A&H

Euros 2024

Kes

Kes

I'll Decide ...
Rather than have a separate thread for each match, I thought I'd sling up a general thread to discuss "stuff".
I've enjoyed the tournament so far and the overall standard of refereeing.
The only thing I've found somewhat bizarre up until now is that we're (currently) 21 games in and only seen 2 penalties awarded (unless I've missed something). One in the first match fair enough, but to wait another 30 hours worth of top class level football before we see another one given (Poland v Austria) tonight must be something of an anomaly innit? :)
 
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On the penalties front I think it probably ties in to how little play is in both boxes, so much pass, pass, pass outside the box and very little sling it in the mixer type football going on. This is probably backed up by the large amount of goals that have come from shots outside the area.

I suspect now that the games essentially become knock out games you’ll see at lot more touches inside the box, a lot more attacking intent and a lot more last ditch defending, all of which combine nicely to result in a higher penalty count!

My personal frustration with this tournament so far is the number of times the refs have got in the way/struck by the ball. Seems unusually high.

Ste
 
On ref styles. There are a few less muscly refs doing good. Oliver looked like he was trying to be “bigger” and a bit more aggressive. His relaxed often bent arm signaling style really stands out to me when seeing so many other european refs. If he wants a final I think he should adjust even more. Must be hard tho.

UK ARs continue to look better than others. I just can’t cope with the distraction of messy moving while signaling, especially the Germans. Stop it!
 
Georgia, two bites at the Cherry. Are they really gonna disallow that 'missed sitter' and come back for fluke HB?
Nope, I don't think so

I'm not questioning the HB decision BTW... even though I don't like games won and lost on unnatural position bad luck
Game has been turned on it's head by two accidental HBs at either end... Guess I'm just in the deliberate/accidental camp as I don't like pure luck
 
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Be careful not to take that picture out of context! They are listening to the ref's explanation after he went to the RRA to conduct a review. They weren't surrounding him in dissent (I don't think!).
 
Yeah right. Suppose he was cold as well and they thought shared body heat would keep his tootsies from freezing.
 
FirsFox40 said:
Yeah right. Suppose he was cold as well and they thought shared body heat would keep his tootsies from freezing.
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😂 Only basing it on the very short clip I saw! They only came around once he started talking but that may well have been their issue!
 
The MSM is chocka today with reports on how the fans have reacted to Southgate and his team. It's not a good look and doesn't bode well.

The fact is, I just don't think he and the players get it. It's fine saying "Yes, we haven't played well but we haven't lost and we won the group" but because of past endeavours ie. getting to the final last time out, the bar has been set higher and the expectation that goes with that is also higher. Truth is, now, anything other than coming home with the trophy will be regarded as abject failure (rightly or wrongly) and so that is what we're all looking forward and hoping to see. England's current performances simply don't allow for that vision any more. All we can now see is a repeat of previous campaigns where England fail to perform and/or get the job done instead of the genuine belief that we are good enough to actually go one better this time. That's the bottom line and why the fans aren't happy.

Like I said, it seems that Gareth and the boys are oblivious to that(?)
 
Perhaps an element of underselling that fact rather than obliviousness.

At the same time they’re also handling an incredibly toxic media and social media environment, arguably the worst it’s ever been. Perspective has been lost badly.

Everyone needs validation from clicks; punditry is more balanced from the non-home nations bodies than others - Fabregas, Postecoglu to pick out two, although Joe Hart, and Ellen White do their best to steady the ship.

Multiple “Have your say” sections on BBC articles being out the shouty nasties (legitimate criticism excepted); the fact that 3 of the “culprits” in the minds of many of those (Rashford, Sancho, Maguire) aren’t there created new targets.

Criticism over not playing players in their “best” positions, then in the next breath suggesting Bellingham should be moved deeper to accommodate Foden, despite playing in his “best”position.

Bellingham also has ridiculous expectations placed upon him after moving to Madrid and mopping up in club competitions. Doesn’t excuse or deny he was poor yesterday either. A team forming square when it defends deep is hard to break down, but needed pace. That should’ve been learned from the Bosnia game, and was addressed too late yesterday.

That said as a tournament it’s been short on quality all around. Germany battered Scotland in the opener yet have been cagey since. Spain won all three but needed a scrappy own goal in their be tie. France haven’t turned up (nor turned in themselves either. Yet!), the Netherlands are abject andRomania were topping a group they would have been hoping for third in. Despite this the messaging is hyperbolic in its negativity.

At the outset Quarter final is England’s expected minimum level, semi-finals represent a job well done.
 
Matchday 1: 34 goals, 39 cautions, 1 red
Matchday 2: 27 goals, 51 cautions, 0 red
Matchday 3: 20 goals, 67 cautions, 2 red

(I think) :redcard:
 
Interesting stats...
Can read that both ways as to the success of the best third placed qualifying system.
 
Can’t stand the system myself, I think the Euros was a far better tournament with 4 groups of four teams from which the top 2 qualify. Having the 3rd place thing means teams can be poor and still get through, like Portugal in 2016 who are the most underserved winners of any tournament ever 🤣.
If they want to increase it, then make it a 32 team tournament, but then that almost renders qualifying similarly pointless where anyone who’s anyone will qualify. Either way, for me group stages should only have 2/4 to go through. It’s the biggest part of tournament, so when it only takes out 1/3 of the teams its abit of an anticlimax.
 
RefereeX said:
Can’t stand the system myself, I think the Euros was a far better tournament with 4 groups of four teams from which the top 2 qualify. Having the 3rd place thing means teams can be poor and still get through, like Portugal in 2016 who are the most underserved winners of any tournament ever 🤣.
If they want to increase it, then make it a 32 team tournament, but then that almost renders qualifying similarly pointless where anyone who’s anyone will qualify. Either way, for me group stages should only have 2/4 to go through. It’s the biggest part of tournament, so when it only takes out 1/3 of the teams its abit of an anticlimax.
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And still Scotland manage to be at home already! 🤣
 
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