Rooney

Had a week off some football and now back to it. Such a mad transfer window.. the Saudi league seems to be having a second coming, God knows what Villa and Chelsea are doing and I think Liverpool and Man Utd have some major work still to do in the Market (but are being relatively sensible at the moment).

Mahmood staying as Home Sec is great for Labour. People might not like her stance, but it's working with the wider electorate and immigration is a massive issue with voters. Surprised Streeting hasn't got a big gig. Wonder if he might take on this AI/tech role that's been hinted. Interested to see Burnham hint about freezing tax thresholds. Wonder how they're going to run the numbers on that. Would certainly be a pretty popular policy, but interested to see how we'd pay for it.

A pretty dull final which is par for the course really, with the exception of 2022. Glad Spain won. Get the feeling it will be incredibly difficult for anyone but Spain to win in 2030 with it being a home World Cup. Mad to think they won with a half fit Yamal and Williams barely able to take part.

Feel like that would have just worked better if they'd done a proper Superbowl half-time performance rather than a mismatch of whatever that was.

Haha surely on a wind up here? People like Argentina because of Messi. I'd say Argentina are comfortably the most disliked team in South America by South Americans and the geenral vibe, I have found is people preferred England to win over Argentina for Europeans. Of course in an Irish pub with Liverpool flags they will be supporting anyone but England 🤣

All easy to say in hindsight about this, that and the other. Momentum is a massive thing in football and it just was not with us today. Thought we went too deep at times and the subs Tuchel made encouraged it. I'm not always sure the plan was tactical, but also was pretty clear we were leggy and tired and ultimately the World Cup is a squad game. Think we had too many of our players who aren't good enough or were half cooked and it meant we couldn't really get back in the game and build sustained pressure. Mainoo must be ansolutely hopeless in training. Real shame as we had a massive opportuntity and I'm personally gutted - the Euros are just not the same as the World Cup.

Often what happens in a majot tournament, the winners often start slow and grow in to the tournament. France have looked really ordinary, not been able to wrestle any control of the game at all so far. Looked way off the pace all game.

Doesn't sound like there's been much trouble in this World Cup from the England fans to be fair. Probably down to the fact, real fans are out there or those with a criminal conviction who go to cause trouble can't get into the US! Don't think the political tensions are there at all, although suspect people will make a mountain out of a molehill this week and loads of faux outrage over any Argentina chants, without being able to see the hypocritical nature of it. Obviously the Faulkand Islands are still a major politically tense, but not sure it's that bad in the football space. Guess we'll see come Wednesday!

And in reality the “golden generation” should have done much better too. Outside of 2014, we’ve been consistent for a while and had lots of luck go against us. For everything that gets said against 2010, if that Lampard goal gets correctly given then I think it’s a different game. Semi final is above anything than what I was expecting. Let’s see what happens.

Strange isn't it. Think it just shows the dominance of UEFA and why I think its's likely it will get expanded to 64 teams. I guess as time has gone now and the increased fitness levels and sports science advancements, that where European teams may have suffered or been at a disadvantage, they are now back to a level playing field On a wider point, this must be the time where the new generation of footballers are really struggling to break through. Okay we have Haaland, Bellingham and Olise in the current generation alongside with Yamal, but it's interesting there's not really been a new player to really stamp their authority on the tournament.

Yeah it’s a stunt to stop the investigation and then he also says “oh look I have the mandate of the people”. Hope a seagull shits on him.

It's even more weird when in reality, Spain have been terrible to average in World Cups for about 40 years notwishstaning the 2010 World Cup when they bored everyone to death!

I’ll be honest, I can’t see Argentina beating France. Not sure I see much value in Argentina, I think Colombia will give them an incredibly difficult game if they get through vs Switzerland.

Argentina haven’t really played anyone good yet. They’re being horrendously overrated imo. Wouldn’t shock me at all if they didn’t even make the semis ala Brazil. What a performance. Genuinely cannot remember in my lifetime an England knockout result like that. Tuchel played a blinder in the second half with his tactical changes.

Tough watch! But that was an unbelieveable result. Probably the best result I can remember since I started following England in knockout games since I started following them. Can't believe anyone who missed that!