congrats to italy

[Ken Gargett]

congrats to italy for the big win this morning. great stuff. 

i woke up and checked the phone for a score and must have bumped something - seriously, no idea what - because the phone immediately went to live coverage. i have no idea how or why and i have never subscribed to anything. but i got to watch the 2nd half of extra time and the penalties. 

i keep hearing how southgate is some sort of magic manager. making a final is an achievement but from the tiny bit i saw, he brings on two replacements in the last minute of extra time to take penalties. they both miss. he then selects the youngest bloke on the pitch for either side, a bloke who came on as a replacement and who does not even take penalties for his club as the taker of the fifth penalty? fa penalty they need to stay in the game or they lose the final? or me, that is appalling management. decades of pressure, at home, dumped on the shoulders of an inexperienced kid. a disgraceful decision. kane or one of the other senior players  should have stepped up and said, i'll take the fifth (from what i gather about how kane played, that might be more appropriate than you think). as a gunners fan, i'll be hugely pissed if this impacts the kid's career, but i think he is too good for that. 

of course, as an aussie, england losing anything is a bonus (unless they are playing new zealand, in which case match abandoned due to earthquake is the preferred outcome). 

[Woody Hayes]

Come on, the Italians made the ref's an offer they couldn't refuse.

[Ken Gargett]

6 minutes ago, Woody Hayes said:

Come on, the Italians made the ref's an offer they couldn't refuse.

absolutely. 

ignore sterling's fake diving or else! 

[Fuzz]

Would have preferred if there was no penalty shoot out. Just play till golden point, and if not win after 3 extentions, go for another match. Rake in those ticket sales!

[gweilgi]

There are three stages to sport in England.

1.  Invent the sport.

2. Export the sport to the rest of the world.

3. Lose.

 

 

[Ken Gargett]

2 hours ago, gweilgi said:

There are three stages to sport in England.

1.  Invent the sport.

2. Export the sport to the rest of the world.

3. Lose.

 

 

close but you forgot - 

4. rave about the team/sportsman as they head towards the final etc, as though they are the second coming, and then when they lose, have the nation, led by the tabloids, turn on on said team/sportsman and tear them to shreds.

number 4 was always my favourite stage, although i always liked 3 as well. 

[Fuzz]

Don't forget

5. Riot because they lost

[Ken Gargett]

4 minutes ago, Fuzz said:

Don't forget

5. Riot because they lost

6. bash a family and a few young kids. 

 

in fairness, we have our own issues. when we lose, we simply claim the opposition are drug cheats. when our own are revealed as drug cheats, we scream set-up by other drug cheats. 

[Fuzz]

28 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

6. bash a family and a few young kids. 

 

in fairness, we have our own issues. when we lose, we simply claim the opposition are drug cheats. when our own are revealed as drug cheats, we scream set-up by other drug cheats. 

It's the Aussie way! 😂