Euros | Page 84 | Vital Football

Euros

amd having 150,000 less people to enjoy it

Whatever the figure is of people having died of COVID, Boris isn't reponsible for that.

He IS however responsible for us getting to the Euros final. You mighty even want to argue that he is SOLELY responsible for getting us to the final.
 
What the other nations are saying...

France
'First Brexit, now this'

By Pierre-Etienne Minonzio, L'Equipe

A lot of people in France are disappointed. They think that this tournament has been organised for England to win. The typical French football supporter doesn’t understand why France have to play in Budapest and Bucharest, and couldn’t leave their hotel room, and then hear that England have had Ed Sheeran come and sing for them.

There is a feeling that Uefa have done everything they can to help England win. Which makes no sense to your average France fan - after all, this is the country of Brexit. It’s like an old friend who says ‘I don’t want to see you any more’ - and now they’re getting all this help?

Personally, though, I’m completely amazed by England. I love English football culture. I’ve covered England since 2015 and I’m fascinated by the weight of history that England feel. There’s a line in the Great Gatsby - the last sentence - that says: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” It always felt like that with England - being thrown ceaselessly back into the past.

I reported on the Iceland game and I saw it there - when they went 2-1 down, England knew it was over, even though there was still an hour to go. You could see the players thinking ‘it’s happening again’; the curse had struck.

But now this England side have overthrown the weight of history. Huge credit to Gareth Southgate, the man responsible for this, he has changed the state of mind for the players. It was obvious in 2016 that it was over but against Denmark they stayed calm, said ‘OK, that’s fine’ and they won. Incredible. So impressive.


What is also impressive is the way that they are all such good examples. I interviewed Raheem Sterling for L’Equipe last year and what he told me about racism, and social issues - I’ve never interviewed a footballer as socially bright. I’m totally fascinated by this coach, it’s so impressive. I’m quite in love with these players too.

At the end of the day, football is for the kids, and now they have these role models to look up to. It’s wonderful. If you are a young English player you know you can make a difference now.

It’s such a diverse team. It’s the same as France in 1998. When we won the World Cup it was exactly the same, everyone came together, all races, all people. I mean, don’t get too carried away; three years later, Jean-Marie Le Pen reached the second round of the Presidential election - but it planted a seed and had a huge influence on the next generation.

One thing to remember is: you’re in a final. Enjoy this. It doesn’t last forever. Things change so quickly in football, you have to savour moments like these when they come round.


Italy
'Italians will always appreciate a team that concedes no goals'

By Luca Bianchin, Gazzetta Dello Sport

We’d always thought that this England team would find a way to implode, sooner or later, just like Italy did at home in 1990; Euro 2020 is Wembley 2020, after all.


We thought there’d be too much pressure. And we thought you had too many players with too little experience in the key positions. A midfield with Kalvin Phillips and Declan Rice winning the Euros? 'Buona notte', as we say in Italy. Not possible.

The truth is, in the last 30 days we did not care about other teams. We liked this England team, of course, because Italians will always appreciate a team that concedes no open play goals in a month of football. We respected the Three Lions, even if some of us also think that the referees showed too much respect for those white shirts.

Despite this, we did not spend hours discussing England, Germany or Portugal, this time. We are in love with our girl dressed in blue and when you are in love, you do not have eyes for other women. Italians only had one wish and Switzerland granted it, one Monday night in Bucharest.

But now people in Italy are talking about England. They’re saying that Raheem Sterling is playing like a champion, and that the player we would love to have in our side is Harry Kane. He is everything Italy need to become the best team in the world.


I admit that you, England, are playing the best football of the tournament; and that you, England, are going to win it. Am I saying this because Italians are too superstitious to write the opposite? Perhaps. See you at Wembley.

Holland
'People are saying England are a typical Italian side'


By Rob Fleur, Dutch football journalist

This isn’t like your usual English team and in Holland, people are saying they are more like a typical Italian side. They play for the result, they do what they have to do to win and it is built on a compact team, really strong in defence. When you don’t concede goals, you have an excellent chance of doing well in tournaments. It is funny because England are going to come up against a team that is just like them in the final.

