Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Well as we know the Euro football finals have been rollicking along since last friday and it has all been truly fantastic. All those new stadiums across Poland and the Ukraine are looking terrific and so far the atmosphere in the various stadia has been good humoured and A1. Touch wood!
Tonight England make their way out on to the green turf in Donetsk and take on France. Temperatures over there are more than 30 degrees, makes a change from here where we are either shivering our timbers or bailing out. Which of the two teams will be better able to cope with such temperatures...perhaps France. Recently I have seen France play two warm up games on French TV. Although there are no French stars as such any more, they have a team of considerable talent all playing very well for each other...and they are young and won their warm up games at a canter.
England with a new manager only in place a wet day, are looking somewhat less organised..there have been internal rumblings and grumblings about the ommission of Rio Ferdinand but I think that seems to be mostly behind them now. I expect France will go into the game as the slight favourites.
Last night Ireland played their first game and were truly hopeless sad to say. They were on the field 2 minutes when the Croatians scored. The basically never recovered from that losing 3 - 1 and despite having a good run prior to the tournament...looked like a third division team asked to play in the premiership. And their players were old, I remember watching some of them soon after the steam radio was invented. They meet Spain and Italy next..but not at the same time! I expect they should try and get a cheap deal on their return air tickets by booking their flight home now. Advance booking always saves you money.
But now all our attention turns to the big one tonight. Kick off at 5pm and its on ITV from 4..if one can stand all the accompanying waffle.
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
A young side on the field in France may be a good idea, but history relates that it is not as if the agein' court disaster.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_AgincourtIgnorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Well I hope there wont be any blood spilt tonight Tom but its should be an interesting encounter. Roy Hodgson, our latest English champion, whose image towers above the White Cliffs, will have the wind behind his sails....
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
The 'wind-up'! Do you mean? [It is hardly for the like of we two to get too worked-up over these things.]
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
Guest 715- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 2,438
For the first time there is virtually no expectation that we will do well and on form and our lack of quality that is about right, trying to find some positives Roy organises teams well and Denmark and Greece won the tournament with very little talent but were very well organised.
Audere est facere.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
some pretty good football so far, a pity that trappatoni's side flattered to deceive in the lead up to the tournament.
a bit surprised that england did not fly straight to the ukraine and give themselves time to acclimatise to the heat instead of staying in poland.
good point about denmark and greece though it would be an almighty shock if england won or even reached the final.
Guest 715- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 2,438
To be honest Howard I would not be the slightest bit surprised if we ended up with zero points, I have taken a days leave to watch the game today in the hope that I am wrong and we thrash the French with beautiful flowing football
Audere est facere.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Im just having further grimacing reflections on last nights Irish game..
Its embarrasing so it is.
..oh the humilation!
The worst bit was hilarity itself if it wasnt so painful...I speak of course of the ultimate mishap when the Irish goalkeeper headed the ball into his own net !!
He dived for it and missed, but it bounced back off the post and it hit him on the head, then it trickled dutifully over the line into his own net. He had made an effort in the dive and when he rose back up to his feet again the white goal line was tattoo-ed all the way up the centre of his face...he had gone facefirst into the goal line!
..it looked almost like he had fallen into the cocaine jar!
Oh the ignominy!
Gawd ..spare me further moments like this...
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i did feel sorry for shay given he has been one of the best keepers in the game for as long as i can remember.
players get remembered for their howlers, robert green has not put a foot wrong for west ham but will be connected to the goal he let in against the u.s. in the 2010 world cup,
Guest 715- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 2,438
No hiding place for the keepers, it will haunt Shay I would imagine, interesting to see the fans were turning their sights on Robbie Keane after the game.
Audere est facere.
Guest 667- Registered: 6 Apr 2008
- Posts: 919
Looking forward to tonight, I think it will be a good game unless they cancel each other out which often happens. If I were a betting man which I am not then I would go for a draw 1. 1 or even 2 2 but I hope I am wrong and England win.
C. O. Englan. lets stuff the French.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i think a precedent has been set in the earlier games with attacking football the norm.
holland played the best stuff i have seen so far and they ended up losing to denmark, i don't think they will ever know how that happened.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
not the most exciting game so far but definitely a highly methodical and professional performance from england and a result that gives them a chance of progressing in the tournament.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
a 1-1 draw,at least what they expected.
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
not a bad result against a fairly good french side
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 715- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 2,438
Not pretty 2 lines of 4 sitting deep but that is Hodgsons style, good point
Audere est facere.
Guest 667- Registered: 6 Apr 2008
- Posts: 919
There may still be a long way to go but that wa sthe best I have seen England play in a long time, some of the youngsters played well. France are good but maybe we could have nicked it if we had pushed forward a bit more.
Still its not a bad start.
What was nice was being able to understand what the manager said and thought when he was being interviewed after the match.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
not a bad start for england
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 663- Registered: 20 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,136
Agree there Keith thought they played more like a team, lets hope they can keep it up.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
too late for today but with matches coming up on the 15th and 19th worth finding out what restrictions will be in place.
