Euro 2016 - hype, anticipation and general excitement

interesting that even after pretty avg performance last week Matuidi is preferred to Pogba. cracking under the pressure of being the national "talisman"? or is it just that Matuidi is seen as a safer hand to help look after the defence?

I'd assume they're just resting him against a team they're 90% sure to beat either way.

Riding for a fall there.

Probably its that matuidi avg is better than pogba pish

OTM. Also to maybe jolt Pogba into being more team-minded when he comes back in.

otm or not, it is still an interesting move. i mean fancy dropping yr totemic midfield general (especially after months of media narrative building them up as the most important member of the squad) just cuz you suspected that the team might function better without them in there? what black voodoo is this

It's not like he's bringing in a couple o'schmucks tbf.

was kidding, if more managers would consider dropping their "totemic midfield general" for the benefit of the team the world would be a better place for it. like i said, i'm really looking forward to this game

Are you suggesting Hodgson should drop Rooney?

Never seen Pogba play well for France tbh

Are you suggesting Hodgson should drop Rooney?

yes that is what i am suggesting.

For real The Worst Italy Team In 30 Years are probably the best side I've seen this week. Better than this lot at any rate.

"Worst Italy Team in 30 Years" such a misnomer tho, and theyve been playing it up themselves. that Juventus defence haven't lost more than a game or two in 6 months. cumulatively they've conceded about 10 goals in their last 25 games. if they can maintain that and snatch some goals on the break then there's no reason why they shouldn't win it

Both more or less otm

In 2016 tho even yr shit cuddly underdogs do a bit more than park the bus

Martial is a disgrace.

Looks overawed

But he had a tendency to drift in and out of games this season and then come up with a moment of magic. Wouldn't be overly surprised if he's taken out for Griezmann though

Being uniteds best player doesnt necessarily mean youre good enough to beat albania

This is dogshit.

New low for Low: http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/36543498

Giroud.

The longer this goes on the more I want Albania to do it

yeah this has not been good at all. i really was very excited for the possibilities at kick-off but it's all been p. incoherent from the French.

whole competition basically being wrecked by this "some of the 3rd place teams (tho not all of them) will qualify" rule bcuz i can never work out when rooting for the underdog exactly how important it is that they win this particular game

seems there is greater parity between the supposedly shit teams and the "favourites" thus far, obviously this is a familiar narrative at this point except at the absolute highest Champs League sf level - is it just a case of the 4 or 5 strongest teams having ridiculously blunted attacks or is this one of the defining features of modern futbol?

Albania seem mentally fatigued more than anything, I'll be amazed (and delighted) if they can withstand 10 more mins of this

Trying to imagine the crowd response if England put this performance as a host nation

Windsor, you still in Paphos btw? We are now, watching this at our flat but the English pub district is kind of amazing/horrifying and we were walking thru it like twenty minutes ago

Oh bollocks

At least we know they're a bit shit now tho

Never in doubt.

imo if you pull this shit twice in a row you forfeit the right to be seen as moral tournament winners, should that come to pass

Harsh.

Imago - walk further down past the ruins to the harbour, way nicer down there.

Bar Street was fucking horrific.

The game itself does not merit further comment.

#nojustice

ugh, wankers. no chance this lot win the whole thing without massive improvements

xp. lol yeah i am still kinda in Paphos, well outside the city though, in the stix abit. went out for a meal in Coral Bay the other day, idk why, my mum fancied it, was p. fascinating

Payet 2-0

eurostar

Can't wait for the deluge of THATS HOW YOU CLOSE A GAME OUT on the Charlton forums, at least until England cunt Wales tomorrow

And obv Matt, we had no intention of doing otherwise. I mean, we're going to spend three days in Beckham Bar, yes

Shame that Linekers burnt down

Hey, you might have been on your first night there for all I knew.

You jammy, jammy bastards

Thank you late Payet goal for a ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY POINT DAY.

You jammy, jammy bastard

It is our first night! Well, I've been before, but I was a kid

Gonna respectfully (at first) suggest a separate thread for fantasy football nonsense, at least until you all chase me out with pitchforks

What are the chances of West Ham selling Payet for £50m during the tournament and Bilic finding out live on air?

I've had s similar thought but if we're gonna start critiquing each others content well

Xp

I'm doing important sociological work on this indulgent holiday

Keep getting thrown by kick-offs being taken backwards. Looks so wrong.

Thought Coman was okay last night, one lovely turn and set up a couple of chances for Giroud.