We recognised that this is an excellent team and there is a lot of praise for the job that Gareth Southgate has done. We like him… but the team, I think previous English teams have been more popular here even though they were less successful. We like the traditional English style, always looking to attack.

There are also complaints that players like Grealish and Foden are not starting games. They would both be in the Holland team if they were Dutch. They are creative players, exciting to watch, but Southgate has other options and they are in the final so…


The player who has really caught the eye over here is Kalvin Phillips, perhaps because we did not know much about him before the tournament. There has been a lot of praise for him.

The other player is Grealish, we like him a lot. But we do not know why Jordan Henderson is not playing, he is very well known and very well liked here.


Spain
'Everybody here will be supporting Italy on Sunday'


By Dani Gil, Spanish football journalist

In Spain, England have always been seen as the team who fail to deliver. At the big moments, they’ve always 'fracasado'.

But this is different. On the streets of Spain, people are saying that Euro 2020 is now England’s to lose.

England are seen as a fearsome team, with the biggest, strongest and most versatile squad in Europe, but also a lucky one. They’ve played six of their seven games at Wembley, after all, which has created a fair amount of resentment towards them in Spain.

There are a few conspiracy theories doing the rounds. Some people here even think that Uefa have given England favourable treatment for helping break up the Super League. Untrue, of course, but Raheem Sterling’s dubious penalty did not help things on that front.

More people will be supporting Italy on Sunday, even if it was the Azurri who knocked out Spain in the semi-finals.


Germany
'Germans now look to England with envy'


By Stefan Bienkowski, German football journalist

As most German fans sort through the rubble of their own team’s Euro 2020 campaign, a begrudging respect has been applied to Gareth Southgate’s England team.

Like their own pundits and ex-players, German fans thought a last-16 clash with England would have proved to be the perfect tonic after a gruelling group stage but the 2-0 defeat at Wembley ultimately underlined where both of these two nations are at the moment.


With one generation retiring and the other being bled through a little too quickly, Germany now look to England with envy as a country a few years ahead of them on a similar path.

Whether it be the abundance of central defenders, strength in depth in the shape of Jadon Sancho and Jack Grealish or “England’s crown jewel”, as Kicker have taken to calling Harry Kane, Southgate’s team are exactly where German fans hope to be at next year’s World Cup.

Over the course of this tournament, Germans have grown to like and respect this English team for what they’ve done on and off the pitch. And that may turn into full-blown admiration if Southgate’s side can ensure Italy - Germany’s biggest rivals, even if the English don’t know that - don’t lift another trophy on Sunday.
 
I'm gonna be bold here.
It'll be like France's '98 final. We'll get a first half header, then one fairly early on in the 2nd half, and as Italy chase the game we'll pick them off with a 3rd.

I rubbed my balls during the semi and this is what I saw.
 
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What the other nations are saying...

France
'First Brexit, now this'

By Pierre-Etienne Minonzio, L'Equipe

A lot of people in France are disappointed. They think that this tournament has been organised for England to win. The typical French football supporter doesn’t understand why France have to play in Budapest and Bucharest, and couldn’t leave their hotel room, and then hear that England have had Ed Sheeran come and sing for them.

There is a feeling that Uefa have done everything they can to help England win. Which makes no sense to your average France fan - after all, this is the country of Brexit. It’s like an old friend who says ‘I don’t want to see you any more’ - and now they’re getting all this help?

Personally, though, I’m completely amazed by England. I love English football culture. I’ve covered England since 2015 and I’m fascinated by the weight of history that England feel. There’s a line in the Great Gatsby - the last sentence - that says: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” It always felt like that with England - being thrown ceaselessly back into the past.

I reported on the Iceland game and I saw it there - when they went 2-1 down, England knew it was over, even though there was still an hour to go. You could see the players thinking ‘it’s happening again’; the curse had struck.

But now this England side have overthrown the weight of history. Huge credit to Gareth Southgate, the man responsible for this, he has changed the state of mind for the players. It was obvious in 2016 that it was over but against Denmark they stayed calm, said ‘OK, that’s fine’ and they won. Incredible. So impressive.


