Group C 🇸🇮🇩🇰🇷🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[FalkirkBairn2021]

3 hours ago, Chripper said:

It's the same thing every other year:

The English media whip up incredibly unrealistic expectations.  When the team inevitably fails to reach said unrealistic expectations that the media creates, the English media eviscerates the team.

Rinse and repeat.

I'm not sure that's true here though. The expectation that this group of players should be doing much better than this is completely reasonable. England have really good players and a shite manager.

To produce these 3 performances is completely unacceptable and the media are right to maul them. 

They are still one of the 2 or 3 teams most likely to win this. 

[eez-eh]

It’s a risky game, but provided they don’t actually win the thing, the favourable draws have kept Southgate in a job wasting their best squad for a wee while.

[BFTD]

4 hours ago, Bairnardo said:

ABE types are as guilty of overreaction as the English media

You can forget about their elimination until the semis. Neither Holland or Belgium will stop them. 

TBF, I've thought that a few times over the years against sides they've failed to beat in the knockout stages.

The England national side have treated us very kindly, more often than not.

[Michael W]

That'll be Slovakia in the last 16 for England then. 

Incredible how the draw has fallen so kindly for them yet again. Every conceivable thing has gone their way to remove a better opponent from the path. 

[Groundhopping Adventures]

Only one very unlikely thing can happen to avoid the Netherlands and give England the piss easy draw... of course it's happened 

[vikingTON]

2 hours ago, virginton said:

Belgium on the English side of the draw now replaced with Romania.

Looking forward to the 8PM game dunting Fort William into the mix. 

And there it is!

Slovakia knocking out England would be a far larger upset in real terms than the Iceland result in 2016. 

[Groundhopping Adventures]

Just now, virginton said:

And there it is!

Slovakia knocking out England would be a far larger upset in real terms than the Iceland result in 2016. 

Serbia

Denmark 

Slovenia

Slovakia

Switzerland 

Austria

 

Could be England's route to the final.

[orfc]

6 minutes ago, Groundhopping Adventures said:

Serbia

Denmark 

Slovenia

Slovakia

Switzerland 

Austria

 

Could be England's route to the final.

Joint population : 37.5 million

 

[Chripper]

3 hours ago, FalkirkBairn2021 said:

I'm not sure that's true here though. The expectation that this group of players should be doing much better than this is completely reasonable. England have really good players and a shite manager.

To produce these 3 performances is completely unacceptable and the media are right to maul them. 

They are still one of the 2 or 3 teams most likely to win this. 

Do they, though?

Southgate sends the players out. They've scored two goals, one was a header and one was via a mistake by a Danish player.

Of their 3 keepers only one plays week in and week out and he almost got relegated.

No left back. A centerback for Crystal Palace and one who sits on the Manchester City bench.

In central midfield there's Rice and Trent (a full back) and Mainoo and Wharton (2 players with a combined 40 EPL appearances) and then there's Gallagher (another no 10).

Gareth Southgate has to set England up like this. If England open up and go for it, they'll be picked off.

I hope the England fans get what they want. I hope Southgate leaves and he's replaced by an attack minded manager.

They'll be in trouble.

If every domestic league could only play domestic players, the EPL wouldn't be in the top 5 of the best leagues In Europe.

England are overly reliant on Harry Kane. In the lead up to these Euros hus back was so badly injured he was bed ridden.

Edited Wednesday at 22:20 by Chripper

[Red Kite]

I have honestly had no idea who England would be playing, except maybe the Netherlands, until now.  I have always carried my club mentality into any game; let the opposition worry about you.  Not that anyone seems to be worrying about us, this tournament.  These alleged easy paths deny you the chance to settle potentially some old scores.

Edited Wednesday at 21:33 by Red Kite

[Neilfs]

1 hour ago, Groundhopping Adventures said:

Only one very unlikely thing can happen to avoid the Netherlands and give England the piss easy draw... of course it's happened 

The only consolation is that the Netherlands have remained in this side of the draw. Also Italy were seconds from the other half also.

All is not lost. It could be QF Italy and SF Netherlands or Austria, which isn't a formality.

They have had easier QF, SF routes, the last 2 occasions. It was Sweden, Croatia then Ukraine,Denmark.

[Red Kite]

13 minutes ago, Neilfs said:

The only consolation is that the Netherlands have remained in this side of the draw. Also Italy were seconds from the other half also.

All is not lost. It could be QF Italy and SF Netherlands or Austria, which isn't a formality.

They have had easier QF, SF routes, the last 2 occasions. It was Sweden, Croatia then Ukraine,Denmark.

I would be up for England playing either of Italy, or the Netherlands.  If we lose to either, so what?  Tournament football, to me, is about getting out of the group and anything can happen.  All three sides might not even get through to the next match.

Edited Wednesday at 21:57 by Red Kite

[DeeTillEhDeh]

Southgate stops at traffic lights on GTA.

[eez-eh]

25 minutes ago, Neilfs said:

The only consolation is that the Netherlands have remained in this side of the draw. Also Italy were seconds from the other half also.

All is not lost. It could be QF Italy and SF Netherlands or Austria, which isn't a formality.

They have had easier QF, SF routes, the last 2 occasions. It was Sweden, Croatia then Ukraine,Denmark.

Italy were seconds away from going out altogether.

[Neilfs]

10 minutes ago, eez-eh said:

Italy were seconds away from going out altogether.

Yes thank you. I hadn't realised but they wouldn't have qualified with 3 points. 

 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Groundhopping Adventures said:

Serbia

Denmark 

Slovenia

Slovakia

Switzerland 

Austria

 

Could be England's route to the final.

Almost as easy a run as last time.

[GTG_03]

I think the 'easy route' against Slovakia could be a nightmare for england.

They'll be expecting to win and win handsomely against a team that got 4 points themselves. 

[kennie makevin]

13 hours ago, Chripper said:

It's the same thing every other year:

The English media whip up incredibly unrealistic expectations.  When the team inevitably fails to reach said unrealistic expectations that the media creates, the English media eviscerates the team.

Rinse and repeat.

Substitute 'English' media' with 'Tartan Army' in your post and you've a word perfect description of Scotland. 

Edited Thursday at 05:40 by kennie makevin

[VictorOnopko]

1 hour ago, kennie makevin said:

Substitute 'English' media' with 'Tartan Army' in your post and you've a word perfect description of Scotland. 

Not really. The poll on this site had "To perform well, be competitive and not embarrass ourselves having made the tournament. " as the most popular expectation (47.5%) with another 25% saying no expectations, or already met them by qualifying. We all *hoped* to do well but the benchmark was not embarrassing ourselves. The reason the manager and players have been heavily criticised is that many feel we absolutely did embarrass ourselves.  It wasn't "unrealistic" to expct us to avoid that.

[Red Kite]

2 hours ago, GTG_03 said:

I think the 'easy route' against Slovakia could be a nightmare for england.

They'll be expecting to win and win handsomely against a team that got 4 points themselves. 

The jaded and realistic will agree with your first line.

The team should expect to win or get on the plane, but understand they need to graft.  The second line could well be the thinking of the  media and phone-in Nigels.