The great mystery of this World Cup is how a country with average income of less than $1000 a month, annual inflation approaching 100% and central bank interest rates of 75% can get 40,000 plus fans to every game in a cripplingly expensive country half a world away….
Many years ago, after we drew 5-5 with Newcastle, a very good friend (who's sadly no longer with us), said in the pub afterwards, 'You can keep your opera, you can keep your ballet, you've just watched the greatest entertainment in the World'. This applies today. RIP Peter Lavers.
Well, that was a depressing train ride across Paris to get home. One kid seriously upset that France, and more particularly Mbappe lost...welcome to being a football fan. The other child asking why most people on the train looked sad.
It's a culmination of mistakes though in 3 tournaments. Every time we've played what I consider to be a top team, we've lost ! We still should've won the Euros at least, but due to his negative style and poor decisions we've blown 3 glorious chances. He's a limited manager in my eyes and a better one would've led this group of players to a trophy. Its just my opinion, but we'll never know.
It's bloody amazing that whenever I do silly little bets they come in, yet whenever I put on big bets they usually go straight down the pan lol ! I've seen so many punters do their absolute bollocks that I vowed never to go berserk again. Ffs
There was a really good (quite long) article in The Times on why he should stay: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...5?shareToken=8a73cfc0fb35698cedebea74a4dd44b9 The essence of it is that he accepted a lot of the criticism you lay at his door from past tournaments, and worked it through with the squad. They collectively decided to be a lot bolder this tournament and arguably (hands up, I didn't watch it so not sure how arguably) were the better team against France. Give Bellingham and Foden two more years to mature, combined with the more positive style, and who knows what happens in Germany in '24. I can see both sides but I'm happy for him to stay, especially in the absence of a clear successor who is English, can man manage which is so key for this role, and has a very high level of tactical ability.
Didn't watch much of the tournament but if it couldn't be England, delighted Messi got his world cup win.