Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

Player of the tournament for me, Hazard...

sussexpob wrote:Player of the tournament for me, Hazard...

I would second that.

Modric wins it though. No complaints....

Nice piece of respect from the French, forming the tunnel with handshakes for their beaten rivals... Croatia players all getting a hug (Modric with a tear in her eye) from the PM.

Macron looks like he might spontaneously burst into tears, so happy is he. Every French player is getting a warm embrace, a kiss, a few words...... its like some random French fan was put in a suit and got a few moments with the team at the final whistle.

The presidents were handing out lots of hugs and kisses this evening.

I hope that, in a country that nearly voted in a Neo-Nazi recently, they will reflect that men called "Pogba", "Matuidi", "Mbappe" just won them the greatest cultural prize on offer in the world. Football captures the spirit in society, it would be nice if this win could usher in a new level of thought in French society.....

Perisic has bes been Croatia's best player in their last two games but no real complaints with Modric winning the golden ball.

Almost forgot, well done to France. Not at their best today but worthy winners on a whole. Pogba and Varane have been immense when I've seen them, and along with Mbappe have a tough and good to watch side.

Perisic has bes been Croatia's best player in their last two games but no real complaints with Modric winning the golden ball.

Almost forgot, well done to France. Not at their best today but worthy winners on a whole. Pogba and Varane have been immense when I've seen them, and along with Mbappe have a tough and good to watch side.

sussexpob wrote:I hope that, in a country that nearly voted in a Neo-Nazi recently, they will reflect that men called "Pogba", "Matuidi", "Mbappe" just won them the greatest cultural prize on offer in the world. Football captures the spirit in society, it would be nice if this win could usher in a new level of thought in French society.....

By rioting and looting in the cities of France

budgetmeansbudget wrote:The guy got the nation and the team going for a bit so Southgate does deserve some praise.

Same as Bobby Robson and Terry Venables did back in the day.

At the end of it all we will never get a manager or the players who are ever seriously going to challenge.

A quality premier league is what the fans want not a quality national team, and the fact that no European club will hardly ever sign an Englishman says it all really.

Bournemouth getting promotion to the Premier League meant alot more to me than England ever winning anything.

Southgate does indeed praise for assembling a team of mainly unknown quantities and turning them into World Cup contenders. But it's getting the English public to show affection with national team, which is the biggest success. It seems Southgate has taken note of a certain cricketing quote from Len Hutton, given the defence is of Yorkshire (and Northern) persuasion

Maybe if more Premier League clubs invest in English players instead of buying foreign mercenaries in an attempt to finish 17th (or 4th), then English football will be better for it. Also cup competitions should be taken more seriously, as it's these one off matches which emulate international tournament pressure rather than the bread and butter of league football.

I am not sure if fans want a quality top tier of English football, bearing in mind fans of those clubs are turning to lower and non-league football for their football fix. Barring Leicester City's unprecedented title win, the Premier League is boring and stale as a competition.

Alviro Patterson wrote: Barring Leicester City's unprecedented title win, the Premier League is boring and stale as a competition.

Not sure that is true. At least in the EPL there are several teams who could win it (not mine, obviously). Look around most other leagues and generally they seem to be dominated by only 2 or perhaps 3 teams.... In Scotland's case there is now only one realistic winner every year

Out of the five one off events held this year worldwide, four of the best live attendances are English football competitions (sold out Wembley for the EFL, FA Cup, EPL playoffs and charity shield). So if anyone has experience of playing high pressure games, it's us. The last playoff final contained two younger players highly regarded and touted to make England's next world cup team (Grealish and Sessegnon).... No excuses

Far from being stale, the top level of English football ranks as the third best watched spectacle in world sport by live attendees, although the NFL has less than half the games, and the Bundesliga has four less, so I believe it beats both in number of people actually going. It is the most watched annual sporting league on TV worldwide. And the incredible thing is, this is just the top level. The championship and league one attendances in combination exceeded attendances in la Liga, serie a and blow the rest of the Bundesliga pyramid out the water ....no excuse. English players play in a highly competitive and relevant league.

