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Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2018 17:55:31 GMT
Indeed.
Every 25th January we celebrate with copious quantities of proper malt whisky and a kosher haggis (yes such things exist!).
Bless Rabbi Burns...
Anyway back to the football. I'm watching in a country pub in Cornwall. Nice meal, great beer and surprisingly intelligent conversation although I have to tune into the accent ... ooh aarrr.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2018 1:46:29 GMT
Proper job.
Well, that match was a bit stressful. I watched it in a great atmosphere though. In with a whole bunch of Brits and Colombians with various other nationalities thrown in for fun.
Next one Saturday, Sweden. That'll be me down the local bar at 09:00, still there's a full English being served so I'll cope. Better than the 07:00 last Sunday.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2018 6:18:18 GMT
The morning after the night before....
Rain has come to Cornwall for the first time five weeks. I must have brought it from Manchester where it is still 25C and sunny.
Nail-biting stuff last night. Bloody frustrating it was with awful behavior from the Colombians but we were dreadful in the last 20 minutes of regular time. Better in the last period of extra time but still not great.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Jul 4, 2018 9:22:18 GMT
I watched it too, of course. Mixed feelings about the whole thing. The England team genuinely does look like something different this time: egos sublimated into a real team ethos, with no one personality too big for the team.
But the flip side of that is that there are no personalities big enough to really impose themselves on the opposition. True, a less timid referee would have had them playing against ten, or even nine, for much of yesterday’s match, but let’s remember that they struggled to put away Tunisia, lost to the only top-tier team they played, then lacked the firepower and ruthlessness to finish off ragged Colombia and save themselves all the trouble that late rally caused. They look more like plucky survivors than World Cup winners.
Sweden looked even worse yesterday, although they can defend well, which doesn’t augur well for Saturday’s match as a spectacle. Perhaps pluckiness will be enough after all.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2018 21:53:38 GMT
Well. Finally beaten by a well organised if slightly dirty team who have a great deal more experience amongst them of playing high level competition football. So many of the Croatian team play for European teams that do well in Champions League that playing in a World Cup semi-final is not out of the ordinary.
So Congratulations to Gareth Southgate and the England squad I think they did themselves proud and there is the makings of a truly world class team over the next 4 years. They deserve a long rest and some positive attention from European clubs.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Jul 11, 2018 22:16:07 GMT
Yes, heads held high and all that. And I’m happy to join the national man-crush on Gareth Southgate. What we’ve seen is an exemplary piece of leadership. As Evan Davis said on Newsnight, expect a rush of books Witt titles like ‘Management the Gareth Southgate Way’.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2018 2:07:00 GMT
Fair, Espada. Very fair.
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Post by Humph on Jul 12, 2018 6:11:20 GMT
Even as a "not particularly interested in football" sort who is also Scottish, I was caught up in the excitement and subsequent disappointment. But all credit to the team and manager for the success they did achieve, and the entertainment they provided to a nation that has been temporarily lifted in mood and spirit, at a time when it was much needed.
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Alanović
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Post by Alanović on Jul 12, 2018 13:19:28 GMT
Echo most of Humph's post, hard cheese lads. I don't think you've lost to the eventual winners though.
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Post by commerdriver on Jul 12, 2018 13:29:20 GMT
I agree with the above comments. For those of you who are a bit closer to English / European football a quick query. It seemed to me, as a casual world cup viewer, that commentators kept mentioning players in other teams who were premiership players. Am I misunderstanding or will there be a few players on the field on Sunday who play regularly in the premiership?
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Alanović
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Post by Alanović on Jul 12, 2018 13:56:38 GMT
Yes, there will be. Not many as it goes, but some.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2018 20:22:24 GMT
Proof that despite being the most expensive or money producing league, it does not produce the best players.
If it did, Ronaldo, Neymar, Mbappe and Modric would play in England and Man United, Chelsea, Liverpool, City (Manchester of course) and Arsenal would all have a Champions League trophy in recent years and more importantly, England would almost reach the semi final of a World Cup or Euro because English players would also play for European teams.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2018 16:52:17 GMT
If you have any interest in the man, then this is worth watching.
It's an interview, an hour long, between Gareth Southgate and Guillem Balague, one of the better Spanish language pundits - this interview is in English. It's from March, so a bit before the World Cup.
At an hour it's longer than the 5 minute soundbites we've become used to, but honestly, it really is worth it.
Some of the insights in the middle are fascinating. And towards the end when he talks about how he will judge the team's performance at the World Cup give even more credibility to the interviews he has given at the World Cup itself.
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