Euro 2020 — Day 8

England win tonight will see the bookies odds cut again.

Roll up, roll up. Mug punters form an orderly queue... it's coming home, it's coming home.

Thomas (1), if England were 50/1 would you have a go? I know your answer, me neither!!

May be tempted to back them each way at 50/1 Dave 😁

Dave

Not when they're on course to play France or Portugal in the last 16. I just noticed that beyond having the easiest group ever, Netherlands also have an easy path for the next two rounds. They're not that good but dead on for the last four

Sorry Dave,
That each way bet was for tonights game only.

I wouldnt back them at 100/1 to win the tournament Dave.

Tournaments are very rarely won by teams that come out of traps quickly and this is one of the most open tournaments ever.

Who are your winners of the tournament Andrew?

Thomas, Italy are the best team I've seen but as I said it's often a case of slowly, slowly catchy monkey so don't write off Spain yet and with the Wembley advantage England could shock a lot of people.

If I was a gambler I'd be struggling on where to put my money.

Andrew, Italy have looked good. Spain... its kind of a shame how they have fallen. Certainly their golden generation has grown old and they don't have goals. If l had to choose it would have to be a boring choice, the favourites France.

Portugal will win in my opinion. The boche will draw with the Huns and go out with 1 point.

David, it is a really open tournament and quite a few could win.

When you think England will probably come up against France or Portugal in the next round, and then the winner of that Spain, somebody somewhere will be slipping through against so-called easier sides.

Amazing! Two almost identical brilliant saves at either end within seconds of each other.

About the only excitement I've noticed in this one out the corner of my eye...

Michael, we could do worse than taking Olsen again. Virginia has to try again on loan somewhere. Brands has a lot on his plate.

Italy have looked great, but I'm still picking Belgium.

I was wondering if we might be able to nick this Isak lad from Sweden for a bargain price and then I see he's being linked with a €60m move to Chelsea.

Andrew, yes, he does look great for his age. Quick feet, lots of skill.

Andrew, I'm not surprised. Isak is 21, has scored consistently for Real Sociedad, and per Transfermarkt is signed through 2024. So he'll command that kind of fee.

I was hoping a bit Mike. If we could look at players like him and Damsgaard from Denmark we could maybe start to build a squad

Damsgaard wouldn't cost anywhere near that much, Andrew, and I like him very much.

Belgium to win.

Roberto retires from the Belgium coaching gig straight away, then is hired by Everton.

He rides into Finch Farm on an ass, people laying palms in front of him.

Could happen?

ESPN reporting that UEFA may take the Euro semis and finals away from Wembley and move them to Budapest, which doesn't have COVID restrictions.

Jamie 20

Hahaha sounds good as long as we get to crucify him a week later

Might, Jamie. Thing is, though, if Belgium wins it will install them as early favorites for the WC next year. Would Roberto walk away from that? Not to mention his side gig as a pundit?

Right now he's coaching De Bruyne, Rom and the Hazards. Giving them up to coach Bernard, Iwobi and Holgate would seem really weird.

Really good one, Kieran.

Mike

Those lucky old Hungarians get to watch their own team and blockbusters like Portugal v France. Similarly quality Romania, didn't qualify and their poor old fans get stuck watching Macedonia, Ukraine and Austria.

Isak has looked v high quality since he was 17, before he got his move to Dortmund. We could have got him at the point he went to Spain (after a very good loan at Willem II) but probably not now.

The next big thing from Scandinavia is probably Faghir, the 17 year old Dane of Afghan heritage not only scoring goals but looking like a class act footballer for Vejle in Denmark. Once players of this quality show some form in a big league, our chance to sign them has largely gone.

We should be trying to sign them age 17 and develop them on loan (what Dortmund did with Isak).

Mike, Boris has already stepped up Operation Backpedal to make sure it stays in London

Only caught that one from the 91st minute.

Looking forward to this one.

Eriksen out of the hospital, flying home. Yay.

Pretty decent pen for a guy with a broken nose. Ouchie.

Seems that the “surround the ref with all players giving grief” is back allowed fully?

Mike -

I think with Roberto it would be down to how much money he'd be paid. We'd need to pay him more than his current gig to get him to leave. But the WC next year is a big argument for him to stay, no question.

The TV gig - hell that's a non-issue. Everton let Roberto do TV in the summer when he managed us. They'll let him cameo on TV for international competitions in the summer I'd bet.

Kieran -

I don't think 85% of TWers would wait a week to start the crucifixion. Probably more like an hour.

Oh God - they're showing the Scot fans here. They look ready for war.

Lotta jumping in a circle and beer splashing everywhere. This is the game for them, I can see them rising up and giving England an absolute battle.

But if England are just as pumped up, they'll win 4-0. England look fantastic. Best England team I've personally seen in my opinion. If the English press doesn't eat them alive, they have a real chance.

