Football

36 shots!

Ramos leaving Madrid. Guess it was inevitable with his wrangles over a contract, but still feels weird nonetheless

It's because Wales fans mainly aren't ridiculous idiots like England fans, who put pressure on their team to perform which stops them doing so.

I'm not going to comment on Scotland fans because it's not my area of expertise but it sounds like a different but similar problem.

Scotland should be playing with zero pressure or expectations and just have some fun - look where it's got Iceland and Wales in the last couple of Euros.

On the topic of commentators, on the way home I was listening to 5 Live for the Wales game, and Rob Phillips and Nathan Blake were excellent. Got the balance of excitement, nervousness and professionalism just right.

We are Scots, we dont expect much but we, unanimously, just wanted our best players on the park to give us the best chance to beat the only team in our group we could realistically go and potentially dominate in a must win match. Seeing the starting line up knocked the wind out of our sails before we even started (I was at the match).

Its the "staying safe", one up top, not playing the young boys approach that I cant abide.

Anyway, Friday is it own thing.

Italy had the right tactics tonight....punt the ball in the corner of the goal. Simple and effective.

Really enjoying the Euros, France, Holland, Belgium and Italy looking the strongest for me... Holland look so fucking tough and direct... Play on!

Holland?

They squeaked past Ukraine. Ukraine looked decent but the Netherlands looked a long way behind Italy or France in terms of organisation.

do worry that too much hope is being placed on young BG - lad's only 20 and hardly has heaps of experience at the top level (13 games ffs). the way people are going on you'd think he was a win button

I trust steve clarke, I think. thought we played well on monday - just got undone by one worldie header and a freakish outlier goal. could def have been more clinical in front of goal but tbf czechs defended well and at least we were creating

I thought they looked really good, I know that game didn't go entirely their way but I think the scoreline flattered Ukraine... They looked very quick and strong going forward...

Then again, I may have slightly orange tinted spectacles, I love Holland as a footballing nation...

I hear ya on Gilmour. I don't think 20 is too young but I get the scepticism. Would I have started him on Monday? Yes.

O' Donnell is not a wing back. Patterson is. No brainer on that front. Patterson, Forrest, O' Donnell, in that order.

Dykes is touted as this big hold up man. I think he won a total of 2 headers on Monday, he's not even a hold up man never mind a goal scorer. He's not got it at this level. Che Adams should start and if we go 2 up its Nisbet and Adams for me.

Oh and Tierney is our best player so will always be missed. Especially linking with Robbo down the left. I think Tierney is a good example of what can happen when a Scottish footballer doesn't drink alcohol, we must have lost a lot of players to the bevvy (Only half joking).

don't disagree with any of that really. still think it's on like donkey kong so just need to keep the heid

Fonseca to Spurs is off apparently, Gattuso now linked. Lolololololololol.

Came here to post that. They'll be appointing Big Sam at this rate.

Roy Hodgson’s odds have halved this afternoon.

* taps nose*

I feel bad for Denmark there. They had chances but didn't take them, and could have killed the game off with some great play in the first half.

They probably wouldn't have lost to Finland on Saturday under normal circumstances - and now they're out.

The Eriksen tribute was fantastic.

The Belgian defence is a massive weak spot.

I was getting ready to write a post about how overrated the Belgian team were. Then De Bruyne, Hazard and Witsel joined Tielemans and Lukaku and they remembered they are the best team on paper in the tournament.

That game sounded epic on the radio. Helped me on my last few hours at work. Karen Carney on co com was great to listen too. KDB is just class. Also radio saying Hazard looked sharp too. Did he really do a rainbow flic? So Netherlands tonight. That fuck wit Arnautovic got him self banned for this match. 4 - 3 to Netherlands

Even Belgian TV found zero Belgium activity worth showing until the 54th minute for their highlights package

It looks like De Ligt coming back has strengthened them up a bit at the back.

Wijnaldum is unreal with a bit more freedom than Liverpool gave him, he's bossing it.

Big fan of that pass from Malen. Mature decision.

Wijnaldum is unreal with a bit more freedom than Liverpool gave him, he's bossing it.

Yeah he's been class, his energy levels are ridiculous. De Jong played well too, tasty midfield with both of them.

Netherlands eased through that. Pleased to see Depay playing well he has so much talent and can get better. Starting to get interesting. Really enjoying this tournent so far.

On a side note players warned of fines if they move bottles of coke!!! Fuck that. If coke want the advertising to be linked with players in pressers they have to take the risk that a player might move a bottle.

De Jong was a delight to watch tonight. The way that the Dutch midfield kept making space for each other and then filling in for the player moving forward was textbook stuff. I'm expecting the same from Scotland tomorrow against England's static midfield!

At what stage am I meant to feel sorry for Spurs fans? If they were doing another Amazon series would it be filed under comedy, drama or spoof documentary?

At what stage am I meant to feel sorry for Spurs fans?

Save your tears, they love being shit. It's all they know.

Surprised to see Ashley Young back at the Villa after 10 years. He's 7 years older than anyone else in the squad!