FT: ENGLAND 2 - 1 DENMARK. aet

[RonnieBird]

I’ve always supported England in such competitions and I regard the nonsense I often see here to the contrary as churlish and jealous.

HOWEVER on this occasion they are CHEATS, plain and simple and they do not deserve to get through.
Grealish’s sole contribution-per usual- was diving all over the place trying to get a penalty and once he came on they were ALL doing it.

It wasn’t a penalty .

[goats]

This is whats wrong with the game, it isnt just at professional level either, i watch my non-league team ( well 2 of them actually ) a players are afraid to tackle in the box, and I kid you not, Ive seen it with the girls team i coach, we played a Academy girls team, they had been trained to get to ball in the box and when tackled go down, it was horrid to see, we conceded 2 pens in the 1st 1/2, the girls were scared to even go close and worked it out to just get between the player and the goal, our captain went up and spoke to the ref at 1/2 time, he said " its how the game is played at this level " ( though to his defence he was crap and shouldnt have been anywhere near the pitch )

Shocking, my youngest has natural football ability, a decent left foot for a 7 year old too. He’s not to bothered on playing and Ive decided
I’m not going to bother trying to get him into it which I’m slightly torn by but I’m just not sure about how football is going. He’s been asked to come and train/play with local kids team….hhhmmmmmmmmm

[goats]

I’ve always supported England in such competitions and I regard the nonsense I often see here to the contrary as churlish and jealous.

HOWEVER on this occasion they are CHEATS, plain and simple and they do not deserve to get through.
Grealish’s sole contribution-per usual- was diving all over the place trying to get a penalty and once he came on they were ALL doing it.

It wasn’t a penalty .

The Italians do it to, in fact they are the best in the world at it along with the Argies…..some final coming up

[Kind of Blue]

2 balls on the pitch aswell. Like come on guys, its not that hard to referee

Didn’t notice this at the time, only realised when someone in a work’s WhatsApp group chat mentioned it. Strangely, there’s about a half dozen English football fans in that chat, and for what it’s worth none of them thought it was a penalty with a few thinking it was a dive and should have been overturned by VAR and the other half thinking it was a dive but didn’t think the ref/VAR had enough to overturn his original decision - and one that thought that it shouldn’t have gotten that far with two balls on the pitch! Haha.

I was quite surprised by their reaction, they seemed far more damning of Sterling than I.

[the other bob wilson]

Robert Pires was my favourite player in the great Arsenal team of the early noughties, but I can remember agreeing with the terrible stick he received from media pundits and the papers about fifteen years ago when he won a penalty by dangling his foot close to an opponents and then falling as soon as he received the slightest contact from a defender.

The word at the time was that he had cheated by using a move brought over here by the "foreigners", but it seems that that in dressing rooms up and down the country the following week, there were players thinking "I'll have some of that" and it became more and more frequent until we have today's situation whereby it's widely accepted as being part of the game.

As the laws are interpreted today, last night's penalty was probably rightly given, but I feel it's another instance where the way the games laws are interpreted makes for poorer, and more unfair, football. The hypocrisy which sees "divers" still widely condemned in the media at a time when players fall to the ground because "they felt contact" (these actions are often accompanied by a scream or yelp of pain of a type I barely heard in years playing the game and watching parks football) is marked and is matched by the double standards about "feeling contact" and the free for all's which occur every time a corner or free kick is swing into a penalty area.

Football has, to all intents and purposes, become a non contact sport when the ball is in the penalty area, except of course in those dead ball situations I mentioned earlier - when you add on the shambles of the current offside interpretation, it only strengthens my feeling that there's nothing wrong with the laws as they stand, it's the way they are enforced that is the issue of concern.

In saying all that, much as I don't like admitting it, I think the better team won last night.

[Hilts]

I honestly dont know how anyone watching that last night thought Denmark were the better side.

Southgate is getting praised for his tactics and even the subbing of Grealish but they were terrified and couldnt deal with Sterling and if that had gone to pens his negative tactics would have been questioned. They had enough quality in the squad to take that Denmark side apart.

Italy they are going to have to step up a level.

[dembethewarrior]

It may be cheating to you, but not to the majority of top level professionals. Two Danish defenders put themselves in awful positions and one made an appalling attempt at some kind of half arsed challenge. He will know that his defending wasn't good enough, not by a long shot, and he'll know that if he hadn't put himself in that position then Sterling wouldn't have had the opportunity to go to ground, Tough luck.

Spot on.

Ain't amused by the soft penalty but they've got themselves to blame.

[dembethewarrior]

Mark Clattenburg, who I'm no a fan of, just made an excellent point. As a referee, with the game on the line, unless you're 100% sure (which he said he wasn't) you DON'T give the penalty, you leave it up to VAR. Interesting.

Something else to agree with

[dembethewarrior]

I dunno about that, you quite often see professionals absolutely livid when a player dives for a penalty

Yes, usually when the defender isn't at fault. They were at fault last night like a dlfew have pointed out, tired legs etc.

[dembethewarrior]

Jesus. That's awul.

I know. He didn't mention Disney once.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Cheats

No better than the Brazilians, italians and Spanish the English fans always accuse of play acting

[caerkid]

VAR was equallly useless for the Danish second goal against Wales and Wilson's red card so I've got little sympathy for the Danes at the moment.
It makes for a better final but there wasnt much on show last night to scare Italy. Pickford looked dodgy at times under very little pressure.

[Moodybluebird]

Cheats

No better than the Brazilians, italians and Spanish the English fans always accuse of play acting

I hear that Tom Daley has been drafted into the England squad for the final.

