than Baku. "You clearly have never met Bob8 then, he's like a veritable Bryan Ferry of RL." - Johnoco 19 Jul 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wiltshire Rhino Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 Thinking about the semi-final, I'm confident and wary at the same time. However I am definitely enjoying the ride! 2014 Challenged Cup Winner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Decimus Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 2 hours ago, Wiltshire Rhino said: Thinking about the semi-final, I'm confident and wary at the same time. However I am definitely enjoying the ride! Yeh I'd argue that it's a tad more enjoyable than losing in the second round to Iceland! I spoke about the odds meaning we would eventually beat a big team in a knockout game, the same is true for semi-finals. Including the nations league, we've lost 5 semi-finals in a row. Although as England fans we like to think this was inevitable, that's pretty unlikely even if we only had 30% of winning each. Long and short, it has to end sometime! A Widnesian in Ireland blog What is the best system for Super League? An honest appraisal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
17 stone giant Posted July 4, 2021 Share Posted July 4, 2021 8 hours ago, gingerjon said: in a bizarre way I'm anxious about Wednesday in a way I don't think I would be for a final. I think that would change if we were to reach the final. Suddenly we'd be one game away from actually winning a major tournament. That surely would bring on huge levels on anxiety. I know it would for me. I was pretty calm against Ukraine as I was confident we'd win that game. I'm less confident against Denmark, but I still think we'll win. The Germany game was the one that I had most anxiety about, as I felt it was a 50/50 chance. Plus after Netherlands were out, I thought the winner of that game would reach the final. That gave it even more significance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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