TheBrownBottle

I’m certainly grateful that Fat Sham is so ludicrously greedy he fell for an obvious sting - I don’t see England doing what they have done under him I think this is a quality group of footballers, all of whom seem like good eggs (unlike generations past). They seem to actually like each other, and I can see how someone like Southgate might blend well with them

It’s a hex on them, but I really think Japan will go through. To be honest, I’d be tempted by Morocco too, and it would be great to see an African QFist, but that’s possibly pushing it.

Yep, he can get fucked. Loads of them queued up to do it, sadly, and all remain on the shitlist. Including the man in my picture

Smoggie, isn’t he? Last I’d heard he was banging on about how PIF would deffo buy Marseille and Inter. That’s materialised, obviously. PIF bought us for obvious reasons - they can buy us for £300m, pump a lot of money in, and the club’s value will outstrip the investment - the other week NUFC was already being revalued at £1bn. Or they could buy Man Utd for £6bn with no return. Brilliant.

Give the Mackems £10m to play at the SOS for the season while they ground share with South Shields They’d get more money on their gate from that fee alone, and they’d actually be able to fill Shields’s ground with actually tickets buyers. Alright, it’s not a goer …

Pickford had a good game, and is a short armed Mackem wanker

I think he is a decent man, and he’s correct on everything he’s said in relation to discrimination, and politics and sport absolutely do mix. I just think he’s a utterly mediocre manager who has a group of players who could play much nicer football. I also think England have beat who they should beat and down nowt against sides where the odds are more even. In all three knockout games he’s won his team we’re comfortable favourites. If England beat France I’m perfectly comfortable with saying he’s got them performing above where they might be expected to be I.e. he’s earning his crust as a manager. You know, like what we do with NUFC managers. Bruce kept Newcastle up playing shit football and an average group of players. Howe has many of the same players playing out of their skin now. We don’t give Bruce credit for basically doing the same thing - though Southgate is clearly a far more decent man (which helps).

Still feels like Cameroon for me - though Colombia was a tough game - and let’s be honest, it took some ‘gamesmanship’ for us to get past them. Having said that, that Belgium team in ‘90 still had a few of their SF side from ‘86 in peak form. Enzo Scifo was still a sublime footballer.

Both at Wembley, of course. And those Spain and Germany sides were not exactly ‘peak’ Spain or Germany. Those remain England’s only knockout victories vs heavyweights (Arg, Bra, Fra, Ger, Ned, Ita, Por, Spa) since 1966. Where all the games were at Wembley. Let’s hope all the EURO 2028 games are at Wembley

Eddie’s high press Mags put the shits right up him. Press like maniacs and hope that either Mbappe has an off-day or any plan to take care of him works

Nah, beat France and that’s a blinding result irrespective of injuries. It would be England’s best result in half a century

They’ve just went out for the second successive WC group stage for the first time since the ‘30s. I don’t know anyone who didn’t think England would beat them at Wembley. There is no ‘narrative change’

The ‘golden generation’ was a load of bollocks though, including at the time - though I get the distinct impression that some of the players bought it. That ‘golden generation’ did as well as this lot, mind - they beat who they should beat from 02-06, and lost to the sides they were more evenly matched with or inferior to in the knockouts (beat Denmark and Ecuador, lost to Brazil and Portugal x2) England have beat every side they should beat, and lost against both sides they were more evenly matched against. It isn’t brilliance on Southgate’s part - this is England performing to par. Beat the French and he’ll have done something England managers don’t do - win a knockout game against a heavyweight.

All the Liverpool / Manchester-based players seem to suffer this a lot. I’m constantly told by the press that the NW is preferable to the NE though

Beat the French and then we can start talking how well Southgate is doing. I’ll happily give the bloke full credit for that.

With the most technically gifted generation of England players possibly in history. England won the U-17 and U-20 WC and U-19 Euros in quick succession. This is a talented group of players. These are good footballers. There is no miracle in beating Senegal, Ukraine, Sweden, Denmark, Colombia (on pens), and the shittest German side post-war.

Surely would’ve been ruled out by VAR for the earlier handball?

Bellingham is a complete footballer like. Perfect midfielder - intelligence, vision, pace, strength, technique. I wish we were a year or two further down the road and we might have a chance of getting him

Game needs a Senegal goal

Senegal were always going to sit back That’s why it was vital England play two water carriers in midfield in Henderson and Rice

Glad some cunt is

Every time I watch England I think Son is a better footballer than I did before.

Difference between shit and shite

More strolling football. Nodding off here

The drums don’t help - they knack atmosphere generally