Come On England!

I would have been more impressed if both balls had been the same colour, but one having ENGLAND written on it, the other CROATIA.

Otters who can read as well as know their football? That would be special

 

Not the greatest ever tournament opener yesterday, but Italy did try to entertain, at least.

Turkey were resolute in defence while it was 0-0, but the wind went out of their sails after Italy's opening goal.

However, I don't think Wales can take much comfort.
Turkey will be coming for them after that defeat. The Turks know a pride-restoring win is almost essential.

Wales must beat Switzerland today.
A draw won't cut it in my view.
Turkey could maul them, and then they'll have to play Italy.
It's not beyond possibility that a draw today could see Wales finish bottom of Group A when the stage is complete.

 

Nessun dorma, the Italian national anthem, three goals and some lovely football from the Italians.

 

At least we will have had four matches to be excited about the Euros before England ruin it on Sunday

England aside, I’m looking forward to France v Germany. A proper heavyweight contest.

 

Come on , I imagine Ivor will be cheering on Bale

 

Bale’s going to Wrexham I’ve heard

 

From Ivor

 

Just been on SSN that Christian Eriksen has been 'stabilised' in hospital after he collapsed on the pitch a short while ago.

Thank God - and the medical staff who attended him

 

SSN now relaying news from UEFA that the players have agreed they're OK with resuming the Denmark v Finland game at 7:30pm tonight.

They have been reassured that Christian Erikson is not in immediately life-threatening condition right now.
He is stable and awake in hospital, having further examinations carried out.

This is fantastic news, and very hopeful for Christian and his loved ones.
For the players to be willing to carry on the game, they must have received good reassurance that Eriksen is relatively safe now as well as stable.

 

An absolute disgrace that the game is being resumed.
Sky are saying that the teams and Eriksson want the game resumed, hmmmmm, like buggery.
Money before lives.

 

There is always the possibility that commercial pressure was applied to keep the tournament on schedule.
But I really hope that was not the case.
If that did happen, what would be the point of it - or anything.

If the worst had happened and Christian Eriksen had not pulled through his ordeal, the Denmark / Finland match would have been abandoned. And I think the Belgium / Russia game would have been called off as well.
But I still think the rest of the tournament (beginning again today) would have still gone ahead.

Of course money is a big factor. And sadly we have seen over the last 18 months that - to some powerful people in Football - money is all that matters.
Lives were put at risk getting the leagues up and running again.
And the integrity of competition was trashed by the Super League conspiracy.

But I do believe in this case that Eriksen did want the match to continue. He didn't want events to be derailed because of his condition, albeit that his collapse was absolutely not his fault or anybody elses.
And once the teams were told that Eriksen wanted the game (the 'show' if you will) to go on, they wanted to honour that wish.

Moreover, (and I admit this is only a feeling) - if Christian Eriksen was no longer with us, I think he would have wanted the tournament to continue.
He would not have wanted the remaining 48 matches and everything else to be cancelled out of a sense of grief and respect for him and his family.
Not because of the media and the money men, but the fans.

 

Have we got a song? Huge soft spot for Three Lions but the cheerful inanity of Vindaloo will always be my favourite. World in Motion third as I loved how Italia 90 developed ,(right up to the penalties)

 

I've given up listening to pop music radio. If we have a song I don't know of it.

The fans seem happy enough chanting "football's coming home".
Three Lions did have the best video. Those Kuntz shirts were brilliant

 

@Smudger603 still wears his

 

Very happy with that - I was moaning about the starting line up but we looked tidy today, and that lad Phillips from Leeds looked good.
Great start.

 

Yes, we were certainly better than a curiously lack-lustre Croatia.
They didn't play like that back in the 2018 World Cup semi-final.

Now if we can bash Scotland that's the group stage done & dusted

 

I hear the Denmark manager has now come out and said he thinks it was wrong for the match to be resumed yesterday evening.
Two questions occur to me;

1. Is he on record as expressing that same view yesterday before the match resumed?
2. If the answer to question 1 is 'no' then would he still say now that the decision was wrong if Denmark had won the game?