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Post by vicar on Jul 8, 2024 10:11:07 GMT
What's to celebrate though if we win the trophy playing in the turgid manner we have?? I'd actually feel embarrassed by that as an England fan. What's to celebrate? Winning the tournament! Turkey, Georgia, Germany etc have all played much more exciting football than us this summer but there's not much for them to celebrate. The Slovakia and Slovenia games were turgid, but did the job. I thought we were more pragmatic against Switzerland, it was better than the previous games. Maybe we should be better than pragmatic, but here we are again in another major semi final. Third one out of the last four. Give me regular semis (oo-er) with pragmatic football over glorious failure in the quarter finals. Or just being shit and going out in the group stages/second round, as we've done before. I can't really remember a tournament before 2018 we were really good, tbh. 2016 awful 2014 utterly abysmal 2012 drawtastic 2010 woeful 2008 didn't qualify 2006 similar to now, we laboured against Trinidad and Ecuador but went out in the QFs 2004 could say we were entertaining but imploded against France and went out in the first knockout game 2002 probably quite good 2000 group stage farce 1998 probably quite good 1996 obviously did well 1994 didn't qualify 1992 rubbish 1990 progressed to SF, but only won one game in 90 mins, tbh similar to where we are now It's a fairly low bar, but we've never had it so good. And if it means we have to grind out results then so be it. As I say, I'd much rather be a pragmatic semi finalist than an entertaining quarter finalist. Why stop at 1990 when 1988 was even worse, 3 defeats in 3 games including Ireland beating us and Russia beating us 3-1, we expected the Dutch to beat us with that team but Ireland and Russia was embarrassing, I went to all 3 games with high hopes, it was awful, these are the good times and we are actually good enough to win it but I feel we're playing within ourselves.
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Post by Lee on Jul 8, 2024 10:11:50 GMT
Two wins from the trophy, just get the wins. What's to celebrate though if we win the trophy playing in the turgid manner we have?? I'd actually feel embarrassed by that as an England fan. You'd be embarrassed by winning a trophy after 58 years? Odd. I'd snap anyones hand off to be lifting it on Sunday night playing shit football.
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Post by countybumpkin on Jul 8, 2024 10:12:15 GMT
There's a lot of focus on winning with a good performance but even if we win the tournament 'playing ugly' or by penalties it will be because nobody we've played has been able to beat us and that's more than enough for me.
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Post by Lee on Jul 8, 2024 10:16:33 GMT
Sweepstake
1994hatter v robmc
Lee v Suedehead
Come on Suedehead, take the money.
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Post by gibbo on Jul 8, 2024 10:27:17 GMT
You'd be embarrassed by winning a trophy after 58 years? Odd. Playing as we have, Yes.
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Post by Lee on Jul 8, 2024 10:28:51 GMT
You'd be embarrassed by winning a trophy after 58 years? Odd. Playing as we have, Yes. Thankfully you'll be in a minority.
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Post by suedehead on Jul 8, 2024 10:39:17 GMT
What's to celebrate? Winning the tournament! Turkey, Georgia, Germany etc have all played much more exciting football than us this summer but there's not much for them to celebrate. The Slovakia and Slovenia games were turgid, but did the job. I thought we were more pragmatic against Switzerland, it was better than the previous games. Maybe we should be better than pragmatic, but here we are again in another major semi final. Third one out of the last four. Give me regular semis (oo-er) with pragmatic football over glorious failure in the quarter finals. Or just being shit and going out in the group stages/second round, as we've done before. I can't really remember a tournament before 2018 we were really good, tbh. 2016 awful 2014 utterly abysmal 2012 drawtastic 2010 woeful 2008 didn't qualify 2006 similar to now, we laboured against Trinidad and Ecuador but went out in the QFs 2004 could say we were entertaining but imploded against France and went out in the first knockout game 2002 probably quite good 2000 group stage farce 1998 probably quite good 1996 obviously did well 1994 didn't qualify 1992 rubbish 1990 progressed to SF, but only won one game in 90 mins, tbh similar to where we are now It's a fairly low bar, but we've never had it so good. And if it means we have to grind out results then so be it. As I say, I'd much rather be a pragmatic semi finalist than an entertaining quarter finalist. Why stop at 1990 when 1988 was even worse, 3 defeats in 3 games including Ireland beating us and Russia beating us 3-1, we expected the Dutch to beat us with that team but Ireland and Russia was embarrassing, I went to all 3 games with high hopes, it was awful, these are the good times and we are actually good enough to win it but I feel we're playing within ourselves. I only stopped at 1990 as can’t remember 1988 but you’re dead right.
