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Euro 2020 Prediction Competition


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If you look at teams who have won major Tournaments on a regular basis over a sustained period of time, Italy and Germany are two that have mastered this art over the years without ever really being the best team there and Portugal have just arrived at this stage, winning a tournament without winning more than one match in 90 minutes. 

 

I recall pretty much all England's glorious or not so glorious fuck ups since 1970, hadn't quite realised just how dross our Euros record was until further scrutinising it (i.e. never won a knockout game in 90 minutes until last night). We have no record ever of doing well in the Euros - 1996 "Its coming home" was a mixture of 2 graet performances (V Holland 4-1) and the glorious defeat in the semis with Germany and 3 bang average displays v Swiss (1-1), Scots (2-0) and Spain (0-0 won on pens). 

 

I am sick to death of glorious failure or overhyped bad luck, we have no track record at all in the Euros and all 8 teams left offer something if only pride and passion. Take each game at a time lads, they are not weighed down by our abysmal history like the fans, play the game not the occasion and be the last man standing - an art mastered by the Germans and Italians over the years              

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It goes without saying we'd want to be going all out and winning each game 4-0.  But we have a different game plan, and it's working. And its one that's more likely to bring success in my opinion.

 

Watching the France game the other night, when Pogba was given a hospital pass and lost possession, Switzerland had a 5 vs 5 attack.  It was injury time and France were 3-2 up at the time.  They've paid the price, as have other expansive teams.

 

I'd much rather win the thing than have another hard luck story with the odd great game to reminisce about.

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2 hours ago, Dave_Og said:

He'll do for me.  Why he continues to get dog's abuse is bewildering


If he does get ‘dog’s abuse’ then that is just a symptom of the ‘on-line, phone-in generation’ and sadly is what happens. I seem to remember Bobby Robson being vilified in the press for his tactical approach before England suddenly found a system that worked.

 

It’s not black and white but it also seems that any opinion that expresses dissatisfaction with the way England are set up to play is criticised because we’re grinding out victories.

 

England are ranked the fourth best team in the world (behind Belgium, France and Brazil). We have three players in Kane, Grealish and Sancho who are currently the subject of ‘stupid money’ transfer speculation. 
We have a squad full of exciting attacking talent. We have a squad captained by Kane that contains a further four players who captain their Premier League sides - so no shortage of leadership.

 

Southgate will get no ‘dogs abuse’ from me - just a plea to adopt a more expansive and quicker style of play given the array of talent at his disposal.

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8 hours ago, Dave_Og said:

It's best explained by the Talksport tendency which has taken on from the very similar Sun tendency which was just as in your face and aggressive but at least only came out once a day.  Everything is brilliant or terrible, jet black or brilliant white etc.  The phone in culture which means that Darren from Kidderminster really does believe that his view is just as valid as genuine experts has a lot to answer for.  The BBC is just as bad now; Savage and Sutton are absolutely unlistenable as there only role is to wind people up into a frenzy and get them foaming down the phone.  The original 606 days of Danny Baker with funny away day tales and the like were the halcyon days - long gone

Funny how Savage's complaints about Wales' travelling has been swept under the carpet following the Swiss knocking out France. As the Swiss had travelled further than the Welsh. He's truly awful and needs to memorise Richie Benaud's rules for commentators before any broadcaster let's him near a live microphone again. 

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8 hours ago, GlossopLatic said:

 

Southgate has picked 4 different teams against 4 different oppositions so far. Its working stick to the game plan of picking the team for the game you are playing.

 

We will probably see Grealish start in the next game as we will get more of the ball against the Ukraine. We don't need to become an "entertaining team" just to appease the populists stick to the plan its working.

Picking a team to best match the opposition also prevents the opposition from planning their tactics around stopping you. 

 

Opposition managers will know some but not all of England's starters. Planning for a front 3 of Saka - Kane - Sterling isn't the same as planning for a front 3 of Foden - Kane - Sterling with Mount just behind. 

 

Southgate has also recognised that some players play against their opposite number in club games clear psychological advantages can be gained. See Saka against the Czech full back he had tormented in the Europa League. 

 

Eventually England will meet a side good enough to cope with changing shape and with a good manager to recognise that shape change is needed. I think there are 3 teams left who can do that but we can only meet 1 of them in the final. 

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I like Southgate 

 

he’s not the most adventurous manager but he’s a gentleman and compared to McLaren and Hodgson I’d have him any day of the week and twice on a Sunday 

 

After the absolute sickening corrupt mess that is Sam (chew gum faster than I open brown envelopes) Allardyce he was just the guy we needed.