What is also impressive is the way that they are all such good examples. I interviewed Raheem Sterling for L’Equipe last year and what he told me about racism, and social issues - I’ve never interviewed a footballer as socially bright. I’m totally fascinated by this coach, it’s so impressive. I’m quite in love with these players too.

At the end of the day, football is for the kids, and now they have these role models to look up to. It’s wonderful. If you are a young English player you know you can make a difference now.

It’s such a diverse team. It’s the same as France in 1998. When we won the World Cup it was exactly the same, everyone came together, all races, all people. I mean, don’t get too carried away; three years later, Jean-Marie Le Pen reached the second round of the Presidential election - but it planted a seed and had a huge influence on the next generation.

One thing to remember is: you’re in a final. Enjoy this. It doesn’t last forever. Things change so quickly in football, you have to savour moments like these when they come round.


Italy
'Italians will always appreciate a team that concedes no goals'

By Luca Bianchin, Gazzetta Dello Sport

We’d always thought that this England team would find a way to implode, sooner or later, just like Italy did at home in 1990; Euro 2020 is Wembley 2020, after all.


We thought there’d be too much pressure. And we thought you had too many players with too little experience in the key positions. A midfield with Kalvin Phillips and Declan Rice winning the Euros? 'Buona notte', as we say in Italy. Not possible.

The truth is, in the last 30 days we did not care about other teams. We liked this England team, of course, because Italians will always appreciate a team that concedes no open play goals in a month of football. We respected the Three Lions, even if some of us also think that the referees showed too much respect for those white shirts.

Despite this, we did not spend hours discussing England, Germany or Portugal, this time. We are in love with our girl dressed in blue and when you are in love, you do not have eyes for other women. Italians only had one wish and Switzerland granted it, one Monday night in Bucharest.

But now people in Italy are talking about England. They’re saying that Raheem Sterling is playing like a champion, and that the player we would love to have in our side is Harry Kane. He is everything Italy need to become the best team in the world.


I admit that you, England, are playing the best football of the tournament; and that you, England, are going to win it. Am I saying this because Italians are too superstitious to write the opposite? Perhaps. See you at Wembley.

Holland
'People are saying England are a typical Italian side'


By Rob Fleur, Dutch football journalist

This isn’t like your usual English team and in Holland, people are saying they are more like a typical Italian side. They play for the result, they do what they have to do to win and it is built on a compact team, really strong in defence. When you don’t concede goals, you have an excellent chance of doing well in tournaments. It is funny because England are going to come up against a team that is just like them in the final.

We recognised that this is an excellent team and there is a lot of praise for the job that Gareth Southgate has done. We like him… but the team, I think previous English teams have been more popular here even though they were less successful. We like the traditional English style, always looking to attack.

There are also complaints that players like Grealish and Foden are not starting games. They would both be in the Holland team if they were Dutch. They are creative players, exciting to watch, but Southgate has other options and they are in the final so…


The player who has really caught the eye over here is Kalvin Phillips, perhaps because we did not know much about him before the tournament. There has been a lot of praise for him.

The other player is Grealish, we like him a lot. But we do not know why Jordan Henderson is not playing, he is very well known and very well liked here.


Spain
'Everybody here will be supporting Italy on Sunday'


By Dani Gil, Spanish football journalist

In Spain, England have always been seen as the team who fail to deliver. At the big moments, they’ve always 'fracasado'.

But this is different. On the streets of Spain, people are saying that Euro 2020 is now England’s to lose.

England are seen as a fearsome team, with the biggest, strongest and most versatile squad in Europe, but also a lucky one. They’ve played six of their seven games at Wembley, after all, which has created a fair amount of resentment towards them in Spain.

There are a few conspiracy theories doing the rounds. Some people here even think that Uefa have given England favourable treatment for helping break up the Super League. Untrue, of course, but Raheem Sterling’s dubious penalty did not help things on that front.

More people will be supporting Italy on Sunday, even if it was the Azurri who knocked out Spain in the semi-finals.


Germany
'Germans now look to England with envy'


By Stefan Bienkowski, German football journalist

As most German fans sort through the rubble of their own team’s Euro 2020 campaign, a begrudging respect has been applied to Gareth Southgate’s England team.

