mate same as robbos/Barca question, was a ridiculous decision, this is wrong wrong wrong.
Then look at the outcome your on the losing side due to that frigging ruling.
At that game how many ex high profile players sitting in those corp box's would be thinking ? same as us, bloody FIFA all right in front of their faces what a farce that was.....

Anyway seems the Poms have 9lives in this Euro.
Sure this game they finally played a game worthy of themselves overall (interestingly Bellingham wasn't compared to most) - now as if Southgate is brilliant.
I don't think he is, what I'm seeing is the players themselves getting comfortable together and starting to play their own natural game.
I'd be starting Watkins anyday ahead of Kane vs Spain.

robbos no doubt you'll be having concerns ahead haha - you'll on the edge of the seat watching and praying without the wife knowing whats in your head.
I'm the same every single Port game, happy days honey what a good win, oh damn just wasn't meant to be honey next time hopefully lol......

Interesting Euro to date stats comparing the 2 finalists :
https://www.uefa.com/euro2024/teams/comparison/39/122/
Some telling differences then some so close.
Attacking favours Spain alot ofcourse.
Distribution close.
Defending pretty close.

As long as nerves doesn't get to some of the young Spaniards and settle barring the usual change of rhythem/cycles I can't see England stifling their possession and flare whole 90mins.
Stones will be exposed is my tip, still not sure of Guehi, he'll be facing Lamar and we know he'll win most of those challenges, Walker has the pace to turn/recover despite his age vsing Williams but this kid has the skill to beat him.

It’s sad that football has become a business and lost its essence as a sport, rules changes, tv and social media influence.

You can tell the big wigs are setting the course on who they want to see win more rather than the fans want to see.
Bielsa is right what happened to the joy of the sport? 

Just back from fishing.

Unless you're English that was never a penalty.

Not in a gazillion years. 

The problem with VAR, in a nutshell, is they go looking for a reason to give it, rather than the other way around like they do in Union.

That was incidental contact that happens all over the park every time there's a tackle. And the other thing you have to ask was 'who initiated contact?'

Sure as shit wasn't the defender.

What a farking joke.

Imagine giving that at grassroots and then trying to explain 'well his foot was there and...umm... reasons.'

Fuck off.


Now having said all that England were terrific in the first half and were easily the better team. The second half quickly became a stalemate with both teams seeming not to want to lose.

Come on Spain.

Barca top flight yes, robbos has a dig at me to banter of my LFC admiration and following that doesn't bother me BUT the game at that level is changing for the worst long ago......
Worse is when these marquee pinnacle flagship tournaments are becoming a total joke in front of our eyes that FIFA turn a blind eye.
Joy of the sport is one thing but to pisstake everyone in the game of rulings that everyone questions ? even the commentators were going you kidding me ? I saw nothing worng there ?!
Seems it is a set up right, how else could you think otherwise.
I really hope more join Bielsa in calling out what the "suits" are allowing to erode the game for the sake of $$$$$$$$$$$$.
and I really HOPE Spain win this now more than ever for they have earned it full stop by their ability playing beautiful football of the modern era.

I don't think it's rigged. (You'd think the Dutch have just a big a following as the English.) I just think they've got a mindset which is to look for an excuse to give it rather than look at it with a view to give the benefit of doubt.

I like the way the NRL deals with it. The ref has first crack and unless it's a clear mistake or, dare I say it, 'A CLEAR AND OBVIOUS ERROR' they go with what the ref says.

I think even the English fans know that this was not a penalty, both Carragher & Neville, both said it was a joke.

I don't think I've ever told you LFC, my wife & my 2 girls are all Liverpool supporters, much to my dismay, though I think they would all struggle to tell you who Salah is, more to do in my wife's case, it was King Kenny & Kevin Keagan that caught her eye. They are bigger Sam Kerr & Matildas supporters.

I cheer for England for my wife, for football I cheer for Spain as they have easily been the best team this tournament.

VAR was brought in for the 'Clear & obvious' but that was a lie to control the game.

Studs first, in the air, missing the ball and collecting the opposition.

Fairly straight forward call once you see it

Let it go and you'll be reffing a free-for-all most afternoons 

Who kicked who?

This a 100 percent..... I agree. And for Spain btw :P

Give that and the defending side wouldn't let you leave the change rooms after the match.

