West Ham Online

"We seem to have an England v Bosnia thread but not an actual Euro 2024 thread so here it is So, do we realistically think England can win it? On paper we obviously have a very talented squad but I just don't see us going all the way. For me it's ""same old"" when it comes to England. Breeze the group, favourable draw in last 16 and win then up against far superior opposition in the QFs and out. At best I can see us at the SF stage before being beaten again. Winners for me: France, Portugal, Spain Dark horses: Germany - even though it's a home tournament they've been in a consolidation period, could go close Biggest flops: Scotland - no goals scored Top goalscorer: Mbappe I'm just hoping it's a decent tournament with plenty of decent games that's not ruined by VAR (are they using it?) consolidation period but could go close"

"How about all the talent on the field when we had Beckham, Rooney, Rio, Lampard, Scholes and Gerrard. Don’t forget Gazza. One would argue that was a hell of a cast."

"""Look at Englands track record before Southgate arrived and look at it since."" This is the same argument used about Moyes, and again it completely ignores the relative strengths of the playing squad compared to previous managers. England's first choice front 4 scored about 120 goals between them for their clubs last season, about 3 times the amount scored by the first choice front 4 of Spain. This team should be slaughtering the likes of Slovenia, Slovakia, Switzerland, etc. not merely scraping through by the skin of our teeth. Southgate has been extremely lucky to be in charge of what amounts to a golden generation of players (at least by comparison with other nations) and he's failed to make the most of it."

"Very simple question, “have Southgate’s England ever beaten a team they weren’t expected to?” I can’t think of one."

Look at Englands track record before Southgate arrived and look at it since.

"""Results matter."" If it's that simple, then he's had 4 major tournaments and won none of them (so far)."

"Results matter... Exactly that and this cսnt only gets results against teams that aren't that good.. Now if he could get two against Netherlands and Spain he will go down as one of the best, but he's won fuck all and crumbled anytime there was decent opposition"

I'd love to see 9 man England beat the Dutch. There was a moment in the game v Switzerland that I counted 8 (eight) England players ahead of Kane on the pitch! At one point I thought UEFA had changed the rules about spectators on the pitch. I'd start with Toney and replace Trippier on the left with Bowen.

"I give the England squad the advantage on paper however if it were on performance then the Dutch have played the better of the two so far this tournament. So it’s a “Pick’em” no clear favorite. Palmer needs to play. Don’t want penalties again although that is the probable outcome. All this shitting on Southgate is all a bit silly, his track record has been superb, he is going to go down as one of the best we’ve had. Results matter."

"Spain are better than I thought they were, but we can beat them if we win tonight, but they could easily beat us too, so fuck knows. Will probably just be 'on the night' Buzzing for tonight, but again can't call it, I'd be confident with pens though :-) We need Kane to show up tonight, if not get the cսnt off."

Takashi Miike 1:09 Wed Jul 10 LOL!

"We will easily beath Netherlands, after all its not even a real country just a place where Peter Pan lives. I know my football."

*must*

"I think the dutch style suits us tonight and I'm pretty confident. the one drawback is that drab, political, victim complex oddball on the touchline. him and that jock bastard we got rid of just have been separated at birth. both, joyless safety first cunts"

"Early in the tournament Holland, England, France, Belgium and Italy all looked to be rather ordinary and were flattering to deceive. I thought the only big nations that looked decent were Spain and Germany without doing too much. I thought Swiss, Austria, Georgia and Turkey looked capable of going deep. Looking at Spain, I thought they looked good, played nice football but I did think they may have a soft underbelly and could be bullied and squeezed out of a game. As good as they looked, I didn't think they were the best team in it. I just didn't think it was their time yet. I expected Germany to do that but there big players fell over in the quarters. But after last night I now see a different quality to this Spain side. I don't think they do have a soft underbelly. They have rolled out two physical and powerful sides in Germany and France and now I do think they are the best team in it. And that's a huge problem for Southgate. Because his track record proves that in crunch games he doesn't beat better sides. 2018 Croatia were the best team we had faced and they beat us. France 2020 and Italy 2022. As soon as Southgate comes up against a team that are labelled 'better' than England, we lose. That's because he simply doesn't have that winning mentality. He cannot find the mental strength to dig deep and get his players to find that extra to go and win it. He also doesn't have the strategic and tactical nous to implement a system that upsets a better side. That's why it pisses me off when I hear people say he is the most successful manager for England. Why are they using the word 'success'? Because he has had no success. Success in sport is surely winning medals, titles and trophies. Why is Southgate being judged a success for losing in major matches? He may be England's most consistent manager - But success? No, not for me. To win this Euro's we need to beat a progressive Dutch side that is on an upward curve in form. Then go and beat an absolute purring Spain side that are bang in form. Does Southgate have the balls and the tactics to go and do it. His form tells me no. But, I am happy to eat humble pie. I hope we do win it. Not for Southgate or the players. But for the fans."