[the other bob wilson]

VAR was equallly useless for the Danish second goal against Wales and Wilson's red card so I've got little sympathy for the Danes at the moment.
It makes for a better final but there wasnt much on show last night to scare Italy. Pickford looked dodgy at times under very little pressure.

Italy at their best play a high intensity pressing game, but they looked out on their feet in extra time on Tuesday - their two least impressive matches have been at Wembley. I think England have to favourites, but if Italy are at their best, I’d say they’d have too much for them.

[BLUETIT]

Italy at their best play a high intensity pressing game, but they looked out on their feet in extra time on Tuesday - their two least impressive matches have been at Wembley. I think England have to favourites, but if Italy are at their best, I’d say they’d have too much for them.

That’s a big “fence”, you’re sat on there Bob

[Trigger]

Sterling was checked at the end by the second guy coming across but already on his way down. Extremely soft.

I don't blame him though, when a ref and now var back that up then of course he is going down as would many many players including our own.

I don't get why they can't at least have the ref look at it, particularly when it means so much.

England deserved it though and I suppose you make your own luck when you are constantly getting players like sterling on the ball around the box.

Only one winner from 65 mins onwards.

[surge]

Italy have played a tournament in 3 locations which is the same Wales experienced in 4 games.

Based on last FIFA World Rankings before the tournament, Italy have now beaten the nations ranked 29th, 23rd, 17th, 13th 6th, and 1st. Their next game is against side ranked 4th.

England have played in 2 locations as de facto hosts of the competition - with the added advantage of watching opponents travel distances before arriving in London.

Based on last FIFA World Rankings before the tournament, England have now beaten the nations ranked 44th, 40th, 24th, 14th, 12th, and 10th. Their next game is against side ranked 7th.

Both played 3 out of 3 group games at home.



Regarding England, I think they probably have a better floor of talent than anyone else and their celling of talent is right up their with best in the world - they going to end this tournament at least ranked top 2 in the world, my estimate only, and they'll deserve it - so I could definitely make a footballing argument that they should be in the final, but it does irk me a bit that the organisation of this tournament has handed them such a good advantage along the way.

This Welsh fan wants to point out that we played 29th, 13th, 10th and 7th best according to official FIFA Rankings, the reward or not of being a top seed, but don't expect too many sympathetic ears

For me, Italy are the best team in the competition with Spinazolla in their side and are probably the best team even with him missing with a confidence rating in that latter statement of 60-65%.

[the other bob wilson]

That’s a big “fence”, you’re sat on there Bob

I think England will win.

[splott parker]

England were by far the better side I reckon but if I was an English fan I’d have loved to see them go for the jugular in extra time, indeed in normal time.I know it was a semi final and all the caution such a fixture brings but a bit of adventure could have seen them calm English nerves with a two or three goal cushion. Italy will be a hell of a step up in class for them to contend with.

[dembethewarrior]

Italy have played a tournament in 3 locations which is the same Wales experienced in 4 games.

Based on last FIFA World Rankings before the tournament, Italy have now beaten the nations ranked 29th, 23rd, 17th, 13th 6th, and 1st. Their next game is against side ranked 4th.

England have played in 2 locations as de facto hosts of the competition - with the added advantage of watching opponents travel distances before arriving in London.

Based on last FIFA World Rankings before the tournament, England have now beaten the nations ranked 44th, 40th, 24th, 14th, 12th, and 10th. Their next game is against side ranked 7th.

Both played 3 out of 3 group games at home.



Regarding England, I think they probably have a better floor of talent than anyone else and their celling of talent is right up their with best in the world - they going to end this tournament at least ranked top 2 in the world, my estimate only, and they'll deserve it - so I could definitely make a footballing argument that they should be in the final, but it does irk me a bit that the organisation of this tournament has handed them such a good advantage along the way.

This Welsh fan wants to point out that we played 29th, 13th, 10th and 7th best according to official FIFA Rankings, the reward or not of being a top seed, but don't expect too many sympathetic ears

For me, Italy are the best team in the competition with Spinazolla in their side and are probably the best team even with him missing with a confidence rating in that latter statement of 60-65%.

I've missed you Eric

[Der Kaiser]

This England team with its current crop of players will win a major tournament, but I don't think this is the one. Italy I expect will be too wily for a fairly inexperienced group of players on the international stage. I expect England to go back to their 3/5 at the back system, Italy will win the midfield battle and pass them to death. It will not be a good watch.

[dembethewarrior]

This England team with its current crop of players will win a major tournament, but I don't think this is the one. Italy I expect will be too wily for a fairly inexperienced group of players on the international stage. I expect England to go back to their 3/5 at the back system, Italy will win the midfield battle and pass them to death. It will not be a good watch.

If Italy play like they've played, which is good attacking football, the game should be decent.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

I am not interested in a good game

I want England to lose

[life on mars]

This England team with its current crop of players will win a major tournament, but I don't think this is the one. Italy I expect will be too wily for a fairly inexperienced group of players on the international stage. I expect England to go back to their 3/5 at the back system, Italy will win the midfield battle and pass them to death. It will not be a good watch.

Think England talented bench is a worry for any team , to think that Rashford ,Bellingham , Fodon, Tripper , Grealish , James , Bellingham and Sancho are not getting full 90 minutes is amazing , besides the stupid press / media they are a decent side ,not so cocky spice boy like .

I will be giving them a shout, never enjoyed Italian drama , feigning injury tactics .

[RonnieBird]

The Italians do it to, in fact they are the best in the world at it along with the Argies…..some final coming up

Excellent point. I really hadn’t thought of that, and it’d be a real shame to see the final dominated by the these ponces rolling round when no one has touched them. Apparently Grealish has ordered a new aqualung and a big pot of ladies hair gel for Sunday.