Pickford's penalty save puts England through

Another hard slog but it's the end result that matters.

Let's hope for better in the next one!

He had no chance with their slightly fluky goal and he made what turned out to be the crucial save.

Made up for a reorganised England, and Jordan in particular.

Just hope the manager takes some positives from giving his young guns a go...cmon

And yet, because the way the draw has worked out, they are in the semi-final. It is possible that in this semi-final Southgate will be up against Koeman, a manager possibly even worse than he is himself. So a place in the final is a distinct possibility.

I guess a runners up medal isn't too bad for Bellingham, Trippier, Terence Trent D'arby (or whatever the kopite dickhead is called) and a most of the others in the England team, who, let's face it, really aren't up to the level required in top class international football.

I was about to say the same — my aunty took me to a pub (The Blue Anchor?) and got Ted Sagar to sign a beer mat for me. Unfortunately, I lost it.

ps: I hope Koeman & Co get twatted tonight.

Totally agree. They're now interviewing TAA as the hero of the penalty shootout. No mention of Pickford nor the other penalty takers.

“Brilliant in both boxes!”

OMG, when will they stop?

Pickford was always going to get to one of them.

Hopefully the RS contingent in orange get mullered by Turkey.. now there's an exciting team.

He hates Jordan and it is obvious why.

Having (yet again) picked the wrong starting eleven, Southgate's faves struggled exactly the same way as previous games and still got a lifeline. He was forced to use his subs who rescued a desperate situation.

Surely the gods are with us and surely we will win this trophy with this hopeless manager.

Andy, Shearer is such a biased shithead. The other day, he was moaning about goalies trying to play it out and not trying to hit long balls over high defensive lines. But when the lad from Sunderland does it…

In the next match, they may need a few more goals to get to the final and certainly against Spain or France if they make the final.

Personally, I would start Eze and Toney but Southgate will stubbornly stick to his problem eleven.

To say Bellingham alone is not up to the top-class level of an international footballer is just stupid clickbait.

Hate him if you must, but Southgate has won more knockout games at tournaments than his 17 predecessors combined going back to 1966; that's how shit England really were previously.

The tactics may seem strange and player selections not to everyone's liking but somehow the team plod on and get results.

If England were to actually get to and win the final, he'll become Sir Gareth Southgate.

A lot of the play in this competition reminds me of Dycheball. It is not impossible that England may win this competition and Pickford becomes a cult hero.

He is a terrible manager: negative, no bottle, and defends what he has at the start of the game. He's a Moyes disciple and will never win anything.

Oh sorry… Moyes won the Europa Conference League — the 43rd competition he's led a team into.

The second-half capitulations against Croatia (World Cup) and Italy (Euros) showed his mettle in crunch games. His team selections and negative tactics mean he's a very lucky man to have so many great young players at his disposal.

Yep. Me too. 😁

In fact, the biggest "Trent" arse sucker is Gary Lineker, but it's a rare day that he doesn't make an utter twat of himself, so it's not surprising.

Can we please, as Toffees, stop calling him 'Trent'!!!

Please, please!

The shite clearance in the last round for England when he almost got lobbed was just sheer luck that it didn't go in. Would have been 2-0 and game over.

I also will never forget the derby years ago which I can never forgive him for…

On the other hand, without saving Maddison's penalty, we would have been relegated — I have no doubts about that!! I'd shake his hand if I met the fella, just for never giving up on us and saving Maddo's pen. But, if we sold him this window, I also wouldn't be assed…

Also TAA is a good local lad who is genuinely sound, and also happens to be world class imo. I'm as bitter a blue as the rest of you and I hope their plane goes down on the way to their first pre-season game, but we can call him Trent on here like.

Takes a good northern lad to score a winning penalty apparently!! Saka, Southgate, Pierce etc etc etc… puffs!!!

Could there be anything sweeter than him mugging Van Dijk off and sticking it right up him? Red Shites would go into meltdown…

Rapps to Jordan for his part. He deserves all the plaudits.

The wrap-up on Fox US, owned by the same magnate, said “TAA seals the win after Swiss miss.” Miss? Pretty sure it was on target and stopped from reaching its destination.

I guess the English tabloid hates RS even more than Everton whereas Fox caters to the casual global fan.

That said it's time we settled some scores with that blonde man, as Graham Taylor might say.

You hope the plane carrying the Liverpool team to their pre-season game goes down!!!! You are one sick man.

I suppose you also hope it crashes into a children's hospital. You should be barred from this site.

Personally, I think Southgate is all in on the idea that playing well means nothing when you've got the kind of quality that can win crap games. Make the games tight and back your players to come out on the better end of limited opportunities for both sides.

Huge gamble. I still think there's enough talent to win through performance and quality. The risk is that England will at some point go out with a whimper.

Kane though? Sometimes players' legs just 'go', I'm not sure if it's a documented 'thing' but I'm convinced it happens, either that or he's carrying a knock, which is down to Southgate who needs an arse kicking for playing favourites and only sending out 10 fit men.

All the credit for the Red Shite (it was a decently struck effort though) but not much for Pickford. Players are supposed to score penalties and keepers aren't supposed to save them — not the other way around. Nothing changes.

As for Kane, that was pretty dreadful. I don't buy that he's not getting the service — there were plenty of occasions where he was the obvious ball into feet but he was just stood still with his marker. And some of those low cut backs into the box from Saka were huge opportunities that he's simply not on the move for. There's something not right with him.

Southgate with his Dycheball tactics has got England through most competitions. He is doing it again. Defensively, they are sound with the addition of Pickford, who is getting a lot of camera close-ups.

