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Better team won that game. England were excellent in the first 35, but then Italy got back into it near half-time, not only got a deserved equaliser but had England on the ropes near the end of normal time. Extra time was a bit more even with Italy edging it until the last ten when it was level to England edging it. I just hope none of the media muppets start looking for scapegoats amongst the penalty-takers. Takes guts to go there. No shame in falling at the last like that.

Jesus the revisionism has started quick. Southgate got everything right up until the last 75 mins of this tournament and even then we weren’t beaten on the field. He’s not infallible and I think we can all analyse the mistakes (without context) that lost us the game, but to suggest he’s been tactically inept just doesn’t match reality.

Some things never change.

Poor old Rashford and Sancho. Hardly played and then asked to win it from the pressure of penalties. Bad management. Where was Sterling or Stones?

Don’t worry, Corkio, I wouldn’t dream of starting at 2pm, that’d just be ridiculous - so I started at 1pm buddy!

Now here I agree with you - you mean like "lumping together" all people who take the knee are Marxists, or bizarrely, supporters of a career criminal! As you say, such an act could be seen as, However, I fear that it something more than this: I think the attempt to "lump all people" together is in the way in which you seem to have done, is part of a process of indoctrination, of which you may have been a victim. In an attempt to try to help you in the future, if you see an argument that is reductive and simplistic, like for example, taking the knee is "supporting Marxists" just stop and think about the purpose of the person trying to push such a simplistic line.

Radhford and Sancho I understand from the players they are, although their penalties were both ****. But you usually finish with your second strongest penalty taker right? I was expecting Grealish or Sterling, not putting the biggest pressure kick of the tournament on one of the absolute youngsters.

As a Norwich fan I've got lots of experience in generally liking the coach but not understanding his use of subs at times...

Greavsy enjoy the game I'll take over. Canbidge your thread starting ain't nothing on the great mass debater when he's in the mood. Ps: Hope England win.

Get with the programme - Raheem Sterling is an over-indulged pampered baby who has enjoyed untold privilege his "entire life" and has never been the subject of vile racist abuse from "fans" or the tabloids

Nothing wrong with the flag, but the Doric columns on that property.... disgraceful!

Talking of tweeting birds.......😜

That's a cheeky plug in there!

🤔😀

Have had to get to the pub early for this one, hope everyone has a great night folks!

Similar thoughts. England win, by one goal margin, likely extra time. Kane winner. Think either 1-0 or 2-1, can’t see it being high scoring looking at both teams styles, cagey affair I think. I’m just hoping it doesn’t go to penalties, I’d hope Gareth with his history has had them practicing all tournament, but regardless I never see us winning a penalty shoot out against top class opponents. Following the wise word of Ted Lasso, believe. I’m believing that it’s coming home tonight 🤞

The question is will you guys be supporting the England team tonight? They seem the complete antithesis of everything you believe and will be proudly taking the knee, they reflect modern progressive values, multiculturalism, immigration and diversity. I can say I will proudly support them and what they stand for. Can you?

Kneeling has been a sign of abasement throughout human history. Trying to change that because you want it to mean something different to suit an agenda is pure arrogance in itself. Mr. Southgate's or Mr. Mings' assertions won't alter anything. The lack of self awareness on this forum is astonishing - or it would be if it hadn't become normalized through indoctrination. To continually lump together people you disagree with as being part of a group holding a myriad of other views is itself prejudice - it would be like saying that all black people have the same criminal tendencies as George Floyd. It's lazy, careless childish & dangerous. If you want to be taken seriously you have to refute opinions one by one, not just shout "you're a fascist!" at people with your fingers in your ears (rather in the manner of Rik Mayall in The Young Ones). Personally I find some people I really like hold opinions I totally disagree with - & vice versa. People are extraordinarily complicated & rushing to judge them is pure folly. If you want to stop racism do it on a personal level. Pretending that everyone else is a racist except me & my mates is counterproductive & just plain wrong.

Young is a loathsome toad. But the fact he doesn't hide it makes the book very funny.

Neither team is my team, but perhaps Italy were just better, Jim? Actually that is not a perhaps. They were better. This is not hindsight. I said before the game started that, based on matches so far, Italy looked better in midfield. It is an kind of insular arrogance to think it is just bad team selection that means England didn't have control AND creativity in midfield. You make that sound so easy but a midfield that is at one and the same time controlled and creative is one of the holy grails of football. Who - from those available - would you have picked?

? 😫 Er, the flags have got nothing to do with it. The racists are the ones booing the national team for making a small pro equality gesture. It really isn't that hard, you know...

The fact we won games does not mean his line ups were spot on. Don’t believe we’ve played our best team at any point in this tournament.

Exactly. When you go to the well like that and fall just short under such circumstances, I'd be more bemused if they weren't somewhat irritated. The pride in their efforts can come later, in the cold light of analysis. But within a few minutes of losing on the biggest stage of their lives - no. I'd expect them to be annoyed. That's their fuel for the World Cup.

It was as good as lost before he took it so no blame on him, good on him for having the guts, although should have been told no IMO.

