Astroblack

And wor Eddie at Bournemouth, Ancelotti at Real Madrid.

Go on Spurs!

Dubs also did really well with corners and crosses.

Says we're the best team that's come to the Emirates this season.

They have nothing. Not impressed at all.

I think we’re in the final.

This lot have one trick and that’s it.

Dubravka has been outstanding tonight

OMFG

That shove by Isak! Brilliant!

Hall warrior

Dammit Sandro

Shit… They look strong. Hate their ground.

Klinsman, Scholl, Sammer, Babbel and Matteaus either won a CL or Uefa Cup during their career. The French team were all playing for Champions League teams abroad- Giroud, Kante, Varane, their DM who played left wing in the final CL finalist with Juve. Already explained the 98 team with Thuram playing the Uefa Cup final opposite Robert Pires who was with Marseille at the time. Zidane and Deschamps CL finalist in 97 and 98 along with Del Piero and Inzaghi who would go on to win the WC in 06. I wouldn’t say getting to a World Cup final and losing on penalties was a “fuck all” in Italy’s regard. Real team were laying the foundations and had a host of quality foreign players in their squad like Seedorf, Makalele(WC finalist 06). Also Del Bosque was manager and he’d be the one to lead Spain to a WC and Euros. They underachieved but the French and Brazil teams were better at the time. France blew Spain out of the water in the World Cup 2006. My point is steel sharpens steel. Anyway, football landscaped changed and with English players leaving to go abroad, my opinion has changed a little. For instance, I wanted Real to beat City in the CL last season just because of Bellingham. Knowing that winning that trophy would give him a winning mentality going into the Euros which it did(two winners and an assist in the final). We may not have won that final but I’m proud of England getting there. We used to be serial Quarter finalists, that’s beginning to change. And I do believe in bottle mentality, just look at Spurs and for a greater example watch the England vs Portugal penalty shootout in 2006. You’ve never seen those looks on Gerrard and Lampard’s faces before when they were ruthlessly dispatching penalties away for their club teams. For England, they were terrified and they both missed.

What about Spain’s period of dominance from 2008-2012 where they were made up of half of the Barcelona squad that had won two Champions Leagues and two semi finals? 2013 - Bayern vs Dortmund, 2014, Germany win the World Cup 2003 all Italian final, 2005 Milan in final, 2007, Milan in final - 2006 Italy win the World Cup. Gattuso, Pirlo, Cannavaro, Buffon all key contributors. 2018 - we get to the semis and in 2019, we get an all England final where Harry Kane, Kieran Trippier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Danny Rose play in both campaigns. We’re also getting closer with this group of players. England are notorious bottle jobs, right? If our players play in the big European fixtures, hopefully they’ll be able to overcome this mental hurdle. Rice for example has captained West Ham to a European trophy. He’s also now played in two European finals. England are getting closer and I think our players would benefit from Champions League nights. Either way, wouldn’t it be better wanting the English teams to do well as it opens up more spots for European contention? We missed out on Europe because the English teams performed poorly. Italy got nine European places while England got six! We should be in Europe this season!