Southgate does have players who can finish. They even look better attacking than France and Portugal. Even Ronaldo missed like Calvert-Lewin when he got a chance. Southgate even has them at the French level taking penalties.

Hope I am wrong, but England could win this competition.

He is not a hold-up target man and doesn't have the pace to run beyond anyone; however, he'll never get dropped.

I understand our British rivals not wanting England to win and I have the same feelings towards their teams.

But I do agree Southgate is a terrible manager. With the kind of talent he has available, we should be performing much better.

Just in case you are referring to me, I am Irish and proud of it.

I know that sometimes he makes mistakes and his distribution can be wild, but he has more than made up for it with fantastic saves keeping us in games and winning us games.

Watkins would probably offer more with this set-up because he's the most mobile. It also shows what a hard job Calvert-Lewin is expected to do for us...

A good point on Calvert-Lewin. I have noticed in the attempt by France, Spain and England to play Dycheball, attacking players with reputations, including Ronaldo, guilty of weak basic attacking football skills that I accuse Calvert-Lewin of.

I also have upped my opinion of Pickford who, like Calvert-Lewin is under the intense scrutiny of these forums in a basket-case club, may be a lot better than we give him credit for.

Actually, Pickford is a player who is well experienced in the pressure cooker of being up against it and surviving at Everton. It probably suits him to be constantly living on the edge. I doubt Southgate has to talk to Pickford about motivation.

By far the penalties by England were superb and Pickford made his save look easy. But he got it right and that laid the ground for the win so he more than did his part (again).

But I was mystified as to the almost total acknowledgement by the commentators or the BBC (other than lip service) to his save and the adulation given to Saka and Arnold. Fair enough they did good but so did Pickford.

Anyway, a few singled him out for praise, but regardless it was like watching Everton concede the ground and get behind the ball playing sideways and back rather than forward. (Apparently, they didn't do that in the first half?) Kane was poor, Bellingham was not much better...

Semi-Finals... I confess I would like us to do it over the Dutch because of Koeman but taking nothing for granted; will he drop Kane?

Come on Ernie, enlighten us please mate, (because it's obvious you know the game) and tell us how you would have used Everton's squad last season?

Football is all about opinions and mine is that Embolo, looked a lot better than Harry Kane yesterday, and also contributed to his team's overall system, a lot more than one of the most talented English players, I've ever had the pleasure to watch.

Harry Kane, could come alive and score the goals to take England to another European final, but he's not doing his job at the minute, and it's definitely affecting the players around him.

Start showing for the ball to feet, further up the pitch Harry, do your job and go and play centre forward, would be my advice to Southgate and his captain, right now!!! Because he would never drop his captain imo, Christine.

When the pundits came on and said how much better England had played, I thought I'd been watching a different game. No pace, no movement up front and Kane constantly dropping back leaving no outlet up front and cluttering up the midfield.

Will Southgate drop him for the next game? Sorry, I was distracted as I was writing that by a pig flying past!

And, like others on here, I felt that Jordan's save was almost overlooked whereas, by saving the first penalty, he provided the basis for the next England penalty takers to approach their kicks with confidence.

Still, what do I know? I've only been watching the game for 60 years.

Saka skinned the left-wing back in the first half and put a great ball across the 6-yard box. Kane was level with Saka at the edge of the box, but jogged into the box and ended up 10 yards behind him when the cross came in. Saka was fantastic all game.

Honestly, the 3-4-3 formation made England look more comfortable but not more threatening. I wondered what game Lineker and Co were discussing at half-time? The eulogies for Foden, a player I love, were over the top.

Bringing in Cole Palmer and Ivan Toney or Ollie Watkins for Kane and Foden would make this team far more potent in attack. There is zero possibility Southgate will do that though.

But of all his attacking options his decision to stick with his captain and main striker looks seriously flawed. I said a couple of weeks back that Kane didn't look fit, and when you look at his all-round game, something is sadly missing.

He wins few headers has lost the ability to hold the ball and he has never had much pace but he looks very laboured in everything he does. Only injury forced Southgate to remove him, and bring on Toney.

I don't wish any injury on Kane but it would certainly help our cause if he can't play against the Dutch on Wednesday. I personally would replace him with the pace of Watkins which would give our midfield players greater options.

Totally different circumstances, that's why.

England have at their disposal an array of talent better then they've had for years. Everton didn't.

England go out of the competition and meh! it's no huge thing, they can try again in the next competition. Everton being relegated (a distinct possibility for a fair chunk of last season) would have been a total and utter disaster.

Everton just didn't and don't have the talent that England have at their disposal. If you can't, or won't, see the difference look again.

But in fairness to Southgate, fat boy Shaw would have started if he'd been fit and the left side would have been far more effective.

What I can't understand is how Foden can't use his left peg when he's on the left!?!

Kane did nothing at the last Euros, until he started scoring, but he's too heavy and slow for 90 minutes, save him for the next shootout and start Watkins.

Anyhow, to the thread, Pickford is an outstanding player with all the weird habits you might expect from a keeper but he does his prep, loved the water bottle! And he is always likely to save a penalty, so big credit to him.

England: 1st (most valuable squad in tournament at €1.5B)

Everton: 16th (or 5th worst in division €330M compared to City at €1.4B)

The 16th most valuable squad in the Euros is Poland. We are the equivalent of Poland, hence a more pragmatic style of play...

What Southgate is doing is the equivalent of Man City or Arsenal getting everyone behind the ball against the likes of Brentford and failing to carve out any decent chances.

As for Harry Kane, although he is out of sorts, the real issue is team set-up. At Spurs, he was supported by blistering pace of Son — and exceptional wing-play. At Bayern, he is supported by the blistering pace of Sane — and exceptional wing play. All of this creates space.

