Euros 2012

greg

A new thread for those of us in Europe and elsewhere interested in football (soccer). Well done Denmark, a good victory against one of the favourites Holland. I was sorry to see Ireland loose to Croatia last night, but the big game is this evening - England against France. In my view a draw would be a great result for England, a victory amazing, especially with Wayne Rooney banned for two games. Even a defeat would not be the end of the world, as the top two go through. Expectations are low, no pressure, so you never know....

Lowlife

Off to watch in the pub soon, I have never known a lack of expectation ever for England, even the weather today is rubbish here in the capital.

If we get a draw it will be good, sense that France will win 2-0

Germanprof

My sense of British culture and expectations of the football team is that we typically manage to pull off the neat trick of imposing massive expectations while at the same time expressing continual pessimism regarding the outcome. Not sure it's a good combination for the actual players.

BigD-Bluez

Ah, it's the "hooligan" thread then is it?

cafreema

Gotta cheer for Poland after having the back up keeper come in after the starter gets tossed and not only face an immediate PK, but stop it. Obviously they aren't going to win the thing, but that's just too awesome not to cheer for.

Craig

greg

It really is different this time GP, the realistic expectation is that a quarter final is the very best we can expect. Various players are injured and Wayne Rooney is suspended for the first two games. The TV pundits are even expecting nothing from England, but the tone the last couple of days has been could England do well, given that there is no expectation? Remember 4 years ago we did not even qualify for the finals.

Brighternow

Denmark Rules !

- The official Danish EM song by the most lame but very popular pop/rap duo Nick & Jay.

cafreema

Wave the St. George, Greg!

Craig

greg

England 1- France 1. I'm happy with that! Back to the music...

Lowlife

Good draw thought the team look balanced for once, almost looking forward to Friday!

greg

And after two games away Rooney should be fired up for Ukraine - he did not like sitting in the stand!

NankerP

The early game here starts at 2am and the later game 4.45am but I have managed to drag myself up at 2 for Spain v Italy and England v France although I admit nodding off in the second half of both. It's probably the first tournament I'm unreservedly going for England, the land my ancestors couldn't wait to leave. I used to back Spain as perennial underachievers on the world stage but since they started achieving I've lost the enthusiasm. I lived in Moscow for a couple of years so they're the other team I'd like to see go far. Was very pleased to see Denmark do well.

greg

I saw much of last night's two games. The first Denmark and Portugal was a really good game, swung a bit - Portugal went two up, Denmark scored two before Portugal got the winner. But Denmark were there after the draw until the end. The second game was Netherlands against Germany. This is always quite a big game, with a fair bit of history attached (both political and football related). English fans will invariably support the Netherlands - again both political and football related history. Sadly the Dutch lost. Two good first half goals sealed it, but the Dutch did come back in the second half with a great Van Persie goal, but couldn't get another goal for a draw. In all likelihood it means Netherlands are out of the competition other than for an unlikely set of events in the final games in the group. Tonight Spain play Ireland, should be interesting, earlier Italy play Croatia.

Brighternow

greg

Well, Lowlife, I am amazed at your club. Why get rid of one of the best managers in the UK? A few months ago we all thought he was heading for England. Perhaps that is the problem. Levy may have already lined up a successor???

Lowlife

Greg not suprised but sad he has gone.

The reasons are many, Harry did not do well in the 2nd half on the season and Levy is fed up with the huge squad that he has to pay for, which happened at Portsmouth and Southampton.

it will be interesting to see who is next, Moyes would be a good choice and if they get rid of the dead wood and invest in some good players maybe we will be a strong team. Modric will go and at 30 million the club will invest in some good talent. Players such as Walker, Caulker, Sandrio and Huddlestone are the future, players such as Saha, Jenas, Bassong and Bentley are a handicap.

No Man is bigger than the club, Spurs will still go on and I will support them

Nereffid

Spain 4, Ireland 0. Ugh. Not really a bad performance by Ireland, but they were just utterly out of their depth. Judging by the singing at the end of the match, I think we still hold the "best supporters in the world" title.

greg

Yes Spurs do have a large squad, but no larger than, say, the Manchester teams, Chelsea and Arsenal. Part of the problem is that do not have the depth of quality that most of those teams have, so that when injury and loss of form come along there is no one of similar quality to replace. David Moyses would be a good choice but the rumour this morning is Villas Boas is favourite. That won't go down well amongst the Spurs fans in my wife's family!

I watched the second half of the Spain-Ireland game last night. The Irish were just not at the same game. Roy Keane for their next manager??? Spain were beginning to look good, though.

Lowlife

Ireland very poor, England really scrapped through last night. I think they may get out the group but once they play Germany or Spain its time to pack their bags

Brighternow

Lowlife

Tonight is looking good, Italy or Croatia look like going home.

Must think if I go to the pub tomorrow and watch England, is it better to suffer with a group of people. I do this with Spurs sparing Mrs Lowlife the tension and saving our TV from getting damaged

greg

I watched the first half of the Italy-Ireland game and the second half of Spain-Croatia. I was quite disappointed when Spain scored, as I wanted Italy to finish top, because I reckon that if we qualify tonight, I would rather play Italy than Spain. But then again I would have been happy with a 2-2 draw in the Spanish game because Italy would be out... I'll be watching tonight at home, screaming at the set when we go a goal down, as I did on Friday evening. Spain didn't really impress me last night, but I'd still take them to beat England. Germany are looking ominously good...

greg

Getting nervous time, 20 minutes before kick-off. I'm an England fan, so I always expect the worst - it has happened since I was 15 that England always do badly, generally underachieving, in international football tournaments. I hope for the best, at least a draw, but fear a defeat. At least there will not be a penalty kick competition to decide the result if it is a draw. That will come in the next round.

greg

A very nervous evening, a very scrappy game that we won one-nil, and amazingly topped the group to avoid Spain next time. Ukraine thought they were unlucky with a 'goal' that was not given, but it was offside anyway - both poor decisions by officials. England just did not impress much of the time, and I cannot see us getting past Italy, but you never know. It'll be a yet another nervous evening on Sunday !

Bad Thoughts

a very scrappy game that we won one-

The 1-0 (or 0-0) game is what tends to frustrate me about football/soccer. Whatever game I watch, I prefer great defense (thus low scoring games). But in the context of this football, I think it's a very indeterminate result--one that occurs too often--that tends to carry broad implications, either guaranteeing advancement or threatening one's place in a tournament.

Nereffid

Bad Thoughts

Either sports journalists aren't very creative, or five have taken credit for writing the same story.

Lowlife

Last night was a real nervy one, thought England did not play well but if its to be boring 1-0 games then so be it. Sepp Blater is now going to look at goal line technology, typical when its not an English problem. Sunday is a BBQ day now with all my friends, the pubs are going to be mad and its best to keep away.

greg

Nice one Nereffid! I wonder if there is even any truth in it. Possibly the result of a number of journalists getting together in a bar, but very lazy writing...

Nereffid

I like to picture it as something out of a Howard Hawks comedy: a row of phone booths in a hotel lobby, each one occupied by a hard-bitten newshound... the camera pans along the row and we hear bits of what they're dictating to the newsroom: "At some point tonight, Wayne Rooney will go to his room..." "Wayne Rooney will retire to his hotel room this evening..." and so on...

MrV

@Nereffid: "I like to picture it as something out of a Howard Hawks comedy".....Bravo, that put a great image into my head with the newshounds. No one has ever managed to make movies with the wonderful repartee that Hawks did, covering so many genres from Bringing UP Baby to The Thing.