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Post by 1994hatter on Jul 8, 2024 10:41:40 GMT
Question. If we play absolutely fantastic football and rip Netherlands to shreds but just can’t find the back of the net and we lose 1-0 on Wednesday, for example, would that genuinely make people feel better? Surely not?
The criticism would simply shift to “all fur coat no knickers” etc. as we’d be lacking end product which is just as, if not more, frustrating.
I don’t see the benefit of not enjoying the fact we’re in a semi, yet again, just because we might not have set the world alight. I didn’t enjoy the penalty win on Saturday any less because I was too hung up that we could have played better. If anything I’d be more annoyed it’d gone to penalties if we’d played brilliantly.
As has been said, plenty of more exciting teams are at home watching on TV now. I know who I’d rather be.
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Post by The Real Exile on Jul 8, 2024 10:43:16 GMT
First major tournament I remember was the 1982 World Cup, this time- that was the first single I'd bought with my pocket money from Woolies in Northenden. Did we even win a game?
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Post by hedleyverity on Jul 8, 2024 10:46:36 GMT
What's to celebrate? Winning the tournament! Turkey, Georgia, Germany etc have all played much more exciting football than us this summer but there's not much for them to celebrate. The Slovakia and Slovenia games were turgid, but did the job. I thought we were more pragmatic against Switzerland, it was better than the previous games. Maybe we should be better than pragmatic, but here we are again in another major semi final. Third one out of the last four. Give me regular semis (oo-er) with pragmatic football over glorious failure in the quarter finals. Or just being shit and going out in the group stages/second round, as we've done before. I can't really remember a tournament before 2018 we were really good, tbh. 2016 awful 2014 utterly abysmal 2012 drawtastic 2010 woeful 2008 didn't qualify 2006 similar to now, we laboured against Trinidad and Ecuador but went out in the QFs 2004 could say we were entertaining but imploded against France and went out in the first knockout game 2002 probably quite good 2000 group stage farce 1998 probably quite good 1996 obviously did well 1994 didn't qualify 1992 rubbish 1990 progressed to SF, but only won one game in 90 mins, tbh similar to where we are now It's a fairly low bar, but we've never had it so good. And if it means we have to grind out results then so be it. As I say, I'd much rather be a pragmatic semi finalist than an entertaining quarter finalist. Why stop at 1990 when 1988 was even worse, 3 defeats in 3 games including Ireland beating us and Russia beating us 3-1, we expected the Dutch to beat us with that team but Ireland and Russia was embarrassing, I went to all 3 games with high hopes, it was awful, these are the good times and we are actually good enough to win it but I feel we're playing within ourselves. Think I’ve still got the 7’’ single of the team song from 88 ‘We’re going all the way’
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Post by suedehead on Jul 8, 2024 10:54:18 GMT
Question. If we play absolutely fantastic football and rip Netherlands to shreds but just can’t find the back of the net and we lose 1-0 on Wednesday, for example, would that genuinely make people feel better? Surely not? The criticism would simply shift to “all fur coat no knickers” etc. as we’d be lacking end product which is just as, if not more, frustrating. I don’t see the benefit of not enjoying the fact we’re in a semi, yet again, just because we might not have set the world alight. I didn’t enjoy the penalty win on Saturday any less because I was too hung up that we could have played better. If anything I’d be more annoyed it’d gone to penalties if we’d played brilliantly. As has been said, plenty of more exciting teams are at home watching on TV now. I know who I’d rather be. Can see it now. 'We've lost to the first decent team again! 😡 ' We can't win. Even at this point, if we lose on Wednesday, it will be 'we've lost to the first good side we've played'. Of course they're good, they're in a semi final. Anyone in the quarter finals were good too, we didn't play San Marino. Switzerland are good, they ripped through Italy, Germany needed an injury time winner to draw with them. But here we are again, having seen them off and in the semi finals. Anyone saying they'd rather us lost 4-3 than progress to the final is just weird.
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Post by gibbo on Jul 8, 2024 10:59:47 GMT
Anyone saying they'd rather us lost 4-3 than progress to the final is just weird. That's me that's weird then.
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Post by The Real Exile on Jul 8, 2024 11:03:02 GMT
Anyone saying they'd rather us lost 4-3 than progress to the final is just weird. That's me that's weird then. Tell me something new 😜
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Post by suedehead on Jul 8, 2024 11:06:07 GMT
Anyone saying they'd rather us lost 4-3 than progress to the final is just weird. That's me that's weird then. Your card was marked years ago.
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Post by 1994hatter on Jul 8, 2024 11:16:27 GMT
Anyone saying they'd rather us lost 4-3 than progress to the final is just weird. That's me that's weird then. Does the order of preference not go… 1. Performance & result. 2. If you can’t play well, just get the result. 3. If you can’t get the result, play well. 4. Poor performance & no result. ?
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