The Euro 2024 Championship Thread

[monabri]

For those with an FT subscription, the FT's Robert Shrimsley has a great piece on how it feels to be a non-football fan at a time when the England squad getting ready for a game gets a higher ranking in the BBC's news agenda than Gaza, Ukraine, the election or [insert earth-shaking story of your choice.]

And about how not being a footie fan can seriously undermine your social standing, for a few months at least.

It helps in business too. One of my sons started a new job a couple of years ago and everyone in his office followed footie. My son felt left out of the banter so I tried to give him a crash course. During which I realised that it takes years and decades to really get that knowledge, because so much of the knowledge is historical and if you weren't there, you don't know. Think 1966 and 1996 for example.

But to your first point I think people are fed up of hearing about Gaza, Ukraine and the election, and want some light relief. And the England team is certainly providing light comic relief.

"Light relief?", "Light Relief?"... ...let me quote a certain Mr Clough.." They say football's a matter of life and death, but it's more important than that."

[terminal7]

For those with an FT subscription, the FT's Robert Shrimsley has a great piece on how it feels to be a non-football fan at a time when the England squad getting ready for a game gets a higher ranking in the BBC's news agenda than Gaza, Ukraine, the election or [insert earth-shaking story of your choice.]

And about how not being a footie fan can seriously undermine your social standing, for a few months at least. It's at https://www.ft.com/content/935bf0d4-4da ... ab098d1828. The author, like Starmer (but clearly not Sunak), has his own "favourite" team for which he has to mouth his enthusiasm. But there is truth in there somewhere.

Once, a love of football showed a bloke still had some working-class cred. Now, frankly, it probably means you have a facial-skincare regime. I tell you it can be hard to cope in the tournament off-years when there are no adverts to advise you on Jude Bellingham’s preferred shaving gel.

I was born and raised in Watford, which is one reason why I don't have a football team. In the 1970s, I once paid to watch George Best putting two past West Bromwich Albion, which is my sole claim to footie cred. My personal advice to Shrimsley is to declare confess that he doesn't understand the offside rule, and never will. Cue a lot of pitying looks, but at least it'd give him an alibi and leave him free for more fruitful activities. It's worked for me, so far at least.

BJ

Where have you been for the last 3/4 decades? Look at the scrabble for debentures at Ars*nal (came up as expletive deleted!) in the early 1990's. Then there was Keane and the prawn cocktail brigade some 20 years ago. Far from a recent phenomena. It's been corporate for decades.

T7

[kiloran]

It helps in business too. One of my sons started a new job a couple of years ago and everyone in his office followed footie. My son felt left out of the banter so I tried to give him a crash course. During which I realised that it takes years and decades to really get that knowledge, because so much of the knowledge is historical and if you weren't there, you don't know. Think 1966 and 1996 for example.

But to your first point I think people are fed up of hearing about Gaza, Ukraine and the election, and want some light relief. And the England team is certainly providing light comic relief.

"Light relief?", "Light Relief?"... ...let me quote a certain Mr Clough.." They say football's a matter of life and death, but it's more important than that."

Clough????? Absolutely not.
It was Bill Shankly

--kiloran

[bungeejumper]

"Light relief?", "Light Relief?"... ...let me quote a certain Mr Clough.." They say football's a matter of life and death, but it's more important than that."

Clough????? Absolutely not.
It was Bill Shankly

Indeed. It was Cloughie who said:

"I wouldn't say I was the best manager in the business. But I was in the top one".

BJ

[monabri]

"Light relief?", "Light Relief?"... ...let me quote a certain Mr Clough.." They say football's a matter of life and death, but it's more important than that."

Clough????? Absolutely not.
It was Bill Shankly

--kiloran

This website attributed it to Clough..

https://www.bookey.app/quote-author/brian-clough

.......but now you mention it.!

Clough would have probably said something like " if it was a good quote then it was very likely mine!





""My wife said to me in bed, 'God, your feet are cold.' I said, 'You can call me Brian in bed, dear.'" "

[nimnarb]

Anyone watched the Portugal v Turkey match? Ronaldo easily would have scored but passed it to Man U's Bruno. Impressed. Not something you see from him every day, albeit he does have around 46 assists. Very unselfish. The talent that Spain and Portugal have could see either go all the way, and they seem to have got it together, playing as a team, unlike our lot, who appear to have developed a recent painful haemorrhoid condition, that delays getting their leg up past their ball's on to the one that counts.

https://www.uefa.com/euro2024/teams/110 ... gal/squad/

Incredible talent....

and need I remind you.

https://www.uefa.com/euro2024/teams/39--england/squad/

Just doesn't appear to me as exciting, or is it because so far, from what I have seen, it's just the same old hyped up frenzy, when these star players, just do not perform as one, and are for whatever reason, frightened of shooting from outside 2 feet(slight exaggeration but not excessively so ) of the opposing net. Maybe they don't know where it is. I would love to be proved wrong. But please stop talking about Luke Shaw and how we miss him, as he is injured or whatever, bla, bla, send the poor sod home. At least he won't suffer any more, get to come home one week earlier than his mates but can watch his brethren at home on the box, perform dribbling from the mouth as opposed the feet.

Mind you, why am I blaming any of the players........Southgate! More like Gateway to hell. Just had enough.

Rant over....

