I’ve taken the rest on the week off having been off since last Thursday - was due to go back tomorrow, but soon changed that. I’ve had next Monday booked off since the Panama Game.
Really nervous, but looking forward to it. Going to pub at lunch time for a couple of nerve steadiers.
I’m in a right state. Took the afternoon off work knowing full well I wouldn’t be able to concentrate.
My team (none of them English) are on my case asking for things left right and center. It’s not happening though - I can’t take my mind off of England.
Not quite bricking it just yet, but looking forward to it still. Unfortunately i had a prediction we would get through tonight 2-1 and lose to France in the finals, although i would take that pre tournament. Hopefully we get there for it to be a problem...
I still believe.........
Come on ENGLAND!
PS leaving earlier today 4, so back home sort dogs out and get to Angels stadium around 6pm for drinks with my mates, pre booked tomorrow off last week as i was confident Dont work Mondays so dont have to worry about that, although i dont really get hangovers just fancy a lie in tomorrow which will be needed.
This is Brilliant from Jonathon Wilson on England and set pieces.
"Queueing while pointing out foreigners committing infractions of etiquette, of course, has been an English strength for years; Southgate’s genius has been to weaponise it."
ITV's Marcus the mystic pig, has once again headed to the left and picked the English apples. It's coming home.
Where did he go for England vs Belgium?
He's gone left every time and on each occasion England's apples have been on the left, apart from the Belgium game, when England's were on the right and he chose Belgium.
He's been correct every single time (or the person placing the apples has).
Easy distractions here as we've been in the middle of events season. Also done my back in so struggling along with that. When I think back on this, I won't remember the football, it will be singing 'it's coming home' with my daughter as we are brushing our teeth, walking to school etc.
Incredibly nervous, could barely sleep last night.
The knockout stages of this tournament, more than any in recent memory, have had so many teams where I don't know how good they are. Or maybe to put it better, teams that have such a wide range in their performance abilities. And for me, Croatia are the kings of this.
I finally had a chance to watch the Russia-Croatia match a couple days ago. And Croatia just continue to baffle me. They're obviously a squad full of really, really talented players. But they have largely been sleep walking through this tournament. In all of their games, they have had stretches where I think "okay, this is going to be the moment where it all clicks, and they really push on." Their opening goal against Russia being a great example. But then they just seem to go back to sleep and thoroughly underwhelm.
I suspect at least some of that is down to Dalić, though he is by no means the first Croatia manager to have this problem. His CV is incredibly underwhelming, and he doesn't seem to be particularly highly regarded.
The battles out wide and in Jordan Henderson's zone are going to be crucial. England haven't really come up against a team who looked a threat out wide. Sweden don't really have the players to do it, and Colombia were very narrow in an attempt to stifle England with their 4-2-3-1/4-4-2 diamond. 3-5-2 is always vulnerable to overloading wide areas, and neither Trippier nor particularly Ashley Young are brilliant defenders.
I just have this sinking feeling, which I've had before literally every England game at this tournament, that the opposition might have one (more) big performance in them. And I could see that with Croatia. If that front 5/6 click, they could be incredibly dangerous. But if they stagger and struggle through the game, then yeah, I think England will go to the World Cup finals (although France, while not pretty, looked like winners yesterday).
Easy distractions here as we've been in the middle of events season. Also done my back in so struggling along with that. When I think back on this, I won't remember the football, it will be singing 'we're coming home' with my daughter as we are brushing our teeth, walking to school etc.
I'm going to bed at 9pm and will get up at 2am for the game. I don't feel as nervous as I did on the night of the Columbia game. Hope England win in 90 minutes.
Comments
Didn’t think I’d be saying that at the start of the tournament.
Really nervous, but looking forward to it. Going to pub at lunch time for a couple of nerve steadiers.
(Copied from Twitter thread)
Productivity is shot.
This could be one of the best days of my life.
If we win and Sterling scores in the final, I'll incorporate some form of tribute to him.
My team (none of them English) are on my case asking for things left right and center. It’s not happening though - I can’t take my mind off of England.
I still believe.........
Come on ENGLAND!
PS leaving earlier today 4, so back home sort dogs out and get to Angels stadium around 6pm for drinks with my mates, pre booked tomorrow off last week as i was confident
Football comes home and RD fucks off home
In the words of Sam Cooke....
What a wonderful world this would be
"Queueing while pointing out foreigners committing infractions of etiquette, of course, has been an English strength for years; Southgate’s genius has been to weaponise it."
It's coming home.
He's been correct every single time (or the person placing the apples has).
When I think back on this, I won't remember the football, it will be singing 'it's coming home' with my daughter as we are brushing our teeth, walking to school etc.
The knockout stages of this tournament, more than any in recent memory, have had so many teams where I don't know how good they are. Or maybe to put it better, teams that have such a wide range in their performance abilities. And for me, Croatia are the kings of this.
I finally had a chance to watch the Russia-Croatia match a couple days ago. And Croatia just continue to baffle me. They're obviously a squad full of really, really talented players. But they have largely been sleep walking through this tournament. In all of their games, they have had stretches where I think "okay, this is going to be the moment where it all clicks, and they really push on." Their opening goal against Russia being a great example. But then they just seem to go back to sleep and thoroughly underwhelm.
I suspect at least some of that is down to Dalić, though he is by no means the first Croatia manager to have this problem. His CV is incredibly underwhelming, and he doesn't seem to be particularly highly regarded.
As always, Jonathan Wilson has a much better tactical breakdown than I ever could.
The battles out wide and in Jordan Henderson's zone are going to be crucial. England haven't really come up against a team who looked a threat out wide. Sweden don't really have the players to do it, and Colombia were very narrow in an attempt to stifle England with their 4-2-3-1/4-4-2 diamond. 3-5-2 is always vulnerable to overloading wide areas, and neither Trippier nor particularly Ashley Young are brilliant defenders.
I just have this sinking feeling, which I've had before literally every England game at this tournament, that the opposition might have one (more) big performance in them. And I could see that with Croatia. If that front 5/6 click, they could be incredibly dangerous. But if they stagger and struggle through the game, then yeah, I think England will go to the World Cup finals (although France, while not pretty, looked like winners yesterday).
What I'm trying to say is I have no idea.
He’s going home
He’s going.....
Carly’s going home
....well maybe just the bullet....