England v Italy | PASOTI
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England v Italy

Mar 14, 2009
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24 hours before the final. Absolutely excited and buzzing.

Maybe being an Argyle fan makes you treasure moments like these because if you support a top tier Premier League club l guess winning trophies and being in cup finals feel quite normal.

Firstly, l wanted to say thank you to Gareth Southgate. I will be honest. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the way this England team play. I still find personally the team move the ball too slowly and go backwards too often. I would like us to have more of a creative, quicker tempo in midfield like Spain showed in that semi final. However, people keep telling me football is a results business. My own personal belief is better performances will end up giving you more successful results in the long run.

Yet l can’t argue with Southgate though delivering results and ones l have never seen in my lifetime. A win in the knockout stages against Germany. A win in the semi final of a European / World Cup competition where l have only witnessed defeats against the Croatians and the Germans.

They are happy memories that l now have about this England team. I don’t have to look back and think of the disappointment of ‘90 ,’96 or 2018 because we finally got past that hurdle. We finally reached a final of a tournament!!

The pressure these guys must have played under with the weight of expectation, especially on Wednesday night would of been immense. Yet they delivered. So many managers we put faith in. So many players we have hyped up. I don’t care if people think this was a fortunate side of the draw. We came top of our group. Then we play Germany. The worst German side in years people said. Werner, Havertz and Rudiger all played a major part in Chelsea success in the Champions league. The year before you had Bayern Munich winning the champions league. That team destroyed Chelsea and Barcelona that year. Their team had Goretzka, Kimmich, Muller and Neuer. That’s 7 players in the last 12 months winning the pinnacle of club competition and all started against England.

Then can you imagine the Danish game. Mostly English crowd. A Danish team spurred on by the sad events that happened to Eriksen. A team that played for a cause bigger than football and galvanised that team. They took the lead. Imagine. Those English players could of froze. They could of remembered 2018 and how we let that slip by. The older fans were in Wembley probably remembering back to those other semi finals. All that weight of a nation. All those days of misery we had to suffer as England fans. The heartbreak. Yet the players dug deep and didn’t let it affect them. They found something that no other England team, except the ‘66 one, could find. They found a way to win. It may not of been pretty. Or exciting football. It was just damn stubbornness to win a game of football.

So proud of this England football team. To overcome hurdles other teams could never get past. So proud of them helping to put back a little happiness into this country after the past few years. Giving reasons for people to come together and share experiences of happiness. It’s what life should be about.

I dare say come Sunday evening, if we lose, there will be many who rejoice and take happiness from our nations misfortune. I find the world a sad place that come Sunday evening many will be ready with their social media platforms to revel in a nations sadness. That their only happiness they can currently find is within a bitterness of their soul because you just can’t be happy for other people.

If we do lose and people feel frustrated and gutted then it’s just mostly likely what the rest of the nation is feeling at that point. However, let’s have some perspective. England have been chronic under achievers. This is only England’s second final. English management, coaches and players are going into the unknown. This is Italy’s 10th final. Only Germany have achieved more. They have a wealth of experience from past players and coaches that l dare say is in the DNA of the current Italian team and something they can draw on.

I admire this Italian team. Love the way it’s been playing. Love the way they are a team unit. I think their manager Mancini is a class act. If it wasn’t England in this final l would be rooting for the Italians simply because l think they have played some of the best football in this tournament so far.

l just hope the occasion doesn’t get to this England team. That they just have fun and enjoy themselves. Just play for their families and their friends and lm sure they already made them proud. Everyone who is English is behind you and roaring you on. I hope Lady Luck is on our side as every team needs this.

This team has given us everything. One more match. One piece of magic. One moment of brilliance. It’s that close you are to being immortal.

Football is coming home. :scarf:
 

Tugboat

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Mods: could we have this thread on the main page for a day or 2 please?
 

davie nine

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Metal_Green_Mickey":1esibqvo said:
24 hours before the final. Absolutely excited and buzzing.
Firstly, l wanted to say thank you to Gareth Southgate. I will be honest. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the way this England team play. I still find personally the team move the ball too slowly and go backwards too often. I would like us to have more of a creative, quicker tempo in midfield like Spain showed in that semi final. However, people keep telling me football is a results business. My own personal belief is better performances will end up giving you more successful results in the long run.
:scarf:

You don't want to upset Gareth, Mickey. He,obviously, reads Pasoti.

"Quote from Gareth: "....There's been the odd murmur when we circulate the ball rather than go forward but the players have been patient enough to work their way through that...."
 

Ponty

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Tugboat":u7tsgdpx said:
Mods: could we have this thread on the main page for a day or 2 please?
Good idea so i moved it here for a couple of days.

Now c'mon England :scarf:
 

Tugboat

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Ponty":bx7ypuob said:
Tugboat":bx7ypuob said:
Mods: could we have this thread on the main page for a day or 2 please?
Good idea so i moved it here for a couple of days.

Now c'mon England :scarf:

:scarf: :clap:
 

cheshiregreen

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Reports that England reverting to a back three tonight. Saka will lose place to Trippier.

Gareth Southgate has constantly changed a winning team throughout the tournament.

Let's hope his selection is spot on again tonight.
 

Tugboat

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I think it’s a wise move. Italy play with 3 up front and move the ball from back to front so fluidly don’t matching 3 against 3 works for me.

The wingbacks need to be the stars here when we counter. They need to be brave pushing in support and getting the ball into Kane and Sterling
 

Wembury Pilgrim

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Come on England- 50 and never seen a better England team. Like a lifetime of being a Pilgrim, you have to enjoy the good times :thumbdown: :thumbup:
 

The Doctor

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I always think the same thing ahead of big games (Argyle or England) - wouldn’t it be nice if once, for a change, we could just win a key game without any real trauma along the way…
 

Tugboat

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The Doctor":1d0pennm said:
I always think the same thing ahead of big games (Argyle or England) - wouldn’t it be nice if once, for a change, we could just win a key game without any real trauma along the way…

We will tonight :happyclap:
 

Cobi Budge

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It’s just sinking in now that I’ve been a football fan all my life and in terms of being a football fan today is the biggest day of my life.
 

Tugboat

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The anxiety :crazy:
 
May 22, 2006
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GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
 

Cobi Budge

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John Stones & Luke Shaw have just played the half of their lives. The pair of them outstanding.
 

IJN

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The trapping of Luke Shaw from on high is truly mind blowing.