For England, there is no-one running in behind — and the wing play (apart from what Saka can carve out for himself) is hopeless. Hence Kane looks shocking.

Why Kane was left on, and only off because of injury is unbelievable — is he the same as Ronaldo, can't be subbed?

Watkins upfront with his pace would bring England to the next level, but Southgate's tactics and substitutions could cost them.

Or, realising that certain players are not performing to their level of performance because another player (or players) are not playing properly to allow them to fit in.

Personally, I feel we look much better when the coach finally decides to introduce subs who should have been on from the get-go.

Watching the side play in this competition has been both boring and frustrating.

Southgate is being murdered for his pragmatic safety-first football, but I agree with you 100%.

He's thinking make sure you don't lose and trust one of your brilliant players to settle it. Simple ?

Jose Mourinho has done it successfully for years. A former Everton manager wins the Champions League every 20 minutes by employing the same principle. There is more than one way to skin a cat. You do not have to be Pep Guardiola to be a winner.

I'm not suggesting for one minute that Southgate is in the same league as Jose or Carlo but, if you are going to copy an idea, you may as well copy from people who have been serial winners.

Southgate has some of the most gifted players in the world at his disposal. He believes if his team can keep it tight, one of them will produce a bit of magic to win the game. He thinks he can win the tournament sticking with this principle. So do I.

I also disagree completely with your take on Mourinho's tactics. He certainly placed a focus on team / defensive structure but his teams at Porto, Chelsea and Real Madrid were also highly efficient attacking machines with excellent full-back play, pace, width and movement. It was absolutely not a case of blanket defence against much, much weaker sides and hope a superstar comes up with the goods.

He has a nucleus of brilliant players who, under his direction, are playing awful as a team.

Well said, some right sick bastards on here.

So equalising with 20 seconds left, and winning in extra time, and winning on penalties yesterday, is that safety first and sticking with principle?

Switzerland missed a sitter on 90 minutes when their player took the ball off the other player's head with the goal at his mercy, and as for having some of the most gifted players in the world, they haven't shown up yet.

England are in the semi-final having played poorly in every game so far, even their own fans were booing them before Bellingham's last-gasp equaliser. Southgate has been lucky, and his decisions so nearly cost them, and even mentioning Jose and Carlo… unreal.

Jose has managed some truly world-class players. All-time greats even, but I don't remember any of his teams (or Carlo's for that matter) being lauded for their all-out attacking play. I think both are essentially counter-attack coaches.

Southgate hasn't pulled this off, but it is clearly his plan and, with possibly two games against better opposition who will come at his team, his players may well still endorse his plan and play their way to Glory.

I'm not a fan of Southgate. I feel he could make far more of this squad, but I do sympathise with his position. Slaps on the back and howling criticism are only ever a heartbeat apart for managers, but he has to contend with ex-players (failures), TV pundits (clueless), and 50 million people trying to second-guess every decision he makes.

I know, that's why he gets the big bucks, but his position is truly thankless. If he gets knocked out, the anger of an entire nation will rain down upon him. If England win the tournament, his detractors have already decided it will be in spite of him.

I'm not an England fanatic, it is not like we are talking about Everton, but this tournament has been a very welcome distraction for Evertonians from the turmoil which has engulfed our club recently. I don't just want England to win the thing… I believe they will.

I was thinking into an empty field or off the runway... 'Kin 'ell lad!… Also, it's all jokes, btw — before anyone has an aneurysm in here… big softies!

Good luck, Jordan, I hope you bring home a winner's medal.

But when we have a team full of superstars such as England currently do, it's a shame not to entertain and out-score an opponent… nobody remembers how one wins it though, they just see the name on the Trophy!!

Burnley went toe to toe and attacked teams all last season but went down quite convincingly, Give me Dyche-/Gareth-ball and 12th all day!!!

They don't hand trophies out in the group stages, just ask Austria.

I like international football, but I don't really follow it. I'm waiting for Everton's first friendly and I see now we're likely to play Roma pre-season.

I watched England yesterday with my brother and son, but left with about 20 minutes to go. I left them to it.

I'm interested — the same as I am with Murray in the tennis and Hamilton in the car racing — but it wouldn't make or break my weekend like an Everton result does.

On the other thing, as a mere wool, am I allowed to throw the kopites one by one into the Royal Blue Mersey or is that a privilege reserved for the Uber Mensch?

But when that Arnold stepped up for that penalty, I was dying for him to blaze it.

That 'Trent' caper absolutely makes my piss boil, and as for that brain-dead Geordie maggot Shearer, well… words fail me.

Another dismal watch and if they do go through it'll be in spite of Southgate not because of him.

On another note, where was the world's best centre-back when Turkey's players were queuing up to head in?

Virgil, my fucking arse.

I want all English teams to win in whatever sport it is.

"On the other thing, as a mere wool, am I allowed to throw the Kopites one by one into the Royal Blue Mersey or is that a privilege reserved for the Uber Mensch?"

You are, Mark, but being a wool, we'd have to throw you in afterwards.

Having watched Portugal (Eusebio), Brazil (Pele, Garrincha) it was obvious to all scousers and Mancs that they were the best teams in that cup... only for the Semi-Final, Portugal v Engerlund, to be switched from Goodison to Wembley for "Safety" reasons — my chuffing arse!

I have never been so angry and felt so cheated that, at the age of 15, I refused to support Inger-bloody-lund again... cheating its way home.

My dad went to every game and got the quarter-final ticket signed by at the time England and Fulham captain Johnny Haynes. I think he broke his leg before the World Cup.

When Mexico were drawn elsewhere, our family got hold of them and we attended every one of those games in the Gwladys Street stand — and in front of us were St John, Hunt, Yeats and all the other RS players — which was the 2nd thing that pissed me off with that World Cup!