As for dominance....Juventus have won the last 6 serie A titles, as have Bayern Munich in Germany. Paris have won 6 out of 7 in France. You have to go back to the early 80s to get more la Liga clubs who've won the title than in England in the last 6 years.....The Premier League is by far the most open league in world football in recent history.

Finally, mercenary players. Look at Frances team. Lucas has had 4 years and averaged about 12 matches per year at atletico, not got much football. Pavard has played one season in a non-continental qualification mid table German side.l and not a lot else. Umtiti only played 20 odd times for Barcelona last year, which about what stones got at city and both have had similar careers and moves at the same ages. Sunderland nearly signed Mendy ion a free a couple of years ago, half a year at Monaco and he was the most expensive full back ever. Tolisso started 17 league game last year for Bayern in bundasliga. Pogba is a united youth player from england. At 25 no one had heard of kante. Steve nzonzi didn't exactly cut it in the premier league in 200 games as a youngster, or certainly wasn't world cup final player class. Matuidi was thrown out of PSG and told he was finished last summer. Thuavin was useless at newcastle, did he even score for them? Giroud couldn't get a start at the team who finished 6th in the premier league and got flogged off to warm another bench. Griezmann was famously ignored in France as a youngster and had to go overseas. And Marcus rashford has played more games for united then Mbappe has in his career so far at a similar age.

So what are we saying? Why when so many French players have not really played that much, do we now find them world champions? The fact is, Mbappe didn't need games, he was better coached. Others the same. If English players were to standards they'd get games.

Look how many Croats in the team we lost to are playing bags of games attop teams, in top leagues? The majority aren't. Strinic tipped us apart and could not get a game at sampdoria.

Oh and for the record...Croatia football top league has an attendance of 2,700 per match, has been won 12 out 13 years by dinamo Zagreb, and currently has a huge scandal which essentially wrecked the local FA....

Alviro Patterson wrote:

sussexpob wrote:I hope that, in a country that nearly voted in a Neo-Nazi recently, they will reflect that men called "Pogba", "Matuidi", "Mbappe" just won them the greatest cultural prize on offer in the world. Football captures the spirit in society, it would be nice if this win could usher in a new level of thought in French society.....

By rioting and looting in the cities of France

I dont see whats funny about it? He pours scorn on the suggestion that this team was representative of multi cultural France..... interesting that, while him and his audience laugh at that, the ambassadors statement on the point is, and I say this with no hyperbole, almost perfect word for word exact copy of what Paul Pogba said this week in the French media. Words that Adil Rami also said, and Blase Matuidi said before the competition. He then embarrasses himself by saying that its more about French colonialism, hence they all find themselves in France from Africa. The biggest "African" group in the team was Congolese, which wasnt a French colony. Angola, nope. Nigeria, nope. Cameroon, nope. The majority of these African players are not from French colonies. "Why do these people have in common"..... er, seriously? You need that pointing out? They are French, is that good enough?

I dont think anyone is saying a person cant be African nor French. On the contrary, the point is that Frenchness should not be defined by someones ethnic background unless THEY specifically define themselves as such. It is not appropriate for someone completely separate from them to label them "African".... they may embrace their heritage, them may completely reject it.... Steven N'Zonzi rejected to play for Congo, got a British passport and filed to play for us. He considered himself European, and now holds French and British citizenship. Does it sound like he wants to identify as African? Almost all of these players have rejected African call ups. Ben Mendy went as far as to tweet he didnt like being called Ivorian, and that he was 100% French. Why should this idiot tell him he's African? Is this not racist? Can someone not be French with an Ivorian dad? Is that the point? Not sure thats a comfortable point to make.

I dont think someone should say if one of my kids ever strike gold for Norway in an Olympics, that they are British. Thats up to them to decide what they want to be, I couldnt care less. Nationality is a deeply personal thing, I dont personally find it funny or acceptable for someone to add ethnic labels where they are not wanted. And on the flip side, Id defend heavily any French player who wanted to identify as African. Its just at the moment, no one has.