Not if I’m honest, a title I thought I’d be typing a month ago.
My doubts about us defensively have been unfounded, as have my doubts about the fitness of Maguire and Henderson, the form of Sterling and Southgate’s reliance on his favourites. I’ve been wrong on all of them and I suspect many others have as well.
But Italy have also been impressive and won’t be intimidated by a big game at Wembley.
Can we find one more result?
Could it really be coming home?
25
Comments
Feel very calm at the moment, imagine tomorrow I’ll be laying a brick.
Seen Charlton win at Wembley twice, no reason England can’t do the business tomorrow.
My Dad and Grandad were there for the 1966 final, so a family tradition continues.
Regardless of the result though, I'm massively proud of this group of players, they've given us a summer to remember.
A tense defensive battle suits a Southgate team down to the ground and I can see it going 1-0 either way.
Two schools of thought. Kane either occupies the CBs or he drops deep, feeding the runners, presumably Sterling with one of Saka/Sancho and Mount supporting.
You just know Chielini and Bonucci would prefer to man mark Kane but if he drops off between the lines they cant do that and he'll create space for others.
Everything goes through Jorginho. Assuming Rice is holding, it will be down to Mount and Phillips snapping at his heels. Press him, it cuts their supply. Give him time, he'll spring their counter attack.
We can dominate them like the Spanish did. We'll have the majority of possession, patient build up, it just whether we can break them down.
We win 3-1 in normal time. Kane turns Chielini inside out, Italy equalize with a scrappy set piece, Mount finishes off a counter attack and then Kane scores in the 89th min, triggering scenes nationwide like we've never seen before.
Its coming home.
Arise Sir Gareth.
(More likely 0-0, a tense 30 mins extra time and the most stressful 6-5 shoot out we've ever seen!)
I can’t help myself but think what the country will be like if we won tomorrow.
People pouring out onto the streets. Car horns going off, total pandemonium everywhere.
I suspect it will be total bedlam and for the first time since 1998 I also suspect I will be in floods of tears
I have a sneaky feeling Henderson may start.
2018 was great because I had zero expectations. Absolutely zero. This year I hadn’t really given the tournament much thought, but I think that was because it was a year late, wasn’t going to be played in front of huge crowds initially, and I don’t think I am fully invested back in football in general yet, because of Covid. I thought we were okay in the first game against Croatia, deserved to win. A bit of the old hurt and skepticism probably came back after the Scotland game, which trickled into the Czech game, and I found myself slipping into my old ways of thinking ‘they’re no good, they always let you down etc’, based on how average we looked in those games.
Then, Germany. Not vintage, but the win against an old rival and the strong finish got me into the old Al Pacino ‘Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in’ moment. Ukraine was superb, as how many times have we messed that type of game up in the past? Denmark was like a dream come true. Yes, we lost our way a bit in parts in the first half, but only one team was doing all the right things to win that game from about 70 mins on. We had more of the ball, we were pressing them, and removing myself from my partisan stance, if you were looking at it from a neutral’s perspective, you would say England should go onto win it and deservedly so.
As for tomorrow, of course I want us to win, but as long as we don’t absolutely turn in a stinker, even if we don’t win I will be proud. The feeling that group of players and management have given us, and seeing all the stuff on social media and the buzz they have given the nation, that is to be treasured and if we can just go the final hurdle, then give every member of that squad and management an MBE, OBE or whatever royal honour the Queen deems fit. They deserve every adulation and honour they get.
As for the game, we have a great chance. Don’t get me wrong, Italy are very good, but they’re not unbeatable. We’ve got pace in Sterling. Would love to see Foden and Grealish play alongside Sterling, but I know Mount is a favourite. I think Southgate may opt for a similar formation to the Germany one. The thing that doesn’t go in our favour, is that Italy are seasoned winners. I know their current crop of players haven’t won anything, but as a nation they have pedigree. That does count for something, believe me. Look at when they played Belgium. Belgium, talented players, maybe more so individually than Italy. However, no experience of winning a tournament, and that showed. Italy are past masters. That’s my only worry. Other than that we’ve got a good chance.
What ever happens today its been brilliant hasn't it?
This team won't peek until Germany 24.