Was laughing at the local news on the car Jamie.

"Despite warnings, thousands of Scottish fans have congregated in large groups in central London".

Apparently, the Metropolitan Police has formed lines to cordon off Leicester Square to keep them in!!

Jamie

I was reading The s*n and the bias is unbelievable. They had stories on the fans. The English were "exuberant" while the Scots were "drunk and rowdy", scenes looked exactly the same.

Jamie, 32
Martinez would make more in a month at Everton than he does in a year with Belgium.

I'd have anyone before Benethus and thankfully the board are now going to take their time and make a decision next week.

Jamie
I was reading The s*n"

Oh. Oh,"Jamie
I was reading The s*n"

Oh. Oh,,,1,18:14:31,,213.205.192.77,ok,23848,06/18/2021 18:14:31,Tomrichards2@outlook.com,reader,,,no 1167294,40932,toffeeweb,18/06/2021,Danny O'Neill,dannyefc26@gmail.com,"Similar I would say Kieran. There's always a sinister feel to the England fans when they get going.

Glutten for punishment, I'm off to watch with the sun in a local Irish Bar. How British Isles is that?!!

Similar I would say Kieran. There's always a sinister feel to the England fans when they get going.

Glutten for punishment, I'm off to watch with the sun in a local Irish Bar. How British Isles is that?!!

Danny, so your reading the Sun too😩

BTW Robert Tressell should be our DOF!

Thomas

Let me rephrase that. I was looking at pictures in The S*n

I thought the winner was between France and Germany before the first game so I backed both. Then Germany after losing went to 14-1 on betfair so I had another little nibble.

Kieran,

The vast majority who pick that rag up only look at the pictures

When I'm actually in the office I work near Kings Cross station. Last time Scotland came to Wembley there were running battle up and down Pentonville Road

How dare you Jeff!! Bloody auto-type, although I don't know how it confused. Before being lynched "the son".

Missed most of this one too. Not having much luck with getting to watch football on the sly today.

Great covering tackle from the 35 year old Modric earlier although the Czech player did hesitate. Interested to watch Vlasic here.

Watching this Croatia game brings back memories of our game against Hajduk Split away. Split is a great city with a fantastic promenade, lined with bars and restaurants, and probably 99.9% friendly people. Had a great time there, apart from the 2 or 3 hours after the match.

There's a place just up the coast as well Rob, much smaller, but stunning. Trogir.

Vlasic not far off on the turn earlier. Was he not held back by the defender?

Vlasic looks like he would walk into our midfield.

Is it me? Or is Dion Dublin really annoying as a co commentator, he never shuts up!

Definitely a place I could spend a week or two, Danny. I believe Dubrovnik is an amazing place?

Robert, even walking he would be quicker than Gomez, Siggy,and Allan!

Oh, now you've got me on European tours again Rob, but I think we get away with that being topical.

I always said I'd take my family back to that part of the world once it sorted itself out and I did. We done a drive holiday a few years back.

Started in Dubrovnik, and yes, amazing, although depending on time of year, a bit crowded. Cable car up to the top of the mountain gives you a fantastic view down onto the town and out across the blue Adriatic Sea.

Half way up the coast is a place called Markarska. Mountain backdrop is, again, stunning and you have the sea.

Then you hit split and Trogir. We then headed off up to the Bosnian border as there are some really nice mountain lakes.

I think I'd get on with your mate who likes his walks before hitting the real business of beer and football!!

They just showed Ericksen's message on ESPN here.

It mentioned he did have surgery. Has it been reported anywhere that it was a heart valve issue? A blockage? Does anyone know the cause of the cardiac arrest?

Linekar putting Jurgen on the spot about the Tottenham job!

Nothing wrong with a bit of cultural chat in-between games, Danny.

If Spurs hire Jurgen I'll laugh my ass off. They'll plummet down the table.

Dude, Mel Gibson starting at Striker for Scotland! Wow!

Great bloke, Klinsmann, and a bit of a visionary too. But crap manager. Hope he does go to Spurs.

Come on England!!!!

Jamie 52

I read yesterday that it was an irregular heart rate. Essentially, its prone to just stopping so they plan to give him an implant that will kick in a charge to restart it if it stops. Apparently its the same device Daley Blind has though luckily his issue was discovered before he got to the same point as Eriksen

Danny

I've been to Zagreb but want to go to Dubrovnik. Isn't that where the Roman Emperor Diocletian had his palace? Top bloke, too bad he's not around to take on the Everton job

Kieran -

TY for that. That would equate to Christian living a long healthy life. Good news.

My grandfather had a "zapper" as well. Lived to 89.

Modern medicine is incredible.

Interesting to see how Billy Gilmore does for Scotland tonight. They actually have a few good ones playing and could do better than expected.