"Early in the tournament Holland, England, France, Belgium and Italy all looked to be rather ordinary and were flattering to deceive. I thought the only big nations that looked decent were Spain and Germany without doing too much. I thought Swiss, Austria, Georgia and Turkey looked capable of going deep. Looking at Spain, I thought they looked good, played nice football but I did think they may have a soft underbelly and could be bullied and squeezed out of a game. As good as they looked, I didn't think they were the best team in it. I just didn't think it was their time yet. I expected Germany to do that but there big players fell over in the quarters. But after last night I now see a different quality to this Spain side. I don't think they do have a soft underbelly. They have rolled out two physical and powerful sides in Germany and France and now I do think they are the best team in it. And that's a huge problem for Southgate. Because his track record proves that in crunch games he doesn't beat better sides. 2018 Croatia were the best team we had faced and they beat us. France 2020 and Italy 2022. As soon as Southgate comes up against a team that are labelled 'better' than England, we lose. That's because he simply doesn't have that winning mentality. He cannot find the mental strength to dig deep and get his players to find that extra to go and win it. He also doesn't have the strategic and tactical nous to implement a system that upsets a better side. That's why it pisses me off when I hear people say he is the most successful manager for England. Why are they using the word 'success'? Because he has had no success. Success in sport is surely winning medals, titles and trophies. Why is Southgate being judged a success for losing in major matches? He may be England's most consistent manager - But success? No, not for me. To win this Euro's we need to beat a progressive Dutch side that is on an upward curve in form. Then go and beat an absolute purring Spain side that are bang in form. Does Southgate have the balls and the tactics to go and do it. His form tells me no. But, I am happy to eat humble pie. I hope we do win it. Not for Southgate or the players. But for the fans."

"Any Old Iron 12:00 Wed Jul 10 Oh have a day off you fucking moaner. Off the field he is a likeable man. I mean, he's not an arsehole is he. But you must be an idiot if you can't see the criticism in that statement. Likeable people don't tend to have what it takes to be a winner. There are obviously exceptions, but this isn't one of them. Likeable? Yes. A winner? No."

"Mbappe's been the disappointment of the tournament looks well out of sorts. Spain though deserve to be in the final, have beaten decent teems and been the best side of the Tournament. Now who do they beat in the final, the Clog Boys or Gareth's ""Invincibles""?"

"Think we could give spain a decent game of we had a decent manager. We don't and so if we actually manage to beat this abysmal dutch side, can't only see the negative cսnt leading us to a tonking. Happily be proved wrong by him, but I just no the same set of out of form cunts will be wheeled out again."

Regardless of who gets through to the final tomorrow night .. Spain are going to wipe the floor with them.

Waistcoat Presser… Boring Sleepfest demoralizing twitter…

Mbappe… Yet another SuperStar Blowout… DesChamps looks Bewildered…as always… Well done Spain…Enjoyable Fluid Football…

"Thing is, these teams have some cunts offering actual movement ahead of their keeper plus players that can trap a bag of cement to receive the ball. Rice is crap at receiving the ball from the keeper and doing anything other than pass it sideways or back. Trippier can't use his left foot, Walker is a limited footballer. Hence it gets launched."

For all the hype from Lineker & co at h-t the 2nd half has been quite dull and not helped by the crap support from both sets of fans

"Very obvious that both the goalkeepers tonight are well versed in always when they have it ensure they give it to a teammate, no hoofing it and hoping to win the first or second ball, can only hope Southgate Pickford are watching and taking note, please non of this “look how far I can kick it” tomorrow night."

Has anyone else noticed that the Euro24 logo looks like a multicoloured toilet seat?