Thanks again for doing this @Kathy another £100 in our presentation pot and every one had a lot of fun following it. The winners are... 1st @Kathy - £100 2nd @Feedthewolf - £40 Losing semis @dj11 and @Mr Apples - Stadium tour FIrst yellow @Hissing Sid - bottle of wine First Penalty @Mr Apples- pennant. FIrst Red @twidio - Ciders (in place of wine) First team out on pens @NFN FC - Goodie bag. Thanks everyone for helping Kathy make this such a success.

I always hate penalties. Always seems to be a matter of luck in it. Overall, Italians better team. Deserved it. We've.done well, much better than originally expected. Onwards and upwards. World Cup!

Fair play to ye!!!

But it’s part of the game. If Saka got away and there was a goal no Italians going to be telling him well done for his sportsmanship. Same if it was an England player.

Exactly, England player did exact same thing I’d be applauding

A "gentleman" attempted a public display of his assets....

Don’t say that on here Bristol 😉

Looks like a kids pyjamas!

This was my lucky banana skin during the season - so let’s throw it in there and see if it helps !!

Oooh the irony of your last sentence! The whole point is that nobody has been asked to take the knee at football matches - players have exercised "the personal choices that we are all free to make." The problem is that the right-wing boo boys chose not to show the "tolerance and respect for the individuals choice." Instead, of showing said tolerance they decided to boo the anti-racist gesture. with much support of more mainstream right-wingers including several Tory MPs, and sections of the right-wing press! Whither tolerance and respect? Indeed wither tolerance and respect! Unless you are suggesting that booing is an indication of tolerance and respect 🥴

Of course I will - nobody has ever accused me of being right-wing! 😀

Brilliant! I do hope they start with 'Message in a Bottle'.....followed by 'Can't stand losing you'....

Corrected that for you CK!

Think it looks to have reached a plateau nationally ....but look at our local picture. And Bradford wasn't even listed as one of the top 65 areas of rapid increase past week. It is possibly about to change. Clearly, it is a very regional picture but these national sporting events with massive (& vocal) crowds will change the national scene in 2 weeks time.

Thanks @Pete Raven👍. Seems to be ok.

Retrospective banning is the only real option. Nonsense about not benefiting the team on the day is just that - nonsense. It’s about the bigger picture. The whole point is to stop cheating per se and the only way you’ll do that is if players realise that just because they may have conned a ref on the day to earn a penalty or get a player sent off or whatever, that they won’t get away with it once the retrospective panel have had their view. The ban could and should be longer if their cheating was a match winner for example. If you knew a 5 or 10 game ban or longer even, could be thrown at you for cheating I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t take long for it to stop. It would be a shame that it wouldn’t benefit the team the crime is committed against, but it would benefit football and that has to be the priority surely.

Even though they support Marxists and career criminals...?

Do you write in the paper as well as post on here, Cambridge ?

He's earned a go when looking at the performances in the run-in under the pressures he had to face, and he's at an age where he's still physically developing. There's a real calmness and composure in how he goes about his defensive duties. He's very similar to Sorensen in that regard - it's almost like watching a Rolls Royce. In fact, this is also a reason why I'm pretty confident Sorensen will step up and hold his own even if we've not seen him play much in the defensive midfield position he was ostensibly recruited for, as it's a classic sign of a horse that jumps as high as it needs to rather than go flat-out all the time. What is interesting is that Gibson's not got much of a tackle stat... 0.3 tackles per game. In other words, he prefers to get to the ball first and then break lines. Paulo Maldini once wrote "if I have to make a tackle, I have already made a mistake" - in his opinion good defending was about anticipating the ball first and getting there. He wasn't bad as far as defenders go, that's for sure.

Your self loathing is pathetic. To think England did nothing good for the world thru colonization is laughable. But it's also irrelevant to the emptiness today's fake woke millionaires kneeling before kickoff. What has all this kneeling accomplished? 😄 2021 Western civilization frowns on racist practices. To beat ourselves up over racism is dumb. It's also patronizing. Why not focus on something that actually is a problem such as the breakdown of the nuclear family. That leads to far more death and violence than racism does. Declining birth rates is another huge problem. Illegal drug use. These are actual things that impact the nation whereas racism is rare and already highly publicized and virtual signalled.

I'd say that means yes then. So you and Browno both beat him, he just doesnt like to admit it.

The ‘random lines’ on the shirts arms are taken from the canaries wings on our badge. Quite a clever outside of the box idea even if some people don’t like it. I’ll be buying it. If the logo for Lotus and JD was in green then it would have looked even better I think. And am pleased that the club have actually thought about the environmental side as well by using recycled polyester - for those of us ‘treehuggers’ that appreciate the world around us and what lives in it other than human beings, this is a great touch 👏

That's very sad. Whilst I probably gave him abuse on the football field, I always had a grudging admiration for him as a player, and what was a very good Ipswich team. RIP Paul Mariner.

There isn't really much of a ball to play is there? It'll just be all the hits in varying orders... 'waah waah waah woke people waah waah elites waah waah take back control waah waah did you know the ****'s were actually socialists waah waah.' I'll pass.