Kieran, you're correct. The implant takes less than an hour to insert, but technically it's a surgical procedure.

My 84-year-old uncle has one. It doesn't feel good when it sparks off, but it beats the alternative.

BTW Dubrovnik is awesome, but don't go during midsummer -- it's hotter than hell and jammed with tourists.

BBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Stop this fucken nonsense, please!

Brian - did you mean their players?

Wha??? What nonsense?

Michael - tempted to open the live forum?

Live Forum! Live Forum! Live Forum!

Scotland need to win this, a draw is not much use to them as I can't see them getting much out of Croatia.

This is mind numbing stuff

Poor from Sterling again, just don't get it with him

Southgate out!! Foden, best player off, Sterling and zombie Kane left on? Southgate is shite.

Colin, replace Kane with who? DCL? 1 goal his last 20 games?

Should have Foden and Grealish in midfield backed up by Rice, with Sancho and Rashford wide. We're set up to be the team without the ball.

England are playing like the international equivalent of Everton.
Side, side, side, back, side, side.
Repeat.

Rashford, Anthony? Mings is a poor mans version of Ashley Williams.

Brian they're playing like that because Scotland are defending on thier 18 yard line. Scotland haven't been in our half you can't keep going forward constantly when your opponent sits back

Colin, seriously Rashford? Cow's arse, banjo?

Colin I love your input mate but if you think Rashford is the answer to replacing Kane have a glass of red with me mate🎼🍷

A mind numbingly, unadventurous, safety first performance, and how many of those have we watched this season as Evertonians?

I'd go as far as to say cowardly.

Gareth Ancellotti strikes again.

To be fair some of our lads have lovely hair do's and super tats.

Well, what a game of anti-football by England that was.

Woeful.

Kane spent all game walking. Rashford did even less. An embarrassing Evertonesque performance.

Fuckin awful.

Field day for the turf accountant yet again where England are playing.
Tournament after tournament the mug punters pile on.

Its coming home, its coming home

To think I missed Gardener's World for that crap.

Interested by your cowardly comments Brian, please elaborate. Do you work in an environment where you have to step outside your comfort zone and be brave?
I think Southgate has done a very measured and controlled job.
Scotland haven't scored a goal yet.

DCL must be well pissed off because Kane's obviously not fit and Rashford strolled around for his cameo.

England continue to be the world champions of dull. Absolutely flat, and players scared to disobey the caution default. Will anyone try and run around players anymore? Or attempt forward balls when players have made the effort to time a run (which I saw at least four times).

Scotland were the better team. OK, no goals but their attacks were the more lively. They also had England sussed.

Correct, Thomas - bookies love 'em.

England doing what England do best demonstrating the paucity of technique in the heat of battle.

Terrific in friendlies and noddy qualifiers though.

Had 0-0 written all over it as soon as the commentator mentioned there had never been an England vs Scotland 0-0 at Wembley before.

I was going to say that I bet Derek Knox is happy with the result but maybe not when considering how poor England were.

At the end of the day though it really doesn't matter because 4pts will be enough to qualify anyway.

Looking at it positively, the best teams peak in the latter stages 🙃

England were flatly terrible the second half. Awful.

Scot celebrating a point, as well they should.

I hope Scotland beat Croatia and make it through. They played well in my opinion.

Denmark and Scotland my new bandwagon jump on teams. Would love to see both those countries make the knock out phase.

The good thing is that if England draw the next game they finish 2nd in the group and a better draw

Anthony, there's a time for "Measured". To Southgate, it's every time.

How Southgate can choose that yard dog Mings over White or Godfrey is mind boggling. Two stiffs in MF ie Rice and Phillips when he has Grealish. This will be another lost generation

Maybe Will but we through to the next stage. Objective 1 achieved. Don't listen to the noise

Southgate buffeted from pillar to post by the world's media as Farhad leans forward, intrigued.

Anthony#87.
Yes I'll elaborate.
By cowardly I mean that rather than take a chance to create something, to be prepared to risk losing the ball by trying to beat someone and create a chance they played it safe time after time.
What I used to do as a job has nothing to do with it but yes I did work in an environment where I had to be brave on a daily basis.
And there's a reason why Scotland haven't scored a goal yet. It's because they're a very poor side, a side that England, had they been prepared to try to, should be beating and beating well.

Looked like a recent Everton performance at least we had the excuse of a poor bench England could have changed the game but as per usual manager with no courage

Phillips was outstanding against Croatia, tonight he's a stiff.
Joke comment.

Well that was shite. WTF was Declan Rice and Sterling doing on the pitch, totally useless. Kane needed his future sorted out before this tournament, and it clearly shows because he was totally innocuous. He was either too deep or too wide. DCL may well have caused problems for Scotland as a replacement for Kane, we'll never know, but Rashford did fuck all. DCL should start against the Czechs.