A mate of mine left Liverpool in the 70's and his accent is stronger these days than “just an ordinary lad from Liverpool” himself, John Bishop….

My wife says I go all “ee bah gum” every time I phone our mam!

Spain are the exception as they play the same manner but in the opposition half of the pitch. England mess about in their own half

We need to look at the fact England now have the third semi final in the past four tournaments.

I think we had to wait 24 years until Italia '90 when we got to a semi-final. Then we did not qualify for USA 1994 due to our mate Koeman being a twat.

I used to love watching England but can't be arsed these days. I blame Sven & Capello.

However if we could stick it to golf playing, red bauble Xmas tree, "Everone knows Barca is my club" — fucking useless twat, then I may be happy.

When I went back 10 years ago to watch the Everton v Man Utd game (their manager Moyes's sacking followed), my wife giggled as some of my sentences were super-scouse tainted deliberately so as not to sound "foreign"!!!

I agree but we get the same people on all the time saying they don't care about England but don't miss a chance to repeat the same thing after every England game.

I want Everton to do the quadruple and England to win the World Cup and Euros.

A combination of spending so much time away and also coming from the south of the city. You can tell the difference with those from the north of the city, where it is a lot stronger.

It's funny though, whenever I went home or went to watch Everton, she used to tell me off for sounding like "Sammy scouser"!!!

It is a bit of a strange pastime to repeatedly enter discussions just to announce you're not interested in them.

I wonder if these folks do the same on other random sites they have zero interest in?

Sometimes I correct them as to my “ethnicity” in which case the comeback is always, “Northern — same thing”. Then when I go the game, I am frequently (too frequently which is why I'm thin-skinned about it) called a wool, asked what it's got to do with me when I voice an opinion, and told to support Man Utd.

I just can't win. But even if some of you proper blues don't think I'm worthy, I'll support the Blues for as long as I can shout “Come on, Everton, these are fookin shite these!” By eck as like.

"All of my baubles are blue on my 8ft tree".

No need to brag, Gerry. Especially that you've got more than two baubles.

You are as proper a blue as anyone I know. We all are regardless of where we come from or live. Blue family.

For some reason, my wife used to let me have a blue and white decorated Christmas Tree.

We have a wooden reindeer that wears an Everton bauble. He's called Bluedolph!

I heard Shearer on the radio this morning lauding the 5 penalty takers, the first 4 by surname, then "Trent", and no mention of Jordan's save.

Despite being a scouser, 40 years of living in the south has softened my accent to the point where, a couple of years ago, when visiting the Childwall 5 Ways pub in Liverpool (my regular pub in my late teens) the barmaid asked me which part of London I came from.

Saw him twice at the Edinburgh Fringe, first time in a small room when he was a normal comedian, and quite good, second time a few years later in a big venue where his Scouse accent had somehow got much thicker.

His jokes weren't that good and twenty minutes of the sixty was a video of him playing for Liverpool at Anfield in a pro-celebrity football match! I wanted to demand a third of the ticket price back, but my wife wouldn't let me.

If Switzerland are a second-tier team in international football, their key players don't get bought by a first-tier nation. The competition is very different.

But even accepting that England generally has better players...

I'm not convinced that defensive and conservative necessarily works better for lesser teams. It's not a golden rule of football and it comes down to far more than that. Plenty of lesser teams had more success by 'having a go'. Plenty of bigger teams do better by taking the Southgate approach.

This idea that Dyche had lesser players so should go all out defence, while Southgate has better players so should be sweeping all in front of them has no basis at all. This isn't a supercomputer simulation.

I actually think they took a similar approach for the very same reasons.

Dyche figured that if we generally kept things tight and got no more or less than the sum of our parts, then we should outperform the lesser lights in the league. After all, we do have a squad assembled with multiples of the wages spent by the teams that went down.

I think Southgate does similar in the knowledge that a low-risk strategy should get England past smaller footballing nations and to the quarters, which is enough to get them in the hunt... and then the rest is game by game with very fine margins. He then squeaked them through to the semis. At this point, they really could win it.

Most inferior teams play the same way as the superior teams with one major difference: they cough up the ball too often and too often in their own half.

Unless you are watching teams like Man City, the games are relatively boring exercises in 5-yard passes sideways and backwards.

Worldwide television etc has contributed to the way the game has changed with big money ruling the roost for those teams that are successful.

I just think the analytics side of the game has changed things. It's been developing for a long time (since that long ball guy) and now we've got teams playing to a blueprint. The equivalent of a counting cards system rather than playing on gut feel. More successful, but most would say less enjoyable.

England are in a position where the odds are in their favour before they start, so they can afford to play the percentages.

In terms of finishing in the top half, the odds are against Everton so we would need to gamble to have a chance - but the odds are in our favour in terms of not finishing in the bottom 3. The latter is probably going to guide this next season again.

In my view both are a bit cowardly. I'm a football supporter, not a statistician.

She loved you, even though you're a dickhead on occasion.

My missus for some bizarre reason tells me she recognises the condition....... go figure, it's beyond me.

Moving on to the enjoyability of the Euros and especially Ingurland's, erm, "performance", right now I can honestly say I'd prefer to watch two hours of Morris dancing whilst the rain drenches me.

Genuinely!

You've now given me an image!

It's been dull watching England and they'll have to up their game against the Dutch.

Just to put a thought back in your head, I have leder hosen, braces and a Bavarian hat!

I like your wife's description of Everton being a condition. It is. It is incurable.

(I know The Guardian is an awful rag generally but the football coverage can be good.)

Sums it up perfectly for me.

