Euro 2024

[The Hallucinating Goose]

Damn...

[The Hallucinating Goose]

What a goal!!

[Maximus Decimus]

Scotland fans will be happy and they've shown more heart, but there's still not been a great difference. The goal was very lucky, and I count one actual chance that they fashioned in that half.

Dare I say it, and they'd hate me for the comparison, but Scotland are the England of the minnows...

[gingerjon]

2 minutes ago, Maximus Decimus said:

Scotland fans will be happy and they've shown more heart, but there's still not been a great difference. The goal was very lucky, and I count one actual chance that they fashioned in that half.

Dare I say it, and they'd hate me for the comparison, but Scotland are the England of the minnows...

Thing is, they qualified directly, not via play offs - they shouldn't be this minnow-ish.

[Maximus Decimus]

Much better second half from Scotland and could easy have got the win. At least they're still in the tournament.

Not sure how much it has on bearings but there have been a few tournaments where Scotland have started poorly, got a decent result in the 2nd game only to blow it in the 3rd. 2020 is a very recent example.

I specifically remember 1998, and how there was so much optimism going into the Morocco game only for them to get mullered. 

[Gerrumonside ref]

1 minute ago, Maximus Decimus said:

Much better second half from Scotland and could easy have got the win. At least they're still in the tournament.

Not sure how much it has on bearings but there have been a few tournaments where Scotland have started poorly, got a decent result in the 2nd game only to blow it in the 3rd. 2020 is a very recent example.

I specifically remember 1998, and how there was so much optimism going into the Morocco game only for them to get mullered. 

Yes, historically they find a way to heartbreak in tournaments.

TBF they performed much better tonight than I was expecting and will have wanted a win, but a draw gives them a good chance.

Hungary are no mugs though and they must remember this now.

[gingerjon]

9 hours ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

Yes, historically they find a way to heartbreak in tournaments.

TBF they performed much better tonight than I was expecting and will have wanted a win, but a draw gives them a good chance.

Hungary are no mugs though and they must remember this now.

Hungary qualified unbeaten, are ranked 13 places higher, and have performed comfortably better than Scotland in their games so far.

The shock would be Scotland getting any kind of result.

[Gerrumonside ref]

18 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Hungary qualified unbeaten, are ranked 13 places higher, and have performed comfortably better than Scotland in their games so far.

The shock would be Scotland getting any kind of result.

Agreed, I expect Hungary to break Scottish hearts.

But I also think going into the game Scotland will be clinging to the fact that they had the edge in the last 40 mins against a Swiss team that put Hungary to the sword 3-1.

Probably in the build up that is where the hope will come in.

[Dave T]

I thought Scotland did well. They've been in stinking form and are the lowest ranked team in their group, so always gonna be challenging. But Ghey gave it a good go last night and it was a game they could have won. 

That first half was littered with those poor passes as the back which led to two corners and a goal, they need to firm up there. 

But, that was more like the fans expect, and at least it's set up for a good 3rd match. 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

Yes!! C'mon Harry!!

[Maximus Decimus]

Hardly vintage stuff, but we've showed some glimpses.

Blimming awful pitch.

[The Hallucinating Goose]

We're doing same thing again, classic Southgate, we've dominated for half an hour and then dropped deep.

[Maximus Decimus]

Damn. Fully deserved.

[Maximus Decimus]

1 minute ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

We're doing same thing again, classic Southgate, we've dominated for half an hour and then dropped deep.

Not sure how you can say we've dominated. Been very scrappy.

[The Hallucinating Goose]

1 minute ago, Maximus Decimus said:

Not sure how you can say we've dominated. Been very scrappy.

Fair enough, wrong choice of word, I was just meaning we were actually pushing forward, getting a lot of chances for the first half hour and then fell off and as a result Denmark have scored...

[Maximus Decimus]

9 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

Fair enough, wrong choice of word, I was just meaning we were actually pushing forward, getting a lot of chances for the first half hour and then fell off and as a result Denmark have scored...

Unlike the Serbia game, where we actually dominated, I thought the goal came largely out of nothing.

The narrative about England sitting back has truth but I don't think it applies here. We've been largely rubbish tbh.

It feels like a pre-2018 England team, where we're looking at superstars who can't seem to do it.

The idea that we're favourites is frankly laughable.

[gingerjon]

4 minutes ago, Maximus Decimus said:

Unlike the Serbia game, where we actually dominated, I thought the goal came largely out of nothing.

The narrative about England sitting back has truth but I don't think it applies here. We've been largely rubbish tbh.

It feels like a pre-2018 England team, where we're looking at superstars who can't seem to do it.

The idea that we're favourites is frankly laughable.

The structure isn't working.

That appears to have a lot to do with a very disciplined Danish performance.

England need to be quicker and actually use the space when they manage to create it.

[Maximus Decimus]

6 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

The structure isn't working.

That appears to have a lot to do with a very disciplined Danish performance.

England need to be quicker and actually use the space when they manage to create it.

I do think this is feeling like one of those tournaments where we haven't got the right system. The Alexander-Arnold thing looks like a mistake.

Dare I say it, but I'm not sure St Bellingham is ideal in the middle. 

[gingerjon]

18 minutes ago, Maximus Decimus said:

I do think this is feeling like one of those tournaments where we haven't got the right system. The Alexander-Arnold thing looks like a mistake.

Dare I say it, but I'm not sure St Bellingham is ideal in the middle. 

At the very last, Southgate has fallen into the trap (it seems) of picking the players and then creating the system.

That's the wrong way round when you really don't have any bad players to pick from.

Still time but it's not impressive so far.

[tonyXIII]

Watching this England game, I'm reminded of why I prefer Rugby League.

Second half has started a bit better.

[Dave T]

32 minutes ago, Maximus Decimus said:

I do think this is feeling like one of those tournaments where we haven't got the right system. The Alexander-Arnold thing looks like a mistake.

Dare I say it, but I'm not sure St Bellingham is ideal in the middle. 

I'm only a casual footy fan, so it's a genuine question, but is Bellingham always so sulky and petulant? He's been poor and every time he goes down and doesn't get a free kick it's a good 30 seconds before he's back up and play often happening around him. 

[Maximus Decimus]

I think I speak for the country when I say,

 

STOP PASSING THE F****G BALL AROUND THE BACK.

[Gomersall]

23 minutes ago, tonyXIII said:

Watching this England game, I'm reminded of why I prefer Rugby League.

I’m reminded why I prefer trepanning.

[The Hallucinating Goose]

My summary.

THAT WAS F***ING DREADFUL.

[Maximus Decimus]

To say I'm really concerned is an understatement.

All the progress we've made since 2016 is in fear of being lost. Not just because we're playing badly, but the negativity is creeping in amongst the fans again.

My 40 odd years of watching England teams leads me to think that, we're heading for a poor exit in the knockouts.

Why do we never have an England team, successful or not that plays well?