TheBrownBottle

We’ll have to sit it out with the unpopular kids - I’m with you on this one. I like old-fashioned higgeldy-piggeldy grounds, ones with four unique stands which have clearly not been built at the same time. Don’t like the clinical nature of the American-style stadiums. New Wembley is shite too.

The Japanese keeper is was channeling prime Mike Hooper there

That’s a fantastically shite goal - utterly laughable by Japan

What needs to be remembered is that we don’t like a great many of these players and it doesn’t change when they happen to pull on an England shirt. Dennis Wise wasn’t suddenly less loathsome when playing for England. Jordan Pickford is, and will always be, a short-armed Mackem wanker. I don’t give a shite if suddenly starts playing like Gordon Banks.

No-one is going to build a temporary 50k stadium in the UK, let alone one which may have a lifespan of less than two years It is either move from SJP or accept the site’s limitations with a more modest rebuild. I don’t mind either way, assuming that any new ground is close enough to the city centre; I still think that moving to the site of the current arena would be a decent option, given proximity to Central Station and the fact it’s actually closer to most of the city’s pubs than SJP

Yeah, likewise for me. I was in my late teens before I was able to go to Boro away, due to the reputation

I knew Bassedas would come good eventually

Bizarre article that. I understand that sometimes a manager will use another club’s interest as leverage for a better deal - but last I checked all concerned are pretty happy having Howe onboard, and I can’t see that changing any time soon.

Don’t think there’ll be much of a dip in quality based on this Tunisia v Australia game

Nice one - will give that a listen when walking the dogs later

Yeah, he was really poor. Don’t think he was much cop vs Iran either. Amazing what playing for a good manager does.

Yeah, last one was about a decade before you were born mate. They knocked us out the last time we were holders - in 1956 (QF at SJP)

Edit: to test this, just did a quick Google of ‘best European championships ever’, then clicked on the first two articles: https://www.sportskeeda.com/amp/football/ranking-the-best-uefa-euro-championships-of-all-time https://www.planetfootball.com/quick-reads/a-definitive-ranking-of-every-euros-since-1996-from-worst-to-best no prizes for guessing the winner I just want to watch decent football, especially when (for me) it is low-stakes

Euro 2000 is still my favourite Euros, funnily enough - though I don’t think I’m alone in the opinion that it was the best Euros to date.

It’s not what it once was, as the draw once felt like a national event, but I still find the 3rd round draw exciting

‘Britain’s loss … is America’s loss too’

Yeah, I think it’ll be a canny game to watch - two evenly matched sides with everything to play for, who know they likely need to win.

Fair enough, and it’s likely why I can’t engage too well with it. I don’t care enough about who wins it to be happy watching a grind.

Fair enough - we’ll have to agree to disagree on that one - I think the 00s you listed were good but not great players

Agreed, but oddly enough that’s probably what he wants - finishing 2nd probably means a better chance of a SF for England, thanks to the peculiarities of the draw

They were dull to watch, too. I didn’t like watching them, I can’t understand how anyone would. Someone is going to win a tournament, but this is meant to be an entertainment. It’s not a coincidence that Hungary ‘54, Holland ‘74 and Brazil ‘82 are much better known and more fondly remembered than plenty of sides who actually won it.

Not arsed about winning it, would like to see some good football

Got you, apologies my misreading I think Venables is vastly overrated too - both in club and country terms. Euro 96 was on home soil. But it was decent to watch. For the record, I also think Adams and Seaman are two of the most overblown footballers of all time, and Gascoigne was miles past his best by that point. I actually think this is - man for man - the most technically gifted group in my lifetime. Not brilliant, but all solid, capable players. Sure, none of them are world-class - but the only English player that I think was the best in his position in the world at any point was Ashley Cole, who I think was the best left back of the mid-00s. Gerrard, Lampard et al were players who’s weaknesses were glossed over, helped by that gap being plugged at club level. Agreed re results and performances largely being shite. It would be nice to see if the performances can be improved, irrespective of the results. Neither KK nor BR reached a cup final with NUFC - Dalglish and Gullit did. But fuck me I know which brand of football I preferred.

Haha aye, it’s pretty solid advice in fairness Yes, that’s opinions for you. Was NUFC’s side of 2002-03 better than the 1995-96 side? I think it was, but I can’t prove it - and plenty would think otherwise, and could point to them finishing 2nd instead of 3rd

Bellamy mouthed off in the press when we bid for Rooney a few weeks before There were few exceptions in the blame game - loads of them acted like wankers, Shearer included.