Re: Euro 2020: England Reach Final
 

Utterly appalling but sadly not surprising and as always its a small minority who ruin it for the vast majority of well behaved supporters.:(

Re: Euro 2020: England Reach Final
 

I see all the racists are out in force today. Unfortunately there's a fair proportion in this country. There's something about these tournaments that brings out the worst.
Best England performance for 55 years and folks want the manager sacked!
Italy by far the best team and deserved winners.

Re: Euro 2020: England Reach Final
 

Italy’s performance was dire. England’s was not great either. It should have been 3-1 to Italy, but England’s Defensive abilities shone through, the cheating fouling by Italy was a disgrace, they had quite a few given yellow cards and one of them should have been a straight red when Saka had the back of his neck shirt pulled, for this, they didn’t deserve to win at all.

Re: Euro 2020: England Reach Final
 

Got to balance that with our 'cheating' to get to the final. A dive for a penalty and a laser shone in the Danish keepers face.
Disagree that Italy were dire, there's a reason they're unbeaten in over 30 matches.

Re: Euro 2020: England Reach Final
 

You know something, you always put your country down first, you’re an absolute disgrace Mr K, sick of your negative bullshit.

Italy: Unbeaten probably due to the cheating they do. They were dire. As is your ability to read things correctly.

The laser shone, nothing to do with the team. Diving happens all over the place across many different teams. Italy cheated quite a lot yesterday, pulling on Saka brought shame on them.

Re: Euro 2020: England Reach Final
 

It's just balance Mick, can't pretend we're angels or better than anyone else, we aren't.
Italy won as they're the better side, we weren't bad by any means but not as good. Sometimes it's as simple as that.
We were lucky to get to penalties as that was our only chance of winning that match.

Re: Euro 2020: England Reach Final
 

Have to agree with Mr K here, I deplore the Italians cynical fouling and gamesmanship. I have to hold my hand up and admit that over the whole of the 120 minutes of actual football they were the better side. Apart from the first two minutes of the game their keeper had very little to do unlike Pickford who kept us in the game until the end.

In should not happen in a major final that one team gets a full extra day to recover, England did appear to be running on empty towards the end of normal time.

And if Italy’s performance was dire how come they had 21 attempts to our paltry 6.

Re: Euro 2020: England Reach Final
 

That foul on Saka wasn't a red as Chiellini wasn't the last man.

It was a textbook tactical foul. It was a dangerous situation, Saka is fast and you're on the wrong side of him so take him down and take the yellow. Happens all the time and had the situations been reversed I would want us to do the same and we almost certainly would.

It is cynical but you need a bit of cynicism in football.

---------- Post added at 12:02 ---------- Previous post was at 12:00 ----------

Oh come on that happens all the time in finals. That 2nd place medal in finals is always a horrible moment for the losing side and they frequently take them off.

Re: Euro 2020: England Reach Final
 

I believe it used to be called 'taking one for the team' and has been happening for many years :Yes:

Re: Euro 2020: England Reach Final
 

Anyway, I think we can be proud of this England team. The first final in 55 years. They have been a credit to the country and, hopefully, they can take some confidence into the World Cup.

I think it was very unfair on Saka to have to take the 5th penalty. The more senior players should have fronted up and taken one.

Re: Euro 2020: England Reach Final
 

It doesn't happen "all the time". It stinks of entitlement and is something a lot of England fans were clearly blind to, as well as the media.

At the last Euros Wales got to the semi-finals. Did we expect to do the same this year? No, we have much more respect for other teams and opponents.

Despite the popular narrative, it has nothing to do with perceived 'jealousy'. We have difficulty getting behind a national side that acted as if they were owed the trophy just because they've not won anything in over half a century.

Re: Euro 2020: England Reach Final
 

Yes it does. France took them off when they lost the Euro 2016 final: https://www.sportingnews.com/us/socc...81nvw3frqtlosf


Manchester United did the exact same thing this year: https://youtu.be/JkWWHqcBRCI?t=161

Some City players did it in the Champions League final this year:

https://youtu.be/1EcOpd7dxRo?t=139

Some PSG players did it the year before: https://youtu.be/EjZIV68Qivw?t=67

I know you follow football Russ so why pretend that the losing team taking off runner-up medals isn't common? Just to make out England are uniquely bad?

Re: Euro 2020: England Reach Final
 

Do said teams expect fans of other clubs/nations to support them?

Re: Euro 2020: England Reach Final
 

No, but I wouldn't accuse them of entitlement or arrogance for doing it. I don't think France were arrogant, or United or City.

Nobody wants to lose a final. They go there to win. They've just lost and we make them go to collect medals in a ceremony when all they want to do is get out of the stadium.

2nd place is nothing in football. No one gives a toss about it. I remember the Champions League final Arsenal were in, I don't think 'wow, 2nd place!' I am forever disappointed (and yes, Arsenal took off their medals too).

It's just a standard thing that happens in football so let's not have a round of hysteria about it.

Re: Euro 2020: England Reach Final
 

I'm certainly not hysterical about it, just outlining why it was difficult for me to support England after Wales went out.

There certainly has been a level of arrogance and entitlement and a lot of it came from the media especially when Welsh, Scottish and N Irish fans stated they wouldn’t be supporting England.

From the years I lived in Leicester I can see it’s often difficult for England fans to see it, but it certainly happens.