European Nations League Finals

Good game so far Portugal v Swiss. I must say I struggle with how VAR is going to work next year. The Portugal goal Ronald gets tackled by defender. No dive, just a great ball winning challenge. Given as free kick due to referee incompetence. How can a free kick 25 yards out not be significant enough to review?

 

Good. At least the Swiss fans will have something to talk about at the pub after the game. Good beer, good bantz about the bad decisions.

As that's what it's all about.

 

Irritating commentator as well. Fernandes is "Fernandesh" because he's so very clever.

 

Soft VAR penalty now. Defender’s eye 100% on the ball, there’s contact but I wouldn’t say it was intentional or reckless.

 

This is what worries me about it in the PL next season. The VAR will (rightly) view an incident like that, where Deeney goes down, as an accidental coming together. But if it’s Mo Salah or Sergio Aguero it’ll be a penalty. Still, it’ll be fun to discuss down the pub.

 

Poor old Alan Smith now feels like he needs to say "Fernandesh" but doesn't commit so it ends up being "F'nandish"

 

I'm pleased "Guedesh" is on as well. Why not "Nevesh" though? Only after a "D"?

 

I still don't get what this competition is or the point of it.

 

Good game. Not sure Switzerland deserve that. Terrible from Xhaka as usual - what a poor footballer.

 

As previously discussed, CR9 > Messi.

 

Didn't watch, how did Abdi and Behrami play?

 

Is he the same bloke that used to call Gomes, Gomesh. Maybe he just has ill fitting falsh teeth.

 

Not sure about those two, but Federer played brilliantly. He's into the semi final now.

 

Neither made much of an impression TBF, but Ramon Vega looked as reliable and expensive at the back as ever.

 

Don't. I break out in a cold sweat at the mention of that name.

 

Remember the excitement when we signed him "for nothing" from Celtic. I mean he was free. An experienced international, ex Spurs and Celtic star. For nothing. How could we possibly lose ?

 

This second half has had a good intensity. Shame Lingards goal was ruled offside as it was a lovely move.

 

Stones and Walker have been awful playing out from the back all night. That goal was always going to happen.

 

Great tweet from Paddy Power:

VAR is checking to see if England are any good at playing out from the back....

 

Thank you to England tonight. Haven't had a good old laugh like that for ages.

The defending, the VAR disallowed goal after Lingards stupid celebration and the look on the faces of the moronic supporters who'll no doubt smash the town up now.

Just like it should be.

 

Stones should never wear an England shirt again...disgraceful.

 

Couldn't believe what England were doing tonight. You don't have defensive players that can play in tight areas. They played like school kids who think they can beat every player on the pitch. It's so na*ve.

If Southgate thinks he can force this type of football on England players, then he's just fooling himself. They can't play it. They dwell on the ball for too long, allow the opponent to close them down, get tackled and lose the ball.

I think stems from the keeper. He's a disaster waiting to happen. Stones thinks he's a baller, but he's delusional. Barkley does good things, but lose the ball far too cheaply. Walker is not a very reliable player, but gets by with his pace.

It was a shocker, but the sad thing for England is that it will keep happening, unless England play to their strengths.

Not sure Southgate can take you any further forward. He's done well, but I think he's taken England as far as he can.

 

Was like watching us. Off to Portugal tomorrow as I have a ticket for the final, still looking forward to the occasion but bitterly disappointed. Netherlands are not world beaters but our midfield was poor and the defence was making errors all night and it wasn't a surprise we were eventually punished. Could have, should have = England in my lifetime sadly

 

CR9?

Chris Rogers’ cidermen number?

 

How is John Stones at Man City? He is complete and utter turd and hasn't improved at all over the years.

 

A few years back, in response to Stones’ initial selection. someone posted a splendid gif of a goose laughing.

I was reminded of that tonight.

 

Were you looking over my shoulder as I made my Mourinho style notes?

Exactly.

The one you generously omitted was Farmer Maguire. With hands like wicketkeeping gloves, he’s plainly a rugby player.

I presume he’s selected for the football because of some sort of quota arrangement.

Waistcoat is showy. Selection, omitting players from 2 of the best teams, was showy. Play it from the back is showy. Win it with kids is very showy.

Fanboy for the brexit white van massive.

 

I suspect he’s been ruined by the Sage of Barcelona.

He’ll be told to play out like that every time at Citeh & when he ****s up, Guardiola simply replaces him with a better player.

Witless Waistcoat has yet to receive that email.

 

The main problem tonight was the midfield that was selected:
Delph - decent mid-table PL player; nowhere near the Man City team and lucky to have international caps
Barkley - plays half a game for Chelsea, on and off, but is nowhere near as good as he thinks he is
Rice - good potential but inexperienced; he is the current ‘flavour of the month’ so has been prematurely catapulted straight into the England team.

 

No. The main problem was that Southgate has clearly drummed into into the players that no matter what, they have to play with the ball on the deck. The back 4 were playing suicidal stuff at times and got caught twice. This is because they were complacent and scared to launch it long at times as that betrays the ‘philosophy’. You can add that the midfielders we had out there were no good on the half-turn so the out ball that the CB’s had clearly been told to always look for, was rarely on.

Team looked sharper with Sancho and Rashford. Kane still not fit and Lingard is average.

 

Yeah, I rank this well up their with those nights at Italia 90 and Euro 96. Totally heartbroken and mentally drained.

Hope we give the boys a rousing response when they get back home from this mother of all footballing rides which was the Nations League Semi Final.

We'll win the big one again one day.

 

I like the ambition of Southgate tbh.

Much rather they make mistakes passing it out than hoofing it, as long as they learn.

Harry Kane woefully off the pace again and Fabian Delph is just an awful, awful player at an elite level. Once Winks and Ox are fit, Ward Prowse & Maddison merge in then Delph shouldn't make the squad at all! Loftus Cheek there too.

We'll have some better centre-mids by the time Euro 2020 comes round, we'll have Joe Gomez and Trent in the back 4. Sterling & Kane will still hopefully be world class, Rashford and Sancho hopefully even better and who knows what Hudson Odoi, Mason Mount, Grealish, Foden, Gibbs White, Ryan Sessegnon, Wan Bissaka and the others we don't know about could become? The future's pretty bright!