Southgate now favourite to be the next Everton manager. My next door neighbours dog told me and it's now in the red Echo.

At least we'll be used to the performances Col!

Thanks for the response Brian worked all my life under threat myself that's why I didn't agree with the coward comments.
England football managers aren't cowards the players just didn't play well.
Stirling is massively over rated and I think Sancho and Grealish should have started

We are Anthony, but an approach of just enough/don't lose etc. does nothing for building the team as an attacking unit. It's also dangerous when it goes wrong. The same thinking could equally yield a plan of, win tonight's match and back right off in the final game, for longer recovery time and so on.

I have little confidence in England being able to switch their performance when it comes to more demanding opposition, or having to score two or three goals.

Guess I just miss the days of teams setting out to win matches, or at least looking like it. So drab this evening.

Anthony I didn't say the England manager was a coward. I said the performance was cowardly and it would appear a number of others feel that way too.
Roy Keane just used the word "afraid" with regard to how they played and I think it's spot on.

Two holding MF players who played the ball forward like three times. No width, no speed, flat footed boring football. Joke comment?

A poor side Will.
No structure, no balance, played do not lose football.
In big trouble against the likes of France and Italy.

After the last three results winning 1-0, I suspected that the offence was not good enough and certainly would struggle against the likes of Germany, Italy, Spain, France and Belgium but no goals against the Scots-unbelievable !

Sterling was awful from the start.

Southgate still cannot see that Grealish should be starting an when he did come on the Scots had gotten into a groove, so to speak.
Touch and go if they get out of the group and need a good win against the Czechs.

Fabian Delph would have fit in perfectly today, replacing Rice no one would have noticed the difference.

Rob, I thought Kane looked heavy-legged for most of the game, definitely not himself. I try not to have it in for him, but I still can't see the Rashford hype, he appears to be getting worse.

Anthony, Sterling was a great player but it seems to be some time ago now...

Pickford one of our better players on the night.

I don't tend to listen pundits who are normally failed managers or never will be managers. Yes it was an underwhelming performance but it wasn't cowardly.It was just poor.

England that?

It goes to show what's wrong about the England setup. The pundits on ITV, to a man, said Kane looekd unfit, leggy, not right, including Ian Wright who when asked if DCL would/ should start against the Czechs said no Kane will definitely start.

It's been the English managers downfall since Ron Greenwood, Bri. Bryan Robson through to Sven and Fabio with Rooney and Beckham. Now this numpty with Kane. They never learn.

I'll try this in here as no-one seemed to be in the other thread:

So England were dull and it was frustrating to watch. They should have been more positive and moved the ball quicker. If he'd really wanted to push for the win he should have taken off Phillips and replaced him with another attacking player.

However, it was absolutely NOT brainless. In fact, objectively England were plenty clever in not over attacking. The following factors need to be taken into account:

1. The draw virtually guarantees qualification from the group. If England lose to the Czechs then they'll still probably go through, but they should be able to at least draw.

2. A draw is a much better result for England than Scotland. England have their win already, Scotland don't.

3. Scotland raised themselves to maximum. This was their final. For England it was just another group game that they didn't even need to win.

4. Like in Russia 2018, coming 2nd in the group could be better for England. Winning it gives us France, Portugal or Germany in round 2. 2nd place is probably Sweden or Slovakia.

5. England are set up to play better teams than Scotland. Our tactics, decisions and set up are not aimed at Scotland, they're aimed at the latter stages of the competition.

So yeah, I'd have brought on Grealish through the middle, not wide. I'd have asked James to cross the ball with Calvert-Lewin waiting in the middle. I'd have taken Phillips off and attacked more. I'd have done a few things differently and made more effort to force a win, but Gareth chose not to, and he's left England in a perfectly good position.

The TV pundits are over reacting massively, I imagine lots of fans are too.

Colin # 116 ] You are spot on. Even a manager as good as Bobby Robson seemed to believe the world would implode if a clearly unfit (and in my view massively overrated) Bryan Robson couldn't take to the field. We know Harry Kane is a top player, but he looks knackered/ unfit. If so he shouldn't start.
That aside, while England have looked bang average in the first 2 games, I'm reminded that at Euro 2016, Portugal drew all 3 of their group games before limping through the knockout games and actually winning the tournament without ever impressing - something that their “Golden Generation” ( Luis Figo, Rui Costa et al) didn't manage. So I guess you never know what might happen?

And let's not forget, international tournaments are really comedy football - filling the gap between the seasons when there is nothing decent on the telly ( though I see Love Island is coming back).

Hey Kieran, it is just inspiring to see the commitment. Whether for the flag or buy-in on the system that is the essence of football. There are times when I wish football culture was more like hockey