Like their own pundits and ex-players, German fans thought a last-16 clash with England would have proved to be the perfect tonic after a gruelling group stage but the 2-0 defeat at Wembley ultimately underlined where both of these two nations are at the moment.


With one generation retiring and the other being bled through a little too quickly, Germany now look to England with envy as a country a few years ahead of them on a similar path.

Whether it be the abundance of central defenders, strength in depth in the shape of Jadon Sancho and Jack Grealish or “England’s crown jewel”, as Kicker have taken to calling Harry Kane, Southgate’s team are exactly where German fans hope to be at next year’s World Cup.

Over the course of this tournament, Germans have grown to like and respect this English team for what they’ve done on and off the pitch. And that may turn into full-blown admiration if Southgate’s side can ensure Italy - Germany’s biggest rivals, even if the English don’t know that - don’t lift another trophy on Sunday.

Proof if any more were needed that the world has in fact gone full upside down. Reading the french take, i agree with them. Wtf.
 
I think a lot of people have questioned this England side and been proved wrong.

I honestly didn't think they were any good. I could see them going out in the group stage if they lost to Croatia. I couldn't see where the open play goals were coming from, and I was very sceptical of players like Mings and Rice.

I was wrong on all counts.

A lot of people on here were slating Harry Kane, thought he was playing shit and wanted him replaced by the lad from Everton.

They were wrong on all counts.

Many of us (with, I should add, the possible exception of CP) have been really critical of Raheem Sterling's England performances for years, to the point where we had given up on seeing his Man City form for England.

We were wrong on all counts.

For me, Gareth Southgate can name Pickford up front if he wants to and I would trust him now. He has done something no one since Terry Venables has managed; moulded a decent bunch of England players into an actual team. He has won games tactically. He has instilled bottle in players that we as English football fans expect to have none.

He has been right throughout this tournament and should absolutely have earned our trust.

I think the idea of tournament football has been alien to us, largely because we aren't used to seeing England get this far. The idea of keeping your powder dry in the early games. The idea that your performances start good enough and then get better and better. The idea of momentum. It's all uncharted territory for us.

Southgate has schooled us all I think and fair play to him
In terms of Sterling I was one of a few that thought he had a decent World Cup and I got lambasted for it.

There was a concern as he hadn’t played so much for Man City but Southgate trusted him and he hasn’t let him down. I did think he should have been subbed in the Scotland game but other than that I have had no problem with his selection.

Kane has been an odd one. He looked almost disinterested in the group stages and deserved to be taken off in each game. Then against Germany he started to wake up and dictate play more. Against Denmark he was superb both as the focal point up front and dropping deeper to create. He has shown over the last three games precisely why we can’t drop him as he has played his way into the tournament.

I think the only other real point of contention has been Rice and Phillips playing together. I hadn’t seen enough of Phillips to comment before the first game but thought he was immense against Croatia. Against Scotland and the Czechs though I was less impressed and must admit I have been desperate to see Bellingham play. This is a kid who has played top flight German football and reached the quarter final of the Champions League after all.

The fact is though that Southgate has got everything right so far even if some fans think he has been a bit safety first. What he has done has worked and we are in a final! I fully expect to see the same 11 that started against the Danes and you won’t hear a peep from me in argument.

That penalty was still soft though…
 
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Whatever the figure is of people having died of COVID, Boris isn't reponsible for that.

He IS however responsible for us getting to the Euros final. You mighty even want to argue that he is SOLELY responsible for getting us to the final.


He dived a little for the penalty IMHO
Also he got lucky with the penalty save coming back to him
He made a couple of decent saves although his kicking got a bit erratic towards the end of the game

He's hot redemption from his penalty miss fron 96
And the noise he made from the stands made the players feel like they had a 12th man.


Thanks Boris lll continure to eat every nugget that hangs from your arsehole
 
We haven't won 5 of our 6 games so far - and scored 8 in our last 3 - by setting up not to lose. That is utter nonsense.