Geoff T - and many others - I've always respected your posts Geoff, but this anti-Guardian ideology, for that is what it is, is absurd.

The Guardian and its writers are in no shape or form "anti-Everton". The Jordan article is no surprise to me at all. The clear majority of Guardian articles on our state of affairs have been realistic and often empathetic and accurate in how we got to where we are. And extremely critical of the North Wharf Road crew.

The cast of footy writers is better than any other rag. Unless, Geoff and others who trail this track, can show me a better line up.

Jonathan Liew might well be the best. But he might well embody some of the stereotypical features that seem to turn more than a few against Ken Barlow's rag instinctively: literary prowess, literary metaphors, sharp senses of contemporary and recent culture, highly educated, prosaic, mixing our footy with other aspects of the lived life.

But, then again, some people by dint of nature, don't like The Guardian, because it's Ken Barlow's rag, lefty, is nearly always on the right side of geopolitics and the environment, has a hefty cultural supplement, and is the sister of The Observer.

Remember, The Manchester Guardian. It's not all Islington, although I do really enjoy a summer in three in Islington.

I say 'modern football', but I think it's been a cautious sport from as far back as I remember, especially at international level, because off the top of my head, I can only genuinely remember a few teams that have really entertained us and also won.

I think the European dominance has been built on cautious play, and that's what we mostly watch now.

"I can only genuinely remember a few teams that have really entertained us and also won."

Come on Grandad, who are they?

Plenty got an 'easy draw' too. Typically by winning their group while others failed. Incredible that teams keep getting lucky in that way isn't it?

The criticism of England's performance is somewhat justified, but nowhere near the extent it's being expressed. I'm still convinced that it's social media, clickbait articles and globalisation of the sport's fanbase that have changed rather than the actual entertainment value. The great entertainers don't usually win.

Only when a side is losing and time is running out that they all then put in as many crosses as they can, so obviously if they feel its the best way of scoring, why not do it from minute 1?

His substitutions have shown how members of the squad can play and have created a turnaround in the games. But he has some brain fade when it comes to keeping underperforming players in the starting line-up. Sir Harry Kane looks totally unfit and even Jude looks out of place at times.

The supporters have every right to be frustrated. For me, born on Merseyside and been a blue since 1953 (5 years old) but living in Australia for the past 28 years, I still passionately want England to win, as Bobby M says, in each and every sport (except vs Australia).

So, semi and final to go. Pick up your game, England. You can do it!

When you sing the National Anthem prior to the game, for fuck's sake sing it with gusto (showing that you actually do know the words) and show you are truly proud of your country. This should boost your adrenaline for the kick-off!

ps: John Bishop is shite and as scouse as I am - I was being ironic…

I did say that The Guardian football coverage can be good and I made no mention of it being anti-Everton.

Part of my dislike of The Guardian more generally is certainly its political stance, diametrically opposed to my own, but I read it every day for precisely that reason. John Harris is an intelligent and thoughtful writer who I disagree with but respect, Polly Toynbee and Owen Jones on the other hand are just clickbait writers.

The Express and Telegraph also have good football coverage but are more generally jingoistic right-wing rags.

Born in Sussex and grew up in Horsham, and now live in Horley. I started supporting Everton in ‘79 after I met my dad's scouse friend he regularly had a pint with.

I dont get to Goodison much and last saw us play at Palace last November. Always conscious I'm going to be seen as a dodgy southerner by travelling blues…

Ironically, my youngest son was welcomed with open arms by the scousers at West Ham the season before last. They thought it was brilliant that someone with a posh accent used the word “shite”.

I, on the other hand, at the same game, was told to fcuk off and support Man Utd.

You'll be fine, mate — you're not a wool.

It's more about me wondering if I'm genuine or not. 😀

As long as you are always being yourself, you have nothing to worry about. You seem very genuine to me.

The World Cup, I can't really remember anyone? Maradona's brilliance in1986, I thought the Germteam that won with Lothar Matias, was definitely the best team, when they won, but I think the European model was started by those very cagey Italians in 1982.

They limped through the group stages, but then played some unbelievably good, counter-attacking football after this, after Paulo Rossi, came alive, and although Brazil, were very exciting, they never had a centre-forward, and this is something that most winning teams have, or at least used to have?

The Spanish played decent stuff when they won it and I may be confusing the tournaments but didn't the Dutch play some cracking stuff too?

This time round it's been great to see the “unfancied” teams go hell for leather and “sin miedo” but they've all gone now so perhaps the big guns cautious approach is the way to win the cup, but not friends.

Obviously, although it won't bother me if we don't, I want England to win but I'd almost as much want Spain to win as I think they play just the right mix of attacking and defensive.

However, I think that the obsession with possession and more modern versatile forwards like Havertz is making teams more blunt in attack. In many respects they are over-complicating it and making it easier to defend against.

Personally I think Germany looked far better with Fullkrug making himself a handful and a threat from crosses. Similar with the Dutch and Weghorst.

The key thing (unlike England) is to make sure the wing-play is good and there are runners in behind to support the conventional striker.

I enjoyed watching the Turks as well. They respected no one and just got on with the game!

Kane appears well off the pace and should be dropped and Watkins and/or Toney given a chance. Gripe over.

Pardon my ignorance but what is a "wool"? I'm Liverpool - well Everton - born and bred but I've never heard the expression before.

The origins (allegedly) are from the protective fleeces worn on the backs of dockers brought in by workers from outside the city when the local dockers went on strike but there is some uncertainty about that as even the locals wore those. (They protected the men's backs when carrying sacks of coal, etc.)

I think most scousers assume it means the same as 'sheep shaggers'.

These days, basically anyone with a different accent who happens to disagree with the scouser's own views on the team or a player is invariably dismissed as a wool.