If we do lose I hope the gutter press, and our fair share of idiots generally, don't make it their mission to destroy who ever is deemed to have "let their country down". None of them deserve it.
Any way we won't lose, it will be all songs in the street, it will be complete.
Arise Sir Gareth.
Tough, tough game, but I have to believe.. 2-0 England...........PLEASE!
I've been getting through this weird foggy, happy feeling by counselling those who are not as versed in football or what the game means to people. The blokes at work who have been wondering whether or not to take their kids down the social club or pub to watch it, I've sat them down and explained this probably won't happen again and how much 1990, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2006 hurt when we were good, played well but had a vicious turn of bad luck/questionable refereeing but the players gave all. Keep your children awake, take them out, let them feel what it means to a nation who are used to disappointment and sad exits at tournaments but have been crying out for something like this
Through this fug I also know I dont want us to just be there to enjoy the day, and this squad of players and management give me the feeling they have done all I ever want the national team to do and thats play with freedom, attack the tournament, and leave it all on the pitch having no regrets. They are here to win.
Yes we've had most our games at home but we've still had to not lose them and embrace rather than fold under the pressure and expectation of a nation that has had it pretty rough of late. The stars have lined up and the players have taken the opportunity and done so magnificently.
Italy have looked very good and have not fluked their way to the final, however.... Chiellini might be one of the best centre halves in the world but he is also 36, and the azzuri might love playing a fast pressing game not seen in Italy since the 1940s but so do we. They have a few genuinely world class players in Immoble, Insigne and a proper footballer who I have loved watching this tournament on Chiesa but how many of them would you swap out with our players? Man for man we can look them in the eye and go at them. Jorginho is definitely not Andrea Pirlo, in fact writing both names in the same sentence feels very mucky to me.
Hopefully Kane draws one of both of Chiellini or Bonucci into areas they'd rather not go leaving gaps for sir Raheem, Saka, Sancho, Foden, Grealish, Mount whichever combo of them is playing to cause the chaos they have been causing.
If I was Italy I'd be a lot more worried about the front 4 we have than we should be about their attacking options as good as they are
Its coming home, support the team tomorrow, be proud and kick every ball with them
He's managed his resources incredibly well and has shown that he can and will change players and formation as required.
And he's got the players motivated and playing for each other, something that should be a given but hasn't always been the case.
And he's been ruthless. Subbing off Grealish, not going gung ho all out attack when fans and some pundits demanded it, matching up to beat Germany. He does what is needed.
And he'll need all of that and some luck tomorrow because Italy are a very good side.
The midfield three are dynamic, the front three skillful and run all day, the back four the epitome of Italian "resolute" defending.
The Italian attacking left back whose name I've forgotten is possibly player of the tournament but is out injured which is a big boost for us.
But England are also good at "game management" now. Austria and Spain showed that Italy can wobble defensively under a high press and I think England can dominate then in the air from attacking corners and set pieces.
Hopefully, Pickford has got all his mistakes out of his system v Denmark because otherwise he's been very good.
Kane will be key keeping the Italian centre halves occupied while Sterling and the other wide players do the damage.
Rice, Philips and Mount struggled in the first half v Denmark. If they can close down the Italian midfield we have a chance.
Very hard to call
Heart say 1 - 0 England
Head says 1 - 1 and penalties
I will be totally unreasonable by tomorrow.
C’mon England 🏴
Football is about the here and now and developing a can do, can win attitude with amnesia over the past.
Less pressure for the Manager in that he can't be a failure now he has beaten Germany in a tight game, (cheers Thomas Muller,) cruised home against Ukraine and beat the underated Danes.
This England squad is 50% better than the squad that reached the semi final in the WC. Kane, Sterling, Stones, Walker, Trippier have so much more experience.
We will continue to need the rub of the green But VAR would have disallowed Hurst's "goal" from 66.
Our future is bright with Foden, Mount, Bellingham, Sancho, Rice etc under Southgate who is the dream appointment of the FA.
It is a 50/50 match as it's Wembley. Gareth showed by subbing Jack that he has a ruthless streak and he calls the shots.
Can nice guys be winners ?
Sir Gareth Southgate and Sir Chris Powell;
that would make my knight.