I also couldn't disagree more on the point about the final being a "free hit". Working hard and sticking to a particular game plan to successfully get to the final, only to then abandon that in the hope that something new will work and you will 'win better', makes absolutely no sense.

This is the final and the chance of a lifetime for these players and manager to win a tournament - why would they even consider changing things?

Southgate knows what he's doing and, whatever the result on Sunday, we will play the team and system which he thinks will give us the best chance of winning.

To be honest, I don’t really understand your point at all. the suggested 11 isn’t abandoning anything. It’s the same formation in every game bar Germany. tweaking the 2 forward players isn’t about being more attacking or losing your strategy that got us to the final, it’s just about using the best players in those positions based on everyone’s performances so far in the tournament.

Saka and Mount haven’t added any real defensive steel or structure that Grealish or Foden can’t and these players also haven’t played in every game to be called ever presents - it’s merely that they can offer more in forward positions than their equivalents. Why’s that a problem?

My Henderson over Rice suggestion also isn’t to do with being more attacking - I think Henderson is better than Rice and does more defensively.

If Southgate disagrees and picks others, no problem - he’s certainly earned the trust and in fairness, Rice has started every game, but the 11 is merely adapting several players Southgate himself has chosen throughout to give us a good chance against Italy.
 
I wish this absolute BS on home advantage from a lot of these bitter euro's could be quashed once and for all, and get them all to STFU.

Fact - There is ALWAYS a host nation. Some win with this, most do not.
Fact - This tournament was designed to afford 13 home nations for a portion of the tournament, with the semi's and finals at Wembley as we bid the highest.
Fact - Covid changed the 13 city format, to whatever we saw? 9?
Fact - Italy, Germany, Denmark, Spain all had 3 home games. Not complaining then were they? Would they have qualified if this tournament was only held in 1 nation, and they didn't have any home advantage at all?

Europe should be renamed Wales or Scotland, as they are becoming more bitter than these asshats ..!!

Rant over
 
To be honest, I don’t really understand your point at all. the suggested 11 isn’t abandoning anything. It’s the same formation in every game bar Germany. tweaking the 2 forward players isn’t about being more attacking or losing your strategy that got us to the final, it’s just about using the best players in those positions based on everyone’s performances so far in the tournament.

Saka and Mount haven’t added any real defensive steel or structure that Grealish or Foden can’t and these players also haven’t played in every game to be called ever presents - it’s merely that they can offer more in forward positions than their equivalents. Why’s that a problem?

My Henderson over Rice suggestion also isn’t to do with being more attacking - I think Henderson is better than Rice and does more defensively.

If Southgate disagrees and picks others, no problem - he’s certainly earned the trust and in fairness, Rice has started every game, but the 11 is merely adapting several players Southgate himself has chosen throughout to give us a good chance against Italy.
Agree with all of this
 
Spain got loads of chances against Italy. And we’ve got a brilliant striker. If we haven’t won then bring on Foden and Grealish to charge at them in extra time.

IT’S COMING HOME
 
To be honest, I don’t really understand your point at all. the suggested 11 isn’t abandoning anything. It’s the same formation in every game bar Germany. tweaking the 2 forward players isn’t about being more attacking or losing your strategy that got us to the final, it’s just about using the best players in those positions based on everyone’s performances so far in the tournament.

Saka and Mount haven’t added any real defensive steel or structure that Grealish or Foden can’t and these players also haven’t played in every game to be called ever presents - it’s merely that they can offer more in forward positions than their equivalents. Why’s that a problem?

My Henderson over Rice suggestion also isn’t to do with being more attacking - I think Henderson is better than Rice and does more defensively.

If Southgate disagrees and picks others, no problem - he’s certainly earned the trust and in fairness, Rice has started every game, but the 11 is merely adapting several players Southgate himself has chosen throughout to give us a good chance against Italy.


I love to see you 2 like this
 
I'm gonna be bold here.
It'll be like France's '98 final. We'll get a first half header, then one fairly early on in the 2nd half, and as Italy chase the game we'll pick them off with a 3rd.

I rubbed by balls during the semi and this is what I saw.


I think the Daily Star was asking people to rub Harry's balls during the quarter final to give him a semi.