Mostly I take it as banter, but not when it's being inferred that I'm somehow not a proper Blue just cos I don't roll my rrrrs and talk through my nasal passage…

UTFTWBs

Platini was a great footballer. Sad that even though he got cleared, he was tainted by scandal.

I'm from Wigan, your arch-enemy, I know you support your home town rugby team as well as Everton. Wigan are just about winning the arm-wrestle recently.

I've supported Everton since 1970 and I too don't want some young dick telling me I'm not a real supporter, bloody cheek.
I don't know if scoucers are particularly proud of their Irish ancestry but most Lancashire people have Irish blood in them, I know I have on both sides of my family.

It used to be said that there were more Irish in Wigan when I was young than in Liverpool, I dare say St Helens wouldn't be much different.

Like you, I laugh at being called a Woolly but I tell Scousers that I was born 15 miles west of Goodison and that my mother came from Walton, 800 yards away. I do resent being called a Manc though because my accent bears no resemblance to theirs.

EFC was the nearest League club to my home village and, like many locals, I would have supported them without being half Scouse. Living since marriage a further 13 miles west I am surrounded by Bolton and Preston fans.

Finally, a message to all Scousers: Liverpool remains in the proud historic County of Lancaster. Don't forget it!

By the way, I hate the phrase “wool”.

I've often said, sometimes Liverpool has often been quite insular looking. Tell Jamie Carragher he's not a scouser. Peter Reid. Because they don't come from within the city boundaries.

It's a lot better now with the City Region. Just for Mark, St Helens is Merseyside!!

"I tell Scousers that I was born 15 miles west of Goodison."

15 miles west of Goodison? I bet they certainly wet the baby's head that day.

Personally I was born 12 miles (by car) east of Goodison Park.

There's no doubt England are underperforming compared to what this group of players could be, but I think that's true of every international team. You don't get cohesive national teams. No-one designs them, builds them, or spends enough time with them.

The crucial bit is getting to this point. For most of my life, England have performed bravely but gone out. Often against teams that were put under a lot of pressure but won through discipline and key moments of quality.

In the late '90s, I became resigned to not seeing an England trophy win in my lifetime. The English way of playing wasn't going to produce the type of players that could succeed and anyone with the kind of technique we wanted was coming from overseas to play in our domestic league.

Fast-forward and we've moved on. We've got incredibly gifted, highly technical footballers throughout the side. We keep getting to semi-finals... at some point, we'll win. I don't even really doubt it.

I don't get the clamour for England to win or lose in a blaze of glory. With the quality in that side, they don't necessarily need to take that many risks. I wonder how much we actually took pride in the blaze of glory stuff? Kind of like addicts being addicted to punishing themselves.

Oh that a goalie should charge out to block an opponent about to get to the ball feet from the goal. That knee was probably injured before that incident. That's maybe, why he was so angry because he was playing with it, when he should have been resting it.

Remember he got tonked by Watkins and Villa the week before — 7-2 — he didn't look fit in that game. Stuff 'em, England. Jordan expects you to do your duty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqm-s6h8l1I

It doesn't matter to me where Evertonians come from. I converted my poor friend decades ago. He's from Warwick and he's passed it onto his kids. My fault.

I've mentioned this before, but Rob, you'll like this. I was at a derby at Anfield years ago, sat amongst Lucifer's Children. We won and the Irish Kopite next to me started lecturing me on how I should think about supporting my city!! We had a few choice words, but his young son was with him, so I kept it decent.

I think that's why my sister doesn't trust me anymore!!!

My gran was a nurse in the hospital, so I was always guaranteed immediate attention whenever I was rushed there. From swallowing half a bottle of aspirin, jamming my fingers in the bathroom door, and falling off the outside toilet roof into the back jigger, my gran was always on standby as I was rushed the few hundred yards to the A & E!! Great days!

I would like to point out that I was conceived on the Centre Circle of Goodison Park after a night match. So was my father, father's father and my father's, father's father.

My Great, great, greant, great grandmother slept with the EFC Captain when they celebrated leaving Mordor resulting in my father's, father's, father's, father's arrival. If that doesn't make me a Blue and not a woollyback, I don't know what would. Try telling that to your kids and they won't believe it!

ps: I was born in Mill Road, stamped royal blue and bloody proud of it.

Some of the analysis and articles on this site are brilliant. Yours made me feel sick — still, I'm an old lad who was first entranced by Goodison in 1960, so I am out of kilter with your sort of 'utterance'.

Kearns's 'comment' should preclude him from any further discussion on this site. Moderators — ban him now.

But I have lived outside the city for 50 years now, the majority of that time in Warrington. Am I therefore considered to be a woollyback?

From Philadelphia myself and have been following every since Joe-Max Moore. I was able to get to Goodison once vs Crystal Palace last year.

Does that count?? Surely it's as close as Speke? 😬

I was born in Oxford Street - in the "ossie" of course not on the pavement, so I guess that makes me a scouser though I've lived in Devon these past 27 years.

Just hope I last until the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock is open... and I can get a ticket!

Whiston is in the borough of Knowsley, same as Huyton, Kirkby and Prescot, so I guess you qualify as a Scouser.

Welcome to the club!!

I also have lived out of the city 55 years, moved out aged 7 to the overspill estates in Hough Green, Widnes.

I get the "Wool" stuff from family who are still in the city!!!

Does that count? Or am I pushing it a bit?

What you say makes perfect sense. However, the joy of winning is enhanced by the excitement of the journey getting to that point.

Sitting unemotionally and impassively in front of the tele (including in a pub in Cornwall) and struggling to stay awake in front of my own tele in Devon watching the dross served up does not generate any excitement or nervousness.