 

The guy can only play whats in front of him (if we get promoted will we shrug our shoulders because a league 2 is shit and we should go up)? No we will jump around like dickheads 

 

Southgate got us to a World Cup semi final for the first time since 90

 

We have absolutely romped our qualifying games 

 

We have won our first knockout Euro match in years and beaten the Germans for the first time since 66 in the process 

 

A couple of more wins he will have the highest win % of any England manager and just might bag us a major trophy at the same time 

 

The guy is doing ok 

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50 minutes ago, Chaddyexile84 said:

I like Southgate 

 

he’s not the most adventurous manager but he’s a gentleman and compared to McLaren and Hodgson I’d have him any day of the week and twice on a Sunday 

 

After the absolute sickening corrupt mess that is Sam (chew gum faster than I open brown envelopes) Allardyce he was just the guy we needed.

 

The guy can only play whats in front of him (if we get promoted will we shrug our shoulders because a league 2 is shit and we should go up)? No we will jump around like dickheads 

 

Southgate got us to a World Cup semi final for the first time since 90

 

We have absolutely romped our qualifying games 

 

We have won our first knockout Euro match in years and beaten the Germans for the first time since 66 in the process 

 

A couple of more wins he will have the highest win % of any England manager and just might bag us a major trophy at the same time 

 

The guy is doing ok 

Yeah. .

 

But I still don’t like rice and Phillips in the same side. 😉

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20 hours ago, Chaddyexile84 said:

I like Southgate 

 

he’s not the most adventurous manager but he’s a gentleman and compared to McLaren and Hodgson I’d have him any day of the week and twice on a Sunday 

 

After the absolute sickening corrupt mess that is Sam (chew gum faster than I open brown envelopes) Allardyce he was just the guy we needed.

 

The guy can only play whats in front of him (if we get promoted will we shrug our shoulders because a league 2 is shit and we should go up)? No we will jump around like dickheads 

 

Southgate got us to a World Cup semi final for the first time since 90

 

We have absolutely romped our qualifying games 

 

We have won our first knockout Euro match in years and beaten the Germans for the first time since 66 in the process 

 

A couple of more wins he will have the highest win % of any England manager and just might bag us a major trophy at the same time 

 

The guy is doing ok 

Southgate has one big advantage over previous managers. He has a wealth of young talent that England has been missing for ever. We have always had weaknesses in certain positions and personally I think the centre backs are still a bit suspect, which is why Southgate is playing two defensive midfielders to protect them. Phillips wouldn't be in the side if Henderson had been fit for the first game. He showed in that game what he can do and has kept Henderson out of the team.

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On 6/19/2021 at 2:16 PM, Magic Mikey said:

I totally agree with the comments about Southgate's caution. I'm going to take on the Monty role and try and launch a boat of optimism. 

Although Scotland are a minor footballing nation, this was their World Cup final. 

We beat Croatia comfortably without looking like conceding. 

The Scotland display might shake the manager into sending out a more positive team. 

Remember 96. Doom and gloom after an initial poor draw. Narrowly beat Scotland to get to four points then annihilated Holland. Only a penalty shoot out away from the final. 

Channel your inner Gazza and believe. 

Hands up from me. You know what you're doing Gareth. 

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Here are the tables after the quarter finals. scottakie stays top of the table but, having looked like he might run away with it, he’s been reined in a little going into the semi finals stage. 
image.jpeg

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38 minutes ago, Stevie_J said:

Here are the tables after the quarter finals. scottakie stays top of the table but, having looked like he might run away with it, he’s been reined in a little going into the semi finals stage. 
image.jpeg

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I see the best real life and fantasy league manager is smashing it in 26th 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

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7 minutes ago, Dave_Og said:

Changing the shape and taking Grealish off was one of the bravest managerial decisions I have ever seen. In any field. 

I've never understood managers who do that. Number 1 to take off a player who can hold the ball, and number 2 go defensive when we controlled for the previous half hous as we were! Got there in the end though! I'd start grealish on Sunday after that. Hel have a point to prove

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He's a proper leader 

 

Gary Neville was spot on when you see the state of the leaders in this country Johnson Patel Hancock Corbyn Farage all useless lieing scumbags.

 

Southgate makes the right decisions is pragmatic is Honest and leads through doing the right thing he shuts out the noise of the media and the public.

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7 minutes ago, Chris15Arm said:

I've never understood managers who do that. Number 1 to take off a player who can hold the ball, and number 2 go defensive when we controlled for the previous half hous as we were! Got there in the end though! I'd start grealish on Sunday after that. Hel have a point to prove

We won... 

Every single decision he has made has worked out. 

A phenomenal managerial achievement. 

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16 hours ago, Dave_Og said:

Changing the shape and taking Grealish off was one of the bravest managerial decisions I have ever seen. In any field. 

Reminded me a bit of van Gaal bringing Tim Krul on just for the penalty shoot out at the 2014 World Cup.

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Just now, SweeperKeeper said:

Reminded me a bit of van Gaal bringing Tim Krul on just for the penalty shoot out at the 2014 World Cup.

Good one.  Although I dare say that was planned in advance and I doubt last night's change was.

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