Football

How has this happened? The Netherlands are crap.

So. Obviously Southgate is the most consistently successful manager England have ever had. And getting to semis/finals is really good.
But he's still a really shit actual manager.

So my suggestion is that he becomes England director of football and does the vibes based stuff, and we get Howe (or whoever) in to do the tactics bit.

Then we'd be great.

SputhgateStyle not changing the gameplay and relying on a high ball in the box. Brilliant.

So Spain have to win this. None of the others can even play football, or they don’t want to.

His record speaks for itself, but if he’d sorted the left hand side out on 60mins - like a lot of people were screaming at their TVs - we’d have dispatched the Swiss without penalties.

It’s a phenomenon - I think he’s been gifted with excellent players.

He's hardly quick to solve problems, it doesn't bring me any joy to say he needs to step aside as soon as possible.

Aimé Jacquet, Joachim Löw, Lionel Scaloni, Didier Deschamps all have better win percentages than Southgate. Are they all great managers? Probably not.

Netherlands v Turkey was super fun. Bit gutted for Turkey, but v pleased not to have to watch yet another round of extra time.

Swiss manager to be played by Mads Mikkelson in the film adaptation

Turks were very unlicky, last line of defence were 5 goalies, as gakpo put it.

Everyone has been shouting about the left side since match one. It is blindingly obvious to all.
But here we are in another major semi final.

My partner (roughly translated); "you know who were fucking shit? Italy."
She's right you know. But still, ENG and NL are also shit (and FR for that matter). Happy semis!

This hasn’t been a competition with many stand out teams. Spain look comfortably the best team, France look solid enough but have been pretty pedestrian the whole tournament. Interesting match up on Tuesday.

But here we are in another major semi final.

Whilst this is true, it's been a torrid, painful affair and we haven't played a single 'decent' team yet.

I'd say Southgates biggest skill ending up in the right side of the draw, which always seems to happen.

Given that most teams have been average, is there not a case to be made that the players are all knackered after long domestic seasons and this tournament is a step too far for all of them?

Definitely a contributory factor.

Bah, that old chestnut. We had violent matches on sweaty indoor plastic until 10 on a Tuesday, matches Saturday and Sunday on waterlogged pitches covered with dogshit, with a hangover and training on most of the other days while working a full time job. Was fine.

How many keepie uppies can you do?

In my measured opinion:
National teams are made up of tired players who play in different systems to those at national level. There is a lot of “just throw the best players out there and see what happens “ (France, England) and there’s a lot of “we play like this at all levels because we’re smaller nations” (Swiss/austria) some “we have some good players a couple of really good players” (Croatia, turkey, Romania)

And two teams that have great players and a system (Spain Germany).

I think the quality of the matches have been good, excitement and goals are overrated.

This has just been on itv4. Amazing

https://youtu.be/RRMJ3ftUtnw?si=5erAy3Rzqj-1SvK1

England have a great chance to win it playing dreadfuly. They keep inching through. Spain should walk it but I can see France boring it to the final also.

Trump came across quite normal in that. Disappointing
Saint n Greavsie= Nostagia

If you can bare it watch The Roseanne Show in 98 with him and Michael Moore, surreal.

How many keepie uppies can you do?

Not sure I can get it up, let alone keep it there.

I was thinking I might be able to do 2 max

One of my mates kids was a mascot for the Belgium v France game, won it in a competition at Lidl. Boy and dad got flown over for the game, with a stay in a hotel and to watch the match.