I hope that England win but, unless there is a sea change in approach on Wednesday (and Sunday), I will be pleased but not jumping up and down with joy. If they lose, then move on to the next big summer sporting event and not be disappointed because you get what you deserve.

ps: Born in Waterloo. Educated in Crosby. Qualified in City centre. Emigrated to Devon 1980.

Hey seriously, as Danny says it doesn't matter where we live, were born etc, we are all part of the Blue Family, long may it continue!

But then you think about the quality in the Everton squad, then one can only assume that Dyche is ultra-negative!

Or 3,693 miles from Columbus, where I was living when I was "born" as a Blue 39 years ago.

Sneering Scouse at its most obnoxious.

Sorry, I didn't make it clear that I was talking generically about the anti-Guardian voice rather than singling you out.

Kudos, for appreciating writing in a place that is not your politics. Not many do that!

Aaron Timms's takedown of the hideous Fox Soccer coverage is a vicious work of art. Do not miss it:

In a scary world, the calamity of Fox Sports' soccer coverage offers a strange calm

Just to mention a few gems from a smart, dry, and dead witty column:

On Ian Darke: "America's most boring man, a commentator so aggressively dull he could have made the storming of the Bastille sound like a trip to the grocery store".

"Also in Germany for the duration of the Euros is Tom Rinaldi, who's been unleashed on Europe to make the old continent pay for its sins in a kind of reverse Marshall plan".

On Landon Donovan, who I have come to hate, who on the darkest of days teams up with Darke for two hours of ... words fail me: "The Covid pandemic will be nothing next to the mass extinction event likely once this man is set loose on a World Cup on home soil."

In response to that on behalf of Landon Donovan, I'll use the phrase he uses every 5 seconds: "I can't tell you how difficult that is to defend against."

Donovan is evidence that, if you score enough, you can be a broadcaster, no matter how whiny your voice or smarmy your comments.

And I'll say this for JP Dellacrapola, the worst commentator in the solar system... at least he's been cured of his longtime addiction to screaming "Deflected!!!" every 8 seconds.

It was a joke in my old league 20 years ago that anytime someone on our team sliced a shot ten yards wide (a frequent occurrence with me up front), we'd all stand up and yell "Deflected!!!"

Minor excuse: I was nodding off in a crowded waiting room, awaiting a blood test in Chorley Hospital!

...Jordan Pickford has normalised his excellence in an England shirt, establishing a reputation as a nerveless shootout operator who has the perfect combination of crazy and calm. But the sight of his water bottle, with the perfectly typed-up and formatted guide on where to dive, was something to lament, highlighting the formalisation of the spot-kick cheat sheet.

There was something more romantic about the old way, of a crumpled, sweat-stained, handwritten note tucked into the socks, as Jens Lehmann showcased at the 2006 World Cup against Argentina.

Nonetheless, the more refined approach is working out pretty well for Pickford, to the point that penalties should almost be welcomed by England as the final week begins. Away to the last four we go.

This is something new. England and shootouts have now become a distinct element, a carefully planned and executed set piece, like sending out the kicking team in American football. Once again the defining figure was Jordan Pickford, penalty captain and master of his domain, who produced a masterclass in planning and inventive disruption.

In the process Pickford confirmed his own status as an all-time England tournament animal, out there grabbing the game by the lapels, boggling his eyes in its face, bending the day to his will.

It is always foolish to over-praise a goalkeeper. This is a high-wire act. The inevitable moment of calamity is only ever a second away. But as he prepares to play his third major semi-final in Dortmund on Wednesday, Pickford can surely now be considered England's most successful tournament goalkeeper.

This England team is often accused of being lucky, even when there are stats and numbers to support its processes. Here are some more. England goalkeepers saved two penalties in shootouts between 1990 and 2012. Pickford has saved four out of 14 faced since 2018. This is cause and effect in action. It's skill, planning and a lesson in how to win; which certainly makes a change from baffled and tear-stained defeat.

More interesting is the fact Pickford has done it his own way. In the pre-modern age goalkeepers tended to be mute, glowering figures, confined to their netted lair while the humans did football.

Pickford isn't quite a hyper-modern sweeper-keeper. His thing is energy, agility and a very clear, interventionist personality.

But the qualities that might have made him a curious figure for some, the jitteriness, the open and vocal sensitivity to objects around him, have become super-strengths in these big tournament games. And most notably in a penalty shootout. Here is a man who has just played two hours of elite football, still energised, still digesting every detail, completely inside the moment.

So to the shootout, and that perfect sequence. Cole Palmer's opening kick was vital, and also unusual. He smashed it into the corner rather than rolling it, then celebrated in unbound fashion, deliberately engaging the crowd. This is now the diktat. Studies suggest teams that celebrate more win more. Causation versus correlation, whatever. This is what we do now. Amplify the moment.

At which point, enter Pickford. Much has been made of the crib-sheet stuck to his water bottle telling him what the Swiss kickers tend to do. The sheet was accurate too. But it was only ever one part of the staging.

Looking back now the first thing you notice about Manuel Akanji's opening kick for the Swiss is that when the defender steps up to take it Pickford is literally 40 yards away off to the right. Akanji is already fiddling with the ball. Pickford has to be ordered by the referee, Daniele Orsato, to take his place, which he does dutifully, almost tugging his forelock.

But first, of course, the water bottle must be fiddled with and a showy drink taken. And already drama is happening. Something is interfering with the way Akanji has imagined this.

Penalty takers really don't want to hear or see the referee. Pickford steps forward so Orsato has to tell him to get back on his line again. Unbelievably, Pickford then walks out to pat the referee fondly on a biceps and thank him for it. These are Eric Morecambe levels of physical comedy. At this moment you either love Pickford or you're being driven to distraction by him. And Akanji still has to take a penalty.