[swill453]

Apparently:

The draw between Georgia and Czech means that a draw against Hungary will put Scotland through if all of these results happen

Spain beat Albania
Italy beat Croatia
Portugal beat Georgia
Turkey beat Czech

If all that happens Scotland would be the first ever team to reach the knockout stages with less than 3 points.

Here's hoping, eh.

Scott.

[nimnarb]

To see that goal go in, in the 100th minute, was a bit much. However, truth be told, Scotland did not deserve to go through as would have been crucified with another 5-0 thrashing in the last 16. Think also they were lucky not have a sending off, some very tough tackles therein. Regardless, sure the bar owners are extremely disappointed, plus the fans have been exemplary.

[Tedx]

Yes, but I can relax and enjoy the tournament now.

[Bubblesofearth]

Yes, but I can relax and enjoy the tournament now.

Even with England still in it? Will you be enjoying it if we win

BoE

[Tedx]

Yes, but I can relax and enjoy the tournament now.

Even with England still in it? Will you be enjoying it if we win

BoE

Well believe it or not, when the last final kicked off I wanted Italy to win. Anyone But England etc........But by half time I was rooting for Team GB (when they lose, they're English, natch).

Maybe it's a Brexit thing. Or more likely, the Italians were just a bunch of cheating pastas.

[monabri]

Felt disappointment for Croatia conceding an equaliser in the very last seconds against Italy the current holders who beat England IN THE LAST EURO FINAL ON PENALTIES!!

( sorry...I might have switched into shouty angry mode at the thought of the last final).

[monabri]

mind you...I will cheer on anyone who beats FRANCE (*)

(*) oooh...I'm doing it again! CESM!

[nimnarb]

Think the powers that be decided to take a soccer break and watch England whilst they did maintenance on this site, as it was down for several hours, or was that just me?

Anyway, we are through,(and unbeaten) but with all that talent on display, just is putting off the inevitable, surely? What say yee?

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/arti ... 00y6x3j07o

[Bubblesofearth]

Think the powers that be decided to take a soccer break and watch England whilst they did maintenance on this site, as it was down for several hours, or was that just me?

Anyway, we are through,(and unbeaten) but with all that talent on display, just is putting off the inevitable, surely? What say yee?

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/arti ... 00y6x3j07o

Germany 1 Swiss 1
France 1 Poland 1
Italy 1 Croatia 1
France managed beat mighty Albania 1-0

Kane rightly said these games are tough. We are not the only fancied side finding that. The media and public should get behind the team 100% and maybe have slightly more realistic expectations.

BoE

[Leothebear]

Think the powers that be decided to take a soccer break and watch England whilst they did maintenance on this site, as it was down for several hours, or was that just me?

Anyway, we are through,(and unbeaten) but with all that talent on display, just is putting off the inevitable, surely? What say yee?

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/arti ... 00y6x3j07o

Germany 1 Swiss 1
France 1 Poland 1
Italy 1 Croatia 1
France managed beat mighty Albania 1-0

Kane rightly said these games are tough. We are not the only fancied side finding that. The media and public should get behind the team 100% and maybe have slightly more realistic expectations.

BoE

I think I can safely say my expectations for GS's England have been met.

[Gerry557]

Are we getting to a place where we might actually win the tournament but with boring football and still be complaining.

[Bubblesofearth]

I think I can safely say my expectations for GS's England have been met.

Mine too but a lot of people seem to be expecting us to win the whole thing and to do so in an entertaining manner with lots of goals. The media have hyped us up to the point where anything else will be viewed as failure. It's bonkers when in reality this team is not significantly better than ones that have gone before. There are always 'stars' that will change what is now 58 years of hurt - look at Rashford in the last tournament, he played as well or better than anyone has done in this one and he's not even here this time. Remember Beckham, Lineker, Gerrard, Scholes, Gascoigne, Owen, Hoddle, Barnes, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Lampard and so on.

Reality has left the building when a team is booed after winning the group.

BoE

[Leothebear]

I think I can safely say my expectations for GS's England have been met.

Mine too but a lot of people seem to be expecting us to win the whole thing and to do so in an entertaining manner with lots of goals. The media have hyped us up to the point where anything else will be viewed as failure. It's bonkers when in reality this team is not significantly better than ones that have gone before. There are always 'stars' that will change what is now 58 years of hurt - look at Rashford in the last tournament, he played as well or better than anyone has done in this one and he's not even here this time. Remember Beckham, Lineker, Gerrard, Scholes, Gascoigne, Owen, Hoddle, Barnes, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Lampard and so on.

Reality has left the building when a team is booed after winning the group.

BoE

I think the fact that Kane has had such a stellar season with Bayern, likewise Bellingham with Real and Foden with City, has led many to believe that we potentially have the best attacking side in Europe. The trouble is the attacking style is so predictable and usually lacking pace.
Last night how many times were defenders taken on? Not once !(IIRC)
"Pass don't beat" is GS's motto.

[the0ni0nking]

Reality has left the building when a team is booed after winning the group.
BoE

A group containing Slovenia, Slovakia and Demark.

I doubt the average Joe on the street would be able to name a single player who plays for Slovenia (a team ranked lower than Iraq) or Slovakia (while ranked higher than Slovenia they're still only 45th in the world) - because they're not very good.

While I'm not a booing type of person, the idea that the performances in winning the group have been remotely close to good enough is laughable.