Euro 2016 - hype, anticipation and general excitement

I think in years gone by, England would have been the No. 1 team NI fans would love to beat - not unlike Scotland fans, though obviously not to quite the same extent. Not sure how true that is anymore. Not sure if that, "We're British and the trouble with you English is you aren't British enough", attitude is as prevalent in, uh, certain communities. This is complicated by the fact that some Rangers fans often make a big song and dance about supporting England these days - though I'm not sure that they aren't doing that just to annoy everyone else in Scotland. (Note: it is believed some NI fans could also be Rangers fans.)

there must be some republican/catholic ni fans these days, right? i'd say it could be growing a little bit even.

Oh yeah, I'm sure there are and I'm sure the numbers are growing and I'm also pretty certain they won't be the ones you have to worry about re: violence, disorder and general mayhem.

Live from a TGI Fridays in what must be one of Cyprus' biggest shopping malls. Relax (Don't Do It) on the PA. Well in, ILX

So far it seems like Zlatan is already frustrated. Remember his backheel lob back in 2002 or whenever it was?

Oof, delicious turn from whoever that Italian forward was

florenzi i think, delayed the cross too long tho'

watching italy's back 3 this tournament so far is a bit of an eye opener after a season or more of watching lfc games. these guys really really know what they're doing and seem to like doing it, who'd of thunk it?

dowie just likened the italian defenders to tawny owls

yeah the space liverpool allow in their own box compared to chiellini and co...

can't do the mental arithmetic to work out what's best for ireland here. seems like it's too early to say really.

So far it seems like Zlatan is already frustrated. Remember his backheel lob back in 2002 or whenever it was?

― imago, 17. juni 2016 15:05 (41 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

2004! The delightful Euro tournament where Italy, Sweden and Denmark were in group together, and played three draws, culminating with the Sweden-Denmark 2-2 draw which was exactly the result that sent Italy home. An Italy-Danish friend of mine still refuses to believe we didn't cheat on that one :)

Oh yeah. They gave Maniche goal of the tournament iirc. Zlatan's was at least five times better

one of the great joy to pain football moments ever.

not as good as the man united one though obviously, given the relative decency of the personnel.

no XD for the tawny owl ref xp?

darkly mutters something about the standard of crossing

Italy win surely the best for Ireland? Italy look like theyre playing for a draw here. They must fancy their chances against Ireland

oh uh yeah XD that do

why is there no ILF thread where you compare football players to avians?

noting that no less an ILX favourite and european championships luminary than andrei arshavin himself was routinely likened to a strigiform back in the day

not sure, could be a thing, zlatan is a bit heronlike

got some gr8 holiday snaps of avians including what might be a saker falcon

daniel sturridge is a jay for sure

hodgson owl has been done so often that i think it even made the daily mail

great call on sturridge

this match is abject

buffon could be a skua

ibra misses from a yard, offside luckily for him

So bored. I actually just trying to think of footballer-bird puns, but coming up short.

his heronly wiles informed him of this

Oh, I was just thinking of names! Something something 'wing'

trying to work out which footballer is most like a gannet, might be andy carroll

Busquets would be one of those nuisance birds that consistently up in your shit, maybe an arctic tern or something.

saw loads of crested larks yesterday at the tombs of the kings, as celebrated by st f of assisi as redolent of the humble friars going busily about their business, obtaining their corn etc. i thereby dub ngolo kante a crested lark

busquets is self-evidently a starling

a thieving magpie, though with better footwork, and possibly less ambivalent about the relative merits of the colours white and black

lol fine or that

arctic terns migrate like twenty thousand miles a year, that is hardly up in anyone's shit

giaccherini looks great imo, and was great the other night. and yet... sunderland.

he is a hoopoe, much at home on the continent but faced with the wearside chill decidedly flighty

oooooh sweet

Gertcha.

what a goal

what happened the defender there, did he kind of slip or something?

they've been poor but when you defend like italy do always gonna have a good chance

like the brazilian eder

that was the most pissweak central defending of the tournament so far

Hodgson looks more like a hen imo

Laying a big fat Rooney egg.

lol, a powerful and truthful image

it was amazing that rashford, sturridge, vardy and rooney were all on the pitch at once yesterday

lol cech stopping the ball with his head

croatia lovely to watch

those 15 pts that cech was gonna gain arsenal never really materialized did they? unless arsenal were even worse than i thought.

And there it is.