EURO 2012

am i wrong though

I missed yesterday's game but having seen the highlights and the France game, England at least appear to be playing with some spirit, which is more than you can say for any other tournament since 2004.

The problem that won't go away is the inability to keep the ball in midfield but England don't have the personnel to fix that one at the moment so they're not going to get anywhere without mad pace on the flanks, which makes leaving Lennon at home even more bewildering. England have also been shit at defending set pieces since basically forever.

Love Welbeck. Should start with Rooney against Ukraine. Young out Milner out, both Arsenal wingers in.

it was such a brilliant game.

Night after and it was an excellent winning goal - a win at an Euro match should be quietly celebrated. Glass of sherry type thing.

Would keep Milner in.

Just wish Eng could avoid Spain...

if today's french news show is to be believed, andy warhol scored england's first goal last night.

In the future everyone will be bought for 35 millions.

http://gif.mocksession.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/IBRAHIMOVIC.gif

bad karma homie

I'm convinced there was a corner shortly afterwards where Zlatan had a drink from Hart's water bottle, too.

And it turns out I'm right:

http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptussowexperts/zlatanwater.jpg

Neil Ashton:

Holger Badstuber (Germany)

Position: Centre back Age: 23 Club: Bayern Munich

Scout’s Report: An exceptional left-footed defender. Classy and composed on the ball, he has an excellent reading of the game. He started his career at full back so he can operate in wider areas. He needs to work on his finishing when he goes forward for set pieces, judging by the header he put straight at the goalkeeper in Germany’s game against Holland.

Value: £15m

He’d fit in at... Manchester United or Arsenal. His versatility would definitely be a bonus for Arsene Wenger, given the manager’s difficulties in defence last season.

What's ibra saying above

fuck you?

"Respect"

players probably say that to each other twenty times a game

it's the look of utter contempt that makes hit, he has almost as little respect for hart as he does for his own team-mates

hit

it's the fact that he's saying it right after they scored though

hart shoved one of the swedish players directly before that. they were celebrating in a group huddle thing about a foot away from hart and he had a wee shove on one of the player's backs, ibra saw it and had words.

then drank out of his water bottle later: a+ trolling.

can't stand hart myself so meh

I DRINK YR MILKSHAKE WATERBOTTLE

i have no problem w/ hart. he says stupid bland inanities but if i was to hate him for that i'd hate 95% of footballers. he is good, not great, kinda forgettable.

hm he's ok i suppose. actually i think i'm confusing him with someone else. nevermind.

i'm going russia-greece, just feel like i could see a spa-ire style match of gooooooals.

You need to brush up on your IOC codes.

Obraniak is dangerous from set-pieces on the right, with his left foot.

Just like this one.

Ech, missed

thought he'd score there

This has been good. Pilař is a promising young Czech player, they don't come around often.

It looked awful, but was actually quite hard the way his balance was

Bet he gets it right this time, Obraniak.

Poland need to score soon, this dominance can't last

this has been good so far. its mostly been in greece's half, kerz had a nice half volley that went just wide.

Mark Bright thinks Greece are playing 4-2-4-2-3-1. Illegal surely?

oooooooh zherkob just ran 50 yards, went past two and is so so close to getting to ball to dzagoev for what would have been a free chance. getting closer and closer.

when he wound up for that i was thinking FFS what a waste

p good shot in the end
poland have to score before they run out of steam here

They've been great but they are running out a bit - still attacking loads but those attacks are ending further and further from the Czech goal.

spain '82 was the first int tourney i can remember and since then i've always felt they should be played in blazing sunshine and stifling heat. This feels wrong. Could be fun though.

Feels strange to hear "Gebre Selassie" and not be watching the legendary Ethiopian runner sprint away from the field to win another Olympic gold.

when poland do work it wide they only have lewandowski in the box

gebre selassie, pilar and hubschman are all good

Kinda agree about blazing sunshine and stifling heat - they should look entirely unlike regular footy is the point. I was going to posit ungodly kickoff times too, but that was just Mexico 86 really.

Classic Greece

Gah!

Classic Russia too

neat finish

like a haggard Leighton Baines, that guy

Awful from Zhirkov.

means czech rep may come out a little more which is good for poland

jeez, that'd put Greece through?