Ewan Murray on another group-stage exit for Scotland …
… while Barry Glendenning’s Football Daily is also live.
Men’s Health interview back in May.
I have four pancakes before a game. Covered in syrup or honey. I swear to God, it’s the best thing. When I joined the club, I could see the players eating them and thought to myself, ‘What is going on here?’ But honestly, it’s been a game-changer. I don’t understand the science behind it, what’s in them or anything like that, but it gives me such a high-energy boost.
I find all this mundane stuff genuinely fascinating. Not sure why I expected the gastronomy of the elite players to be more exciting than omelettes and simple vegetables but I did. Quite funny to see Camavinga walk off with a huge plate of what appears to be plain pasta.
Also, I should say that this is the first time I have ever heard Upamecano speak. I mention this because as a 15-year-old, he followed speech therapy sessions to overcome dyslexia and stuttering disorders. The sessions obviously worked. He seems relaxed in front of the camera.
Not sure I agree with Clarke’s questioning here – there’s no reason why we would need exclusively English referees in the Premier League – but it’s a little ridiculous that the penalty wasn’t given for Scotland. Look closely and the only reason why Stuart Armstrong goes over in Hungary’s penalty area is clear contact between Willi Orbán’s right knee and the Scot’s left calf. He completely clears him out.
Hello all, just the five hours until kick-off. A reminder here of how things stand in Group B before tonight’s two fixtures: Albania v Spain and Croatia v Italy.
Spain are already through but other than that, it’s all up for grabs. Italy could finish top, they could still finish bottom. Albania and Croatia surely need to win if they want to qualify.
And with that, I shall take my leave. Here’s Michael Butler to chill with you for the next bit.
“The Slaven Bilic-era checkerboard certainly,” says Charles Antaki on kits, “and certainly not that time when they jazzed it up into wonky diamonds. The simple and elegant Polish shirt is a classic, and the Belgian maroonish-red pretty good too. England’s, not too riff too much on the existing pain, is, as usual, indifferent and indistinguished. Of the unspeakable German change strip, that is wooden-spoonery of the champion sort. Also if we have time for a peeve or two, Turkish should bring back the Middlesbrough white strip across the chest, and Portugal should definitely go back to shirts in sinister oxblood.”
I can’t get too upset about any kit based on these.
“I agree with Ally Berry,” says Rick Harris. “We need 3-5-2 as Walker and Guehi are speedy centre backs and Stones has proved reliable in the middle. I would keep Saka on the right flank however and bring in Gordon as he will stretch the Slovenian defence down the left flank where we have so far lacked any threat at all. Bellingham has excelled for Madrid playing almost as a striker, so if Kane can stop doing a late career Wayne Rooney and thinking he has to be ‘Roy of the Rovers’ all over the pitch and just stay up top as a centre forward, Jude can play off him with these surging runs in behind. Foden, Rice and Mainoo for me in the midfield. Eze, Palmer, Wharton, TAA and Watkins as fresh legs around 60 to 70 minutes in. My worry is that Southgate thinks stubborn adherence to a plan that isn’t working will yield results.”
I’d bring Wharton in, I think – he’s a specialist no6 who can take the ball off the defence and pass it forward. I don’t mind Kane coming deep, but if he does, he needs runners attacking space in behind, and I’d also like to see Cole Palmer get on the pitch whether as a starter or sub. I guess the problem with 3-5-2 is that you lose wingers – Alexander-Arnold would be on the right and if fit, Shaw on the left. But I’d be surprised if Southgate changed formation at this point.
Back to Suker, though, is it just me who thinks he’s a dead ringer for Take Hart’s Mr Bennett?
This, from Euro 96 and modelled by Slaven Bilic, is also up there.
Croatia are playing tonight, so let’s recall the absolute beauty of this kit from France 98.
Love this. Don’t understand why people do it but reluctantly glad they do it.
Which was the last great international side we saw? Spain 2008-12 I guess, but it feels like a while till we’ll see another. France perhaps have the players but not the manager; the others seem to have too many holes.
Brilliant, Sky now reporting, as news, that Newcastle won’t be buying Dominic Calvert-Lewin. More as we get it!
Ahhh, this is nice.
“Scotland’s last three major tournaments have all followed a familiar and ultimately depressing pattern,” writes Simon McMahon. “Defeat in the opening game, a battling draw in the next, then hopes of qualification dashed with another defeat in the final group game. Final tally of one point on each occasion, three draws and six defeats in total, combined goal difference of minus 13. Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, the third time it’s enemy action. Or incompetence. Or an over cautious approach. Or fear. Or the manager. Or players. Or bad luck. Or, oh I don’t know anymore. The only surprise is that anyone is surprised.”
Yup, I’m afraid they were poor here, and you could see last evening coming the moment Steve Clarke fist-pumped at full time of the Switzerland game. There was lots of blather but not much else, though the team are improving. If only they could find a striker.
I really like Switzerland, and their performance last night was tactically the best I’ve seen since we had two belters in a week: Atalanta’s v Leverkusen in the Europa League final and Man United’s v Man City in the FA Cup final. What they do really well is cover ground, helped by fantastic spacing – to defend that high, but get that many men back to clutter up the box requires a lot of drilling and extreme fitness. Most likely, they play Italy next, and I’d make them favourites if so.
Luke Shaw, then. Real talk, I’ve not a clue how you compile a squad of 26 players and decide to take just one specialist left-back, who is both injury-prone and injured, but here we are. England badly need him to get on to the pitch tomorrow because they’ll want to start him in the last eight, should they get there – they’ll hope to manage without until then – so him back in training is good news. His ability to carry the ball, go on the outside and keep the width is one of the many things the team is currently missing.
Also going on for you:
Also not Euros-related, but Ruud van Nistelrooy played in them, so.
The Scotland squad, meanwhile, have departed their hotel with a band playing My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean. That must’ve cheered them right up!
On the plus side, Scotland may have lost the football but they might just be winning the anthems – so far. And it’s not been forgotten that the other night, just as it was time for Il Canto degli Italiani, ITV cut to break. Dizgraze.
News on last night’s unfortunate collision:
Source: theguardian.com
