Euro2020 Knock Out Rounds

[ilikecheese]

It's too bad that it's not Belgium vs England in the final. It would have been glorious on here in the build up.

 

[JimmyJeffers]

That's a good point, and not an easy one to refute if I'm honest. I've lived in Australia for over 20 years and I've never been much of an England fan, apart from when I was a kid in '86 and we made up almost half the team.

The most ashamed I've ever been as an Evertonian was after the '09 cup final, when an absolute trumpet starting singing 'Everton are white' at a black employee at Wembley tube station. Another time many years ago I played a gig at the Blue House when what seemed like most of the clientele started a chorus of 'I'd rather be a P*ki than a red'. They're the only two racist incidents I can remember with any clarity from over 40 years of following the club, I imagine if I was a Chelsea or Stoke supporter I'd have many, many more awful memories.

I guess that's why I find it hard to support England - I don't want to be associated with middle aged cockneys and wools making false equivalences between a game of football and their own confused feelings of racial/national superiority. I do realise of course that they are far and away a minority, but a vocal minority nevertheless, judging from those booing the taking of the knee, or from some of the jingoistic melts posting in this thread.

I do really enjoy watching international football, it's great to see the absolute best in the world at any sport, but like rugby, cricket and athletics, I don't really get excited by whatever flag is being carried. If England win or lose on Sunday I'll watch and enjoy, but that's as far as it goes for me.

And having said all that, the tipping point for me this tournament was the adoption of Sweet Caroline. I hate Neil Diamond more than I hate Emlyn Hughes.

Apologies for the essay!

100% I want no affiliation with these embarrassing cavemen

 

[The T-Dex]

Olmo has been rubbish.

Sure he smacked a few shots wide, but whats he actually done?

ZIP.

For me there hasnt been a stand out performer this tourney, loads have looked good at times, but nobody has really stood out, for me.

Leave my little burn victim alone please.

 

[roydo]

100% I want no affiliation with these embarrassing cavemen
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You dont have to. If you enjoy England, at any sport, doing well, the fact that some bellends attach themselves to the team means nothing to me.

Its enjoyable, a bit weird, and brings joy to millions after 18 months of a PITA existence.

 

[Wizard]

For those that don’t like Raheem the person, this is an interesting read about where he has come from

It Was All a Dream | By Raheem Sterling

If you grew up the same way I grew up, don’t listen to what certain tabloids want to tell you.

www.theplayerstribune.com

 

[Barnfred 55]

You were comparing two different situations: one with obvious, extended and massive contact and one that required at the very least a long look at VAR to determine whether Sterling went down under his own steam or whether contact was made.

No I wasn't.

Where did I make any reference whatsoever to the penalty in my original post? All I was complaining about in that post was the inconsistency with penalising holding at set pieces. You must be getting me mixed up with another poster.

As it happens I thought the penalty was harsh and I said as much in my second post. But it was given. I also thought the Kane shout was a penalty, but that wasn't given. It happens.

 

[Barnfred 55]

100% I want no affiliation with these embarrassing cavemen
View attachment 132785

Mate.

On another day that photo could have been taken at Goodison Park after we'd just scored against Liverpool, and those same fans wearing a mix of blue tinted shirts.

Honestly you can take no clue on the character of those people from that photograph, other than your own pre conceived perception.

 

[turner]

100% I want no affiliation with these embarrassing cavemen
View attachment 132785

Sometimes I miss the subtleties of people's opinions: what is it about that photo that makes them cavemen?

 

[Barnfred 55]

For those that don’t like Raheem the person, this is an interesting read about where he has come from

It Was All a Dream | By Raheem Sterling

If you grew up the same way I grew up, don’t listen to what certain tabloids want to tell you.

www.theplayerstribune.com

I thought he was absolutely brilliant last night. His final ball or shot has let him down a few times in this tournament, but he creates so much of those chances himself with his pace, bravery and skill that it's hard to criticise. It's what sets him aside from the true greats like Messi and Maradona, but he's still probably been the standout player at this tournament, certainly Englands.

I was one of those calling for Sancho, Grealish and Foden to start ahead of him, but that was only down to form. I don't think any of them are experienced enough to bring what Sterling has done so consistently throughout this tournament. He's really brought his A game.

 

[davek]

Olmo has been rubbish.

Sure he smacked a few shots wide, but whats he actually done?

ZIP.

For me there hasnt been a stand out performer this tourney, loads have looked good at times, but nobody has really stood out, for me.

Ha Ha Ha.

You thought VVD was "rubbish".

You have no business posting on player talent.

 

[Barnfred 55]

100% I want no affiliation with these embarrassing cavemen
View attachment 132785

Don't know what you're wowing at Jimmy. That could very easily be just a bunch of football fans celebrating. You see those scenes week in week out at every football ground around the country.

 

[davmaher]

100% I want no affiliation with these embarrassing cavemen
View attachment 132785

You should stop following football or supporting an individual team then as every team in the country have equivalent fans, including Everton. If you want to complain about football fans take a look at Italian ones, where there is a definite Fascist, racist element in a lot of their senior clubs - much more open and wide-spread than anything you would see in England - and pretty much tolerated by the clubs themselves and the Italian FA. The abuse that black players get over there is utterly disgraceful but they are not English so they must be the good guy and I'll want them to win over England any time seems to be the attitude for a vocal minority on here.

 

[davek]

Sweet Caroline has been adopted by the fans for this shower of frauds. This would have been more appropriate...

 

[davek]

No I wasn't.

Where did I make any reference whatsoever to the penalty in my original post? All I was complaining about in that post was the inconsistency with penalising holding at set pieces. You must be getting me mixed up with another poster.

As it happens I thought the penalty was harsh and I said as much in my second post. But it was given. I also thought the Kane shout was a penalty, but that wasn't given. It happens.

The two are related. You made it so by reacting to my post on the Sterling dive by bringing up the foul by Shaw.

 

[davek]

Seeing this generation of England players referred to as "Southgate's Sucklings" by one of the red-tops has made me feel a bit queasy to be honest.

Gareth's Gargoyles.