Pickford jumps six times on his line. Akanji stands still, staying cool, saying, yeah, I can wait too, but also, fatally, playing the game. Pickford is already moving as Akanji draws his leg back to strike the ball. Pickford knows Akanji isn't going to change direction that late, as a more specialist kicker might. The bottle said “Dive left”. “Dive” is the key word here. Not “Go left”, or just “Left”.

Sweetly, presciently, Pickford has visualised himself actually diving here.

The kick is weakly struck. The best part of Pickford's save is that he dives down as well as across, attacking the space beneath him as well. He smothers it, leaps up, puffs his chest, then literally salutes the referee as he marches past like a very happy 10-year-old boy taking an ovation in the school play, a moment that just seems to disarm Orsato completely.

From there England's sequence is near-perfect. Pickford doesn't save another kick, but his performance is key. Jude Bellingham's penalty to confirm the early lead is wonderfully free of tension. Immediately Pickford is back in the eyeline, never quite out of shot. As the next Swiss kick is paced out someone throws a plastic cup on to the pitch and Pickford makes a big show of picking it up and throwing it aside, waving at the referee, creating resistance. Oh, he's a boy, this boy.

Even with the kicks that go past him Pickford is on his knees playing up the moment, distracting from the celebrations. He then insists on locating and respotting the ball for England's takers. Not to mention getting in Yann Sommer's personal space just a little as they cross over, controlling the energy, the voodoo of the penalty area.

The only time Pickford is ever really out of the picture is when England have a kick to take, at which point he's a ghost, clearing the set. Bukayo Saka scores. Ivan Toney scores in the most ridiculously alpha fashion, just ambling up two steps, utterly in control, conducting the crowd bit, then walking very slowly past the Swiss kicker. Yeah. Your go.

By now Pickford is being ordered back again; terribly, terribly sorry for being so forgetful, then leaping up and respotting the ball before the ref can get there. With apologies, but only one man is in charge here. And he wears green and is from Sunderland.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has time to set himself, the moment teed up. He puts his kick in the left-hand corner, grabs the loose ball, hoofs it into the air, hugs Pickford. But England's celebrations are telling too. This isn't a pile-on. Nobody seems shocked or distraught.

It is instead controlled, the smiles knowing. Pickford hand-slaps and chest-bumps the backroom staff. A plan has been executed. Luck has fallen their way, but this is factored in too. England have been bad at quite a lot of things here. They're good at this.

Mainly, what a moment it was for Pickford. He has been England's most reliable player in Germany. The celebrations with the fans behind the goal after, or indeed just before the final whistle, have been very funny.

In between he has been reliably intense. His long-passing has been good, although perhaps seen too often. His short game can be a bit too urgent, but only one short pass has gone astray all tournament. Pickford has been decisive, has rescued England at times and has let in just three goals so far.

England have needed it too, because other players have gone missing. Harry Kane, another Southgate OG, was once again a strange, singular figure in Düsseldorf, a man having a long walk quite near an athletic event contested by other people. Kane has looked drained and peripheral for five straight major tournament games. The thought occurred: could this be a world record?

Kane still has a chance to put it right. The same goes for Southgate. England's players have looked tired in Germany, in part because of a system that chafes and drags on every movement, like a car in the wrong gear. The key has been in finding moments to push them through, cashing in the stored-up momentum of eight years of solid work.

This will only take you so far, of course. But Southgate does deserve credit for his management of that final set piece, the game after the game, and specifically for the use of specialist subs as penalty takers, dismissed as an absurd and impractical idea after the defeat by Italy three years ago.

By winning this way England have given themselves a chance to put other parts of their game belatedly in order. But whatever happens from here Pickford, as auteur, director and self-cast star, has his own perfect little eight-minute short.

Also described Southgate as "an infantry sergeant who secretly reads poetry". I'm enjoying him and Jonathan Liew throughout this tournament.

I agree, it hasn't exactly been a joyful experience so far. Though coming to terms with England's limitations and how they're approaching the tournament does help. But I'm as conflicted as it sounds like you are.

I don't know whether it will feel that way on Wednesday or, in the event they get there, Sunday. I just don't have the experience of my team achieving success. It's been a long time since a team I support won anything.

I suspect that winning would feel pretty good, even if it's achieved conservatively. A moment to share with my kids who are similar ages to the last time I experienced a trophy win.

ps: I was born in Everton.

I think I remember Klopp saying that St Virgil had a knee injury prior to that match.

As for "woollyback" surely it's just a reference to the farms outside the city being sheep farms?

Nice article for Pickford fans though.

That he might not go the right way doesn't matter. What's written on the water bottle doesn't even matter that much.

The advantage isn't 'knowing' which way the penalty will be taken. If that could possibly be done then every team with the resources would have that information. In any case, randomly write down 5 guesses before a shootout - you'll get at least one right, probably more.

The advantage is being in control of the situation, or even just in control of the controllables. Every England manager prior to Southgate used the phrase "penalties are a lottery". Ever heard Southgate or his current players say that?

Pickford is particularly good at it. You get a sense that he genuinely believes he'll save one and that the shootout will be his moment.

Anyone who has been a goalkeeper or a regular penalty taker for a team will know how much goes on between the ears. There's far more than just a strike of a ball.

I agree with most of your post, he guessed right for the first penalty, dived too soon for the others and gave the shooters a free hit.

Yes, penalty shoot-outs are a lottery; in fact, I always think if they stood their ground instead of diving, they would save at least one penalty from a shot down the middle.

Has Jordan done very well saving penalties for Everton? Apart from the obvious one from Maddison?