UEFA Euro 2024: Mod Note Added 2/7/24

In the current climate I must say I do find it amazing that no one in England picked up the phone and gave Haaland a call.

spain a joy to watch. Chalk and cheese compared to the shite england served up

What a game Williams is having. He's electric

I appreciate 24 because it almost guarantees every last group game has meaning. Adding the extra teams and more dead rubber would be a poor move imo.

Cunnjngham just said Italy will struggle to qualify for the knockouts.

They have just played what looks like the best team in it.

I think it's a bit too easy to qualify, Italy lose tonight and they're still almost guaranteed to qualify with a draw in their last game, or even a loss. They might as well just go for straight knockout from the start and get rid of the groups altogether. Eliminating 8 from 24 seems pointless to me.

That being said, lots of good games so far

Ref going for the Spain Euro 2008 away kit tonight I see

The 32 at the World Cup made for brilliantly dramatic final group games. Hate this thing of a group's games being over and there being no sense of catharsis at all… teams having to hang around for days to see if they're through or not. The WC's 3rd games were far more interesting and engaging than the last Euros 3rd group games as a result.

they must have one of the youngest teams going.

pedri and williams both 21, with yamal only 16 (which is staggering when you think about it).

barce have also burned the likes of gavi and fati though in their quest to keep winning. will be interesting to see what happens pedri, and yamal in particular.

like the new CL, is it 8 teams out of 36 get eliminated? more games = more money, which is the only objective of uefa.

but for the euros 32 would be better, with 2 teams qualifying from each group.

1-0 FT.

vieri? i dont even know if he was that good. certainly not an all time great.

totti, del piero and baggio weren't striker's.

beyond that, i can only suggest schillaci (who i think just had a good 6 games).

Williams my MOTM. Unlucky not to score as well.

Morata's touch for the goal was critical as he took it off the first defenders head.

1-0 for Spain is probably a good result for Italy all things considered.

Someone needs to have a word with Duggan about the coloury dressers. It does not look right with all the colour in the background of the studio etc. Clashes visually.

showing off the guns he is.

I backed Italy in the last Euro's before a ball was kicked, and lectured everyone ad nauseum that they'd win it, and they did. No one gave them a chance. Germany becoming stagnant really opened the door for them last time. And I do think Germany will romp home this time, huge point to prove to their own media.

In saying that, Italy each way now would be a very clever bet. Everyone gave Italy no chance before the tournament, and after the Spanish result has them completely wrote off, which they love. Italy will generally do the bare minimum to qualify from groups, and if they meet Spain in a knock-out game will take them. For all Spains good play and dominance, an own goal beat Italy, they'd turn the screw in a knock out game.

Backing Italy each way is a funny one though, as it implies they may make the final, but as I said I feel Germany will win. Ironically the only team that beats Germany regularly in major tournaments is Italy. So if your to back Italy each way, may as well back them to win it.

People think their assertations of Italy not winning this have been proved right tonight. This is what Italy love. They'll scrape into the knock out rounds, and then the chess begins. They have a very strong spine, and Chiesa. Any team with Chiesa can spark at any moment. Too many injuries, and he's not hailed as one of the best in the world, but on ability alone, there's very few players in the world with the ability of Chiesa. If he decides to spark, its a completely different Italy your dealing with.

Make no mistake, they'll be there or there abouts, and their price has just gone up.

I had Italy tipped last tournament as well. If I remember it was a number of combinations an easy group and the wingbacks for Italy were magic. This is not the same Italy though. Given the quality of a number of other teams in this tournament Italy will need a lot of luck this time around.

They should've shipped 4 or 5 tonight so they'd want to improve sharpish. Personally I give them zero chance of winning the tournament. The only team to win it back to back was one of the greatest international sides ever. Italy ain't that.

I didn't hear it on tv but there were huge boos from England fans after the game , at least from England fans who didn't leave before the end

let's get it right, Southgate has been exposed as a fraud for years.

the Euros final against Italy, in reality, showed him for who he is. He has a bunch of really talents players, but he's so insecure that he instinctively puts the handbrake on when he's ahead - just to be safe. He's not tactically advanced or aggressive enough to achieve what he should achieve with that group.

The excuse he gave last night of not having Kalvin Phillips was astounding. It is basically an admission that he wants two midfielders to act as out-and-out DMs to protect his back 4. It's the reason he persists with Walker at RB, despite his form going off a cliff in recent months, because his pace gives an extra safety blanket. There is no trust in his players to keep possession at high intensity in the final third of the pitch for long periods - despite having a midfield that could comprise of the likes of Rice, Bellingham, Mainoo, Foden and Gallagher in there. There is any balance you want in that array of talent. But he's absolutely clueless.

Trent in midfield is a weird attempt to 'try something', but also know that you have a read-made scapegoat because you can't figure out a way to get your team to be cohesive. Play him RB, or put him on the bench (and you won't find a bigger Trent fan than me). Rice, Bellingham in midfield, with Foden at the 10 dropping in when needed. if you want to be more robust, put Gallagher or Mainoo in midfield, and then put either Foden or Bellingham and 10, and drop the other one. Put Gordon on the left for balance. Stop pigeon-holing players into positions. Germany don't start Sane. They could put Musiala or Gundogan further back instead of Andrich, and wedge Sane in there, but they don't.

I have no particular want for England to do well. But it's frustrating watching how they're repeatedly being set up to fail.

He came along when the national team was on the floor and engagement from fans was at a real low. The atmosphere and love for the team he created in 2018 was truly exceptional and he gave English fans their best summer since 86 and one that will live on for years.

Thankfully for the rest of us the English FA are still letting him live of that 3 tournaments later.

Most nations would love to have Southgate’s tournament record. Despite all the question marks over him tactically etc. The reality is he has done superbly results wise without winning silverware.

He was only a penalty shootout away from a knighthood. Now according to some quarters of the English media he is inept.