In real time that happened in a tenth of a second. Not a single person would have complained if that was waved away. Well, besides the English.

It's like the VAR are looking for an excuse to give something. 

And besides any of that IT WAS KANE THAT KICKED THE DUTCH BLOKE. Fair enough if it were the other way around but it wasn't.

We're always told when it comes to shit like that to ask yourself 'who initiated contact'.

Fair point on who initiated contact.

There are arguments that Dumfries is late with an open sole but how can he be guilty if he's the one hit? 

Pre VAR players would simply get up because the ref had already pointed to a goal kick. I swear these thin boots make players feet hurt more.

If it had been the other way around you can bet the Dutch would've screamed all day for a penalty. 

Disagree with the underlined, go foot up into a challenge and you're taking a gamble

Both went for the Ball, Striker got there first, defender was late.  That's the facts.  In theory, that's what the VAR does (or should do)

and I'm not defending VAR, it should be binned and go with ref's call. I agree with the bolded.

Hahahaa I hope it goes to penalties now... little Jordie is gonna get creamed. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

MY thoughts on the penalty - I'm not giving it.

I can understand if it's given. I can understand if it's not. I think the issue with it is that VAR has given it. It's like Ange says, games shouldn't be re-refereed - VAR should only really be used IF the referee asks for it (which the current LOTG doesn't cater for), or if something absolutely ridiculous is missed. That 'foul' (I'm still going to say it's a foul because I can understand that in some instances it's been given before) is not something ridiculous that had to be called.

Last thing I'll say on this.

It's always been the convention that if you get the shot away then you're not bringing it back for a penalty kick. That's just standard across the game. You don't get 2 bites at the cherry.

So many tackles happen after the shot is taken in normal football that it's not funny. They're never called back. Think about a bloke who gets barged just after he takes the shot and it goes high, wide and handsome. Not because he was barged but because he missed. You're not coming back for it.


One other thing. If UEFA have all this 'guidance' for the Euros that they keep rabbiting on about can we see it? Can it be published pre-tournament so everyone can be on the same page rather than trying to guess why something was given? Only after the fact we're told 'oh well, the refs were told XYZ'.

Well isn't that just dandy.

At least you could say, 'well I still think that's bullshit but they did say they'd be given/not given pre- tournament'.

Pre VAR the ref would've laughed at Kane while pointing for the goal kick and said 'tough shit, shoot on target next time'. The players know if they go down there may be a chance. 

Discussed to death but if there were no VAR, the broadcasters would be doing the slow downs for the TV audience to develop headlines.

not a pen for me, though in asia you sneeze in the wrong place its a pen so also no sympathy

thinking back to John's point of southgate v arnold I think its a good one

both managers emphasize the role of man managing and the mental side of the game
both are quite pragmatic and risk averse against weaker teams yet lift against strong teams. 
Both have achieved things that are unprecedented for their country yet are hated by fans who are convinced that they are holding their team back

arnie broke pims defensive record this time round vs asian opposition, broke the golden gens record at the world cup with a much weaker team, equaled their achievement of beating the 5th best south american team in pens and also broke a record for consequetive games won

southgate won more knockout matches then the previous 60 years combined or something like that and also got to their first final on away soil. 

Bump

Thanks for the bump Johns.
grazor there is NO comparison Southgate and Arnie.
Southgate has had some of the best players in the game,
the pommy cream from the best comp last 10yrs+.

Haha yes mate you did tell me before about your family devotion from LFC heydays :) they must be very nice ! 

How can one watch the final in Australia without Optus?

My frustration with Arnold is that the system drags our players down. They play much better at their clubs yet his system doesn't give the freedom and no one seems to know what to do. The South Korea performance actually broke away from that so there's hope yet. 

Southgate has survived by the skin of his teeth and any other day he should've been eliminated long ago. It's improved since the Slovakia game. Any other manager would see England playing much more ruthlessly, which they can. 

I'll say England 2:1 in a thriller. 

Booooo

3-1 Spanyols :) 
Hopefully not a dour finale alarm set 445 but I’m enjoying a lot of Scottish open golf till wee hours as well.

Yeah I second this Spain will be to good 

Here we go. Waterloo beer garden Hannover. Saw a. Cambodia national team kit. Lots of Colombians here for later. 

Spain most control for now 

Watching it in a brittish pub

Englands defence has been impressive